ayanokoji kiyone

by vamer

ok

Classroom of the Elite (Ayanokoji Kiyone)
A Certain Villain

Published: 2023
Source: https/

Volume 1 : Prologue and Introduction

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

It's a bit sudden, but listen seriously to the question I'm about to ask and think about the answer carefully.

Question: Are people equal or not?

These days, all society loves to talk about is equality. People are calling for men and women to be treated equally, and shouting for society to get rid of inequality. They call for high employment rates for women, personal-use cars for everyone, and they go as far as to find fault with the order of the register of names. People even advocate equality for people with disabilities, and now the public is encouraged to stop using the term "disabled people." Children are being taught that everyone is equal.

Is that really true?, I wondered.

Men and women have different roles if they have different abilities. People with disabilities are still disabled, no matter what term they call disabled people. None of this has meaning if no one pays attention to it.

In other words, the answer is no.

People are unequal beings; there are no truly "equal" people.

A great man once said that God did not make anyone above or below each other. But that doesn't mean that everyone is equal. Does you know that the passage doesn't end there? The rest is like this. Everyone is equal at birth, but then I asked, why are there differences in people's jobs and statuses?

That was written in the second half of the passage. Is it a difference because one struggled with academics or because one didn't try hard enough?

A difference is created there. That's the famous "scholarship studies." These teachings haven't changed at all, even in modern day right now. However, the situation is more complex and is becoming more serious.

Anyhow, people are beings that are capable of thinking. I don't think it's correct to say that people should live on only using instincts because things aren't fair.

Right now on April 1st

Matsuo : "Kiyone-ojou sama, are you sure you wanted to go school by bus?"

Kiyone : "I already told you old man. Did I need to repeat it again?"

Yes, my name is Ayanokoji Kiyone. Right now I'm preparing myself to go school. It's called Advanced Nurturing Highschool. My appearance? Well, just simply girl with brown hair and brown eyes. I'm not tall nor short either. Glasses? You asking why would I wore glasses. To be honest I want to make myself got unnoticed. I read on internet this is supposed to be nerd or mostly unpopular girl appearance, I didn't tie my hair and just like you see. That's all.

Now I need to get a bus since I'm curious with the so called 'Japan society'

Kiyone : "Matsuo, I'll get going"

I hug this old man as a sign of gratitude as well as farewell. I already warned him that in order to giving me freedom, there is a heavy price to pay. Even it cost his own life however he already resolved himself to do this, all I can do right now is doing my best to fullfill his wish

Kiyone : "Farewell Matsuo"

Matsuo : "Enjoy your school life to the fullest Kiyone-ojou sama. I hope you could find something you seeking for all along."

I reply him with nod and I started to walk my way to nearest bus stop. I wonder should I giving a kiss on the cheek to him as well. I mean, that's what internet-sensei said about giving gratitude and farewell to someone we considered close...like family?...

But still, there is simply question yet its kinda hard to answer.

Old man Matsuo once ask me, "Without thinking about he/she being useful or not. If somebody ask you to become his/her friend. Would you accept it or not?"

Me who always taught to judge mostly everything by 'merit' couldn't answer thus simple question because 'that place' taught me like that. Sometimes I even wonder, did 'that man' even thought me as his daughter or just an ideal tool to achieve his dream.

Finally I reached bus stop. And not even long waiting, the bus arrived.

The bus keep shook every time it passed over a bumpy area of the road. As I watched the landscape change from area to area, the passengers on the bus increased gradually. Most of the passengers were wearing school uniforms.

The lone frustrated salary worker who got on the bus remembered the time when he accidentally groped someone the last time he got on a crowded bus.

An old woman standing in front of me stood precariously on her unsteady feet, looking as if she would fall over at any time.

I think I made a mistake by taking the bus.

Why?

Even though I was able to secure a good seat, the cold wind was blowing towards me and the whole bus was crowded.

That poor old woman will have to wait until the bus arrives at her destination.

The cloudless sky and clear weather is refreshing... I think I might fall asleep.

My tranquility and peace was suddenly interrupted.

??? : "Don't you think you should give up your seat?!"

For a moment, I opened my eyes that were about to close.

Eh, by any chance, am I being scolded?

That's what I thought at first, but apparently the person in front of me was being warned.

A young, well-built, blonde-haired man was sitting down in the priority seat. I mean high school student. The old woman was standing next to him. An office lady was next to the old woman.

Office lady : "You there, can't you see the old woman having trouble?"

The office lady seemed to want him to hand over the priority seat to the old woman.

In the quiet bus, her voice got louder and attracted the attention of the other people in the bus. I don't know that boy name. For know I'll call him blonde boy

Blonde boy : "That's a really crazy question, lady."

The boy might have been angry, ignorant, or perhaps brutally honest, but he just smiled and recrossed his legs.

Blonde boy : "Why should I give this seat to an old woman? There's absolutely no reason for me to give it up."

Office Lady : "Isn't it natural to hand over the priority seat to the elderly?"

Blonde boy : "I don't understand. Priority seats are just priority seats, and there is no legal obligation for me to move. Whether or not I move should be decided by me, who is currently sitting in this seat. Will you give up your seat because I am a young man? Hahaha, that's a stupid way of thinking."

It's a manner of speaking that one wouldn't expect from a high school student. There are some unexpected traits for a high school student.

Blonde boy : "I am a healthy young man. Certainly, I don't feel that standing up would inconvenience me. However, it is obvious standing up will consume more physical strength than sitting down will. I don't want to do such a useless thing. Or maybe, are you telling me to be more lively and energetic?"

Office Lady : "What, what kind of attitude is that towards someone older!?"

Blonde boy : "Older? It's obvious that both you and the old woman have lived longer than me. There's no doubt about it. However, that 'above' refers to height. Also, I have a problem with you. Even if there is a difference in age, isn't that an awfully rude and impertinent attitude?"

Office Lady : "Wha...! You're a high school student!? Honestly, just listen to what adults say!"

Granny : "It's fine, it's fine..."

The office lady was worked up, but the granny didn't want to make the situation worse. She tried to calm her down with hand gestures, but the office lady continued to insult the high school student and looked like she was about to fly into a rage.

Blonde boy : "Apparently the older woman seems to have better hearing than you do. Oh dear, I guess Japanese society isn't completely useless yet. Enjoy the rest of your life to your heart's content."

After showing a uselessly refreshing smile, he put headphones in his ears and began to listen to loud music. The office lady who spoke up was clenching her teeth in annoyance. His self-important attitude annoyed her as she tried to argue with him.

Personally, I didn't get myself involved because I agreed, at least in part, with the boy. Once the moral problem is solved, the obligation to give up a seat disappears.

Office Lady : "Sorry..."

The office lady tried to hold back her tears while apologizing to the old woman. A little incident happened on the bus. I was relieved that I wasn't involved in the situation. I don't care for things like giving up my seat to the elderly or stubbornly refusing to move from my seat.

The disturbance ended with the boy who won with his big ego. At least, everyone thought it was over.

??? : "Um... I also think that the lady is right."

An unexpected helping hand was extended. The owner of the voice seems stood next the office lady and bravely spoke her opinion to the boy. She wore the same school uniform as mine.

Blonde boy : "This time it's a pretty girl, apparently I have luck with women today."

??? : "Grandmother, it looks like it's been hot for a while now. Won't you give up your seat? It may be none of your concern, but I think it will contribute to society."

The boy snapped his fingers.

Blonde boy : "Social contribution? I see, that's an interesting way to put it. Giving seats to the elderly may be a way of contributing to society. Unfortunately, I am not interested in contributing to society. I only think about my own satisfaction. Oh, and also. In this crowded bus, you're asking me, who's sitting in the priority seat, to give up my seat, but can't you ask the other people who are staying silent and leave me alone? If someone truly cares for the elderly, I think that 'priority seat here, priority seat there' would be a trivial concern."

He is right, priority seat just trivial matter. The fact that most of people inside bus didn't care with her was prove the boy argument was spot on.

The girl's intentions didn't reach the boy, and the boy's brazen attitude didn't change. Both the office lady and the old woman couldn't say anything and stood there with a bitter smile.

But the girl who stood up to the boy didn't crumble.

??? : "Everyone. Please listen to me for at least a little bit. Can anyone give their seat for the old woman? Please, anyone."

How is there so much compassion, courage, and determination in those few words? It's rare to see such genuine intentions.

With her remark, the girl may have seemed like an annoyance. But she seriously appealed to the passengers without fear.

I was not in a priority seat but I was sitting near the old woman.

By raising a hand and saying "here you go", this situation would be settled.

The elderly would also calm down. Speaking of which I wonder about thus granny. What she thinking right now regardess this situation. I mean most everyone here argued without even ask the granny herself what does she feel on this entire situation. I mean, that granny didn't even ask or beg for anything but that people just do whatever they want without her concern. Hmm...?

Like everyone else in the bus, though, I didn't move. No one felt it was necessary to move. The attitude and behavior of the boy had caught on with some of the passengers and they convinced themselves that the boy was right including me.

Of course, the elderly are undeniably important contributors and supporters of Japan. But we, the youth, are the important human resources that will support Japan from now on. Also, because the general population is gradually aging, our value is also increasing. So, if you compare the youth and the elderly, it's obvious which one is more important now. Well, this is also a perfect argument, isn't it.

Somehow, I started to wonder what the other people would do. Looking around, people were pretending to not have noticed or had a hesitant look.

But—the girl who was sitting next to me was completely different. Among the confusion, she had a completely expressionless look.

When I stared at her unintentionally because of her strangeness, our eyes met for just a moment. I could tell that we shared the same thoughts. Neither of us considered giving up our seats for the old woman.

This took longer than I though. If I giving up my seat, what did I got in return? Self-satisfaction. Let's see, could I feel something like that? This is good chance to figure out about that.

But when I was about raise my hand, maybe at the same high as my head. Someone already did faster than me.

??? : "Oh, here you go!"

A woman stood up. She gave up her seat, unable to endure the guilt maybe. Well, our reason might be different however our intention are same

Since it getting awkward, I put my hand on the back to hide it. I hope nobody make ruckus about this anymore.

??? : "Thank you!"

When the girl lowered her head with a full smile, she pushed through the crowd and guided the old woman to the seat. She thanked the girl over and over again, then sat down in her seat.

While watching the old woman and the girl, I folded my arms and closed my eyes.

The bus soon arrived at the destination, and stopped at the school. Maybe I should just giving my seat to that granny, I mean if my destination wasn't that far anymore it wouldn't be bad to do it.

As I got off the bus, there was a gate made of natural stone waiting for me.

All the boys and girls in uniform got off the bus and passed through the gate.

Advanced Nurturing High School.

A school created by the Japanese government that aims to nurture young people to support the future. It is a place that I will attend starting from today.

Stop, take a deep breath.

Ok, let's go!

??? : "Wait a second."

As I tried to take my first step of courage, I was instantly stopped as someone tried to talk to me.

I was stopped by the girl I sat next to on the bus.

??? : "You were looking at me a while ago. Why?"

She said with a firm look. A sudden interrogation? I didn't even know how to answer it. I'll be honest then.

Kiyone : "Sorry. I was just a bit interested. Whatever the reason, you didn't have any thoughts of giving up your seat to the old woman, right?"

??? : "Yeah yeah, I didn't want to give up my seat. What's wrong with that?"

Kiyone : "No, it's just that I was thought the same thing. I also didn't have any intention of giving up my seat at first. I like to stay out of trouble, I hate being caught in trouble"

??? : "Stay out of trouble? Don't compare me to you. I didn't give up my seat because I did not feel any sense in giving up the seat to an old woman."

Kiyone : "Isn't that worse than just staying out of trouble?"

??? : "I don't know. I'm just acting on my own beliefs. It's different from people who avoid troublesome things like you. I don't want to spend time with people like you."

Is that a hostile declaration? Just because I stare on her? I wonder if Japan society are weird or is it that girl who is the weird one?

Kiyone : "... I-I feel the same way."

I just wanted to give my opinion, but I wasn't really in the mood to talk back and forth. Especially with people who didn't even want to talk with me.

I deliberately sighed and started walking in the same direction as her.

Camera? Then I halt my step to look around and I noticed there is several camera on this area. I wonder why they put camera on that several spot? Does they even need to monitoring around that area as well?

Who knows

Then I continue my step to walk to attend entrance ceremony

I don't like the entrance ceremony. A lot of first years maybe think the same way.

The principal and the students are all thanking each other annoyingly, there's way too much standing, and it's such a pain because there are too many troublesome things.

But that's not all I want to say.

The entrance ceremony for the elementary, middle, and high school marks the start of one major trial for students.

For the first few days after the entrance ceremony, students must make too- I mean friend in order to enjoy the rest of their school life. That's what they said.

If someone fails at this task, it is said that a miserable three years awaits them.

Following my principle of avoiding trouble, I think it would be best to make some friends and establish decent human relationships even just put some facade on it.

I was in front of my class. I feel anxiety here

The day before, I tried to practice making conversation because I was inexperienced.

First scenario was bursting into the classroom and then talking excitedly. Rejected, cringe. Well for me

Second scenario was secretly passing a note with my email address on it. Then becoming friends afterwards. That's even more weirder than before

In my case, I had to practice because this is a completely different environment than I had been used for my whole life. I am completely alone. I entered the fierce battleground all by myself.

A camera? That was I noticed when I about to enter class. Moreover 4 cameras? That's too much just for monitoring students activity inside class.

Overlooking the classroom, I walked over to the seat with my nameplate on it. I halt my step, nameplate? I wonder is it important to remember people who didn't interact with me. Well, just in case I'll try to memorize all name with their respected seat. Who know it will come in handy later on.

After scanning my surrounding. I continue to walk toward my seat. A seat towards the back of the room and near the window. Generally a good spot to get. This place surely breezy and the light nor too dark or too bright.

The classroom was only about half full.

Students were either looking at their class materials by themselves or were talking to acquaintances and friends. Are they truly stranger? How could this people building connection so fast?

Now, what should I do? Should I get to know people aside their name during this free time?

However... if you suddenly walked up to someone and talked to them they would probably feel bothered.

Do you wait for the right time then? No, by then, there's a high chance I'll become friendless.

As I expected, I should talk...

Wait, wait, don't be hasty.

If I carelessly jump in and talk to the unknown student, I might be mocked or even got beaten by someone else.

This is useless, a negative spiral...

In the end, I couldn't talk to anybody, and with the way things were going, I would soon be left all alone.

I wonder what friends are. Where on earth do friends come from? Do people become friends after they eat with each other? Or do you become friends after going to the bathroom together?

Matsuo once told me, "You can't buy friends however you will had to paid heavy price if you losing them."

The more I think about it, the more I don't understand it. Is it something deep? I should think about it more.

Trying to make new friends is really troublesome and tiring. In the first place, should I be trying to make friends like this? Furthermore, don't friendships form naturally over time? My mind is in complete disarray like a chaotic summer festival even though I never had to attend festival before. Quite sad right?

While my mind is still hazy and confused, the classroom quickly fills up as other students enter the classroom.

Oh well, I have no choice but to try.

I saw another girl who wore glasses just like me. She is a teenage girl of average height with butt-length pink hair that is tied in twin pigtails with bangs swept to the left side, gradient blue eyes, a very well-endowed figure and I think she is considered highly attractive. I wonder if we make a vote which one is more pretty between us?

Then I decide to approach her with intention to create conversation. Sakura Airi, or at least it was that namplate said which placed on that seat.

Kiyone : "H-Hello, Good moring!"

I try to greet her first, however she keep her head hanging down. I don't understand myself. Is she perhaps nervous. Maybe she was daydreaming and moreoever she didn't paid attention to me. How rude...

Kiyone : "Hello, good morning. Etto.. Today is such nice weather isn't it?"

What was that Kiyone?!! There is so many option and yet you choose the dumbest line you could get?!!

Oh finally she notice me and she look to me. She keep looking at me

...

Oi...

...

Oi!

...

Just said something please! This is too awkward! I wanted to buried my face right now!

Could it be...

Is she perhaps just the same like me? A teenager girl who struggle with conversation and also struggling on making friend. Since both of us just seems awkward toward each other. I guess I'll end this conversation before we end up caught the other attention.

Kiyone : "A-Anyway. My name is Ayanokoji Kiyone. Nice to meet you Sakura Airi-san. Etto... Until next time."

Sakura : "O-Okay. U-Until next time"

With that I ended up the conversation and back to my seat

Involuntary, I let out a deep sigh from the bottom of my lungs. My high school life seems very bleak. It's totally different with what I saw on internet. I should just learn from anything around me first, I guess.

I noticed that the classroom was nearly full, and then I heard someone putting down their bag on the seat next to me.

??? : "That's a heavy sigh, even though the school semester hasn't even started yet. I feel like sighing after meeting you again."

The person who sat next to me was the girl I argued with after getting off the bus.

Kiyone : "So we were in the same class, huh?"

After all, there are only 4 first-year classes. It's not like it's probabilistically impossible that we were put in the same class.

Kiyone : "I am Ayanokouji Kiyone. Nice to meet you."

??? : "A sudden self-introduction?"

Kiyone : "Even if you call it sudden, it's our second time talking to each other. Isn't an introduction fine?"

Anyway, I previously had no way to introduce myself to anyone. Even to this cheeky girl. Although, in order to become familiar with the class, I wanted to be able to converse with my neighbor's at least.

??? : "Do you mind if I reject your greeting?"

Kiyone : "I think it would be awkward if we know nothing between us, even though we sit next to each other."

??? : "I think it would be perfectly fine."

After glancing at me, she put her bag on the desk. It seems like she won't even tell me her name.

The girl showed no interest in the rest of the classroom, and sat down in her seat like a model.

Kiyone : "Do you had a friend? Or are you coming to this high school alone?"

??? : "You're a curious one, aren't you. You shouldn't talk to me, since you won't find me interesting anyway."

Kiyone : "If I'm being a bother to you, just tell me to shut up. I won't got offended by that anyway"

I thought that the conversation was over, but after a sudden change of heart, she sighed and looked at me.

??? : "My name is Horikita Suzune."

I didn't expect to receive an answer, but she... no, Horikita, introduced herself.

She's a beauty. No, how should I put the right word here?

Even though she was in the same grade, she could probably pass as a second or third year student.

She looked like a...mature woman?

Well, since she responded it. I better keep this conversation then

Kiyone : "Let me start off by telling you a bit about myself. I have no particular hobbies, but I have an interest in everything. I don't have too many friends, but I think it would be good to have some friends. Well, that's the kind of person I am."

Horikita : "Sounds like a reply from someone who avoids troublesome situations. I don't think I'll ever like someone who thinks like that."

Kiyone : "How sad. It feels like my whole existence has been denied in a single second..."

Horikita : "I pray that no more misfortune befalls me."

Kiyone : "I sympathize with you, but I don't think that'll come true."

I pointed at the door to the classroom. The one standing there was

??? : "The equipment in this classroom seems to be in order! The classroom looks just like what the rumors say!"

It was the blonde boy who argued with the girl in the bus.

Horikita : "I see. Certainly is bad luck."

It seems like not only us, but that problem child is also in the D class.

Without noticing us at all, he sat down at the seat marked "Koenji Rokusuke". So, that was his name. I wonder if he knows what the term "friendship" means. Let's try observing him for a bit.

Koenji then propped his legs onto the desk, took out a pair of nail clippers, and started doing maintenance on his fingernails. He acted as if he was the only one there and ignored all of his surroundings.

His remarks on the bus seem to have come from his true thoughts.

In less than ten seconds, more than half the class backed away from Koenji. Even here, his self-important attitude penetrated the classroom. Looking next to me, I noticed that Horikita was looking down at her desk, reading one of her own books.

Oops, I forgot that talking back and forth was one of the basics of holding a conversation. One of my chances to become friends with Horikita was crushed. Peeking at the title of the book, I saw that she was reading "Crime and Punishment".

That's interesting. Whether there is any reason to kill a person or not, it advocates killing. Maybe Horikita's hobbies are similar to the ones in the book. Not bad.

Anyway, since self-introductions were finished, it seems like we won't be interacting very often.

After a few minutes, the first bell rang.

Almost at the same time, a woman wearing a suit walked into the classroom.

On first impression, she seems like a teacher who finds strict classroom discipline important. She looks about 30 years old. Her long hair was tied back into a ponytail.

??? : "Ahem, good morning new students. My name Chabashira Sae and I am in charge of class D this year. I teach Japanese history. This school doesn't rearrange the classes every year, so over the next three years, I hope I get to know all of you. Best regards. Although the entrance ceremony will be one hour from now in the gym, I will now distribute the list of special rules of this school and the matriculation guide."

Wait! We will attend another entrance ceremony? That long-boring-such a pain ceremony again? How sad.

Ah the handouts! Finally it was came to my seat. From the front, the handouts were passed around.

At this school, there are special rules that make it different from every other high school. All students are required to live on campus, and are forbidden from contacting anyone outside the school.

Even contacting immediate family is impossible without the permission of the school.

Leaving school grounds is also forbidden.

However, there are also many other facilities so that students don't suffer from being restricted. There are karaokes, theater rooms, cafes, and even boutiques—you can say it made up a small town. And in the middle of the big city, the huge campus took up more than 600,000 square meters.

There's one more special characteristic of this school, though. The introduction of the S system.

Chabashira : "I will now hand out student ID cards. Put this inside your phone. With this card, you can buy anything from any of the shops and facilities around campus. It works like a credit card. However, be careful of how many points you use. There's nothing you can't buy at school. If there's something on school grounds, it's purchasable."

This point system associated with the student card essentially replaced money.

This way, every student would start off with the same amount of money and would be forced to check their consumption habits. In any case, all of the points are provided at no charge from the school.

"Student cards can be used by scanning your phone on the machines. Using the machines are really easy, so you won't have any trouble with them. The points will be automatically credited on the first day of the month. Everyone should already have 100,000 points 'this month' on their card. Also, 1 point is worth 1 yen. Any more explanation is unnecessary."

For a moment, the classroom got loud.

In other words, for being admitted to this school, we got a 100,000 yen monthly allowance from the school. It sound too fishy even from a school created by the Japanese government. 100,000 yen is a considerable amount of money given to students as a monthly allowance.

Chabashira : "Were you guys surprised by the amount of points given? This school measures the abilities of students. Everyone here, who passed the entrance exam, has shown some level of 'merit' and 'worth'. The amount of money is a reflection of your skills. Use without holding back. After graduation, however, all the points will be taken back. Since it's impossible to change these points into cash, there's no point in saving up the points. How the points are used are up to you. Use it on things you like or need. If you feel that no use for some of your points, you can always transfer them to someone else. However, bullying other people for points is prohibited. The school is very strict on matters concerning bullying."

Ho~ she said it's impossible to change this point into cash. Well, what will you say if I were use that point to buy jewelry and then I sold it on the outside. Isn't that counted as conversion of points as well?

Then Chabashira-sensei looked around the room.

"It seems like no one has questions. Well then, please lead a good student life."

A lot of the classmates can't hide their surprise at the size of the allowance.

Too fishy. That's my impression toward this school. But Matsuo said that this is the only school which definitely suited for me. I hope you were right about that Matsuo.

However that doesn't mean I can't enjoy my freedom here. As expected...

Kiyone : "It isn't as strict of a school as I thought it would be."

I thought I was talking to myself, but Horikita was looking my direction and thought that I was talking to her.

Horikita : "It certainly seems like a lax school."

I didn't intend to talk with you Horikita, but well... whatever

Although they force us to live in dorms, forbid us from going off campus, and prohibit us from contacting anyone on the outside, they give us a lot of points for free usable anywhere on campus. Well, I still had a doubt about how much we would get point next month since Chabashira-sensei didn't say it clearly as if she intend to misleading us. Moreover none of my classmate has questioned her explanation.

It could be said that the students are put in paradise with preferential treatment. She said that they determined by 'merit' and 'worth' which somehow I doubt what if this our 'merit' and 'worth' could goes up or goes down during 3 years here. Are they still gave us those 100,000 point next month as well?

And the biggest merit to Advanced Nurturing High School is their 100% employment rate. Although I don't care with that trivial matters at all. However are they truly guarantee it to anybody here?

Under the thorough guidance of the government, the school works towards a better future with all of its resources. In fact, many of this widely publicized school's alumni are famous people. Usually, no matter how famous and good a school is, its area of specialization is narrow. A school might specialize in sports, or specialize in music. Or maybe it specializes in computer related topics. But this school fulfills any wish in any genre that someone may wish to study. This is a school that has that kind of system and value.

That's why I thought the class atmosphere would be more competitive and bloodthirsty, but the majority of my classmates seemed like ordinary students you could find anywhere else. Are they truly elites or might be there is different meaning which elites on their category.

No, maybe that's why everyone's so normal. We were already recognized as students who passed the entrance exam. Can we graduate peacefully and without incident...? I wonder if it's even possible.

Horikita : "This much preferential treatment is a bit scary."

After listening to Horikita say that, I also felt the same way. Because they are able to fulfill any wish, I think there would be some risks associated with the school.

??? : "Ne ne~, don't you want to go see those shops? Let's go shopping!"

??? : "Un. With this much money, we can buy anything. It's great that I got into this school~"

After the teacher left the room, the students who received the large amount of money were restless.

While waiting for another entrance ceremony. Suddenly a boy stand up gathering our attention

??? : "Everyone, can you guys listen to me for a bit?"

A student who had the air of a young man raised his hand and spoke. What am I talking about? Of course all of them are teenager just like me

Anyway about his appearance. His hair is not dyed and looked like an honors student. He didn't look like delinquent either. Lemme guess, sooner or later he would be popular boys in our class aside Koenji

??? : "Starting from today, we will be in the same class for the next three years. So, it would be great if all of us could introduce ourselves and become friends. We still have time until the entrance ceremony, so what do you think?"

He said something which majority of the students couldn't find words to say.

??? : "I agree! After all, we don't know each other names, let alone anything about each other."

After the first person agreed, the previously hesitant students subsequently voiced their support.

??? : "My name is Hirata Yosuke. Because I was often called by my first name, Yousuke, in middle school, feel free to use my first name. Although I like all sports, I like soccer in particular, and also plan to play soccer at this school. Please take care of me."

So his name is Hirata. "Nice to meet you Hirata-kun". Well, should I respond it like that?

Hirata who proposed that the class introduce themselves smoothly and impeccably did his self introduction.

He really have a lot of guts. And he even talked about soccer. After talking about soccer with that refreshing expression, his popularity multiplied by 2 times, no, 4 times. Look, all the girls near Hirata have hearts in their eyes. I don't understand, is he really that charming person.

No, the problem doesn't lie on him. It was on me. Me who grown up in the loveless place, how could I tell this kind of thing if I never felt anything like that as well?

Like this, Hirata became the central figure of the class, and would probably draw everyone's attention until we graduated. And then he would probably go out with the cutest girl in the class That's probably how things will end up.

Hirata : "Well, if that was satisfactory... then, can we start self introductions from the beginning?"

Being smooth to the very end, Hirata asked for confirmation.

Although the first girl was perplexed and nervous, she soon made up her mind and stood up.

In other words, she was flustered by Hirata's words.

??? : "M-my name Inogashira K-ko—"

Ko- what? 'Kokkuri'?

As she tried to introduce herself, her words stopped in her mouth.

Whether her mind went blank or she couldn't collect her thoughts fully, she was unable to speak clearly. When words no longer came out, her face became pale in embarrassment. It's rare seeing someone get so nervous.

??? : "Do your best~"

??? : "It's ok if you don't rush~"

Those kind words came from a classmate. But those words backfired, and the words stuck in her throat disappeared. The silence continued for 5 seconds, then 10 seconds. The pressure was palpable.

Small giggles came from some of the girls in the classroom. She was paralyzed in fear. One of the girls spoke up.

??? : "Doing it slowly is fine, don't rush through it."

Although her words were similar to "Do your best~" and "It's ok if you don't rush," the meaning her words held was completely different.

To the nervous girl, the boys' words seemed a bit forceful. On the other hand, the girl's words told her to go at her own pace, and felt more reassuring. After regaining a bit of her composure, she breathed in and out to calm herself down.

Then after a little while...

??? : "My name is, Inogashira... Kokoro. Um, my hobby is sewing and I'm good at knitting. P-please take care of me."

From the first word, she said all she wanted to say without stopping. With a relieved, delighted, and slightly embarrassed expression, Inogashira sit down.

Thanks to the help, Inogashira's introduction finished without any trouble. Other self-introductions followed.

??? : "I'm Yamauchi Haruki. In elementary school, I played table tennis at the national level, then was the baseball club's ace in middle school—I had uniform number 4. But since I got an injury during Inter High recently, so I am currently in rehab. Nice to meet ya."

I don't think the number 4 has any meaning to it, except it means something revolved around 'death'

Also Inter High is a sports tournament for high schools. You can't compete as a middle schooler. Or was he trying to tell a joke? I got the impression that he was a frivolous and loose-mouthed type of person.

??? : "Then I'm next, right?"

The cheerful girl who stood up next was the one who told Inogashira to introduce herself at her own pace.

And the girl that helped out the old woman on the bus that morning.

??? : "My name is Kushida Kikyou, and since none of my friends from middle school came to this school, I want to get to know everyone and become friends!"

Most students finished their greetings after a few words, but Kushida continued to talk.

Kushida : "First of all, I want to become friends with everyone here. After all of you are done with your introductions, please exchange contact information with me!"

Her words weren't just words. Maybe I could learn one or two thing from her.

Her words to Inogashira weren't just encouragement that seemed appropriate for the situation, but were her true feelings. Also, she seemed to be sensible person.

Kushida : "Then, during vacations or after school, I want to make memories with many people, so please invite me to many events. I've been talking for a while, so I'll end my self-introduction here."

Oh? It's still going on. Of course, it's not like I'm critiquing other people's self-introductions. I'm feeling a bit restless for some reason. What I should say in my introduction... should I try to tell a joke too?

Or should I bring out laughs by creating high tension during my speech?

No, but I wonder. High tension would probably just ruin the mood. To begin with, I'm not that kind of character. Did I had a character to begin with? While I was lost in my own worries, the self-introductions continued.

Hirata : "Then, the next one is"

As Hirata looked at the next student, the next student shot him a sharp glare.

With bright red hair, the boy looked like a delinquent and spoke in a manner that matched his appearance.

??? : "You guys idiots? I don't wanna introduce myself, just leave me alone."

Red hair glared at Hirata. Tension hung in the air. I wonder if he include me as these 'idiots' as well. Matsuo told me that usually idiot people didn't realized that they are the idiot one.

Hirata : "I can't force you to introduce yourself. But, I don't think that it's a bad thing to get along with your classmates. If you thought I was being unpleasant, I apologize."

After watching Hirata bow his head towards red hair, some of the girls glared at red hair.

??? : "Isn't it fine to do a simple self introduction?"

??? : "Yeah, yeah!"

As expected from the ikemen soccer boy. He seems to have quickly attracted the attention of the girls. However, starting with red hair, the about half of the other boys stirred with jealousy towards Hirata.

Red hair : "No. I don't want to pretend that we're good friends."

Red hair got up from his seat. At the same time, several other students left the room. They probably had no intention to get to know their classmates. Horikita also started to get up from her seat.

She looked at my direction, but when she realized that I wasn't moving, she started walking out the room. Hirata looked a bit lonely as he saw the group walk out the classroom.

Hirata : "They're not bad people. I'm also at fault since I asked them to stay out of my own selfishness."

??? : "Hirata-kun did nothing bad. Let's just leave those people alone."

Even though some people left after not wanting to do self-introductions, the remaining students continued to go around and introduce themselves

??? : "I'm Ike Kanji. The things I like are girls, and the things I hate are ikemen. I'm looking for a girlfriend at any time, so nice to meet you! Of course, you better be cute or beautiful!"

Isn't that too demanding? How about you show your quality first before doing qualify? It's hard to tell if he said that as a joke or if it his true thoughts, but he earned the some ire of the females.

??? : "Wow, cool~. Ike-kun, you're so smooth"

Said one of the girls with a completely emotionless voice. Of course, it was obvious that it was 10 billion% a lie.

Ike : "Really, really? Wow, I thought I wasn't bad, but... hehe."

Apparently Ike thought it was true and became a bit embarrassed. Suddenly all the girls laughed.

??? : "Wow, everyone, he's cute. He's recruiting girlfriends!"

He is being teased. Ike waved his hand cheerfully while being teased. It doesn't seem like he's a bad person though.

Then, Koenji, was up next. After checking his bangs with a hand-mirror, he used a comb to arrange his hair.

Hirata : "Um, can you introduce yourself"

Koenji : "Fu~. Ok."

While smiling like a young noble, he showed glimpses of his impudent behavior. I thought he would stand up, but Koenji kept his feet on the desk, and started his self-introduction while sitting like that.

Koenji : "My name is Koenji Rokusuke. Being the only heir of the Koenji conglomerate, I am a man who will be responsible for Japanese society in the near future. Pleased to meet you, ladies."

It was an introduction for the women, as opposed to the whole class. Some girls looked at Koenji with glittering eyes after hearing he was rich, while the others looked at him like he was crazy. ... That's natural. Even I think he is a bit... eccentric???

Koenji : "From now on, I will relentlessly punish anything that makes me feel uncomfortable. Be careful in that respect."

Hirata : "Eh... Koenji-kun. What do you mean by 'anything that makes me uncomfortable'?"

Feeling uneasy at his words, Hirata asked him again.

Koenji : "Exactly as I said. But if I were to give an example...I hate unattractive things. If I saw something ugly, I would do as I said."

He combed his hair upwards.

Hirata : "Oh, thank you. I will make sure to be careful."

Red hair, Horikita, Koenji. Then Yamauchi and Ike. Apparently all the odd students were gathered in this class. During this short time, I was able to see a glimpse of the various students in my class.

I also have an odd quirk. No, that's cringe. There's nothing special about me I think. I wanted to become a free bird, but I flew from the cage all alone. Without putting much thought into it, I wanted to experience the freedom. If you look outside, you can see the gracefulness of the birds... which you can't see at this time. I'm that kind of girl, anyway.

Hirata : "Um... the next person...please introduce yourself."

Kiyone : "Me?"

My turn had come while I was still lost in my delusions. A lot of the students were waiting for me to give my introduction. Some boys look at me with much anticipation.

Oh well, I'll go all out for for this self-introduction. Alright! Get up and start.

Kiyone : "Well ... Um, my name is Ayanokouji Kiyone. The, er... there's nothing particular about me, I will do my best to get along with everyone, uh, nice to meet you."

After finishing my greeting, I quickly sat back down.

Fu... Did everyone see it? My self introduction... failed!

I buried my face in my hands. I was too busy lost in my delusions, so I couldn't come up with the proper words in advance. It was such a boring, lame introduction that no one will remember later.

Hirata : "N-Nice to met you Ayanokouji-san. I-I also want to get alone with everyone, so let's do our best."

Hirata said with a refreshing smile.

Kiyone : "Y-Yes, thank you."

Everyone clapped. I feel like everyone clapped after seeing through my mistake. Did they perhaps just ignoring my mistake?

At the same time, I felt strangely hurt from my own introduction. I feel pain yet I'm not bleeding. Did I really want to become perfectionist?

However I was still happy, though.

Hello guys, How are you? I'm writing new fic here

A : Nobody care!

B : Did you just abandoned the previous fic? If you did, curse you!!!

C : Moreover where did you got the picture? You should put copyright on it!

Slow down, I'll answer it. And you didn't even reply my question :(

I'm not abandoning the previous fic, it just... Somehow I got another inspiration when writing my previous fic. I swear I didn't plan to abandoned it because I didn't announce it. But I didn't deny that it took longer than I think because I still construct some scenario on V2.

Regardess the picture, I draw it by myself. That's why you never found that picture anywhere else because I didn't upload it only on this wattpad. But you see, I'm suck at coloring. Either it on digital or just doing simply painting. Of course I use several pose and picture as reference and I draw it together with ANHS uniform. If you wanted the picture I'll give it later, maybe through link from my Google Drive

A : Okay dude, I hope you didn't lie to distract us from your unfinished previous fic. It already pass a week you know.

I told you, I'm not lying -_-

Also it seems took more longer than I intend to. Man! Inspiration surely hard to come by or more look like I got tons of inspiration but when I write it again I delete it because it looks cringe plot instead hahahaha

Well what do you think about this chapter?

Boring.

Okay -_-

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 1 : Is this High School Supposed to be?

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Even though this school is hard, the entrance ceremony is the same here as it is at any other school. After a speech of thanks from some principal, the ceremony ended.

And then it was noon. After we got an explanation of all the buildings and facilities on campus, the group split up.

70-80% of the students started heading for the dorms. The rest of the students formed small groups and walked towards the cafes and the karaoke rooms. The whole crowd soon disappeared.

On my way to the dorms, I decided to go to the convenience store, which was on the way. Of course I was alone. I knew no one else aside only my own classmate name.

Horikita : "What an unpleasant coincidence."

Once I entered the convenience store, I immediately ran into Horikita again.

Kiyone : "Did you perhaps find my existence is unacceptable for you."

Horikita : "Yeah, just a bit. I came to buy some necessities."

Horikita talked while examining shampoo that she took from the shelf.

Dormitory life starts from today, you need much more than just 'a bit' girls also need various products.

She quickly put the shampoo and other daily necessities into her basket. I thought she would go for good quality items, but she only went for the cheapest one available.

Kiyone : "I thought girl like you paid more attention to what kind of shampoo they used."

Horikita : "What was that? That depends on the type person, no? Beside aren't you the same?"

Well, she isn't wrong.

Horikita : "Also, I didn't expect you to stay in the classroom for self-introductions. You don't look like the type of person to be in that group of classmates."

Kiyone : "I'm trying to be in that group quietly precisely because I try to avoid trouble. Why didn't you participate in the self-introductions? It's only a short greeting. You could get along with the others and get the chance to make friends."

Also, a lot of the students exchanged contact address with each other.

If Horikita had participated, she probably would've been popular in the class. At last that what I was thinking.

Horikita : "There are a lot of reasons I could give you, but should I give a simple explanation? Even if I introduced myself, it's not guaranteed that I would get along with everyone. Rather, it would've probably created problems instead. If I don't do the introduction, none of these problems occur. Right?"

How can you be sure?

Kiyone : "But there's still a high probability that you would get along with everyone"

Horikita : *sigh* "Where'd you get that probability from? I say that, but we would endless argue over it if we tried to debate that, so let's just say that the probability is high. So, did you get along with anyone?"

Kiyone : "T-Thats..."

She looked at me while talking. I see. Surprisingly, she's right. I was unable to exchange contacts with anybody.

It couldn't be used as evidence to prove that there was a high probability of getting along if she did introduce herself. I averted my gaze at Horikita's words.

Horikita : "In other words, you have no proof that self-introductions make finding friends easy."

I admit I'm not good socialize with the other. For someone like me, it can't be helped right?

Horikita : "To begin with, I never intended to make friends. So, there's no need for me to introduce myself, and no need for me to listen to anyone else's introduction. Are you convinced now?"

She did reject me the first time I tried to introduce myself. But still, isn't that bad when it come to cooperate with the other on later day. I wonder how long she could be alive without talking to her classmate. After all human are social creatures.

People have various different ways of thinking; it's impossible to deny that. Horikita is a much more isolated, no, aloof, type of person than I thought. We didn't even look at each other as we wandered about in the convenience store. Even though her personality is a bit uptight, it didn't feel uncomfortable walking together. At least she didn't offend me.

Kiyone : "Wow! They even have all the different kinds of ice cream, this school's really convenient!"

In front of the instant food section, I saw two boys were being noisy. After throwing a bunch of cup noodles into their basket, the two of them went to the register. They also had lots of snacks and drinks that filled up the whole basket. Since there are a lot of points that may be left over, it's only natural that they try to spend it somehow.

Kiyone : "Cup noodles??? so they had that kind of section too, huh?"

Learning this kind of stuff was one of my goals in going to the convenience store. Pityful isn't it? I'm glad Horikita couldn't read my mind.

Horikita : "So you also do like this kind of stuff? I don't think it's really good for the body though."

Kiyone : "Eh, I was just considering if I should buy it. or not"

I picked up a cup noodles bowl and looked at the price. It said it was 156 yen, but I wasn't sure whether that was expensive or cheap for a bowl of cup noodles. I don't even know how does common sense of price working because all I learn during stay with Matsuo only some price of ice creams and sweats. I'm ashamed to not learn it thoroughly before attend this school.

Still, even though the school calls it "points," the prices are all written in yen. Maybe they just too lazy to change the label price

Kiyone : "Hey, what do you think of these prices? Do they look cheap or expensive?"

Horikita : "Hmm... I can't really tell, but did you find something with a strange price?"

Kiyone : "No, that's not what I meant. I just wanted to ask."

The prices on the goods in the store seemed to be about right, I think. Judge by Horikita expression I guess this is common price for cup of noodle. Also, it really does seem like 1 point is equal to 1 yen. With this rough information. Given that the average high school student's allowance is about 5,000 yen, our monthly allowance is 20 times bigger.

Sensing my suspicious behavior, Horikita looked at me strangely. I took the closest bowl of cup noodles to throw off her suspicions.

Kiyone : "Wow, this is really big. There is size information here, G cup?"

It looks like it stands for "giga cup," but for some reason it makes me feel full just looking at it. That's too much portion for girl like me I guess.

On an unrelated note, Horikita's breasts aren't small, but aren't large either. They are just the perfect size. Compared to mine. I take it that I won the battle here. Just kidding, it's not appropriate act to make fun of someone body isn't it?

Horikita : "You! Did you just think of something funny?"

Kiyone : "Hmm? No, of course not."

Horikita : "You were acting strangely though. Also...Forget it!"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

She said that while glance at my chest. What's wrong? Is there something on my chest? Then I decide to shift the topic.

Kiyone : "I was thinking about what I should buy. Which one looks better?"

Horikita : "If it's just that, then it's fine. You should stop buying those unhealthy foods. The school has a lot of better food options, so don't make a habit out it."

Oh, she gave me a suggestion. Thanks for the tips I guess.

However, I had an irrepressible urge to buy a few more. So aside from took important necessities, I took each of different flavoured ice creams and put it in my basket.

Somehow Horikita look at me with..errr... how could I describe it? Worried or maybe more look like did my habit could be categorized as weirdo on her eyes

While I made another attempt to conversation with her. It always ended up failure. I'm suck at this. But if someone like Horikita critize me for...

Horikita : "You're not very good at socializing. You suck at coming up with things to talk about."

And here I just thinking something. But even Horikita critized me

Kiyone : "Even coming from you! I guess it's pretty true."

Horikita : "Of course. I have a pretty good eye for people. Normally, I wouldn't want to hear you speak twice, but I will put in the painful effort to listen to you."

For some reason I tried to make friends with her, but my expectations were completely off. Now even she said like that. I don't want to talk with her for some reason. Maybe I choose wrong person to train my conversation ability. Sigh...

With that, our conversation grinded to a halt.

Kiyone : "Hey. What are these for?"

As I looked for things to talk about, I saw something unusual. In the corner of the convenience store, I saw individual portions of food and supplies. At first glance, they looked the same as everything else, but with one major difference.

Horikita : "Free... ?"

Also feeling interested, Horikita picked up one of the items.

Daily necessities such as toothbrushes and bandages were put in a bin labeled 'free of charge'. The bin also had the words, '3 items per month' written on it, and it was obvious that these were different from the other goods. Its suspicious...

Kiyone : "I wonder if this is emergency relief for those who have used up all their points. What a surprisingly lenient school."

I wonder if they're only thorough with these kind of services, though. Or maybe...

Who knows. Maybe I just overthinking about it...

??? : "Hey, just wait a bit! I'm looking for it now!"

Interrupting the peaceful background music was a loud voice from the middle of the store.

??? : "Hurry up! Everyone's waiting!"

??? : "Oh, really!? Tell them to complain directly to me!"

It sounded like there was trouble.. Two boys were glaring at each other as they started to quarrel. The one with a disgruntled face was the red hair-kun from my class. He was clutching cup noodles in one of his hands.

Kiyone : "What's happening here?"

??? : "Oh? Who're you?"

I meant to talk amicably, but red hair mistook me for another enemy and shot me a glare. He should know that if he always shout suddenly like that to a random girl who talk calmly just like I did before, he would never got girlfriend for his entire life. At least thats what internet-sensei told me.

Kiyone : "I'm Ayanokoji from the same class. I spoke up because I thought there was trouble here."

After explaining, red hair lowered his voice after understanding the situation.

??? : "O-Oh... Is that so? I forgot my student card. Forgot that that thing is practically money from now on."

After seeing his empty hands, he started to head for the dorms. To be honest, it didn't fully sink in yet that the cards were needed for every payment. He should just immediately put that card on his phone right. How could he forgot?

Kiyone : "If it's fine with you, I can pay for it now. It'd be troublesome to go back to get it. I don't mind if you use my points for this one"

??? : "Th-That's... I can't let a girl paying for me...Ugh! It's annoying. But you were right, thanks."

The distance to the dorm isn't a big deal. But by the time he would've gotten back, the line would probably get long since it'd be lunch time.

??? : "I'm Sudou. Sudou Ken. I owe you one Ayanokoji-san"

Kiyone : "Nice to meet you, Sudou-kun."

I took the cup noodles from Sudou then walked over to the hot water dispenser. Horikita was amazed after seeing that short exchange.

Horikita : "You're a pushover even from the first meeting. Are you going to make him your servant? Or is this how you're trying to make friends?"

Kiyone : "I don't understand what do you mean by it. Rather than making friends, I was just trying to help. Nothing else."

Horikita : "You don't seem to be scared at his appearance either."

Kiyone : "Scared? Why would I be scared? Is his appearance is something we should be scared off?"

Horikita : "A normal person would probably stay away from that kind of person."

Normal person huh? I mean what could I feared from someone who I could take down by myself? Unless he bring weapon or something, maybe I would think twice before take an action against him.

Kiyone : "Nah, he doesn't even look like a scary person anyway. Also, you don't look scared either."

Horikita : "Only people without any method of protecting themselves stay away from those types. If he seemed violent, I'd repel him away from me. That's why I'm not really afraid."

Whenever Horikita says something, it's always something unusual. First of all, when she says 'repel', what does she mean? Is she carrying around some kind of anti-molester spray? Or is she simply confident to take him unarmed just like me?

Horikita : "Let's finish shopping. It'd bother other students if we loitered around too long."

We finished up our shopping. After scan the phone to the machine, the transaction was quickly completed. It was even faster because there was no small change involved.

Kiyone : "It's really usable as money... "

The receipt showed the prices of each good and the leftover amount of points. The payment went off without a hitch. While waiting for Horikita, I put hot water into the cup noodles. I thought it'd be more difficult to open the lid and pour in the hot water, but it was surprisingly easy. Just like video on internet. Making instant noodle is surely easy. Well, another my curiousity answered now.

By the way. At any rate, this is a really weird school. What kind of merit does each individual student have that warrants that big of an allowance?

Since my grade has about 160 people in it, by simple calculation, the high school should have about 480 people total. Even in a month that's already 48 million yen. In an year, 576 million. Even if it's backed by the country, it still seems like overkill.

Kiyone : "I wonder what benefit it would bring to the school. 100,000 yen is a lot to give someone."

Unless, there is another meaning of it...

Horikita : "Well... There seem to be way too many facilities for the number of students, and it doesn't seem necessary to give the students that much money. The students may neglect their studies because they have so much money."

Is that so?

Anyway, I'm not sure if this is our reward for passing the test. By talking about money, the students might be motivated to work harder. But, without any conditions attached, 100,000 yen was handed out to everyone.

Horikita : "It's not something I can really tell you to do, but it's probably better to save your money. Bad habits are difficult to fix. Once humans get used to a comfortable life, it's hard to let it go. The mental shock would certainly be pretty big."

Kiyone : "I'll take that to heart."

I never intended to throw away my money on random expenses originally, but she made a valid point. After finishing the transaction, Sudou-kun was waiting in front of the convenience store.

Seeing me come out, Sudou waved his hand at me. When I also waved to return his feeling, Somehow he looks...a bit weird?

Kiyone : "Are you actually trying to eat here?"

Sudou : "Of course I am. It's common sense, where else would I eat?"

I see, I guess I'll leave him alone then. When Sudou answered like that, I was surprised and Horikita let out an exasperated sigh. What does it mean?

Horikita : "I'm going to go home. It feels like my dignity is slowly degrading away here."

Sudou : "What dignity are you talking about? You're just a normal high school student. Or are you some kind of ojou-sama?"

Even though Sudou snapped at Horikita, she didn't even bat an eye. Feeling irritated, Sudou put down his cup noodles and stood up. It seems he had somehow an anger issue

Sudou : "Ah?! Listen to people when they speak! Hey!"

Horikita : "What's up with him? Suddenly getting angry."

Horikita continued to ignore Sudou and suddenly talked to me. Please, don't drag me on this one, Horikita-san. Having being pushed over the edge, Sudou shouted in anger.

Sudou : "Come over here! I'll beat you up!"

And what you get from beating a girl when you were seen on surveilance camera? Making shame to everyone who had support and had faith on you?

Kiyone : *sigh*"I'll admit Horikita's attitude was bad. But your behavior isn't very good either."

Sudou's patience seems to have run out.

Sudou : "So? Her attitude's way too cheeky for a woman!"

Horikita : "For a woman? That kind of thinking is outdated. Don't be friends with someone like him."

Kiyone : "What do you mean by it Sudou-kun?"

With that, Horikita turned around, ignoring Sudou to the very end. And Sudou seems confused because he seems can't argue with Horikita and he can't answer my question. Being pressured like that it he didn't know how to respond to neither of us.

Then Horikita-san leave us

Sudou : "Hey wait! Damn woman!"

Kiyone : "Calm down"

I held back Sudou who was trying to reach for Horikita. Without even looking back, Horikita headed back for the dorms.

Sudou : "What kind of girl who acts like that? Dammit!"

Kiyone : "There are many different types of people, you know. You can't just treat every girls like her"

Sudou : "Hmph. I hate that kind of girl."

He stare at me cautiously. Then I tilted my head on confusion. He walk away after that.

Sudou grabbed the cup noodles, tore off the cover and started eating. A little while ago, he also fought at the register, it seems like he has a low boiling point for his anger. Seems my deduction are right about his anger issue. He need to control his temperament

??? : "Hey, are you a first year? That's our spot."

As I watched Sudou slurp up his noodles, a group of three boys walked out of the convenience store carrying similar bowls.

Sudou : "Who are you guys? I'm using this spot right now. You're blocking the way. Fuck off."

??? : "Didn't you hear him? Scram. Some cheeky first year brat."

The three laughed at Sudou. Sudou stood up and threw his cup noodles on the ground. Soup and noodles splattered onto the ground. Poor cup noodles-chan...

??? : "The first year's trying to fight, huh? what!?"

That's not it. Sudou has a low tolerance for anger. He's the type of person to try to intimidate the other party. But under this surveilance camera, one mistep and he could get expelled from this school

Sudou : "You second years are saying some bullsh*t things! I'm already sitting here."

The second year senpais put down their stuff right there too. And then they began to laugh.

??? : "Yup, we're here too. So scram, this is our spot."

Sudou : "You guys have some nerve, you sh*ts."

Sudou didn't falter from the difference in numbers. Looks like a fistfight will start anytime soon now. I, of course, didn't count myself in those numbers.

??? : "Wow~ so scary... What class are you guys in? Oh wait, never mind. Let me guess... you're in class D right?"

Wait, how could they know?

Sudou : "So what!?"

After Sudou said that, all the upperclassmen looked at each other, and laughed at the same time.

??? : "Did you hear? He's in the D class! It was really obvious!"

Sudou : "Oh? What do you mean by that, huh?"

As Sudou was getting heated, the upperclassman boys took a step back.

??? : "Because you guys are so pitiful I'll let you stay there for today. Let's go."

Are they including me as well?

Sudou : "You guys running away!?"

??? : "The dog's barking! Anyway, you guys will face hell soon enough anyway."

Face hell?

They clearly looked calm and composed. I wonder what they meant by 'face hell'.

I thought that this school was for those fancy obocchans or ojou-samas, but there are quite a few people like Sudou or that group of three earlier.

Sudou who seems snapped off suddenly rushed to punch one of them. This is bad!

I grab his arm as fast as I can but out of respond Sudou forcing his way to shove my arm.

And...

Good grief...

He accidentally sending blow to my face precisely at my nose, with his elbow. Its hurt... but I'm glad my glasses are fine.

??? : "Heh! Pathetic!

After that those senpai leave us alone

Sudou look at me for a second then just leave me out after that without even talk or apologize or giving help. Sudou shoved his hands in his pockets and headed back without even cleaning up the noodles. I looked at the outside of the convenience store. Under two surveillance cameras had been placed there. Such troublesome matter would be arise if nobody clean this mess

Kiyone : *sigh*"There'll probably be problems later, huh."

Then I stand up again. Reluctantly, I reached down to grab and starting cleaning up the mess.

Am I angry? Well, honestly I didn't. It's not a big deal for me. Although I'm not sure what should the other girls react if they were on my shoes?

But there is something bugging me off. As soon as the second-years knew Sudou was class D, their opinions changed instantly. Although I felt anxious about it, there was a chance my doubt are correct this time. How can you tell? Woman intuition I guess...

Around 1pm, I reached the dorms that would be my home for the next three years.

After the first floor receptionist gave me a card key for the room 801 and an information manual, I got on the elevator. While flipping through the manual, I saw the time and day for the garbage disposal and a warning to not make too much noise. It also said not to waste water and electricity as much as possible.

Kiyone : "They don't actually have limits on gas and electricity usage, huh... "

I thought that they would subtract from our points automatically. This school really went through great lengths for the sake of the students. I was surprised that they implemented coed dorms though. For a school that prohibits relationships between students, the coed dorms felt out of character. In other words, sex was a no-no.

Well, obviously.

It's hard to believe that such a pampered and easy life can train students to be admirable adults, but given the current situation, the students should probably use all they were given.

The room is about 8 tatami mats big. This is my house starting from today. It's also my first time living alone. Until graduation, I would have to live without contacting anyone outside of school.

Unintentionally, I let out a smile.

The school had a high employment rate, and boasted the best facilities and opportunities out of all high schools in Japan. For me, though, these weren't as important to me. I had one big reason for choosing this school.

I'm free. Freedom. In English that's "freedom". In French it's "liberté".

Isn't freedom the best? I can eat, sleep, and play when I want to. Without having anyone order me around, I can graduate with peace now. Thank you very much Matsuo for recommended this school for me

Frankly speaking, before I passed the exam, the result didn't matter to me. There was only a slight difference between passing and not passing. However, when the results came out, I was really happy that I got in. No one can judge me or order me around now.

I can redo... no, start anew. A new start, a new life. Anyway, I plan to have a fun student life from now on. Not caring about my uniform, I jumped onto the bed. Feeling far from tired, I tried to calm myself down, looking forward to my future school life.

On the second day of school, even though it was technically the first day of classes, the majority of the day was spent going over policies and rules. Many of the students had their expectations completely blown away by how nice and friendly the teachers were. Having already made a big commotion the other day, Sudou was left alone as he slept like a log during class. The teachers noticed him sleeping, but no one made an indication as to stop him.

After all, deciding to listen to the lesson or not is our choice, so the teacher wasn't concerned. Is this how teachers interact with students that are no longer part of compulsory education?

In this relaxed atmosphere, it soon became lunchtime. Getting up from their seats, the students started to go out to eat lunch with their acquaintances. I couldn't help but look in envy towards the others. Sadly, I wasn't able to make any close friends with my classmates.

Horikita : "Pitiful."

The only person who noticed my feelings sneered at me.

Kiyone : "What's pitiful?"

Horikita : "I want someone to invite me. I want to eat lunch with somebody. Your thoughts are really obvious."

Kiyone : "You're also by yourself. Don't you feel the same way? Or do you plan on staying alone for the next three years?"

Horikita : "Yes. I like being alone."

She replied quickly, without any hesitation. It seems like she really feels that way.

Horikita : "Instead of worrying about me, go worry about yourself."

Kiyone : "Well... "

After all, it wasn't me that proudly said that I couldn't make friends. To be honest, it seems like the near future will be troubling because I couldn't make any friends.

After all, being alone also stands out. If I became the object of bullying, I would certainly be conspicuous.

Not even a minute after the ball rang, half the class became empty.

The people who are left either want to go but are alone just like me, are sleeping and not paying attention, or like being alone like Horikita.

Hirata : "I was thinking of going to eat, does anyone want to come with me?"

Hirata said as he stood up. With that kind of thinking, he looks like a real riajuu.

??? : "I'm going too~!"

??? : "Me too me too!"

Wow! So this is the power of 'good-looking' person. Must be nice to choose any girl you wanted to date isn't it. I could see some boys had jealously glare toward him. Maybe deep inside they wanted to had harem as well

Speaking of which why would Hirata look to our direction?

Oh, our eyes meet. Hmm? Karuizawa-san. Why would she look at our direction as well? Maybe it just my imagination

Horikita : "How sad."

Another derisive laugh and a disdainful look came from Horikita.

Kiyone : "Don't try to guess what other people are thinking."

Horikita : "Is there anything else?"

Feeling a bit lonely from the lack of other boys, Hirata looked around the room.

??? : "Hirata-kun, hurry up!"

The girls took a hold of Hirata's arms without noticing their surrounding.

Hirata's gaze was stolen by the girls. Afterwards, he and the girls exited the classroom.

Kiyone : "Well then..."

Sending me one last look of pity, Horikita left the classroom by herself.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san surely meanie huh?"

Reluctantly, I stood up by myself and decided to go to the cafeteria all alone. Honestly, if I don't feel like eating alone, I'll just go buy something at the convenience store.

??? : "Ayanokoji-chan... right?"

On my way towards the cafeteria, I was suddenly stopped by a somebody. She's Kushida, one of my classmates. And...'chan'???

Because it was the first time I looked at her from the front, my heart went doki doki. Is she here wanted to make me her friend?

Straight, short, brown hair that reached the top of the shoulders. It wasn't crude by any means, but the school recently approved shorter skirts, so it was obvious that her uniform was a newer one.

In her hand was a pouch with a lot of keyholders on it—I couldn't tell if she was carrying a pouch or if she was carrying a lot of keyholders.

Kiyone : "Kushida Kikyo-san, isn't it? What do you need from me?"

Kushida : "Woah! You actually remember my name. Ahem! Actually... I would like to ask you something. It's a short question, but Ayanokoji-chan, by any chance, are you on good terms with Horikita-san?"

Kiyone : "Good terms huh? Honestly I don't quite understand by myself. She tried to upset me whenever we interacted and I didn't feel offended with her cold treatment. Is it could be categorized on 'good terms'?"

I explain my relationship with Horikita-san. However, it seems that when her goal was to ask about Horikita. I feel a bit sad.

Kushida : "O-Oh! I see. Etto...Weren't you two getting along on the first day of school though? I was asking everyone one by one for their contact info, but... Horikita refused to tell me."

That girl, what is she doing? If she was asked for her contact by an assertive girl like her, she could've helped me out and shared it with me. Afterwards, I might have have gotten familiar with the class. Horikita-san surely act just like what she said by herself.

Kushida : "Also, on the day of the entrance ceremony, weren't you two talking to each other in front of the school?"

Considering that we were also on the same bus together, it's not surprising that she saw the two of us together. But, how come she ended up with such conclusion? Is she perhaps such an airhead-ignorant person?

Kushida : "What kind of personality does Horikita have? Is she the type to only speak her mind to her close friends?"

Even though she wants to get to know Horikita, I can only listen to her questions but not answer any of them. Speaking of which why she didn't ask about myself. Am I that unworthy? How sad...

Kiyone : "I think she's not very good at interacting with others. Why do you want to know about Horikita?"

Horikita : "During the self-introductions, Horikita-san walked out of the room, right? It looked like she didn't talk to anybody, so I was worried about her."

She did say that she wanted to get along with everyone in her introduction. I see, maybe yesterday I should decide to walked out of the room as well. Must be nice to be the one who got approached by another students right? Wait a sec, is it works on me? When I think about it again, maybe my decision yesterday to stay in the class was the best

Kiyone : "I understand, but I only met her yesterday, so I can't really help. I'm sorry Kushida-san"

Kushida : "Oh...so that's how it was. I thought you two were friends before coming to high school. Sorry for asking you a weird question out of the blue!"

Kiyone : "No, it's fine. Also, I'm glad that you were remember me Kushida-san"

Kushida : "I made sure to memorize everyone's names."

She said while puffed up her chest. Such cute gesture I think. Kushida even listened to my lame self-introduction. For some reason I feel really glad hearing that.

Kushida : "Once again, let's get along well, Aya-chan!"

Although I felt a bit perplexed by her outstretched hand and suddenly having new nickname, I wiped my hands on my skirt and then shook her hand.

kiyone : "Nice to meet you too"

Today was a lucky day. Even though there were some bad moments, there were also good ones. And since humans think conveniently, I quickly forgot about the bad moments of the day.

Eventually, after peeking through the cafeteria door, I decided to go to the convenience store, bought some bread, and returned to the classroom.

A group of friends were eating with their desks next to each other, while there were various students quietly eating alone. The only thing common was that nearly everyone had a bento from either the convenience store or the cafeteria.

I was going to start eating when I saw that Horikita had already returned to her seat. She had on her desk a sandwich that looked delicious. She looks cute like a little hamster

I returned to my seat without saying anything. When I was about to take my first bite of my bread, music started to play out of the speakers.

??? : "Today, at 5:00 pm in gymnasium number 1, there will be a club fair. For those of you with an interest in clubs, please come to gymnasium number 1. I repeat, today"

A girl with a cute voice made an announcement over the PA. Clubs, huh. I've never been in a club before.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san-"

Horikita : "I have no interest in clubs."

Kiyone : "I didn't even ask anything yet."

Horikita : "Ok, then what?"

Kiyone : "Are you going to participate in any clubs?"

Horikita : "Ayanokoji-san. Do you have dementia? Or are you just an idiot? Didn't I say from the beginning that I have no interest in clubs?"

Kiyone : "Just because you don't have any interest doesn't mean you won't participate."

Horikita : "That's a frivolous argument. Don't make that kind of pointless talk."

With that I stopped to pry on her anymore.

Horikita has no interest in clubs or making friends. Whenever I talk to her, she looks annoyed. I wonder if she came to this school just for the education or the high employment rate.

It wouldn't be surprising if that was her only reason, but it seems unnatural.

Horikita : "You really don't have any friends, I see."

Kiyone : "That's wrong. Now I can talk to you pretty well."

Horikita : "You say that, but don't count me as one of your friends."

Kiyone : "You don't need to act so meanie to me like that. Are you perhaps find it fun to mess up with me?"

Horikita : *sigh*"Fun huh? I don't even find any 'fun' from you. So, since you want to go see the clubs, do you intend to enter any clubs?"

Kiyone : "No, I'm still thinking about it. I probably won't join one though."

Horikita : "If you're not going to join a club, why are you going to the club fair? Strange. Are you using clubs as a pretext to make friends?"

How could she knows? No, it's probably that I'm too easy to understand.

Kiyone : "Because I failed on the first day, clubs are my last chance to make any friends."

Horikita : "Isn't it fine to invite anyone other than me?"

Kiyone : *sigh*"It's because I have no one else to invite that I'm having trouble"

Horikita : "That's true. However, I don't think that Ayanokoji-san seriously means the things you say. If you really wanted a friend, you'd probably talk more earnestly."

Kiyone : "Because that's not possible for me, I tread the path of loneliness."

Horikita quietly resumed eating her sandwich.

Horikita : "I can't really understand that kind of contradictory thinking."

I want friends, but I can't make friends. It seems that Horikita couldn't understand that. Or perhaps she is understand but she keep make fun of me instead.

Kiyone : "Did you ever do any clubs?"

Horikita : "No. I have no experience in any clubs."

Kiyone : "Then do you have any experience with things outside of clubs? Oh, you're talking about something like this and that?"

Horikita : "What are you trying to say? I feel the malice behind your words."

Kiyone : "Malice? I didn't even tell you what I was referring to though."

I received a chop to my side in a quick motion. Seeing that I didn't even flinched at all. She saw me with amused look. What is she planning to do after this?

Kiyone : "What was that for?"

Horikita : "Ayanokoji-san, are your body didn't even feel numb? Are your impulse somewhat having trouble or something like that?"

After seeing me tilted my head on confusion instead. She then continue her conversation

Horikita : "I've warned you already, but it seems like you don't listen to what I say. Remember that I'm capable of inflicting more pain than I just did."

Kiyone : "Violence doesn't always solve anything you know"

Horikita : "Really? Ever since the beginning of time, violence has existed because it is the most efficient way of resolving problems. It is the fastest way of either getting your point across to the other party or ignoring the other party's desires. After all, even countries employ police who use weapons and violence to arrest people, right?"

Kiyone : "You sure talk a lot"

She gave me a grand speech, asserting that she did nothing wrong. Whenever she made a remark, she would say absurd things and use it to viciously retort.

Horikita : "From now on, I will use violence in order to fix the errors of your ways. How about it?"

Kiyone : "Should I show you my crying face for real to make you stop?"

I wonder did she perhaps treat me like punching bag if I didn't clarify it now.

Horikita : "It doesn't matter, because don't you think that'll never happen? After all, I never say something I shouldn't."

That was an answer that came far out of left field. She seems to believe that she's never wrong. Even though she looks and acts in a civil manner, she's meanie on the inside.

Kiyone : "Yeah-yeah. I'll be really careful from now on. Horikita-sama"

Giving up on inviting Horikita, I looked out the window. Ah, the weather's good today.

Horikita : "Club activities... is it. I see... "

Horikita mumbled as she pondered over something.

Horikita : "Only a bit after school is ok, right? I'll go with you."

Kiyone : "What do you mean by that?"

Horikita : "Didn't you say it yourself? That you wanted to go to the club fair."

Kiyone : "Oh, right. I never intended to stay long. After all, I was only looking for an excuse. Is that fine?"

Horikita : "If it's only for a short while. Then, I'll see you after school."

After that, she resumed eating. Looks like she decided to go along with my attempt to make more friends. Earlier I said that she was unpleasant to talk to, but her attitude seems to be taking a turn for the better.

Horikita : "Looking at you trying to make friends and failing sounds interesting. Fufufu~"

Never mind, she's still unpleasant.

Kiyone : "Hmm, it's bigger than I thought it'd be."

Horikita and I met after school to go to the gymnasium. Almost everyone there were first years, around 100 people were waiting nearby. Waiting around the back, we were waiting for the club fair to start. As we entered the gym, pamphlets with details about club activities were passed out.

Kiyone : "I wonder if this school's club is particularly famous"

Horikita : "A lot of clubs here seem to be high-leveled. There are a lot of members in a lot of clubs that are nationally known."

Kiyone : "How can you be sure?"

Horikita : "Through internet, TV, and another media. You should had already know unless you are a girl who living inside a cave."

Gulp! That's harsh but also I'm almost blown my own cover. I guess next time I should think carefully before running my mouth again

By the way. Even though this school isn't particularly known for their sports like baseball or volleyball, it isn't like the club activities are at the "hobbyist" level. From my observation. All of the equipment are well-maintained. Are their fund come from government as well?

Horikita : "The facilities are also high quality. Look, they even have oxygen capsules. All the equipment put pro's equipment to shame. Ah, but it looks like they don't have a karate club."

Kiyone : "I see. That's too bad. Because most of highschool in Japan had karate club"

Horikita : "What with that answer, are you perhaps interested in karate?"

Kiyone : "No, not particularly."

Horikita : "Anyway, you know. It looks like an inexperienced person will have a hard time joining a sports club. Even if someone made their high school debut, they would be a substitute for an eternity. I don't think it would be fun."

Everything around here seems too orderly and tidy.

Kiyone : "Isn't that dependent on the effort they put in? After 1 to 2 years of training, anyone can become good."

Training huh? Even I don't think I would be able to put in much effort. Unless it was necessary for me

Horikita : "I didn't think that the word 'training' existed for people who avoid trouble like you."

Kiyone : "What does avoiding trouble have to do anything with this?"

Horikita : "Doesn't someone who avoids trouble also avoid any sort of manual labor? If you've declared that you avoid trouble, you should stick to your word until the very end."

Kiyone : "Ahem! Having fun and hard working are different thing Horikita-san. Beside, I don't take it that far"

Horikita : "If you're always act noncommittal like that, you're never going to make friends."

Kiyone : "I-Is that so?"

Then our conversation got interupted. It seems the club fair already started

??? : "Thank you for waiting, first year students. A representative from each club will explain their activities and how to join. I am Tachibana Akane, the secretary of the student council and the chairman responsible for this club fair. Nice to meet you."

After the greeting from Tachibana-senpai, the club representatives lined up on the stage of the gym. There were various representatives, ranging from those wearing judo uniforms to beautiful kimonos.

Kiyone : "Hey, if you ever change your mind, try joining a sports club. Doesn't that judo club look good? That senpai looks nice and encouraging."

Horikita : "What part of him looks nice and encouraging? That gorilla looks like he could kill someone at any time."

Kiyone : "Isn't that judo is an easy sport for you?"

Horikita : "Even if that was the case, the sports clubs clearly don't welcome any beginners, looking at how they're showing off."

Kiyone : "They should be welcomed. If my deduction was right. The more the people they get, the more money the school gives them and so they'd be able to get more equipment."

Horikita : "That's just using new members as a way to get money. It'd be ideal to recruit a lot of new members, increase the budget, then get them to become ghost members. You need to be able to skillfully manipulate the rules in the world."

Kiyone : "Is that so? What a bad world... Anyway, your way of thinking is certainly unique."

Horikita smirk after I compliment her. Maybe she is that kind of person who are fun to hangout if you already guessed her way of thinking. I mean she isn't insulted me like usual for being unaware with some probability fact which she stated before

Then another club leader make an appeal

??? : "My name is Hashigaki, and I'm the captain of the archery club. I think there are a lot of students who find it old-fashioned and simple, but it is a really fun and fulfilling sport. We give all new students a warm welcome, so if you're interested, please join."

A girl wearing archery clothes started her introduction on the stage.

Horikita : "Look, they seem to welcome beginners. How about you try joining? To make their budget bigger."

Kiyone : "Joining a club for that reason is a definite big no. Also, a sports club is a meeting place for talented individual. Without knowing anyone, it wouldn't be fun at all and If it was me, I'd probably leave in an instant."

Horikita : "Isn't that way of thinking a result of your twisted personality?"

Kiyone : "Yup, absolutely. A sports club is definitely impossible."

I wouldn't even want to do a part-time job that is completely lax and requires little effort. Furthermore, I would probably only join a club if it was easy to join, calm, and quiet.

Horikita : "!!!!!"

As the club representatives introduced their clubs one by one, Horikita suddenly tensed up. She was looking towards the stage, her face pale.

Kiyone : "What's wrong?"

In her tensed state, she looks as if she didn't hear me. I also looked towards the stage, but I didn't see anything in particular. Maybe she isn't feeling good at all. I shouldn't force her to accompany me. I hope she could got better soon

The baseball club representative was giving his introduction while wearing a uniform. Did she fall in love at first sight with him? Doesn't seem like it. Surprise? Disgust? Or maybe joy? To be honest, her expression is complex, making it hard to read her face.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san. What's wrong? Are you alright?"

But she is stay silent petrified. Can she really not hear me? She just stared at the stage.

I'll stop talking and wait for an explanation while prepared for the worst thing happened.

The baseball club didn't seem particularly more interesting than the others.

No matter how well they welcome beginners, or how appealing their meeting location and times are, it's just another normal introduction. It wasn't just the baseball club, all the clubs seemed ordinary. If I learned anything interesting from these explanations, it was that minor clubs like tea ceremony and calligraphy clubs existed, and that the minimum number of people needed for a new club is 3.

Every time a new club starts their explanation, the first-years chat amongst their friends about the previous club.

The gym had a lively atmosphere to it. The club representatives, and not to mention the supervising teacher, continued their explanations with displeased looks. They must be frantic to get as many new members as possible.

As the senpais finished their explanations, they got off the stage and walked over to some tables. They're probably setting up a reception area so they can talk to people one-on-one and sign them up.

Eventually, all the people on stage walked off until one person was left. Everyone's gaze was centered on the stage. I realized that Horikita had been staring at that one person the whole time.

The person was about 170cm in height, which wasn't that tall. A slender body, sleek black hair. Sharp glasses, and a calculating gaze.

The student standing in front of the microphone looked over the first-years with a calm look.

What kind of club is he from, and what explanation will he give? My interest has been piqued. He was completely silent. Maybe his mind went blank. Maybe he felt nervous and his voice didn't come out. But from his expression, my guess isn't match at all.

??? : "Do your best~"

??? : "Did you forget to bring your notecards~?"

??? : "Ahahaha!"

The first years threw those words at the person. However, the senpai on stage didn't waver at all. Neither the laughter nor the encouragement seemed to reach him.

Even when the laughter started dying down, his apathetic face didn't change. The students started wondering "What is this senpai doing?" and the gym got noisy.

Even then, the boy didn't stir. He just stood there quietly, looking at the first-years.

Horikita also stared at the boy with an intense gaze. The relaxed atmosphere gradually shifted in an unexpected direction. It was an electrifying change in mood. Eventually, the whole gym was enveloped in a tense and quiet atmosphere.

There were no instructions given out, no one dared to talk—it was a dreadful silence. No one could open their mouths to talk. This silence has been going on for 30 seconds already...

The student on stage started talking.

??? : "My name is Horikita Manabu, and I am the student council president.

Horikita? I looked at Horikita next to me. I wonder if they're related

Manabu : "The student council is also looking for first-years to replace the graduating third-years. There are no strict requirements to apply for the position, but those who are interested should not be affiliated with any other clubs. Generally, we do not accept any candidate involved in other clubs."

His tone was soft, but the mood was still tense. He alone silenced the whole gym. Of course, it wasn't his position as the student council president that gave him that power. Horikita Manabu also carried a powerful aura. His presence dominated the whole gym.

Manabu : "Also, we, the student council, are not looking for anyone that has a naive way of thinking. Not only will that kind of person fail to get elected, they will inevitably become a stain to this school. The student council is only responsible for regulating the students, but the school expects much more. Those of you that understand can become potential candidates."

After that unwavering speech, he walked off the stage and exited the building.

Because no one dared to speak, none of the students spoke up when he left the gym. The students didn't know what would happen if they tried to talk. Everyone felt that way.

Tachibana : "Everyone, thank you for coming. With that, the club fair is over. We will now open the reception area for anyone interested in joining. The reception area will only be open until the end of April, so anyone interested after then can bring applications directly to the club."

With the help of the chairman, the tense atmosphere slowly disappeared. Afterwards, the club representatives opened the reception area.

...

Horikita still didn't move at all.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, what's wrong?"

Horikita didn't answer. My words didn't reach her.

??? : "Wow, Ayanokoji-san. You also came?"

A thoughtful voice called out. It's Ike. My classmates Sudou and Yamauchi were with him.

Kiyone : "Hmm, Ike-kun? 3 people? Seems like you guys are getting along. Nice to meet you"

Ike : "Are you thinking about joining a club?"

Kiyone : "No, we were just looking. Does that mean you were thinking of joining a club then?"

Ike : "Not me. But you see, Sudou here have been playing basketball since elementary school. He think he'll continue here too. I just tagging along since I had nothing to do"

I always thought he did some kind of exercise with that kind of body—guess it was basketball. Beside, Ike is the one who talking keep the conversation since Sudou keep looking away as if he tried his best to not look directly at my eyes.

Kiyone : "How about you and Yamauchi-kun?"

Ike : "We just came because it seemed fun and exciting. I also hoped some kind of fateful encounter would happen."

Kiyone : "Fateful encounter?"

I prompted Ike again after hearing that questionable goal, and he answered proudly after crossing his arms.

Ike : "My first objective is to make a girlfriend. So, I was hoping that a fateful encounter would happen here."

So it was that kind of thing. Having a girlfriends seems to be an essential part of Ike's ideal school life.

Kiyone : "Ano... It's not like I'm critized your goal or something but your goal seems likely impossible to happened here. I mean before you having a girlfriend you should let the girls know about your redeeming quality like example if you are smart, responsible, or something that could appease girls without throwing your pride."

Ike : "G-Ack!!!"

Yamauchi : "Pfft!!!"

Yamuchi-kun seems hold his laughter with my suggestion. Well, at least it's not only me who thinking like that.

Kiyone : "I didn't know what kind of parameter you should strive. Maybe the student council president would be good role model for you. He has a strong aura, look dignified under any circumstance, and also he is somewhat earn respect from another people through his effort. As if he ruled the place. So, don't lose your heart yet"

Yamachi : "That's right. He was somewhat able to silence everyone."

Ike : "I-Is that so? I guess thanks for the advice"

With that they parted a farewell. And Sudou keep glancing at me. I tilted my head on confusion. What does he wanted to?

During my conversation with Ike and his companion, I saw Horikita disappear into the crowd. Feeling worried about her, I unintentionally following her into the crowd but I lost her. I guess, Horikita-san has the freedom to do whatever and go wherever she wants, and I have no right to stop her.

Since I got separated from her I decide to watch the entire club on club fair. I like to observe and add more knowledge and information revolved around me.

I keep wandering while watch the other club demonstration or promotion to get more member.

Then this time I arrived at art club. The said that 'Mona Lisa' is such masterpiece on art however these painting which displayed here. I don't think they would lose compared to it. I mean from the color composition, from detailed object, and this magnificient optical illussion view. It could be competed with those master class painting however everyone here just treat here as a mere painting for decoration. Honestly, I don't even understand art parameter. It just simply like voted painting somehow instead of an actual technical art or something like that.

I keep continue strolling

Next without I realized it. I already sitting here. Yup, I was sit with piano in front of me. How could I arrived in this situation?

Well I just walking like usual then I saw a piano, one of senpai from the club offering me to try it. Even I already rejected it, she keep persistently to insist me play the piano. Well, it can't be helped. Since I didn't know what should I play. I decide to composed a random music. Yes, it just random music which nobody make it because I just arrangement it just now. With this I hope they finally stop bothering me. Sigh...

But my expectation betrayed me again...

Why would the crowd come to watch this random tone?! I heard most of them compliment my music. Seriously? It just random arrangement with I just come up just now and some part later come during the play. Well, since I didn't know how should react to the crowd. I just simply bow to the audiences and decide to leave peacefully. I used these moment when most of them still stunned by my random music arrangement,

Nobody follow me? Great. I make good escape here

I admit that every club has it's own charm but...

As expected the only one who able to catch my interest is music club and art club. Although I didn't had any intention to join any of them

??? : "You first year! Wait please!"

I failed, one of senpai from music club following me. She grab my hand and keep forcing me to join even if I keep rejecting her appeal. Then someone come...

??? : "Oi! Stop doin' it will ya? Can't you see you bothering her here?!"

It's truly unexpected. It was Sudou, and he alone? Where is Ike and Yamauchi?

??? : "Huh? Who do you think yo- Hiii!!! I'm sorry!"

Well, the senpai seems scared of him. Is he truly that scary? I wonder

Sudou : "Just scram already"

??? : "Y-Yes, I'm so sorry"

Thus senpai fled

Kiyone : "Thanks Sudou-kun."

Sudou : "Y-Yeah"

Kiyone : "I'll going back home. See you later"

Sudou : Wait!"

I halt my step

Kiyone : "Hmm, what is it Sudou-kun?"

Sudou : "Err...about yesterday in front of conveniance store..."

Then he bow to me

Sudou : "I'm truly sorry for my action. I sincerelery apologize for that!"

Kiyone : "Don't mind it, it just accident right, no need to make ruckus over something trivial like that"

Sudou : "Is that so? T-Thanks I guess"

Then I parted away with him.

Finally I'm on my own room. Such a long day.

I took my ice cream from my fridge then turn on the TV. I just wonder if would be nice if we had class group chat. Or maybe we already had but it's me who didn't know about it. I was watching TV while thinking what should I had for dinner...

Hello guys! How are you?

X : Wow! You are still alive? I though you were gone

Of Course I'm fine and alive, anyway that's rude you know!

Did you guys enjoy the story and the Picture which I draw as well?

X : Like you said the story just same like original but about the picture, why are you making it monochrome now?

You see, I'm suck at coloring LMAO, you may believe it or not. Like you see on the 1st ilustration on this fic, on 1st chapter you could see I'm terrible at deciding color. Even I already used photoshop but I guess the problem lie on myself hahaha

That's why if you saw me make another monochrome drawing I hope you understand that I'm suck at coloring. About the picture, if you even interested on it. I could send it to you, just contact me for it

X : Okay, I won't ask anything about your drawing anymore

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 1 : Swimming Class

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Ike : "Good morning Yamauchi!"

Yamauchi : "Good morning Ike!"

While arriving at school, Ike called out to Yamauchi with a smile on his face.

It's unusual for those two to get to school early. One week since the entrance ceremony. Ike and Yamauchi have always arrived at school right before the bell.

Ike : "Wow~ the lesson is so fun that I can't sleep~"

Yamauchi : "Yup, this school's the best—swimming will start soon! I say swimming, but girls are the important part! And by girls I mean their swimsuits!"

Certainly, swimming is taught to both boys and girls. In other words, me and all the other girls are wearing swimsuits... and our skin becomes visible. The girls in the room backed away from Ike and Yamauchi's excitement.

And here I wonder, why there is no girls who act the same like Ike and Yamauchi? Isn't it a best moment to observe boys body for them as well? Actually I'm quite interested to see Koenji's body. Is he truly perfect like he describe himself to be?

Here, I was still sitting in my chair, all alone. I have to be proactive in joining a group of friends. However...

Yamauchi : "Oi, Professor. Come over here."

Ike : "Fufu, did you call him?"

A chubby boy, who apparently has the nickname 'Professor', walked towards the ones that called him. His name was Sotomura.

Yamauchi : "Professor, can you record the girls wearing swimsuits?"

Sotomura : "Leave it to me. I'll pretend to be sick and skip class to observe them."

Wait! What?

Sudou : "Record? What are you planning to do?"

Ike : "Professor's going to rank the sizes of the girl's boobs. If there's a chance, he'll try to take a picture."

Sudou : "... Oi oi."

Sudou also draws back from Ike's plan. If the other girls find out it'll be a bloodbath. Somebody should stop their stupid attempt.

Horikita : "Sad."

Kiyone : "You were here too, Horikita?"

Horikita : "A few minutes ago. I walked in while you were looking at those boys. You wouldn't be thinking of trying to be friends with them, would you?"

Kiyone : "Forget about my pathetic self for a bit. I had the reason to keep watching them. These boy planning something dangerous."

Horikita : "Something dangerous?"

Kiyone : "They planned to record us while changing into our swimsuit"

Horikita : "How can you be sure?"

Kiyone : "I'm listening at them directly. Well, call it I was eavesdrop them"

Horikita : "On this distance? You surely had sharp hearing, What are you? A cat?"

I don't know what are you thinking about me. But, aren't we had more pressing issue here?

Kiyone : "We should stop them"

Horikita : "Then, just let them be"

Kiyone : "W-What???"

What did she mean by that. Are you sure you don't mind some random boys ogling your body?

Horikita : *sigh* "You don't get it huh? If you confront them now, they would probably still doing it again behind your back. That's why it's better let them do and make them failed so we could caught them red-handed and also we could destroy their device or secure the proof. After that let the girls council deciding their fate to be expelled or stay in the class. Simple, isn't it?"

A-Amazing. I guess I'm too hasty. Horikita suggestion is truly good to be honest...

Horikita : "By the way, how does your progress to making friends?"

Ugh! I don't want to talk about it...

Horikita : "Hmm, wait! Why are you kept silent? Could it be you fail? As expected you are pathetic."

Kiyone : "Please stop insult me Horikita-san. It's already difficult for me to make friends anyway."

Horikita : "The way I see it, you don't seem to have a communication disorder."

Kiyone : "I have a lot of circumstances...Errr...even now I can only hold a conversation with you."

Even if I can text with Kushida and the others, conversation is still hard.

Horikita : "Hey! I already told you to not include me in your list of friends, right?"

She looked at me with a disgusted face as she took a few steps back. Did talking with me is truly that bad?! It's not like there is a law that abode anyone to interact with me, no?

Kiyone : "Fine. No matter how low I go, I'd never become friends with you."

Horikita : "I see. I feel relieved."

Good, since you feel relieved that we won't become friends. I hope you won't complain when I betray you one day. Although I don't had any reason to betray anyone at this moment

Actually, how much does she hate having friends?

Third Person POV

Meanwhile the boys on their circle

??? : "We were going to bet on the the girl's chest sizes."

??? : "You guys even have a table for the betting odds. Amazing!"

All the names of the girls in the class were listed. Bets were also attached.

??? : "Hmm, Should I join?"

??? : "What? Are you afraid? This is once chance in your life to do this!"

??? : "Yeah! Do it, do it!"

Right now, the contender for the biggest breasts on the sheet is Hasebe. Her odds are 1 for 8.

??? : "This is more detailed than I thought it would be... aren't you guys observing too much?"

??? : "That's because we're male. We've only got ass and tits constantly in our minds!"

??? : "Don't include all male. Not all of us are thinking with your d*ck like you."

??? : "Now now, don't fight over something trivial. We should cherished this moment together. This is what's mean to be youth!"

??? : "I just hope that you better didn't get caught because if you do, I'll ditch you all. Can't let my reputation got tarnished, no?"

??? : "You are ready to betray us?!!!"

??? : "W-Well, so as long as we didn't messed up. We would be fine right?"

??? : "Yeah! That's it! All we had to do is to make this operation success and everyone happy right?"

??? : "Let's do it!"

Even if that's true, some of them have no restraint at all.

??? : "So, what are you going to do? It's 1,000 points to join."

??? : "I'll join"

??? : "Me too"

??? : "Good"

??? : "It's fine, we're only playing. There's a lot of people to pick from too."

??? : "I'll do it!"

??? : "Me too me too!"

??? : "I've scouted boob sizes before too!"

??? : "What"

??? : "Seriously?"

While thinking about it, the boys all gathered and got excited over breasts. But without they realized it. Ayanokoji already watch them all along from her seat. They probably think that she wouldn't hear what they said.

??? : "I'll join too. My bet's on Sakura."

??? : "Sakura? Isn't that the pink haired girls who wore glasses? Are you sure?"

??? : "I'm only saying this to you guys, but I actually confessed to Sakura."

??? : "Ha!? What, really!?"

??? : "Yeah. But this is only between us, ok? I thought she was really ordinary at first. And then I saw her clothes. Those things are huge."

??? : "Stupid! You're asking her because she's big and not because she's cute?"

??? : "I wouldn't date anyone unless they're at the same level as Kushida. I don't have any interest in ordinary girls."

??? : "Then what do you think of Ayanokoji?"

??? : "Ayanokoji? Isn't she just plain girl who sat near that ice-princess?"

??? : "Ice-princess? You mean that snappy girl? Who is her name?"

??? : "I think she was called Horikita or something"

??? : "So, what so good about another girl who wore glasses in our class?"

??? : "She might be not sociable like Kushida, however she is truly talented I think."

??? : "Talented??? Like what?"

??? : "She play piano during club fair and she caught so much attention of everyone else there"

??? : "Hey, I watch it too! I came to club fair back then. She truly look georgeous when she play that piano during club fair. But..."

??? : "Is she hard to approach?"

??? : "No, It's quite opposite I think. She is kinda easy to approach and also it's somehow nice to talk with her. But there is something mysterious about her which I can't tell. Just like how you can't tell what does she feel like her poker face"

??? : "She is emotionless girl huh?"

??? : "Do you had such fetish on someone like her?"

??? : "So, she is another hidden gem in our class huh? Well whatever, my favorite still Kushida"

??? : "Your favorite had nothing to do with her size! I put my bet on Hasebe!"

??? : "Then I put my bet on Ayanokoji-chan, you better prepared the money for me"

??? : "You surely confident she would won huh?"

??? : "Then, don't come cry on us when you lost. Hahahaha"

??? : "That goes same for you"

The boys seems having fun with their little bet.

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

On afternoon

Ike : "Wow, it's the pool!"

After lunch ended, the long-awaited swimming class Ike and the others were waiting for finally came.

Without trying to hide his lust, Ike stood up in excitement. The group faced the indoor swimming pool.

I come together with the girls

Kushida : "Let's go together, Aya-chan!"

Kiyone : "Eh? Uh, s-sure."

I'm still not used with the nickname which Kushida give to me.

On girls changing room.

Onodera quickly started changing her clothes. Her well-toned body from her workout was visible. Especially if you compared her to the others in the class, her body looks strong. Oh shoot I forget. This is not the time to admire each other. I should warn them and told the boys plan to the girls.

Kiyone : "E-Everyone...Can I had your attention for a...while..."

But everyone in the room seems ignored me. I could see Horikita giggles on my failure attempt.

Then I slam my hand on the locker to gain every girls attention. Then every girls look at me. Even Horikita amused with my effort. Now I got the attention I should told it to them

Kiyone : "Girls, can you listen to me for a bit? There is something I wanted to tell."

Karuizawa : "Hah! What is it doll-face?!"

Onodera : "Is there something wrong?"

Kushida : "A-Ano...Is there something wrong Aya-chan?"

Kiyone : "This regardess about us, you see. It seems the boys planned to record us during swimming class with our swimsuit uniform"

Onodera : "Huh? Is it a big deal?"

Shinohara : "Of course is it. Are you dumb or something?!"

Hasebe : "As expected, they took a peek on us right? That boys is disgusting!"

Mori : "Yeah, I saw it too. They seems discussing something."

Kiyone : "Actually, aside from their attempt to record us. I also overheard they put a bet on us regardess...our breasts."

Satou : "Seriously?!!!"

Wang : "D-Disgusting...!"

Matsushita : "Woah... Is it true? Do you had a proof for this? Are you sure you didn't slander the boys on purpose?"

Kushida : "Aya-chan, I don't want there is a rift in our class. Also, it's not like I deny you or something. But, are you sure about this? Is there a proof for it?"

Shinohara : "Yeah! That's right! Are you sure about that? You didn't do this to divided us right?"

Wang : "Are you sure about that Ayanokoji-san. Hirata-kun wouldn't do or allow something like that!"

W-Well, Hirata probably didn't involved so I guess several of them think that I was try to slander him.

Karuizawa : "All of you shut up!!!"

Then with Karuizawa command. The murmur and talk become quiet again

Karuizawa : "Now, doll-face. Continue your explanation. We want a proof, can you tell us about it?"

Then I nodded in respond

Kiyone : "I believe that one of them. Sotomura-kun planned to pretend to be sick and skip class to observe us. He is the one who hold the recording and if my guess was right. Sotomura-kun also hold the betting sheet of our breast size. And I assure you that not all boys are joined with them. Hirata-kun, Koenji-kun, Sudou-kun, Yukimura-kun, and Miyake-kun didn't join. Because I don't saw them together with the rest of them. That's all I can say"

I could see several girl had showing their disgusting face and also some of them are relieved because some of certain boys didn't joined with the rest of them.

Wang : "I know it that Hirata-kun isn't the same with the rest of them."

Mori : "Hirata is the best!"

Karuizawa : "Good job doll-face. Now, if some of you still willing to change into swimsuit to following class it's up to you. Kushida!"

She then called Kushida

Kushida : "W-What is it Karuizawa-san?"

Karuizawa : "Which one is this disgusting pig who named Sotomura?"

Kushida : "Disgust? Pig? Oh! Sotomura-kun... Well, he is the one who had appearancegreen eyes and black hair. He also wears glasses. And also he is a bit chubby I think... ahaha"

Karuizawa : "I see, thanks Kushida-san. The rest of you could choose to skip or following class. And if some of you wanted to catch this Sotomura-pig. You can join with us!"

Catch huh? Sotomura-kun seems become a sacrifice for the boys idiocity. Poor him

Me? I decided to follow class. Since most of us decide to skip it wouldn't be good if I choose to skip as well for petty reason like that

The water looked crystal-clear, and wasn't disturbed because it was an indoor pool. What an excellent facility. Such beautiful pool. I look at the pool with amazed gaze.

Onodera : "Impressive isn't?"

Onodera suddenly stand beside me. She wanted to talk with me I guess. Then I reply with nod.

Onodera : ""This school's really the best! It's even better than a pool on my hometown! You can join swimming club so you could swim on this pool anytime you want. Hihihihi~"

But our calm and peace moment didn't last long...

Ike, who came out wearing swimming trunks, shouted after seeing the 50 meter pool.

Ike : "Where are the girls? Are they not here yet?"

Ike looked for the girls, sniffing the air like a dog.

Hondou : "They take a while to change after all."

Ike : "Hey, what would happen if I suddenly jumped into the girl's locker room?"

Okitani : "Are you idiot! They'd beat you up and file charges against you."

Ike : "Don't ruin my fantasies with such a real answer."

He was shivering at that reply.

Sudou : "If you stare at the girl's swimsuits too much, they'll probably hate you."

Ike : "Are there any boys that wouldn't stare!? ... What will I do if I get a boner..."

If that happened, Ike-kun would probably be hated by us until we graduate.

Then another girls who done changing finally appeared.A few minutes after the boys finished changing, a girl's voice could be heard.

Kushida : "Wow~ This pool doesn't even compare to my middle school one~"

The boys seems already on guard. Me and Onodera had deadpanned look on them.

Ike : "Did, did they finally come!?"

Ike was on guard, waiting. Waiting to be hated huh? it's obvious we will hate you.

However, boys expectations were betrayed by an unexpected turn of events. Or maybe that wasn't unexpected by us

Hondou : "Hasebe's not here! What, what is this!? Professor!"

Sotomura, who was flustered, looked all around from the observation deck on the second floor.

Ike and co. also looked around, expecting the girls to come out at any time.

Even so, The rest of us were nowhere to be found.

Sotomura looked left and right in disbelief. He thinking the other girls still changing. But only doom awaited for him...

Ike : "P-Professor, b-behind you!"

Sotomura : "W-w-w-w-what!?"

Ike pointed his finger with a shout, clearly having noticed something. Hasebe was also on the observation deck next to him.

One by one, all the girls appeared on the second floor. Sakura's also up there.

Ike : "What, what is this... What is this situation!?"

Ike buried his face in his hands and collapsed on the spot from the unbelievable turn of events.

Hasebe seems like a self-conscious girl. Furthermore, she's sensitive to the curiosity from the boys. I guess she wasn't amused by the boy's peeking.

Horikita : "Good job! It seems that chubby-boy is done for."

Horikita who is suddenly appeared beside me compliment me for my effort. Well, like she said, their plan got busted and Sotomura being caught red handed by the girls. I could see him groveling on fear. But...

Ike : "I thought I would get to see big breasts~!"

Contemplating suicide, Ike shouted in agony in earshot of Hasebe. Murmurs spread among the girls. Ike-kun, I'm pretty sure I already give him some piece of advice back then however he seems to ignored it. Well, it your choice anyway and you choose to being hated by girls for the rest of your time during highschool

Yamauchi : "Ike, this isn't a time to be sad. There are a lot of other girls!"

Ike : "Y-yeah. Anyone's fine. This isn't a time to feel down!"

Yamauchi : "Yeah!"

Yamauchi and Ike affirmed their friendship and clasped each other's hands.

I could see that, they are truly stupid. Yeah that's it, I couldn't say any words aside for that toward them. Also...

None of those pervert boys care about Sotomura's fate on thus girls hand. He is being discarded since it seems nobody of them aside Hirata took a glance on him. Yup, it's only Hirata who care with him. I guess Hirata-kun is truly kind like the girls said, I could see his expression is pure of worry.

Kushida : "You two, what are you doing? Looks fun."

Ike & Yamauchi : "Ku-Ku-Kushida-chan?"

Kushida interrupted the two boys. Kushida's curvy body line was on display. I think Kushida-san show it to them on purpose. If she wasn't, she probably avoid to interact with them at any cost

In less than a second, all the boys stared at Kushida. Her breasts are about big. It's also a lot bigger than I thought. Her butt was also much bigger than expected. Then I took a peek on my own body. I even wonder, what am I doing actually?

Horikita : "What with that stupid look of yours?"

Horikita looked at my face, she immediately insulted me like usual.

Kiyone : "I'm currently...What am I doing again?"

I even didn't know how should I say to her

For some reason, Horikita looked up and down my body. I immediately close my breasts part by crossed my arms. Did Horikita sway that 'way' toward me?

But she chopped my forehead instead. As usual seeing myself didn't get flinched even if it was supposed to be hurt make her smirked. That's scary!

Horikita : "Ayanokoji-san, do you exercise?"

Kiyone : "Eh? No, not particularly. I was part of the go-home club."

Horikita : "You say that, but during club fair you could play piano so well. Also from your body, you clearly look like you exercise from the muscles in your arm and back."

Oh, so she didn't leave the club fair yet back then. Maybe I was too panicked that I didn't even noticed her on the crowd. Well, she seems observing my physique. What kind of excuse I tell to her now?

Kiyone : "M-Maybe I inherited good genes?"

Horikita : "Good genes, huh?"

Horikita frown while stared at my breast again. Honestly it make me uncomfortable. Then she suddenly slapped my breast

SLAP!

I immediately crossed my arm to protect it. Horikita-san, seriously if you do it once more. I'll mad at you!

Kiyone : "Horikita-san! What was that for?!"

Horikita : "Hmph! If you go that far to deny it, I'll believe you"

She looks dissatisfied. Looks like she has quite the discerning eye. Then I decide to shifting the topic. I don't like it whenever she talk about my body.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, are you good at swimming?"

Horikita : "I'm not particularly good or bad."

Then Kushida suddenly appear to join our conversation.

Kushida : "You seem discussing something, what were you talking about?"

Her presence seems made Horikita uncomfortable.

Kiyone : "We talk about swimming. Kushida-san, are you good at swimming?"

Kushida : "In middle school, I was really bad at swimming. I practiced really hard, and now I'm a lot better! Then how ab-"

Not finished her words. Horikita decide to leave us. I guess she didn't like Kushida presence at all

Kushida : "Did my presence truly uncomfortable her? I-I just want to talk with both of you..."

Kiyone : "Ah! I'm sorry for her rude behaviour Kushida-san. Usually she would still converse with someone even if it just contain of insult but this is indeed unusual that she suddenly leave us like this"

Then, I heard a man voice

??? : "Alright, everyone gather!"

A teacher brought the students together and started class. He may be the P.E. teacher, but he looks like the type that would attract girls. Unless girl nowadays didn't like this kind of type

P.E. teacher : "16 people, I see. I expected more people, but I guess it works."

There clearly were students skipping class, but he didn't seem to mind.

P.E. teacher : "It's a bit sudden, but I'll be examining your abilities after you're done warming up. You guys will be swimming."

??? : "Um sensei, I can't swim though..."

A boy raised his hand apologetically and spoke up.

P.E. teacher : "As the teacher, I'll make sure that you learn how to swim by the summer. Don't worry."

Okitani : "There's no need to learn how to swim. We can't go to the beach anyway."

P.E. teacher : "That's too bad. It doesn't matter if you're bad at swimming now, but I'll make sure everyone learns. Learning how to swim will definitely be useful. I guarantee it."

Learning how to swim will be useful? Well, I guess swimming will be useful one way or another.

Even so, when the teacher says it like that, I feel a bit uncomfortable. it seems like he implying onto something instead to cure the hopeless swimmers.

Everyone started the warm-up exercises. Ike kept repeatedly glancing at the girls to take a peak. Afterwards, we were instructed to start the 50m swim. Students who didn't know how to swim were allowed to touch the bottom of the pool with their feet.

It's already long time I stepped into the pool, getting quickly accustomed to the temperature-regulated pool Then I started about to swim. But...

Onodera : "Wait! Are you sure you will swim with your glasses intact? Or if your eyesight truly that bad, I could ask teacher to bring better equipment you know"

Ah! I forgot. Then I took off my glasses.

I could feel there is different atmosphere here. Onodera seems perplexed by my appearance without glasses.

Kiyone : "Onodera-san...Onodera-san...Moshi-moshi!"

Onodera : "Ah! I'm sorry. I was dazed off eh? Ahahaha. A-Anyway, you could entrusted your glasses to me. You could do warm up first"

Kiyone : "Really? Thanks!"

Then I entrusted my glasses to her. I started swimming casually for warming up. After swimming the 50m, I waited for everyone else to finish up. Then I climbed up from the pool

Onodera : "Ho~ You seems too eager to swim huh, Ayanokoji?"

She said while give me back my glasses. Of course I didn't immediately wore it because my hair and my face still wet. I just hold it.

Kiyone : "Huh? Not really, I just did what sensei instructed to us."

Then Ike trying to flex, but...

Ike : "Hehehe, a complete victory. Did you see? My super swimming!"

Swimming casually, Ike got out of the pool with a self-satisfied look. No, you weren't all that different from the others. If I say who's do better than the rest of the boys...maybe Koenji

P.E. teacher : "Anyway, it looks like mostly everyone can swim."

Yamauchi : "Sorry, Sensei. Back in middle school I was called the Flying Fish after all."

P.E. teacher : "I see. Then you guys can immediately start competing against each other then. 50m freestyle, separate yourselves by gender."

Yamauchi : "C-compete!? Are you serious?"

It seems he dug his own grave with his lousy mouth.

P.E. teacher : "I'll give the first place winner a bonus: 5,000 points. On the other hand, last place will get supplementary lessons so prepare yourselves."

Those who were good at swimming were cheering, while the worse swimmers weren't thrilled at all.

Onodera : "Interesting! Don't hold back Ayanokoji! I would like to see what you can do!"

Ayanokoji : "I understand. Don't put so much hope on me though. I'm afraid I couldn't meet your expectation."

Onodera : "Being so modest eh? Well, anyway it would be suspicious with your well-toned body if you got the last place. Hihihihi~"

So she gauge my ability based on my physique huh? Although I admit that swimming are different than running. I guess I'll rigged this by tailing behind Onodera a bit. It would be suspicious if I could defeat her anyway...

P.E. teacher : "Because there aren't too many girls, I'll split you guys into two groups of 5 and give the fastest time the overall victory. For the boys, I'll take the top 5 times and then hold a final round."

I didn't expect the school to give points as prizes. Perhaps it's to punish the students who skipped class. What a well-thought-out plan.

There were 16 boys and 10 girls, excluding those who didn't know how to swim. When the girls started their race, the boys sat on the sidelines and started to cheer for... no, evaluate the girls. These pervert!

Ike : "Kushida-chan Kushida-chan Kushida-chan Kushida-chan Kushida-chan. Hahahaha."

It seems like Kushida completely captured Ike's mind.

Sudou : "You're scary, Ike. Quiet down!"

Ike : "B-but Kushida-chan is fucking cute. Her breasts are really big too."

Kushida garnered popularity from the boys in a whirlwind. Is there anyone as popular as she is right now?

If you only talked about faces, Horikita was definitely on top, but her bad personality dropped her popularity down. However, she has a fair bit of popularity, so when she stood at the start line, there were a few cheers.

Me? Well, I'm glad somehow I'm out from their radar

Ike : "Everyone, make sure to remember this sight! Today's fap material has been secured!"

Most of class D boys : "Yeah!"

Somehow, the boys were getting closer to each other through swimming. Hirata was the only exception, having averted his eyes from the girls.

The first girls section finally started. Me? I was on the 2nd batch with the contender of this match, Onodera and also with Kushida.

The whistle blew, and the 5 girls jumped in. Horikita is in lane 2. Taking the lead in the beginning, she maintained her lead at a distance. She confidently came in first place.

Kiyone : "Oh! Horikita-san did it!"

Onodera : "Not bad"

Her time was about 28 seconds. That's good. Without even breathing heavily, Horikita slowly got out of the pool.

The boys were staring at her bouncing ass as she got out of the pool.

Wang : "Aya-chan!"

Aya-chan huh? Who is it? Oh wait, its one of my nickname. Wang-san huh?

Kiyone : "What is it Wang-san?"

Wang : "Just call me Mii-chan like the other girls do. Anyway, are you sure you will swim with your glasses intact? You can entrusted your glasses to me."

Ah! That's right, I almost forgot since this is just fashion glasses. She maybe think that I had eyesight problem. Well, thanks anyway. You surely good person

Kiyone : "Really? Thank you very much. I'm truly appreciate it!"

Mii-chan : "Don't mind it"

Then came the second race. I was in lane 1, beside me Onodera was in lane 2.

Kushida was in lane 4. The boys were waving and cheering for her with smiles on their faces.

Most of boys : "Woooooooo!"

They're some aggressive boys. Some of them even tried to look in between the our legs.

During the self-introductions, Kushida declared to the whole class that she wanted get along with everybody. It seems like her wish came true. She was constantly having friendly chats with all the boys around her. Kushida has an atmosphere that attracts other people to her. Like celebrity I think.

The second race started. As expected It was pretty one-sided. Onodera won the race neck to neck with me, well I didn't go all out after all. Her time of 25 seconds was clearly the best time and followed by me, I dunno what my time but I was pretty sure mine didn't even reach 26 seconds. Kushida got a time of 31 seconds, which was pretty good but only got her 4th place.

Then I got up from the pool

Mii-chan approach me and giving back my glasses. I receive it with bowing gesture as thanks

Mii-chan : "It's such unfortunate that you can't beat Onodera-san, Aya-chan. You almost do it"

Kiyone : "I guess I'm just lucky, Onodera-san is quite fast after all"

I said that while glancing at Onodera who surrounded by another girls. It seems they were compliment her. Mii-chan also walk to the crowd direction.

Without I realized it, Horikita went to my side. Who know, maybe throwing another insult

Horikita : "That's too bad. Second place. Those swim club members look relentless."

Kiyone : "Not really. I don't mind whether or not I lose. Beside what were you expecting. There is no way I could win against someone who dedicated herself on swimming like her"

Horikita : "Obviously, you can't. Well, it's good you don't have to be last. But, still you seems quite like to compete huh? The fact that you bested me on this"

Kiyone : "I don't really like to compete with others. After all, I avoid trouble."

I already gave up on trying to get 1st place. My only goal is to avoid getting attention.

Then its about time for the boys.

Finishing the 50m stretch with great speed, Sudou looked up from the water. The boys and girls let out a voice of admiration. Not even breaking a sweat from that small amount of swimming, Sudou calmly got out of the pool.

Ike : "Ah, Sudou certainly has good reflexes."

Ike elbowed Sudou, feeling jealous.

??? : "Kya~!!!"

A girl let out a scream of joy. Well, it's already expected because our prince is on the line. Yup, Hirata was on the start line.

While Sudou's body gathered the admiration of the boys, Hirata's body gathered the admiration of the girls. Hirata is not bulky, actually he look slender but still well-built. Hearing the cheering from the girls for Hirata, Ike made a spitting gesture. Sudou also made a displeased face and glared at Hirata.

Sudou : "If you win, I'll make sure to destroy you. I'll show you my full power."

Wow, it surely though to become someone like you huh, Hirata-kun.

When the teacher blew the whistle, Hirata jumped in with great form. As Hirata paddled his arms, the girls on the side were cheering him on. His swimming form kinda good I think.

Sudou : "He's surprisingly fast."

Sudou calmly commented. Anyway, Hirata is a pretty fast swimmer. The other 4 boys were quite a distance from Hirata. His lead incited the girls to cheer him on even more.

Hirata took 1st place, Just like my expectations. The loud cheers reverberated in the big indoor pool.

Ike : "Sensei, what was the time?"

Ike impatiently asked.

P.E. teacher : "Hirata's time is... 26.13 seconds."

Wow, Onodera and me still bested him huh?

Ike : "Alright, let's go Sudou. If it's you, you can win! Bring down the hammer of justice!"

Sudou : "Leave it to me. I'll beat him thoroughly then make his popularity drop to the ground!"

Sudou got fired up from Ike's words, but a loss from Hirata probably wouldn't cause his popularity to drop. After all Hirata had several good quality aside from his athletic side

Mii-chan : "Hirata-kun, you were really cool! You're not just good at soccer, but also good at swimming!"

Hirata : "Is that so? Thanks."

Shinohara : "Hey, why are you looking at Hirata-kun with love in your eyes!"

Satou : "Ha? You're the one ogling him!?"

Hirata : "A-Ano..."

And so on. Hirata's popularity exceeded frustration and is a shocking thing to watch.

Koenji : "Stop, you guys. Don't fight over me. I belong to everyone. I want to get along with everyone. Just because I'm good at swimming doesn't mean you should fight over me."

I don't know what he was hearing, but Koenji mistook those cheers for himself. And why is he wearing speedos. Although I admit his body built is kinda perfect like he claimed to be.

With a refreshing smile, Koenji put his foot on the start line.

??? : "Hey... Why is Koenji wearing those speedos..."

??? : "W-what?"

Wearing speedos were allowed by the school, but no one else were wearing those. The girls looked away from Koenji's crotch area.

However, for the third race, Koenji was the center of attention. His posture at the start looked like an athlete's.

Not only his posture, but Koenji's figure is even better than Sudou's. The boys who were proud about their physicality, including Sudou, watched Koenji swim while gulping.

Sudou : "I don't really care about winning or losing, but I don't like losing."

Sudou muttered to himself. At the sound of the whistle, Koenji jumped into the pool with great form.

Sudou : "Wow!"

Sudou let out a surprised voice at Koenji's aggressive swimming. Hirata was also looking in amazement. His speed is really impressive. Of course, Sudou is also fast. Recording the time, the teacher looked at the stopwatch once again.

P.E. teacher : "Time is... 23.22 seconds."

Koenji : "As usual, my abdominal, back, and 'psoas' major muscle are in shape. Not bad."

After getting out of the pool, Koenji smiled and brushed his hair. Still breathing evenly, it doesn't even look like he swam.

Sudou : "I'm fired up...!"

His fighting spirit burned after his time was beaten. To be honest, only Sudou has any chance at winner other than Koenji. Rather than the finals, this is more like a one-on-one between Sudou and Koenji.

Kushida : "Because both Koenji-kun and Sudou-kun are fast, I'm looking forward to the finals.

Kiyone : "Ah, yeah."

While waiting for the finals to start, Kushida spoke up.

Then the P.E. teacher ask several girls to hold stopwatch. Probably to record the boys time race.

It seems I got the job to record Koenji. Koenji who knew that I was in charge of him giving me a wink. I don't know how to respond so I just reply it with bow. Look at my respond he only giggles toward me.

P.E. teacher : "Attention! Ready...Go!!!"

Then all of the competitor started to jump to the pool. It's quite spectacular race I think. Sudou seems take a lead a bit until Koenji started to speed up. And the winner is...

Kushida : "Wow, Koenji's fast. I thought it would be Sudou's victory, but... what is this!"

It looks like Koenji beat Sudou by about 5 meters for the victory. Even Kushida look perplexed by the result. 22.20 second huh? Not bad

Kiyone : "It's 22.20 second. Congratulation Koenji-kun"

Then I stick out my hand with the purpose to help him get up from the pool but...

He mistaken it I think. Because he was kissing my hand instead.

Koenji : "You seems to eager to congratulate this perfect-existence huh? I could see how my perfection reflected on your eyes."

Seriously Koenji? You can't just compliment yourself through my eyes and treat it like a mirror you know. Then he get up from the pool

Koenji : "I don't know what kind of circumstance you had, doll-face. However you look more beautiful if you get rid that fake glasses of yours. You can't become such perfect-existence like myself if you lack of self-esteem. Hahahaha"

He already figure it out it was fake on first glance huh?

But still, is it compliment? Or an advice?

Kiyone : "I-Is that so? Thanks..."

He only waved his hand to my respond while walking away...

Seriously, I never understand what does 'Perfect-Existence-kun' thinking...

Hello guys! How are you?

Did you guys enjoy the story and the Picture which I draw as well?

X : Not really!

Y : No nude?

Of course not, what were you expecting -_-

Y : You are no fun

Z : Wow, I never knew you could draw Horikita so well

About that, actually I traced it hehehe

Z : Man, that's uncool

About the last picture which she get up from the pool, actually I also traced it from certain character pose. Well she is quite famous (Zara (Azur Lane series)), it was her L2D skin hehehe

X : What?! You were tracing picture??? Such a let down

Hey, come on! I admit it, so one day nobody will sue me for it

X : I doubt that somebody will sue you since nobody read this fic

Ouch! That's hurt T.T

Also, actually I was thinking about drawing my own cover for this fic. Well, that's not quite right. I think about redrawing Karuizawa on this fic cover with Kiyone, of course I trace it since her outfit and pose already perfect. What do you think?

X : Nah! Just keep it like that. Your drawing is suck. Who know that nobody decide to read it at all because your suck drawing

Ouch! That's mean T_T

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 1 : Making Friend

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

??? : "Kikyou-chan, do you want to stop by a cafe on the way home?"

Kushida : "Un, let's go! Ah, but wait a bit. I want to ask one more person."

After being invited by one of her female friends, Kushida walked towards Horikita while putting a book in her bag.

Kushida : "Horikita-san. I'm going to the cafe with my friend, if you'd like, would you like to join?"

Horikita : "I'm not interested."

Horikita swiftly cut down Kushida's invitation with a few words.

Can't you just lie that you're planning on shopping or that you're meeting with someone else? Horikita bluntly rejected her invitation. However, Kushida was still smiling.

This sight wasn't anything new. Ever since the entrance ceremony, Kushida has periodically tried to invite Horikita. I thought it would be fine for Horikita to accept once in awhile, but that might be the perspective of a bystander. Nevertheless, no one has been able to invite Horikita successfully. Well, maybe not if you put my attempt on the club fair as count

I wonder, why she is so persistenly...Not quite right...

Why she tried so hard to invite her, there is another student who look like alone. Aside from her, maybe Sakura-san and I can be categorized loner. I wonder...

Unlike Horikita who decide become loner, why nobody asked me to hangout. Honestly I feel lonely...

Several boys sometimes started talk with me. Honestly I think some of their conversation quite interesting that's why sometimes I talk with them genuinely. But this case wasn't happened with girl. Almost none of them are started conversation with me except Horikita-san who mostly she mocking me on purpose like a routine for her.

Kushida : "Is that so... Well, I'll invite you some other time."

Horikita : "Wait a second, Kushida-san."

For some reason, Horikita called out Kushida. By any chance, did she give into Kushida's invitation?

Horikita : "Please don't invite me again. It's a bother."

She said with a cold tone. Typical classic Horikita I guess

However, Kushida wasn't affected and continued to smile.

Kushida : "I'll invite you some other time."

Kushida ran back to her friends, and they exited the hallway.

??? : "Kikyou-chan, please stop inviting Horikita-san. I don't like her"

As the door was closing, the girl's voices could be faintly heard. C-cruel...

The words should have been heard by the nearby Horikita, but there was no indication that she heard them.

Wait a sec, could it be the reason why nobody girl invite me was because they secretly hate me even if I do nothing? Now, I'm worried. How could I ruin my school life by doing nothing?!

Horikita : "You don't say unnecessary things like that, do you?"

Eh? She suddenly talk to me?

Kiyone : "Yeah. I understand you well enough. It's pointless."

Horikita : "That's good."

Horikita, who finished packing up, walked out of the classroom at her own pace.

I was lingering around the classroom for a bit, but I got bored and stood up from my seat. Time to go home. Then I decide to exit the classroom

During on my way home...

??? : "Ayanokouji-san, do you have time?"

Then after I look at the source of the voice. I'm surprised, eh? Eeeeeeehhh!!!

Hirata-kun? Why would he suddenly come approach me? D-Did I perhaps do something wrong?

Kiyone : "A-Are you perhaps talk to me?"

Hirata : "W-Well, yes. I wanted to talk about certain matter with you. You see the cafe near us over there. Are you perhaps free right now, Ayanokoji-san?"

Hirata-kun...asking me a date? No, don't dream too high Kiyone. D-Did he perhaps getting bored with her harem and approach different girl now. Did he think that I was the next girl he tried to conquered and he started to open my flag route? Why would I thinking like that. Is this perhaps because I play some dating game on PC yesterday? I thought to try it to figure out how does boys mindset. But I guess I choose wrong method. Or maybe perhaps not?

No, lets be real Kiyone. There is no way he would do that toward girl who he never had talk before right? I mean, Hirata-kun and I never had personal conversation before. There must be something important.

Hirata : "Ayanokoji-san...?"

Kiyone : "Ah! I'm sorry I was on deep thinking. I'm free right now. You said that there is a certain matter you'd like to talk with me. I guess this is important."

Then I agree with his offer, and we were on cafe that Hirata-kun just pointed a moment ago. I decide to order coffee and sandwich. After both of our order come. He started to talk.

Hirata : "Ayanokoji-san. Are you perhaps close to Horikita-san?"

This talk again? Please gimme some break

Kiyone : *sigh* "You know Hirata-kun. You are not the first one who asked something like that to me. Most of classmate already did it, so in case you didn't understand our relationship. I'll tell you something. We aren't that close, we were not even friend"

Hirata : "E-Eh? B-But..."

Kiyone : "In the class you often saw me talk with Horikita-san, right? Well, most of our conversation are just Horikita-san mocking me for being pathetic loner. Are you come here to make fun of me as well? Because Horikita-san doesn't want to befriend with someone like me, she stated that just because we are classmate doesn't mean we were friend."

Hirata : "O-Of course not. I won't make fun of you. Beside, until we talk like this. I though that you were shy person or someone who had problem with communication but it seems that wasn't the case. Ahahaha..."

Kiyone : "Trust me Hirata-kun. Even I don't understand myself. Why nobody wanted to being close with me."

Then I take a sip

I started to talk again

Kiyone : "So, are you talking about me or about Horikita-san?"

Hirata : "It's about Horikita-san..."

Well, she is again. She always become attention center huh? She surely stand out for a loner.

Hirata : "I was wondering if something is wrong. The girls were talking about her earlier. She's always alone, after all."

Rejecting Kushida's and any girls invitations, she was always alone.

Hirata : "Somehow...Can't you tell her to get along with the others more?"

Kiyone : "You talk like I never tried that before. Beside, isn't that up to the person themselves? Also, she's not troubling anyone else."

Hirata : "Of course I understand. However, there are also other people that are worried. I don't want any problems about bullying to arise in the class."

Bullying? He did talk to me out of the blue, but with those words, it sounds like a bad omen. So were you warning me? Hirata was looking at me with pure intentions. But, he might be right. This certain situation could create rising of bullying case. Well, I don't understand that kind of phenomena itself. I only learn from any literacy or some of news on media

Ayanokoji : "I think it's better for you to say it directly to her, rather than saying it through me. I doubt that she heed my warning."

Hirata : "Yeah, I guess. Sorry for saying something strange."

Horikita is always alone every day. If that continues, in a month, she'll probably become the tumor of the class. However, since this is Horikita's own personal problem, it's not something I should involve myself with. I like to avoid trouble myself after all.

Then there is long silence before he decide to speak again.

Hirata : "By the way...Ayanokoji-san. Is there any reason you didn't join group class chat?"

Eh? We had something like that? I didn't know about it. But...I mean... why nobody invite me? Did I perhaps started being hated by the classmate just because I rarely talk with them. This is strange! Did I make a mistake? How could I got alienated so suddenly

Hirata who look at my poker face, seems doesn't understand my internal struggle.

Hirata : "I-I'm sorry, did I perhaps said something wrong?"

Ah! I was on deep thinking again

Kiyone : "No, it just that did I perhaps make some kind of mistake Hirata-kun? I mean why nobody invited me. Am I perhaps getting alienated for something I did unconsciously?"

Hirata : "W-What?! No way! I-I mean, don't judge them too early on. M-Maybe they didn't mean it in bad way, you just well...maybe somehow they don't know how to approach you?"

Kiyone : "Is that so? But the fact that nobody tell me like this make me worried thought. I didn't lie when I feel getting alienated."

Hirata : "Uh..Err... H-Hora! Keep positive thinking Ayanokoji-san. Perhaps they just don't know about you yet. If you were worried about that. I could invite you to join our class group chat. This will be convenience as well because we could share important information so efficiently. Is it okay with you?"

I reply him with nod. Then after we exchange contact, he put me inside class group chat as well. Anyway, thank Hirata-kun. With this perhaps I was getting closer with my goal to making friend.

After leaving cafe, I headed straight for the dorms. Kushida, who left earlier with a friend, was waiting for someone while leaning against the wall. Noticing me, she looked at me with a smile on her face.

Kushida : "That's good. I was waiting for you Aya-chan. I have something to talk about. Do you have time?"

Kiyone : "Yeah, I guess...I have nothing else to do..."

By any chance, is it invitation to hangout with friend? Finally I could feel something a normal high schoolgirl supposed to be

Then she paced herself to walk together with me

Kushida : "I'll ask you frankly. Aya-chan, have you ever seen Horikita smile even once?"

Kiyone : "Eh? No, I don't remember. Wait, she usually smile or more look like had smug face whenever she found I was on pathetic state. It's kinda rare for you to randomly ask me about her. Is there something about it?"

It seems like Kushida approached me to talk about Horikita. Somehow I feel disappointed. Also, when I think back, I've never seen Horikita genuine smile. Then Kushida embraced me which make my step being halted

Kushida : "You know... I want to become friends with Horikita-san."

Kiyone : "I think your feelings are slowly reaching her. At first a lot of people were trying to talk to her, but now you're the only one left."

Well, I don't want to give her negative answer directly

Kushida : "Aya-chan, you seem to know Horikita-san pretty well."

Kiyone : "Of course you would get to know someone sitting next to you and the one who mocking you almost every day, no?"

Girls being girls, they were really eager to make groups from the first day of school. They are even more conscious of factions and groups than men are, and about 4 people held all the "power" among 20 people. The girls say they are just getting to know a lot of people.

However, the only exceptions to this rule is Kushida. All the groups have a lot of people, but only Kushida is starting to get massively popular. Without ever giving up, she kept trying to become friends with Horikita. It's not something any ordinary student can do. That's probably why she's popular. But still, there is something off about it. I couldn't find fitting word to describe it

Kiyone : "Weren't you rejected by Horikita-san? I don't think whatever you tell her right now will make her understand."

I know that she's not the type to mince her words. If you talk to her carelessly, she would probably pour insults onto you. No, even if I behave politely to her. She still treated me the same way. Honestly, I don't want to see Kushida-san get hurt.

Kushida : "Won't you... help me?"

Kiyone : "Well..."

I didn't reply immediately. If I was asked to help by a friend, should I agree without hesitation? Moreover she seems doesn't had bad intention to me at all. However, since I like to avoid trouble, I couldn't say yes immediately. That's because I don't want to see Horikita verbally hurt Kushida. I'll refuse her gently.

Kiyone : "I understand your feelings, but..."

Kushida : "Is it no good... ?"

She stare at me with puppy eyes

Kushida-san, your charm wouldn't works on me since I'm girl as well. But,...

Just this once, since she seems too determinated with this

Kiyone : *sigh* "Well, it can't be helped. Only this time, ok?"

Kushida : "Really!? Aya-chan, thank you!"

After I agreed to help her, Kushida had a delighted smile on her face. I wonder, does befriend with Horikita is such a big deal? I mean currently, she is nobody aside from a girl who happened to share the same surname with current student council president

Kiyone : "So, what exactly are we doing? Even if you say you want to be friends with her, it's not that simple."

For someone like me who doesn't have any experience with friends, it's a difficult problem I can't answer easily. That's why I asked her instead

Kushida : "Hmm... First step is to make Horikita-san smile."

Kiyone : "Make her smile, huh? Should I tickle her armpit?"

Kushida : "Hehehe, silly. Of course, that's not it. I mean to make her smile genuinely"

Making her smile requires the right mood and atmosphere for us to succeed. That kind of relationship might be called 'friendship'. Well, that's how internet said

Luckily though, it seems Kushida seems to know how to make people smile.

Kiyone : "So, do you have any ideas on how to make her smile?"

Kushida : "Um... I thought that we could think about it together. Teehee~"

With an apologetic 'Teehee', she lightly tapped her head. Kushida-san you are disappointed me

If this was a boy I would've probably immediately hit them, but I guess this time it was fine because it was Kushida.

Kiyone : "Smile..."

Somehow, because Kushida asked me to help, my goal now is to make Horikita smile. Is that goal even possible? I doubt about it.

Kiyone : "Anyway, after school, I will try to invite Horikita-san. When I return to the dorms, I probably won't have any arms or legs left. Is there any place I should invite her to?"

Kushida : "Hmm, how about Pallet? I go to Pallet often, so she might have overheard us talking about it."

Pallet is probably the 1st or 2nd most popular cafe on campus. Certainly, I often hear about Pallet whenever Kushida and her friends go after school. If I hear about it often, Horikita would have also unconsciously learned about it.

Kushida : "Do you think it would work if you two went into Pallet, ordered, then 'unexpectedly' ran into me?"

Kiyone : "No... I think that's a bit too simple. What if your friends also helped?"

The second Horikita notices Kushida, she would probably go home immediately. If possible, it would be better to create a situation where it's difficult to get up. I told Kushida the idea I just thought of.

Kushida : "Oh~ That certainly sounds like it would work! Aya-chan, you're smart!"

Kushida listened to me with sparkling eyes while nodding her head and saying 'Un, un'.

Kiyone : "I don't think that has anything to do with my intelligence... Anyway, that's the plan."

Kushida : "Ok, I expect a lot, Aya-chan!"

No, I'm troubled by your expectations. Don't dump it all to me

Kiyone : "If Kushida-san invited Horikita-san, she would probably reject you, so should I invite her instead?"

Kushida : "Alright. After all, I think Horikita-san trusts you."

Kiyone : "Why do you think that?"

Kushida : "Hmm, well, it looks like she does? At the very least, she trusts you more than anyone else in the class."

Kiyone : *sigh* "That's because I met her by coincidence. Anyway, if this attempt failed. She won't trust anyone on class anymore..."

I met her on the bus by chance, If those didn't happen, I probably wouldn't talk to Horikita at all.

Kushida : "Don't you meet every new person by chance? Then they become your friend, your best friend... and sometimes your lover and family."

I guess that's one way to look at it. Talking to Kushida was also a result of a coincidence. In other words, Kushida and I might be in a relationship before long.

Kiyone : "I see. However that the same goes with you got an enemy as well, no?"

But when I said 'enemy', she suddenly perked up. Did I perhaps said something wrong?

Kiyone : "Kushida-san? Are you alright?"

Kushida : "Ah! I'm fine. Ahahaha, anyway I leave it to you Aya-chan. Let's succed it. Ou~!"

Kiyone : "O-Ou..."

Then she left me with no choice. Alright since I accept this mission, let's do our best

Next day

It was after school. All the students went off on their own fun after-school life as they talked about where to go. I looked at Kushida and signaled that I was starting the plan.

Horikita, the target, had started her usual routine of getting ready to go home.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san. Are you free right now?"

Horikita : "I don't have any time to spare. I have to go back to the dorms and prepare for tomorrow."

Prepare for tomorrow? I'm pretty sure she only has school to prepare for. Maybe it was a way for her to reject my invitation

Kiyone : "I want you to go somewhere with me, though."

Horikita : "What are you trying to do?"

Kiyone : "Do you think I'm inviting you with a particular goal in mind?"

Horikita : "If you invite out of the blue, it's natural that I would doubt you. However, if there's something concrete you need to talk about, I wouldn't mind listening."

Of course, there's no such thing.

Kiyone : "You know how there's a cafe on campus? There are too many girls, so I don't have the courage to go in myself."

Horikita : "So?"

Kiyone : "I wanted to make a friend. The girl mostly always go in with other girls. I wanted you to come as moral support, that's not quite right. Can't you observe it for me how my performance do?"

Horikita tried to recall information about Pallet as she pondered over it.

Horikita : "That does sound correct. It's unusual for Ayanokouji-san to have a reasonable opinion. But are you sure to invite me? I will laugh at your failure attempt though"

Kiyone : "I do, but I'm still interested in the place. So I thought I would like to invite you to come with me."

Horikita : "Naturally, since... you have no one else to invite, right?"

Kiyone : "Yeah"

Horikita : "And if I refused?"

Kiyone : "I give up"

Horikita : "Understood. What you said seems to be interesting. I can't spend too much time, though. Is that fine?"

Kiyone : "Yeah. I won't be there long."

I added 'probably' in my mind. If she knew that Kushida was involved, Horikita would probably reproach me.

Because I can talk to Kushida and was able to invite Horikita, I started to think that I probably could've become friends with Horikita by myself.

After all, whether it was the club for or the cafe, Horikita went with me, despite complaining all the time. It's a miracle considering I find it hard to make friends. Maybe Kushida right that currently she only trust me

After leaving together, we finally arrived at the cafe, Pallet, on the first floor of the school building.

Girls started gathering one by one to have fun after school.

Kiyone : "Looks very crowded."

Horikita : "Is this your first time here after school too? Oh, right. You're always alone."

Kiyone : "That's mean Horikita-san"

As usual, Horikita verbally insulted me.

After ordering, we got our drinks. I ordered pancakes.

Horikita : "Do you like sweet foods?"

Kiyone : "I just wanted to eat pancakes."

I didn't particularly like or dislike them, but I just made up a plausible reason.

Horikita : "There aren't any seats..."

Kiyone : "I guess we'll have to wait a bit. Oh, nevermind, there are seats over there."

Having noticed two girls get up from their seats, I quickly secured the table. I let Horikita pass to the far side of the table. Putting my bag down on the ground, I sat down and looked around casually.

Kiyone : "Is there something wrong?"

Horikita's face was expressionless and frigid like always. Feeling nervous from the crowded surroundings, my stomach started to hurt.

I overheard the two girls next to us say 'Let's go' while holding drinks in their hands. And immediately after, another person sat right down. It was Kushida.

Kushida : "Ah, Horikita-san. What a coincidence! Aya-chan too!"

Kiyone : "Un, Kushida-san?"

Pretending that we met by chance, Kushida greeted us. Horikita looked at Kushida with narrowed eyes, then turned to me. Of course, this was something we had planned out earlier. We reserved two tables with four of Kushida's friends, and then when Horikita and I arrived at Pallet, I signaled them to make spots for the two of us. After a while, the other two would leave so that Kushida could come by.

As a result, our meeting looked like a coincidence.

Kushida : "Did Aya-chan and Horikita-san come with each other?"

Kiyone : "By chance, yes. Did you come alone?"

Kushida : "Yeah, today I—"

Horikita : "I'm going home."

Kiyone : "O-oi, we just got here."

Horikita : "You don't need me because Kushida-san's here, right?"

Kiyone : "What's wrong with you so suddenly like this? Kushida is our classmate, after all."

Horikita : "You and I are also only 'classmates'. In addition"

She looked at me and Kushida with a cold look.

Horikita : "I don't like this. What are you planning?"

Looks like she saw through our plan.

Kiyone : "What's wrong with you?"

Kushida : "W-What do you mean by it, Horikita-san?"

If it was possible, I didn't want this outcome to happen. The correct course of action would have been to make a small shrug and say, 'What do you mean?'

Horikita : "When we were sitting down, the two girls before us were from class D. And then, the two next to us were also from class D. Is that only a coincidence?"

Kiyone : "Hmm, you noticed that? I didn't notice at all."

Horikita : "Also, we came straight over here as soon as it was after school. No matter how quickly the other girls rushed over here, they might've been here maybe 1, 2 minutes at the most. It's a bit too early to be returning home. Am I wrong?"

Horikita is a much more observant person than I thought. Not only did she remember her classmate's faces, she understood what was happening nearly instantly.

Kushida : "Um..."

Feeling bewildered, Kushida looked at me for help. Horikita noticed her look at me. The gig was up. Well, you blown this up Kushida-san. It might be good thing that I show her that her attempts to befriend with Horikita-san is futile.

I decide to confess

Kiyone : "Sorry Horikita-san. We arranged this."

Horikita : "I thought so. The situation made me think something was suspicious."

Kushida : "Horikita-san. Please be my friend!"

No longer trying to hide anything, Kushida asked her directly.

Horikita : "I've already said it many times, but leave me alone. I have no intention of becoming a bother to the class. Is that not allowed?"

Kushida : "Always spending time by yourself will lead to a lonely and sad school life. I want to get along with everyone in the class."

Wow, sumimasen. Then how about me? How about Sakura-san?

There is another loner girl in the class yet she is too focused with Horikita-san. Could it be Kushida-san swing that 'way' and she had crush toward Horikita-san? That must be it

Horikita : "I'm not trying to deny your wishes. However, it's wrong to involve other people against their will. I don't feel sad from being alone."

Kushida : "B-but..."

Horikita : "Also, for argument's sake, do you think I would be happy if you forced me to get along with you? Do you think any friendships or trust will come from a forced relationship?"

Horikita's words aren't wrong. It's not that she doesn't want to make friends, it's that she feels they are unnecessary. Kushida thinks one way, but Horikita thinks another way.

Horikita : "This time, it was my fault for not clearly telling you. So I will not blame you. However, if you try again, I will not forgive you next time."

She grabbed her untouched cafe latte and stood up. She glared to me. I guess that to be expected

Kushida : "I want to get along with Horikita-san by any means. When I first saw you, it didn't feel like it was our first time meeting. I think that Horikita-san felt the same way."

Horikita : "This is a waste of time. You're making me feel uncomfortable."

Horikita interrupted her while raising her voice. Kushida involuntarily gulped.

Even though I agreed to help Kushida, I had no intention of interfering. However...

Kiyone : *sigh* "It's not like I can't understand Horikita's way of thinking. I've also questioned whether or not friends are necessary on multiple occasions now."

Horikita : "You're saying that? You've wanted friends ever since the first day of school."

Kiyone : "I'm not denying that. However, I'm the same type of person you are. At least until I graduated middle school. I've never been able to make friends until I entered this school. I've never known anyone's contact address, nor have I played with anyone after school. I was completely alone."

Kushida was surprised when I said those words.

Kiyone : "I think that's why I started talking to you a lot."

Horikita : "That's new. However, even if we have something in common, everything that comes after is different. You don't have friends even if you wanted friends. I didn't have friends because they're unnecessary. To say we're similar is incorrect. Am I wrong?"

Kiyone : "Maybe. But telling Kushida that she's uncomfortable is going too far. Are you really ok with that? Saying that you won't get along with anyone now means that you'll be alone for the next 3 years. That's a lot of loneliness in the future."

Horikita : "I'm fine because it'll be my 9th year in a row. Ah, if you include kindergarten it's even longer. So your worry isn't necessary for me. I'm not weak unlike you"

Did she just casually drop something heavy? Does she stay by herself all the time because she's been alone for as long as she can remember?

Lies. I doubt it, someone like her who said declaring like that probably never understand how does being alone for real.

Do you even know how I feel when you are always being locked on small room without hear any sounds?

Do you even know how does it feel being anxiety whenever you saw fellow kids. We were forced to compete and disposed each other until I'm standing alone so lonely without even understand how does it feel I longing to be interacted genuinely with another people? Without even putting facade, either they honestly hate or like me.

Do you even understand how does being grown up without even understand 'love'? Not even my only parent who is my father show me something about 'familial love'

Do you even understand?!

And here you were bragging you will be fine being alone. This pissed me off

Horikita : "Can I go home now?"

Horikita let out a deep sigh and looked straight into Kushida's eyes.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, are you stupid?"

I can't hold this. My body tremble, I wanted to pour this my bottle up feeling toward this arrogant individual named Horikita Suzune

Kushida : "E-eh? A-Aya-chan?"

Kushida who saw me suddenly become like this seems bewildered by it.

Horikita : "What?!"

Kiyone : "You were just ungrateful girl"

Horikita : "Ha~? What is this nonsense now?"

Then we glared each other

Kiyone : "That's just like I stated before"

Horikita : "You seems suddenly become talk-active today, huh?"

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, do you truly think that you are truly already live alone for your entire life? Do you think you could continue being like that?"

Horikita : "Hah? Are we going around again with this talk? I already tol-"

I cut her words swiftly

Kiyone : "If you are sick, do you think you can treat yourself alone? The uniform which you currently wear, do you think somebody could make it alone? Do you think you could earn something alone? Do you truly think that-"

Kushida : "Aya-chan!"

Ah, Kushida held my hand. Suddenly I feel calm again, I wonder what was going on with me?

I take a deep breath then apologized to both of them

Kiyone : "Horikita-san...Kushida-san...I'm sorry, just...forget what I said..."

I tilt my head down.

There is a heavy silence until Horikita-san continue her talk. Then she faced Kushida

Horikita : "Kushida-san, about this matter. If you won't be convinced, I won't say anything. Promise me. Since you're not stupid, you know what I'm saying, right?"

This probably about her invitation.

Horikita : "Well then"

Horikita left the store with a 'Well then'. She left me and Kushida behind in the busy cafe.

Kiyone : "I'm sorry Kushida-san. I messed up"

Kushida : "N-No, I'm already grateful with your effort though!"

Kiyone : "That was a failure. I tried to help but it was no use. She got too used to being alone."

Kushida, who couldn't say anything, sat down with a thump. However, she immediately recovered with her usual smiling face.

Kushida : "No, thank you Aya-chan. I wasn't able to become friends with her, but I got to learn something important. I'm satisfied with that. Sorry, Horikita-san might hate you because you helped me."

Kiyone : "Don't worry about it. Being hated by her isn't big deal since she usually mock and look down on me after all. However, I also genuinely wanted Horikita-san to know about the benefits of having friends."

Because we were holding up four seats by the two of us, Kushida move to my table.

Kushida : "Even so, I was surprised. When you said you didn't have friends. Is that true? It didn't seem that way at all. Why were you alone?"

Kiyone : "Hmm? Oh, that's true. You are probably the first friend I made if I my relationship with Horikita-san didn't count. I don't know whether it was my fault or just the environment I grew up in."

Kushida : "Are you happy that you made friends? Is it fun?"

Kiyone : "Yeah. I'm genuinely happy."

Kushida's eyes were sparkling as she nodded her head

Kushida : "Un, un"

Kiyone : "Horikita has a thought and purpose to her way of thinking. There's nothing we can do about it."

Kushida : "Is that so? Is it impossible for her to make friends?"

Kiyone : "Ah! Something bugging me all along Kushida-san. Why are you so desperate? Don't you already have a lot of friends? There's no reason to obsess over Horikita. How about Sakura-san? She seems alone as well"

Even though she wasn't able to get along with absolutely everyone in the class, it doesn't mean she should desperately try to become friends with Horikita.

Kushida : "I wanted to be friends with everybody... It's not only class D, but with all the other classes too. However, if I can't get along with one girl in the class, then I've already failed..."

What's wrong with her goal. It's too unrealistic. What did she gain by doing it? Unless...

'Tools'

I don't want to had prejudiced. But it's hardly to treat Kushida-san as the same person like me. I mean somehow I doubt that her kindness is a facade, but some of my lingering feeling hope that all of my doubt was wrong.

Kiyone : "Then, it just matter of order right. How about you decide to approach Sakura-san first? I think she need friend but she is too shy. Well, just think of Horikita-san as being special. Next, wait for a true coincidence to happen."

Not something forced, but a real coincidence. When that happens, becoming friends might become a possibility. That's what I though

After we parted away. I decide to go back to dorm.

Kushida said she still had some matters to attends. I guess being popular is busy as well

...

I'm walking while operating my phone

The class group chat is quite crowdy. Several of them give me greeting for joining class group chat, I guess I should reply them.

When I'm about to reply, accidentally I bumped with someone.

CRASH!

My phone fell down on the ground. Since I think I'm the one who bumping into somebody. I decide to take first move to apology.

Then I bow toward the direction of that person

Kiyone : "I'm sorry, I didn't pay attention to my surrounding"

??? : "That's fine, I'm also sorry to bump toward you"

When I saw the figure. It was a boy, he is also bowing as well just like I do

When he raised his head, I could finally see his face. Quite handsome I think. That's my honest opinion about him

Then I crouch down to take my phone. But when I try to operate it, the phone screen being blank and won't working. I don't know, honestly I'm a bit panicked.

Kiyone : "Seriously?" *sigh* "Such bad day"

??? : "A-Ano...if you don't mind..."

What, he is still here? Then I embrace to his direction

??? : "I know that phone is urgent tool which everyone need it. Also I think it's kinda fatal that if tomorrow you had a lesson or an appoinment during your phone broken or being fixed. That's why..."

S-So, close...

??? : "Please, give it to me, let me handle this. I know some place here who could do quick service if you don't mind"

Kiyone : "W-Well, Honestly I don't think this your faults either. But if you could do it, I appreciate it."

He bring out two paper and then he started to write something. Wait, what is he going to do?

When he finished. I read it. Such neat handwriting. A contract? I don't understand. But what am I failure to understand isn't what containt in the contract but rather why this boy suddenly make such contract.

Kiyone : "Etto...Why are you making this kind of contract which most of it giving me such advantages? Why?"

??? : "What do you mean? This is the only method that you could trust me. It's just common sense to do this when we were stranger, no? Or are you kind the type of girl who simply getting scammed or being used by the other because you were unaware about anything?"

He had valid argument. But I want to know more

Kiyone : "Etto...But, with the way you wording it. Is there any reason for it?"

??? : "Isn't that obvious? Under that surveilance camera, we need to make this contract. Also, trust me. Both of us need failsafe, no?"

He is right, with this contract. Neither of us could lie. Also...

I don't feel any malice from him...

Kiyone : "I understand"

??? : "Then, miss pianist. Could you tell me which one of your room. I'll deliver it to you tomorrow"

Kiyone : "It's 801, and also I assume that you are one of people who saw me during club fair. Isn't it?"

??? : "Hahaha, that's obvious."

Kiyone : *sigh* "My name is Ayanokoji Kiyone. Here I trust this phone to you."

I said that while give mine to him.

??? : "Yup! Then trust me, tomorrow morning I'll deliver it to your room. I'll get going now. See you later Ayanokoji-san"

He leave.

Oh shoot! I forget to ask his identity

Somehow I wonder, is this how you make an acquintance? Or perhaps friend? If you were here with me now Kushida. What's your opinion about this?

I'm not quite understand how does people interact with each other. Does people would trust stranger so easily like I did even if he prepared a valid reason for it. But...

Then I pick a recorder inside my pocket.

Kiyone : "If you lie, you will feel taste my punishment. Also..."

I said while look toward the direction he left

Kiyone : "You can't run from me..."

Hello guys! How are you?

Did you guys enjoy the story and the Picture which I draw as well?

X : Oi, aren't you forgotting something?

What?

X : Chaotic Elite. How long you will release new chapter?

Ah about that... Ehe! I don't know

X : Dude, seriously?

Y : Dude, either you are lazy or you are truly suck at drawing background! :v

Well, maybe both ahahaha

By the way, speaking about redrawing my cover. I canceled it, the reason because my coloring skill is suck. So I decide to not upload it. That's all. I'm sorry T.T

X : Don't worry dude, we already expected this. Your skill is suck after all

Ouch! That's mean T_T

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 1 : Reality Surely Cruel

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Morning inside my own room

My phone still on his care. I admit its kinda boring to do something without it. Even it just for one night. I just hope he fullfill his promise.

Well, what should I do? Hmm, lets make a breakfast first

Wait, maybe making him bento as a 'thank you' gift will worth it.

Yosh! Lets do it!

...

After I done with breakfast and wash my dish, I'm prepared myself to go school. Kushida-san said that she wanted to going school together with me this morning. I guess I'll visit her room

When I'm about to opened my door, I heard someone checking my room from outside. Well, it must be him. Then I opened the door.

Kiyone : "Ohayo gozaimasu"

It's him, he seems surprised because I opened the door before he knocking it

??? : "O-Ohayo!"

I reply him with nod

??? : "It's done Ayanokoji-san, please check it here!"

Then he gave my phone

I check my phone and it seems they fix it properly, I would say that this is satisfying. Then I check my message and I'm quite surprised. 58 notifications! That's much!

Kiyone : "Thanks...err..."

Oh, well. I forgot to ask his name first

??? : "Ahahaha, I guess I forgot to introduce myself yesterday. My name is Satonaka Satoru, from class A. Nice to meet you Ayanokoji-san"

Kiyone : "Uh Un...N-Nice to meet you too, and thank you Satonaka-kun."

Class A huh? He is somewhat had an aura like a proper students of this school supposed to be unlike most of boys on my class

Satonaka : "T-Then, if there is nothing else. I'll leave it now"

Kiyone : "W-Wait Satonaka-kun! How much the repair cost? I'll pay it"

Satonaka : "Don't mind it, it was my faults to begin with Ayanokoji-san. No need to do that"

Kiyone : "But..."

Satonaka : "It's fine"

He said that with smile. Y-Yabai! Ikemen power is truly strong, if it was another girl I could say that smile could melted their mind on single attempt.

Kiyone : "Then, since it was like this. Please take this!"

I give him a bento. He seems perplexed with it.

Kiyone : "You don't need to give back that box. It just simply plastic box from salad which I bought on groceries store. Its up to you to keep it or to throw it"

Satonaka : "B-But..."

Kiyone : "Please, I insist"

Satonaka : *sigh* "Fine, thank you very much Ayanokoji-san. Then I'll leave first. See you"

I wave my hand as a gesture to reply him

Not long after that I saw Kushida on my sight, I guess she saw me with him.

Then theymeet without stopping and nod each other before they continue their own path

Kushida approach me with smile

Kushida : "Ohayo~ Aya-chan!"

Kiyone : "Ohayo gozaimasu, Kushida-san"

Kushida : "Did you wait so long?"

Kiyone : "Not really, actually I think that I should be the one who come to you but when I'm about to go to your room. You already here. That's it"

Then we decide to walk to go school together

Kushida : "Ne ne~ you didn't reply my message last night. I'm worried you know! Are you alright?"

I reply with nod to assure her

Kiyone : "I'm fine Kushida-san. The reason why I didn't reply any of your message because my phone was broken yesterday and it just got fixed this morning."

Kushida : "That fast! Where did you fix your phone? It's amazing!"

Kiyone : "About that...Well...Actually I don't know about that place but Satonaka-kun who know it so I entrusted my phone on him"

Kushida : "Ow~ So that's it, huh? But still, I'm quite surprised that you know him"

Kiyone : "Him? You mean Satonaka-kun"

Kushida : "Yup!"

Kiyone : "You see, he offered to help me and this morning he give me back my phone which already fixed. I'm quite grateful to him"

Kushida : "Hee~"

Kiyone : "Hmm?"

I tilted my head in confusion because she suddenly acting strange.

Kushida : "You seems clueless about it huh? Fufufu~"

Kiyone : "What is it, Kushida-san? Is there something wrong?"

Looking at my confused face make her surprised. I wonder did I miss something

Kushida : "You surely didn't know it?! Something about him? Serious?"

Him, did she refer to Satonaka-kun. I wonder what is it?

Kiyone : "Satonaka-kun? He is from class A. We just acquintance. What's wrong with it?"

Wait, is it correct to said we were 'acquintance'. Aren't we still stranger?

Kushida : "Satonaka-kun is a popular boy. You surely didn't aware with it huh, Aya-chan?"

Kiyone : "Well, I guess from his looks he is indeed popular boy"

Kushida : "No! No! You don't understand!"

Next, she show me something on her phone. A rank? What is it? So many category rank. There is ikemen ranking, The wealth ranking, The grossness ranking, etc.

Any boys who figure it out that they were on grossness ranking would crying right now, poor them.

Kushida : "This is ranking list which first-year girls created about boys in our grade. You see over here."

Satonaka-kun huh? He is on the top of ikemen ranking, first place eh? I guess he had some good quality on him. Even Hirata-kun from our class lost against him

Kiyone : "Satonaka-kun surely something"

Kushida : "Eh? What does that flat reaction means? He is famous boys in our grade you know"

Kiyone : "Of course I know"

Well, he is top tier boys but I don't had any interest toward him right now. I mean since we were on different class I doubt we would be often to interact each other. But having an acquintance on different class wasn't that bad I guess

Kushida : "You seems respond it so casually with your flat tone. Are you both got too close to the point you don't see him that attractive throught your perspective?"

Kiyone : "Honestly, I don't understand what do you mean by it Kushida-san. In first place what were you expecting of me?"

Kushida : "Ehhh~ I think you would be surprised or something but...well forget it"

With that Kushida-san decide to stop talking about Satonaka-kun. Maybe because my reaction isn't like what she is hoping for that's why she lost interest to talk about it.

Inside classroom during lesson

Ike : "Hahahahaha! You're too funny, stupid!"

During 2nd period math class, Ike was loudly chatting with Yamauchi. It had been three weeks since the entrance ceremony; in that time, those two, along with Sudou, were given the name "the stupid trio".

Satou : "Ne~ ne~ do you want to go sing some karaoke?"

Matsushita : "Yeah, let's go~"

Nearby, a group of girls were making after school plans.

Kiyone : "Even though people were nervous for a while, it seems like everyone's opened up to each other quickly"

I muttered that word with bored feeling

I could see Horikita attempt to reply my word because I see she opened her mouth then suddenly she decide to cancel it and back focused on her own work. She was writing down notes from the blackboard. Seeing her like that, I decide to leave her alone and watch the cloud in the sky

Beautiful...

Somehow, I think Horikita feels awkward to talk with me again after that day. I could see she hold herself whenever she tried to make an attempt to interact with me.

Although I was anxious at first, Kushida-san said that I should make up with her soon. And here I wonder, we aren't friend. Why should we make up for something? Isn't it normal for stranger acting like this?

Even though I was far from having 'close' friends, I was happy to have some friends. That's what I think. However, human relations are mysterious things, so it isn't clear when they became my friends.

Suddenly, I heard a footstep outside classroom

Sudou : "Yo."

Halfway through the class, Sudou barged through the door of the class with a bang. Ignoring the fact that it was the middle of class, he plopped down on his seat with a big yawn.

Ike : "Hey, Sudou. Ah, do you want to eat lunch later?"

Ike said in a loud voice from across the room. Honestly its noisy, I could see several students who focused to pay attention to the lesson get bothered by it.

The teacher continued the lesson without saying anything about Sudou. A piece of chalk would've been sent flying in a normal classroom, but this teacher seems to be completely tolerant toward their behavior. How could I know it? Well, that's what I saw on movie and social experiment video on internet about how high school students normally behave on class.

At first, the class was much quieter and reserved, but these days everyone is overly relaxed.

Of course, there are a few people like Horikita-san who diligently study and pay attention.

My pocket vibrated, indicating that I received a text message. It's the group chat. Looks like they decided to go to the dining hall during lunch.

Normally, I would like to ask Horikita-san to go lunch together however I didn't had any reason to talk with her anymore so I decide to stay silent with it.

Some boys conversation mostly talk about useless gossips about us. Like who's cute, who's dating who, and all that other useless stuff. It's probably bad to add girls to that kind of conversation so that's why they tried their best to avoid girl heard their talks.

I wonder why nobody here talk about study or something like that in this class, this is elite school isn't it?

Hondou : "Wow! he's already done it with her? Amazing."

From their conversation, it sounds like Hirata-kun is dating with Karuizawa-san. Looking at her from afar, it was obvious that she was sending Hirata lovey-dovey gazes. She's definitely cute, but she has a hard-to-approach air about her that's not indicative of a beginner in love. In other words, she's the 'gyaru' type of girl. That's what internet said about that kind of girl type.

But somehow, their relationship feels a bit off, I don't know why and I can't put a correct word at this moment about their relation. However that's my intuition told to me about them.

In middle school, she probably went out with an another ikemen boys like HIrata-kun. It's a big leap, but I'm pretty sure I'm not far off.

Oops! I accidentally badmouthed her. I apologized to her in my head.

What do you have to do in order to become a couple right after the entrance ceremony? I'm still having a hard time making more friends.

If I went up to random boys and said, 'Will you go out with me?' I'm pretty sure they think that I put some prank on them. Well, honestly I think none of the boys here took my interest yet.

Besides, if I were to get a boyfriend, I'd like someone who could guide me as proper human being.

Third period, history. Chabashira-sensei's class. She walked in as the bell signaling the start of class rang. The student's attitudes didn't change, though.

Chabashira : "Everyone, be quiet! Today's class will be more serious."

Ike : "What do you mean~ Sae-chan-sensei~"

She was already given a nickname by the class. Is it alright? Normally the teacher should keep their dignity and that kind of action could be categorized as disrespect but she seems doesn't mind it at all. Maybe the article which I once read wasn't relevant nowadays.

Chabashira : "It's the end of the month. We will have a short test. Pass these to the back."

She handed out papers to the first row. Eventually, the test reached my desk. The test had several questions from each of the 5 major topics.

Karuizawa : "Eh~ I didn't hear anything~. I don't wanna take it~"

Chabashira : "Calm down. This test is only for future reference. It will not be reflected on your report card. There's no risk, so be at ease. However, cheating is naturally prohibited."

There was a slightly strange phrase included in her words. Normally, grades are reflected only in the report card. However, Chabashira-sensei's words are a bit different. It looks like she's implying that these grades won't be reported on our report card, but will be reported in some other way. Well... maybe I'm worrying too much. Since it won't be included in the report card, there's nothing to be cautious about.

Let see...

Once the test started, I looked through the questions. 20 questions, 4 per section, and 5 points per question for a total of a 100 points. However, the questions were extraordinarily easily, and so it felt anticlimactic.

The questions on this test are about 2 levels below the entrance exam questions. Everything here is too simple.

I thought that, but about 3 questions on the test were harder than the others. The last math problem probably can't be solved without using complicated formulas.

??? : "No! Why are these problems so hard?!"

These are clearly not for first year high school students. The last three questions are of a different nature, it wouldn't be surprising if they were put on by mistake. But...

Its suspicious...

I don't like it at all. My intuition keep warned me to put my guard.

Why are they measuring our ability with this test?

Well, I'll just solve these problems the same way I did on the entrance exam.

Chabashira-sensei was monitoring the students as she walked around the classroom. I glanced at Horikita, watching her steadily fill in the answers to the questions. Looks like she'll get perfect marks.

I kept looking at the test until the final bell sounded. I should avoid get noticed. This is for my freedom.

School ends

Its time to go home.

Kushida : "Aya-chan! Are you free after this? I would like you to join hangout with us after this"

She approach my seat. Horikita-san look at us then she decide to leave the class immediately.

Usually I would gladly said yes. But I don't wanna go for some reason. I still worried about that mock test. I need my time alone to think about it. If I go with them with my current mood, its not good for them to worry about me.

Kiyone : "Sorry Kushida-san. I can't...I'm so sorry..."

Kushida : "Un un, its alright. You need some time to be alone right? Don't worry, I'll invite you again later when you feel better next time."

Kiyone : "Thanks Kushida-san. I appreciate it"

With that, I reject her offer.

Then I go straight back at home. Well, maybe I'll buy some ice cream on my way.

First day on May.

The school said that its supposed to be the time our point get renewal, however I receive none of it.

I guess I decide to contact Satonaka-kun since he is the only acquintance I know from another class. Then I decide to send message to him

PING!

So fast!

He reply that fast huh? Then he answer me that he got 94000 point on him.

As expected, I hate this. I guess that my deduction was spot on

After that he ask me back. How much point I receive this month and I reply him with blatant answer, 'I got 0 point'. At first he surprised and he think that it was a mistake

Here our chat

Kiyone : "Ohayo Satonaka-kun. I'm sorry to disturb you this morning. I wanted to ask about something. How much point you received this month?"

Satonaka : "Ohayo Ayanokoji-san. I got 94000 points."

Kiyone : "I see, thank you Satonaka-kun"

Satonaka : "Ayanokoji-san, I'm sorry but I wanted to ask you same thing. How much point you received this month?"

Kiyone : "I got 0 point"

Satonaka : "What? Seriously? I'm sorry if I doubt you but you are not joking right?"

Kiyone : "I'm not Satonaka-kun, I'm serious"

Satonaka : "Wait a minutes. It's strange. Maybe there is trouble on the system. Just wait a bit for it"

Kiyone : "No, Satonaka-kun. It wasn't a mistake. I already know."

With that, he didn't reply my message anymore. Well, maybe everyone on his class already aware with it. The fact that he didn't asking back about it. He understand that I'm already figure out this S-system.

Maybe its better that I didn't ask before. Knowing the truth somehow make you feel devastated huh?

SLAP!

I slap both of my cheek. Come on Kiyone! Just because you figure it out the truth doesn't mean you are chickened out and decide to not come at school, isn't it?

The morning bell for the first school day of May rang. Soon after, Chabashira-sensei walked in, holding a poster rolled into a tube. Her face is always grim and serious.

Sigh...

Horikita look at me, and I decide to look at her as well. Normally she would commented on something but we only look each other without words. Then I decide to pay attention back to Chabashira-sensei

Ike : "Sensei~, are you in menopause?"

Ike really asked that out loud. However, I'm shocked that she brush it off like nothing. It supposed to be a harashment isn't it?

Chabashira : "Alright, morning homeroom is starting. Are there any questions before we start? If there's something on your mind, feel free to speak up."

Chabashira-sensei completely ignored Ike and continued to talk. She talked as if she was completely convinced that the students had something to ask. Immediately, several people raised their hands.

Hondou : "Um, I checked my point balance this morning, and no points were deposited. Weren't they supposed to be provided on the first day of the month, every month? I was impatient because I couldn't buy the juice I wanted."

Chabashira : "Hondou, I explained it before, didn't I? Points are wired to student's accounts on the first day of the month, every month. They were wired without any problems this month as well."

Hondou : "Uh, but... I didn't get any points."

Hondou and Yamauchi exchanged looks. Ike was too surprised to notice their looks.

Chabashira : "Are you guys really that stupid?"

Is she angry? Delighted? Chabashira-sensei had an ominous feeling about her.

Hondou : "S-Stupid? What?"

I just let out a sigh

Chabashira-sensei had a sharp glint in her eyes as Hondou repeated her words like an idiot.

Chabashira : "Sit, Hondou. I'll explain it again."

Hondou : "S-Sae-chan sensei?"

Surprised by her strict tone, Hondou slumped down into his seat.

Chabashira : "Points were deposited. Without fail. The likelihood that this class was left out is very low. Do you understand?"

Hondou : "No, even if I say I do understand, we haven't received our points!"

Hondou had a dissatisfied expression on his face.

Koenji : "Hahaha, I see, it was like that, teacher. I've understood this riddle now."

Koenji said in a loud voice while laughing. Putting his feet on the table, he pointed at Hondou with his self-important attitude.

Koenji : "We didn't receive any points because we're in class D."

Oh, one person got caught the hint huh?

Hondou : "Hah? What's that supposed to mean. They said we'd get 100000 points every month-"

Koenji : "I don't remember hearing that. Right?"

Smirking, Koenji then turned his attention to Chabashira-sensei.

Chabashira : "Your attitude has some problems, but what Koenji is saying is on the right track. Not many people seem to have noticed my hint. How sad."

The classroom erupted in uproar and confusion.

Hirata : "Sensei, can I ask a question? I still don't understand"

Hirata raised his hand. Rather than being concerned about his own points, it looks like he's asking to help the worried students in the room. As expected of the class leader. He's taking the initiative again.

Hirata : "Please tell me why we didn't get any points. If that's not possible, we can never understand.

After all, we were never given the reason for why we were never given points.

Chabashira : "98 total absences and tardies. 391 incidences of talking or using cell phones in class. I counted every infraction. In this school, your class performance is reflected in the amount points received. As a result your behavior, the 100000 points you could've gotten went down the drain. That's all that happened. I explained this all on the day of the entrance ceremony. That this school measures the abilities of its students. This time around, you guys were valued to be worth 0. There's nothing more than that."

Chabashira-sensei talked mechanically, without any expression. My initial doubts after coming to my school were finally answered. The worst way possible, but answered nonetheless.

In other words, even though we were given a great advantage of 100000 points at the beginning, our class D lost all of it in a single month. As expected, the hierarchy is truly exist in this school.

I heard the sound of a pencil on paper. Horikita was calmly trying to get the grasp of the situation as she noted the number of absences, tardies, and infractions of talking during class. Is there any use for her to writing it? Horikita-san surely like to tire herself

Hirata : "Chabashira-sensei, I don't remember ever hearing that explanation before"

Chabashira : "What? Are you people incapable of understanding without any explanations?"

Hirata : "Naturally. There was no mention of reducing the number of points transferred to us at the beginning of each month. If it was explained before, I'm sure that we would've tried not to be late and not to talk during class."

Chabashira : "An interesting argument, Hirata. I also don't remember explaining the rules about the points received at the beginning of each month. However, haven't you guys learned not to talk in class and get to class on time since elementary school?"

Hirata : "That is..."

Chabashira : "I'm pretty sure you guys have learned. In the 9 years of compulsory education, they've always told you that such things are frowned upon. Talking in class and being late to class is bad. Also, did you say that you couldn't understand because I didn't explain it? That excuse doesn't fly. If you behaved as a student should, your points wouldn't have dropped to 0. It's your own self-responsibility."

Without any room for rebuttal, her argument was completely sound. Everyone knows what is good and bad behavior, after all.

Chabashira : "After becoming first year high schoolers, did you really think that you would get 100000 points every month without any restrictions? In this school created by the Japanese government to train excellent people? That's impossible, just use your common sense. Why leave doubts as doubts?"

Although Hirata looked frustrated by her sound argument, he recovered and immediately looked at her in the eye.

Hirata : "Well then, can you at least tell us the details about how points are increased or decreased? We will always try to do our best from now on."

Chabashira : "That's not possible. We are not allowed to divulge the details of how we assess merit to the students. It's the same as the real world. When all of you enter society, and find work in some kind of business. They probably won't tell you how you're assessed, that's up to the company, though. However, I'm not trying to be cold, nor do I hate you guys. This is such a pitiful sight that I'll tell everyone here one thing."

For the first time today, I saw a faint smile on Chabashira-sensei's face.

Chabashira : "For arguments sake, if we say that everyone stopped being late and stopped talking in class, your deduction would be zero, but that doesn't mean you'll get more points. In other words, next month's allowance is also 0 points. Not being late or not talking to class won't help you get back up from the bottom. Keep that in mind! It'll help you."

Hirata's face got even darker. A part of the class still failed to understand, her explanation had the opposite effect. The students who wanted to change their bad behavior had their mood dampened. That is Chabashira-sensei's...no, this is school's aim.

I wonder if I could ask somebody else like Matsuo right now? Am I doing this good up until now?

The bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom.

Chabashira : "Looks like we had too much idle chitchat. Hopefully you understood. Anyway, let's move onto the main issue at hand."

She spread out the white poster that was rolled into a tube. Taking a magnet, she stuck it onto the board. The students looked at the paper, still confused.

Horikita : "Is this... the results of each class?"

Horikita tried to explain the paper even though she was only half sure.

Classes A to D were listed on the paper, with numbers right next to them.

Our class D with 0. Class C with 490. Class B with 650. And class A had the highest number with 940. I guess 1000 points would mean 100000 yen? All the classes lost points in some way.

Satonaka-kun's class surely amazing huh? I though that the other class had close gap with class A but the gap surely wider than I think before

??? : "Hey, don't you think this is strange?"

??? : "Yeah... the numbers are too clean."

Horikita noticed that there was something strange about the points.

Chabashira : "For the first month, all of you have been doing as you please. Now, the school's not saying that this is prohibited. Your actions, such as talking during class and being late to class, just affects the number of points you get. It's the same with how you use points. You have the freedom to use points how you want. We haven't restricted how you use your points."

Ike : "This isn't fair! We can't lead a normal school life like that!"

Ike, who had stayed quiet until now, shouted out.

Yamauchi was also crying out in agony. I guess that boys already used all of their private point. I wonder what could they do to make their point almost empty. Even if they would buy so many ice creams, I doubt that 100000 points would be exhausted because of it

Chabashira : "Look carefully, you stupid kids. Every other class except class D got some points. The amount of points you guys have should still be plenty enough to last for a month."

Karuizawa : "H-how do the other classes have any points left? That's strange!"

Chabashira : "I'll tell you, but it's not like this is some kind of fraud. For this past month, all the classes were judged by the same rules. Nevertheless, they didn't lose as many points as you guys did. That's a fact."

Hirata : "H-How is there so much difference in points between the classes?"

The differences in points were too clean. Class D truly means something huh?

Bottom chain...

Chabashira : "Did you guys finally understand? Why you were put in class D."

Ike : "The reason we were put in class D? Isn't that because we were appropriate for this school?"

Chabashira : "Eh? That's how ordinary classes work, you know?"

Everyone exchanged glances except me. Of course my behaviour caught Horikita attention.

Wait! She still keep staring at me? Stop it Horikita-san. I do nothing wrong here

Chabashira : "In this school, all the students are divided into classes by merit. The best students are put in class A. The worst in class D. Well, it's a system that's found in major cram schools. In other words, class D is the collection of leftovers. That also means that you are the worst students, the defective products of this school. This is really an outcome worthy of defective students."

Horikita's face stiffened. Looks like the reason behind the class division really shocked her.

Certainly, it's better to put smart people with other smart people, and incapable people with other incapable people. If you put rotten mandarins with good mandarins, the good mandarins will rot faster. It's inevitable that the superior Horikita is in shock at this sort of division.

However, it's probably good that I was put here. There's only one way to go and that's up. Its better class for me to avoid spotlight

Chabashira : "However, this class D is the first one to lose all their points in the first month. On the contrary, I applaud you for living so lavishly until now. How praiseworthy."

Chabashira-sensei's unnatural applause reverberated in the classroom.

Ike : "After hitting zero points, does that mean we will always stay at zero points forever?"

Chabashira : "Yeah. Your points will stay at 0 until graduation. However, be at ease, since you can still use your dorms, and there are free meals in the cafeteria. You won't die."

Wow, that's mean...

Although a student life with only the bare minimum is possible, a lot of the students probably won't like it. After all, the students lived their lives this month while indulging in every single possible luxury. Suddenly, having to live a life a self-control looks really hard for a lot of the students.

BANG!

Sudou : "Will we be made fun of by the other classes now?"

Sudou kicked his desk with a bang. After having learned that the classes are divided by merit, everyone will probably make fun of class D as the group of idiots. It's not unreasonable to be despairing.

Well, but I don't mind it being called either defect or idiot. After all, I don't even need this 100% guarantee because I'm not sure what should I do in the future

Chabashira : "What, you're still holding onto your pride, Sudou? Then do your best and try to make the worst class the best class."

Sudou : "Huh?"

Chabashira : "These class points aren't just linked to the amount of money you get each month. It's also indicative of the class rank."

So, in other words. If, for example class D had held onto 500 points, they would be promoted to being class C. This is really like a company assessment which I read about.

Chabashira : "All right, I have one more piece of bad news I have to tell you guys."

She put one more piece of paper onto the blackboard. The names of all the classmates were listed. Next to everyone's name was a number.

Wow, I got 50 just as I planned before

Chabashira : "From looking at these numbers, I came to understand that there are a lot of idiots in this class."

She glanced at the students as her heels clacked against the floor

Chabashira : "These are the scores from the test a few days back. Sensei was glad after seeing your wonderful performance. Seriously, what the hell did you guys study in middle school?"

Except for the top students in the class, almost everyone got below a 60. Ignoring Sudou's wonderful score of 14 points, the next lowest was Ike's score of 24. The average score was about 50.

Chabashira : "If this test was actually recorded, seven of you would already have to drop out of school. Good thing it wasn't, right?"

Ike : "D-drop out? What do you mean?"

Chabashira : "Why, did I not explain? If you get a failing mark on either a midterm or a final exam in any subject, you have to drop out of school. On this test, that would be everyone who got below a 32." *sigh* "You guys are really foolish and stupid."

??? : "W-Whaaaaat!?"

The seven people who failed, or in other words, Ike and his group, let out a surprised voice.

On the paper, there was a red line separating the rest of the class and the seven people, the highest of which was Satou with a score of 31 points. In other words, everyone after Satou-san failed.

Ike : "Don't fuck with me Sae-chan-sensei! Don't joke about dropping out of school!"

Chabashira : "I'm also at a loss for words. It's the school's rules, so prepare for the worst."

Koenji : "As the teacher said, there seem to be a lot of fools here."

While polishing his nails with his feet on the desk, Koenji had a smug smirk on his face.

Ike : "What's that, Koenji!? Your marks are in the red too!"

Koenji : "Fufufu~ Where are your eyes looking at boy? Look carefully"

Ike : "H-huh? Hey, Koenji's name is... huh?"

Scanning from the bottom, his eyes gradually reached the top. And then, he finally saw the name Koenji Rokusuke.

To his disbelief, Koenji had tied for the top score in the class. 90 points. That means that he was able to solve one of the super hard problems. But look at his bored expression during test. I guess he didn't even take that mock test seriously

Ike : "I never thought that Sudou would be a stupid character like me!"

Ike said out loud with a sarcasm in his tone. Seriously Ike-kun, that's not something you should be bragging about right now

Chabashira : "Oh, and one more thing. This school, which is under the control of the country, boasts a high percentage of alumni going to higher education and a high employment rate. That's a well-known fact. Most likely, many people in this class will go on to college or find work at a company."

That's obvious. As she said, this school has the highest employment and college acceptance rate. There are rumors that if you successfully graduate from this school, a usually difficult college or company will become a lot easier to join. Other rumors say that graduating from this school is like getting a recommendation to be admitted to Tokyo University.

Well, even I already had my doubt before even entering this school. There is no way a school based on merit would giving that previlege to everyone

Chabashira : "But... things aren't that easy in the world. People like you guys, who are of a really low level, will probably have trouble getting into college or getting a job."

Chabashira-sensei's words echoed in the classroom.

Hirata : "In other words, in order to make our dreams of getting a job or getting into college a reality, surpassing class C is probably a minimum."

Chabashira : "That's also slightly incorrect, Hirata. There's no way to achieve your dreams except for surpassing class A. The school doesn't guarantee anything for all the other students."

Yukimura : "T-that's! That's something I never heard about! This is absurd!"

Yukimura, who wore glasses, stood up. He was the person who tied Koenji's score. I think it wasn't that absurd Yukimura-kun

Koenji : "How shameful. There's nothing as pitiful as boys making a commotion and panicking" *sigh*

As if he felt something from Yukimura's words, Koenji let out a sigh.

Yukimura : "Koenji, do you not feel any resentment from being in class D?"

Koenji : "Resentment? Why would I feel any resentment? I don't understand."

Yukimura : "Because we've been told that our class is the collection of leftovers, and that our chances of getting into higher education or getting a job are slim!"

Koenji : "Fufufu~ That's nonsense. I can't even respond to that sheer stupidity."

Koenji didn't stop polishing his nails. He didn't even face Yukimura as he talked.

Koenji : "This school just hasn't seen my full potential yet. I value, respect, and regard myself greatly, more than any other person. Even if the school puts me in class D, it means nothing to me. If, for example, I have to drop out of school, it's completely fine. After all, it's the school that will come crawling back for me."

Sounds like something 'Perfect Existence-kun' would say. Is it masculinity, or is it self-conceit? Certainly, if you don't care about the school's class rankings, it doesn't matter at all. Considering his high intellect and physical ability, it is difficult to think that the students of class A are all better than Koenji-kun. Or perhaps he was assigned to class D because of his personality.

If it was something like that? Could it be Horikita-san put here because her superior complex?

If that the case. What happened with Kushida-san? Hirata-kun? Both of them doesn't had any reason which they supposed to be put on this class. Also both of them sometimes make interaction with me? This make me uneasy around them right now until I figure out what kind of reason they put here on this class.

Maybe there is something more than that or is it just choosen randomly? There is no way like that right? Unless I could find any other student who had worse behaviour than any of boys inside this class

Koenji : "However, I'm not looking to go to college or find a job somewhere after I graduate. It's been decided that I will lead the Koenji Conglomerate in the future. It doesn't matter whether I'm in class A or class D."

For someone whose future has been guaranteed, there certainly is no need to be concerned about the class. Without any words to retort, Yukimura sat back down. As expected of wealthier boy in our grade. Koenji Conglomerate is surely something huh?

Chabashira : "Looks like your happy mood has been dampened. If you guys understood the harsh environment you were put in from the start, we wouldn't have need this long homeroom. The midterm is in three weeks, so please avoid getting kicked out of school. I'm sure everyone here can survive without getting any red marks. If possible, please challenge your situation with a behavior appropriate for a capable person."

Closing the door for emphasis, Chabashira-sensei walked out of the classroom.

The red-mark students were crestfallen. Even the normally proud Sudou hung his head down in shame. Must be hard for them I guess.

Hello guys! Long time no see, how are you?

Did you guys enjoy the story?

X : Oi, where is the picture

Err, about that. Honestly...

X : What?

Honestly I don't know. I mean this I couldn't find any motivation to draw or this entire scene isn't interesting to draw. That's what I though

X : Dude, seriously?

Yes, I am

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 1 : Welcome to Merit-Based School

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Inside Classroom

Everyone inside class was thrown in chaos. Of course except for several students here doesn't care that much about the entire situation like Koenji-kun

Hondou : "W-What am I going to do without any more points?"

Yamauchi : "I used up the remainder of my points yesterday"

After Chabashira-sensei left the room, the whole classroom was in an uproar.

Yukimura : "Even more than the points, this is a problem with the class! Why was I put in class D!?"

Yukimura-kun vented in frustration. There were beads of sweat on his forehead.

Ike : "Wait, does that mean we won't be able to go to a college we want to go to? Then why did I come to this school in this first place? I wonder if Sae-chan-sensei hates me?"

None of the students can hide their confusion.

Hirata : "I understand that everyone is panicking right now, but calm down."

Hirata-kun trying to took control of the class, trying to calm down the sense of impending crisis.

Yukimura : "How can we calm down in this situation? Are you not frustrated that we are the class of leftovers!?"

Hirata : "Even if I say I am, isn't it better to work together to get out of this situation?"

Yukimura : "Get out of this situation? In the first place, I don't even agree with this hierarchy of classes!"

Hirata : "I completely understand your feelings.However, there's no use in sitting here and complaining about it."

Yukimura : "What!?"

Yukimura walked up to Hirata and grabbed him by his collar. Sigh...

Just because you can't retort his argument doesn't mean you use violence to prove yours was right. Are boys mostly like to behave this way?

Kushida : "Calm down, you two. Ok? Surely, Sensei must have explained it to us sternly in order to cheer us up, right?"

Kushida-san spoke up. She broke the two apart and gently took Yukimura-kun's balled fist in her hand. Yukimura-kun, as one would expect, tried not to hurt Kushida-san and unintentionally took a step back.

Kushida : "Also, it's only been a month since school has started. As Hirata-kun said, I think that it's better for all of us to persevere through this situation. Do you think I'm wrong?"

Yukimura : "N-no, thats... Certainly, I don't think what Kushida said is wrong, but..."

Yukimura's wrath already dissipated away. Kushida sincerely looked at everyone in class D, wishing for everyone's cooperation.

Kushida : "That's right isn't it? We shouldn't be impatient. There's no need for Yukimura and Hirata to fight."

Yukimura : "U-Uhm...My bad. I lost my composure for a bit there."

Hirata : "It's fine. I should've chosen my words more carefully as well."

With the help of Kushida Kikyou, the fight was resolved in an orderly way.

I took out my phone and took a picture of the class points on poster which sensei posted. Noticing my actions, Horikita looked at me with a curious expression.

I look back at her. It seems she wanted to say something. Well, if she wanted to say something isn't it better that she just sa-

Horikita : "What is it? Just say something already!"

That supposed to be my line but... whatever

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, are you wondering what am I doing?"

Horikita : "I don't care"

But why is she keep staring at me?

Horikita : *sigh* "Alright, what are you doing?"

Sigh...Such troublesome person...

Kiyone : "I haven't been able to figure out the specifics behind the points yet. Haven't you also taken some notes?"

Horikita : "Wouldn't it be hard to calculate the numbers with this little information? Also, even if you managed to figure something, I don't think it will help resolve this problem. Simply speaking, everyone is always late and talks way too much during class."

As Horikita said, it's hard to come up with a conclusion with the amount of information at hand. She seems to be strangely impatient, her usual calm attitude seems to be missing. Its not like she become her usual self

Kiyone : "Are you also at this school to get into college?"

Horikita : "Huh? Why are you asking that?"

Kiyone : "It's just that when she talked about the difference between class A and class D, you looked really shocked."

Horikita : "That was more or less everyone's reaction in the class, no? Even though we were given an explanation on the first day of school, I can't understand this new development."

Well, that's reasonable. The people in classes B and C are probably grumbling in discontent just like in this class as well. Every other class other than class A is treated as leftovers by the school. Trying our hardest to increase our class rank seems to be the best course of action here or more look like it was this school purpose in the first place

Kiyone : "I think that before thinking about class A or class D, we should probably work to guarantee some points."

Horikita : "Points are only a byproduct of our efforts in class. Not having any points won't hinder our school life. After all, this school provides everything for free at some capacity."

Even if you think that, this is relief for those who lost all their points.

The students who used up all their points were in trouble. Like Yamauchi-kun, who had been panicking for some time now. Ike-kun also spent all his points.

Kiyone : "Won't hinder our school life, eh?"

It's not an issue for living on bare minimum. However, there are a lot of things that can only be obtained by points. For example, leisure and entertainment. Not having any means of entertainment will probably only hurt us in the future. I wonder how long her brain could keep working properly without entertainment? Entertainment needed because human being could got stressed out. Didn't she think about something like that?

Horikita : "Last month, how many points did you use Ayanokouji-san?"

Kiyone : "Hmm? Oh, how many points I used. I used roughly 20000 points. Mostly for buying premium ice creams..."

Eh? Why she look at me like that?

Kiyone : " Horikita-san?"

Horikita : "Ahem! Even though I think it's unfortunate, they're paying for their own mistakes."

Certainly, using up all 100000 points in a single month is a small problem.

Kiyone : "But their mistake caused the other got the consequence as their classmate"

100000 points a month. Even though it was too good to be true, everyone celebrated.

Hirata : "Everyone, once classes starts, I ask that everyone pays attention earnestly. Especially you, Sudou-kun."

Hirata-kun attracted the attention of the noisy classroom by standing up at the podium.

Sudou : "Tch! What is it?!"

Hirata : "This month, we didn't get any points. This is a problem that will hugely affect our future student life. We can't go on like this and graduate with 0 points, can we?"

??? : "Definitely not!"

One girl shouted at Hirata's words. Hirata gave a gentle nod.

Hirata : "Of course not. So, we have no choice but to try and get some points next month. That's why everyone in the class has to work together to fix our problem. We should refrain from being late to and talking during class. Naturally, using cell phones during class is also prohibited."

Yamauchi : "Ha? Why do we have to listen to what you say? If the points stay constant, there's no reason to stop."

Hirata : "However, if we continue being late and talking during class, our points will not increase. Although we can't go further down from 0 points, it still counts as a negative."

Sudou : "I don't understand. Even if we work hard during class it's not like our points will go up."

Feeling dissatisfied, Sudou snorted and crossed his arms. Noticing Sudou's feelings, Kushida spoke up.

Kushida : "Didn't the school say that not being late and not talking during class should be an obvious mentality?"

Mii-chan : "Un, I also think the same way as Kushida-san. It's the natural thing to do."

Sudou : "That's just an explanation for your own convenience. If you understand that our points won't increase, it's pointless. Talk after you figure out how to increase our points."

Hirata : "I don't think there's anything wrong with what Sudou-kun's saying. Sorry for making you feel uncomfortable."

Hirata bowed his head towards the disgruntled Sudou.

Hirata : "However Sudou-kun, it is a fact that if we don't cooperate, our points will never increase."

Sudou : "It doesn't matter what you do. Don't involve me. Do you understand?"

No, Sudou-kun. You are the one who should understand. If you didn't fix your behaviour soon, I'm pretty sure if our class find a way to get rid a 'burden'. They will vote you for sure.

But, Sudou-kun acting like a cancer in the class as usual. As if he felt uncomfortable from staying in the classroom, Sudou left the room. Is he gone only until class starts, or will he never return?

Mii-chan : "Sudou-kun really can't read the atmosphere. He's the one that's late the most. Even without Sudou-kun, can't we still get some points?"

Inogashira : "Yeah, he's the worst. Why is he in the same class with us"

Well, everyone was having the time of their life until this morning. There was no one complaining about Sudou then. Coming down from the podium, Hirata walked to the front of the room.

Eh, he walked to our direction?

Hirata : "Horikita-san and Ayanokouji-san, do you have time later? After school, I want to talk about how we can increase our points. I want you guys to participate. Can you?"

Horikita : "Why us?"

Hirata : "I want to hear everyone's thoughts. However, even if I ask for everyone to speak up, I think more than half will not listen seriously."

So that's why he thought to ask the two of us in particular. I don't think we can give any helpful ideas, but I guess it's fine to participate. Even though I thought that—

Horikita : "Sorry, but can you ask someone else? We are not very good at discussing things."

Hirata : "You don't have to force yourself to say anything in particular. It's good enough for you two to just be there."

Horikita : "I'm sorry, I don't like meeting for a pointless reason. I think that was the same goes for Ayanokoji-san as well"

Wait, don't suddenly decided thing like that!

Hirata : "I think that this is our first trial as a united class. So-"

Horikita : "I already refused. I am not participating."

Calm yet strong words. Despite considering Hirata's standpoint, Horikita rejected him again.

Hirata : "I-Is that so. Sorry, If you ever change your mind, please participate."

Horikita already stopped paying attention to Hirata, who had given up.

Hirata : "How about you, Ayanokouji-san?"

Honestly, I thought it would be good to participate. After all, most of the class would probably participate. However, if Horikita was the only one to not participate, she would probably get the same treatment as Sudou.

Kiyone : "I'll pass. Sorry. I think discussing thing through group chat was more than enough and more efficience for me. As long as you can't find the solution for this problem, I doubt the other would agree with you right now Hirata-kun. Especially those boys who loathed you that much"

Hirata : "Ahahaha, is that so?"

Hirata-kun murmuring something

Hirata : "It would be great if you join the meeting though, Ayanokoji-san..."

Kiyone : "Hmm?"

Oh, he didn't realized that I heard it

Hirata : "Ah, no. It just if you ever change your mind though, feel free to join."

I reply him with nod

Hirata probably understood what I was thinking. I didn't reject him strongly like Horikita did. Now that the discussion was over, Horikita started preparing for the next class.

Kiyone : "As expected, Hirata-kun is pretty remarkable. He was able to get everyone in action. It's not unusual to feel depressed by the situation."

Horikita : "That's one way to look at it. If you're good at solving problems with discussions, there won't be any difficulties. However, if a student that's not very smart tries to hold a discussion, it would probably fall into mayhem. After all, without proper solution it would be meaningless. Also, I can't bring myself to accept the situation right now."

Kiyone : "Bring yourself to accept the situation? What do you mean by that?"

I ask her with tilted my head but Horikita didn't answer my question.

It was after school.

Hirata-kun was on the podium, using the blackboard to prepare for the discussion. Due to Hirata's charisma, it seems like everyone showed up except for Horikita and Sudou. Those two already left the room.

??? : "Ayanokouji-chan~"

Eh? Who is it?

From under the desk, Yamauchi stuck out his face, still looking dead. I wonder what's wrong with him?

Kiyone : "W-What's wrong?"

Yamauchi : "Buy this for 20,000 points~. I can't buy anything because I have no points~"

Uwaah...Don't push your troubles onto me...

Kiyone : "If you sell that thing to me, who would I play it with?"

Yamauchi : "How should I know. It's fine though, right? It's a good deal."

Kiyone : "I'll buy it if you lower the price to 1000 points."

I don't know the actual price but I won't buy something expensive to something which I rarely used

Yamauchi : "Ayanoukouji-chan~! I don't have anyone else to rely on~"

That's full of lies. No, more look like he only targeted anyone who he though had so much points left just like me

Kiyone : "Why me? I can't do that favor for you. How about you asking Kushida-san. Perhaps she interested with it"

He seems hesitated to ask Kushida-san who near me right now.

Yamauchi looked up at me with watery eyes, but I don't care. Your pathetic excuse didn't works on me. Beside, didn't he feel ashamed begging to a girl like this?

He realized that asking me for points wasn't going to work, so he switched to another target.

Yamauchi : "Hasebe! I have a favor for my best friend! Buy this game console for 22,000 points!"

Looks like he's trying to get Hasebe to buy it now. Furthermore, he shamelessly increased the price. Yamauchi-kun, if you intend to do evil deed at least do it with more elegant way please. Not to mention, did he perhaps think that Hasebe-san didn't overheard that you were begging at me before? Sigh...

Kushida : "Must be hard for everyone who's used up their points..."

Kushida said while watching the exchange between Yamauchi and Hasebe.

Kiyone : "Kushida-san, are you ok on points? We girls have a lot of various necessities, after all."

Kushida : "Hmm, well, for now. I've used up about half my points, hehehe~. I used too many points this first month, so it'll be hard to control myself. Aya-chan, how about you?"

Kiyone : "I think it's certainly difficult for someone who's popular to live a school life without spending money. I've practically used up none of points. I don't have anything that I particularly need, either."

Kushida : "Is that because you don't have friends?"

Ugh! That's hurt. I tilt my head down on shame

Kushida : "Ahaha, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean any offense."

Kushida apologized to me while giggling. Make fun of me like that, it's mean Kushida-san.

Suddenly someone else approached us

Karuizawa : "Um, Kushida-san?"

Kushida : "Karuizawa-san, what is it?"

Karuizawa : "To be honest, I used up all my points. I've already gotten some help from the other girls in the class, but I also thought to ask Kushida-san. We're friends, right? I only need about 2000 points."

Uwaah...She had no shame. I'm pretty sure gyaru girl supposed to be held their pride more than anything but Karuizawa asked for points from Kushida with a fake laugh. This should be an instant rejection.

Kushida : "Un, ok."

I look at Kushida-san with disbelief, but I guess it's up to the person as to how they decide to treat their friends.

Without wavering at all, Kushida decided to help Karuizawa.

Karuizawa : "Thanks~. Friends are really useful. This is my number. Well then, see you later~"

Then she look at me. Did she perhaps will ask points to me as well. I wonder why she look at me so long...

I keep staring at her, then she averted her sight from me.

Karuizawa : "Ah! Inogashira-san, to be honest, I used up all my points~"

Moving onto her next target, Karuizawa walked away from us. I wonder why she is hesitating to talk with me?

Kiyone : "I though she would ask points from me as well?"

Kushida : "That's what I though as well because she keep staring at you before she decide to go to Inogashira-san. Hmm? I wonder, did she do that because she doesn't even remember your actual name Aya-chan?"

Wait, what? Seriously? Did she perhaps back down just because she doesn't know my actual name?

Oh, I just remember. She actually never called me by my actual name. That's why she feel awkward to ask something from someone who doesn't even know their name.

Then I look toward Kushida-san

Kiyone : "Anyway, was that ok? Your points probably won't come back."

Kushida : "I can't send a friend away when they come asking for help. Karuizawa-san also has a lot of friends, so it's probably hard for her without too many points."

Is that so? Hmm...

Kiyone : "However, I think that having used up all 100000 points should be your own problem, no?"

Kushida : "Ahaha, maybe you are right."

But, suddenly Kushida-san silent.

Kushida : "Etto... How do I even transfer my points? You know something to do it?"

Oh, she doesn't know about it. Well, I'm no different than her though. Even I learn it by watching Karuizawa-san clique to do that.

Kiyone : "You received a slip of paper from Karuizawa with a number, right? You can transfer points using your cell phone."

Kushida : "Even if you said that, how could I do that?"

Kiyone : "Bring your phone closer to me, I'll guide you how to do that"

Kushida : "Okay~ Aya-chan"

Then I help her how to do transfer points

Certainly, it is a help to Karuizawa. However, was it really necessary to send her money? Looks like a bunch of trouble instead.

Suddenly an announcement come

??? : "Ayanokouji from class D. Chabashira-sensei is calling for you. Please come to the staff room."

After a jingle, a voice came over the loudspeaker.

Kushida : "Looks like you were called by the teacher."

Kiyone : "Yeah, it seems like that. I wonder for what reason I was being called. Sorry, Kushida-san. I'll be going."

Kushida : "Itterashai~"

Since the first day of school, I don't remember doing anything that would get me called. Feeling the heavy gazes of the other students, I exited the room.

I reached the staff room and timidly opened the door. Looking around the room, I didn't see Chabashira-sensei anywhere. I called out to the teacher that was checking their own face in the mirror.

Kiyone : "Um, excuse me sensei. Is Chabashira-sensei here?"

??? : "What? Sae-chan? She was here until a few moments ago..."

The teacher who looked back had wavy, shoulder-length hair that gave off an adult-like impression. She said Chabashira-sensei's name as if they were close. They also look close in age. Is it because like that. If there is coworker who almost had the same age, will they called each other by nickname?

??? : "Hmmm? Looks like she had something to do. Do you want to wait inside?"

Kiyone : "No, I'll wait in the hallway. Thank you very much sensei"

I don't feel comfortable in areas like the staff room. Because I didn't want to attract any attention, I decided to stay in the hallway. As soon as I thought that, the teacher walked out into the hallway.

??? : "I'm Hoshinomiya Chie, responsible for class B. I've been best friends with Sae since high school. We're close enough to call each other Sae-chan and Chie-chan~."

I've never heard of her before, but it seems like some trouble would arrived sooner. I don't like it at all

Hoshinomiya : "Ne~ Why did Sae-chan call you here? Ne~ ne~ Why?"

Kiyone : "Honestly, I don't know the reason either"

Then she tilted her head in confusion

Hoshinomiya : "Hmm, I don't understand. You were called out without being given the reason? What's your name?"

A questions. She examined me up and down.

Kiyone : "My name's Ayanokouji Kiyone, sensei."

Hoshinomiya : "Ayanokouji-chan? Isn't that a pretty name~. You're popular, right~?"

What is this overly casual teacher. She's closer to a student than she is to a teacher like Chabashira-sensei. If this were an all-boys school, she'd probably capture the hearts of every student.

Hoshinomiya : "Ne~ ne~ do you already have a boyfriend?"

Kiyone : "No... um, I'm not really popular."

I tried to make myself look offended and hurt, but Hoshinomiya-sensei still assertively approached me. With smooth motions, she grabbed my shoulders with her slender, beautiful hands.

Hoshinomiya : "Fufufu~ That's weird, I would've totally gone for you if I were a boy in the same class as you. Is it because you're too innocent? Or are you tsuntsun? Wait, maybe you were Kuudere type so the boys feel hesitated around you"

What was that?

She poked my cheeks with her fingers. I wasn't sure what to say. Is she make fun of me? She'd better stop.

Chabashira : "What are you doing, Hoshinomiya?"

Suddenly, Chabashira-sensei hit Hoshinomiya-sensei's head with a clipboard. Hoshinomiya-sensei squatted down, holding her head in pain.

Hoshinomiya : "Oww! What'd you do that for!"

Chabashira : "That's because you were doing weird things with my students in here."

Hoshinomiya : "I was only talking to her while he was waiting for you to come back!"

Chabashira : "Scram!"

She shout that toward Hoshinomiya-sensei

Chabashira : "Sorry for making you wait, did you wait too long Ayanokouji? Well whatever, let's move to the guidance room."

Kiyone : "No, I didn't wait long. Also, the guidance room? did I do something? I thought I was living a non-conspicuous school life."

Chabashira : "A good response. Come with me!"

I followed Chabashira-sensei while thinking 'What's this about'

Suddenly, Hoshinomiya-sensei walked up next to me with a smile. When she noticed, Chabashira-sensei turned around and looked at her with a look of a demon.

Chabashira : "Chie? Why are you following us?."

Hoshinomiya : "Don't say it so coldly~ It's no big deal if I listen too, right? Besides, Sae-chan isn't the type to give one-on-one lessons, right? Also, to take Ayanokouji-chan to the guidance room out of the blue. Do you have some kind of goal?"

Replying to Chabashira-sensei's question with a grin, she got behind me and put her hands on my shoulders. I couldn't see Hoshinomiya-sensei's face, but I understood that there was electricity in the air.

Chabashira : "How long are you going to follow us? This is a problem concerning class D."

Hoshinomiya : "Eh? Can't I go with you? Is that no good? Look, I can give advice too~"

As Hoshinomiya-sensei followed us against her will, a student suddenly walked up in front of us and blocked our way. She is a beautiful girl with light pink hair that I've never seen before.

??? : "Hoshinomiya-sensei. Do you have time right now? The student council has matters to discuss."

She looked at us for a moment, but went back to facing Hoshinomiya-sensei.

Chabashira : "Look, she's looking for you. Hurry up and go."

Chabashira-sensei hit Hoshinomiya-sensei's butt with her clipboard.

Hoshinomiya : "Mou~. I think she'll get mad if I stay any longer, so see you later, Ayanokouji-chan. Well, let's go to the staff room, Ichinose-san."

So, her name is Ichinose-san huh? She is so pretty, I wonder if she is another popular girl in our years just like Kushida-san as well

After seeing off Hoshinomiya-sensei, Chabashira-sensei lightly scratched her head and continued walking towards the guidance room. Soon after, we arrived at the guidance room, which was right next to the staff room.

Kiyone : "Then, what was the reason you called me sensei?"

Chabashira : "Before I talk about that, come over here."

While glancing at the clock on the wall, she opened a door that was in the room. She put a kettle on top of the stove in the office kitchen.

Chabashira : "I'll be making some green tea. Are you ok with roasted green tea?"

I nodded. I picked up the container with roasted green tea powder.

Chabashira : "Don't do anything extra. Enter quietly. Until I say it's ok to come back out, stand here quietly. If you don't, you'll be expelled."

Without giving me an explanation, she closed the office kitchen door. What the hell is she trying to do?

I stayed quiet as she told me to, and before long, I heard the sound of the guidance room door opening.

Chabashira : "Here, come in. Well then, what do you have to say to me? Horikita."

It looks like Horikita was the one who was called into the guidance room.

Horikita : "I will ask you frankly. Why was I put into class D?"

Chabashira : "Are you really asking frankly?"

Horikita : "Today, sensei said that the classes were divided by superiority. And that class D was the lowest collection of leftovers."

Chabashira : "I did indeed say that. It looks like you consider yourself as a 'superior' person."

I wonder how Horikita will reply to that. I'm betting that she'll confidently object to her words.

Horikita : "I believe that I solved nearly all the problems on the entrance exam, and had no big mistakes during the interview. At the very least, I don't think I should be in class D."

Look, I got it dead-on. Horikita's the type to think of herself as the best. She isn't self-conscious either, and really thinks that she's superior to everyone else. On the results of the test, Horikita was also tied with Yukimura-kun along with Koenji-kun as well.

Chabashira : "Solved nearly all the problems on the entrance exam, is it. Usually, we can't show the results of the entrance exam, but I'll give you a special exception. I have your answer sheet here by chance."

Horikita : "You are thoroughly prepared, I see. Looks like you also knew I would come here to protest my placement."

Chabashira : "I'm a teacher. I understand the students to some degree at the very least. Horikita Suzune. As you thought, on the entrance examination, you were 3rd place among the incoming first-years. Your scores were behind first and second by only a small margin. You did very well. There were no particular problems that we observed during the interview either. Rather, you were highly rated."

Horikita : "Thank you very much. Then, why?"

Well, this is the same question I had in mind regardess how several superior students being put in our class?

Chabashira : "Before that, why are you dissatisfied with class D?"

Horikita : "There is no one that would be happy when they are not correctly evaluated. Also, the differences between classes also greatly affect future prospects. It's only natural that I'm unhappy."

Affecting future huh? That's right, that guarantee was indeed important however if you think you are good enough. You didn't even need to care with this kind of trivial matter like those '100% guarantee'

But Chabashira-sensei snickered, or rather, openly laughed, at Horikita.

Chabashira : "Correctly evaluated? Hey hey, your evaluation of yourself is too high. I recognize that your academic ability is high. You are definitely smart. However, who decided that smart people were the ones who got into the superior classes? We never said that."

Horikita : "That's...that's just common sense."

Chabashira : "Common sense? Didn't that 'common sense' create the broken Japan we live in now? Indeed, we used to separate the inferior from the superior using the test scores. As a result, incompetent people tried to make up the difference in desperation to defeat the truly superior people. In the end, it led to a heredity system."

The heredity system means that social status, honor, and job are all passed on and inherited.

Hearing those words, I unintentionally let out a low groan. My chest hurts. If that 'father' of mine already passed away. Did I need to continue his stupid dreams as well? I wonder...

Chabashira : "Certainly, you have the ability to study. I won't deny that. However, this school's goal is to produce excellent people. It is a big mistake to think that you can be assigned to a superior class by only studying. That was the very first thing we explained, at the entrance ceremony. Besides, think about it calmly. Do you think someone like Sudou would make it if we determined acceptance only by intelligence?"

Horikita : "Tha-..."

Even though this is one of the best schools in Japan, they accept students that are interested in areas other than studying. So that's the reason why Sudou-kun get accepted in this school. Then what about the other student like Ike and Yamauchi. What are their merit if this school decide to accepted their enrollment here

Well Kiyone, maybe they use the same way like I did. Nepotism surely crazy huh?

Chabashira : "Also, it's rash to say that there is no one that would be happy when they are incorrectly evaluated. Class A, for example, receives a lot of pressure from the school and a lot of envy from the lower classes. Competing under heavy pressure is harder than you think. There are students that are fine with being evaluated lower than they actually are."

Horikita : "That's a joke, right? I can't understand those kind of people."

Chabashira : "Really? I think there are a few in class D. Oddball students that would stay in a low-level class with pleasure."

It seemed she was talking to me or maybe another students who did the same like me. Like Matsushita-san who I suspected she lowered her score on purpose because its unnatural the way she keep erasing her answer sheet back then.

Horikita : "You still haven't explained clearly. Is my placement in class D the truth, and was there no mistake in my evaluation? Please double check."

Chabashira : "It's too bad, but your placement in class D was not a mistake. You're definitely in class D. You are a student only at that level.

Horikita : "Is that so? I will hear from the school at another time."

It looks like she decided that her homeroom teacher was not the right person to ask, and didn't give up.

Chabashira : "You'll get the same result if you try to talk to anyone in a higher position. There's no need to be that disappointed. As I said this morning, classes can overtake and surpass one another. Remember that there is the possibility of rising up to class A before graduation."

Horikita : "It does not seem like a very easy path. How will the immature class D ever get more points than class A? No matter how I look at it, it is impossible."

That was Horikita's honest opinion. There is an enormous point difference this time.

Chabashira : "I wouldn't know. It's your own choice whether or not to head down that reckless path. By any chance, do you have a special reason as to why you need to be in class A?"

Wow, sensei had the same question like me toward her

Horikita : "That is-... I will excuse myself for today. However, please remember that I still do not understand."

Chabashira : "All right, I'll remember that."

I heard the sound of a chair being pulled. Looks like the discussion ended.

Chabashira : "Oh, right! I called another person to the guidance room. It's a person that's also relevant to you."

Horikita : "Relevant to me? No way! Niisa—"

Chabashira : "Come out, Ayanokouji."

Wait, it was me all along? How come she mean that I was relevant person to Horikita-san

Chabashira : "If you don't come out, you'll be expelled."

C-cruel. You shouldn't unfairly use expulsion as a weapon. That's cheating! That's abuse of power! You surely bad adult

Chabashira : "How long will you make me wait?"

While letting out a sigh, I exited the office kitchen and into the guidance room. Naturally, Horikita was surprised.

Horikita : "Were you...listening to us?"

Kiyone : "Listening? I know you guys were talking about something, but I didn't hear anything"

Horikita : "That's not true. You can hear everything clearly from that kitchen."

Kiyone : "But I didn't intend to listen someone else privacy"

For some reason, it looks like Chabashira-sensei wanted to drag me out into the room.

Horikita : "Sensei! Why would you do that?!"

Horikita immediately noticed that this was a setup. The anger was clear on her face.

Chabashira : "Because I decided it was necessary. Well then Ayanokouji, I'll tell you the reason I called you."

Chabashira-sensei shot down Horikita's question and turned her attention to me.

Horikita : "Excuse me then..."

Chabashira : "Wait Horikita. It is better for you to listen to the end. This'll be a hint for how you can get up to class A."

Horikita stopped in her tracks and sat back down in her chair.

Wait! Don't tell me...!

Horikita : "Please keep it short."

Looking down at her clipboard, Chabashira-sensei laughed.

Chabashira : "You're an interesting student, Ayanokouji."

Kiyone : "What do you mean by it?"

Chabashira : "After your entrance examination results, I was thinking about potential individual teaching methods, but after seeing your test results, my interest was piqued. I was surprised at first."

A familiar answer sheet from the entrance exam was on the clipboard.

Chabashira : "50 points in Japanese, 50 points in math, 50 points in english, 50 points in history, 50 points in science... and the result of the most recent test was also 50 points. Do you know what this means?"

Ah! So it was about that. Phew!

In surprise, Horikita looked over my test form then shifted her gaze to me.

Kiyone : "It's coincidence."

Chabashira : "Hou? You're going to claim that your results are a coincidence to the very end? It's clearly intentional."

Kiyone : "It's a coincidence. You have no proof. Anyway, what benefit would I get from manipulating my own results? If I was smarter, I would aim for perfect scores in al all subjects."

Watching me feign innocence, she let out a sigh with a look of amazement.

Chabashira : "Indeed but you are not smart enough to deceive me. Honestly, you're a really weird student. Are you sure? Math problem #5 was only solved by 3% of all students this year. Additionally, you included a complex formula and used it flawlessly. On the other hand, the correct answer rate of #10 was 76%. Did you make a mistake? Or is that 'normal'?"

Gulp! I-I just dig my own grave

Kiyone : "I-I don't know. It's a coincidence..."

Chabashira : "Good grief. Nobody stupid enough to fall with your lies here Ayanokoji. I admire your attitude, but it'll cause problems for you in the future."

Kiyone : "Is that so? I'll think about that when I have to."

Chabashira-sensei look at Horikita-san

Chabashira : "How was that?"

Horikita : "Why do you... Why you pretend that you don't understand?"

I only keep silent not answering her question

Chabashira : "What do you think? She might be more intelligent than you are, Horikita."

Horikita visibly flinched. Sensei, please don't say anything unnecessary.

Chabashira : "It's not about the students who choose this school. Like Ayanokoji and Koenji, there are others who are fine with either class A or class D."

It's not just this school, but even the teachers aren't normal. During their conversation earlier, Chabashira-sensei was able to upset Horikita with her words. It's as if they hold the 'secrets' of all the students.

This is dangerous!

My freedom...

I don't want getting blackmailed and I hate following another people order against my own will.

I don't want to feel something like that again!

I don't want to compete with anyone!

I don't want to trample the other anymore!

Please stop! I'm tired with it!

I don't want become like monster again!

I keep screaming inside my mind. But, this time I could control it well. I'm glad I didn't show it to anyone about my frustation. Who knows if I lost my control here I could choke and hit these 2 here while going rampage and worst case I blown my cover by ended up killing them.

I hold my forehead in order to calm myself here but they seems still talking

Horikita : "What is it? What other reasons are there?"

Chabashira : "Do you want to hear about it in detail?"

I noticed that Chabashira-sensei had a sharp glint in her eye. Somehow, it seems like she's trying to provoke her.

Horikita : "No, I'll stop here. If I kept listening, I think I would go crazy"

Chabashira : "Ahahaha! Then, I will also leave. It's time for the staff meeting to start. I'm going to close this room, so let's leave the room."

She pushed the two of us out of the room. Why did Chabashira-sensei make the two of us meet? She doesn't look like the type to do meaningless actions.

I started walking away without waiting for her. It's probably better for us to walk back separately. Right now I don't want to talk about myself.

Horikita : "Wait!"

Horikita-san called out to me to stop, but I kept walking. If I get away from her until I reach home, that would be great.

Horikita : "Is your score...R-Really a coincidence?"

Kiyone : "I already said it or do you have any evidence that I'm doing it on purpose?"

Horikita : "I don't have any evidence. But... I don't understand. You avoid troublesome things, and you don't have any interest in class A."

Kiyone : "You also have some unusual thoughts about class A."

Horikita : "Should I not? I'm working to make my future prospects more advantageous. That has been my goal ever since I entered this school. In truth, it's a bit different. I'm not even at the start line yet. Is it unusual?"

I noticed that Horikita sped up her pace and was walking beside me.

Kiyone : "No, it's perfectly natural. Then, what will you do for aiming higher to class A?"

Horikita : "First, I want to find the real intention of the school. Why I was put into class D? Chabashira-sensei said that I was only judged as someone fitting for class D, so...When I figure it out, I'll aim for class A! No, I'm always aiming for class A!"

Good spirit

Kiyone : "That's going to be really hard. You'll have to fix those problem children. Sudou-kun's perpetual lateness, the talking during class, and the test scores. Even if you achieve that, it's still 0."

Horikita : "I already know that. I'm still hoping that my placement was a mistake by the school."

Horikita's previously overflowing confidence had turned into anxiety. Do you really 'already know'?

The only conclusion I got from today's information is the word 'despair'. If you follow the basic rules of school life, minuses can be avoided to a certain extent. However, the crucial thing is that we don't know how to turn disadvantages into advantages. The most superior class, class A, still had a small detraction of points.

Even if we do find a way to increase our points efficiently, the other classes would also find a way to do the same.

Also, once there is a huge point difference, it is very difficult to stay competitive among the classes in limited time.

Kiyone : "I can understand your thoughts to some extent. However, I don't think that the school will continue to carefully watch the students. Then there would be no meaning in competing."

Horikita : "I see, you can also think of it that way."

I read that the school does not allow class A to escape in the first month of admission. In other words, Horikita believed that this was our chance to make a big increase in points.

Kiyone "Are you thinking of taking care of this situation with your own hands?"

Horikita : "Yes."

Kiyone : "What a quick answer."

A hand stabbed my sides. It was Horikita. As usual since I didn't feel any pain of it I still put my poker face like usual.

Horikita-san seems disappointed that I keep my poker face as usual

Kiyone : "I understand your feelings, but it's not a problem you can solve on your own. I'm talking about Sudou-kun. Even if you improve yourself, there's nothing you can do if the rest of a class is a obstacles for you."

Horikita : "No, it's slightly different. Certainly, a person can't achieve anything by themselves, but if everyone doesn't put in their own effort, it'll be an extraordinarily difficult problem. Unless everyone does it, we can't even begin to compete against the other classes."

Kiyone : "So what are you going to do? All you've done is admit that it's a huge problem."

Horikita : "There are 3 key points we need to fix in order to improve. Tardies and talking during class. And then making sure that everyone passes the midterm."

Kiyone : "The first two will probably be done to some extent. However, the midterms are... it seems a bit... W-Well, anyway. Ganbatte Horikita-san"

The small test from the few days ago did have some hard problem, but overall it was easy. There's a lot of students who still fail at that level, so the midterms look bleak, to be honest.

Horikita : "Also, I want to ask for Ayanokouji-san's cooperation."

Kiyone : "Cooperation?"

Horikita looked at me with a blatantly unpleasant expression.

Kiyone : "You refused Hirata-kun earlier this morning, so I can refuse for the same reason, right?"

Horikita : "Do you want to refuse?"

Kiyone : "Should I said I would gladly help?"

Horikita : "I never thought you would go as far as to say you would gladly help, but I don't think you would refuse either. If you really didn't want to help, then I wouldn't ask further. It can't be helped if you refused the same way I did. Well then, can I expect your help or not?"

If possible, I want to remember the words she used to refuse Hirata before. However, I don't want to be compared like her.

If I say that I will help, I'll probably be worked to death until graduation.

Someone like her probably troublesome to deal when she had a certain goal. If I was her employee and she treated me with her usual cold way to me, I will dethroned her sooner when I had a chance.

Kiyone : "Then, I'm really sorry Horikita-san. But I can't accept this. I completely refuse"

Horikita : "I believed that Ayanokouji-san would agree to cooperate from the start. I give you my gratitude."

Kiyone : "Ano... Horikita-san. I completely refused, you know"

Horikita : "No, I heard the voice in your mind. You said that you would help."

Kiyone : *sigh* "Why are you so insisted with my help? I don't think there's anything I can particularly help you with it though."

Horikita's definitely a smart person. I don't think there's any need for my skills. No I don't want to help her in the first place. I like to enjoying my freedom

Horikita : "It's nothing to worry about. I don't need your brainpower. Leave the plans to me, and you can be the muscle."

Kiyone : "You know Horikita-san, there is a certain manner when you asked someone else right?"

Horikita : "I believe it just trivial matters Ayanokoji-san. After all you don't seems mad with it. There is something more important than that, no? Aren't you worried about our class' points? If you follow my instructions, I promise to make our points positive. I can guarantee that."

No, even if I didn't mad with it. That doesn't mean she keep her attitude like that to me or someone else isn't it? I wonder, did her family never teach her something about manner?

Kiyone : "I'm sure you have some kind of plan, but you can rely on people other than me. If you make friends, you can ask them to help."

Horikita : "It's too bad, but there is no one else in class D other than you that is remotely competent."

Kiyone : "I'm flattered but I think you are too narrow-minded, there are a lot of people. Since you somehow hate Kushida-san, how about this? For example, Hirata-kun. A classmate like him has a lot of influence in the class and he is smart. He's perfect. Moreover, he is worried that you don't have any friends."

If you reach out to him, you'll probably become good friends soon. After all Hirata-kun is kind, I think. But it still bugged me, why someone like him was put on class D?

Horikita : "He's no good. Even if he has talent and ability, I can't accept him. If I make a comparison, I need a chess piece. What I want now is not gold nor silver, but rather a pawn."

Are you calling me a pawn then? Is that what you're calling me?

Well, either way it's good. If I was a 'queen' or another 'minister' for her. I would be working to death together with her. I don't had any leisure time to enjoy my freedom

Horikita : "Don't worry. A pawn can also be used to make money."

Kiyone : "An interesting reply, but we're alone couldn't make much of an effort. Haven't you been thinking, 'I'm ok with being a pawn, but I don't want to admit it'? Beside, are you truly thinking how I feel about the entire situation?"

Then she suddenly walk faster and then she stopped in front of me. Of course this caused I halted my step as well

Horikita : "I don't care with your feeling right now however I could promised you that if you following me. I'll give you satisfying result. How about it?"

Then Horikita-san streatch out her right hand toward me. It was an offer coming from her

I keep stared at her hand however...

How about it? Don't joke with me Horikita-san. The current you just nothing like a delusional. Forget about fullfilled your promise. You couldn't even negotiate it your goal with me.

Then I decide to just walk passed her

Kiyone : "Sorry, but I can't help you. Try to ask someone else."

I wonder is it that hard for her to ask or request something properly toward somebody else without looking down on them?

She clasped my hand and squeezed it gently

Horikita : "Well, you can talk to me once you collect your thoughts. I will look forward to then."

Then she decide to leave me

It seems my words didn't reach Horikita-san at all.

Sigh...

Hello guys! How are you?

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 1 : First Mission

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

First weekend of May.

Inside class

Ike and the others started listening to the teachers silently. Only Sudou kept sleeping through class, but no one tried to stop him. Because no one find a reliable way of increasing our points, Sudou's habits were not fixed.

However, Sudou still received the ire of a lot of the classmates every day.

I'm sleepy too. Because it's the period right before lunch, it's hard to stay awake. I also stayed up late watching a movie on TV all night. It'd be great if I could fall asleep now

As I was nodding off, my right arm suddenly experienced some severe pain. I may not scream but its still painful to be honest

Rubbing the sore part of my arm, I glared at my neighbor. In my line of sight, I saw Horikita holding a compass needle in her hand.

This isn't a normal situation. Why does she even have compasses on hand? I don't even think there's a reason to use them during class. As soon as class ended, I went up to Horikita.

Kiyone : "There are things that are OK to do and things that are not OK to do Horikita-san! Compasses are dangerous! I'm confiscated this!"

I said that while snatching her compass

Horikita : "Are you mad at me? Because it's hard to tell with your emotionless face"

Kiyone : "I'm pretty sure you don't like it when I do the same to you, no?"

Horikita : "Is that so? Then whenever you fell asleep during class I'll keep you stay awake. You better grateful with me though"

She said giving smug smile while showing off to me that she still hold 3 compass on her possession. Well, I don't think snatch away her compass is the best solution for it. Even if I manage to snatched all of her compass, she could just buy new one everytime. Such hassle but changing her mindset to solve this problem gonna be best solution for it

Kiyone : "I hope you use nicer method without harming me next time, Horikita-san."

Horikita : "I'll keep that in mind but be careful. If they saw you dozing off, our points would be subtracted."

Kiyone : "How could I avoid being not seen with how those cameras angles set on us? I wonder"

Horikita : "Of course we couldn't! So you better keep yourself stay awake on next subject as well Ayanokoji-san"

Horikita started being wary of such things in order to get us out of class D. Protesting to the school resulted in nothing for her. Well, if Horikita dozes off during class, I'll do the same thing to her.

As everyone stood up to go to lunch, Hirata started to talk.

Hirata : "The test that Chabashira-sensei mentioned is coming up soon. Everyone understands that they'll have to drop out of school if they receive failing marks. So, I think that it would be best if we form study groups."

It looks like he decide to take counter-measure for it.

Hirata : "If you neglect your studies, you'll immediately receive failing grades and drop out. I want to avoid that situation. Studying isn't solely for avoiding that situation, because there is also a high possibility that our test scores are reflected on our points. If we get high grades, the assessment of our class would probably go up. I asked some of the people who got good grades to help out. So, I would like people who are worried about their grades to come participate in the study group. Of course, everyone is welcome to join."

Hirata stared at Sudou while he made his speech.

Sudou : "Tch! Annoying!"

Sudou averted his eyes, crossed his arms, then closed his eyes.

Every since Sudou rejected Hirata's invitation to do a self-introduction, their relationship has been bad. I don't understand why introducing yourself could incite a problem to begin with. Its not like you are big shot or something, right?

Hirata : "From 17:00 today until the day of the test, I plan to study every day for 2 hours in this classroom. If you have any thoughts of participating, please come! Of course, it's fine if you have to leave halfway. That's all."

As soon as he said that, several of the students with failing marks stood up and went to Hirata.

Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi were the only ones that didn't go up to Hirata. Ike and Yamauchi hesitated for a moment, but in the end, they didn't approach him.I wasn't sure whether they were afraid of Sudou's bad mood, or if they were simply jealous of his popularity.

Horikita : "Are you free during lunch? Do you want to eat together?"

During break-time, Horikita came up to me asked.

Kiyone : "An invitation from you is unusual. I feel scared for some reason."

Horikita : "It's nothing to be scared about. I can buy you the vegetable set, if you're fine with it."

Isn't that the free meal?

Horikita : "Just kidding. I'll seriously buy you whatever you want to eat."

Kiyone : "Definitely scary. Is there some kind of catch?"

Seeing as how Horikita invited me to eat with her, I can't help but feel suspicious. I would be suspicious if I was invited out of the blue. I remember Horikita saying that before.

Horikita : "If we always doubted everyone else's true intentions, human society wouldn't function, right?"

Kiyone : "Well, that's true, but I just afraid that you planned on taking revenge on me for set you up back then. That's my woman intuition told me"

Horikita : "Even if you are suspicious with my action. Aren't you curious to find out about this as well?"

Well, her word might be true. Since I didn't have anything planned, so I followed Horikita to the cafeteria.

I choose one of the more meals with low calorie, found a seat, and sat down with Horikita.

Kiyone : "Well then, aren't we supposed to eat now?"

Horikita was staring at me as if she was waiting for me to eat.

Horikita : "What's wrong, Ayanokouji-san? Why aren't you eating?"

Kiyone : "Well, my intuition told me something. She tell that everything would be a trouble for me the first time I take a bite on this. Instead of blackmailing me, I hope you talk sincerely with me regardess this."

There's definitely a catch somewhere. There's no way that this is for free. Nevertheless, I can't stall forever. It'd be wasteful if I let it go cold. I hope she could just told me already

Horikita : *sigh* "Fine. It's sudden, but listen to me. Ever since Chabashira-sensei's advice, the number of infractions during class has certainly decreased. It wouldn't be wrong to say that more than half the reason for our deducted points has been erased."

Kiyone : "Yes, that's true. It wasn't a really hard problem to solve, though."

It may not last very long, but at least the last few days are much better than before.

Horikita : "Now, the next thing we have to do is to improve the test scores for the midterm in two weeks. Earlier, Hirata-kun also started to take some action."

Kiyone : "Study groups, huh? Well... I guess it would help, however—"

Horikita : "However, what? Sounds like you're implying something. Do you have any problems with study groups?"

Kiyone : "No, don't worry about it. It's strange to see you worried about other people, though."

Horikita : "Originally, I couldn't even imagine getting a failing score. However, it is true that there are students in the world that inevitably fail their tests."

Kiyone : "Are you talking about Sudou-kun and his friends?"

Horikita : "Who else then?"

Since none of the students could leave school grounds, contact anyone on the outside, or attend cram school, there was no other option but to be taught by other students."

Horikita : "I'm somewhat relieved because Hirata-kun proactively started up a study group. However, Sudou-kun, Ike-kun, and Yamauchi-kun didn't join, right? I still feel uneasy."

Kiyone : "Oh, those guys. They're somehow not on very good terms with Hirata-kun. They wouldn't participate isn't something unusual I think."

Horikita : "In other words, those guys will probably fail. And in order to get up to class A, we have to avoid getting negative points and focus on staying positive, right? I also think there's a high possibility that good test scores are related to getting positive points."

It's natural to think that the students would get a reward proportional to the effort they put in.

Kiyone : "What if...you also hold a study group like Hirata-kun? So that we can help them out."

Horikita : "Yes, I have no objections to that. You probably think that's surprising, huh?"

Kiyone : "Your whole attitude today is already surprising for me. However I could already predicted where this conversation going to be with our conversation last time"

I'm not really surprised, though. She's still doing this for herself, and I never thought she was particularly cold either.

Kiyone : "Well, I got that you want to move up to class A. However, I honestly never thought that you would use such an ordinary method as teaching them. After all, those kind of people hate studying. You also stayed away from the other students on the first day, right? It's commendable that someone like you who doesn't want friends would offer to teach them."

Horikita : "That's why I'm talking to you, isn't it? Fortunately, I heard that you could interact with boys casually just like Kushida-san, right? It'll be faster if you talk to them. There's no problem since they're already acquintance, right? Here, just bring them to the library. I can help them study."

Kiyone : "You say some unreasonable things. Do you even think that someone like me, could do that?"

Horikita : "It's not a matter of 'can do' or 'can't do'. Just do it!"

Being treated as pawn is such hassle however I'm glad she didn't asked me to look after them as well like including tutoring them

Kiyone : "Can I refuse?"

Horikita : "Since you already so cautious to not touch the meal. You had a choice to do that, however I doubt you would like to left that food being cold or just leave it like that since I already paid that lunch for you. And its not that kind of hard request from me, no? After all I already stated my purpose to you"

Well, only ungrateful person who would waste food when in other place there is so many people out there on certain different place who couldn't even eat. That's what Matsuo taught to me to always being grateful for every good thing happened in your life

Kiyone : "I understand. I'll try but don't put so much hope on me"

She respond it with satisfied expression. I'm pretty sure she may be had another reason like being convinced me to do this without even blackmailing me somehow made her happy. I guess deep inside her heart she is good person.

Horikita's weakest point is that she won't make any friends. That's why she need someone she used to know like me to do this

Kiyone : "But still, what if they wouldn't come?"

Horikita : "I believe that you can gather everyone. Here, this is contact phone. If something happens, contact me."

Although it was in an unusual way, I got the contact info from Horikita-san.

After lunch, inside classroom

I looked around the classroom. Well then, what is it that I'm looking for?

If I asked 'Do you want to study together after school?' would any boys come? I'm not Kushida so I doubt they would agree with my invitation

Sudou, Yamauchi, and Ike were seems like the type of student who stayed far away from studying.

Well... I have nothing to lose. I'll just try asking them once.

Kiyone : "Sudou-kun, are you free?"

I talked to Sudou, who was walking back to the classroom during the lunch break. He was sweaty and breathing heavily.

He probably went to go play basketball during the lunch break.

Sudou : "Hmm, what do you want?"

Kiyone : "What's your plan for the midterms?"

Sudou : "That, huh... I got no idea. I've never studied seriously before."

Honestly, its worrying

Kiyone : "Then...I was thinking of studying after school starting from today. You want to join?"

Sudou thought about it for a while, his mouth slightly open.

Sudou : "Are you asking seriously? If school lessons are troublesome for me, I don't think I could study after school. Also, I have club activities. It's impossible, are you going to be teaching? Your scores weren't good either, you know."

Kiyone : "No, Horikita-san will do the teaching."

Sudou : "Horikita? Ugh... I don't know much about her, sounds suspicious. I'll manage by cramming before the test. I refuse, you can go now."

As I thought, Sudou rejected my invitation. He didn't get the point. Is he still hold grudge against Horikita-san back then. I wonder...

Then I approach Yamauchi who sat on his seat

Kiyone : "Excuse me, Yamauchi-kun do you had a time?"

Yamauchi : "What is it, I always had a time to listen a girl request"

Kiyone : "Umu, Yamauchi-kun do you want to study-"

Yamauchi : "Sorry, pass"

But you just said that you would always had a time to listen a girl request...

Then he decide to take a nap on his seat before another class started.

Well, it can't be helped. Let's start with someone that's easier this time. I approach Ike, who was playing with his phone by himself.

Kiyone : "Ne~ Ike-kun—"

Ike : "Pass! I overheard you talking to Sudou and Yamauchi. Study group? I'm sorry Ayanokoji-chan but that's not my thing."

Kiyone : "I'm worried about you guys. You know you'll have to drop out if you fail, right?"

Ike : "I did get red marks before, but now I'm better. I'll do my best while cramming the night before with Sudou."

Is he really saying that he'll be fine with that? He doesn't even sense the impending danger. Did he think the same method he did in the past could works in this kind of school?

Kiyone : "What if there is a question or problems during your study which none of you couldn't solve it? It's not bad thing to accept this offer right?"

Ike : "I don't know why are you so persistent to invite me Ayanokoji-chan. Are you perhaps actually want to go date with me using study as alibi? You should just told directly to me. Hahaha"

He is teasing me

Kiyone : "No, Ike-kun. I'm being serious here, the-"

Ike : "Ano sa~ If that last short test wasn't a surprise, I would've gotten at least 40 points."

Kiyone : "B-But, there are some things that are left to chance, you know? Are you sure going to be okay by yourself?"

Ike : "Listen Ayanokoji-chan. After school is a precious time for high school students. I won't spend my time studying. Sorry but I refuse"

He waved his hands, he gave me a smile which its mean me to giving up with him.

Chatting with a girl over text, he was overly excited. I guess that ever since Hirata started going out with someone, Ike was also desperate to get a girlfriend by himself. Did he know that the girl he is currently texting right now just mess up with him? Poor him...

I dropped my shoulders and went back to my seat. This is harder than I think. Appealing to Horikita, I tried to get myself done with it but...

Horikita : "Its no use. Try another method!"

Kiyone : "Etto...is it an order?"

Horikita : "You're free to intrepet it whatever you like but don't think that you're off the hook with that, are you?"

Ugh! She refused my appeal.

Kiyone : "Understood ma'am, I had more tactics on mind."

I looked around the classroom again. Far from being nervous, the whole classroom had a relaxed atmosphere.

A method to make students who hate studying study. Also, a way to make students use up their free time, instead of class time to study. Normally, I would refuse too, but since they're in danger of failing...

I thought Sudou, who rejected my offer, would participate in studying at the first chance he got.

I have no choice but to set up some kind of incentive. Make them believe that there will be a reward if they study. And if possible, make it easy to understand; then, the plan would be a success.

That's would be work against people who had no motivation like them

I wonder if Horikita-san agree with my rough proposal

Kiyone : "Even though it's your role to help them study, it's not easy to invite them to study. I need your power for that, though—can you help?"

Horikita : "What power? I'll listen... but if your idea is outrageous I'll refuse"

Kiyone : "Then...how about something like this? You'll be agree to go date with one of them who get a perfect score on the test. They'll surely bite if we add that incentive. The motivation for boys are usually girls."

Horikita : "Alright, stop right there! You want to die?"

Die huh? I doubt she could even kill me for sure

Kiyone : "No, I'd like to live. But that suggestion might be works"

Horikita : *sigh* "I listened because I thought you seriously came up something. I'm stupid for believing that."

No, I really thought it would work. It would probably become their biggest motivation to study. However, Horikita clearly doesn't agree with my suggestion.

Kiyone : "Fine, then. A kiss. You'll give them a kiss if they get a perfect score. Its not like they would got perfect score for real, but at least it would works as motivation for them"

Horikita : "Is this how you expressed a grudge toward me by using me as bargaining prize? Instead of me what about you place yourself for it"

Kiyone : "I don't mind it though."

Horikita seems surprised with my response. She look at me with disbelief eyes. Seriously, did she think I was some kind of girl like 'that'. Didn't she already listening to my appeal that this is just to raise their motivation also its not like they would got perfect score for sure either...

Horikita : "You...Seriously?...Ahem! Well, any idea that involved about dating would be rejected. Think another idea without it next time, Ayanokoji-san"

Kiyone : "I Understand. Sorry for the inconveniance ma'am, I'll bring another proposal next time."

Horikita : "Good, don't disappointed me next time."

Kiyone : "Thanks, ma'am"

With that it seems my proposal get rejected by her. Wait! Since when we talking like company CEO and her employee?

Just like that, it was after school. Horikita quickly left the classroom and returned to the dorms, like always. Time to put my another plan to action.

Maybe with Kushida help. They would agree to study, after all she is liked by most of boys here

Kiyone : "Excuse me. Kushida-san, are you free?"

I called out to Kushida, who was preparing to go home. She turned her head to face me

Kushida : "It's unusual for Aya-chan to suddenly talk to me. Do you need me to do something?"

I nodded

Kiyone : "If it's fine with you, I want to talk to you outside. I promise it didn't waste your time so much"

Kushida : "Okay, I'm going to go hang out with my friends after this but are you perhaps want to join?"

Kiyone : "I'm sorry but I can't right now. I still had something to do after school"

Kushida : "Don't worry, its alright"

She replied with smile. Without any negative feelings, she followed me.

Arriving at a corner of a hallway, Kushida waited for me to talk.

Kiyone : "Congratulations, Kushida. You have been selected as an ambassador. Please provide your assistance for the good of the class."

Kushida : "E-eto? Sorry, what do you mean? I don't understand why are you suddenly talk with funny way like that? Ahahaha"

I explained to her about the study group we wanted to make to help Sudou.

Of course, I also mentioned the fact that Horikita would be teaching.

Kiyone : "Isn't this perfect chance? I was thinking you could use this study group to get closer to Horikita."

Kushida : "I want to get closer to her... but I'm not worrying about that right now, you know? After all, it's natural to help out a friend. So I'll help."

It looks like she agree to prevent Ike, Sudou, and the others from being expelled.

Kiyone : "Are you really ok with it? If you don't want to, I don't want to force you."

Kushida : "Don't worry. Instead I'm rather...Err...I was happy."

Kushida leaned against the wall and lightly kicked the hallway.

Kushida : "You see? It's cruel to kick people out because of bad grades. After everyone became friends at great pains, isn't it sad that we have to say goodbye? When Hirata-kun decided to start a study group, I felt great admiration. But Horikita-san has been observing her surroundings better than I have. She saw Sudou-kun and his friends, after all. It looks like Horikita-san is starting to see the class as her friends. I'll do anything to help everyone!"

Holding my hand, Kushida sent me smile. Then I put my another hand on top as the sign of agree with her statement

Kiyone : "Then, I will rely on you. You are a very big help Kushida-san"

Kushida : "Oh, but can I also ask for a favor? I want to participate in the study group too."

Kiyone : "Hmm? You really want to?"

Kushida : "Un. I also want to study together with everyone."

Everything worked out as I wanted to. If Kushida's there, the study group would probably be comforted by her presence. However, since Kushida has good grades, she has no reason to be there.

Kiyone : "Are you sure, I don't see you had a problem with your grade. No, more look like aren't you supposed to tutored the other as well Kushida-san? Since your grade are qualified to do so?"

Kushida : "You are praising me that much Aya-chan. Well then, when do we start?"

Good question? When did we should started it. Horikita didn't tell me the deadline for this mission.

Kiyone : "Err...Planning on starting tomorrow, more or less."

I added Horikita perspective in my mind. Sooner would be better

Kushida : "Is that so? Then I guess I have to talk to everyone by the end of today. I'll contact you later, ok?"

Kiyone : "Oh, should I tell you the contact addresses of Sudou and the others?"

Kushida : "It's ok~. I already have their contacts. The only ones I don't have is Horikita-san's contact address..."

Well, I guess so

Kushida : "Ne~ Are you two already make up since that time?"

Kiyone : "Hmm? Where'd that question come from. Horikita and I aren't friend to begin with, just neighbors. Isn't it common thing that we kept act like stranger?"

Kushida : "Is that so? It's become a big rumor among classmate's, you know? Horikita's always alone, right? But only Aya-chan gets along with her. You two also eat together, after all. So everyone thing that the two of you are loner buddies"

Uwaahh, so cruel. Loner buddies? They saw us together have started rumors about us, I see.

Kiyone : "It's too bad, but that kind of sweet story between me and Horikita-san doesn't exist."

Kushida : "Hmm? I doubt about that though. Well, its about time. Don't worry, I'll give it my time for you. See you later Aya-chan"

With that she goes back with her friends. Well, this time it might be works

At night in my room

As I was lazing around, I received a text message. It was from Kushida.

Kushida : "Yamauchi-kun and Ike-kun said OK~ (・ω・)b "

Kiyone : "Hmm...So Quick!"

Ike-kun rejected me when I asking him but not with Kushida-san. It's like she is somehow hold infinite power.

Kushida : "I just contacted Sudou-kun too, and I think he'll agree too (ω)"

I received another mail. Wait, even Sudou-kun as well. As expected of her. I guess I'm not as good as her to persuade people

Oh~. At this rate, everyone will really meet up tomorrow.

This faster than expected development, I contacted Horikita with the news. I sent her a mail about they would be participating in the study group."

Kiyone : "It's kinda uncomfortable. Well, time to take a bath."

Next day.

Its about time for study group, I was on my way to library with Horikita-san

Horikita : "Did everyone gather for the study group?"

The first words she said to me were about the study group. She also spoke in a way that heavily implied something.

Kiyone : "Kushida-san will bring them. I wonder if they'll participate for real."

Horikita : "Kushida's bringing them?! What do you mean by it? This is the first time I heard it Ayanokoji-san. Please explain it!"

It sounds like an order instead of request though. As we walk out of the classroom, We immediately go to library. Securing a corner of a long table near the edge of the library, we waited for the students.

Not long after that

Kushida : "I brought them~!"

Kushida came to where we were waiting. Behind her was...

Yamauchi : "We heard about the study group from Kushida-chan. I don't want to drop out that quickly after school. Please take care of us."

Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudou. However, there was one unexpected visitor. Okitani-kun join in as well.

Kiyone : "Okitani-kun, you also got a red mark?

Okitani : "Ah, uh, no. I was worried because I was right on the border... am I... not allowed to join? It's a bit difficult to join Hirata's group..."

Okitani looked up at me with slightly red cheeks. Maybe he is hesitated since I didn't include him before

Kiyone : "It's fine if Okitani-kun joins, right?"

Horikita : "I don't mind it about him. But..."

Then she look at Kushida-san

Horikita : "Since when I said that I agree she could come as well?"

Kiyone : "Indeed, you never said it but also you never told me about that 'part' either"

Horikita : "So, you are talking back to me this time?"

Kiyone : "Listen, by introducing Kushida-san into our plan, the chances of success go way up. I just took the simplest measure of increasing the probability of success."

Horikita : "I'm still not pleased with it. Shouldn't you have done that after asking for my approval?"

Kiyone : "I know that you hate someone as proactive as Kushida is. However, it's to make sure that no one fails. Or do you want to try gathering all students who failed by yourself?"

Horikita : "T-Thats..."

Looks like Horikita understood that getting Kushida on board was a good thing. But since she has too much pride in herself, it's difficult for her to simply agree.

Kiyone : "We also don't have much time until the test. Is it not ok?"

Speaking of which, Horikita doesn't have much breathing room for her plan to work. But still, she was caught up on something and didn't say anything. It was silent for a while.

Horikita : "Fine. We can't do anything without making a sacrifice. However, Kushida-san will only help gather the students that failed. So that's it. I can't agree to her participating in the study group. So, its better she leave now"

Kiyone : "Why is that? That was her condition for helping out. You're being unreasonable."

Horikita : "I won't accept her participating in the study group. That won't change."

Kiyone : "Is this about that? Are you trying to get back at her for when we deceived you?"

Horikita : "That's unrelated. She didn't fail her mock test. Having extra people will only result in extra effort and confusion."

Kiyone : "Is that so? Are you just hate Kushida-san?"

Horikita : "Do you not feel uncomfortable when you are next to someone you hate?"

Kiyone : "So, you actually hate her for real?"

Horikita : "You got problem with that?"

I never thought that Horikita actually hated Kushida.

Kiyone : "Then, what if they decide to not come because Kushida-san is not coming?"

Horikita : "Well, that's their own responsibility to reject our offer here"

Kiyone : "You told me that I should do more efforts but how about yourself? Is it that hard just to accept it? I already do my 'parts' you know. How about yourself?"

Horikita : "Now you are telling me about efforts? Its so funny to hear that from someone like you, Ayanokoji-san"

When we were bickering, the other only saw us with an expression like...'We didn't know what to do about this'

Ike-kun trying to get situation better but...

Ike : "G-Girls...Etto...Could you stop fighting please...H-Hora..we all are friends right? We just need to study together right? So can't we just..."

Then Horikita and me look at his direction. But...

Horikita : "What?"

Ike : "Hiiiee! S-Sorry!"

Ike seems frightened when we look at him, however I already got what you mean Ike. So, don't worry. You are right, we can't waste time with this stupid banter

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, Ike-kun was right. Kushida-san being here or not it doesn't related with our initial goal right?"

Horikita : "I still can't accept it"

Kiyone : "If you disagree with my method then you shouldn't even ask me to begin with. After all, you didn't even trust me either"

Then I decide to leave, it's no use. My word can't reach her.

I grab my belonging and stand up

Horikita : "Where are you going?"

Kiyone : "I'm leaving. You only ask me to gathered them right? Its up to me to join or not."

Horikita : "That's true, but..."

Kiyone : "Am I wrong?"

Horikita seems couldn't even countered my word. The problem already lies with her pride.

But when I decide to walk away. Kushida hold my arm

Kushida : "W-Wait! Aya-chan, Horikita-san. You guys just already make it up right? Please don't fight again. Also, I'm sorry if my presence bring inconvenience for you Horikita-san. But please understand that my presence here isn't to do something malice nor hindering you, aren't we supposed to study together? So, please...Can't we continue to do study group right now, Horikita-san, Aya-chan?"

With desperate expression Kushida-san try to allure us to reconciliate and started study group together right now.

Horikita : *sigh*"I understand, I'm sorry for my unreasonable behaviour. You can stay here to study Kushida-san, but don't interfere or bother the other during studying here. Can't you do that?"

Kushida : "Of course, you can count on me."

Then Horikita and Kushida look at me

Horikita : "You are right. I just asking you to gathered them here. Its up to you to join or not?"

Kushida : "Aya-chan, please..."

Kushida begging me to stay. Well, I guess I'll join this study group as well

Then I take a seat as a gesture to accept this offer

Kiyone : "Please take care of me"

During study break. we discussed something with each other

Yamauchi : "Below 32 is a red mark. Then is 32 points also a failing grade?"

Ike : "If it's 'below', then 32 points is safe. Sudou, can you even make that?"

Even Ike is worried about Sudou. Of course these guys would like to know if it's 'below' or 'up to'.

Horikita : "It doesn't matter either way. My goal is to make everyone here get at least 50 points."

Ike : "Geh, isn't that too hard for us?"

Horikita : "It's dangerous to just aim for the bare minimum. You guys, who aren't even at the mark, are really troubling."

At Horikita's sound argument, the group of failures reluctantly agreed.

Then we continued the study.

But during the study...

Horikita : "I was able to summarize most of the topics that will be covered on this test. I plan to thoroughly cover these topics in the next two weeks. If you have any questions that you don't know, ask me."

Sudou : "Hey, I don't even understand the first problem."

Sudou scowled at Horikita. I also read the question. I wonder if this question is hard for him how could he make up his way until high school. Its supposed to be easy though

Kiyone : "Is this one? A, B, and C have 2150 yen collectively. A has 120 yen more than B does. After C gives B 2/5th of his money, B now has 220 yen more than A. How much money did A originally have?"

Sudou : "Yes, that's it"

A problem involving system of equations. For a high school student, it should be a free point.

Horikita : "Try using your brain. If you give up from the very beginning, you won't get anywhere."

Sudou : "Even if you say that... I don't even know how to study."

Horikita : "I'm pretty sure. Everyone else in the school passed."

The school doesn't decide on admissions solely based on scores. Sudou was probably accepted because of his high physical ability. If you think about it, wouldn't he get kicked out immediately because of his bad grades?

Sudou : "Then, do you know this one?"

He asked his fellow

Ike : "Ugh, I don't know either..."

Ike was also puzzled as he scratched his head.

Yamauchi : "Okitani, do you know how to do this question?"

Okitani : "Um... ABC equals 2150 yen, and A equals B120..."

Okitani, who somehow avoided failing the last test, started writing down the equations.

I already had the summary about each other money, I already calculated it . Their initial money are A 710 yen, B 590 yen, C 850 yen. But somehow I think Okitani-kun himself didn't even understand. I mean he is too focused to learn using formula instead of actually try to understanding the context itself

Kushida was looking him over his shoulder.

Kushida : "Un un, that's right, that's right. And then?"

Kushida was teaching Okitani. More look like she watch how he solve the problem correctly

Horikita : *sigh*"Honestly speaking, this problem can be easily solved by first-year and second-year middle school students. If you fail here, you won't be able to do anything.

Yamauchi : "Are we elementary school students then...?"

Kushida : "As Horikita-san said, it's pretty bad if you can't solve these problems. The first few math problems on the test were about this hard, you guys should be do better than this"

Horikita : "I can teach you how to do systems of equations if you want."

Horikita picked up her pen without hesitating. It's pitiful, but the only ones who understood how to do the problem were Kushida and Okitani.

Me? Well, I wouldn't use that kind of method. I mean I believe that Matsuo once told me that different people mostly had different method for themselves. I doubt that they even understand with the method she teach toward them

Sudou : "In the first place, what even is this 'system of equations' thing...?"

Horikita : "... Are you serious?"

Wow, these guys really live without studying at all.

Sudou threw his mechanical pencil at his desk.

Sudou : "No, stop. This isn't going to work."

Before even starting, Sudou already gave up.

Kiyone : "Ne~ Sudou-kun. Would you like to try again?"

Sudou : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "I mean, lets use different approach for this. Sudou-kun just imagine that A, B, and C are you, Ike-kun, and Yamauchi-kun. Lets put analogy that we used the real money here, you wouldn't let yourself got deceived when its involved with your own money right?"

Sudou : "So, what next?"

Next I started write the equation but in the most easier way they would understand. More look like I just keep writing another equation. I tried my best to avoid writing about the formula

Kiyone : "Let see, Lets write all the analogy then. All of your private points if all of them added are 2150 private points. If B was you and A was Yamauchi-kun. Then Yamauchi-kun had 120 private points more than you. But then if C was Ike-kun and he give you 2/5 of his point toward you so you ended up had 220 more private points than Yamauchi-kun."

They started listening to me carefully

Kiyone : "The next one is let add another analogy then, since Yamauchi-kun points is equal with Sudou-kun point add up by 120 points so lets write it like this. Sudou-kun point add by Sudou-kun points plus 120 points add by Ike-kun points are equal by 2150. Then the 5th analogy is Sudou-kun points add by 2/5 of Ike-kun points are equal with Sudou-kun points plus 120 points add by 220 points."

Kushida : "Heee~"

Kiyone : "Then lets make 6th analogy, if Sudou-kun points multiply by two then add with Ike-kun points then add by 120 points are equal by 2150. So the 7th analogy could come like this, no? Sudou-kun points add by 2/5 Ike points are equal with Sudou-kun point add with 340."

Kushida : "Sugoi! I could already clearly saw it. From this one, we already figure it out Ike-kun points"

Ike : "Eh? How so?"

Kushida : "Then if 340 points are actually come from 2/5 of your money then its simply this 340 divide by 2 and we find 170. After that we multiply 170 by 5 and then we find out Ike-kun total points was 850 points. Amazing Aya-chan!"

Yamauchi : "W-Well, even if you said that we still couldn't figure out the exact point for me and Sudou"

Kiyone : "Then lets continue make 8th analogy. So since we already figure out Ike-kun points. Now we can reveal Sudou-kun points. Lets enter this number to this analogy, so we get that Sudou-kun points is equal with 2030 point minus by Ike-kun point and the latter will be divided by 2. So we figure out that Sudou-kun initial points are 590 points"

Well, 2030 come from 2150 minus 120, in case nobody understand I already write it on analogy equation

Ike : "Wow, so let me try. Then the 9th analogy to figure out Yamauchi points is by use this equation right? 2150 minus by Sudou and my points so we get 710 points. Awesome, your explanation are easier to understand Ayanokoji-chan."

Kiyone : "I-Is that so? I'm glad you understand with this method"

Horikita : "But during exam, you can't use this way since it took long time. You should accustomized yourself with the method that used in school."

Yamauchi : "Ehh! So, we should write thus confusing formula instead of this method?"

Horikita : "If your sheet answer could fit with it then you could try if you like"

Yamauchi-kun gulp that he realized my method were indeed longer than what we ususally learn at school however since he understood this way I could see that he is a bit confused by it.

Ike : "How about you Sudou? Did you got it?"

Sudou : "No, not at all"

Seriously? Did he ignored my explanation all along?

Then Sudou look at me

Sudou : "Its not like I didn't appreciate your effort nor didn't listening at your explanation. It just that somehow I don't even understand how could it become like that and like this"

So, he means that he basically doesn't understand from the basic. What did he learn from elementary school then? Honestly its worrying

Looking at his pitiful state, Horikita was fuming.

After that we continued the study. But, we studying on the slowest pace since they always stumble on every question. I could see Horikita getting more and more impatient with them

Kushida : "E-everyone, wait. Let's try our best. If you learn how to solve these problems, you can apply your knowledge to the questions on the test. Ok?"

Kushida trying to appeal and raise the mood so they could keep study with enthusiasm

Yamauchi : "... Well, if Kushida-chan says so, we'll try our best, but... If Kushida-chan taught it to us, I would probably work even harder."

Kushida : "U-um..."

Horikita stayed silent when Kushida was about to ask her. It was troubling that she didn't say anything. However, if she stayed silent, the others might give up on studying. Kushida made up her mind and picked up the mechanical pencil.

Kushida : "This is, as Horikita-san said, a problem that uses systems of equations. I'll write down what I said as expressions."

As she said that, she wrote down the three equations. It looks like they're trying their best, but even if she wrote down the equations and showed it to the them, they probably don't understand. Rather than a study group, this is more like detention. They don't get her explanation.

Kushida : "So, the answer is 90 degree. Do you get it?"

Feeling satisfied, Kushida smiled and looked at Sudou. Kushida-san quite good with math huh?

Ike : "... Uh, then c-can you explain again this question?"

Kushida : "Uu..."

She finally realized. They didn't follow her explanation.

Horikita : "I'm not trying to deny you, but you guys are way too stupid and incompetent."

The silent Horikita suddenly spoke up. She's finally got snapped

Horikita : "I'm scared for your future if you can't solve this problem."

Sudou : "So what. This has nothing to do with you."

Feeling irritated at Horikita's words, Sudou slammed the desk.

CRACK!

Well unfortunately. My pencil got broken because it was happened lying on there. Poor my pencil-chan...

I look at my pencil with condolescence. Ike and Okitani look at me with 'sorry' face and the latter too focused on Sudou and Horikita arguing

Horikita : "Indeed, it has nothing to do with me. No matter how much you suffer, it doesn't affect me. It's just that I feel pity for you. I guess I've been running away from painful things all my life."

Sudou : "Say what you want to say clearly. Studying's useless in the future anyway."

I wonder how could he perceived about our society with his narrow-minded like that?

Horikita : "Studying is useless in the future? An interesting argument. What makes you say that?"

Sudou : "Even if I don't know how to solve this kind of problem, I won't have any trouble. Studying is unnecessary. Rather than sticking to a textbook, aiming to become a basketball pro is much more useful for the future."

Horikita : "That's wrong. If you learn how to solve that problem, your whole life will be changed. In other words, if you study, you'll have less trouble. It's the same thing for basketball. I wonder if you've been playing basketball to your own convenient rules. Do you run away from difficult things just like you do while studying? From the looks of it, it doesn't seem like you practice seriously. That's the kind of personality you have. If I was the advisor of the club, I wouldn't let you be a regular."

Sudou : "Grr!"

Sudou stood up and intend to grabbed Horikita by her collar.

Kushida : "Sudou-kun!"

Kushida stood up and grabbed Sudou's arm. Meanwhile I grab his arm which he try to grab Horikita-san collar

Realizing it. He let down his arm so we release our hold on him

Horikita raised her eyebrows and stayed calm.

Horikita : "I have no interest in you, but I can understand what kind of person you are. You want to become a basketball pro? Do you think that kind of childish wish can simply become true in this society? A half-hearted person like you who gives up easily can never become a pro. Furthermore, even if you become a pro, I don't think you'd be able to get a sufficient annual income. You're a fool for setting your sights on such a idealized job."

Horikita-san, at this rate he would lose control if you keep poking him like that

Sudou : "You...!"

It's clear that Sudou is on the brink of losing his control. If he raised his fist, I'll also have to jump out and hold him back.

Horikita : "Can you just give up on studying, no, school? And then you can give up on your dreams to become a basketball pro and live a pitiful life working a part time job."

Sudou : "Ha... that's just fine. I'm giving up. It's not because it's too difficult for me. I took a day off from my club activities, but it was a complete waste of time. Bye!"

Horikita : "You're saying some strange things. Studying is difficult."

Horikita shot him a final blow. If we weren't there, Sudou probably would've hit Horikita. Not hiding his irritation, he stuffed his textbook into his bag.

Kiyone : "H-Horikita-san?"

Horikita : "Doesn't matter. For someone who's indifferent... it's pointless to care about someone like that. Even though expulsion is at stake. He doesn't have anounce of determination to stay in school."

Sudou : "I thought it was strange for someone like you who has no friends to invite people to a study group. At best, you brought us over here to call us stupid. If you weren't a girl, I'd hit you."

Horikita : "You just don't have the courage to hit me, right? Don't use my gender as a reason."

Sudou : "What? Say that again!"

Horikita : "You don't even had the courage to do-"

Its dangerous, Sudou lost his control.

I quickly jump in front of Horikita-san and...

POW!

I tanked his fist. Hurt? Maybe but it was nothing compared with the other fists I once taste. But...

Everyone look at us with disbelief eyes

Kushida : "Aya-chan!!!"

Kushida quickly ran into my direction

Kushida : "Are you okay? Did it hurt? Lemme see"

Kiyone : "I'm alright Kushida-san"

The boys and Horikita who stunned after saw that gaining their attention back. It seems instead of feeling fear they seems astonished except Sudou-kun who look like guilty. Well, I don't mind it though. I'm not even mad

Kushida started to check and ease the bruise on my face. She seems worried about me.

The study group started moments ago, but it was already crumbling.

Sudou : "I-I-m sorry..."

Then Sudou decide to leave after making such commotion. Not long after that the others boys following him as well

Ike : "I also quit. Even though a small part of it is because I can't study... most of it's because I'm irritated. Horikita-san may be smart, but that doesn't mean you're above us."

Losing his patience, Ike also gave up.

Horikita : "I don't care whether or not you drop out of school, so do as you like."

Ike : "Well, I'll pull an all-nighter for that."

Horikita : "Interesting. Aren't you here because you can't study?"

Ike : "Guh...!"

Even for the usually upbeat Ike, Horikita's thorny words made him stiffen. And then Yamauchi also started packing up. Finally, the worried Okitani also stood up, unable to go against the flow.

Kushida : "E-everyone... Is this really ok?"

Ike : "Let's go, Okitani."

Ike left the library with the hesitant Okitani.

The only ones remaining were me and Kushida. Even Kushida would probably leave soon.

Kushida : "... Horikita-san, why didn't you stop anyone from leaving...?"

Horikita : "I was mistaken. Even if I got these guys to barely pass, this situation would repeat. And then they'd give up again. I finally realized that this was a waste of time and effort.

Kiyone : "What do you mean by that? Do you think that our effort are loses it meaning? Isn't that because you got impatient with them"

Horikita : "I'm saying that it's good to throw away all unnecessary trash now."

If the students with low grades weren't here, then there would be no labor needed to teach them, and the average would also increase. She came to that conclusion. But still, human resource are important. If we lack of student it would be troublesome for the other activity. I hope Horikita-san could realized that as well

Kushida : "So that was it... H-Hey, Aya-chan. Do you also think the same way?"

Kiyone : "If Horikita-san concluded that, then it can't be helped"

Kushida : "A-Aya-chan, what do you mean?"

Kiyone : "Well, I don't want them to quit, but since I'm not the one teaching them, I can't do anything about it. In the end, its up to them to decide their own fate."

Kushida : "... I see."

With a dark expression, Kushida got her bag and stood up.

Kushida : "I'm not going to give up about this. I don't want everyone to separate so quickly."

Kiyone : "Kushida-san. Why are you care with them? They didn't even care about themselves"

Kushida : "... Is that bad? I can't just abandon Sudou-kun, Ike-kun, and Yamauchi-kun. Ah! and also Okitani-kun as well"

Horikita : "Hmph, is that so? It doesn't matter whether or not you say those are your true intentions. I don't think that you truly want to help them. I don't see any merit for you to do it either"

Kushida : "What are you talking about? I don't know what you mean. Why do you make enemies with your cold words without hesitation? That's... That's sad."

But Horikita seems unfazed by it.

Kushida hung her head.

Kushida : "... See you two tomorrow."

After those short words, Kushida also left. In a flash, we were back to the two of us. The library was completely silent.

The library's silence felt ominous.

Horikita : *sigh*"It seems only you understood me. I guess you're a bit better than those worthless fools. If you need me to teach you something right now, I can do it."

Kiyone : "Sorry but I'll decline."

Horikita : "Are you decide to study by yourself?"

Kiyone : "Yes. I would like staying here for a while"

Horikita : "Well, you better do your best not to got dropped out"

Kiyone : "By the way I wonder. Is it necessary to talk something like that toward them? Its not like you had to talk so badly like that directly toward to them either, no?"

Horikita : "There's no worth in talking to people who will drop out soon like them."

Kiyone : *sigh*"I'm just simply trying to pacify the situation here."

Horikita : "Hypocrithe. You said that but here you just sit back and watch them get kicked out. From my point of view, that looks like the most cruel thing you can do."

Well, I can't deny that. She didn't say anything wrong.

In the end, studying is all about how well someone can motivate themselves.

Kiyone : "I'm not going to say you're wrong. I also understand why you'd call someone who doesn't like to study like Sudou-kun stupid. But Horikita-san, isn't it also important to imagine Sudou-kun's circumstances? If he was only aiming to become a basketball pro, then there's not much for him at this school. Don't you want to see why he chose this school?"

Horikita : "... Not interested."

Kiyone : "...That's...too bad..."

Brushing away my words, Horikita started to pack her own belonging.

Horikita : "I'll take my leave here and also I won't said 'thank you' for defending me from him, it was your own violition to do so"

Hmm? Why she suddenly talk about that. That's already too late isn't it

Kiyone : "I was do that without even hope anything from you either. If there is commotion here it would be bad for our class to get into trouble for something trivial like that"

Horikita : "I-Is that so? A-Anyway, see you later Ayanokoji-san"

Then she leave me alone in library

The reason I decide to stay because someone seems wanted to talk with me but he didn't had any chance to do so. Normally I would leave as well after the boys left however since he keep look at my direction I wonder what was he wanted to talk about.

I guess I play ignorant so he wouldn't feel awkward when I already noticed him. Then it seems he started approach me

??? : "Such coincodence meeting you here Ayanokoji-san"

Kiyone : "Oh. Ah, Satonaka-kun. Such coincidence indeed."

Next, he seems surprised to see my face. Well, a bruise on my cheek can't be gone on small amount of time I guess

Satonaka : "Wait! What happened with your face?! Did someone bullying you? Lets report it to the school"

Kiyone : "Don't worry, this just trivial matters."

Satonaka : "B-But..."

Kiyone : "I'm fine, I don't want this trouble become more troublesome than this"

Satonaka : "O-Okay. But next time if I find that there is harm happened toward you again after this, I'll report it to the school even if you try to shove it"

Ugh! Such troublesome. Why he is so persistent?

Kiyone : "Alright, Thank you and sorry for make you worried about me like this. So, did you need something from me?"

Satonaka : "Ah! No, I just...Err...are you truly from class D?"

Hmm? What does he means?

Kiyone : "Yes I am. So what happened, are you disappointed because I was a defect student like this school stated?"

Satonaka : "There is no way I though about you like that. Ahem! What I wanted to know is about your class point. Back then when you said you already know, is it true that your class didn't received any point?"

Kiyone : "Did you think the school spreading lies about it?"

Satonaka : "N-No, it just...w-well..."

It seems he keep holding back a question he would like to ask toward me. I wonder what is this about?

Then I decide to focused back my attention to my textbook again since he said nothing after that. Hmm, suddenly he look at my books. What is it? This is just textbook which used by this school though, nothing special.

Satonaka : "Ayanokoji-san, what are you currently studying for?"

Kiyone : "Hmm? Isn't that obvious. I was studying for the next upcoming exam. What wrong with it?"

Satonaka : "No, I didn't ask the reason you study, I asked what are you studying right now. That's definitely different with the subjects which we would face on next exam."

W-What?

Kiyone : "I'm sorry, are you perhaps saying that I studying different material than you do?"

Satonaka : "Yes is it. I wonder, where did you got the information about that?"

Kiyone : "From my homeroom teacher"

Satonaka : "That's weird, class A, class B, and class C studied different material than you do?"

Wait, seriously?! I guys I'll need to inform this to Hirata-kun and Kushida-san soon after I got the gist of it.

Kiyone : "Please elaborate"

Then he share information about the upcoming exam with me

Without we realized it, time surely goes fast. Then we walk together leave from library to go toward dorms

In the dorm building we parted away since we live on different room

Kiyone : "Thanks for accompanying me until here, Satonaka-kun. Good night, see you later."

Satonaka : "Good night Ayanokoji-san"

Then we parted away toward our respected room

Inside my room in dormitory

I already texted about the different material information for upcoming exam toward Hirata-kun and Kushida-san. The reason why I didn't told it on group chat was to make sure that this information are valid until we publish it to our classmate.

I touch my cheek and I feel a sheer cool from it. I guess Kushida-san truly know how to treat it. And I couldn't feel any itch on my cheek anymore although its still hard to tell that why my cheek a bit swollen

I'm tired, I wanted sleep now

Hello guys!

So...

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 1 : The Reason for Her Pride

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Morning inside my room

A message from the group chat came.

It read, 'Satou has joined the group' She's one of the hyper girls in our class.

Satou : "Ooisu~ Ike-kun invited me while I was talking to him yesterday."

Having nothing to say, I did nothing and kept looking at the chat.

Satou : "I heard about what happened yesterday. Isn't Horikita really annoying?"

Well, they could talk as they please in this group just because she didn't joined the group yet.

Ike : "I was pissed off at her. Sudou was really angry at her too. Too bad, it ended up Ayanokoji-chan getting hurt instead. Not to mention, even after she helped her like that. She didn't feel guilty or anything bad at all. She is truly awful person"

Ike : "If I see her pissed me off again today and on, I'm going to hit her. I was really pissed off yesterday. Not only for myself but for her cold treatment to Ayanokoji-chan as well. That's not how you treat your friend right?"

Well, I'm not angry and I don't need any of you to do that for me to be honest

Satou : "Ahahaha, it'll become a big problem if you hit her LOL that's just overkill"

Satou : "Hey, while we're on the topic. Wanna ignore her starting from today?"

Ike : "Nah, we've always ignored her (lol)"

Then I decide to put down my phone. Its useless just to read the group chat right now which contain these 2 badmouthing Horikita. I'm pretty sure that sooner or later when Hirata or Kushida saw it. They would stop this meaningless discussion.

Kiyone : "Hmm, what should my breakfast to be? Should I try the new recipe I read on internet lately?"

Morning on my way to school

I saw Satonaka-kun seems panicked run away from something. He look at my direction and run toward me

He suddenly grab my shoulder, from the closer view. I could see he already sweat so much. Maybe it was indeed tiresome for him

Satonaka : "A-Ayanokoji-san! Please help me!"

Then I heard a bunch of girls voice who seems looking for someone

??? : "Satonaka-kun!"

Satonaka : "Geh! They already here! A-Anyway, please help me. I trust you."

Then he run to seek a place to hide.

Not long after that those bunch of girls walk toward me

??? : "Excuse me, hey you! You got a time?"

Kiyone : "Me?"

??? : "Yes, did you see any boy who just tresspassing here?"

Oh, could it be they means was Satonaka-kun. I took a glance toward him. He show me a cross hand sign which mean not to tell him toward them. I don't know what's going on but let just siding with him

Kiyone : "Sorry, I didn't see anybody walk this way. Only me"

??? : "Is that so? Then, sorry for taking your time"

Then they decide to leave immediately to another side.

Not long after that he got out from hiding place.

Satonaka : "Thank you very much Ayanokoji-san for helping me"

Kiyone : "What's going on actually? Are you perhaps do something bad which make you being hunted by them?"

Satonaka : "What? No. It just well... I don't want to brag but it seems those girl were after me for seeking a boyfriend. You see, its kinda annoying that I couldn't enjoy my school life being followed by those girls everywhere. At the same time, some of boys hate me because my 'looks'. Such troublesome, even I unaware that I was that famous among our years. Being popular truly tiresome"

Kiyone : "My condolescence. But however, isn't it good thing that you can choose to date any cute girls you liked here. Or maybe you could use this time during school to look for any girls from outstanding family and building connection with them in the future."

But he look at me with expression like...'how could you?' or maybe something like that

Satonaka : "Ano~ What do you think I am, Ayanokoji-san?"

Kiyone : "I don't mean anything bad, it just common sense to choose anything based on merit, no?"

But he somehow show a response which I deemed unexpected here

Satonaka : "I'm not a retarded like that. I choose someone become my partner because I judge them personally, not their family or their achievement. After all, I prefer to build my own 'castle' with my partner instead using our family influence. I wanted to achieve something together after all. I won't judge you Ayanokoji-san, but one day there is a good man suited for you in the future."

Kiyone : "Hmm? What are you talking about?"

Satonaka : "Aren't you talking about your past experience being dumped by your ex-boyfriend there because you are lacking at something?"

Wait, did he think I was talking about myself?

Kiyone : "I-I don't mean like that..."

How should I explain it to him

Satonaka : "Its okay, no need to tell me. I understand..."

Then he paused a bit before talking again

Satonaka : "Say, Ayanokoji-san. If 15 years in the future both of us still single. Would you like become partner with me?"

Wait, why suddenly he is talking like that? Is he perhaps confessed to me? No no no! This isn't confession. More look like he give an offer, but could people truly become partner if they didn't love each other?

Kiyone : "Can people truly become partner even if they doesn't love each other? Or are you perhaps just messing with me?"

Satonaka : "Hahaha, its not something malice. It just that it quite sad that being single when we supposed to already had at least a child. I mean if we perhaps late to married or giving a child in the old age. It would affect our kids future especially on economic side and I kinda afraid when I passed away left them when they still need me as their parent."

I see, this is not about himself. It about the future for his kids as well. Satonaka-kun already think that far

Kiyone : "I see...that must be nice..."

And while talking about this, I started to wonder...

Who's my mother identity? Why Matsuo or the other around me never told me anything related to her? And also, would it be my situation right now become different if mother stay alive or still with us?

Satonaka : "Ayanokoji-san?"

Kiyone : "Ah! Don't worry. I'm alright."

Satonaka : "I would like to accompany you to school but I afraid if we walk together that annoying girls would targeted you instead."

Kiyone : "Is that so? I think you should just getting a girlfriend for real to repel them from you"

Satonaka : "What is that? That's impossible you know. There is no way anyone become lover on short time like that, moreover when both side were stranger before. At least it need 1 or 2 month since 'that ceremony'. That's how naturally happened."

Wow, if he said like that. Then, did Karuizawa and Hirata become partner happened unnatural. Did something happened between them? Well, only time could tell.

Kiyone : "You sounds expert in this area? I'm pretty sure that you at least had 2 or 3 girlfriend before"

Satonaka : "Stop with this kind of talk please" *sigh* "Anyway, I should get going. See you later"

Kiyone : "Umu, see you later Satonaka-kun"

With that he goes to school by taking another route. Must be hard being ikemen I guess

In the class during homerome class

Chabashira : "...That's all. Is there any question?"

Hirata : "Sensei. We have something we want to confirm quickly."

Chabashira : "What is it, Hirata?"

Hirata : "That day, when you told us what was covered on the test, did you make a mistake? This morning I confirmed that the material for upcoming exam which you give to us are different from another class. What does it mean, sensei?"

Without batting an eyebrow, Chabashira-sensei listened to Hirata

Chabashira : "Oh! About that, the topics covered on the test were changed. Sorry, I forgot to tell you guys."

Most of class D : "What!!!?"

Afterthat she writing down the new scope of the test on a whiteboard. She even wrote the textbook pages on there as well.

Chabashira : "Hirata, thanks to you, I noticed my mistake. Thanks to the rest of you too. If there is no question anymore. Later then."

Ike : "W-wait a bit, Sae-chan-sensei!? Aren't you just take this thing easily?"

Chabashira : "No, I don't think so. If you study starting for now, everything will be fine, no? Its not even a week yet either"

Ike talking like he is even studying to begin with

Chabashira : "Even if you guys mad at me, nothing will change. You understand that, right?"

Most of everyone in the class reluctanly agree with her argument.

Chabashira : "No question? Later then."

Thus she decide to left class just like that

Chabashira-sensei didn't even glance at us as she left. She didn't even say sorry genuinely for her mistake. Even though it was a pretty serious mistake for a homeroom teacher to make, there was no response from anyone else. However most off student in this class seems got pissed off

Well, I guess that's a response. However, I don't think that she just 'forgot' to tell us about the test. She probably do that on purpose, that's what my intuition telling me.

During lunch break

I made my own bento today. Ittadakimasu

Then I look around the class. There is Sudou-kun who hesitated for no reason while keep looking at me. Did he think I'm mad at him?

Then suddenly Hirata-kun approach me. Did he perhaps had anything important to discuss again?

Hirata : "Ayanakoji-san, do you had a... Oh!"

Hmm? Why he suddenly stopped

I could see that now not only Sudou who look at me since earlier. Horikita turn her attention to me as well. I guess being interacted with most popular person make you stand out

Kiyone : "Is there something you need from me Hirata-kun?"

Hirata : "Ah, ahahaha. Well...I would like to invite you to had a lunch with us but it seems you already bring your own bento..."

Kiyone : "Is there something you wanted to discuss with me?"

Hirata : "Well, that maybe true. That's why it would be nice if you joined us for lunch."

Kiyone : "I'm sorry Hirata-kun. I'm not interested become part of your harem. Beside if you wanted to discuss something with me. We can do it via personal chat. Unless you are truly need something that require my presence there."

Hirata : "Ahahaha, sometimes I couldn't even tell when you are serious or just teasing me with your looks Ayanokoji-san. Well, if you are more comfortable that way I'll follow your way then. Ah! Also thanks for telling me about it. Just like you told to me yesterday, the scope of material which sensei gave to us truly different. I already asked my fellow soccer clubmate about it. And also, this morning Kushida-san told to me the same thing, she said that you are the one who telling her as well yesterday. How could you know?"

Kiyone : "Nothing special, a friend from different class. He told me about it"

Hirata : "He?"

Kiyone : "Hmm?"

Hirata : "Ah, nothing. Anyway thank for telling me about it so we can focused to study the right material from now. If you perhaps need our help regarding study, don't hesitate to contact us."

I nodded

Kiyone : "Okay, I'll keep in mind"

With that he decide to leave me since Karuizawa-san seems waiting for him in front of class. Well, I'm glad that those girl didn't bat an eye on me

Horikita : "So, you know something yet you didn't tell anything to me but you tell about it to Hirata-kun and Kushida-san?"

Horikita suddenly talk to me

Kiyone : "So what? Nobody in class trust a loner like you"

Horikita : "I guess so. But aren't you the same?"

Kiyone : "Well, you aren't wrong about it. That's why I tell this to them."

With that. I enjoy my lunch in class. Sudou seems decide to go cafetaria. I wonder, perhaps he changed his mind.

But still, when I looked at Horikita bento. It looks delicious, I wonder if we could compare our bento here. Perhaps Horikita-san much better than me at cooking. I don't hate this kind of competition either. Who knows I got motivated when I have someone to compete with.

After school

Class ended. Time to go home. But before I leave the class, Ike, Sudou, and Yamauchi approach me.

Ike : "Ayanokoji-chan, do you had a time?"

Kiyone : "Hmm, what is it Ike-kun?"

Ike : "About...err...about what happened yesterday...We were sorry."

They bow to me

Ike : "You see, none of us didn't had any bad intention nor even wanting to harm you. So what happened yesterday was purely accident. And also..."

He give me a pencil. He wanted to compensated for it

Ike : "...I know you are being uncomfortable around us after that, so-"

I stopped him because for me this is just trivial matter

Kiyone : "No need to act like that. I'm not mad to any of you. However..."

They gulped!

Kiyone : "From now and on. You guys should study hard so none of you would be expelled. That's my concern toward you."

Ike : "I understand. Thanks for forgiving us already"

Sudou : "I'm sorry. I won't do that to you again"

Yamauchi : "Don't worry Ayanokoji-chan. The next exam I'll show you I got perfect score in the midterm!"

Kiyone : "Is that so? Ganbatte"

Sudou, Ike, Yamauchi : "Leave it to us!"

With that they started to leave me.

Then after pack all my belonging. I decide to leave school as well

During my way home

I spotted a certain magenta haired boy who seems like he write a note and he seems to check the camera. I wonder what is he doing now? Did he observe the camera or he had a plan about something regarding camera

I moved stealthy behind him and took a peek what did he wrote. Unexpectedly, he like mapping all cameras position in the school. What did he plan by making such detailed map like that. But, judging from his appearance. He look like delinquent stereotype. Did he perhaps do something atrocious on camera blind spot? That must be it.

Well, I wonder is it normal to let him be but I guess somebody should giving him an advice.

Kiyone : "Ahem! What are you doing here?"

He seems flinched knowing that someone suddenly called him. Did he perhaps didn't notice me until now. He is a bit careless I think

??? : "Kukuku~ Why should I tell you what am I doing right now?"

What a weird laugh

Kiyone : "I just wanted to make sure that you didn't planned to do something atrocious in the school. I told you this for your own sake as well"

??? : "Then what if I refuse?"

Kiyone : "Then...I'll told teacher about this"

??? : "Kukuku~ Do you think you can scare me with that?"

Kiyone : "It's not about making scared or not. I just hope you didn't do something against school policy and rules."

??? : "So, who's the one who told you to do this? Sakayanagi? Katsuragi? Or maybe Ichinose?"

Huh? What is he talking about? I know about Ichinose-san since I once saw her but who are the latter 2

Kiyone : "I don't had an idea what are you talking about. I just want-"

SLAM!

What is it? A kabedon? To think that this is the first time I had that kind of experience. Wait, this isn't time to think about kabedon

He stare at me. It seems he tried to intimidate me but I don't feel being intimidated at all. Then he started touch my chin and make my head face him directly.

??? : "Name?"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

??? : "I asking your name"

Then I gently pushed his hand which touching my chin. Because I feel uncomfortable with it

Kiyone : "Ano...before asking someone else name, aren't you supposed to introduced yourself"

??? : "Kukuku~ Are you truly didn't know who am I?"

Kiyone : "I don't have psychic ability to guess it so I wouldn't know unless you told me about it"

??? : "The name is Ryuuen Kakeru. Remember it well girl"

Oh, finally he intorduced himself

Kiyone : "Well...my name is Ayanokoji Kiyone. Nice to meet you Ryuuen-kun"

Wait, should I said 'Nice to meet you' in this kind of situation?

Ryuuen : "Such fearless girl huh? I would like one day to see your pretty face look like when your fortitude got broken..."

Huh?

Ryuuen : "Then..."

He leaning toward me but suddenly...

LICK!

Hiiii! W-Wh-Why he suddenly lick my ear. He must be pervert, yes he must be it.

Seeing me flinched after his outrageous action he feels enjoyed it and laughing so hard

Ryuuen : "Hahaha! I never though that a girl with such boring face like you could show me something different. What's wrong? Why did your face turn red as tomato?"

T-This jerk! He just harassed me!

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ I guess I'll stop it for today. See you later...Kiyone...Kukuku~"

He left me like he did nothing wrong. However I admit that he is kinda smart to avoid his action being seen by camera. I mean the spot he did 'kabedon' on me was a blind spot. I could discern it by looking at some angle of thus camera seems doesn't even reach here. My journey just only in annex building yet somehow I already feel exhausted because that pervert.

Ryuuen Kakeru. I'll noted it as a pervert boy who I should avoided at any cost.

6:00 p.m.

I was in my own room.

So tiring, I still wore school uniform. I lay on my bed try to take a nap a bit but I couldn't seem to fall asleep, so I got up and exited my room.

In the lobby, I bought some juice from the vending machine and went back to the elevator.

Kiyone : "Hmm?"

The elevator was on the 7th floor. Feeling curious, I looked at the CCTV monitor of the inside of the elevator. It was Horikita in her school uniform.

Kiyone : "... Well, there's no need to hide myself, but..."

I didn't want to particularly face her, so I hid myself behind the vending machine. The elevator reached the first floor.

While being wary of her surroundings, Horikita exited the building. After she disappeared into the dark, I chased stealthy after her.

However, I hid myself again after turning the corner.

Horikita stopped moving. Suddenly I hear a voice

??? : "Suzune. I didn't think you'd follow me all the way here."

Did she leave at this hour to meet with a boy? But somehow I don't think that the case

Suzune : "Nii-san! I'm different from the useless me that you know. I've come here to catch up to you."

??? : "Catch up to me, huh."

Nii-san? I couldn't see clearly the person she was talking to, but it looks like it must be Horikita-san's older brother.

??? : "I heard that you are in class D, it doesn't seem like anything's changed in the last 3 years. Because you've always been looking at my back, you've never been able to see your own flaws. Choosing to come to this school was another one of your mistakes."

Suzune : "Th-That's wrong. I'm going to rise up to class A. And then—"

??? : "That's impossible. You'll never reach class A. Rather, your class will crumble before that. This school isn't as easy as you think it is."

Then after I took a peek. I finally saw who is she talking with now. It was Student Council President himself, Horikita Manabu-san. So my speculation was spot on, they are relative

Suzune : "I will absolutely, absolutely reach class A..."

Manabu : "I already said it's impossible. You're really unreasonable younger sister."

Horikita-senpai takes a step forward. From my hiding spot, finally I could see his form more clearly.

There was no emotion in his expression, as if he was looking at an existence that didn't interest him at all. Is that how normal family supposed to be or he just ashamed that she could tarnish his reputation?

He grabbed his younger sister's wrist and pushed her against the wall.

Manabu : "No matter how much I avoided you, you are still my younger sister. If people start to learn about you, it is me who will be disgraced. Leave this school immediately."

Suzune : "N-no... I will...I will absolutely rise up to class A!"

Manabu : "Foolish, really. Do you want to relieve the painful experiences of the past?"

Suzune : "Nii-san I will—"

Manabu : "You have neither the power nor the qualifications to aim for class A. Understand that."

Well, he was right. The current Horikita-san doesn't even had any qualification for that. Forget about getting her goal, she didn't even at starting point to aimed about that

Horikita's body drew forward, as if he was about to take action. The situation looks dangerous. If I involved myself again, I'm pretty sure this time she will mad at me but...resigning myself to her anger, I stepped out from my corner and approached the older brother.

Before I realized, I grabbed his right arm.

Manabu : "—W-What?! Who are you?"

Looking at his own arm, he looked at me with a sharp glint in his eyes.

Suzune : "A-Ayanokouji-san!?"

Kiyone : "I'm sorry senpai. I didn't mean to get involved however did you trying to throw her to the ground, right? It's concrete here, you know. Just because you're siblings doesn't mean you can harm someone else like that."

Manabu : "It's not admirable to eavesdrop."

Kiyone : "I'm sorry I didn't intend to but can you just let go of her hand."

Manabu : "That's supposed to be my line. Can you just let me go"

It was silent while we glared at each other.

Suzune : "S-Stop it! Ayanokouji-san..."

She said with a strained voice. I've never seen her like that before.

Reluctantly, I let go of his arm. At that moment, he aimed for my face with a quick backhand. That's not nice thing you did toward girl senpai.

Feeling danger, I instinctively leaned backwards. A nasty attack with a thin body. Furthermore, he aimed for my vitals with a sharp kick. Seriously, why someone like him tried to use violence against a mere girl like me

I understood that it had power to make any normal girl lose consciousness in one hit. I keep dodging his attempt of attack. Since I don't want to reveal myself. I decide to keep dodging all of his attack with my agility. It seems he find it amusing since I could see him smiled

Manabu : "Hmph! Not bad, then how about this?"

He launch another attack. He tried to corner me by keep pushing me backward. It can't be helped. I decide to grab him and decide to jump over his body to move behind him. He seems astonished about it. Seriously, I don't want to do this either.

Then I moved myself between elder Horikita and Horikita-san to stop any attempt he would do to us. I spread my arm as a sign to stop this

Kiyone : "Please senpai, listen to me. I don't want to fight here. I just wanted you to stop harming her."

Then he relaxed his shoulder and decide to stop fighting altogether

Manabu : "Good reflexes. I didn't think you would avoid every single one. You also understood what I was trying to do. Were you taught in some way?"

He suddenly asked me a question.

Kiyone : "Hmm, I did piano and calligraphy senpai."

Manabu : "Ah I remember you now. You are the one who playing piano during club fair huh? Are you also class D?"

Kiyone : "Yes, I am"

He raised his brow a bit

Manabu : "Suzune..."

He suddenly walk slowly approached us.

Manabu : "So you have a friend? I'm honestly surprised."

It seems he misunderstand about us

Suzune : "She's... she's not my friend. She's only a classmate."

Denying his words, she looked up to her brother.

Manabu : "As always, you're mistaking solitude with isolation. No wonder you never grow at all"

Huh? W-What is it? Why he suddenly face me

Manabu : "And you, you said your name is Ayanokoji huh? With you, it looks like things are going to become interesting."

Huh? What does he mean by it?

Walking past us, he disappeared into the night. The confident student council president. It seems like Horikita was acting strange because she met her brother.

Suzune : "I-I'm going to crawl my way to class A even if I die. That's the only way."

She shout toward her brother who doesn't even care with her at all.

After he left, the night was engulfed in silence. Horikita sat down against the wall, her head hanging in shame. I wonder if I did anything unnecessary. Horikita called out to me.

Horikita : "Did you hear everything...? Or was it coincidence?"

Kiyone : "Hmm, how should I put it. Well, it was like 50% luck. I saw you while I went to go buy juice from the vending machine. I followed you simply because I was curious. However, I really didn't mean to intrude."

Horikita sank into silence once again. Then I started to keep conversation

Kiyone : "Your older brother is quite strong. He didn't hesitate to attack. I was so scared if I were getting hit by him"

Well, a small utter lie wouldn't do harm right?

Horikita : "Well...He's... 5th dan in karate and 4th dan in aikido."

Oh, so he's that strong. If I decide to fight it. My entire body would be sore until tomorrow. I mean he is quite strong and being hit by someone like him is troublesome

Suddenly Horikita-san break silence

Horikita : "Ayanokouji-san, you also do something, right? You're also a rank holder."

Kiyone : "I already said it, didn't I? I played piano and performed tea ceremonies."

Horikita : "You said calligraphy before."

Oh no! I make mistake!

Kiyone : "Etto... I also did calligraphy as well."

Horikita : "You purposely got low scores on your test, and you say you did piano and calligraphy. I still don't understand you very well."

Because I never let anyone to saw through me either

Kiyone : "I already told you, getting those scores were only a coincidence, and I really did piano, tea ceremony, and calligraphy."

Now, how could I convince her...

Horikita : "I let you see a strange side of me."

Oh, she didn't pursue it anymore

Kiyone : "Rather, I always thought that something bit off about you"

She scowled at me. It seems she didn't want to talk about her motives. Well, it seems she doesn't like that the other think that her motivation to aim for class A because she wanted to be acknowledge by her brother. Not gonna lie, I think it was petty reason for her pride to look down on the other as well. I guess what Horikita senpai said toward her are true

Horikita : "I'm tired. Let's go back."

Certainly. I was supposed to rest in my room as well. Slowly getting up, Horikita walked towards the entrance of the dorms.

We walk back to dorm

Kiyone : "Ne~ Horikita-san... Are you...are you really ok with how the study group went?"

Thinking that I wouldn't get another chance, I called out to her resolutely.

Horikita : "Why are you asking that? I proposed the study group in the first place. It's not like you cared about it in the first place. Am I wrong?"

Kiyone : "I have a bad feeling. Or should I say, the chance that they would fail still high. Are you truly leave them be?"

Horikita : "I don't mind. I'm already given up. Also, most of the students with red marks are with Hirata-kun. He's good at studying, gets along with people, and can teach other people well, unlike me. This time, they should be able to barely clear the borderline. However, I judged it to be a waste of time to help them out myself. Until graduation, they'll have to repeatedly try to not fail. It'd be really stupid to keep trying to cover for their failing marks every single time."

Kiyone : "Sudou-kun and his friend took some distance from Hirata-kun. I don't think they'll participate in his study group."

Horikita : "That's what they decided to do, this has nothing to do with me. If they don't approach Hirata-kun, they'll just drop out soon enough. Of course, my goal is to get up to class A. However, that's for my own sake, and not for anyone else. I don't care what anyone else does. Rather, if cut down on people on this next midterm, only people who are necessary are left. It'll be easier to get to class A. A win-win situation."

I don't think she's wrong either. In the first place, this crisis is bad for students who got red marks. However, I couldn't help but keep asking about her decision

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, isn't that way of thinking kinda incorrect?"

Horikita : "Incorrect? Tell me which part is wrong. You're not trying to say that there is no future for a person who abandons their classmates, right?"

Kiyone : *sigh*"As expected. I know you well enough that you wouldn't understand what I'm saying."

Horikita : "Then why? There's no merit in saving failures."

Kiyone : "Certainly there isn't much merit. However, it helps prevent demerits."

Horikita : "... D-Demerits?"

Kiyone : "Do you think that the school hasn't already thought of that? They're students who rack up negative points from talking during class or always being late. Say they drop out because no one helped them. Don't you think there is a chance that our class point gonna reduced or maybe getting nobody expelled was one of the requirement to reach class A"

Horikita : "That's just your non-proven speculation"

Kiyone : "Of course, before we get any information, nothing is certain. However, don't you think that there's a fairly high possibility? A hundred? A thousand? There's even a chance that 10000 or 100000 points are deducted. If that's the case, you'll have very hard time getting to class A."

Horikita : "Our negative points from being late and talking during class can't go below 0 right now. While we're at 0 points, it'd be best to remove all the students who can't study. Isn't it the same as receiving no damage?"

Kiyone : "There's no guarantee that that'll be the case. There might be some negative points that we don't know about yet. Do you really think it's alright to ignore such a dangerous risk? Well... for someone as smart as you, there's no way that you wouldn't have thought of that. If that wasn't the case, there's no reason for you to do a study group. You would've abandoned them from the very start."

Horikita : "Even if there are unseen minuses, it's better for the class if we get rid of the failures. When we start to increase our points, it'll be bad if we regret not cutting them out. At this time, this is a risk that should be taken."

Kiyone : "Do you really think that?"

Horikita : "Yes, really. Rather, I am worried about you, who is trying to desperately save them."

I grabbed Horikita's wrist as she was about to get on the elevator.

Horikita : "What? Do you have a rebuttal? This problem isn't something that can be solved by the two of us. The only ones who know the answer are the school, so we'll be left here arguing forever. I'll interpret it as I like, and you'll do the same. It'll only amount to that, no?"

Kiyone : "I never thought you were the type of person to talk this much. Anyway I just doesn't want you to regret your decision later"

Horikita : "Th-That's because you're being insistent. Ahem! About that, don't worry. I don't care much about it either"

The normal Horikita would never listen to me.

If I stopped her like this, it wouldn't be strange to receive a sharp blow. However, by not doing so, it's evidence that Horikita also thinks the same way. That's why she didn't shake off my hand. Of course, she herself probably doesn't notice.

Then I released my grip from her

Lets allure this conversation then...

Kiyone : "Ne~ The day we met. Do you remember what happened on the bus?"

Horikita : "You mean the time we refused to give our seat up to the old woman?"

Kiyone : "Yes. At that time, I thought of the meaning behind giving up my seat. To give up my seat, or not to give up my seat. Which one is the right answer?"

Horikita : "I already gave my answer. I didn't give up my seat because I felt it was useless. There's no merit to giving her my seat, but rather a waste of time and effort."

Kiyone : "Merit? All you think about is profit and loss to the very end."

Horikita : "Is that bad? Humans are calculating creatures. If you sell goods, you get money, and if you do someone a favor, it'll be returned. I'll receive this thing called 'joy' from my contribution to society if I give up my seat. No?"

Kiyone : "No, that's not wrong. I also think that's natural."

Horikita : "Then—"

Kiyone : "With that mindset, make sure to have a broad outlook on life. Right now, you're too blinded by anger and unhappiness that you can't see anything."

Horikita : "Hah? What is it? Do you even have the ability to find faults about me?"

Kiyone : "Whatever my ability, I can only see one thing that you cannot see. This is the only fault in the otherwise perfect-looking person known as Horikita Suzune-san."

She snorted, it seems she look down on me. Such hassle. At this rate she didn't listen to me at all

Kiyone : "Let me tell you your faults. You find other people a hindrance and you don't let anyone come close to you. Aren't you in class D because you always think of yourself as superior over everyone else?"

Horikita : "... It seems like you're trying to say that I'm equal to Sudou-kun and his group."

Kiyone : "Then, are you trying to say that you're superior to those guys?"

Horikita : "It's obvious if you look at the test scores. Those are clear evidence that they're just heavy baggage for the class."

Kiyone : "Are you truly saying like that? Certainly, if you measure by scores, they're two, three times below your level. Even if they tried really hard, they wouldn't be able to surpass you. However, that's only true on top of the desk. The school doesn't only look at intelligence. This time, if the school did some kind of physical examination, the results wouldn't be the same. Is that wrong?"

Horikita : "That's—"

Kiyone : "Your physical ability is also good. After watching you, you're definitely one of the better girls. However, both you and I know that Sudou-kun's physical abilities surpass yours. Ike-kun has communication skills that you don't have. If there was a test based on communication skills, Ike-kun would certainly be helpful. Rather, you would've probably dragged down the class. Well then, are you incompetent? No, that's not it. Everyone has their strong and weak points. That's what a human is."

Horikita tried to retort, but she wasn't able to say anything.

Horikita : "... Y-You have no basis to your words. All of your words are just pure guesses."

Just how much she denying this I wonder

Kiyone : "If there is no foundation, then we have to come up with a guess from what we do have. Think about Chabashira-sensei's words carefully. In the guidance room, she said, 'Who decided that smart people are the ones who get into superior classes?'. So, the conclusion is that there is some factor other than academic ability that affects rankings."

I swiftly cut off Horikita's exit path as she looked left and right to weasel herself out of the argument. If I didn't do that, our argument would've been ridiculous.

Kiyone : "Are you sure? You say that you wouldn't regret abandoning the students who failed, but that's not true. There will be plenty of days where you feel regret if they drop out."

I looked straight into Horikita's eyes. She was not only grasping the reality of the situation, but also tied it with her consciousness. I got that impression from her.

Horikita : "You're so annoying than before. It doesn't suit your principle of avoiding trouble."

Kiyone : "Hmm, probably."

Horikita : "It's really frustrating, but your words are right. You had enough persuasive power to make me think that. I'll recognize that. However, I still can't understand one thing. That is, your true intentions. What is this school to you? Why are you desperately trying to persuade me?"

Kiyone : "... I see, that's what you're thinking."

Horikita : "If someone doesn't have any persuasive power, their theories won't be believed."

She wants to know why I'm trying to persuade her that letting Sudou and the others drop out is a bad thing.

Horikita : "Without any facades, I want to know the true reason. For points? To rise up to class A? Or, to help your friends?"

Well, that's...

Kiyone : "Because I want to know...What is 'a person with merit'? What is equality?"

Horikita : "Merit, equality..."

Kiyone : "I came to this school to seek out answers to these questions."

Although it wasn't well organized in my head, it came out clearly in words. Of course there is so many thing I wanted to know as well. But for now, that's some word who came up in my mind

Horikita : "That's sound so absurd. I'm pretty sure you don't even understand the reason behind your own action either"

Kiyone : "Yeah, you are right."*sigh*"No wonder Horikita-senpai doesn't care with you anymore"

Then suddenly Horikita grab my blouse in collar. Honestly I'm surprised as well with her sudden action

Horikita : "What did you just said? Are you mocking me?"

Wait, she heard the last part.

Well, since the situation already escalated like this. Maybe this gonna works...

Kiyone : "You can intrepet it whatever you like. But aren't you wonder, what make you and your brother are different"

Horikita : "That's something you even could see with naked eyes, did I need to tell you. The current me-"

Kiyone : "I didn't talk about the difference between your status"

Horikita : "What do you mean by it?"

She frown at me

Kiyone : "I wonder. Are you on denial stage or are you actually stupid? Its kinda sad right that you couldn't even understand your brother at the same time he started to abandoned you?"

Horikita : "You just stranger! You don't know anything about us! Who do you think you are!"

Wait, why she thighten her grab now. M-My uniform, Horikita-san stop it! If you keep grab it like that. My blouse will tear up.

Keep calm, lets make her stop first

Then I grab her arms which grabbed my blouse. I put a bit power to calm her down

Kiyone : "C-Calm down.."

I could see her face endured the pain, I didn't hurt her that much right. I just wanted to make her hand go off from me

Kiyone : *pant* *pant*

Horikita-san seems held her wrist. Hmm? Good, I didn't injured her although she is still in pain

Kiyone : "I-I'm sorry. Ahem! W-What I wanted to say that. If you look on different perspective, well took an example from me then. In my eyes, Horikita-senpai is hard worker and also at the same time he gained so much respect from his surrounding. I'm pretty sure he already like this even before he become Student Council President, after all there is no way he could get nominated if nobody supporting him, no?"

Horikita-san listening to me now. Good

Kiyone : "And, what about you Horikita-san? In my perspective, if you wanted to take the same path like him. You are not even on the starting point. To get an achievement like him, both of us know that you can't do that alone. There is always something you can't do alone. I know I had no right to tell you this, however like you said by yourself. The current you can't get gold piece or silver piece, you need to gain the entire class trust so you need more pawns to support you at first. And also, if you had the right method, who knows that these pawn could get evolved into your silver piece or gold piece you needed in future."

Horikita : "Are you telling me that I incompetence?"

Kiyone : "T-That's-"

Horikita : "Yeah, you are right"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Horikita : "Its surprising that I admit it right?

Your entire behaviour are surprising today to be honest!

Horikita : "I hate it as well you know. I should have already know the answer but I kept avoiding it. I kept telling myself that I can do it. You are right, I just wanted him to acknowledge me. Isn't it kinda painful? I don't know where could go wrong. I-I just do my best you know, but he never look at me. Not even anyone in my family..."

Wow, the topic suddenly shifted too heavy

Horikita : "I can't be like Kushida-san, Hirata-kun, or maybe like you. All of this time I always think that is there any reason I do this or that? That's why I try started to look everything based on merit. Is it wrong?"

Kiyone : "It's not wrong but..."

Horikita : "Well, you are right this time. Currently I'm too blinded with anger..."

Huh?

Horikita : "I never though that I could sorted all of thing which become burden in my mind by having talk like this"

I don't think the last interaction was 'talking' though. More look like a 'fight' to me

Kiyone : "H-Horikita-san..."

Horikita : "Don't worry. I got this, I know what to do after this. Well, I tried my best to not involved you again but you better be prepared when sometimes I need your help."

Wait! You didn't even ask my opinion about that! Don't decide something so selfish like that Horikita-san!

Horikita : "Anyway, good night Ayanokoji-san"

Kiyone : "Ah...um...uhm.. G-Good night"

Honestly I don't know what to say

With that she leave me alone and decide to enter elevator

I should head back to my room as well

In my own room

I started to undressed my uniform.

When I took off my blouse I realized something

Kiyone : "Ah! It really teared up"

I saw my blouse teared a little around collar

Sigh~ Horikita-san surely like to playing rough...

Hello guys!

So...

Did you guys enjoy the story?

By the way, what do you think? There is several scene which I think it would be interesting to draw. Which do you choose?

-Ryuuen kabedon

-Kiyone dodging Manabu attacks

-Horikita grab Kiyone

Or maybe another scene or all of them? Hahaha

If there is no reply, I guess that I didn't need to draw that at all. Ahahaha

By the way I already put Ryuuen kabedon scene here. Well sorry if I couldn't draw better T.T

X : That's why I tolf you, your drawing is suck :v

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 1 : Trying Once More

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Inside classroom

A month and a half since the start of school. I spent every day carefree.

Horikita : "Excuse me, can you hear me? Is your head ok?"

She knock my forehead with her hand, and I rubbed it.

Horikita : "What happened? Are you out of power source? Do you need to get recharged."

Kiyone : "What do you think I am?"

Horikita : "A heartless machine"

Eh? She didn't think I wasn't human right? Did it means sarcasm or she literally thinking me as one? either way, Horikita-san intuition somehow truly sharp.

Wait, why would I think myself like as a machine? I'm 100% human, I just had a trouble to behave like human normally do. That's all!!!

Horikita : "Ayanokoji-san, are you still there? Are you even listening?"

Kiyone : "I'm listening. I was just lost in though"

Horikita : "Hmph! well, whatever"

I remembered how we reached this situation, last night after some 'talk' in the dormitory hallway. She started to make her move, just like usual. Her selfish desire truly disturb my peaceful life. She already treat me like her subordinate without my consent at all

Oh well, no use crying over spilt milk. At the time, I agreed to help to cheer her up, but thinking back on it, it's really not like me to accept. Am I regret my decision? Forget about it, I didn't decide anything, more look like I got swept away by flows.

Kiyone : "So, Horikita-san. What will you do?"

She is thinking for a while...

Horikita : "Well... Of course, we need to persuade Sudou-kun and the others to participate in the study group again. To do that, you'll have to grovel at your feet, begging them to join."

Kiyone : "Wait, Why do I have to do that? In the first place, you're the reason there was a dispute back then."

Horikita : "The true reason is that they didn't want to study. Don't mistake that."

I wonder...Does she even want to help them?

Kiyone : "It's impossible to gather them again without Kushida's help. You know that too, right?"

Horikita : "I don't think so. You maybe not aware but aside from Kushida-san, I think that they listen to you as well."

Kiyone :"Me?"

Horikita : "Just try it, I'll work the rest"

Looks like she doesn't want to be involved with Kushida in any way possible. Even though she wasn't happy about it, she agreed since it was an emergency last time.

Horikita : "Alright, go and quickly and do your job."

Kiyone : "You said it was job yet you never talk about salary or contract about it. I wonder is there any reason for myself to do your bidding?"

Horikita : "Of course. You are my pawn. Since you are part of this class as well you will be my workhorse until we reach class A, you have to comply. So, your task right now go and persuade them to join our study group."

Kiyone : "You do know that it doesn't work last time. I'm just nobody in their eyes"

Horikita : "You had no right to whine! That's rule already written in our contract"

Kiyone : "Wait, what contract?"

I don't remember making that kind of contract.

Horikita : "Here, look at this written contract."

I wonder did she truly did that for sure

Kiyone : "My eyesights kinda bad, can't I take a look that contract?"

Horikita : "Sure"

I took the contract. It had my name and even my seal. This damn girl, this is document forgery. Is this kind of act of someone who wanted to become like the current Student Council President of this school?

Kiyone : *sigh* "Alright, I'll help you. I'm gonna talk with them"

After saying that. I immediately rip that contract right in front of her

Horikita : "W-What?! You!"

Kiyone : "You should be grateful toward me. I just help you get rid some of your crime evidence. If the school heard about it, you'll be charged for document forgery, you know. That's also included all of another copy from this fake documents"

Horikita : "You think you can prove your innocence?"

Kiyone : "Maybe I should talk this case with Horikita-senpai"

Horikita : "Tch!"

I win!

I threathened her using her brother as failsafe. Then I started to approach those 3 like Horikita-san told me to do

And...

I fail, they rejected my appeal. Although they didn't reject me harshly like before, the fact that I failed to convince them is the result. Well, I already expected this since I can't do something like Kushida-san did

I come back to report this to Horikita, but its kinda unexpected that she was with 'her'

Yes it was Kushida-san who is currently sat facing Horikita-san. Should I greet her?

Kiyone : "Emm...Etto...Good to see you here Kushida-san..."

Kushida : "Ah! Aya-chan. Welcome back!"

Wait, did she expect me to come?

Horikita : "Hmph! Let me guess. You fail right?"

Kiyone : "Wow, how could you tell so accurately like that? Did you perhaps had some psychic power?"

Horikita : "That's just like what am I expected to be. I had guess that you had 20% chance to be able to persuade them. I guess I can't put my hope on a mere 20% chance. As expected, putting your hopes on gamble is kinda stupid"

Then, if you predicted I would fail. Why would you still send me off there?!!!

Then, she decide to embrace Kushida now

Horikita : "Kushida-san. I want to talk to you. If possible, do you want to eat lunch together?"

Kushida : "Lunch? It's strange to be invited by Horikita-san, but sure."

Even though I was nearby, Kushida didn't waver at all. She quickly agreed. We were then walked towards the school's most popular Cafe Pallet.

It's the place where Horikita got mad at us because we made up a lie and called her out. Well, I admit it was my fault. I should talk with her first toward whatever thing or stuff revolved around her

We are arrived. Horikita paid for Kushida's drink. Of course, I paid for my own.

Taking the drink with a smile, Kushida sat down in a seat. I sat down beside Kushida.

Kushida : "Thanks. What did you have to talk about?"

Horikita : "I'm making a study group to help Sudou-kun. Can you help us one more time?"

Kushida : "Who are you doing this for? Is it for Sudou-kun's sake?"

Kushida-san also recognized that her request wasn't purely altruistic.

Horikita : "No, this is for me."

Kushida : "Is that so. Horikita-san, like usual, acts for yourself, huh?"

Horikita : "Will you not help people who don't act for their friends?"

Kushida : "I think you're free to think however you want. However, I wanted make sure that you wouldn't lie, so I'm happy that you answered honestly. Ok, I'll help you out. After all, we're classmates, right? Aya-chan?"

Kiyone : "Ah! Uh...Um...sure. Please help us."

Kushida : "I want to ask you directly, though. It's not for your friends, not for the points, but rather, you want me to help so that we can reach class A, right?"

Horikita : "Yes."

Kushida : "T-That's unbelievable... isn't it impossible? Oh, I'm not trying to mock your effort is useless. But how should I say it... more than half the class has already given up, you know?"

Horikita : "Is it because the difference between our class and class A is too big?"

Kushida : "Um...Y-Yes... Honestly, I don't know if we can catch up. I don't even know if we can get any points next month. I feel disheartened."

Horikita hit the table with a clang.

Horikita : "I'll absolutely do it."

Kushida : "Aya-chan, are you also aiming for class A?"

Horikita : "Yes. She is my assistant in reaching class A."

Wait, don't decide my answer on your whim. And also, you made me an assistant without my consent...

Kushida : "Hmm... Ok. Let me help."

Horikita : "Of course, that's why we're asking in the first place."

Kushida : "Not that, I want to join you guys in aiming for class A. Not just the study group, but I want to help with everything else you'll be doing from now on."

Horikita : "E-Eh? B-But..."

Kushida : "Then do you not want me to help?"

Kushida looked at Horikita with widened eyes. I wonder if I could mimic her in some way. Could it be become useful weapon against several type of persons

Horikita : "Fine. I'll formally ask for your help again if this study group goes well."

That was her reply. Even though Kushida probably had something in mind, Horikita decided to let it go for some reason and let her join. After receiving an affirmative reply from the usually stubborn Horikita, Kushida jumped up in excitement.

Kushida : "Really!? Yatta!!!"

Looking truly happy, she cheered in delight. This appearance of hers is also cute.

Kushida : "Best regards again, Horikita-san! Aya-chan!"

I was caught unguarded since she suddenly hug me. It surely thigh. Honestly it was surprised me

Kiyone : "However, I don't know if Sudou-kun and his friends will agree to join again."

Horikita : "Yeah. In the current situation, it certainly looks difficult."

Kushida : "Well then, can you leave it to me once again? I can do at least this much after joining you guys. Ok?"

I felt overwhelmed at the pace Horikita and Kushida were moving at.

As if she was about to leap into action immediately, she took out her phone. Soon after, Ike and Yamauchi came over with ecstatic expressions. As soon as they saw us, their expression turn out to be stiff. Well, I'll just stay silent. Their feelings of guilt will probably be effective in getting them to agree.

Kushida : "Sorry for calling you two out. I have, or rather, Horikita has something to ask of you two."

Ike : "W-W-What, what is it? What do you have to do with us?"

What an overreaction... They backed away in nervousness.

Horikita : "Do you two have any plans to join Hirata-kun's study group?"

Yamauchi : "Eh? S-Study group? No, we didn't want to join because he's too popular... We're going to cram the day before the test. It's worked since middle school."

To Yamauchi's words, Ike nodded two, three times. They seem to have somehow managed by cramming last-minute for the past few years.

Horikita : "That kind of thinking suits you two. However, the probability of getting kicked out of school is pretty high right now."

Then I heard a sound of footstep getting closer

??? : "You're the same as ever, whatever that means."

Sudou appeared while scowling at Horikita. Looks like Sudou was also caught in Kushida's trap.

Horikita : "The one who should be the most worried is you, Sudou-kun. You look like you have absolutely no worries about dropping at of school."

Sudou : "You already knew that. If you're not careful, I'll beat you up. I'm busy with basketball right now. It'll be good enough to study right before the test."

Ike : "C-Calm down, Sudou."

Kiyone : "Horikita-san!"

Ike tried to calm down Sudou meanwhile I remind Horikita to watch her words

Horikita look at me with scowl

Horikita : "Tch"

I wonder why she is the one who got pissed off with it

Kushida : "Hey, Sudou-kun. Won't you try studying one more time? You can probably barely pass the test by cramming. However, if it doesn't work, you won't be able to play basketball here anymore, you know?"

Sudou : "That's... but I don't want to receive 'charity' from this girl. I haven't forgotten the words she threw at me the other day. If she is going to ask, apologize first. With sincerity."

Sudou declared that, showing hostility against Horikita. Personally, I think that even though he feels that it's dangerous to not study, he was more insulted by her words about basketball. Of course, Horikita wouldn't apologize so easily. There's no one that would openly brag about having been wrong with their own mouth.

Horikita : "I think you are wrong, Sudou-kun."

Sudou : "What!?"

Instead of apologizing, she only added more fuel to the fire. I don't know what would happen with the aftermath but this time I'll do my best to stop these two even with violence

Horikita : "However, our antipathy for each other is only trivial in this situation. I will teach you for my sake. You will study for your sake. Is that bad?"

Sudou : "Do you really want to move up to class A? To go as far as to invite me."

Horikita : "Yes. Otherwise, who would choose to be concerned with you?"

At Horikita's blunt words, Sudou got more mad.

Sudou : "I'm busy with basketball. Even before a test, the others don't take a break in order to study. I can't afford to fall behind while I'm off studying."

Having predicted that Sudou would say such words, Horikita took out a piece of paper and showed it to him. It was a detailed schedule until the day of the test.

Horikita : "At the last study session, I learned that regular method of studying didn't work for you. None of you understand the basics of the topics. It's like taking a frog and introducing it to the ocean. The frog doesn't know where to start. Also, I understand that taking time away from your hobbies adds to your stress. Therefore, I thought of a plan to address that problem."

Sudou : "What kind of sorcery is this? If there is such a plan, tell me."

Both studying for tests and club activities can coexist. Believing that there was no way for that to be true, Sudou laughed with his nose.

Horikita : "We have several weeks from now. You will start studying every day during class as if you'd die tomorrow."

Ah, that's what she means. I get what she said more or less but the others didn't understand what she was saying. Everyone seems confused.

Horikita : "Usually, you three don't work seriously during class, right?"

Ike : "Don't decide that on your own."

Ike objected.

Horikita : "Then, are you diligent during class?"

Ike : "... No, we aren't. I do nothing until class is over."

Horikita : "Right? In other words, you spend six hours a day just idling. Even outside of the one, two hours available after school, there is a ton of precious time being wasted. We must take good advantage of this time."

Kushida : "Certainly... in theory that would work, but... isn't that kind of absurd?"

Kushida's worries are spot on. It's because they can't study that all the time during class is wasted. If they can't even stop themselves from talking during class, I don't think they'll be able to understand any of the problems by themselves.

Sudou : "I-I can't keep up with the material covered during class."

Horikita : "I already know that. So, we'll use all the free time we have and have a small study session."

Horikita then turned to the next page. It had a full description of what we would do.

In summary, it's like this. After first period, everyone will meet up and discuss what they didn't understand. In the ten minutes of break, Horikita will then teach what they didn't know.

And then the whole process would repeat for the next period. Of course it's not as simple as it sounds. However, since they can't keep up with the lesson, it may be difficult for them to be able to understand in that short time.

Ike : "W-Wait. I'm confused. Is this possible?"

Ike also recognized that this would be a hard task.

Yamauchi : "Yeah, isn't it unreasonable to think that you could teach us in just 10 minutes?"

Horikita : "Don't worry. During class, I'll make sure to get all the answers to the every question. And then Ayanokouji-san and Kushida-san will teach you guys one-on-one."

If it's like that, I guess there is a chance that everyone can understand in just 10 minutes.

Horikita : "You two, if it's just explaining the answers, you can do it, right?"

Sudou : "But... I still don't think it's possible in that amount of time. Studying is hard, so I don't know..."

Horikita : "The content covered in a single period is surprisingly small. It's only 1 page of notes, or at most about 2. And the material concerning the test only takes up half the page. Anyway, if the time isn't enough, we can always use the lunch break. I'm not saying I want you to understand the material. I just want to make sure that it's in your head. The important thing is to make sure that you pay attention to the teacher's voice and the letters on the blackboard. Just forget about taking notes."

Yamauchi : "Are you telling us not to take notes?"

Horikita : "Trying to memorize the question and the answer is surprisingly difficult while taking notes."

Is that so? I don't quite understand since I can do both smoothly.

Well, At any rate, it looks like Horikita doesn't want to use any after school time.

Horikita : "Just try it out. You can give it a run before you refuse."

Sudou : "... I still don't want to do it. I want to spend my time differently than someone who studies 24/7. Also, I don't think I'll be able to study with an cheap trick like that."

Horikita thought of the plan while considering the three of them, but Sudou still did not agree.

Horikita : "It looks like you're misunderstanding the fundamental concept here. Cheap tricks? There's no such thing. There's no way but to spend your time and study carefully. That's not only for studying, but also for everything else. Or are you saying that there are cheap tricks and shortcuts for basketball?"

Sudou : "Of course there's no such thing. Only after you practice and practice do you get good."

Realizing what he said, Sudou inhaled sharply in surprise

Horikita : "It's absolutely impossible for people who don't have the ability to focus. However, you would pour in all of your energy in order to get better at basketball. Even if it's only a fraction, use some of that energy for studying. In order to continue playing basketball at this school. So that you don't get kicked out."

It was a really small one, but Horikita unmistakably offered Sudou a small compromise. He hesitated.

However, his pride got in the way. No matter what, he would not agree.

Sudou : "... I still won't participate. Thank you for being more civil, but I still can't agree."

Sudou tried to leave without ever having sat down, but I stopped him. I grab his hand as a sign to not leaving out yet

If she let this chance go, there probably wouldn't be another opportunity to form a study group. Normally, I wouldn't do anything, but I guess I give some help here. I look at Horikita hoping that she would get better incentive for these boys

Horikita : "Ne~ Ayanokoji-san...Kushida-san. Do you guys already have a boyfriend?"

Eh? W-What with that question Horikita-san?!

Kushida : "Eh? Ehh? I don't have one, why are you asking me out of the blue?"

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, are you making fun of us?"

Horikita : "Fufufu~ of course not. Say, if any of this boys get better score than yours. Would you going date with one of them?"

What's with that? The answer is crystal clear

Kiyone : "Of course n-"

I feel that Horikita kicked my leg under table. Then I look at her face, it seems she indicate to giving me order to agree with her appeal. Now, she used me as prize huh? Well, I don't mind about going on date part however I will keep reject them if one of them want to be my boyfriend though.

Kiyone : "O-Of course. I don't mind going out with one of you if this could be motivated you guys to stick out to study for the upcoming exam. This is one golden ticket which only avaible during limited time. Since I don't have some boy I had crush on yet"

Ike : "Really?! You won't make fun of us right?"

Kiyone : "Should I written a contract for it?"

Yamauchi : "N-No need! We believe in you!"

Ike : "Hahaha, its quite unfortunate that I can't go out with Kushida-chan yet but Ayanokoji-chan surely isn't bad at all. Yosh, I guess it's about time I left you both losers soon"

Yamauchi : "Ha? What are you saying, Ike!? She will date me! I'll got higher score than Ayanokoji-chan and you!"

Ike : "No, no, me! She will date me! I'll the one who get better score!"

Ike quickly responded the bait. And then Yamauchi caught later on. Only Sudou who didn't bulge at all

Kushida-san seems quickly recognized what she was trying to do. Although I didn't know what will she do with this

Kushida : "E-Embarassing... I don't like to judge people by their test scores, you know? And also how could you agree being treat like that Aya-chan!"

Kiyone : "I-"

Horikita : "But look at them, they want a reward for doing well. Look at their enthusiasm. If there's such a reward, they'll probably try even harder."

Kushida-san look at me with a concerned face. I wonder what will she do

Kushida : "W-Well, how about this? I'll date the person who gets the highest test score... I like people who work hard to achieve something they might not even like. Of course the first obstacle you guys should defeat Aya-chan's score first!"

Ike & Yamauchi : "Woahhhhh! I'll do it! I'll do it!"

They were all breathing heavily in excitement. But still, did they forget that they need to get past the first obstacle which is me.

Horikita called out to Sudou.

Horikita : "Sudou-kun. Are you going to do it? I think this is your perfect chance. I know you are not that interested to go date however I think as long as you study its still bring merit to you whatever the result turned out to be. Say that by study you could avoid getting dropped out during midterm and if you are lucky enough to bested Ayanokoji-san's score you could going date with her"

It's a bit different than saying 'Do you want to date them?'

She seems have a rough understanding of Sudou's character. In a situation like this, it's hard to get him to participate. So, she must have to find a compromise in order to get him to join.

Sudou : "... A date, huh. I guess it's not bad. Seriously, can't help it... I'll participate too."

Sudou turned and replied in a small voice.

Kushida let out a sigh of relief. I think that she is reluctant to do it but I guess Kushida doesn't mind going to date with them just like me

Kiyone : "I guess boys are simpler creatures than I might thinking before."

Kushida-san giggles at my comment and Horikita-san seems satisfied with the deal.

I wonder, she was rejected my idea but now she used it now. What could be the reason for her changing her method to approach them like this?

Hello guys!

So...

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Sorry for long time not update

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 1 : Failsafe

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

One day during lunch break

When it was lunchtime, I got out of my seat with a goal in mind. Then I headed to the cafeteria.

According to deduction, some of question in the previous mock test probably isn't for 1-years like us. That's why I wanted to know, unless I got proof for this, the answer for my deduction can be correct or wrong.

Kushida : "Where are you going?"

After having noticed me rush out of the classroom, Kushida-san followed. Stopping in front of me, she leaned over and looked up to me.

Kiyone : "Er...Because it's lunch, I thought I would go to the cafeteria."

Kushida : "Is that so? Is it fine if I go with you?"

Kiyone : "It's fine, but usually you go with the other girls. This time, why me?"

Kushida : "Aya-chan so cold. Well, even though I have a lot of friends I can eat with, you have no one. Also, although you would usually talk to Horikita-san first, you didn't say anything today. That's why I thought there is something happened. Am I wrong?"

As usual, Kushida-san was observing her surroundings. Honestly, I never thought that I got her attention. Well, maybe bringing her along could be used as failsafe as well. She is special after all

Kiyone : "I can tell you, but..."

Kushida : "Don't worry! Keeping secrets is my strong point!"

Is that so? But why somehow my intuition told me that I can't put some trust on her. Maybe, unless I figure out why someone like her being put on class D. I always feel wary around her, unlike with Horikita which I already figure it out why would someone like her ended up here.

...

We made our way to the cafeteria. Before long, we entered the confusion of the cafeteria and got to the meal ticket machine. After buying a ticket for two portions, I moved away from the ticket vending machine and didn't line up at the counter. From there, I looked at the fingertips of the students who were buying their food.

Kushida : "Aya-chan?"

Kushida looked at me in curiosity. Well, maybe telling her for only this case wouldn't do harm, right?

Kiyone : "There is a possibility that this will lead to an answer to what I was concerned about."

I looked at all the students who were buying lunch. Gotcha! I found my target student. The student bought the meal and walked over to the counter with heavy steps.

Kiyone : "Alright, let's go."

Kushida : "W-What? Ok."

Quickly exchanging our tickets for meals, I walked over to the student and sat down.

Kiyone : "Um, excuse me. You're... a senpai, right?"

??? : "...Huh? Who are you?"

Quietly looking up, he looked at me. Then he looked at Kushida-san as well.

Huh? Wait, why he keep silent while stare at us

Kiyone : "Etto...Are you a second-year? Third-year?"

??? : "A-Ah! I was a third-years. You're a first-years, huh?"

Kiyone : "I am Ayanakouji Kiyone and this is Kushida Kikyo, we are from class D senpai. You're also in class D, right?"

??? : "Ho~ quite smart for a fellow class D, so what did my dear cute kouhai-s wanted from me?"

Kushida-san seems surprised on how I could figure out his class. I mean, is that truly surprising? Although I admit there is 20% chance I was wrong

Suddenly I heard a footstep come approach us

??? : "Well well, isn't that class D famous celebrity alongside with her doll face assistant?"

A male voice? I already had hunch before turn toward his direction however I hate it that my hunch was right

Ryuuen : "Long time no see Kikyo, Kiyone. Kukuku~"

I guess its unavoidable

Kiyone : "Good afternoon, Ryuuen-kun."

I said that while giving bow

Kushida-san somehow still unaware of him. I guess even Kushida-san wouldn't know something about his pervert side

Ryuuen : "Well well, unlike her. It seems you are unaware about me"

He said that toward Kushida

Kushida : "U-Uh, N-Nice to meet you"

Ryuuen : "It seems that you are unaware of me or are you perhaps aware but you never know my appearance. Well well, like Kiyone said. I was that Ryuuen, Ryuuen Kakeru. So what the famous Kikyo on our years to do with a senpai from class D? Would you like to tell me something. I'm quite curious about it. Kukuku~"

As expected, he is a trouble. I wonder what would Kushida-san reply to this. She is somewhat trembling. I don't know if this was right action or not but I hold her hand so I hope that she could calm herself a bit.

Kushida : "U-Uh, Aya-chan?"

Kiyone : "Ryuuen-kun, I hope you didn't bother her like this"

Ryuuen : "That's quite cold of you Kiyone, I just greet you two yet is this how you treat me?"

Well, he has a point. He didn't do anything, it isn't good to put that kind of action.

Kiyone : "I'm sorry Ryuuen-kun. I didn't mean being so disrespectful to you, I just hope that you could do something with your intonation or maybe your appearance to make us less wary about you"

Ryuuen : "Oi oi, you are demanding too much. If I change my appearance and talk to you nicely, are you eager to asking me to go on date?"

What? How could he come to that conclusion?

Ryuuen : "That's joking you know, although unlike Kikyo. Your expression still calm as ever. Kukuku~"

Kushida : "A-Ano...Ryuuen-kun isn't it? I think that it isn't good to make a commotion during lunch. So..."

She suddenly grab my hand

Kushida : "Excuse us then"

Kushida-san dragged me to sit on another table a bit far away from that commotion

Ryuuen-kun seems didn't followed us and just put smirk on his face, I guess he wouldn't bother us anymore. He decide to leave cafetaria. I wonder what his reason to come here if he didn't even order food at all?

...

Kushida : *sigh* "I admit that it was me who keep insist to accompany you. But I hope you could told me sincerely, is it because you deal with Ryuuen-kun. That's why you don't want to anyone get involved with your problem?"

No, that's entirely wrong! More look like he just suddenly pop up out of nowhere to ruin my negotiation!

Kiyone : "W-Well...Honestly, I just wanted to create a countermeasure regardess our study group. I just want to make sure Horikita-san plan didn't fail"

Kushida : "Is that so? I'm glad that you didn't get involved with Ryuuen-kun at all. I heard some rumor that he is dangerous individual in our years. The fact that he lead class C through violence is so much proof of this."

So, Ryuuen-kun is class C leader huh? However I wonder, what kind of students which reside on that class which make Ryuuen-kun used violence to ruled them. Are they believe in social Darwinism who believed believe in "survival of the fittest"the idea that certain people become powerful in society because they are innately better. Social Darwinism has been used to justify imperialism, racism, eugenics and social inequality at various times over the past century and a half. Although in their case, it seems Ryuuen-kun become their leader because he is physically the strongest one between them.

Kiyone : "Ryuuen-kun is truly something..."

Kushida : "Aya-chan?"

Kiyone : "Ah! Sorry, its nothing"

Kushida : "Ne~ you said that you will make sure that Horikita-san plan runs smoothly. I just wonder, what did you do exactly. How could you know that senpai was from class D? And also what will you do with him?"

Hmm, I guess it doesn't harm to tell my intention this case toward her

Kiyone : "For your answer, I know he is from class D because he was restricted to the free meal. It's not very tasty, isn't it?"

Kushida : "Well, that's true. But still, even I don't wanted we ended up like them in the future. It just so pityful living like that during our 3 years on this school. Even we can't raise up through class A, at least I hope that our school life isn't miserable either..."

She had a point

Kiyone : "Of course I don't want to living like that either. And here my intention. I wanted to get the previous exam on the midterm from his first semester during first-year. The last mock exam gave me some hint."

Kushida : "Hint?"

Kiyone : "When I looked into it after, those were problems that second-years and third-years were probably learning. In other words, they don't expect first-years to be able to solve those problems. Isn't it useless to throw in those kind of unsolvable problems? They're probably there for a reason other than to actually test us. If the problems on the mock exam were the exact same as previous mock exams, what would happen?"

Kushida : "...If I saw those problems, I would be able to ace the test. But this might turn out to be useless. I mean past questions are past questions, right? This year's test may be completely unrelated."

Kiyone : "That's right. That's why I need to check it by myself by asking him to hand me his previous test question to me."

Kushida : "Wow, you are amazing Aya-chan! I wouldn't know we could use that kind of approach as well."

Kiyone : "Now, you already know."

Kushida : "Hehehe"

Kiyone : "Well, that was my intention until Ryuuen-kun ruined my chance" *sigh*

Suddenly I heard another footstep coming toward us from behind.

Sigh...

Gimme a break please

??? : "Fufufu~ Well, you girls seems get some problem. A Perfect-Existence like myself cannot allow such beautiful girls being desperate in front of my sight"

Koenji-kun, I wonder what is he trying to say. I rarely communicate with him so I don't quite understand his mindset aside that his characteristic being narcissistic. Lets throw another riddle. I wonder what kind of perfect-existence he means about

Kiyone : "Oh, its you. By the way, did mister Perfect-Existence had 40 teeth?"

Koenji : "What? Fufufu~ You surely jest. Did you think I like some kind of Buddha's? What am I saying that I'm perfect as a human doesn't mean I would go beyond that silly girl. Even I still had conscience about not challenging a God."

I read that having 40 teeth was one of Buddha's physical trait. Well, normally human had 32 teeth

Kushida : "Well then Koenji-kun, if it was the case. I wonder why you didn't want to give up your seat to old lady in the bus back then?"

Wow, she still remembered that day

Koenji : "Fufufu~ You seems keep dwelling something from the past. Just let something happened in the past in the past. You can't go forward you keep looking something in the past, Kushida-girl"

I'm not totally agree though. Not dwelling on your past and moving forward is good and I agree but whoever you are you should never forget your past because you become something today had involved had something to do with your past. That's why origin are important as part of our identity.

Kushida : "That's quite statement coming from you"

Koenji : "Fufufu~ lets get to the point. You need something from upperclassmen, no? Then, meet me after school end."

Kiyone : "U-Uh?"

Kushida : "Where"

He smiled

School ends, it about time just like we promised together.

I could see that Koenji wink to me and Kushida-san. I don't know how to respond and Kushida only replied him with uncertain smile

Oh, I almost forget. I need to tell Horikita or else she might misunderstand something.

Kiyone : "Ano...Horikita-san"

Horikita : "What?"

Kiyone : "I had to attend some bussiness now, you can start Study Group first. I'll come later"

Horikita : "Huh? What is it? Who give you permission to act as you please?"

What? Why couldn't I? Are you my mother or something?

But, some back up come to help me

Kushida : "Its alright Horikita-san. I'll come with her, no more look like we had some urgent matters together"

Horikita : "That's the more reason I can't allow it. Why are you taking my pawn?"

Kushida : "P-Pawn?"

Kiyone : "Just get used to it. She didn't even acknowledge me as her friend."

Well, I didn't acknowledge you as my friend either Horikita-san since you declared it clearly that we can't be friend. But this might be convenience since if there is a grief situation, I could ditch you anytime since I never pledge any loyality to you nor we are bound by any contract either way

Kushida : "Don't worry Horikita-san. We would come back to join your Study Group later since we never had any intention to ditch it to begin with. How is it?"

Horikita seems thinking for a while

Horikita : *sigh* "Fine, but just like you promised. You better didn't seek any reason to ditch it, we only had less than a week before the midterm exam started."

Kushida : "Of course. Now, Aya-chan lets go"

Kiyone : "Sure"

Finally we come to the place which Koenji-kun promised

Kushida : "Look! he's over there."

Kushida-san pointed towards a large table with a lot of seats around it. I could see the figure of Koenji-kun surrounded by girls.

He has his usual self-important attitude. Well, Koenji-kun and Hirata-kun seems like a boy who got surrounded by girls but somehow that type of girls who surround them are clearly different.

Kushida : "He looks more popular than I think before. Seems those girls are all third-years."

Kushida-san responded with flat tone. I could overheard some of the conversation between Koenji and the senpais.

??? : "Koenji-kun, say 'aah~'"

Koenji : "Haha~! Older girls are definitely better~"

Without feeling timid in the presence of third-years, he ate his meal practically glued to the girls. When he said older girls are better I wonder, how old his definition about 'Older girls'. Did someone which the same age like Chabashira-sensei included on his category

Kiyone : "Koenji-kun...he's really something..."

Kushida : "It looks like his name has been talked about here and there. Somehow I pity him for it"

Kiyone : "What do you mean?"

Kushida : "That senpais wouldn't do that because she actually liking him. They had ulterior motives. Since Koenji-kun is the heir of the famous conglomerate, they probably doing it just to safe their own future."

Kiyone : "Future?"

Kushida : "It seems that senpais mostly isn't from class A and the reason they do that because they seek a recommendation from the heir of Koenji Group."

I see, so those girls doing it for the money. But I'm pretty sure Koenji-kun by himself already aware about his own situation. Now I wonder, which kind of girl he probably interested in?

Kiyone : "What a sad world we live in."

Kushida : "Those girls are only being practical. You can't afford to eat with only your dreams."

Kiyone : "Would you do that too?"

Kushida : "I like to dream more. You know, someone like a knight in shining armor?"

Kiyone : "A knight in shining armor, huh?"

Nice phrase

We decide to approach Koenji-kun but honestly I had no idea how to started it when he surround by girls like that

Kushida : "Koenji-kun~ We are here"

Koenji : "Oh, you girls already here"

Wait, is it alright to started like this. I could see that the senpais looking at us with glares. However Kushida-san didn't waver at all

Koenji : "Well senpais, as you can see here. My classmate girls need some help from upperclassman. I would be honored at least if one of you could help them. Would you like to do a favor for me?"

After he asking like that, the glare turned into different thing...

??? : "Of course, I'll help them!"

??? : "Cease out will you, I will the one who do it!"

??? : "Me! Me! Me!"

??? : "Koenji-kun! I'm the most suitable one to do this!"

How could one of them saying that? We didn't even tell our request yet...

??? : "Koenji-kun, I'll treat your classmate girls better!"

??? : "No! Hey, you girls. Don't worry, let me help you. This senpai won't bite you"

??? : "What are you talking about! I'm the one who help them!"

Wow, now they are looking at us like we were some kind of auction products. Ikemen power is truly something, so scary!

Kushida : "Etto..."

Kiyone : "But senpai...how can you be sure to help us when we didn't even said our request yet?"

Now all of them silent

Koenji : "Then just state it girl. Althought I'm pretty sure this request involved with incoming midterm exam. Am I right?"

Kushida : "How can you tell?"

Koenji : "That's quite obvious, so what did you need from senpais here girls?"

Kiyone : "Actually,The last mock exam gave us some hint."

Koenji : "Ho~"

Kushida-san seems surprised when I said 'us' instead of 'me' but she didn't said anything further

Kiyone : "When we looked into it again, we had assumption that those were problems that second-years and third-years were probably learning. In other words, they don't expect first-years to be able to solve those problems. They're probably there for a reason other than to actually test us. That's why we need to compare this mock test to check that the mock test this time didn't change at all during last 2 years. And if this were proven, the next step we-"

??? : "You will need to look up the midterm exam paper during my years by yourself and compare it with the one they gave on students last year. So, that's how you guys got some clue to face midterm exam. Not bad idea, to think that there is someone like you two in Koenji-kun class. Somehow its quite relief"

??? : "Yeah, too bad that this years there is too many fools in your class that dragged you guys to the pit bottom. I mean, getting 0 class point its too much for starter. It must be so hard for you right?"

Kushida and I keep silent didn't say anything. I mean, it was not unusual for me to silent like this but this time Kushida-san also seems speechless and only turned her head down. I wonder what does she is thinking right now since usually Kushida-san always speak up to defend her friend when they are being critized

??? : "Chotto~ Don't said something mean like that toward them"

??? : "But that was the truth right? What's wrong with it?"

??? : "I'm sorry, she didn't mean anything bad. It just starting point. You still had 3 years ahead in this school. Don't give up! You guys can do it!"

Kushida : "Senpai..."

Oh, this senpai kinda kind that she decide to cheer us instead commented something negative for our situation. Even Kushida-san show some hopeful expression on her face

??? : "But, if in the end all of your effort gone in vain. You better ditch your useless classmates and starting collected private points instead. If there is a chance to move to another class. Don't hesitate to take that offer."

Kushida : "Senpai..."

She said while winking to us. I take back what I said, she just the same with the rest of them. Even Kushida-san expression become gloomy because of her words...

Outside the cafe, on our way to go Study Group.

Kushida : "Is this truly alright?"

Kiyone : "Actually, I don't mind giving my point to pay for their mock exam test and midterm test but they insist that we didn't need to pay anything for it. Those senpais are surely kind"

Kushida : "Well, I guess so..."

Soon after, She got a message from the third-year senpai with an attachment. It was the old tests.

First, we checked the mock test. The key question is, are the last three problems the same? I decide to look at her phone.

Kiyone : "Are they the same?"

Kushida : "It's completely identical. The problems, sentences, and all the words are the same. That's amazing! If we showed this to everyone, it would be an easy success! Lets show it not only to our Study Group, but everyone else in the class too!"

Kiyone : "Wait, we won't show it to anyone yet."

Kushida : "W-Why? We went as far as to talk with those senpais."

Kiyone : "If they hear that these are the test questions, they'll lose all motivation and focus. Above all, overconfidence is the biggest problem. The midterm may not be the same as the mock test, there's a possibility the problems are different on the midterm."

It's essential to keep in mind that these old tests are insurance.

Kushida : "Then, when are we going to use them?"

Kiyone : "Release these problems the day before the test. Then we tell everyone that these problems are roughly the same as this year's test. What would everyone do then?"

Kushida : "That night, everyone would try to memorize the problems"

Kiyone : "That's how it is."

The students who are don't understand the basics probably can't memorize all the problems in a single day. But, it's not difficult to understand the problems beforehand. We're not trying to get the highest score possible on this next test. We're trying to avoid failing. If we ask for too much, the plan might fail.

But with this, we can probably get everyone to pass in class D.

Kushida : "But still... Since when did you think to get these old tests?"

Kiyone : "Since we learned that the test was different. However, I had an inkling that the old tests might be similar ever since the midterm was mentioned."

Kushida : "Eh!? T-That early!? I thought you knew it because you were told by Horikita-san"

Mmm, should I telling lies that Horikita-san the one who told me. But, if later on she asked her about it...

Well, I guess I'll answer it honestly

Kiyone : "Kushida-san, you need to know that I didn't relied everything to Horikita-san to decide my own action"

Kushida : "Sorry for doubting you earlier, then tell me. How could you figure this out?"

Kiyone : "Remember when Chabashira-sensei first mentioned the midterm, she was speaking in an unusual manner. Even though she knew Sudou and the other's grades and attitudes, she spoke with absolute confidence. In other words, she confirmed that there was a surefire way to save them."

Kushida : "And you conclude that... the old tests?"

Kiyone : "Something like that..."

The reason why Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi were all admitted to this school, despite their academic ability, must be connected to this somehow. If they can't get good grades by studying hard, this is a sort of escape route for them. In other words, it's possible for everyone get near perfect scores by getting the old tests. That's how I understood it, at least.

Kushida : "Aya-chan, you're really observant, aren't you?"

She suddenly hug me. Kushida-san, I'm not kid so I hope she stop cuddling me

Kiyone : "I'm just worried. I didn't think that I could pass the midterm without any help anyway. I was looking for a way to reliably pass."

Kushida : "Good! Good! Aya-chan surely smart! Ehehehe"

Kushida-san smiling while giving me headpat. It takes quite a while for her to release me

Kiyone : "Etto...Also I have a favor to ask. Could you say that you got the old questions? Say that you got the old tests from a third-year senpai that you get along with."

Kushida : "Eh? Why we do that? Didn't we get the old tests together"

Kiyone : "You can't do that?"

Kushida : "I'm fine with it, but... are you really ok like that?"

Kiyone : "I like to avoid trouble, after all. I don't want to stand out. Also, our classmates trust you. It'd be a lot better for you to tell everyone else in our stead."

Kushida : "Ok. If you say so."

Kiyone : "Thanks. I hate to stand out unnecessarily."

Kushida-san suddenly dragged my arm and pull me to getting closer to her

Kushida : "Well then, let's keep this a secret between us."

Kiyone : "A-Ah...S-Sure..."

Kushida : "Don't you feel like there's some kind of trust between us when we share this kind of secret?"

Kiyone : "Hmm, dunno. But one thing I could say that Kushida-san is truly reliable person."

Kushida : "Thanks."

Kushida curtly replied. Then she embrace me with smile.

She is...kinda pretty...

If I were boy, my heart kinda flustered when a girl like her smiled so brightly like this. I mean this time somehow her smile are kinda different with the smile she usually used to be

On Study Group location

Horikita : "You are late!"

Somehow Horikita-san seems like she had bad mood. I guess she can't handle them alone

Kiyone : "We already told you right?"

Horikita : "Hmph!"

Kushida and I take the seat while preparing our equipment to study

Kushida : "Ahaha...etto...how about we resumed the study group activity..."

Kushida-san tried to pacify the situation which seemed tensed. These 3 didn't said anything since we came. I guess they didn't want to make Horikita-san mood even worse

Horikita : "Hmph! Fine then. Ayanokoji-san, Kushida-san, can you answer these question while corrected these three answer as well."

Kiyone : "Fine"

Kushida : "Ok! Leave it to us"

Then we started doing our job. While we did our job, Horikita-san take a break. I guess she is truly exhausted to handle them alone

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 1 : Midterm Exam

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Today is Thursday after school. The day before the midterm.

After Chabashira-sensei ended her homeroom session and walked out, Kushida-san quickly took action. She took printouts of the old midterm that we copied at the convenience store the other day and brought them with her to the podium.

Kushida : "Sorry, but can you guys listen to me before going home?"

Sudou also stopped and listened. Right now the only one who could get everyone attention like this in this class is Kushida.

Kushida : "I hope everyone has been studying a lot for tomorrow's test. I have something that can help for some final studying tonight. I'll hand them out now!"

She handed out the questions and answer sheet to everyone in the front row.

Horikita : "Test... questions? Did you make them, Kushida-san?"

Horikita was also surprised.

Kushida : "Actually, these are old test problems. I got them from a third-year senpai last night."

Karuizawa : "Old test problems? Eh, eh? Are these actual valid questions?"

Kushida : "Yes. Two years ago, the midterm had nearly the same questions as the one on this problem set. So, if you practice, I think we'll do better."

Ike : "Woah! Seriously? Kushida-chan, thank you!"

Ike hugged his test in happiness. All the other students also couldn't hold back their emotions.

Yamauchi : "What the hell, if we have these test papers, doesn't all of our studying become useless?"

While laughing, Yamauchi was complaining at the same time. My prediction was completely right.

Kushida : "Sudou-kun, do your best while studying. Okay?"

Sudou : "Y-Yeah. Thanks."

Sudou also received the test papers happily.

Then she approach Koenji but...

Kushida : "Here Koenji-kun"

Koenji : "I don't need it just give it to someone else. A Perfect-Existence like me didn't need this kind of trick"

He got up from his seat

Kushida : "B-But..."

Koenji : "Fufufu~ See you tomorrow Kushida-girl"

He just leave the classroom right away after rejected Kushida test papers. I wonder, even he was present at that time. He didn't even intend to used any trick to face the midterm tomorrow. Just like he said back that. His confident come from his self-esteem which he could calculate how far he could do by himself. I guess only yourself know your own limits

Ike : "This is a secret from all the other classes! Let's all do well and succeed!"

Ike shouted out loud with determination, but I had to agree. There's no need to send help to the other classes. Everyone returned home in high spirits.

Horikita : "Kushida-san. Good job."

Horikita went up to Kushida and praised her uncharacteristically.

Kushida : "Ehehe, is that so?"

Horikita : "I never thought to use the old tests. I'm also thankful that you went to see if these questions were still valid to use."

Looks like Horikita, who doesn't have any friends, didn't come up with the idea. Kushida take a glance to my direction and I only giving her thumb up, it means I don't mind it that she took all the credit.

Kushida : "I-It's nothing special. I'm doing this for my friends, after all."

Horikita : "Also, I think it was right to announce it today, after school. If word got out earlier, everyone would've probably lost motivation."

Kushida : "It's only because I got the problems pretty late. If the same problems are on tomorrow's test... everyone will probably get good scores."

Horikita : "Hmph! Also, our last two weeks of studying weren't in vain."

Even though it was probably an extremely long two weeks for the students who got failing grades, but I think they all got into the habit of studying.

Kushida : "Its hard, but it was fun too."

Horikita : *sigh* "I don't think that trio had the least bit of fun while studying."

Well, we've done all we could. It was up to how much effort the other three put into studying.

Sudou : "I just hope that I don't blank out during the test."

Ike : "Oi! Don't you dare to waste Kushida-chan effort will ya?!"

Sudou-kun...?

Well, there's not much that can be done about that one. No matter how well we do while studying, all that matters is how well we do on the actual test. Only practicing with the old test problems can help with this issue.

Its about time to going home. I had nothing to do...

Let's just go home

That's what I said, but I forgot to pick my ice cream coupon. I leave it under my desk

The classroom seems quiet since almost everyone already leave the class. Why I said almost because only two person left stayed inside the class. Horikita and Kushida

I wonder why Horikita-san today didn't immediately going home since the study group for today is done as well. Also, what kind of conversation they had since its kinda rare that Horikita-san willingly to spend her time with Kushida-san. Since I'm curious, I decide to Ieavesdrop them

Kushida : "Well then, I'm going home too."

Horikita silently looked at Kushida, who was putting her textbook and notes into her bag.

Horikita : "Kushida-san."

Kushida : "Hmm?"

Horikita : "Thank you very much for everything up to now. If you weren't here, the study group wouldn't have succeeded."

Kushida : "Don't worry about it~ I just want to aim for the higher classes along with everyone. That's why I agreed to help. I'll help any time."

With a smile, Kushida stood up and grabbed her bag.

Horikita : "Wait. I just want to confirm one thing."

Kushida : "Confirm?"

Horikita : "I need to confirm something because you said you wanted to keep cooperating with me."

Horikita looked straight at the smiling Kushida and asked. Ah, poor Kushida-san. I guess she would become Horikita's pawn number 2 after this.

Horikita : "You hate me, don't you?"

I was wondering what she wanted to ask, but that was unexpected. There is no way Kushida-san like tha-

Kushida : "Why do you think that?"

Huh? She didn't denied it yet she asking her back

Horikita : "You're not answering because it's true... am I right?"

After a silence for a while. Kushida-san trembling a bit...

Kushida : "Kh-"

Huh?

Kushida : "Ahahahaha!"

She suddenly laugh like a maniac. W-What happened?

Kushida : "Aahh~ you got me."

She put on her backpack and slowly lowered her hand back down. And then she faced Horikita while smiling.

Kushida : "Yeah! I really hate you!"

She replied directly, without trying to hide it. Is this another side of her. Is this her defect side? Or is this the side that she tried to hide so carefully?

Kushida : "Should I tell you the reason?"

Horikita : "No. It's not necessary. It's good enough to just know the fact. It just means that I can now talk to you without any hesitation from now on. If there is nothing else then see you later."

Then Horikita-san walk leaving the class. Oh no! I better hide or else I got caught for eavesdropped them.

I hold my breath until Horikita-san passed. She didn't noticed me

Phew! She already left, now I just need to wait Kushida-san leave the class so I could pick that coupon after this

But still, even though she was told directly that she was hated. Horikita calmly replied to Kushida. She is kinda though character I guess.

But something kinda bugging me. From that interaction earlier it seems like Kushida-san had a grudge toward Horikita-san yet Horikita-san herself seems didn't even bat an eyes on her. I wonder it like she is being accusated for ruining someone else life yet the very person didn't even remember that she know that person or what just she did to her.

Kinda confusing, however I doubt that just because a grudge like that someone like Kushida ended up on this class. I mean its common thing that people had their own enemy. There is saying that somehow we could be seen as a 'villain' in another person perspective. There must be something big happened which caused her put in class D. Who knows, maybe she got involved with kind of scandal or something terrible back then.

Kushida : "Ah! Such annoying b*tch! Huh...?"

Woah! That startled me, she is suddenly shouting like that

Kushida : "Isn't this that 4-eyes freak belonging?"

That's dangerous! She found out my coupon! What should I do? Should I just barged in?!!!

Wait a minute, did she just referring me as '4-eyes freak'? What did she think about me all along?

RING*

My phone suddenly ringing. I can't believe it she is calling me!!!

Kushida : "Huh? Is there anyone there?"

That's dangerous! Keep calm Kiyone. Lets just act like you forgetting your stuff and come back to classroom so she didn't find anything suspicious at all. Yosh! Lets do this!

I decide to answer the phone

Kiyone : "Moshi-moshi, Kushida-san. Did something hap-"

Then I act like surprised while opened the classroom door. Good! Keep silence for a while. Wait until she said somethi-! Huh? What? She suddenly walk with fast pace to my direction. Her expression kinda dark. That make me wary of her

Kushida : "You hear?"

Kiyone : "Hear? What? I don't quite understand what do you mean but if you mean that I could hear some bird noise outside the window than you have it."

Kushida : "I-I see, sorry for suddenly acting weird like that"

She came back to her usual expression. Good, now lets decide to end this farce

Kiyone : "It doesn't matter. More importantly Kushida-san, did something happened? You were calling me before"

Kushida : "W-Well, N-Nothing happened Aya-chan. Ah! That's right! Did you perhaps dropped this?"

She showed my coupon, lets act naturally

Kiyone : "Huh? Eh, wait. Isn't that my coupon?"

Kushida : "So, this was indeed your belonging huh?"

Kiyone : "How could you know it was mine?"

Kushida : "I'm pretty sure that the only ice cream connoisseur in our class was you. That's quite obvious not to mention that I'm going out with you lately. I was observe you as well during that time. Fufufu~"

Kiyone : "Is that so?"

Then she gave back the coupon to me

Kiyone : "Thank you very much Kushida-san. Then, if there is nothing else, I'll go back home. See you late-"

But she suddenly grab my hand. What is it? Another interrogation? Keep calm...keep calm...

Kiyone : "Kushida-san...?

Kushida : "Sorry...I just feel lonely when suddenly left alone..."

What should I do? It seems she try to figure it something from me, she is quite observant after all. I shouldn't underestimated her.

Then I look at my coupon...

I don't know will this works or not but lets divert her attention first

Kiyone : "Ne~ Kushida-san. I don't know what happened but you look troubled by something. I won't pry but would you like to accompany me?"

Kushida : "Accompany you? Where?"

Kiyone : "Buying ice cream"

Kushida : "Eh?"

Well, we ended up buying ice cream in a certain shop. Since I'm their regular I got that coupon. I ended up using it today. Right now we sit on the seat inside shop

Kushida : "Is this alright?"

Kiyone : "Don't worry its my treat. Also..."

I wonder if this really works to divert her attention so I decide to give her headpat

Kushida : "E-Eeh?! Aya-chan?!"

Kiyone : "Good! Good! You did your job perfectly, just think this as my grattitude for your effort. Since I doubt that Horikita-san give us any reward after all."

Then she grab my hand which I used to pat her. She hold it thighly

Kushida : "Hehehe, thanks but..."

Kiyone : "Hmm?"

Kushida : "Aren't you worried that I would tell Horikita-san about you are badmouthing her behind her back?"

Kiyone : "I don't mind it at all. It doesn't change the fact how she treat me either way. If it not for our class situation, I would probably rejected her request to begin with"

Kushida : "Is that so? Is this perhaps your reason to help her despite you seems reluctantly to help her?"

Kiyone : "Yup"

Of course that was total lie, I just do it for my own bidding

...

We finished ate the ice cream, it time to go home. Then we walk toward dormitory together

Kushida : "Ne~ Aya-chan..."

Kiyone : "Hmm?"

Kushida : "Thanks for today, I feel a little better..."

Kiyone : "Sure"

Is she truly feeling better, somehow I doubt it...

When I look at her like this, I can't believe it that this is the same Kushida who confront Horikita and swearing to her like she did on classroom. But...

Kushida : "Aya-chan?"

Oh I got caught stare at her. However I guess her mood getting better for sure

Kiyone : "Well, its nothing. You seems truly having good time like you said"

She replied me with smile

On the next day

Today its about time the midterm exam being held

Chabashira : "No absences? looks like everyone's here."

In the morning, Chabashira-sensei walked into the classroom with a smile.

Chabashira : "This is the first obstacle to being able to stay in school. Does anyone have any questions?"

Hirata : "We have been studying diligently for the past few weeks. I don't think there will be any dropouts in this class, you know?"

Chabashira : "You have a lot of confidence, Hirata. But, overconfidence somehow isn't good thing. Sometimes what are you wishing for didn't align with the outcome you received in the end"

Hirata : "Huh?"

She said that while smile, did she just warned us?

All the other students also had a look of confidence. Lining up the tests by tapping them against the table, she then passed them out. First period is social studies. I guess you can call it the easiest test among all the subjects.

If anyone trips up here, honestly, all the other tests will be a difficult struggle.

Chabashira : "Oh! I forgot to mention this to you. If no one fails on this midterm and the finals in July, everyone will get a summer vacation."

Yamauchi : "V-Vacation?"

Chabashira : "Yes, that's right... You'll be on a dream-like vacation on an island surrounded by the blue sea."

Summer and the beach means...Did we perhaps go to certain island? But didn't they said we aren't allowed to go outside campus during attend on this school.

Huh? What is this strange pressure?

Chabashira : "W-What is this strange pressure..."

Chabashira-sensei took a step back from the pressure she felt from the students. Even Chabashira-sensei could feel this kind of strange pressure. Her woman intution somehow kinda sharp as mine

Ike : "Everyone! Let's do our best!"

Most of boys : "Yeaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Ike loudly shouted in agreement.

Horikita : "Pervert."

Horikita throw a comment toward this situation

...

Before long, the tests were handed out to everyone. And with the teacher's signal, everyone started at the same time.

Looking through the problems, I quickly scanned over the whole test. Can the trio pass the test? I checked if the questions were similar to the old test questions.

Alright, all the questions are recognizable. I didn't look at the questions too carefully, but I couldn't see any differences. It was obvious that I could get a near perfect score if I memorized all the answers. But I wonder, I'm afraid that I got noticed if my score were perfect however I should make sure mine isn't get bested by those trio so I didn't need to promised those bothersome date

Looking around the classroom, I didn't see any students that looked confused or impatient. Seems like a good majority of the students did some last minute studying.

I also act carefully. Slowly went through solve each of the problems.

During second and third period, the test continued with the Japanese and chemistry sections. While I was solving the problems, I realized another thing. The topics that Horikita taught are pretty consistent with what the test covered. From the class lessons, she was able to accurately predict the type of questions that would appear. The girl who continued to write down answers in the seat next to me was more impressive than I first thought.

And then it was fourth period. Math. All the abnormally hard problems that were at the end of the mock test are, without a doubt, in this test. They probably don't understand what it means, but they should've done well if they memorized the answer.

And then it was break time.

Some of the study group members, like Ike, Yamauchi, Kushida, and Horikita all gathered.

Ike : "This is an easy pass!"

Yamauchi : "I feel like I'll get a 120 this time! You see Kushida-chan. If I put some effort I could do it. So, lets decide where are the place we should use for dating"

Ike : "What are you talking about?! I bet you can't even beat Ayanokoji-chan's score. Keep dream on! I'm the one who goes dating Kushida-chan but if you are lucky enough, you still get some consolation prize from Ayanokoji-chan"

Yamauchi : "Hah? What are you talking about?! You are the one who should wary of it! You better do your best or else you wouldn't even could dating Ayanokoji-chan at all"

Ike : "What did you said?! Grrr!"

Yamauchi : "Grrr!"

I guess they were pretty relaxed since they seems confidence to treat me like consolation prize. I'm not mad at all about it but I wonder if another girl will slap them on the spot when they heard it being mocked right in front of them.

Horikita : "Pfftt-!!! Consolation prize. Pfft-!"

Horikita-san seems mocking me as well, I could see she held her best hold her laughter.

While they were relaxing, they were holding the old test questions for a final review.

Kushida : "Sudou-kun, how are you doing?"

Kushida called out to Sudou, who was reviewing in his seat.

But Sudou looked gloomy, and was staring at the questions with great focus.

Kushida : "Sudou-kun?"

Sudou : "...Huh? Oh, sorry, I'm a bit busy."

He was staring at the English questions. He had a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

Kushida : "Sudou-kun, by any chance... did you not study the questions?"

Sudou : "O-Of course not! I did everything but English. I dozed off in the middle..."

Sudou was getting irritated. In other words, this is his first time looking at these questions.

Yamauchi : "What!? What did you just said?"

Ike : "You! To think that you had such audacity to waste Kushida-chan effort. How dare you!"

Kiyone : "Shut up, don't bother him"

They both silent after I told them so. Now, Sudou only had about 10 minutes of break time left to go over these problems.

Sudou : "Dammit, none of these answers are sticking in my head."

English is different from the previous tests and isn't that easy to memorize for him. In the first place, trying to memorize all the answers in the next 10 minutes is practically impossible normal students either.

Horikita : "Sudou-kun, try to memorize the answers that are shorter and worth more."

Getting up from her seat, Horikita moved next to Sudou.

Sudou : "O-Ok."

And then he started studying the easier to memorize and worth more, as Horikita said.

Kushida : "A-Are you OK?"

Trying to not get in the way, Kushida asked from the side, looking anxious.

Sudou : "Unlike Japanese, I don't know the basics, so this looks like a magic spell to me. Memorizing this will take some time."

...

10 minutes quickly passed by, and the unforgiving chime rang.

Horikita : "Its still not enough huh? Tch! This all I can do"

Kushida : "S-Sudou-kun, do your best"

Sudou : "Y-Yeah..."

Everyone back on their seat for preparing the next test

And then the test started. While all the other students started solving the problems, Sudou was having trouble. Occasionally, he tapped the pen on his head while thinking and kept pausing while writing. But no one can help him now. The only way to pass the test now is for Sudou to work his way through by himself.

So, ganbare~

After the last test finished, we all gathered around Sudou once again. The classroom become quiet since it was us here. I guess everyone decide to immeadiately leave after the test ended

Ike : "H-Hey, how was it?"

Ike asked anxiously. Sudou seemed to be slightly uneasy as well.

Sudou : "I don't know... I did what I could, but I don't know how well I did..."

Yamauchi : "It'll be fine. Since you've studied hard, things will turn out well."

Sudou : "Dammit, why did I fall asleep!?"

He was tapping his fingers against the table in irritation. Horikita stood right in front of Sudou.

Horikita : "Sudou-kun."

Sudou : "W-What is it? Are you lecturing me again?"

Horikita : "It was indeed your fault that you didn't go over the last part. However, like you said, you did your best when we were studying. You didn't throw in the towel even when it was difficult. With how much effort you put in, I think you should feel proud of what you did."

Sudou : "What's this? Are you trying to comfort me?"

Horikita : "Comfort? I was only speaking the truth. When I look at Sudou-kun, I understand that studying is difficult for you."

So Horikita was praising Sudou. None of us could believe that this was really happening. I though she would throw another insult like usual

Horikita : "Let's wait for the results."

Sudou : "Yes..."

Horikita still optimist about it but Sudou act opposite with this situation. He turned down his head like he is truly regret it. I wonder if he truly fail, could I use it? There is something that I wanted to testing out after all

Horikita : "Then... one more thing. I have something to correct."

Sudou : "Correct?"

Horikita : "Earlier, I said that your hopes of becoming a basketball pro were foolish."

Sudou : "Why are you reminding me?"

Horikita : "I looked into how one could become a basketball pro in this world? I learned that it was a really difficult path to get on the professional scene."

Sudou : "Isn't that why you told me to give up? Because it's such a reckless dream."

Horikita : "It's not like that. I know you have a passion for basketball. I know that you probably understand how difficult it is to become a pro."

It was her usual attitude, but this was clearly an awkward apology from Horikita. This girl, did she never apologized to anyone during her entire life?

Horikita : "In Japan, there are a lot of people who want to become pro. Among those people, there are also people who want to become internationally known. You're part of the latter group, right?"

Sudou : "Yeah. The incredibly foolish me is trying to become a basketball pro. Even though I might be stuck living a sad life as a part-time worker, I'm going to succeed."

Horikita : "I always thought that there was no need to understand anyone else but myself. But when you said you wanted to become a pro, I insulted you immediately. Looking back on it, I regret it. Someone who doesn't know how difficult and hard of a goal it is to achieve has no right to call it stupid and foolish. Sudou-kun, don't forget the hard work you put into studying and use it for basketball. You'll be able to become a pro with that kind of effort. At least, that's what I think."

Horikita's expression was the same as always, but she lowered her head to Sudou.

Horikita : "Sorry for what I said back then. ...Well then, goodbye."

Leaving behind her words of apology, Horikita left the classroom.

Yamauchi : "H-hey, did you see that? Horikita-san apologized!? And that nicely!?"

Ike : "I can't believe it...!"

Ike and Yamauchi were in complete shock. Kushida and I were also somewhat surprised.

Horikita admitted that Sudou did his best. Sitting in his chair in a daze, Sudou looked at Horikita as she walked out of the classroom. A short while after, he put his right hand over his heart and looked backed at us.

Sudou : "T-This is bad... I... I think I'm falling in love..."

Ike, Yamauchi, Kushida, Kiyone : "Eh? Eeehhhh!!!"

Seriously?

Monday after the midterm test

The test result huh? Honestly I'm not curious at about my own score all since I already predicted mine during the test on Friday ago

Walking into the classroom, Chabashira-sensei looked around the classroom in surprise. Everyone was waiting in suspense for the results of the midterms.

Hirata : "Sensei. I heard that the results will be released today, but when exactly?"

Chabashira : "There's no need for you to be that excited about it, Hirata. You probably passed."

Hirata : "When will they be released?"

Chabashira : "Well, now is a good time. There isn't much time for certain procedures if we did it after school."

At the words 'certain procedures', some of the students had a visible reaction.

Shinohara : "W-What do you mean?"

Chabashira : "Don't be confused. I'll explain it now."

After all, this school likes to explain the details all at once. She stuck the paper with everyone's names and scores on the board.

Chabashira : "Honestly, good job. I didn't think this class would do this well. In math, Japanese, and social studies, there were over 10 perfects."

Looking at the row of 100s, the students were cheering. However, one group of students weren't smiling.

I look at Sudou score. The only grade is Sudou's English score. And then four of Sudou's grades were a solid 60 points. His english score was a 39. This isn't good, but I think this is the perfect chance to figure out about 'that' as well

Sudou : "Woohoo!!"

Ike : "Yeah! This is really good! Now, then..."

But his expression turned a bit gloomy after he check my score and Kushida's score

Ike : "Ugh! How come...I though that at least I could date Ayanokoji-chan but her score and Kushida-chan score surely high..."

Yamauchi : "And here I though that it was good. I don't know what the reason I was working hard for. Its all gone in vain..."

Ike : "I know I'm supposed to be happy but somehow I didn't feel happy at all..."

Well, I scored 80 on all subject still too much for them. And it was even more impossible to beat Kushida since her average score is 92

Sudou stood up and shouted in relief. Ike and Yamauchi stood up at the same time and cheered. Although they still seems a bit disappointed since they can't date neither of us

There was no red line to be found on the paper. Kushida and I glanced at each other and she breathed a small sigh of relief. Horikita... wasn't smiling or cheering, but she appeared to be relieved inside. But I'm already aware something doesn't seems right here

Ike : "You saw it, right Sensei? When we put our minds to it, we can do it!"

Ike had a triumphant smile.

Chabashira : "Yeah, I recognize that. You did well. However—"

Chabashira-sensei had a red pen in her hand.

Sudou : "Huh...?"

Sudou let out a concerned voice.

She drew a red line right above Sudou's name.

Sudou : "W-What the hell? What does this mean?"

I know it

Chabashira : "You failed, Sudou."

Sudou : "What? That's a lie, right? Don't bullsh*t me, why did I fail!?"

Of course, Sudou was the first to protest. The classroom did a complete 180 from cheering to an angry uproar in a split second.

Chabashira : "Sudou. You failed on the English exam."

Sudou : "Don't lie to me, the passing grade is a 32! I passed!"

Chabashira : "When did anyone say that the passing grade is a 32?"

Ike : "No no, Sensei said so! Right, everyone!?"

Ike shouted in support of Sudou.

Chabashira : "Nothing you say will help. This is the unmistakable truth. On this midterm, the passing grade was a 40. In other words, you were one point short. Almost, but not quite."

Sudou : "F-forty!? I never heard of this! I can't agree to this!"

Chabashira : "Then, should I tell you how we decide what is a passing grade?"

Chabashira-sensei wrote a formula on the board.

She wrote, '79.6/2 = 39.8'

Chabashira : "Last test, and this test as well, each class has a set passing grade. And that grade was half the average."

In other words, anything lower than a 39.8 was a failing grade.

Chabashira : "Well then, that shows how you failed. You got a lower score."

Sudou : "Impossible... Does... does that mean, I am expelled?"

Chabashira : "Although it was a short time, you did well. After school, you will be asked to fill out a dropout form, but you will need a legal guardian. I'll contact them for you afterwards."

Seeing everything progress so casually, all the students knew that it was actually happening.

Chabashira : "The rest of you, good job for passing. On the final, please work hard to do the same and pass the test. Well then, onto the next topic—"

Hirata : "S-sensei. Is Sudou-kun really dropping out? Is there no way to save him?"

Hirata was the first to reach out to Sudou. Even though Sudou hated him and verbally insulted him.

Chabashira : "It's the truth. He got a failing grade, so he will have to drop out."

Hirata : "C-Can we at least see Sudou-kun's answer sheet?"

Chabashira : "Even if you look at it, you won't find any mistakes in the grading. Well, I expected you guys to make a fuss about it."

Taking Sudou's English exam answer sheet, she passed it to Hirata.

Hirata looked through every question with a gloomy expression.

Hirata : "There are... no mistakes."

Chabashira : "Well, if that's all, homeroom is now over."

Without any sympathy or any second chances, Chabashira-sensei ruthlessly announced his expulsion. Knowing that any comforting words would have the opposite effect, Ike and Yamauchi stayed silent. Hirata was also the same.

And sadly, it looks like one portion of the class was relieved. Are they happy a hindrance to the class has finally been kicked out? Is this a class which filled of defective human...

Chabashira : "Sudou, come to the staff room after school."

Horikita : "Chabashira-sensei. Do you have some time?"

Although she had stayed silent until then, Horikita quickly raised her hand. In her school life, Horikita had never made remarks during class voluntarily. At the new sight, both Chabashira-sensei and the whole class were surprised.

Chabashira : "That's unusual, Horikita. You're raising your hand. What's your question?"

Horikita : "Earlier, Sensei said that the previous test had a passing grade of 32 points, which was calculated by the formula you wrote earlier. Is there no mistake in calculating the last test's passing grade?"

Chabashira : "Yes, no mistake."

Horikita : "Then, I have one more question. I calculated the mock test's average to be a 64.4. Dividing that by two, you get 32.2. In other words, higher than a 32. Despite that, the passing grade was a 32 by truncating the decimal point. That's contradictory from this time."

Ike : "Y-Yeah. The passing grade should be a 39 then!"

Ike tried to help Horikita argument, but...

Chabashira : "I see. You anticipated Sudou's grade to barely pass. Only your English grade was low, after all."

Hirata : "What?"

Kushida : "S-So, you are doing that on purpose?"

Sudou : "Horikita, you..."

Sudou noticed something. The other students, in surprise, looked at the paper once again. Even though four of her five grades were perfect, she got a 51 on her English score.

Sudou : "You really..."

Sudou realized what she did.

And by no mistake, too. In order to lower the average grade, she purposely lowered her own grades.

Horikita : "If you think my opinion is wrong, please tell me why the calculation differs between the last test and this test."

The last ray of light. The last bit of hope. But I think it just useless attempt

Chabashira : "I see. Well then, let me tell you one more thing. Sadly, there's one error in your formula. Rather than truncating, we rounded the tests. Last test rounded down to 32, this test rounded up to 40."

Horikita : "Tsk!"

Chabashira : "In your mind, you probably noticed that the score was rounded. But holding onto that possibility... well, that's too bad. First period will start soon, so I will leave now."

Horikita had no more ways to retort and stayed silent. She wasn't able to counter her words, and her last hope was shot down. After leaving the classroom, the door slammed shut and the whole class was silent.

While trying to face the reality of having to drop out, Sudou looked at Horikita, who tried to stop him from failing by dropping her own grades.

Horikita : "...I'm sorry. I should've dropped my points even further."

Horikita slowly lowered her hand. Even 51 points was considerably low. If she dropped her grade to the 40s, she herself would be at risk for dropping out.

Sudou : "W-Why... You said that you hated me, didn't you?"

Horikita : "I'm just doing this for myself, don't misunderstand. It was in vain, though."

Yosh! This is good chance. I slowly got out of my seat.

Horikita : "Where are you going?"

She frown at me

Kiyone : "To the bathroom."

I exited the classroom

Quickly I walked towards the staff room. While wondering whether or not Chabashira-sensei had already reached the staff room, I saw her looking out the window, standing still in the hallway. As if she was waiting for someone.

Chabashira : "Ayanokouji, class will start soon."

Kiyone : "Sensei. Is it fine if I ask you one question?"

Chabashira : "A question? Is that why you ran after me?"

Kiyone : "I have something to ask of you."

Chabashira : "Starting with Horikita, and even you. What is it?"

Kiyone : "Do you think that today's Japanese society is fair?"

Chabashira : "What a sudden change in topic. Do you get anything out of it even if I answer?"

Kiyone : "It's very important."

Chabashira : "If I speak my opinion, then no, it's not fair. Not one bit"

Kiyone : "Yes, I also think the same way. Fairness and equality is a lie."

Chabashira : "Did you chase after me to ask that question? If that's all, I'm leaving."

I saw she is indeed leaving however why her pace a bit slow. Maybe she wanted me to try again to convinced her. Such troublesome adults

Kiyone : "When you told us that the test material had changed, you said something like this: 'I forgot to tell the class.' Because of that, the notice reached us was late than the other class."

Chabashira : "So what? You guys still had plenty time to study right?"

Kiyone : "Don't you think that class D is treated unfairly. Not only that bunch of people like us being grouped into one class. We also had a homeroom teacher who'd like to make it us having hard time and uncooperative."

Chabashira : "Aren't you kinda like ungrateful brat right now, Ayanokoji? And here I thought you are exceptional but I guess I overestimated you"

Kiyone : "What can one person do to change the entire class? I didn't said that I disagree being put on class D however at least I demand the same right to get proper information and knowledge. I'm pretty sure when I said equal it means we need more portion of attention to guide ourself become better individual however it doesn't seem like that in this school. This fact is quite different from what Principal said about it. As a student we had the right to be guided properly not being rot in this school as cannon fodder."

Chabashira : "Are you saying you can't agree to that? But it's a good example. I guess you could call it a micro example of our unfair society today."

Kiyone : "Of course, no matter how positively you look at it, the world is an unfair place. However, we are humans that can think and act."

Chabashira : "You are quite persistent huh?"

Kiyone : "I'm trying to say that it should seem equal at least."

Chabashira : "I see."

She give me smirk on her face

Kiyone : "It doesn't matter whether or not to abandon us was on purpose. However, it's a fact that one person is now being forced to leave the school because of those unequal conditions."

Chabashira : "Got to the point!"

Good, you should ask that sooner as well

Kiyone : "I want to meet with the school, who is perpetuating this inequality."

Chabashira : "To say you don't agree?"

Kiyone : "I just want to confirm the school's decisions with the right people."

Chabashira : "Sadly, even though you aren't wrong, I cannot let you. Sudou will drop out. It'll be very difficult to overturn that ruling at this time. Give up!"

She ignored my argument. But that doesn't mean there's no meaning in her words. As expected, this person is someone who always has a hidden implication in her words. Like I said she rambling too much

Kiyone : "You told me to give up but you still let me to try whatsoever. Why is that?"

Chabashira : *sigh* "Ayanokouji, I personally have a high opinion of you. Certainly, getting the old test questions was a correct solution. Furthermore, coming up with that idea even goes beyond common sense. But you distributed the questions to the class and raised the average test score. I think there's merit in coming up with that idea."

Kiyone : "Its Kushida-san doing, I didn't do anything"

Chabashira : "I know that you didn't openly admit it, but there are upperclassmen too. I also know that you got the test questions from a third year."

Somehow, my actions were discovered. Maybe she is secretly monitored my activity

Chabashira : "However, despite having a solid start by getting a hold of the test questions, you messed up at the end. That was why your plan didn't work. If he memorized them more thoroughly, Sudou probably wouldn't have gotten a failing grade in English. Why don't you give up and let Sudou drop out? Won't his future be more comfortable then?"

Kiyone : *sigh* "Now, you understand right what I mean bu uncooperative? This kind of attitude which I means from you. However that means also to say that I'm not giving up yet. I have another attempt."

From my pocket, I took out my phone.

Chabashira : "Are you trying to bargain me?"

Kiyone : "Yes, please sell me one point for Sudou's English test sensei."

Looking at me in astonishment, she laughed loudly.

Chabashira : "Ahahahahaha. I never imagined you would try to buy points."

Kiyone : "Sensei, you said so on the first day. There's nothing that can't be bought by points in this school. The midterm is one such thing in this school. Am I wrong?"

Chabashira : "I see, I see. Certainly, you could think of that way. Do you even have enough points to buy it?"

Kiyone : "How much is one point?"

Chabashira : "No one's ever asked to buy a point before. Let's see... I'll give you a point for 100,000 points."

Kiyone : "That's cruel sensei."

Chabashira : "Oi oi, I'm also taking risk here"

There isn't a single person in the school who hasn't used a point at all. Such deadlock, if only there is another students who help me to pay...

Kiyone : "Can the payment be paid in installments?"

Chabashira : "No"

Kiyone : "Can I take a loan from you to pay it?"

Chabashira : "Who do you think I am?"

??? : "I will also pay!"

A stern voice came from behind me. Turning around, I saw Horikita standing there.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san"

Chabashira : "Well, it seems your 'help' finally come to you"

I don't understand what did she mean by it. After all, the one who need help is Sudou-kun not me

Horikita-san came approach us

Chabashira : "Alright, I'll agree to sell you a point. I'll take a total of 100000 points from the two of you. Tell the rest of the class that Sudou's expulsion has been canceled. Is that fine?"

Horikita : "You promised to pay 100000 points, so it can't be helped."

Eh? That's it. Just like that? I though there is more procedure for that

Chabashira-sensei talked with an amused tone as she continued to look at us in wonder.

Chabashira : "Horikita, you also understand, right? What make you different with Ayanokouji's?"

Horikita : "Yeah, she is different from me. I only see her as an unpleasant student."

She said that while frown at me, I look at her back with silent

Horikita : "You purposely got low scores on tests, thought to get old test questions and give the credit to Kushida-san, and came up with the idea of buying test points. I don't think you're particularly special, you're just unpleasant."

Somehow, it looks like she discover about the test questions too.

Chabashira : "If it's you guys, you might actually be able to move your class up."

Horikita : "I don't care about her, but I will definitely rise up."

Chabashira : "In the past, there's never been a case where a class D has been promoted. It's because the school immediately labels you as inferior and pushes you aside. How are you going to accomplish that?"

Without wavering, Horikita returned Chabashira-sensei's gaze.

Honkai : "Honestly, many of the students in class D are inferior. However, that doesn't mean they're trash."

Chabashira : "What's the difference between inferior goods and trash?"

Horikita : "There's a paper thin difference. I think that with a little help, there is the possibility of improving an inferior good to a superior quality."

Chabashira : "I see. When you say it, it sounds oddly persuasive."

Her words were certainly significant. But I still doubt about the part that she could bring our class to be promoted. What can she do alone? Like some quote from Sun Tzu, we need to understanding 3 main factor to achieve victory which knowing yourself and your ally; knowing your enemy; and lastly knowing your battlefield. However, from my perspective. Horikita-san didn't even to learn her ally and enemy. She just too focused prepared on 'battlefield' aspect which can be said this school itself

But I believe that Horikita-san, who previously looked at other students and people as a hindrance, was slowly changing. It shame that I didn't intend to become her allies, but I guess I'll stick with her until a certain time. I wanted to see how far she can do

Of course, it's not that simple. Even though it's a tiny glimpse of her change, it's a huge change in my opinion. As if she noticed as well, Chabashira-sensei faintly smiled.

Chabashira : "Well then, I look forward to it. As your homeroom teacher, I'll make sure to watch attentively to future events."

Kiyone : "Well, if there is nothing else I could do. I'll go back to classroom. Excuse me"

Horikita : "Then, I'll go back as well"

When Horikita about to go back together with me. Sensei stopped her

Chabashira : "Wait Horikita! Actually I had something to talk with you, don't worry it won't take a long time"

Horikita : "I understand"

I don't know what are they talking about and I didn't intend to find out about it either. Since Sensei didn't called me so I guess I go back to classroom alone right now.

With this, I just hope that another troublesome matter didn't caught us too fast, at least give me a break before another storm...

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

1 chapter again about epilogue and we finished volume 1 soon

Did you guys wanted some SS from Kushida perspective before we ended volume 1? If you wanted it I will make it after epilogue chapter

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 1 : What's Their Goal?

Horikita Suzune POV

Somehow I'm glad we could turn around avoid Sudou getting expelled. But this homeroom teacher of us like to make everything difficult.

Chabashira : "Well then, I look forward to it. As your homeroom teacher, I'll make sure to watch attentively to future events."

Future events huh? It would be great if we get a cooperative homeroom teacher as well to help me achieve my goal. To graduate from class A

Kiyone : "Well, if there is nothing else I could do. I'll go back to classroom. Excuse me"

I guess I'll get back as well. There is nothing to do here anymore

Horikita : "Then, I'll go back as well"

Chabashira : "Wait Horikita! Actually I had something to talk with you, don't worry it won't take a long time"

Horikita : "I understand"

I don't know what sensei wanted to talking about. But I hope its worth of my time.

I see Ayanokoji already leave out of our sight. But I wonder why did she waiting until she leave far away. It can't be about her right?

Horikita : "So, what did you wanted to talk? Is it about her?"

Chabashira : "Ho~ And why would you assumed that I wanted to talk about her?"

Horikita : "Because you didn't said anything and also you waiting for her to leave far away. I wonder, does this truly important or it might be probably about her? But let me clear about one thing. I don't care about her private life or her backgrounds. As long as she does her job well, I had nothing to say about her."

Chabashira : "That's quite assumption you know. But here you get it wrong. Its true that this talk might be involved about her however what I wanted to know is how does your progress to achieve your goal."

Horikita : "What is it? Trying to become a proper homeroom teacher? Well, anyway I'm glad that you finally decide wanted to talk about it. You keep avoiding me last time since I visited you directly on first May."

Chabashira : "Then, I'll get to the point. Do you think that the current class D could ascend to class A?"

Horikita : "You do understand your answer as well right. It's impossible with the current situation."

Chabashira : *sigh* "You don't get what I means huh? Then I'll change the question, does this class D students had a chance to bested the other class?"

Horikita : "You mean, you wanted to know that is there any potential on this class D students? Well...Honestly, I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't even know the others students capability. I can't gauge them yet since most of them not quite stand out at all, most of them just plain. And of course, since we were at beginning. I don't even know the capabilities of students in another class. So, I need time to make it"

Chabashira : "Is that so? Then what about the students who hang out around you lately. What do you think of them?"

Horikita : "I think that Sudou-kun, Yamauchi-kun, and Ike-kun had some potential. I mean, this is the school which running by government. There must be some kind of reason why would they get enrolled here. For example, Sudou-kun indeed had a talent to become professional basketball player. He got quite good physique as well, that's why if we could use his ability properly. He would become great assets for us, that would apply to the latter two as well"

Chabashira : "Then, what about the other student?"

Horikita : "You mean Ayanokoji-san?"

Chabashira : "Well, she and Kushida actually. So, what do you think?"

Horikita : "Kushida-san...I just...somehow I can't stand with kind of people like her. It would be great if she could deal with herSkizofrenia properly, honestly the current her is truly annoying. I can't stand with it."

Chabashira : "You seem like you had a hostile relationship with her?"

Horikita : "I just find her annoying. Why people like her could be existed?"

Chabashira : "Isn't that obvious? You should aware what I said about this class during first May in front of all of students"

Horikita : *sigh* "I understand. But, does even people like Hirata-kun had some kind of problem. He seems quite normal I think"

Chabashira : "Fu~ Who knows. Then what do you think of Ayanokoji?"

Horikita : "She is quite useful pawn. Thanks for introducing her to me."

Chabashira : "Is that all?"

Horikita : "That's all for now. I mean, I don't know anything about her since she never talk about herself at all. But I do admit, her way of thinking often out of the box"

Chabashira : "Hahahahahaha~"

She is laughing, I can't understand her at all

Chabashira : "Then, I'll tell you something. You know, belive it or not Ayanokoji..."

I walk back to classroom after that small talk with my homeroom teacher. Some of her words mostly contain nonsense. Such waste a time, I though that at least she gives important advice of some kind of hint or clues regarding next exam.

I guess that was just wishful of mine

Something actually kinda bothered me, why she is somehow excessively intrigued with Ayanokoji. But still, to think that she is badmouthing her own student behind her back. What kind of adult is she? Can't I even trust someone like her?

??? : "Horikita-san"

This voice...

Horikita : "Kushida-san?"

Kushida : "Ehehe, I didn't expect to meet you here"

Isn't she supposed to be in classroom, why would she come all the way here? Don't tell me she is following me

Horikita : "So, what's the point of talking with me if you hate me so much?"

Her expression changed, her hateful face somehow kinda make me comfortable. At least she shown her true color which make me relieved about her personality

Kushida : "As expected, your behaviour always pissed me off like usual"

Horikita : "He~ Is that so? Then where have you been? Shouldn't you be inside classroom?"

Kushida : "Hah?"

Horikita : "It doesn't matter if you won't reply me. It just small chit chat anyway"

Kushida : "Are you curious?"

Horikita : "Not really"

She change her expression again, back to her facade face

Kushida : "Then, Horikita-san. Where were you have been?"

Horikita : "Before answering that. Can I ask your opinion?"

Kushida : "Sure, what is it?"

Horikita : "What do you think about Sudou-kun expulsion? Did it bother you? You said that you wanted to get along with everyone. Am I right?"

Kushida : "Honestly, I don't had any thought about it. About his expulsion its doesn't bothered me at all. And about the part which I wanted to get along with everyone. Isn't that obvious you already know the answer by yourself. Did you even need to ask about that?"

Horikita : "Hmm, you are right. That was stupid question. Then, how about this. What do you think about Ayanokoji-san?"

She suddenly stopped her step. Somehow she got flinched after hearing that. As expected, she followed me after all

Horikita : "What is it Kushida-san? That was simple question, no?"

Kushida : "W-What are you talking about? You talk as if you implied that we are badmouthing her behind her back right now"

Horikita : *sigh* "Kushida-san, you are understand what am I talking right?"

Kushida : "You act like smartass again. Its not good to act too cocky like that"

Horikita : "Are you getting bothered by it? But I think you might be too dumb when you suddenly decide to talk with me like this, knowing that both of us having hostile relationship like this"

Kushida : "That's so rude Horikita-san. Nobody like you if you talk like that to another person"

Horikita : "Don't worry, I just simply talk to the point. Or are you going to said that you just come out from restroom and coincidentally meet with me?"

Kushida : "Ahahaha, what are you talking about. Its just truly coincidence you know. Just coincidence"

Too cliche to be called coincidence

Horikita : "You know Kushida-san, Ayanokoji-san seems very sad when sensei declaring about Sudou-kun expulsion. You saw it right she is on the verge about to cry"

Kushida : "Eh? What are you talking about? She could cry?! To think that she could shown her emotion like that?"

Horikita : "What, you didn't know? She used an excuse like to go to restroom when I asked her when she about leaving the classroom. Its quite strange that you talk like you didn't meet her over there"

Kushida : "A-Ahhh~ I got busted there. Well, actually she is crying. Y-You see, she told me that I shouldn't let the other know what happened there. So it was like secret between us. That's why I feign ignorance"

Horikita : "Is that so? I see. Honestly, I didn't know which Ayanokoji you are talking about? When I was about to appeal sensei, I found her she already talking with her there."

Her expression change again

Kushida : "Tch! Damn you! So, you aware that I following you. That's why you suddenly mentioned about her?"

Horikita : "What is it? Why are you so angry. You talk as if you despised me because I lied but it big coming from actual liar like you. Isn't that ridiculous?"

Kushida : "I hope that your head got grown more bigger and bigger by day to the point it would explode one day because sum of sheer your arrogance to everyone around you!"

Horikita : "Now, stop barking Kushida-san. Back to my question, what do you think about Ayanokoji-san?"

Kushida : "Did sensei words truly shake your tenacity? pathetic. You know she just talking nonsense. She might be actually never care with us either. She didn't even take a look for her once so how could she deduce it. Beside, what so special about that plain looking girl like her? She just another extra character in the class like the other after all."

Then she fasten her step to walk in front of me

Seriously? Is that what you think actually about her Kushida-san? I guess she isn't too observant like me. Or maybe I just feel wary of anything unlike her

In classroom

Ayanokoji suddenly approached me

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, you had a time?"

Hmm, what is it? Is she going to talk serious matter.

Horikita : "Fine"

Then I followed her. Now we are near vending machine. She buy juice from it. I decide to sit on the nearest bench waiting for her

I'm still remember what sensei utterly said. But more importantly, even I had resolve to bring this class to reach class A. I still doesn't had a concrete method to achieve it.

Kiyone : "Here"

W-What?! I feel a cold sensation on my cheek. I saw Ayanokoji put a can of juice on my cheek. That's truly startled me

Kiyone : "Thanks for your hardworks"

Horikita : "S-Sure"

Why she suddenly act like this?

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, would you like to go with me after school?"

I frowned upon her word, did she try to asking my help?

After school

And why am I here?

Ike : "Cheers!"

Holding a can of juice, Ike shouted in excitement.

After the midterm results were announced, all the study group members gathered in the evening. This girl, I'm pretty sure Ayanokoji was being asked by them to drag me here as well. Since I already came here I can't argue with her here

I guess this isn't bad. But its kinda pathetic that they wanted to held party yet they can't afford to do it. So, they decide to celebrate it on Sudou-kun's room. Just like typical boys room in my imagination. His bed so messy and I found there is several basketball player poster, some fitness toolkit, a basket ball, etc. Quite determinate guy I think.

Ike : "...What's with that gloomy face? Sudou wasn't kicked out, so everything's over, right?"

Yamauchi : "I just thinking that our effort to study kinda useless, I can't date anyone..."

Ike : "Come on! Being able to pass exam is kinda reward for our lazy-self after all. I mean its not over right? As long as you don't kicked out from this school your chances still exist here."

Yamauchi : "I know, don't nagged me like that. However its kinda amazing that Sudou can clean up his room so fast. He can't let the guests disappointed after all. Hahahaha!!!"

Ike : "So what? You wanted to use your room, and let the girl saw your dangerous collection? If it was me. Even if my room clean, I wouldn't let a girl visiting my room either unless I already prepared to getting rid of it."

Yamauchi : "Can't let the girls saw your pathetic side right?"

Ike : "S-Shut up!"

Yamauchi : "Must be nice if we can celebrate it on girl's room."

Ike : "Keep dreaming! We also can't go to the girl's rooms, right? Since its kinda inappropriate to asked them to hold party in their room moreover it was us who requested it. Of course, I'd love it if we were in Kushida-chan's room. That's why we decide to use Sudou's room. At least Sudou had least decency than us."

Yamauchi : "You talk like you said that Sudou is better than us"

Ike : "On certain point, yes. I can't deny it."

Yamauchi : "Well, look on his room. It's only been two months since the start of school. It's kinda strange to have so much stuff like this? Did he wasting his points for this?"

Ha~

These boys just talk useless topic. On another hand, Ayanokoji and Kushida helped Sudou to prepare the dish

Kushida : "Wow, Aya-chan! I never know that you are kinda skilled at cooking"

Kiyone : "Is that so? I think that everyone who already tried to do cooking could do something like this at least"

Sudou : "Its kinda amazing. The cuts It look clean, fresh, and simple. Even I rarely cook myself, looking at you like this. I could tell that you are good at this"

Kushida : "Your utensil itself look like kinda new, look at this oven. It is look almost being never used to begin with."

Sudou : "That's rude, I still used it for sometimes occasion like heating my food"

PING*

Kushida : "Its done! This looks delicious!"

Kiyone : "Lets bring that to everyone. At last they had something to eats while I'm preparing for dinner"

Kushida : "Yes ma'am!" *giggles*

Sudou : "Thanks girls. Without your helps this party would be looks lame."

Kushida : "Don't mind it. But, Aya-chan seems almost good at anything. Are you trying to show off"

Sudou : "Right? It must be nice to be praised by Kushida-san. Hahahaha!"

Kiyone : "Not really. Its not like I wanted to show off or something. But it just something that I used to do. I'm pretty sure my cooking skills are nothing compared to Horikita-san"

Kushida : "Eh? Horikita-san..."

Sudou : "You talk like you kinda competing with her for it..."

Huh? I never though she observe me as well. No, more look like she just observe my foods. Back then I denied her request for her to tried my cooking, until she could trade it with something equal with it. Now I understand what is she trying to do. That girl sometimes serious about trivial matters like this, it would be great if she had serious ambition as well like me to reach class A

Kushida : "Sorry for waiting! At least here some snacks for you guys for now. I'll help Aya-chan preparing for our dinners. "

Yamauchi : "D-Dinners?!"

Ike : "Isn't they pushing themselves too much? We didn't even planned it. Sudou, you are demanding too much from them!"

Sudou : "Trust me, it was not me. Beside the girls truly persistent with it. Honestly I feels ashamed as well, I guess next time we should take them to cafe to repaid the debts"

Yamauchi : *sigh* "If I didn't use my point to buy the console. I would pay you all to had a bigger party than this one"

Ike : "Hey, come on! Don't be like that, at last we could play together right?"

Ike still thinking that buying console more important. I once heard from Ayanokoji that his motto something about enjoy his youth. This guy doesn't even seems to care with his own futures.

Sigh...

Yamauchi : "All things considered, though this midterm was pretty dangerous. If we didn't do that study group, Ike and Sudou were definitely going to get kicked out."

Ike : "Hah?! You were pretty much on the edge too, you know!"

Yamauchi : "No no, I would be able to get a perfect score if I tried. Seriously."

Ike : "Yeah, I know. The great Yamauchi will be able to get better score if he seriously kneeling in front of me while I'm teach him again about the recap of our study"

Yamauchi : *gulp* "Y-You! Don't you dare to disregard me in front of the girls!"

Ike : "Hah? Then, you better stop your attempt to get Kushida-chan attention. Grr!"

Yamauchi : "What did you say! Grr!"

I wonder could they said the same again after they figure out her true nature. These boys looks so pityful

Kushida : "Dinner is ready!"

I see Ayanokoji and Kushida bring out the dish

Yamauchi : "Seriously?"

Sudou : "That was fast!"

Ike : "Man, I'm starving now"

/

During dinner...

I finished my dinner. I take some sip on my drink. I hate to admit it that her cooking skill quite good.

Yamauchi : "This is so good. Kushida-chan cooking is the best"

Kushida : "Ahahaha, honestly I only help her preparing some ingredient here and there. The one who cook this are Aya-chan."

Ike : "Wow, this is delicious. This is the first time I ate girl's cooking and its so delicious. If Ayanokoji-chan could do something like this at least, I wonder if Kushida-chan cooking must be definitely better than this"

Girls favoritism and her own talent are different thing. How stupid he can't be. Did he think that the prettiest girl normally had more outstanding talent than the others?

Kiyone : "Don't sell yourself low Kushida-san. Without your help, I couldn't prepared it on time"

Sudou : "Prepared on time huh? Honestly I don't mind waiting it at all, because this such great dish is worth to be waiting for"

Kiyone : "Is that so? Thanks"

Ike : "Tch! At least show something like blushing expression or anything else. You are human after all"

Kiyone : "Ah...Uh...I-I'm sorry..."

Sudou : "Ike you fool!"

Sudou hit Ike head

Ike : "That's hurt!"

Yamauchi : "Oi oi, next time mince your words carefully Ike. No wonder no one girls like you at all"

Ike : "Hah?! That's rich coming from you!"

Kushida : "Everything's thanks to Horikita-san's effort. After all, she also taught Ike-kun, Sudou-kun, and Yamauchi-kun."

She tried to divert the conversation but...

Why is she...

Horikita : "I'm just acting for myself. If someone dropped out, class D's points probably would drop as well."

Ike : "Even if it's a lie, say that you did it for us. We'll think of you better."

Horikita : "It's fine if you don't think better of me."

Kiyone : "Is that so? Aren't you the one who persistent to help them no matter what happened"

I frowned upon her remark

This girl! Thanks to your efforts. If you didn't persistenly annoy me. I wouldn't even care with them at all

Sudou : "Well, but... Horikita's surprisingly nice."

Follow up on her remark, Sudou replied.

And what happened to him as well. Before, he declared me to be no good, but it looks like he changed.

Ike : "Oh right, I never ask this before. Anyway, why did Sensei decide to cancel Sudou's expulsion?"

Yamauchi : "That's right! Did you threathen her Sudou?!"

Sudou : "Huh? Why would I do that?"

Ike : "By the way, the one who told us first about sensei decision to cancel Sudou's expulsion was Ayanokoji-chan. Could you tell us what exactly happened?"

Oh, so she inform them first and then Kushida stealing her spotlight by tell everyone in the class later on. That's how she could maintained her status. But, its kinda weird that nobody ask about why sensei change her decision. No, more look like they didn't even care that much about Sudou to begin with

Kiyone : "Umu, actually.Horikita-san spoke to the school, well she talk to sensei in staff room precisely"

W-What?!! Why did she-

Kushida : "Then, what did she said? How could she convince her?"

What these two planning toward me? Damn it!

Kiyone : "Let see, she said that someone can't get kicked out of school just because he received bad grade. If a student got a bad grade, he can't be blamed alone for his mistake. This school should take a proper reason even they wanted to defend themselves. That's quite tense atmosphere that even I feel uncomfortable if I was keep staying on there."

Ike : "But, to think that she dare to confront her for Sudou's sake..."

I didn't do for anyone but myself!

Kiyone : "That's right. I was also wondering about that. What kind of sorcery did you use, Horikita-san? Usually, even I was the one who argue with sensei using the same words like you. I doubt I could convince her at all."

Tch! I become the center if attention now

Horikita : "I don't remember."

Ike : "Uwa, a secret!?"

Ike fell over exaggeratedly.

Horikita : "Cast aside about it, we had important matter ahead of us. Just because we made it past the midterm, we shouldn't be celebrating wildly. Our next hurdle is the final exam. Obviously, the problems on the final exam will probably be harder than this exam. Also, we still have to look for a way to raise our points."

Ike : "Do we have to start this hellish studying again... That's the worst."

Ike buried his head in his hands.

Kiyone : "Don't you think we should start now so that it doesn't become too bad?"

Ike, Yamauchi, Sudou : "No!"

These useless lazy bunch!

Ike : "Honestly, I don't understanding anything about the school, like the class division and the point system..."

Yamauchi : "Ah~ my points~. I want points~. Poverty is really the worst~."

Having used up all their points, Ike and Yamauchi were living only on free goods. Then, if you wanted to change your life just cooperate with me. Don't become a burden for my goals!

Kushida : "Hey, Horikita-san. Is it still really hard to get points?"

Sudou : "We did well on the test, so we should be able to get some points, right!?"

You are the one who talk Sudou

Horikita : *sigh* "Have you seen our average? Among all the classes, we're by far the lowest. If you think we can get points like that, you should change your way of thinking."

Well, I get those information from Ayanokoji, honestly I don't even know what kind of method did she used to gain this information. I remember he only had an acquintance from class A. Perhaps they already know each other before coming to this school. Well, its not that I wanted to pry on her life at all. As long as she is cooperating with my goals. That's all matters

Ike : "Then we get no points next month as well... no..."

Kiyone : "Just live a life in moderation and give up on your luxurious lifestyle."

Ike : "How could a girl said something like that? Aren't you guys usually used more money than us in general"

Horikita : "She is not your usual girl after all. She is someone who lack too much common sense as if she never saw outside worlds before"

Kiyone : "?!"

Huh? Why she looks shocked like that, I'm just joking.

Sigh, it would be hassle if she got sulking again toward me

Kushida : "It's ok, Ike-kun. We might not get any points right now, but we'll get some points in the near future. Right? Horikita-san."

Horikita : "I wonder."

Kushida : "Everyone! Can I say something? We're all friends, after all. Horikita-san, Aya-chan, and I are working together to try and get to class A. If it's fine, I want you guys to help us."

What is she trying to do?

Kiyone : "No, it just Horikita-san wish. I just happened got sweep in the flow"

This girl!

Sudou : "Get to... class A? Eh, are you serious?"

Kushida : "Yes. Of course. Trying to increase our points, obviously, is an important part of that as well."

Ike : "But isn't that super far-fetched? They're a smart bunch, right? Since they're way smarter, isn't it practically impossible?"

I know they are not confidence enough with it but...

Kiyone : "Studying isn't the only thing that decides classes though. Right? Sensei said it by herself"

Kushida : "Yeah, but I think if you can't study, it's out of the question."

The three people whistled and averted their eyes.

Kushida : "We're still pretty far from our goal, but if we work together, we'll get there. Definitely."

Horikita : "Aren't you are too confidence with it. Where's the evidence for that?"

Kushida : "Well, three people working together won't fail as easily as just one, right?"

Kiyone : "Isn't that the evidence already fullfilled?"

Horikita : "Evidence huh? Are you sure that you didn't need to change your glasses? Your eyes seems worse than it looks."

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, it isn't nice to mock my sight like that just because you disagree with me"

Horikita : "I don't think that really applies to these three."

Well, I guess she isn't sulking at all. Maybe she is more patient that she looks, but her emotionless face always hard to predict. Honestly I'm pessimist about these three

Kushida : "W-Well... Oh, that's it! Three heads are better than one! Something like that."

Horikita : "Well, if you add their test scores, it's like one person's score."

Just embrace the reality Kushida-san, stop spoiling them.

Kushida : "B-But, If we fight, nothing will get done, right? Getting along is definitely better."

Ike : "...If you think about it, I guess that's about right."

Kushida : "Right?"

She is truly good at alluring people like a certain wicked witch.

But just like Ayanokoji once told to me. In any case, if we're trying to move up in classes, it's probably best to get along with as many classmates as possible. At least I had more pawn to used to achieve my goals. If we fight at this stage, nothing will come out of our efforts. Its too soon.

Kushida : "That's why I want to ask you three for help once again."

Ike, Yamauchi : "Gladly!"

Ike and Yamauchi immediately replied.

Sudou : "Well, if Horikita asks me to help, then..."

Eh? What is this?!

Horikita : "I've never thought to rely on you, Sudou-kun, and I also never wanted you to help. You wouldn't be very helpful in the first place."

Sudou : "Gah!! I was trying to be nice, you know!"

Horikita : "Trying to be nice? I'm surprised."

Not surprisingly, Sudou flared up in anger, but didn't raise his fist like before. He's improving too, it seems. But, if only he could be more useful aside from his physical ability I would definitely used you more often

Sudou : "You're annoying."

Horikita : "Thank you for your kind words."

He seems frustated

Sudou : "...Y-You're not cute at all."

Huh? I couldn't hear his word

Ike : "You say that, but what do you really mean?"

Ike poked fun at him. Sudou sent a fierce glare towards Ike, and put him in a headlock. Well, definitely not something important I guess

Ike : "Ow! S-stop!"

Sudou : "If you say anything unnecessary I'm going to strangle you."

Ike : "Y-you're already strangling me! I give up!"

Is this something like 'friendship between men', I let out a deep sigh.

Horikita : "This school is ruled by our ability. Only harsh competitions awaits us now. It's not something you can do half-heartedly. If you say you'll help and then give up, you'll only be a hindrance."

Sudou : "Leave anything physical to me. I have confidence in my basketball and fighting skills."

Horikita : "I can't expect anything from you after all."

Sudou : "Wha-?!!"

Ignoring Sudou remark. I see Ayanokoji seems pondering something. Could it be she isn't confidence with her physical ability as well

Horikita : "What happened Ayanokoji-san? Not confidence with your physical ability. Don't worry, as long as you didn't ended up as burden. I won't blame you"

Kiyone : "But I could swim faster than you"

Kushida : "Hahahaha~"

Argk! I forgot that she had capable physique as well. If one of thing, it might be her eyesight that isn't too good. Then, I saw Kushida expression like mocking me as well. Did these two perhaps conspiring to bullying me?

That's right. When I thinking again, Ayanokoji is quite weird. Is she perhaps lack motivation or something like low self-esteem? No matter what, I can't seems to understand her motive at all. She is at least shouldn't be placed in class D. Class C or Class B would be fitting more with her.

Now I just remembering again what Chabashira-sensei said about her.

flashback

Horikita : "She is quite useful pawn. Thanks for introducing her to me."

Chabashira : "Is that all?"

Horikita : "That's all for now. I mean, I don't know anything about her since she never talk about herself at all. But I do admit, her way of thinking often out of the box"

Chabashira : "Hahahahahaha~"

She is laughing, I can't understand her at all

Chabashira : "Then, I'll tell you something. You know, belive it or not Ayanokoji..."

Huh?

Chabashira : "...is the most defective student in class D"

end of flashback

Just what kind of defect trait you had, Ayanokoji-san?

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

1 chapter about epilogue and we finished volume 1 soon

Regarding of Kushida SS, I decide to change format like this. So, next chapter is probably we saw something from Kushida POV.

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 1 : Epilogue

Kushida Kikyo POV

The feeling when we have an advantage that no one else has is the most beautiful feeling, right?...

When we were at Elementary School, everyone around you will be happy if you could finished such a small feats. For example, when you get first place in an exam or when you win when playing chase. They pay attention to us right?

Great, cool, cute

You've had moments of being the center of attention, right?

I really want to attract attention

I want to be praised

When it is fulfilled, the value of my existence becomes attained. You could say I'm thirsty for recognition. Maybe I'm more addicted on that feeling than anyone else.

But I know my limits...

No matter how hard I try, I will never match anyone else in terms of studies or sports. That's why I thinking so hard. I just need to do something which no one else can do.

'I will teach you to study'

'I will help you'

'I will cheer you up'

I could became nicer and kinder than everyone else. Because of that, I could become number one.

Be the most famous!

I feel trusted to be relied on!

It feels so good!

But to do everything that no one else wants to do it is very tiring. It's obviously very tiring!

I'm tired...

Its too much burden for me...

But I must be patient. So that I could stay famous. What I've got can't be lost. I keep endure it. But there is a limits I can do!

Until that day...

Who can cheer me up, only my blog. Only there I can express all the stress which I can't bear! Then slowly but surely the turmoil inside me died down.

But one day...

My classmates accidentally found my blog. Even if my name was hidden somehow, they could guess from the contents on the blog. Because I have said bad things about them many times, so I accept the consequences. However, it turned out that they blamed me all over. Even though I've helped them a lot, but they all attacked me instead! Those ungrateful!

The boys who once said he loves me! The girls who I comforted after their boyfriend dumped them!

But the boys are disgusting, so I wanted them just go die! And the girls who get dumped by their boyfriend, but if only they reflected on themselves they should have been understand why they got dumped!

I feel threats from around me because all my classmates have become my enemies. That's why I used my last attempt to defend myself, I decide to revealed everything. All the facts that I did not write on my blog.

'She is cheating behind you'

'He spreads other people's disgrace in a different group chat'

'He stealing your money'

'She is actually from poor family'

And many other dark secret I held from them

All the dark truths that lie between them all. After that...

The sword which supposed to be pointed at me, I had shifted it to someone else.

I'm not wrong...

Why am I to blame?...

They were started first...

I just told the truth...

It was them who have rejected me...

...

It can't be helped right?...

Right now, after small party at Sudou'-kun room

Sudou : "Sorry to make you girls helped me to tidy up my room after this mess!"

Kiyone : "Don't mind it"

Kushida : "Me too, thank you too for letting us use your room"

Sudou : "N-No problem!"

Such easy, look at him blushed because being helped by girls. He probably never interact with girl properly before

Sudou : "But still, I think you girls are a bit excessive about it. Not only you guys help me clean after party mess but you girls even make this roomsqueaky clean. Honestly I'm truly ashamed of this. Did you girls always do something like this?"

See, this is why you disgusting boys never got any girls.

Kiyone : "What are you talking about? This is how everyone routine right? Did you perhaps never clean your room properly for these 2 month lately?"

Sudou : "W-What?! O-Of course not! I-It just..."

Kiyone : *sigh* "Anyway this is just small service as gratitude for letting us had a party here."

How long I should play this facade? I wanted to go somewhere else to vent my anger now

/

Its done huh? Sometimes I hate my facade-self. Why should I suggested that we should help him this far like putting his stuff properly by categorizing it on certain shelf and box. Of course I understand my reason doing this because I don't wanted to seen being inferior compared to Ayanokoji. I know that both of them doesn't care either but this urge within me sometimes too annoying to bear!

Kushida : "I'm going back to my room. Good night to you"

Kiyone : "Good night"

Sudou : "Yes, and thanks for your help again"

He said while bowing. Now, since I leave his room together with this freak. I wanted to detatch myself from her soon.

We both walking in corridor quietely. She is not someone who talk too much huh? Sometimes I feel that people like her is better. She didn't ask too much, she never talk with you unless you start the conversation first, she never pry, and more importantly I do feel that she is quite useful.No wonder Horikita used her for her selfish desire and somehow I'm jealous of her. She is quite capable almost on everything, I didn't know if she is doing her best or not but being 'jack all trade' herself already good. Just who the hell is she?

Speaking of desire, this freak quite weird as well. Did she never had nothing else desires aside from eating ice cream??? Well, as long as she never intend to compete with me on term popularity, I don't had a worry about her at all.

Kiyone : "Kushida-san.I'm going back to my room first. Thank you for accompany me all the way here"

She is suddenly speaking, that startled me

Kushida : "U-Un..Sure! Good night Aya-chan!"

She nodded and left me to go back to her room. Now that freak is gone, I wanted to go somewhere else to vent all my bottled up feeling.

On the rooftop

Nobody here? Perfect!

Honestly I would prefer doing this on my own room if only they put something to make my room soundproof. But hell not, this school supposed to be sponsored by government right? How could they didn't guarantee such simple thing like having privacy even on my own room!

Last time I vent my anger in disappointment on first May, to think that I was grouped with bunch of losers and even worse why should I saw someone from my middle school here? Not to mention everything about her is unpleasant. Back then my neighbor room think that there is something happened on my room which caused me to shout loudly and they knocked my door loudly to ensure my condition, I could somehow deceive them. Since that day, I decide to vented out my stress in any place at certain time when nobody could hear me

This time I decide to go to somewhere quiet, its a place where you can see the moon clearly and waves of the ocean from higher place.

I touch the railing try to sorted of my feelings. My burden which I carried since that day. This calming my mind, I think that its nothing, I could endure it. I could keep going on, keep my optimism. Until...

I remembered that arrogant b*tch again! My blood feel raising up through my vein! Why would that defect b*tch was there? Why she keep getting on my way? Don't you realized that your existence herself already unpleasant on my eyes. Can't you just disappear from here? Why would you choose to attend this kind of school? Can't you choose somewhere else where we didn't need to mind each other?

That annoying b*tch...

Horikita Suzune

Without I realize it, I thighten my grip on the railing. Whenever I remember every encounter with her since we attend this school. All of them are unpleasant...

Grrr!

Kushida :"Ah~ so annoying!"

I unconsciously muttered that with my anger tone. Of course I loathed them all

Kushida : "It's really annoying! irritating! It'd be fine if she just died!"

I curse her!

Kushida :"I hate those kind of stuck-up girls that think they're cute. Why is she such a b*tch? A girl like her try to forcing us reaching class A? Don't joke with me! Who do you think I am? Your pawn!"

I hate her! I hated her to the point I want to expel here from here so badly. But, I just can't find any method to get rid someone like her from here. Why this is so hard to get rid someone like you?! Not to mention I don't know anything about this school at all right now.

Kushida : "I hate her! Argh the worst! She's really the worst! The worst! The worst! Horikita you are annoying, annoying, so annoying! Just die you Horikita!"

I vented it all and unconsciously due to my anger I keep kicking the railing with all might. It quite loud on this silence night but I'm glad that nobody here so I could vented it all

PING*

I heard a loud sound of someone else phone near here.

No way! Could it be there is someone else who saw me here? When I decide to look behind and my surrounding. My deduction that the source of the sound coming from someone who hide behind the door. I don't know who is it? If they someone from different class I just need to threathen them to show my stance. That's the only option I had but when the person is someone from the same class like me. Honestly I don't had any idea how to keep them on check

Kushida : "Who? Who's over there? Show yourself!"

Then the door opened slowly.

I can't believe it from all people. Why are you here...?

Kushida : "Ayanokoji Kiyone!!!"

This girl only stared at me blankly from her glasses. She is standing there without showing any emotion at all. I don't know what this freak thinking right now. But I should stand my ground. I can't let myself appear weak in front of the like of her.

Kushida : "What are you doing here?"

I said that while paced myself toward her

Kiyone : "Kushida-san, you forget about your phone. So, I-"

I grabbed her collar first before she finished her talk

Kushida : "Did you hear?"

Kiyone : "Will you believe me if I said otherwise?"

Kushida : "I see"

This is worst situation. I didn't expect someone from my class caught me like that. I was thinking so hard how could I silenced this girl? That's right, I just realized it. Up until now, I know nothing about this girl. This truly bad, I can't use it. I don't know her secret, I realized I can't negotiated with someone like her...

Kiyone : "Here your phone Kushida-san"

She could still talk so calmly like this even if I try to intimidate her. I quickly snatched my phone from her while still grab her collar. I can't think any method right now aside that I keep glare at her. But I know it that it was not effective since this girl unfazed with me at all even if I already show her my true color.

It would be easier if she was a boy so I could threathened her for rape accusation but...

Kiyone : "Could you release me right now, Kushida-san?"

She ask calmly to me.

Kushida : "What you heard just now, if you speak a word of it to anyone, I won't forgive you. You should understand the consequence, right?"

I'm desperate, all I could do is threathen her with empty words. Yes empty words since she had nothing to lose if she decide to ignore this warning

Kiyone : "I'm not stupid enough to try something funny against you, beside there is no reason for me to get in your way. Trust me, even if I told someone else about this. Its not like anyone believe me either"

When I think about it, I truly understand that answer from perspective of someone like her. There is no merit for her to get in my way. But somehow there is a bitter feeling which make me uncomfortable if I just leave her be.

Kushida : "Is that so? I'm not convinced. Not when I had nothing to hold against you. Even if there is no merit for you but it maybe not for another person. For example, what if Horikita used you against me. Can't you guarantee that you won't get in my ways somehow?"

Kiyone : "I admit that in your perspective, its quite uncomfortable when you had nothing to bargain. But like you see, I can't tell my secret either even the tiniest bit of it. That's why when you decide to pry into my life. Are you prepared for the consequences of that information?"

Kushida : "Is that a threat? Do you think I'm stupid?!"

Kiyone : "Trust me, Its not threat at all. It just a simple warning, because when you know about it. Not only your life school which in danger. Your entire family could get involved as well"

Kushida : "Hah! Is this a threat from some rich family, Ojou-sama?"

Kiyone : "That's all I could say, we can still become friend but its better we never dig each other secret. I could keep my promise that I never reveal this side of your and in exchange..."

I frown at her

Kiyone : "...Don't pry into my life, is that clear?"

Is that clear she said? This audacity, who do you think she is?

Kushida : "Heh~ Then how about this, I could destroy your school life by spread some rumor like you are being slut with every boy you find or you always doing suspicious thing in the classroom when nobody there like a pervert just like Ike. How is that? Do you like it?"

Kiyone : "Do what you want"

She seems unfazed at all. I guess that in the past during her middle school and elementary school she already used being alone so one or more bad rumors about her didn't affect her at all. Tch! At this rate it just one sided negotiation.

Kushida : "Are you sure about it? Those fools won't doubt me since in their mind I had no reason to lie to them. The angel of class is much more trustable than the slut isn't it?"

Kiyone : "You called yourself angel?"

Kushida : "What is it? Are you mocking me?"

Kiyone : "Not at all, I think that you are kinda like someone with low-profile person. Did you crave such tittle that much?"

Kushida : "Just shut up! Or else-"

Kiyone : "Just spread it"

Kushida : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "You heard me, all of those false rumor you try to create about me. You could tell them all you want"

What is this? Why she is confident that this nothing affect her at all. Unless...

Kushida : "Tch! So it was like that..."

Kiyone : "Oh~ I never though that you finally get it. That's right, you can spread those false rumors. You can even throw so many dirt on me as much as you want however the actual question is, did these rumors actually had an effect on me? I'm pretty sure you already know it"

That's right, if this was just a common highschool. I could destroy someone like her easily but in this place, someone like her it just like annoying pest. She is nothing but an eyesore.

Let's say, I succeded spread those false rumors about her, I could also make her become target of bully in the class. Of course that bunch of fools will trust me and she is being alienated but is it truly affect her, since she already look like someone who alienated in the first place even without any faults at all about her.

The next problem is she could easily report it to school as retaliate act against me and there is deep investigation. When the investigation complete, I just waiting myself to get expelled since it was false rumors to begin with so as long as the rumors and her behaviour didn't matched. I could use many of those fools as my meatshield however all of them it just matters of time since the one who hold the truth will be victorious, I know it for someone like myself that there is no better weapon aside of truth. In the end, she still got the last laugh

I know the reason, why she is confident. My act basically just one hell ticket I could do toward myself. Just like pointing myself with gun and all of thus hypothesis are all the things she would expect me to do since it make me look like a clown who amused her in front of her 4-eyes. But luckily I realized it before I could do something rash. Tch! Dealing with someone like her it just like punching a cotton. The cotton would be fine but it just hurt your own fist after all.

Damn it! I lost this negotiation, in the first place this isn't negotiation. It just one sided demand. Tch!

Kushida : "Fine, you win annoying freak! So what, just tell them that I was two faced liar and get me alienated from the class throne."

Kiyone : "I won't tell this. I know you don't trust me but believe it or not no matter what. I won't tell what happened today to anyone else"

I keep glare at her. It even more pissed me off since she only stared me back with her emotionless face. It such freaky just like being stared by a doll

Kiyone : "It's kinda chill here, I'm going back first. You better come back to your room as well. Good night Kushida-san"

With that she decide to left me here. I keep watching her from behind

Suddenly my body feel like being possessed by a demon. I run toward her...

I did it!

Her body probably trembling in pain but I ignore her and keep deliver kick right on her ribs

Kushida : *kicking* "Hahahaha! How is that? Do you like it?"

But the girl didn't respond at all. Only kicking sound which can be heard on that silence night

Kushida : *kicking* "You should know that you better never mess with me dwimmit!"

Well, what could she do in this kind of situation.

Back then amidst of mad and confusion. I ran toward her and push her which caused her fall from the stairs near the door toward rooftop.

That's quite loud collision sound when she fall from the stairs. I could see she is trembling endured the pain. Even if this girl didn't scream I know that its still quite painfull. Too bad I can't see her pained expression.

When I walk approach her. I could see that there is blood flow from her forehead. Normally anyone who saw someone in that state immediately would go help her or if they can't at least they would go asking some help elsewhere.

I don't know what happened to me. Instead of helping her I wanted to end her life so badly. Thus I kicked and stomp her with all might with intention to inflict more pain and send her to hell

And back to current time I still kicking her.

My legs slowly feeling sore but my insecure feeling more stronger than a mere ache. In my mind this girl must be disposed. I don't care with any risk would came after me but right now in my mind. The existence of Ayanokoji Kiyone must be erased

Am I intent to kill her? That would be lie if I said I didn't intent to

Then when I kicking her suddenly her body stop trembling. Seeing that it she is unable to fight back on her state. I put stomp on her head while warned her.

Kushida : "Now, you see what happened if you are dare to go against me right, Aya-chan?"

She answered with trembling weak voice

Kiyone : "I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I can't hold it anymore..."

That's right! That's it! Show me your desperate pathetic act! Beg forgiveness to me!

Kiyone : "...I can't hold it anymore...Run away...Please I beg you to run away...Kushida-san..."

I'm shocked to hear that! Instead of asking some mercy she begging me to run away?

After that her voice seems died down. She didn't said anything anymore not even she make a noise

Then I crouched and grab her hair with intention to see her pathetic face

It was indeed pathetic face. I could see on her face a trail of her tears and some blood dripping as well. She is quiet now, well in the first place she always been quiet. I released her and left her in her sorry state

I wonder, I just left people to die in cold but I didn't even feel any remorse or guilty at all. Why is it? I mean of course I hate it when there is someone who sniff my secret. But I do admit deep inside my mind, the way I deal with her is truly overkill. Even I don't think I would treat Horikita this way despite she is on the top list of someone I hate the most right now.

I don't want to think that much. I decide to leave her be by starting to walk down the stairs

Kushida : "Aya-chan, this is nothing personal okay? Its your faults that you were there at that time."

When I think I talk to myself. Suddenly...

??? : "...Indeed, this was never your faults to begin with..."

I'm surprised and turn to look behind me.

Kushida : "Impossible! How could...?"

No way! She is standing even with blood keep flowing from her head? But what's with that terrifying looks? Its creepy! Moreover she keep staring at me with her emotionless face

Is she angry?

Kiyone (?) : "...Speaking with the same statement as yours. I could conclude that what am I going to do toward you it wasn't my faults either. Don't you agree?"

W-What?

Suddenly she rush toward me while sending an attack. Can't hold her attack I got bounced fall from the stairs. Damn it hurt!!!

Before I realized it. She already standing there near me. Too near even our distance only one or two inch

She grab my hair and forcing me to stand up.

Kushida : *scream* "It hurts! Stop it!"

But she only stared me with her empty eyes

Then she choke me.

I can't breath!

I'm so helpless!

I tried to retaliate but her grips too strong that make all of my arms and legs goes incoordinated. Is this how I die? I don't wanna! Please, don't do this! Stop! I beg whoever you are to stop this!

Kushida : *gaping* "A-Ayanokoji-san! I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please, let me go!"

But she still unfazed and her empty eyes fill like an empty body without soul. Scary! I don't want to get forgotten! I don't like being in pain! Moreover I don't want to die!

Kushida : *gaping* "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't cross your way again! I won't bother you again! I won't thinking to go against you anymore! Please, let me go!" *cough*

But it was futile...

My consciousness gradually faded away...

I can't do anything. I could only leave my fate on her while crying in regret

Kiyone (?) : "Fine, I'll give you second chance..."

I can't see it clearly. Its all blur but one thing for sure she already released me. Colliding with floor, my back feel hurt.

Kiyone (?) : "But remember, there is no next time..."

That was the last voice I heard before losing my consciousness.

RIIIINGGGG*

Kushida : "Ittai!"

I got woke up after some stupid clock hit my forehead and I figure out that I was on my room.

Ugh! No wonder my back hurts, to think that I fall from my bed and more over...

More than anything I decide to run at bathroom and saw myself on the mirror

Kushida : "So, it was all dream? Ahahahaha~ Of course it obviously dream. Kikyo you dummy"

Although that dream isn't real it still somehow quite scary since it was almost the real thing it self.

Then I tried to remember what happened last night

flashback

Kiyone : "It's kinda chill here, I'm going back first. You better come back to your room as well. Good night Kushida-san"

With that she decide to left me here. I keep watching her from behind

Suddenly my body feel like being possessed by a demon. I run toward her...

I intent to push her from stairs however she was caught me instead. Its quite fantastic I admit it since she dodge and caught my wrist instead

Kiyone : "Kushida-san, what are you trying to do. Be careful, if I didn't caught you here it would be quite disaster if you fell down from here"

Well, she isn't wrong. She could just let me be after dodge my attempt however she help by caught me as well

Kushida : "Shut it! Let me go you freak!"

Kiyone : "U-Un...Sorry.."

She released her hand from me and also another hand who caught me to prevent me from falling down.

So frustating, I just don't want to meet anyone right now!

I walked down leave her stunned...

Ah, its better to remind her again

Kushida : "Oi freak you hear me, you better not forget our deal. I'll make you pay the consequences if you dare to break my secret here!"

Kiyone : "Sure"

I leave her walking with fast pace to back to my room. I wanted to sleep and cooling myself. Who knows that I won't be that mad anymore after I waking up from my sleep tomorrow

flashback end

I've done brushing my teeth

Kushida : "Urgh! It still left unpleasant taste..."

I don't know but my anxiety made myself somehow feel stressed out in the morning. It even worse that I remember that Chabashira-sensei said about her that time as well.

flashback

Horikita : "She is quite useful pawn. Thanks for introducing her to me."

Chabashira : "Is that all?"

Horikita : "That's all for now. I mean, I don't know anything about her since she never talk about herself at all. But I do admit, her way of thinking often out of the box"

Chabashira : "Hahahahahaha~"

She is laughing? What so amusing thing she find out from that plain 4-eyes freak?

Chabashira : "Then, I'll tell you something. You know, belive it or not Ayanokoji..."

What?

Chabashira : "...is the most defective student in class D"

She must be jest

end of flashback

Hah~ Remembering it again. Somehow I wonder, what caused someone like her being categorized as this class residence. I mean did she perhaps do something even worse than me during her middle school?

I slapped both of my cheek

Whoever she is? It doesn't change the fact what happened last night. Yeah, that's it!

Kushida : "Damn it! Now I had additional people on the list which I need to get rid from this school. I'm so sorry, don't blame me Aya-chan. If something that you should blame is blame your own bad luck"

Yes, that's it. Its nothing personal, because I need to maintain this facade of mine. Don't worry Aya-chan, even if you get expelled in the end. I'm pretty sure that in the beginning this kind of school never suited for someone like you. After all with your capability, I'm pretty sure someone like you would be needed in somewhere else. Just stay away from me so our path never crossed each other...

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

With this Volume 1 finally clear

Regarding of this chapter. If you find this isn't satisfying. You could say it which part that make you feel that way. So I could change that part to your liking

X : I don't like all of your story on this chapter!

W-Well, that's quite big trouble for me...

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Random Idea Plot (Sorry not part of chapter) Pt 1

Could be spoiler or not (Since some scenario here might be used or might be not). This scenario might be illustrated if I'm not lazy Hahaha. So, what do you think of this random scenario here

Note : I need motivation and ideas to continue the story hahaha

Volume 3

In certain theater inside "Speranza"

There is a show that currently playing but most of the audience seat were empty. Its about story of Icaruz. Chabashira sensei was called me here to discuss something with me. I had a hunch but I hope that my hunch were wrong. None of us talking since I arrived and sat beside her. Our gaze focused on the theater.

Then Chabashira sensei broke the silence

Chabashira : "Say Ayanokoji, how does your school life?"

Kiyone : "I'm not quite understand what's your intention but I dare to say I'm currently happy with my school life right now."

I reply without looking and both of us still keep our gaze at theater

Chabashira : "Happy huh? Well I do glad that you are enjoying your school life to the fullest, however..."

She intentionally stopped in the middle of her words. Realizing that I'm not even interested to pursue her word she seems decide to explained it by herself.

Chabashira : "You see, several days ago. There is someone who contacted school. 'Get Ayanokoji Kiyone out of school' that man said"

Kiyone : "Nice joke there sensei"

Chabashira : "You said it was nice joke but you are not even laughing and keep your stoic face as usual"

Kiyone : "Fine then I'm curious. So, what does it mean?"

Chabashira : "Its definitely just like it heard"

Kiyone : "I don't know that man and also you can't get any student out of school without a reason"

Chabashira : "Under common situation, it does right. As long as you are student belong on this school, the rules and regulations will protected you. But-"

...?!

Chabashira : "It would be different if you are making trouble."

Kiyone : "You already know I wouldn't take the same path like Icaruz during on school. You already saw myself that I'm just common student like any other else."

Chabashira : "Your goal isn't the problem here. If I decide that you are troublemaker, that's it."

Kiyone : "Are you threathening me?"

Chabashira : "I offer you a deal. If you try to cooperate to reach for class A. I will protect you. That does sounds good, right?"

Honestly I doubt that she could even do that. Even if she decide to protect me, if the opponent had the same power like my father or worse it was him all along. I don't think she can do anything to help me at all

Kiyone : "Impossible"

I give her instant answer. After long silence it seems that she didn't had anything to say anymore so I stand up and leave.

Kiyone : "If you had nothing to say. I'll take my leave. Excuse m-"

Chabashira : "Ayanokoji, you will get expelled"

I grab her collar

Kiyone : "You called yourself teacher"

Chabashira : "Make your choice!"

She said that calmly with that threat. I keep frown at her while glaring her eyes directly. With this current situation. I had no choice but to comply for now since I don't have any useful information at my disposal. I released my grip

Kiyone : "I'll make you regret this one day."

Chabashira : "Nice kid, just like that you should listening to adults"

She look at me with smile of victory and I look away since I don't want to see this kind of disgusting grown up who manipulate kid to do her own selfish desire

*After unhabitate island special exam at Speranza

When I turned on the mobile phone, the electronic tone repeatedly ringed and the incoming call history was filled up. For the time being I would just answer the emails and then I waited in the lounge while taking a break.

She won't be satisfied unless I explained everything to her sooner or later. I waiting her while watching the beautiful sunset from quiet side on the deck of Speranza

Then, a few minutes later, an angry Horikita joined me, we stared each other until she broke the silence.

Horikita : "What is the meaning of this? What on earth is going on?"

She didn't even do some greeting or any pleasantry huh?

Kiyone : "I though that you already guessed this more or less yet you got an expression like you do not have the slightest idea"

Horikita : "Yeah, I cannot comprehend it. No, I cannot comprehend it at all! There are a lot of things I want to ask you, you better tell me right now!"

I walk approaching her

Kiyone : "I'll tell you everything. However, the minimum condition is that you stay silent on this matter. I won't compromise, otherwise. Do you understand, Horikita-san?"

I anticipated that it would come to this situation, since Horikita-san didn't want to retire on her own will. It was a story that should be kept secret, or rather, Horikita-san would be the only suitable one to obtaining these information.

She nod her head

Kiyone : "Where do you want to begin with?"

Horikita : "What were you doing on this test? Tell me about it"

Kiyone : "Sure"

It was a much better question than I expected. In brief, she wanted to know everything, at once.

-Skip Kiyone explain thing bla bla bla-

Horikita : "I'm not happy. You used me as a foal in a terrible way"

Kiyone : "I can't deny that. However I'm surprised that you still wanted to come looking for me"

I was self-conscious about that.

Horikita : "I want my answer and I know you have it"

Kiyone : "Now that we're done. I'm going back to the room. I need rest"

But surprisingly, she spread her arms to block my way

Horikita : "Wait! We didn't finish talking here"

Kiyone : "What do you want this time?"

Horikita : "Once you explain to me everything. We still have things to discuss"

Ugh, I could smell more additional trouble here

Horikita : "The reason of you challenging this special trial. Was it to compete alone or use me? it's okay if you tell now. I want to know the reason of you, who wouldn't rock a boat, joining this trial. Since this side of you kinda unusual"

Maybe the explanation until now wasn't so important for Horikita. She just wanted to know why I decide to taking action huh?

Horikita : "You were great at realizing things quickly without suspicion at this occasion. Since you lend your hand to us, aiming at class A became fully realistic. However, what was the principle of your action? Why did you do that?"

Because I only did it to pull out of the promise from Chabashira sensei. However, what should I said to cover the truth?

Kiyone : "It's because I was impressed by you. You were trying to fight to the bitter end alone in a bad condition."

Horikita : "Stop lying Ayanokoji-san!"

Kiyone : "I'm in no mood for explaining"

When I'm about to leave she hold my hand urged me to give my answer

Horikita : "We are not done yet"

Kiyone : "I don't mind if to help you advancing to class A. But there's one condition, do not investigate me! If you promise not to pry me under any terms next time, I'll help you out if necessary"

Then Horikita getting closer embraced me

Horikita : "If you don't want to tell me that's fine. There's no reason to refuse a lend hand without prying. I have no interest digging up something that's peacefully lying in the past."

Horikita seems fidgeting too much. Did her fever perhaps still intact?

Horikita : "It maybe a bit late to ask this but...err...you know...m-maybe I could accept you as a friend now. T-that's why, I wouldn't deny you this time. Y-You better be grateful to me now"

Horikira-san show her hand as a sign of sincerity cooperation but I decide to walk away ignored her

She seems shocked but deep down inside my heart I won't lie about this.

After all, since that day. I decide we are not friend and I had no intention to become one with you either, Horikita-san...

Volume 4

After I made sure Manabe's-san gang has left, I re-entered the room. Karuizawa-san probably heard the door opening, but she continued to squat on the floor and cried. Perhaps her overwhelming sense of fear had prevented her from noticing me.

So this is the true face of the egotistic and unyielding class' girls' leader?

Thanks to the suggest I gave to Manabe-san, Karuizawa-san's uniform and exposed skins were more or less intact. If her uniform was ripped or someone cut her hair, it would be difficult to fool others. While bullying is common, this school's uniqueness makes bullying much harder to contain.

If one has to find something to be concerned of, it'd be that her face was a bit reddened due to the physical abuse; By tomorrow it should subside.

Kiyone : "Karuizawa-san"

I called her name. She lifted her head and finally noticed me.

Karuizawa : "Wha- how...?!"

She never thought of being seen here, had seen the thing she does not want anyone to see. She started to panic.

But the experience was too traumatic for her to stop crying at once and pretend everything is fine.

She would probably think something. I will eventually stop crying. I will eventually calm down. As long as she leaves before that- this small and futile wish of her will not come to pass. I silently waited.

After a while, Karuizawa-san sobbing gradually turned to quiet subdues.

If you put 2 people alone in this dark and isolated environment, they can't help but mentally feel closer. This works even if the 2 people normally hated each others. This is what humans do.

Kiyone : "Calmed down yet?"

Karuizawa : "...More or less..."

Karuizawa-san used her sleeves to wiped her swollen eyes. She is still paralyzed and couldn't get back up.

Karuizawa : "Where is Hirata?"

Kiyone : "Even though you two were supposed to meet here, but I believe the teacher called him. He asking me to come here, so I came in place of him."

This explanation should be sufficient in explaining how everything ended like this.

For now I don't need to let know know the truth. First item on the to do list is to make her let her guard down and fill the cracks in her psychic.

Kiyone : "So, why are you crying?"

Karuizawa : "It's Manabe and her gang...I will not let them get away with this."

Looks like she is remembering what just happened to her. Her body started to shook. Even if she doesn't want to show me this humiliating side of her, but the fear that tainted her body is not so easily removed.

Karuizawa : "Do not tell anyone that I cried. Don't you dare to do that. If you do I will not forgive you!"

Karuizawa-san's weakness is that she cannot report what happened to her to the school. If Manabe-san and co's physical assault on Karuizawa-san is known, then the school would want to find out the reason behind it. To protect her social status, she cannot let this happen. Which is why she is now planning to use Hirata-kun to get back at the girls.

Karuizawa : "That's right! I heard you usually interact with the boys. So could you ask some them to do a favor for me to get revenge on them. Come on, even someone like you can do it! They are just girls after all."

She totally lost it

Kiyone : "What an unreasonable request."

Karuizawa : "Are you afraid that they will payback?"

Kiyone : "Think it clearly Karuizawa-san. It is apparent from Sudou's-kun incident that a simple 'payback' is not going to solve anything. An eye for an eye would only escalate the conflict. It would also brings the school in and start an investigation. This is not what you wish, right?"

Karuizawa : "So you are telling me to suck it up?"

I know how to answer her, but I choose to remain silent.

Karuizawa : "Like, they would, no, for sure they would continue to do all kinds of things to me..."

Karuizawa-san's body continued to shake. True, there is no guarantee that Manabe-san would stop at this. There are more escape points once we return to the school campus, but Karuizawa-san can not continue to play hide and seek for the rest of her time here. At the same time, our classmates would start to notice Karuizawa's-san changes. As both sides close in, Karuizawa-san will have nowhere to run to.

Karuizawa-san realizes this and is now extremely anxious at stopping this. And this anxiety is what I have been aiming for all along.

Kiyone : "So, this is the real face of class D girls leader huh?"

Karuizawa : "What do you mean?"

Karuizawa-san is trying to see judge how much I know. I saw that Manabe-san's gang was bullying her, but I shouldn't know of her past. If I truly don't know, then her past is something that she must hide from me.

Kiyone : "Exactly what the sentence mean. Against all odds you escaped to this isolated ward, and even claimed the throne of the class D leader. But the fact that you are a victim of bullying has not changed. Kinda pathetic isn't it?"

Karuizawa : "W-Who did you say is a victim of bullying!"

I grabbed Karuizawa-san's wrist and dragged her up.

Kiyone : "I mean you, Karuizawa-san!"

Karuizawa : "What are you do-!"

I pinned Karuizawa-san onto the wall and forced her face towards me.

Kiyone : "You were being tormented by Manabe-san gang, weren't you? They dragged your hair. They slapped your face. They kicked your breasts, you waist, and your stomach. And that's how you ended up on the ground, miserable, humiliated, pitifully sobbing."

Karuizawa : "H-How!?"

Even though she did not want to face to face with me, but she cannot get away. As if we are getting suck into them, we stared at each other's eyes. What we shared here is darkness itself.

Kiyone : "Ever since you were little, you were a victim. Grade school, middle school, the bullying was non-stop. Isn't this why you want to put a stop to it?"

Karuizawa : "D-Did you hear from...Hirata?"

Kiyone : "I don't know if I should tell you this or not. Hirata-kun fancies himself as everyone's trusted companion. He will help you, and he will help others. Even if you did secure your place in class D by pretending to be his girlfriend. He is useless to you in situations like this. In other word, as a parasite, he is not a good host. Well, in the first place I couldn't find any fault on this case aside yourself"

Karuizawa-san is much smarter than her appearance. She understands that Hirata-kun neutral alignment, so initially she didn't do anything stupid in the Rabbit group. Too bad for her, to show her social status, she picked a fight with Rika-san and by extension her gang. This leds to her downfall. She couldn't possibly show this weak side of her to the rest of class D girls.

Karuizawa : "Why you...What gives you the right to pretentiously lecture me?!!"

Kiyone : "My right? You haven't realize it yet? You should know your place. Do you know who is in front of you? It's not Hirata-kun. It's me. I know your checkered past. I know about the fake relationship between you and Hirata-kun. I know that Manabe-san and her gang just physically assailed you and all you could do was haplessly cried. I know all these pathetic side of you."

Everything Karuizawa Kei doesn't want others to know. I, an outsider, now knows all of them.

Kiyone : "In other word? If you become too much of a handful, I can at any time release these information."

How terrifying would it be? Karuizawa should know it very well.

Karuizawa : "Don't, don't joke around! Who do you think you are! Do you think they would believed you!"

Kiyone : "The truth doesn't matter since it can be investigated later on. As someone who knows the truth. Isn't this all you care about? I wonder what would you do now?"

As I closed in on her, Karuizawa-san turned her face away to avoid looking at me. She seems look like defeated. I slap her cheeks and forced her face back towards me. She desperately wants to avoid my gaze, our difference on strength is too much for her to resist. She closed her eyes in a furtile attempt to escape.

Karuizawa : "What! What do you want from me! Are you happy now that Karuizawa Kei got humiliated by 4-eyes doll-face girl like yourself!"

Kiyone : "Humiliated huh? That might not be a bad idea."

Karuizawa : "You are being creepy!! Stop!!! I'm sorry!!! Please...I beg you..."

She desperately tried to get away from me. I strengthened my hold on her cheeks and made her look into my eyes. She begin to crying in fear

Kiyone : "Do not resist. If you do then I will release everything about to the school."

This line, like a curse, had cursed her body into a constrained stiffness.

Anger, horrified, fear, despair. Yes, how much emotion has Karuizawa been carrying? She should notice that right now I am completely different from the persona I projected in everyday lives.

Kiyone : "Strip"

Karuizawa : "H-Huh?"

Kiyone : "Strip yourself. Now!"

I ordered. Karuizawa's-san tears began to dropped as she slowly spread them. Even if she knows she will be violated here, she will wants to protect the place she has right now. The pain from her bullying has taken control, and this is the proof.

I placed my hand on my phone and intentionally I let her know that I'm gonna humiliated her by recording her naked body. Even then, Karuizawa did not run away. She is trying desperately to accept this new reality. She looked at me with hollowed eyes, and muttered to herself.

I stand correct. Karuizawa Kei is a usable tool.

My goal is not to humiliated her. I am threatening her to see how far she would go to protect what she has. It is a risky gamble for me to reveal my true nature. If Karuizawa-san runs away and reports on me, then our positions would be completely reverse. But this girl can not do it. I decide to release my grab on her

She is afraid of her past more than anything else. Afraid that she will lose the place she has. To protect this she is even willing to be humiliated. That is how much this place means to her.

Karuizawa : "I will not bow down to you...I am not being bullied by you...You merely got hold of my weakness and used me! You asshole just do whatever you want and violate me! Just you wait you...errr...4-eyes prick! I'll get you on this one!"

Karuizawa howled, as if she is exposing her raw anger to the world. But still, I though that she would cursed my name but is it just me or perhaps she didn't even remember my name?

If it was the truth than it would make me sad to be honest.

Karuizawa : "But it's fine. This is not the first time I've succumbed to forces..."

She mockingly laughed. Karuizawa turned and looked at me in the eyes. I could see her lingerie. Then I noticed some scar on her skin, even I got surprised with that.On her beautiful skin laid an ugly scar. A scar that can only be caused by a sharp blade slicing deeply though it.

Kiyone : "T-That's..."

She hugged herself. With a hollowed and dulled smile, she gave me a faraway stare.

Karuizawa : "I give up. Yes, I was preyed on and devoured. I was reduced to mechanically reacting to stimulus. I couldn't even muster the courage to resist. I couldn't do anything else. All I can do is receive them."

I take several step closer and she is walking backward avoiding me until she had nowhere to run since it was against wall.

Kiyone : "What did you received? Where were the pains that tormented you?"

Karuizawa : "What...Oh...Of course everything I had. My shoes were tacks put in. My table drawer was filled with dead animal carcasses. When I go to washrooms I get splashed on with dirty water. My uniforms were written with words like 'prostitue'. My hair was dragged on. Punches and kicks were so numerous they were not worth mentioning. Any kind of bullying that you can imagine, I've experienced it. What I said was just a selected sampling. They were so relatively 'gentle' I could laugh. So why don't you start laughing? Laugh at me who was continuously spit on and bullied?"

I kept staring her trying to analyze Karuizawa-san story. After experiencing all this, it is impressive she can still muster up her courage and throw herself into battle again. Her 'core' is strong, and this is why she can still stand up and enter this high school. So this is what's going on. But...This is not enough to explain some of the things I noticed. Especially that scar part

Kiyone : "What you said, were they the whole truth?"

I feel there is still something critical that shattered her heart. That abnormal way of showing her terrors couldn't help but make me think that there's something else behind it. Karuizawa-san is hiding something that is worth as much as giving up her honor.

In an instance, Karuizawa-san turned her head and her gaze to her left waist. I noticed that scar, and reached my hand to touch it.

Kiyone : "Is this your darkness?"

This scar is obviously not a product of mere kids tormenting each other. A scar this deep must have gravely endangered her life. Even if her past carries such baggage, she still chooses to stand up. In the last few days I have been observing this girl called Karuizawa Kei. This person, to protect herself, forcefully dragged surrounding people into her camps. Even if she receives disdains from her action, she still want to protect her status.

Kiyone : "Despair comes in many shapes and forms; But what you have experienced was, indisputably, despair."

Karuizawa's-san darkness. Her pupils. They overlapped with mine. Those who choose to carries their darkness with them are attracted. And then, devoured upon by one another. And finally, those who carries darkness, will envelope the other's darkness with themselves.

Karuizawa : "C-Could it be...Did you perhaps..."

If this person is being restrained by her past, then all I need to do is forcibly release her from its binds. Even if I do not know her deeply, but I can feel the darkness she has. Yes...This world has much more things that Karuizawa-san has not experienced. In deeper places, even more vile darkness has taken root.

Kiyone : *inhale* "I can promise you one thing, and that is from now on I will protect your secret. I am much more reliable than Hirata-kun or Machida-san."

Karuizawa : "Y-You mean you had a way to stop Manabe and her gang?"

Kiyone : "What you should do now is to decide how trustworthy my words are. A tiny kinder is easy to blown out, but a larger flame would have the opposite effect. At the end, the fire will evolve to something that no gust or wind can extinguish. You will act on my behalf. I will act on your behalf. Your emotion does not and should not come into play here. Do you agree with this relationship?"

She seems doesn't understand what I said

Kiyone : *sigh* "First let's get rid of your worries."

I said, and held my phone out.

Kiyone : "I have a way to stop Manabe-san's actions."

And then, I turned on my screen.

On my phone was a photo of Karuizawa being assaulted by Manabe's gang.

Karuizawa : "This is..."

Kiyone : "If I send this to them, they should reconsider doing any more things to you. If they still decide to pursue you by spreading rumors, this would give me good ammunition to intervene."

As for Manabe-san and co, this particular incident should sooth their anger. Needlessly going further would only put them into unfavorable positions.

With an emotionless tone I told her...

Kiyone : "I am only seeking someone to assist me. I hope that in the future, you will be my aid when needs arise."

Karuizawa : "What? My aid? What do you want me exactly to do...?"

Kiyone : "If the current situation continues, class D will always at the bottom chain. While class D's members' individual abilities are passable, but we are severely lacking in cohesion. We are like beach sand. However, if you can control the girls for me, this situation will gradually turn for the better."

And that makes you, a more valuable being than Horikita-san, who only knows how to fight alone.

Karuizawa : "You, what are you doing...?"

She must have thought that I am just a normal everyday person, so seeing me in this state must have creep her out. But I won't explain myself. The less words, the more terrifying, and the lesser she resists.

Kiyone : "The first step of our cooperation shall be to lead our group to victory for this exam."

Karuizawa : "Victory? But how do-"

Kiyone : "Because you are the VIP, isn't that right?"

When she heard the key word, Karuizawa-san widened her eyes and looked at me.

As if the truth is reverberating inside the pupils, and mind, her eyes. I presented the truth to her. Karuizawa looked slightly puzzled, but that might just as well. Because a parasite can only live by attaching itself to a host. And now that Karuizawa-san has attached to me, a new host. Her life now has no way to move forward but with me.

Oh!

Kiyone : "By the way, Karuizawa-san. Aren't you feel a little cold like that?"

I could see an angry vein popped up oh her head

Karuizawa : "Who's fault is this you stupid 4-eyes freak?!!!"

Volume 5

The remaining contests are the mixed gender three-legged race and the last one: the 1200 meter relay. Kushida-san decide to nominate herself on mixed gender three-legged race since no one girls interested to do that.

There is short time break before the contest began. Kushida-san approached me

Kushida : "Fufufu~ you seem bored today, Aya-chan. What happened? Are you perhaps doesn't like sport event, even during your middle school?"

Kiyone : "Not really, I do like to do exercise."

Kushida : "Is that so? More importantly, it's hard to believe that Horikita-san went looking for Sudou-kun...err...how should I put it, Horikita-san always makes it a point to never miss classes right?".

Kiyone : "Yeah, I was also surprised".

Kushida : "But even so, you didn't look that surprised to me".

Kushida said so while crouching down and giving a bottle of mineral water to me.

Kiyone : "Thanks. Well...It's just because I find it difficult to express myself facially in the first place."

Kushida : "Is that poker face of yours already attached since birth? Anyway even if your face like that you should at least show entusiasm on this kind of event you know. It would affect the others morale if you look disinterested like that"

Kiyone : "Is there any point to do this when the traitor is roaming around while smiling to everyone here"

Kushida : "Huh? What do you mean-"

Kiyone : "It's you, isn't it? The traitor who leaked Class D's participation table to Class C"

Kushida : "C-Come on, Aya-chan. What's the matter with you all of a sudden? Even for a joke, that's far too cruel—".

Kiyone : "The other might be not noticed but I saw it. You snapped a picture of the participation table we drew up on the blackboard with your phone".

Kushida : "T-That's just a record so I don't forget. It'd be a big problem if I forget my own turn after all".

Kiyone : "To only memorize one's own turn through writing it down by hand. Wasn't that the consensus?"

Kushida : "Really? Sorry, I forgot. However, by any chance did that cause you to suspect me?"

Kiyone : "Sorry but I'm confident I'm right. If not, Class C wouldn't be able to attack us this conveniently"

Kushida : "Hmm...but still, even if someone were to leak Class D's participation table by any chance, that doesn't necessarily mean Class C will be able to conveniently win right?".

Kiyone : "True".

Of course, since it's not like Class C went unmatched in all the contests, it's difficult to ascertain the truth. Even if they've figured out Class D's order in its entirety, whether they win or not will still depend on the members from Class A and Class B.

Still, it is a fact that this raises their chances of winning that much more.

Kushida : "Nee~ Aya-chan. Assuming I'm the culprit responsible for leaking the class's information and snapping a picture with my phone was the deciding factor, then that must mean you knew the participation table had been leaked right? Then why didn't you alter the participation table later? Couldn't you have submitted a new participation table later as a countermeasure? If you had done so, the participation table I snapped a picture of would become outdated and meaningless, don't you think so?".

Kiyone : "That would be pointless. If the traitor is a student from Class D, all of that would mean nothing"

Kushida : "How?"

Kiyone : "For instance, suppose we altered the participation table in time like you said, Kushida-san. Then we'd keep quiet and submit the new participation table. Even if we do that, as long as the traitor's a student from Class D, they'd still be able to check and inspect it anytime they want. If they simply asked Chabashira-sensei to show them the participation table, it's well within class rights for them to see it".

If it's just checking the list, then you'd be allowed to do so at any time. In other words, even if we acted behind the scenes, ultimately the order will still be figured out if you repeatedly check the participation table. Kushida-sa...no, Ryuuen-kun would surely do so in that case.

Kushida : "But if you had kept the participation table hidden until the last minute and then submitted it, then whoever sees it after wouldn't be able to make any alterations to it anymore right? I still think you could it prevented it beforehand".

Kiyone : "It wasn't necessary".

Kushida : "How could-...Ahh! But if you did something like that on your own then it might end up confusing the others later I guess...Ahaha...that's no good right?"

That line of thought isn't too shabby. To neuter the spying being done on the participation table, it's necessary to act in advance. Certainly, like Kushida-san had said, by submitting the participation table just before the deadline, it would be impossible to accomplish anything even if one obtains said information since the deadline has already passed.

However, doing so would cause confusion amongst our classmates who aren't in the know. It would also invite animosity from them since alterations had been made onesidedly despite everyone having already reached a consensus.

That is precisely why, taking that and the possibility of a leak into account, the optimal course of action would have been to come up with multiple participation table patterns for the class.

By doing so, no matter which one is submitted in the end, we'd still be able to compete regardless. If so, it would also act as a countermeasure for any leaks and it wouldn't invite any animosity from the class either, the opponents we'd face based on this participation table would also be random so there would be nothing they can do about it.

The leak would be completely neutered. After long silence she talk again.

Kushida : "W-Well...I get the gist of it but I'm not the culprit you know? But I don't want to suspect my classmates either".

Kiyone : "Then shall we confirm it with Chabashira-sensei? Whether or not any students have gone out of their way to check the list after the participation table was submitted. If such a person exists then surely they'd be the culprit".

Especially if someone like Kushida-san, who had already confessed to taking pictures of it on her phone, happened to have gone out of her way to go see it then she'd be all the more suspicious for it.

Kushida-san closed her mouth and for the first time, her smile disappeared. In other words, it's an implicit answer that meant an affirmation. However, she smiled deeply again right away.

Kushida : *sigh* "You're really something else, Aya-chan".

Kushida laughs lightly. It was a face I had seen before just like on the rooftop that day.

Kushida : "It can't be helped if the cat's out of the bag. That's right, I leaked the information on the participation table."

Kiyone : "Normally, you shouldn't admit it you know?"

Kushida : "Yeah. It'd have been surely exposed either way if you had asked Chabashira-sensei. It was only a matter of time. Besides, even if I told you the truth, Aya-chan wouldn't be able to get rid of me. No, you never intended to do that. Why is it?"

Kiyone : "Kushida-san is friend"

Kushida : "That nonsense reason again?"

Kushida-san's ability still mystery. But at the same time I could find a way to use this kind of person for this deal sake with Chabashira-sensei

Kiyone : "By the way, tell me something. The exam on the cruise. That result came about because you informed all the students of the fact that you're the 'target' through Ryuuen-kun, right? And you asked Ryuuen-kun for a favor in return for you leaking that information"

Kushida : "What's with that question? Do you know what I wanted to accomplish so badly that I'd even betray the class for it?"

Kiyone : "Fine. but if you act this blatantly during the sports festival, I'd end up wising up to it even if I didn't want to. It's the same request you wanted to make to me a while back isn't it?".

Kushida : "Ahaha...yeah, I see. So Aya-chan really figured it out".

Kiyone : "Why you would betray the class? I wanted to know the exact reason behind it".

Kushida : "It's because I want to 'expel Horikita Suzune'. That's the reason. Ah, also you are added to that list along her as well. Fufufu~"

Kiyone : "I know more or less you are hostile to me but I just couldn't figure out the reason why you're so persistent when it comes to targeting Horikita-san though".

I had wanted them to resolve this matter between themselves before the sports festival but things didn't pan out that conveniently.

Kushida : "Sorry Aya-chan, but I'm going to get Horikita-san expelled. No matter what you say, I won't change my mind on this".

Kiyone : "In other words, in order to accomplish that, you'd even sabotage Class D?".

Kushida : "That's right. I don't mind not being able to climb up to Class A. I'll settle for getting Horikita-san expelled. But don't get me wrong. Once Horikita-san is no longer here, I'll wholeheartedly cooperate with everyone from the class and aim for Class A. I promise you that".

Apparently, getting Kushida to stop is impossible. She's committing this act of treason with that sort of strong resolve. If necessary, she'd likely approach even people like Katsuragi, Ichinose, Sakayanagi, or even someone who's more dangerous than them. Huh? Wait, she didn't mentioned me on that goal of her. Could it be...

Kiyone : "About that-"

Kushida : "You are also on that list"

What am I expected. She said so with her usual, untiring smile. An expression that's almost dazzling.

Kiyone : "Ok, so...Haven't you considered the possibility that Ryuuen-kun might expose you?"

Kushida : "I'm not an idiot either so I haven't done anything that would leave any evidence behind. Ryuuen-kun's capable of casually tricking people and he's also a liar. Well, whether or not he'd betray me is a gamble I made though"

Kiyone : "He's 100% will betrayed you"

Even so, I just wanted to say there are plenty of ways to deceive someone. Looks like Kushida-san is serious about crushing Horikita-san.

The way this school is set up, if there's a traitor amongst your allies then you'd end up repeatedly fighting desperate fights. The order on our participation table, our strategy, all that information has been leaked. To ask us to win in spite of all this is unreasonable. Well...the side that assumed there's a traitor present and was left unable to formulate any strategies is also at fault though.

I'd expect someone truly talented to instead use the traitor and pull a stunt to pave way for victory.

Kushida : "Horikita-san's make a mess throughout the sports festival. Shame you couldn't save her, right?"

More look like I never intended to do that to begin with

Kiyone : "Why would you think that I will always come to save her?"

She only reply my answer with smile. Soon the three legged race started and Kushida-san prepared to go.

Epilogue Volume 5

After changing into my uniform I went to the front gate as promised and just as she said she would, the girl was waiting for me.

Kiyone : "So, what do you want?"

??? : "Follow me!"

The girl, without offering me an explanation, started walking off and I follow her behind. We reached the 3rd floor of the special building. This floor is one of the few places in the school where there are no surveillance cameras installed.

Kiyone : "So?".

When I'm about to ask her, the girl give me a sign which told me to wait and then walked off alone. She then went over to a corner in the corridor and quietly whispered.

??? : "Can I go back already?".

??? : "Yes. You did well, Masumi-san. I'll be counting on you again"

??? : "Sure"

The girl named Masumi quietly nodded and left. The person behind the voice slowly revealed herself.

Carrying a cane in one hand, she looked at me with a cold smile. 1st year Class A, Sakayanagi Arisu.

Kiyone : "What does someone like you needed from me?"

I asked Sakayanagi but she did not reply. Then for a brief while, Sakayanagi-san and I ended up staring at one another. In a school building at dusk, the lone girl stood before my eyes with a cane in her hand.

Sakayanagi : "That last relay drew quite a bit of attention, Ayanokoji Kiyone-san".

Kiyone : "So...may I assume that it's you? The one who called me out here, that is".

Sakayanagi : "Yes"

An immediate reply, huh? This doesn't make a sense. This girl might be need something from us. Although I don't understand what does class A needed from class D

Kiyone : "So what's the matter? What does someone from class A needed from us?"

Sakayanagi : "After seeing you run, I remembered something. I called you here so I can share with you the shock I felt at that moment. It's almost like this is the lead up to a confession, don't you think so?".

I frowned upon her remark. This situation doesn't make a sense especially I can't think what does Sakayanagi-san wanted from me

Clack! Clack!

Propping herself up with a cane, Sakayanagi stood right in front of me.

Sakayanagi : "It's been a long time, Ayanokoji-chan. Approximately 8 years and 243 days".

Kiyone : "I'm pretty sure this is the first time we met"

Sakayanagi : "Fufu~ I suppose so. After all, our acquaintance isn't a mutual one".

Clack! Clack! The tapping receded bit by bit.

Kiyone : "What exactly is this about?"

Sakayanagi : "White Room"

When those words pierced through my ears and reached my brain. My mind suddenly blank

It chipped away at my rationality and I started questioning 'why' and 'how'.

Sakayanagi : "Your expressionless face still same like last time we meet as well. It's unpleasant, isn't it? To be swept about by information that only the enemy possesses".

Kiyone : "...You..."

I couldn't even thinking clearly due the shock. Not even give her a proper conversation

Sakayanagi : "This is a nostalgic reunion and so I thought I just had to greet you"

Kiyone : "Reu...nion...?"

I looked back at Sakayanagi-san. I definitely haven't seen her before, she truly is a girl who doesn't have a place in my memories.

I haven't lost any memories in the past either.

I met this girl, Sakayanagi-san, at this school.

There's no mistaking that fact.

Sakayanagi : "Fufufu~ Quite understandable because you don't know me after all. But I do know you. This must be a strange twist of fate. To be reunited with you in a place like this. To be honest, I never thought I'd see you again. But with this, all mysteries have been solved. The uninhabited island, the cruise and Class D's brush with expulsion. I just couldn't bring myself to believe all of those were Horikita Suzune's strategies. So you were pulling the strings behind the scenes during all that".

Kiyone : "Whatever do you mean by that? Aren't you underestimated us too much? We had a quite few students who could proposed a strategy to tackle those exam"

First of all, analysis. I need to stay composed without panicking. I can afford to think about it later.

Sakayanagi : "By strategist, would you happen to mean Horikita Suzune-san? Or perhaps you meant Hirata Yousuke-kun? Either way now that your existence has come to light, it doesn't matter who is it anymore"

She's...not lying. Apparently she really knows me. What should I do? I could just used violence to silenced her. But there is no way someone like her doesn't prepared something in case that something doesn't go her ways. I clenched my fist while thinking

Sakayanagi : "Please relax. First of all, I have no intention of telling anyone else about you"

I frowned upon her word

Kiyone : "Wouldn't it be easier if you did?"

Sakayanagi : "I don't want to be interrupted. I'm the only one worthy of burying the false genius"

Clack! The thin cane tapped on the floor.

Sakayanagi : "I've found some slight enjoyment in this boring school life. Anyway, how does school life for you Ayanokoji-chan. Did you enjoy your school life or not"

She said while making such suspicious smile. After long silence I decide to speak

Kiyone : "Can I ask you one thing?".

Sakayanagi : "Fufufu~ I'm honored to be questioned by you. Please ask away. If you'd like to know why I know you then I don't mind giving you an answer, you know?"

Kiyone : "No, I'm not interested in that. I just want to know one thing"

I walk approach her. Sakayanagi-san and I make eye contact. If someone else saw it. It look like I tried to intimidate Sakayanagi-san by closing my distance and looking straight on her eyes

As usual, she show me fearless smile

Kiyone : "Can you bury me?"

Sakayanagi : "Pfft- Fufufuhahaha~ "

Sakayanagi laughed a bit and then laughed yet again.

Sakayanagi : "Fufufu~ I apologize for laughing. But I did not intend on insulting the statement you made. I know very well just how awe-inspiring a person you are"

I keep stare at her

Sakayanagi : "No need to show me that kind of face. I've just begun to enjoy this. I could tell what you had been desired because I will be fulfilling your wish by destroying you. The greatest masterpiece who's your father has made."

I'd like to wish for that. My defeat would mean that man's defeat too after all. I thought from the bottom of my heart that I wanted this sad contradiction I carry to be destroyed.

Deep inside, I just wanted to be saved. I wanted a salvation for this riddles

Volume 6

Since Hirata-kun and Horikita-san giving me a task.After school, I started to take action immediately. There he is Yukimura-kun

Kiyone : "Good afternoon. Yukimura-kun"

Yukimura : "E-Eh!!! A-Ayanokoji??? Since when you are here?"

He seems to be surprised. I mean did he perhaps doesn't realized that someone come approach him? Did I moved too stealthy?

Yukimura : "Ahem! Sorry for my previous behaviour. Etto... What are you doing here? Anyway, did you perhaps needs my help Ayanokoji?"

Kiyone : "I'm the ambassador"

Yukimura : "Excuse me? What?"

Kiyone : "You heard me. Horikita-san and Hirata-kun send me here to help you regardess about study group. Please take care of me"

I said while bowing

Yukimura : "T-This is surely unexpected...Damn, that Hirata-"

Kiyone : "I see, you are rather prefer with boy right? I'll tell them-"

Yukimura-kun suddenly grabbed my shoulder. W-Wait Yukimura-kun, if you do that in crowded place like this. The other will noticed

Yukimura : "Its fine! A-Actually I don't care either girl or boy as long as they could send someone to help me is more than enough! Yes, that's it!"

Kiyone : "I-Is that so? I was afraid that my presence here make you feel uncomfortable"

Yukimura : "N-Not at all. Actually I'm grateful that from all people they choose to send you here to help me. Since Ayanokoji quite reliable and also..."

Kiyone : "Hmm..."

Yukimura : "W-Well, anyway I'm grateful that you are willing to cooperate with me. Once again, please take care of me as well"

Kiyone : "S-Sure, but...could you release me...etto...it seems that everyone watching us for a while..."

Yukimura : "Since when...? Ah!!! My bad! I'm sorry!"

Then he released her hand from me.

Miyake : "Its over already? You guys could take your own time. We aren't in hurry"

Well, Miyake-kun was part of that crowd as well

Yukimura : "Y-You get it wrong! A-Anyway, let's begin"

Miyake : "Sure"

Kiyone : "What about Hasebe-san?"

As soon as class was over, Hasebe-san vanished from the classroom without anyone noticing.

Yukimura : "Did she run away?"

Yukimura muttered a bit angrily.

Miyake : "Hasebe isn't that kind of girl, perhaps she left ahead of us?"

Kiyone : "Why would she leave first?"

Miyake : "Eh, there could be a variety of reasons."

Miyake-kun appeared to understand Hasebe-san well, so he wasn't particularly worried. For the time being, we headed towards Pallet which was the planned meeting place for the study group.

Then, in the middle of the corridor along the way, we came across Hasebe-san.

Yukimura : "Why did you head out without us?"

As soon as Yukimura-kun saw Hasebe-san, he asked her.

Hasebe : "Should I say that I don't want to attract attention? It's a little inconvenient for me to stay in class."

She answered him ambiguously. Yukimura-kun seems to have taken it personally.

Yukimura : "Are you saying you would hate to be seen talking to us?"

Hasebe : "Ah! It's not like that. I-I just have a lot of difficulties with it."

Miyake : "Don't worry, Yukimura. Hasebe is always like this."

Hasebe : "T-That's right. The seats will all be taken while we stand here and talk. So in the meantime, why don't we get going?"

I understand Yukimura-kun's feelings and that he's getting irritated, but we should put that aside for the time being. In fact, now that school has ended, students would start to gather at Pallet.

Yukimura : "You are right... It would be troublesome if all of the seats were taken. Let's go!"

Yukimura-kun quickly regained his composure and took the lead.

Miyake : *sigh* "You should pay a little bit more attention to what you say."

Hasebe : "Was what I was saying really so unpleasant? I'll reflect on this a little."

It seems that Hasebe-san wasn't intending to be rude. We managed to secure four seats and reorganized the situation.

...

Hasebe : "Uh, well, in short, please advise me."

Yukimura-kun sat next to me, with Hasebe-san across the table. Miyake-kun sat next to Hasebe-san. I don't know how this gathering managed to happen or how it turned out this way, but the group of 4 had managed to come together despite the atmosphere of discomfort.

Kiyone : "If you have any questions, We'll hear them out first."

After I said this, Hasebe raise her hand lightly and said:

Hasebe : "So Ayanokōji-san can talk?"

Kiyone : "Eh?"

Miyake : "I-Is that really the question you choose to ask?

Hasebe-san looks up at me as if intrigued. It's apparently incredible that I was talking and speaking to them she think.

Hasebe : "How do I put it... I didn't have any impression of you at all. Are you the type of student who isn't even noticed when you're absent?"

I never had any conversations with Hasebe-san. Even if I had made an impression, there was no way for her to know much. After hearing her comment, Yukimura-kun brings up the topic of the sports festival.

Yukimura : "Come on, the way she ran as the anchor at the relay race was awesome. Because of that one event, Ayanokōji became the center of attention of the school."

Hasebe : "I wanted to see it. But I went to the restroom and missed that race. So for me, it feels a little strange. Didn't you race against the former student council president? It seemed to be a hot topic right after the sports festival ended."

Make a sense

Miyake : "Were you in the track and field club back in middle school Ayanokōji? After watching the relay, a talent scout from the track and field club came."

Kiyone : "Well... I received some solicitation, but I refused."

After all, that type of motivation to recruit was only temporary, and not something that would go on for long. The people in the track and field club shouldn't be thinking about me anymore. Even if someone is a good runner, if they don't want to take part in club activities, it's meaningless to keep on trying.

Hasebe : "Well, I don't understand anything about track club or something. Anyway, did you perhaps got another incredible talent which make people come to noticed you"

Miyake : "You are surely unaware of everything huh? You do know that she already gained much attention even during our first week on school. The talented pianist from 1st years, at least you should have been heard that rumor from club fair, no?"

Hasebe : "Well, I don't attend club fair that day but I didn't even expected that these two event had same main character. Ayanokoji-san surely amazing huh despite being not noticed?"

Yukimura : "Even if you missed that event. You both are on the same class, right? You should know her at least as someone who mostly standing beside Horikita"

Miyake : "Well in short she is kinda like Horikita's personal assistant"

Wait, so that's how everyone in the class D saw me?

As the conversation continued, Yukimura-kun listened without inserting a single word. Hasebe-san changes the topic over to Miyake-kun without worrying about the state of the situation.

Hasebe : "Miyatchi is in the archery club. Is it fun to shoot a bow every day?"

Miyake : "I wouldn't do it every day if it wasn't fun. By the way, the bow doesn't get shot, the arrow does."

He's right.

Hasebe : "I'm not interested in club stuff, like... I'm good with spending my time doing the things I like."

The two of them are quite different than what I've experienced so far. They were much more talkative than I expected.

Hasebe : "Oh Miyatchi, is it alright for you to miss your club activities?"

Miyake : "I took time off."

Hasebe : "How brief."

Miyake : "I will put my time into whatever takes first priority. Archery club isn't very strict so there're no particular penalties."

Yukimura : "Will you all listen to me for a moment? I want to say something before we begin the study session."

Yukimura-kun, who had been listening to the conversation quietly, calmly spoke up. The person his eyes focused in on was neither Hasebe-san nor Miyake-kun, but me.

Yukimura : "No secrets like back at the sports festival, Ayanokōji. I hope you take thing seriously"

Kiyone : "Etto...What do you mean?"

Yukimura : "Studying. I've heard from Horikita that you're plenty capable at it. She said that you are like to lazying around just like Koenji if nobody put an eyes on you"

Kiyone : "Horikita-san seems like to spread unnecessary rumor"

It seems Horikita has given unnecessary information to Yukimura-kun that I was unaware of.

Kiyone : "Well, I'm relatively good at memorizing things. I think I can score pretty well if I concentrate."

If I don't say at least this much, it will be difficult to gain Yukimura-kun's trust.

Yukimura : "Are you the type who doesn't do things even though you have the capability to do them?"

Kiyone : "I can't compare to you, so don't expect too much of me. I'm not good at teaching."

Yukimura : "I understand. You should take this seriously so you can get even 1 more point. Since I will be teaching you, you will absolutely get a higher score than you did on the midterms. Trust me"

Immediately after, Yukimura-kun proceeded to ask the others:

Yukimura : "Did you bring your test papers from the first semester's final and the last midterm test as I instructed?"

Hasebe : "Well, yeah."

Hasebe-san spoke up, and Miyake-kun nodded. They took the papers out of their bags and handed them to Yukimura-kun.

I look at the papers from the side and confirm their contents. The conclusion that comes from there...

Kiyone : "Both of you are excellent at science, but your results in most of the humanities are devastating."

Their score in math was around 70 points, which was a relatively high score, but their scores in world history and language averaged around 40. It's clear that they would be worried if this was left as it is.

Yukimura : "I didn't think you two were on such good terms with each other, but I did know you both shared such a clear weakness."

Miyake : "When I was studying in the library earlier, I was able to speak with Hasebe. That's the flow of things."

Hasebe : "Miyatchi and I are pretty independent types. I don't really wanna become involved with the class."

These two people held a sense of distance from the class and didn't belong to any specific group. Was this the reason for their lack of integration with the rest of the class?

Yukimura : "I feel the same in that sense. Even in this group we're in now, I feel very awkward."

Kiyone : "So why did you approve of making a group this time?"

Yukimura : "This isn't exactly a group, per say, it's more like a study club. If there are only a few people in it, it will be quiet. It doesn't bother me when I study by myself, so I'll have to think about finding a new method to study. I'm sorry, but it will take some time for me."

Hasebe : "Okay. I'll just wait and have a tea break, alright?"

Hasebe took out her cell phone immediately and began to relax. These days, it's easy to kill time as long as you have a cell phone. Should I also take out my phone? What should I do in this situation?

I suddenly felt a gaze, and inadvertently sent my own in that direction.

Several boy students were watching us while one of them spoke out to somewhere.

I could recognize the three students. All of them were from Class C. Though I could only remember the name of Ishizaki-kun who stood in the center.

I hope I don't get caught up in trouble...

However, Ishizaki-kun didn't come looking for trouble. Although they looked over to us from time to time, they still went to the front of the cake cabinet in Pallet positioned next to the cashier. There is a display of cakes that can be enjoyed with drinks or can be ordered to go. Strawberry Shortcakes and Mont Blanc seem to be the particularly popular options, but I was unaware of the details. The clerk judged that the group in front of him was customers, and appeared to have difficulties hearing the order from the students. The clerk showed no signs that he would be reaching out to the cake cabinet, and his expression gradually turned nervous and apologetic.

Ishizaki : "You can't think of some way to do it!?"

Ishizaki had become impatient and cried out, and the noisy cafe became much quieter for a bit.

Clerk Store : "Even if you insist... for a special order cake, it needs to be mentioned at least a week in advance. It would be very difficult to prepare something the same day."

After hearing this response from the clerk, Pallet became noisy once again as if nothing had ever happened.

Hasebe : "What was that about?"

As Hasebe-san twirled her pen between her fingers, she looked towards Ishizaki-kun with a look of disgust.

Yukimura : "Come on. It doesn't involve us."

Yukimura-kun didn't show any interest and was writing something based on the old midterm exams he was given. He was determining their specific weaknesses and planning out what exact measures to take moving forward.

Kiyone : "Cake..."

I wasn't interested in what happened with Ishizaki-kun, but at the same time, I'm thinking about my birthday.

To be honest, I don't have any clear idea of how to spend a birthday like any normal person would. It only meant that I was one year older.

I didn't really know anything. I know that a birthday is a day when someone is celebrated by their family, their lover, and their friends. I just don't understand the emotions someone would feel at that time.

Hasebe : "What's up, Ayanokōji-san?"

Kiyone : "It's nothing."

I wonder what would happened on 26th of December.

(I intentionally make Kiyone and Kiyotaka birthday different. Kiyotaka 20th of October)

There are many students, staff, teachers, and other people in this school. Even if one or two people were to have the same birthday, it wouldn't be an uncommon thing. The only difference between them and me is whether or not there would be anyone to celebrate it with. I wonder if anyone will remember my birthday next year.

Miyake : "I'll go get another cup of coffee."

Hasebe : "Ooh, me too!"

It had been more than 30 minutes since Yukimura-kun had started to confirm the results of their exams in Pallet. He hasn't looked up from the papers yet, and it looks like it was going to take a while longer for him to decide on a plan.

Hasebe-san and Miyake-kun went to the cashier with their empty cups. Pallet had a policy where your second cup would be half price, although only valid on the same day. Pallet sold coffee that was cheap, tasty, and generally impeccable. It seems to be growing in popularity among first-year students. Hasebe-san and Miyake-kun were already preparing to drink their third cups, but Yukimura-kun, who was absorbed in his work, hadn't even finished the second half of his first. His attention was completed absorbed by the textbooks, notes, and test papers, considering how to make the best progress for the study group.

Kiyone : "That looks like a lot of work."

Yukimura : "That's because I've effectively never taught people how to study. I used to teach an idiot how to stay cram until late at night back in middle school, but I couldn't stand doing that. He didn't have any of the fundamentals, and wasn't able to concentrate on the material very well."

Yukimura-kun set his pen on the table and looked up at the ceiling as if recalling that time.

Yukimura : "Now I can't forget the time that I wasted. I thought it was stupid to teach people how to study. During the first semester, when you and Horikita held a study group to stop those idiots from failing, I was laughing at you in my heart. The same goes for the group made by Hirata. Doesn't it just seem like a waste of time? Someone who doesn't study is almost always someone who hates doing it in the first place. I put in a day or two of effort to get rid of failing grades, so if they just go back to how things were before they're just wasting my time."

Rather than being abusive, Yukimura-kun seemed to be muttering his honest thoughts.

Kiyone : "Then, why did you decide to teach us this time?"

It's difficult to compare the cramming that Yukimura-kun taught to the final exams. If you don't study thoroughly, you shouldn't expect to overcome the difficulty. Yukimura-kun is under a lot of pressure. In the event that Hasebe-san and Miyake-kun get expelled, he would probably choose to shoulder the responsibility himself. If it got to that point, he would look past the fact that it was their own responsibility and start to regret that he could have taught them better. That's the type of person that Yukimura-kun is.

Yukimura : "I was useless during the sports festival. What I had determined to be unnecessary had caught up with me. The only difference here is whether the school prioritizes athletics or academics."

Ike-kun, Yamauchi-kun, Sudou-kun, and other students who wouldn't study. Yukimura-kun who wouldn't exercise. Despite their differences, since he had judged that the school determines these things to be of equal importance, he had come to this conclusion.

Yukimura : "In this school, it's not enough to just study. It's not enough to just exercise. Even if we were to combine the two, it still wouldn't be enough. Even people like Horikita or Hirata, who are well-versed in both, can't survive this alone. Intuition, inspiration, and common sense. Ultimately, we will be called upon to display these indispensable qualities of human society. There's no way we could do it purely on our own. It's necessary to unite as a team and stick together. That's the only way."

Yukimura-kun should have suffered all kinds of hardships to get into this school by now.

Yukimura : "So I decided to help. I want to contribute what I can do to the class."

And that, of course, would be holding a study group.

Yukimura : "It's also because I had noticed that I had these selfish feelings about studying. I was reminded of my selfish mother when I thought of this, so I re-examined myself... No, this story is unnecessary. You can forget it."

Yukimura-kun, who had returned from his thoughts, interrupted himself and took his gaze off the ceiling.

Yukimura : "Perhaps if I had to tutor Ike, I would have more problems. Miyake and Hasebe both have the ability to work hard and be serious about their schoolwork, so it's much easier. Also, since they are good at science, this shouldn't be too hard. I don't know how much I'll be able to help, but I can expect them to at least have some sizable improvements."

What forward-thinking... No, would it be better to take this as his response to the two of them? Even though he was just listening silently, he could see that Miyake-kun and Hasebe-san both had a good attitude toward reading. They both had a pretty good viewpoint and ability to understand the material. Because of this, Yukimura-kun earnestly wanted to do his best for them.

After long silence

Kiyone : "I'm going to the restroom."

Hasebe-san and Miyake-kun also hadn't returned yet.

It seemed like there would be some time before the start of the study session, so I gave this excuse to leave the table as well. This was because I had been feeling the gazes of not only Ishizaki, but also of somebody else.

Although I couldn't see it clearly, someone had been discretely trying to peek over here. Yukimura-kun didn't look at me as I left at all, so I moved directly to their seat. I don't think that they had noticed me, so I walked up directly while hiding my presence.

Kiyone : "What are you doing all on your own, Sakura-san?"

Sakura : "Hyaa!!?"

Sakura-san jumped a little in her seat and looked up fearfully.

Sakura : "Uh... A coincidence, really, Ayanokōji-chan!"

Kiyone : "Oh, so it's a coincidence?"

Sakura : "A coincidence, yes!"

Kiyone : "Haven't you been looking back at us from time to time?"

Sakura : "That was... that... I-I'm sorry..."

Since Sakura-san didn't have the confidence to carry out the lie from the beginning, she immediately confessed.

Kiyone : "It doesn't seem like you necessarily have anything to tell me, or do you?"

So there was no need for her to come here. If it was urgent, she would have called or sent an email.

She didn't have any errands or business here, and she's not the type who would ask someone else, so looking at it this way...

Kiyone : "Do you want to join the study group too?"

Sakura : "Wha, why, w-why!?"

Kiyone : "Well, the reason is rather simple. I can see your study materials inside your bag."

It's not necessary to take all of your notebooks with you whenever you go somewhere, but a study group would be a different story.

There are a lot of students here who were studying on their own, but Sakura-san would never choose to study in a place like this.

Sakura : "Oh no..."

She panicked a bit and attempted to close her bag, but it was too late. That reaction itself was just like saying yes.

Kiyone : "If you don't mind our study group, would you like to join us? I'll ask the others."

Sakura : "B-but I... I've hardly ever spoken to any of them..."

Sakura-san couldn't get close to our table because she wasn't good at coming in contact with other people. I understood this much even though she didn't say it.

Kiyone : "You've come this far on your own? If it's the Sakura-san that I know, you wouldn't have even been able to take the chance to come to Pallet and risked the chance of meeting people."

It's no easy task to lurk alone in a place that is filled with both large and small groups of people. The idea of escaping and heading back should have crossed her mind several times already. Despite that, she still managed to remain here, which shows Sakura-san's current state of mind.

Kiyone : "It's up to you to decide what to do. It's better not to consider just my opinion on this. You have to consider how Yukimura-kun, Hasebe-san, and Miyake-kun would think and feel about it as well."

Sakura-san may be discouraged by these words. She might resent me and think: 'He doesn't want to take a stance on it and accept me.' However, Sakura-san's passive attitude has its good parts and bad parts. Since it's a matter of her progress as a person, keeping my distance and waiting to see what she chooses to do on her own is the best policy.

Of course, I have a reason to think this.

Despite being in a group now, the threshold for communication with Yukimura-kun and the others seems to be lower than with the other classmates. I feel like that in my own way. Sakura-san must also have a similar feeling.

Kiyone : "Just think about what you want to do. We'll be staying here for the next hour and studying."

Although it seems a little cold, I left Sakura-san after saying only those words. Even though the cafe was crowded, if I was to spend too much time next to Sakura-san's seat, I would soon be spotted by Hasebe-san.

I casually returned to my seat. Yukimura-kun only glanced at me and said nothing in particular.

After waiting for about 2 minutes, we were approached by the others.

Miyake : "What a long wait. So, have you finished going over everything yet?"

Yukimura : "I'm almost done."

Yukimura-kun speed up his pace.

Suddenly, Hasebe-san stand up and approaching me

Hasebe : "Ayanokōji-san, I wanted to ask you something"

Miyake : "Stop it, Hasebe. Not at this kind of place"

Miyake-kun tried to warn Hasebe-san.

What on earth is she trying to ask me?

Hasebe : "Ayanokōji-san, may I touch you?"

Kiyone : "Err...sure"

Suddenly her eyes somehow changed. Then she suddenly touch my breast.

Kiyone : "H-Hasebe-san!!?"

Miyake : "Ugh!"

Yukimura : "W-Wait, what are you doing?!"

Hasebe : "As expected, you had a bright future ahead of you"

What?

Next, she touch my face. Somehow she seems to playing around with my face, she stretched my cheek. Press my cheek. Or etc

Kiyone : "Wha ar yo do sebe (What are you doing Hasebe-san?)"

Hasebe : "Kya~ So cute!!! But still, it even more better if you could show me some different facial expression. Fufufu~ "

Yukimura : "Are we done here?"

Yukimura-kun seems finished to arranged study material for us

Hasebe : "Okay!"

Yukimura-kun suddenly raised his head in full force. It seemed that he had finally finished his revision. Realizing the situation, Hasebe-san immediately back to her seat.

Yukimura : "Somehow, I feel like I was able to grasp where exactly the two of you are having difficulties. This is the detailed plan I would like to focus on moving forward."

He announces this and passes over the various notes he had written to Miyake-kun.

Yukimura : "I tried to come up with some liberal arts questions. I'll also have Hasebe answer them too, so don't answer them directly in my notebook. Write them on your own. The time limit is ten minutes for all ten questions."

Miyake-kun took out his notebook without any complaints about the impromptu questions. Since he understood that this was in order for him to produce the best results he obeyed the instructions. After ten minutes of struggling, he passed the questions over to Hasebe-san like a baton. The purpose of these questions was to conduct a more in-depth investigation of their weaknesses.

Then, after a total of 20 minutes of exams, Yukimura-kun immediately began writing out their scores on his notebook.

Yukimura : "Honestly, you guys..."

Yukimura-kun finished grading the impromptu exams, and with a dumbfounded sigh, presented them with their scores. They mutually got three answers correct, six incorrect, and the last one was half correct. Their exams were the same, but it was surprising that they managed to get the exact same questions right and wrong. He held his head in disbelief since he knew it very well the risk of this kind of special exam for them.

Random Idea Plot (Sorry not part of chapter) Pt 2

Could be spoiler or not (Since some scenario here might be used or might be not). This scenario might be illustrated if I'm not lazy Hahaha. So, what do you think of this random scenario here

Note : I need motivation and ideas to continue the story hahaha

Volume 7

As the door closed, the only sound I can hear is the faint sound of the heating system. As I stood still without saying anything, the man quietly said.

??? : "How about you sit down. I'm meeting up with you of my own accord after all."

It's been one ye-, no...one and a half years since I've heard this man's voice.

His way of speaking and tone hasn't changed at all. Not that I specifically wanted him to anyway.

Kiyone : "Greeting Otou-sama, what bussiness do you have with me?"

Kiyopapa : "Does it matter for you to asking that kind of question? Know your place!"

(Note : WTH with Kiyopapa LOL)

He hasn't even seen how I live, yet he still treat me same like before. Believing he is absolutely right, that's typical of him.

Kiyone : "Then, whether we talk together now or not will amount to nothing."

Kiyopapa : "So I can assume that I got a favourable answer? If that's so, there's no need to talk anymore. I'm also busy and just got some time in-between to come after all."

He didn't pay me any attention while arriving at his conclusion.

Kiyone : "I don't know what the answer you want is."

Kiyopapa : "I have prepared the papers for you to drop out. I was talking about it with the headmaster earlier. You just have to say "yes", then we can be done with it."

He saw my intention to gloss it over and went directly to the main topic.

Kiyone : "I see no reason why I should accept your demand."

Kiyopapa : "That may be so for you, but I do have some on my own"

He looked at me for the first time. That sharp glance hasn't withered, in fact, it has seemingly increased with his age. Pupils like sharpened blade edges, like he could see thorough into the core. Many people have probably felt being assaulted by them. I took them right on.

Kiyone : "You mean a parent for now, plans on twisting the child's wishes on his own accord?"

Kiyopapa : "Parent you say? You have never recognised me as a parent."

Kiyone : "In my defense, are you perhaps even consider me as your daughter?"

It's suspicious whether this man has ever considered me his child in the first place. It's likely we only recognised ourselves as father and daughter on paper only. Doesn't matter whether there is a blood relation or not.

Kiyopapa : "The point is, you were acting on your own accord. I ordered you to remain on standby."

He threw out, forgetting to urge me to sit. Then he continued.

Kiyopapa : "You defied my orders and entered this school. I'm ordering you to drop out immediately as a matter of fact."

Kiyone : "Your orders were only valid inside the White Room only. Right now, I don't need to listen to them anymore."

It was simple logic. But of course he wouldn't be satisfied with that.

Kiyopapa : "You have become quite talkative since last time I saw you. Influenced by this worthless school I see."

Resting his cheek on his hand, the man looked at me like watching excrements.

Kiyone : "At least this so called 'worthless school' give me more meaning of life than inside Whiteroom"

Kiyopapa : "Heh! The meaningless one about you not requiring to listen to me anymore? You are my property. The owner has every right to use it as he fits. I don't need to tell you this. Whether you live or die is for me to decide."

To honestly being able say that in this country in which law rule prevails, what a wicked person.

Kiyone : "No matter how much you are stuck on it, I don't plan on leaving this school for a certain time"

Doesn't matter what I say, we are just going in circles. He hates wasting time on useless talk so he should know this. He will strike his next card. I just couldn't figure out what kind of card he used on this

Kiyopapa : "Aren't you curious what became of Matsuo who told you about this school and gave you the idea to enroll?"

Kiyone : "Not at all"

Kiyopapa : "He was managing you as a butler for a year. In the end, he went against his employer's orders."

He was talking non-stop, then suddenly stopped. By doing this, he could carve the contents and make the listener conscious of the grave matter this conversation contained. Using a heavy tone and a deep glance, the listener would assume the conversation was about to go in a negative direction, wondering how bad it may have went.

Kiyopapa : "Teach you how to flee from me, about this school's existence, and then ignoring me, your real parent's intentions by sending the papers for your enrollment. Truly a foolish thing to do."

He picked up the teacup the school prepared for him and took a slurp.

Kiyopapa : "That is an inexcusable, unforgivable act. Of course he had to be punished."

It was not a threat, he was just stating the facts without mixing in his feelings on that matter.

Kiyopapa : "You may have imagined it already. He was fired by me."

Kiyone : "That's a valid reason."

The man who was my butler was close to 60 years old. He was outstandingly good at looking after people, and was easy to like. A man well liked by all children. He married young, but was not blessed with children. He got his first child when he was over 40 years old, but he sadly lost his wife in exchange. His child was about the same age as me. I remember him bragging about his son all the time. I have never met his son, but Matsuo told be he was studying really hard as to repay his father. The smile he had is still burnt inside my memories.

Kiyopapa : "You must have known about him. Matsuo's beloved son."

He must've seen me remembering about them, before he added.

Kiyopapa : "As you enrolled into this school, Matsuo's son also managed to pass the difficult entrance exam and enrolled into a famous private high school. He surely worked really hard."

He added a pause, then continued.

Kiyopapa : "But, he has now been expelled."

His words were simple, the meaning clear. He was avoiding to say it directly, but he had made sure the school retracted his son's enrolment to punish him. Because this man had power to do so.

Kiyone : "So?"

Kiyopapa : "His son is a strong child. Even after expulsion from his desired school, he didn't falter. He began enrolment into other schools. But I played my hand with them all. I stopped all his attempt at entering high school and made him give up. Same for Matsuo. Spreading his bad reputation resulted in him not finding any new work. The result, his son lost his course and became unemployed.

It was a speech about how my acts had resulted in Matsuo and his son losing everything. A made-up story it is not, but the truth. If he only meant to report about this petty thing, it was a letdown.

Kiyopapa : "You are probably not surprised at this point. Since they went against their employer's orders, some form of compensation must be made. But it seems he didn't expect one to such a degree. He was responsible, kind man from the very beginning. Losing his wife early, raising his son alone, grieving over that his careless actions had led to him robbing his son of his future. He found only one way to save his son. For reparations he pleaded me to not touch his son anymore, then last month he burned himself to death."

This was the point he wanted to say after his long speak. That my selfish actions was connected to the tragedy of others.

Kiyopapa : "His son is now working part-time without any guarantee to if he can survive to the next day. No dreams. no hope."

He wanted to emphasis this trouble onto me

Kiyopapa : "His family falling into ruins is all your fault. His son must hate you."

No, he hates us.

Kiyone : "No forgiveness even after death."

As I was about to ask, the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Kiyopapa : "The man who took care of you, the man who saved you has died and you don't seem to be paying any attention. Matsuo would have turned in his grave seeing your attitude. The one he bet his own life."

Right or wrong, the reason for Matsuo and his son's fall to ruins lies with this man. There is no need to feel remorse for dead people. But this man wasn't trying to stir my feelings of guilt. Nor did he want me to show empathy. He just wanted to state it. That we would show no mercy to those who enraged him. Nothing more than that. That's what he wanted me to be

Kiyone : "For the first, I don't have any evidence that what you told me is true."

He throw one of Matsuo belonging on the table.

Kiyopapa : "Matsuo's report of death has been confirmed. If necessary, I will bring you his records as well."

So ask me anytime, he strongly implied.

Kiyone : "If he really is dead, then all the more the reason for me not to leave this school. As Matsuo helped me enroll despite knowing the consequences, I have to succeed his will."

A joke of a reply to farce like this.

Kiyopapa : "You sure have changed, Kiyone."

I can understand why he wanted to say that. I had always followed his... No, more precisely, the White Room's orders. That was the whole world to me. His greatest failure was probably this blank unknown one year period of mine.

Kiyopapa : "What happened to you during this one year? What made you decide for this school in the first place?"

And since he already knew, he pursued the topic.

Kiyone : "Certainly, you have provided us with the best education possible. You may have used methods which the public won't ever acknowledge, but still I won't reject the White Room itself. Which is why I'm not planning on speaking about the past to anyone, nor try to put you in a difficult position. However, you are excessively chasing an ideal. The result of that is me, that's all."

I am a first year high schooler. 15 years old. However, my knowledge far exceeds the amount learned in a lifetime. I realized it, was made to realize it. That humans have an endless amount of curiosity.

Kiyone : "You taught us a a lot of things. Not only the usual arts and sciences, martial arts and self-defence, wisdom and much more. It is because of that I wanted to learn about the "world" you threw away."

Kiyopapa : "Does the conclusion, the answer to that have anything to do with why you ran away?"

Kiyone : "Will I be able to learn the same things at this school as staying in the White Room? What freedom is, how is feels to not be bound by anything. I couldn't have learned that in that place."

This is a fact even he can't deny. The White Room was perhaps the most efficient place in the whole world to raise a human, but you couldn't learn everything. It was an institution that threw away anything unnecessary to the extremes.

Kiyone : "Matsuo told me, the only place in Japan where you couldn't reach was this school."

If I didn't choose this school instead of waiting in standby as per orders, or if I had made a different decision, I would most likely have been returned back to the White Room."

Thus I strongly reject withdrawing from the school.

Kiyopapa : "There are some parts I can't understand, but it seems I just have to accept that's how the situation is. Now I see how temporarily shutting down the institution that time before the completion of the plan was a mistake. To think just one year could set back a plan which had been ongoing for over 16 years. And annoyingly you managed to escape to this school away from my reach."

I know that this temporary shutdown was a heartbreaking memory to him. That is why he so strongly wanted me back. But to make contact after half a year, there must be something else happening behind my back. Is there someone big behind this school?

Kiyopapa : "I now understand why you came here, but don't think this is the end of it. As with Matsuo's son, I can make you quit this school by force you know."

Kiyone : "I don't believe you can interfere with this school as you are right now since it's backed by the government. You will create a lot of unnecessary enemies if you do that"

Kiyopapa : "What makes you think so? That's a statement without any proofs to back it up."

Kiyone : "The first one, the bodyguards you always surround yourself with are nowhere to be seen. You are making grudges all around so you shouldn't be so willing to separate from them. But they are not in this room nor in the hallway as far as I can see."

The man grabbed the cup and drank the now lukewarm tea.

Kiyopapa : "Why should I need bodyguards just to visit a high school?"

Kiyone : "That's sloppy considering you always have them guard when you go to the toilet. It seems to me you couldn't take them with you even if you wanted to. The authorities behind this school didn't permit it, is what I think."

And if they didn't at here, he wouldn't be allowed to enter.

Kiyopapa : "You are still lacking evidence."

Kiyone : "Next, If you had the power to make me quit, you would have done so without even coming here. But you didn't do that, instead going out of your way to talk to me face to face and convince me to quit. Something is weird."

For Matsuo's son, he didn't need to meet personally, he simply brought down the judgment I believe.

Kiyone : "And there's another thing. If you made your move in an enemy territory like this school and it becomes public, your ambitions- No, your comeback would forever be a faint dream, isn't that so?"

Kiyopapa : "Hmph! Is that what Matsuo put inside your head? So even after death he still pesters me."

Kiyone : "He had nothing to do with this."

I didn't hear anything detailed from him in the first place, but I can infer the details on my own. This man cannot be stopped halfheartedly, and Matsuo should have known this too.

Kiyone : "Leaving aside the shutdown and its influence, I noticed one more problem. No matter how perfect the discipline is, the so fitting rebellion period will occur in all humans."

A mere 15 years of education cannot possibly win over the DNA, carved from ancient times.

Kiyopapa : "Let's put why an individual as you has gone off the paved road as the premise. You know fully well that there is no meaning behind learning about these unnecessary things so why?"

Kiyone : "The satiable curiosity, and to decide my own path. Something like that."

Kiyopapa : "Nonsense. There is no other path in life other than the one I planned for you. You are the one that one day will exceed myself and rule Japan. Why can't you realized that?"

Kiyone : "How could you expect me to understand that loveless educational method like that?"

Kiyopapa : "Seems I can't get through you after all."

Kiyone : "Otou-sama..."

No matter how far, we are always in parallel. We can never compromise on our understanding.

Kiyopapa : "The White Room has been restarted. This time, it will be perfect. I have also made preparations to make up for lost time."

Kiyone : "In that case you should have several successors who will succeed your will. Why bother with me?"

Kiyopapa : "Certainly, it is as you say, but there is nobody with the same talent as you yet."

Kiyone : "It just proven that 'White Room' isn't like what you expected to be"

Kiyopapa : "You think such a worthless conviction would reverberate with anyone"

That's true.

Kiyopapa : "This is my last words, Kiyone. Consider your answer carefully before answering. What do you wish for? Leaving this school of your own free will or letting your parent forcibly make you leave?"

Seems he really wants to drag me back no matter what. I don't know what cards we will use to that sake, but he could be probably use more wilder method which nobody could imagine.

Kiyone : "Otou-sama, I have no plans to return for now."

As if slicing through the silence, I quickly gave him my conclusion.

Kiyone : "I don't know whether there is salvation for you or not, but I have no plans to give up learning. The methods may be different, but it's true that this school is raising talents. That's where my expectations are."

Kiyopapa : "Tch! What gibberish. You don't understand what kind of place this school is. This is nothing more than a shack for the mobs. There should be some in your own class I'm sure. Lowlifes without any chance for salvation."

Kiyone : "Lowlifes? That's not true. This is a place where I can find out whether people are equal or not. It's a pretty interesting policy I think."

Kiyopapa : "So you think even worthless people can grow up to stand in the same ring as geniuses?"

Kiyone : "That's my wish."

Kiyopapa : "How much are you going to stray away from my policies?"

Kiyone : "Why can't you understand my perspective?"

Kiyopapa : "We should end this conversation, you know this won't go anywhere."

A knocking sound reverberated inside the reception room.

??? : "Excuse me."

After the door was opened, a man, seemingly in the 40s, appeared from the door. His expression became somewhat wary as he noticed the unexpected visitor.

??? : "It has been a long time, Ayanokoji-sensei."

The man bowed deeply. The scene was like that of a subordinate and his boss.

Kiyopapa : "Sakayanagi. What a nostalgic face. It's been 7, 8 years I presume."

Papayanagi : "I guess it has been that long since I succeeded my father's position as the board chairman. Time sure does fly."

(Note : WTH with Papayanagi LOL)

Sakayanagi huh? I got a little sense of incongruity from the name the board chairman presented himself as. It can't be helped that I associated that name with Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A.

Papayanagi : "You must be Ayanokouji-sensei's... Kiyone-kun I assume? It is nice to meet you."

I respond on his greeting by bowing

As he was talking to the standing me, he tilted his head slightly to the side.

Kiyopapa : "Thanks for everything. We are done speaking so I'm excusing myself."

Papayanagi : "Ah, Could you wait for a bit? I just want to talk a bit to both of you."

I couldn't possibly refuse that from the third person, at least not from the board chairman of this school.

Papayanagi : "Well then, have a seat."

I took my seat following his invitation. The board chairman then sat down beside me.

Papayanagi : "I have heard from the principal. It seems you want to make her withdraw from the school?"

If the board chairman yielded in authority, I would perhaps be cornered.

Kiyopapa : "That's right. Since her parent is stating so, you should promptly set it into action."

I wonder how the board chairman Sakayanagi would return those words. Having his worries elsewhere, Sakayanagi met the man's eyes and replied.

Papayanagi : "You are mistaken. True, the parents have much to say regarding their child. If the parents strongly desires for it, there are cases where we don't have to consider the student's own wishes. Still, that is by considering all facts and reasons. As an example, if they were subjected to vicious bullying etc, it would be worth considering. Does this hold true to you, Kiyone-kun?"

Kiyone : "Not at all."

Kiyopapa : "What a farce. That's not my problem. I just want her to quit the school she enrolled at without my permission."

Papayanagi : "Going to high school isn't mandatory. Which school to enroll at is up to the student. Naturally, if the parents paid the expenses like tuition or similar, it would be another story. This school has all the expenses covered by the government so money and the materials are not a problem. Thus we will put the students' autonomy as our first priority."

It was expected but I felt grateful for those words.

And at the same time, I understood. Matsuo once said 'this school will allow you to escape the White Room'. He made that declaration because of this man's existence. He's conversing with my father without the slightest hint of fear. And it's also proving effective.

Completely unlike the headmaster who bowed immediately before authority, this man seemed dependable. Sakayanagi-san surely blessed to have such kind of parent

Kiyopapa : "You've also changed. What happened to the you who used to agree with me?".

-Skip for spoiler explanation about ANHS enrollment-

After the board chairman gave me that encouragement, I left the reception office. When I left the reception office, I saw Chabashira-sensei waiting a slight distance away for the conversation to be over.

I gave her a bow and tried to walk past her but she started walking while matching my stride.

Chabashira : "How was your confrontation with your father?"

I decide to ignored her. I speed up my pace.

Feeling annoyed, Chabashira-sensei suddenly grab my arms which caused me turn to face her.

Chabashira : "Ayanokoji!!! Just...What happened...?"

I shove her hand and immediately leave her while stunned.

...

I keep walking away.

On the place where nobody see

My legs feels weak and I crouched down

My eyes feel blurry. I can't see the object in front of me clearly

No, its clear as day.

That...

I was crying

Kiyone : "You stupid old man... I already told you didn't I? That was meaningless..."

Rooftop Fight

And after stepping out onto the rooftop, Albert-kun stood beside the door and watched me from behind.

The overcast sky above seems as though it'd rain down on us any moment now.

I looked at Karuizawa-san, cowering near the fencing, far from the door. And then Ishizaki-kun and Ibuki-san, having noticed the door opening and closing, looked over at me with Ryuuen-kun following suit.

I looked around, left and right, to check for the presence of surveillance cameras. The camera's lens has been painted black and it's no longer capable of carrying out its function.

I see. So he simply blinded it with a spray.

After I grasped the situation, I immediately turned back to face Ryuuen-kun's group.

Ibuki : "Ayano...koji...?".

Hearing my name spoken, Karuizawa-san also noticed my presence.

She didn't say anything right away, but I was able to tell from her eyes that she's shocked at my presence here.

Kiyone : "Sorry I'm late"

I said that to her.

Karuizawa : "Why...why did you come...?"

Karuizawa-san looked at me while forcing that feeble voice out.

Kiyone : "There's no need to ask, isn't it? Somebody should had solve the problem"

Ishizaki : "R-Ryuuen-san, does this mean Ayanokouji is X!?"

Ibuki : "Are you fool? She's definitely not the one. To think that the real X much this coward"

Ishizaki panicked, but Ibuki denied it. She can't accept that I was X

Ibuki : "Ryuuen, surely X is just manipulating Ayanokoji. Don't be deceived. It doesn't make a sense that the one who will be appeared were a girl—".

Ryuuen : "Shut up, Ibuki".

Laughing, Ryuuen-kun distanced himself from Karuizawa-san and drew a bit closer to me.

But even then, he stopped while putting around five meters of distance between us. I could tell then that Ryuuen-kun is extremely wary of me.

Ryuuen : "Well well, what do we have here, Kiyone? What business do you have at an unpopular attraction like this rooftop here on a winter holiday?"

Kiyone : "Karuizawa-san sent me a mail. Asking me to save her".

I didn't go into detail and I didn't mention that Ryuuen-kun himself had made contact with me either. As for why, it's because Ryuuen-kun had foolishly invited me to the hunting ground, a prey hunted by the hunter.

Ibuki : "It's obviously a lie. You were just given orders. Telling you to go save Karuizawa".

Ibuki-san was just told to shut up but for some reason, she's going out of her way to deny me.

Ryuuen : "What's the matter, Ibuki? You seem to want to believe that Kiyone isn't X".

Ibuki : "Isn't that obvious. Who would expect a mere frail girl like her appear before us. I don't think she's even aware of the situation with Karuizawa and X, no?"

Ryuuen : "Frail, you say? How could you tell? Are perhaps saying that by yourself you could even take her down on 1 hit huh?"

Ryuuen-kun provoked Ibuki-san.

Ibuki : "What's wrong with all of you. Do you think that this kind of situation make a sense to begin with?!"

Ryuuen : "Are you perhaps had some kind of reason that you can't hurt her?"

Ibuki : "That's not it. It just that...It's true that she's an incompetent student who wouldn't even doubt a clearly suspicious person. She is just kindhearted fool. That's what I realized"

So she cannot imagine a person like that manipulating Class D from behind the scenes, is what it means.

Ishizaki : "Do you believe it, Ryuuen-san? That Ayanokoji is X, I mean".

Ryuuen : "I've somehow suspected Kiyone. Because she's constantly with Horikita, who herself is said to be exceptional and all".

Ishizaki : "But, isn't that way too blatant or more like...way too obvious for someone trying to hide their identity?".

Ryuuen : "That's true. I get what you're trying to say, Ishizaki. That's why I also carefully made sure to eliminate all other possibilities. And after learning about the incident with Manabe's group, I delved into it again. Considering the manner in which they handled the matter with Karuizawa's bullying, I thought it had to be either Yukimura or Hirata".

Ibuki : "Stop acting cool. You didn't even mark Yukimura or Hirata as targets after that, did you?".

Opinions are split even within Class C.

A unique situation where I'm admitting to it while Ibuki and the others are refusing to acknowledge it.

Kiyone : "It's precisely because I'm the most suspicious one that I deliberately did things that way. Or perhaps I had no other choice but to use Horikita-san?"

Ibuki : "You better stop to pretend as X. Just tell the real X and we will spared you as well"

I choose to pose a vague yet gentle question.

Kiyone : "No need to fret, I'm the one you've all been looking for"

Ibuki : "This 4-eyes fool!"

Ishizaki : "Hah. Now isn't that suspicious? Would you really admit to that yourself? This is way too strange"

Their denial is understandable, all the more so since I had kept myself hidden this whole time.

Ibuki : "Surely you also predicted that X wouldn't show up here, no?".

Ishizaki : "Yes, normally speaking it would be ridiculous to assume someone who's been hiding behind someone else all this time would just waltz into such an obvious trap".

I suppose it's natural that there'd be some doubts regarding that.

Ryuuen : "Looks like a poor move to me, Kiyone. In this case, the best move for you would've been to abandon Karuizawa Kei. Not to jump into the fray recklessly. I can't blame Ibuki and Ishizaki for doubting you. If you're really X, tell me how you plan to overcome this predicament".

That's the only way to prove it. Was what Ryuuen-kun added.

Kiyone : "Am I currently in a predicament?".

For a moment there, Ryuuen and the others seemed unamused by my foolish question.

Kiyone : "I just came here because Karuizawa-san asked for help. There's no exam going on right now so proof doesn't even factor into this, does it? If you want proof that I'm X, you can just wait until the next exam".

Ryuuen : "That's not true at all. Now, we're aware of your identity. Furthermore, we're also aware of Karuizawa's secret. Surely you know terrible things will happen tomorrow if you leave without saying anything here. So, you better stop playing around Kiyone or else I would broke your emotionless face sooner than you think"

Kiyone : "What do you mean by terrible things?"

Ryuuen : "Stop playing dumb. Now then, show me your next move"

Kiyone : "There's no move to make. I won't do anything"

Ishizaki : "I get it now, Ryuuen-san. Surely Sudou and the others are nearby, waiting for orders, don't you think?".

Ishizaki stared at the half-open door.

Ryuuen : "Not really".

But Ryuuen shot him down.

Ishizaki : "I-Is that so?"

Ryuuen : "If a large number of their classmates happen to see this disastrous scene of Karuizawa's, she'll lose her position without even the need for me to spread it around. Use your head a bit"

If he wasn't sure of that, even Ryuuen-kun won't act this rashly.

Ishizaki : "I-I see..."

Ryuuen : "But you're quite something if you're going to play dumb".

Ibuki : "Enough is enough, Ryuuen. There's no way X would just boldly march up to us alone".

Ibuki-san counselled Ryuuen-kun.

Ryuuen : "Good grief, now this is a problem. Ibuki and Ishizaki apparently don't believe you're X"

Ryuuen-kun shrugged his shoulders and exasperatedly looked over at Ibuki-san and Ishizaki-kun.

Ryuuen : "You said you won't do anything, didn't you Kiyone? But I need to ascertain whether this is the truth or not. To do that, I have no choice but to make all this common knowledge. You're fine with that?"

He said that and looked me over with a smile.

Kiyone : "I've already admitted it from the start but if you still won't believe me then allow me to disclose some more information. Ibuki-san"

I spoke to Ibuki-san, who just wouldn't stop doubting me.

Kiyone : "During the island exam, you were instructed to film the leader's keycard with your digital camera. But for some reason, at the critical moment, your digital camera malfunctioned and you were left unable to use it. Am I wrong?"

Ibuki : "H-How do you know!?"

Kiyone : "I'm the one who broke that camera you hid inside your bag. To make sure I don't leave behind a trace, I used water"

There shouldn't be that many people, even within Class C, who are aware of the fact that they had purchased a digital camera.

Kiyone : "By the way, when I ran into Ibuki-san, her fingertips were covered with dirt. On top of that, there were traces of soil having been dug up around where she sat. When I looked into it at night, I found a radio buried there. That was so you could communicate with Ryuuen-kun, no?"

If I disclose all this, surely they'd understand it even if they don't want to.

The only ones who saw Ibuki-san with her dirtied hands back then would be me, Yamauchi-kun and Airi. In other words, it's definitive proof that I'm someone who's noticed even that.

Ryuuen : "You've got to admit it now, Ibuki. Kiyone is X"

Ibuki : "Wait, wait a minute! Just because she's somewhat smart doesn't mean she's X, does it?"

Ryuuen : "Is there even a need to doubt her any further?".

Ryuuen-kun seemed even more exasperated than before.

Ibuki : "But isn't it strange? Even if Ayanokoji really is X, pulling the strings from behind the scenes, why would she just obediently show up here!? She's demolished all our plans so far, hasn't she!?"

Ryuuen : "She probably has some sort of trick up her sleeve. A miracle that exceeds even our imagination. If not...she'll just be an idiot then".

Kiyone : "Trick? There's no trick I could use in a situation like this. You lot have already grasped Karuizawa-san's big secret regarding her past. I know what'll happen if I act carelessly. I mean, this situation itself is the result of your preparations to make sure I'm unable to do anything, am I wrong?"

Ryuuen : "Hah. What'll you do then? Now we can reveal your existence whenever we want, you know? Now that you've revealed yourself, we no longer have any incentive to reveal Karuizawa's past bullying. If we keep quiet about that then you won't be able to act carelessly either. A perfect stalemate"

Kiyone : "Doesn't look like reporting what was done to Karuizawa here to the school is an option either"

Unlike how it is during exams, violence between students that occur over the course of normal school life doesn't lead to an immediate expulsion. Even if we're able to provide proof of all that was done, it's doubtful we'll be able to deal any sort of meaningful damage.

Ryuuen : "If you tattle on us, we'll ruin Karuizawa in retaliation"

That's right. If I attempt to penalize Ryuuen-kun for this, I will end up completely losing Karuizawa-san.

It's very possible that I'd win the battle but lose the war. Having used Karuizawa-san's past as a means of offense, Ryuuen-kun now switched to defense.

Ryuuen : "No matter how you look at it, I'm overwhelmingly in the lead here"

Kiyone : "Aren't you satisfied now that you know the situation? I'll be taking Karuizawa-san back with me"

Ryuuen : "Don't say something so anticlimactic. You're finally here so you might as well take it slowly. How about you get naked here and I will spare both of you"

Kiyone : "In your dream"

Ryuuen-kun then grabbed Karuizawa-san's arm and forcibly dragged her up.

Karuizawa : "Ahh!"

Ryuuen : "There's no way you'd reveal your identity without a reason. What trick do you have up your sleeve? Show me"

He extends the palm of his hand towards me and made a provocative gesture with it several times.

Kiyone : "Sorry, Ryuuen-kun. But it doesn't seem like I'll be able to answer your expectations"

Ryuuen : "Huh...?"

Kiyone : "I was just dancing in the palm of your hand. That's all there is to it"

No one here would've expected X to say something like that. A cruel X who would protect their own identity even if it meant abandoning Karuizawa-san. Or perhaps a sharp student who would save Karuizawa-san while keeping their own identity hidden. They would've thought it'd be either one of those.

A crack finally appeared in the smile that Ryuuen-kun had been wearing this whole time.

Ryuuen : "If the X we've been making such a big deal out of finding is a fool like this then we may as well have not found X. Surely what happened with the digital camera was a fluke or something"

Despite being allies with him, Ibuki-san's always distrusted Ryuuen-kun. It's precisely because she truly feels that way rather than putting up an act that she questions him so openly. Seeing an opportunity, I made my next move.

Kiyone : "I did indeed reveal my identity. But that won't come back to bite me immediately. The only ones who know that I've been manipulating Class D from the shadows would be Horikita-san and Karuizawa-san. If the other classes come to know of this, it could only have been one of you who leaked it"

Ryuuen : "And what's the problem with that?"

Kiyone : "If you're going to reveal my existence then I'll report everything that happened on this rooftop to the school"

Ryuuen : "You've just been cornered because you aren't capable of doing that"

Kiyone : "I can do that. I just have to sacrifice Karuizawa-san"

Ryuuen : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "You assumed I'd abandon Karuizawa-san. But when I showed up you started talking based on the assumption that this wasn't the case. Am I wrong?".

Ryuuen : "Now that doesn't add up. If you had abandoned her from the beginning, you may have been able to conceal your identity. You came because that wasn't an option. Don't bluff now"

Karuizawa : "It's fine...if they know about Ayanokoji then they can also reveal my secret"

While slowly pushing herself back up from the floor, Karuizawa-san looked at me.

I immediately averted my eyes back towards Ryuuen-kun.

Kiyone : "Or so she says. It's up to you whether you believe it or not but it'll be the fight of your life if that happens"

Ishizaki : "Umm...since we've uncovered X's identity, wouldn't that suffice for now?"

Ibuki : "I agree. She might actually sacrifice her"

This was all originally done for the sake of flushing X out. Ishizaki-kun and Ibuki-san don't want to go any further than this.

Ryuuen : "Kuku~"

For some reason, Ryuuen-kun clutched his head and began laughing while shaking.

Ryuuen : "You're certainly right in that war may break out once either side reveals their secret. I'll admit that"

Deep or shallow aside, both sides would be left with scars. Furthermore, depending on how you consider it, there's no guarantee that Karuizawa-san would receive a lethal blow. The image of a girl who stood back up despite the bullying she received in the past would form on its own.

If Ryuuen-kun calls it quits here then that'd put an end to all this.

However...

This boy will never choose such an option.

Ryuuen : "To be honest, it's been a letdown so far. Not only revealing your identity so easily, but you also have no choice but to leave your fate in the hands of your enemies in order to protect yourself. But even then, there's still no doubt that Kiyone is the X who kept me entertained. Then I'll be losing out if I don't make you entertain me to the very end. Right, Ishizaki?"

Ishizaki : "Y-Yes".

Ryuuen : "For me, everything's a game. Not just climbing to Class A but crushing Ichinose, crushing Suzune, all of that's an extension of that game for me. Crushing Class D or crushing Class B and even Sakayanagi, who I've saved for last, is but a means for me to kill time"

While laughing, Ryuuen-kun grabbed hold of Karuizawa-san's bangs. Karuizawa-san's face contorted in pain. But there's no longer any fear in her eyes.

Ryuuen : "Kuku...even though you despaired so much, now it's like you were never even afraid. I feel stupid for doubting whether Kiyone is X or not. Your eyes tell me you have absolute faith in Kiyone. It almost feels like you'd go ahead and reveal your own past if I were to reveal Kiyone's identity. You can relax. Your role here is clearly over with this"

Having lost interest in Karuizawa-san, he released his grip on her hair and shoved her by the shoulder.

Ryuuen : "You sure entertained me, Kiyone. Despite being a defective product of Class D, you saw through my strategies again and again. Not only that, your modus operandi is even similar to my own. It was impossible for me to not be interested in you. To draw the mastermind out of hiding. That became pleasure to me. I haven't thought beyond that. I thought I'd consider it after meeting you"

He poured his heart out ever so talkatively and pleasantly.

Kiyone : "Then, are we keep talking or something?"

Ibuki : "What are you planning to do to Ayanokoji?"

Ryuuen : "Who knows. Since she dared to challenged us, maybe making her our plaything would be worth after all. Anyway, why are you so pissed off Ibuki?".

Ibuki-san took her distance from me and fearlessly approached Ryuuen-kun until she was right in front of him.

Ibuki : "What you're about to do now is something that puts Class C at risk".

Ryuuen : "Kuku~ You were always a lone wolf, never cooperating with your classmates and yet here you are, saying something like 'this puts Class C at risk'. Don't make me laugh"

Ibuki : "I followed you this far because I thought the class stood to benefit from your recklessness. But this one's over the line. Ayanokoji clearly has nothing left up her sleeve. Are you going to stoop that low?!"

As thoughs spitting out all the resentment bottled up inside her, Ibuki-san continued.

Ibuki : "That's why I cannot approve of what you're about to do"

Ryuuen : "Do you know what I'm about to do?"

Ibuki : "I can tell after having known you since April. You're going to make her yield through violence, aren't you?"

Having heard that, Ishizaki-kun froze up a bit.

Ibuki : "Ishizaki, Komiya, Kondou and even Albert have all been made to yield to you through violence"

Ryuuen : "It's best to demonstrate the difference in power between us"

Ibuki : "Isn't the difference already obvious?"

Ryuuen : "It's true that we've been had many times now by Kiyone. We need to return the favor"

Kiyone : "Are you done talking?"

Ryuuen : "See? Even that person herself eager to tackle this matter through violence. Then, if you keep doubting her. Why don't you measure her capability first before shut her up later?"

Ibuki : "Damn it all! Both of you just muscle brain after all."

Then Ibuki-san trying launch an attempt of attack with kick directly toward me however I simply dodge and countered her action by giving a punch to her guts.

POW*

Err...Why she didn't get up? Did my fist were too much for her...?

Ishizaki : "O-Oi, Ibuki! Stop joking around!"

But Ibuki-san didn't move at all. She already fainted

Ryuuen : "Kuku~ Interesting Kiyone! I think I understand why you revealed your identity this late. Now this makes it impossible for us to fight out of bounds. Shut the door, Albert"

After receiving that order from Ryuuen-kun, Albert-kun closed the door that leads back into the school.

Ryuuen : "But it's still a bad move. You may have thought it would all end here but I won't let that happen. If we could defeat you here, I'll take your body as reward then"

Kiyone : "That's the more reason I can't let myself lose"

Everyone here can already tell what's going to happen next.

Ryuuen-kun won't change his ways.

-Skip fighting progress. Somehow too lazy to explain LOL-

As expected, I do know very well the difference physique between male and female. Ryuuen-kun had extremely strenght and endurance. Honestly its kinda easier to kill than beating someone. At least that's what I feel.

If one thing from this fight is out of my calculation. The fact that Ryuuen-kun didn't hesitate to use that iron pipe which that bash caused my forehead got bleeding. I was though that he is at least man of honor but maybe he just the same like the other when they got cornered although I would totally do the same like him if I were on his shoes

After choking him from behind by using iron pipe which I got by disarm it from him. I hit his body when he was almost fainted with the same iron pipe I hold, I tried my best to avoid his vital area since I don't want to kill him.

Kiyone : "You still show me your disgusting smile until the end huh, Ryuuen-kun"

Then I continued to hit him until he loses his consciousness. Since it would be such a pain if he back to retalliate. I'm pondering about breaking his arms and legs.

When I'm about to break his left leg. Karuizawa-san suddenly hugged me from behind and prompted me to stop

Karuizawa : "Stop it! Ayanokoji!!!"

She said while tried to hold my hand which hold the iron pipe

Karuizawa : " Look, I'm alright...so please...put it down...It's over...Let's go home..."

I decide to release the iron pipe which I hold before.

Kiyone : "Sorry...I ended up putting you in a tough spot. Are you hurt anywhere?"

Karuizawa : "I'm...fine. I'm numb from the cold though..."

She still hugged me. I could feel that she's numb from cold because she is wet. I guess my uniform getting wet as well from being hugged by her

Karuizawa : "You betrayed me from the start, isn't it?"

Kiyone : "That's right. You had the right to despise me. Then why didn't you sell me out to Ryuuen-kun?"

Karuizawa : "That's secret..."

She released her hug but she grasped my hand which urged me to see her face to face.

Karuizawa : "Look at me...I was scared...I was so scared...!"

Kiyone : "There's no need to think about anything right now. What happened today, what's happened so far. You can think about it all later. The only certain thing is that as of this moment, you've been freed from your curse. From this point onwards, Manabe-san...no, no one else will be able to dredge up your past. As for the rest, you can act as you always have".

No longer possessing the strength to hold herself up, Karuizawa entrusts her body to me.

Looking at it from Karuizawa's perspective, it's been a calamitous few months. Incidental bullying at the hands of Manabe-san's group. Then further bullying after realizing she's being targeted. Then having Ryuuen-kun dredge up her past and having to realize all of it is because of me.

She must be falling apart, her emotional state unstable.

Kiyone : "You are amazing person Karuizawa-san. You managed to create the present by overcoming your past. You'll just pick up where you left off starting tomorrow".

But if it's Karuizawa Kei we're talking about, there's no problem. I'm a bit envy of her, even if that was my own word. The fact that I was the one who needed to get comforted the most. Such absurd fate I could say

Kiyone : "I'm the one who hurt you. I won't ask you to forgive me. If something like that happened today happens to you again, I will definitely do something for you"

Karuizawa : "Its kinda funny right? It maybe presumptuous of me but when you are in trouble. I hope that I could help you one day just like you help me like this..."

With this, we started to build mutual relationship based on trust.

Volume 7,5

On the bench near Keyaki Mall, naturally there was no sign of anyone. After wiping the snow off the bench, I sat down there. Around the time the snow stopped falling, that boy appeared.

Ryuuen : "Don't go around calling someone out this early in the morning".

The one who spat that out was the leader of Class C, Ryuuen Kakeru-kun. No, former leader. And with a sharp glint in his eyes, he glared at me.

Kiyone : "I wouldn't be able to call you out here if it wasn't a time like this with no one around".

Ryuuen : "That's for your convenience. That has nothing to do with me".

Kiyone : "I'm sorry..."

It was understandable that Ryuuen-kun would curse like that. Certainly, the one who would be inconvenienced by someone witnessing is meeting, is if I had to say, me. A variety of rumors...or even if not, there's no avoiding a troublesome rumor spreading around.

Ryuuen : "So? What business do you have with me?"

Kiyone : "I was thinking we could gossip. If I said that what would you do?"

Ryuuen : "Hah! That's a funny joke for this sh!tty sleepy morning. Asking to having a date would be better reason to say on this situation dwimmit"

Even though it was still early morning, Ryuuen-kun understands well the risk I'm taking. He's never even once thought, from the start, that this conversation held no meaning while teasing me.

Kiyone : "Speaking of which, I saw you yesterday. And also, elsewhere I saw Ishizaki-kun and the others"

It also served as evidence that Ryuuen-kun had indeed resigned as leader as he had declared. I cannot rule out the possibility of it being faked, but after seeing Ishizaki-kun and the others, that's not possible. In the first place, there's no advantage to them in making it seem that way to me.

Ryuuen : "Are you happy that you were able to prevent me from dropping out of school like you wished?"

I nodded

Kiyone : "Impressive. Even though you're alone now, you didn't end up secluding yourself away inside your room"

Ryuuen : "I'm free to do whatever I want wherever I want. Or do you succumb to anxiety whenever you see me? Because you don't know when, with what timing, I'll decide on revenge"

Kiyone : "I never regret my decision that I didn't expel you, Ryuuen-kun"

He places a leg on the bench beside me, and boldly sweeps the snow off it. Then he firmly sat down on it.

Kiyone : "You see, If possible I'd like you to hold off on that. It's for the sake of a peaceful school life as well too, but it's also a bother to fight against you"

If I play along with Ryuuen-kun's methods, it'll tire me out more than necessary. Beaten down by his persistence, I can imagine the state of the ones who had fallen under Ryuuen-kun's umbrella.

Ryuuen : "Then don't call me out. You're wasting the miracle of me coming out like this"

Let's leave the small talk at this and cut to the chase. If I mess up the timing clumsily, then Ryuuen-kun will leave this place without mercy. Not only that, but the continuation of the rooftop may even occur in that case.

Kiyone : "Regarding the rooftop incident back then, I was thinking I'd like to add something"

Ryuuen : "Add?"

What are you thinking of now, is what Ryuuen-kun is probably thinking. Especially if I'm going to analyze his defeat, it's certainly not something that would be pleasant for him. However, it is vital that I explain to him the parts he missed while conveying the facts to him.

Kiyone : "That place was where the decisive judgement occurred, Ryuuen-kun. Probably, if you had been alone there, even now you'd be obsessing over the rooftop incident and you might have been able to fight me again".

But, Ibuki-san, Ishizaki-kun and also Albert-kun were also there at that place with him. It is also a fact that this was one of the main factors that caused Ryuuen-kun to hasten his decision. If the situation had aggravated, the riskiness rises proportionately. In the worst case scenario, there is the possibility that it won't end with the responsibility being shoved onto Ryuuen-kun alone. Not just that instance, he made his surrender after seeing ahead of that. It was a hand worth playing. Of course, I manipulated him into doing that but as far as living up to expectations go, Ryuuen-kun has high potential.

Ryuuen : "Truly, you're a bastard who's screwing around, I'm amazed at the lengths you go to in taking that attitude of condescension towards your opponents. I thought doing that was my specialty but when you do it like that, I'm going out of business".

Kiyone : "I'm sorry if it does sounds to offended you. I was only telling you the truth"

Ryuuen : "I don't even have to think about how saying that benefits you. It means it has something to do with the fact that you even used Ishizaki and the others to stop me from dropping out, right?"

I had expected him to catch on if I properly carried the flow of the conversation but it seems like the prospects of that are dim.

Ryuuen : "You and your craftiness. Do you think I'll still make a move?"

Kiyone : "Move? What do you mean?"

Ryuuen : "Don't play dumb. I'm talking about you trying to make me strike at other classes. If not, there's no reason to keep me around in this school".

If I don't use Ryuuen-kun, his existence will be nothing more than an impediment. He chose to drop out on his own so if I had left him to his own devices that would have been the end of it, it's easy to think that.

Kiyone : "Is your motivation not coming back? Aren't you the type of man who enjoys conflict?"

Ryuuen : "Even if I crush Class B or Class A, as long as you remain. There's no meaning to any of it"

There's no meaning. That's quite a definitive statement.

Kiyone : "Huh? Has your spirit been broken that much by just one defeat? Did I perhaps judge you wrong"

As I said that, Ryuuen-kun's eyes lit up with an emotion that resembled slight anger. He suddenly grabbed my jacket and pulled me closer to him

Ryuuen : "Shall I go on a rampage here then? If that's what you wish"

Kiyone : "N-No, That's not it. I said too much. Please forgive me"

If the matter with Ibuki-san, Ishizaki-kun and the others didn't exist, I would have probably already been beaten up and sent flying. This man here doesn't know fear.

Then, he learnt fear.

However, even so Ryuuen-kun would probably coolly stand up and fight here. He has more than enough potential to move forward even as he feels terrified. Of course, this only applies if he remembers to move forward and mature without dropping out of school.

Kiyone : "We've already settled the score between us. From now on, I won't bring up the incident on that rooftop. I promise you this is the last time. Now on top of that, let's talk. Okay?"

I said that while gently tried to release his grip from me

Of course, Ryuuen-kun won't believe mere verbal promises. At the very most, this is just being done perform, words meant to console him.

Ryuuen : *sigh* "Suspicious. Even if we continue this conversation, it's pointless. I doubt anything beneficial to me can come from this, I'll be taking my leave".

Perhaps his discomfort index has risen, but he moves to leave.

Kiyone : "Wait!"

I stopped Ryuuen-kun, who made a move to get up by holding his arm. The act of attempting to leave too, looking at it from Ryuuen-kun's perspective, may be a strategy meant to draw out my words. It was precisely because he had thought something was up that he left the dorm this early in the morning. He probably had no intention of going back empty-handed in the first place.

Then, without looking at me, Ryuuen-san sat back down.

Kiyone : "You're free to interpret what I'm about to say in any way you like. However, from now on, don't you think it'll be boring if simple battles continue on endlessly?"

Towards me, who kept on continuing with the riddle-like questions, Ryuuen-kun seemed frustrated but immediately replied.

Ryuuen : "Simple battles, you say?"

Kiyone : "Class D beats Class C, then beats Class B and finally beats Class A. Then joyously, Horikita-san and the others become Class A. For a story outline, it seems like the popular, easy way out. But, what I'm saying is that we don't need to be hung up on such patterns"

If this were a simple, adventure action picture, we may have properly struck in order of weakness. However, this is reality. There is no such thing as a sequence when it comes to battles.

We're free to start attacking from A or B. It is not out of the question for us to join hands with C, who happens to be our enemy, as well.

Kiyone : "Interestingly enough, it seems starting from the 3rd semester, Class A will be attacking Class B. While the enemy's attention is focused on Class B, it's possible to take them from behind and in one stroke, collapse Class A entirely".

And this would no longer make it a pointless conversation for Ryuuen-kun.

Ryuuen : "How credible is this information?".

Kiyone : "I don't know. I'd say it's 50-50".

I have to take into consideration the possibility that Sakayanagi-san may simply be bluffing. If I'm reading this from the standpoint of her personality, nine times out of ten she'll follow through with it though.

Ryuuen : "If this is reliable information, then it can be said to be a good chance. But, I thought you Class D guys have a non-aggression pact with Class B. It's good and all to strike at Class A but while you do that, Class B will be crushed. Ichinose cannot possibly beat Sakayanagi, you know".

Kiyone : "I don't care about who wins and who loses. I don't plan on getting involved"

Ryuuen : "So you're just going to let her fall without helping?"

Kiyone : "If she destroys Ichinose-san for me, it saves me the trouble. Class D may be able to rise up to Class A without effort. And besides if it's Sakayanagi-san, she may be able to expel some of them. It's about time I learned what sort of penalties will occur if an expulsion were to happen"

Ryuuen : "There's a lot I don't like about this. You don't have any ambition to aim for the upper classes. Aren't you acting under the mentality of not wanting to stand out?"

Kiyone : "That is true. However, there's no inconvenience for me if my surroundings were to act on their own. If we can automatically rise up to Class A, I don't think that's a bad deal"

By surroundings, of course I mean Class A and Class B. And also Ryuuen-kun.

Ryuuen : "So you'll just be observing without doing anything?".

Kiyone : "There's a problem I need to fix. There's still a troublesome existence left in our class".

That existence is a person Ryuuen-kun knows very well. There's no need to even think about it, the name of that person came out of his mouth.

Ryuuen : "Kikyo, huh? Certainly, for you she's a troublesome one. The way this school is set up, if you have an enemy on the inside, there will be a fair amount of limitations you'll face".

To deal with the protuberance in front of my eyes. Those were my honest thoughts. There's no longer any need at this point to pay heed to rising up to Class A as well as expulsions occurring within the class but the problem is that, in Kushida-san's case, the one she's targeting is Horikita-san.

As for me, since I did something reckless during that rooftop incident, I can no longer make an enemy out of the former student council president. As long as he's still enrolled in this school, if his sister Horikita Suzune were to be expelled, that man probably won't forgive me.

In my school life, I'd like to avoid lighting up yellow signal lights.

Ryuuen : "A few days ago, Kikyo called me you know? She asked me when I'd attack. Unfortunately, at the time I was engrossed in my hunt for you and I didn't respond to her but ever since she lost during the test, she's been vigilantly watching out for an opportunity and she doesn't seem like she's given up desiring Suzune's expulsion. Kuku~ she's quite an interesting woman. Who know maybe she tried to get you first since she was thinking that you are some kind of Suzune's bodyguard or something"

Kiyone : "If you had used Kushida-san, you could have dealt a damaging blow to our class, right?"

Ryuuen : "If I had wanted to attack Suzune or the class, there was no better material to use. But to crush someone like you who's indifferent about your class, Kikyo is far too weak"

Certainly if it was an attack against me, then Kushida-san is greatly insufficient.

Ryuuen : "What're you intending on doing? Even if you can temporarily suppress it through the use of medicines, as long as the cancer isn't ablated, it won't be entirely gone. Not even that, it may even metastasize to the other organs, you know?"

Eventually, those organs will decay and die.

Kiyone : "I've already reached that conclusion. There's no need for discussion"

Ryuuen : "Hmm? Then let me hear it, Kiyone. How exactly are you going to completely suppress Kikyo?"

Kiyone : "Do I need to answer that?"

Ryuuen : "Whether this turns out the way you want or not, depends on that answer"

As though he were enjoying himself, Ryuuen-kun laughed. But perhaps the pain in his mouth is still present, as his smile instantly disappeared. It's gotten slightly colder. In this season, staying out too long and getting your body chilled is not a good thing.

Kiyone : "Class D, starting from the 3rd semester, will rise up to Class C. However, in all likelihood, we'll be dropping back down to Class D. Why? Because...I might be going to get Kushida Kikyo expelled".

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ Kuhahaha!".

Ignoring the pain, Ryuuen-kun roared in laughter.

-Skip the conversation deal between Ryuuen and Kiyone bla bla bla-

Kiyone : "The negotiation is complete then"

I stretch out my right hand with intention to make hand shake. Either way, Ryuuen-kun is not an existence that's easy to control. Even though he's retired now, if I can manipulate him so that he won't become an obstacle, then that's a good bargain. No, with just this alone I still cannot afford to be negligent.

But as usual, Ryuuen-kun is still Ryuuen-kun...

Ryuuen : "You let your guard down, Kiyone"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

He suddenly take away my glasses

Ryuuen : "Kuku~ as expected. You look more prettier this way"

Kiyone : "R-Ryuuen-kun, give it back!"

I tried to take back my glasses but Ryuuen-kun just simply raising his arm up while holding my glasses. He took the advantages of our difference in height

Ryuuen : "Kuku~ Come on is that all you got"

Kiyone : "Just give it back!"

Ryuuen : "I just don't understand. Why are you trying to look like an idiot with this glasses? Beside this is just fashion glasses. Could it be you wanted to change your image like nerd? Kukuku~ "

Kiyone : "That's not your bussiness! Just give it back!"

Then I decide to tackle him down by hugging him while pushing him forward. He started to losing balance

Ryuuen : "Wha-! Sh!t!"

Kiyone : "Whoa!"

THUD

We both fall. I was on top Ryuuen-kun body. Looking at my glasses which he dropped. I tried to reach it but suddenly he grab the arm which I used to reach it.

Ryuuen : "So tell me, is this all you have to say? In your initial invitation, you said there was a person you wanted me to meet though. But I don't think a person worth that is amongst the 1st years. Is it true?"

Kiyone : "That's right. There may be no one like that amongst the 1st years, I guess it's about time"

Just as the appointed time was imminent, as though he had timed it, that man showed himself from afar.

Seeing that figure, Ryuuen-kun could not hide his surprise at the unexpected visitor. As that man walked his way towards us, he stopped.

Ryuuen : "Of all people...him? The one you said you wanted me to meet?"

I directed my gaze towards that man without denying the question from Ryuuen-kun then I nodded in confirmation. That's right I better be stand up now. Starting by reach out my glasses

Kiyone : "I'm sorry it had to be this early in the morning senpai"

Manabu : "I don't mind. This is a good time for a clandestine meeting. Your location of choice isn't bad either"

It's because it's a limited school campus, and it's inside its resource. It's a position where I would be able to immediately spot anyone coming from both the left and right. If by any chance, someone were to come here, this man would probably pretend to be a stranger and simply walk off.

Ryuuen : "You seem pretty close to the former student council president. Was Suzune also useful?"

Including the rooftop incident from a while ago too, Ryuuen-kun lightly laughed. Perhaps he had already conjectured that she is the little sister of the student council president, but it seems he's already investigated it.

Manabu : "I had thought you'd be alone, Ayanokoji. To think Ryuuen would be accompanying you. Are you perhaps currently had a date with him? Its kinda strange"

Rather than surprised, it was more like he was confirming it with me just in case. But maybe I could be wrong. He seems somewhat glaring us instead

Kiyone : "Of course not-"

Ryuuen : "Yes, got problem with it?"

He said it while putting his arm around my waist

Kiyone : "R-Ryuuen-kun...S-Stop messing around"

Glancing once at us, then try to not paying it any attention. The older Horikita began to talk.

Manabu : "Then, I'll be continuing with what I have to say under the assumption that Ryuuen Kakeru is also a cooperator. If we go about it leisurely, there's no telling who will spot us after all"

Ryuuen : "You just brushing it off, you are no fun. Wait a minute! Who are you calling a cooperator?"

Kiyone : "At the very least I can guarantee that he's not an external enemy"

Ally, cooperator. I couldn't answer with a lie like that so I answered this way.

Manabu : "Ayanokoji, when you requested help from me a while back, do you remember the promise you made to me?"

Kiyone : "Yeah. It's about helping you stop Nagumo-senpai, right?".

Ryuuen : "Nagumo? You mean the new student council president?".

The reason I'm with Ryuuen-kun right now is because I had wanted him to know about what the older Horikita is thinking as well. Of course I could have told him about it separately, but having the older Horikita here lay it out for him directly would have a stronger persuasive effect.

I whisper toward Ryuuen-kun

Kiyone : "It seems he doesn't like the way Nagumo-senpai is doing things"

Then he decide to face Horikita-senpai

Ryuuen : "I see. So you're contriving to use Kiyone to stop Nagumo, huh? It's a famous gossip that the 2nd years are all dominated by that man after all. To deal with him, there's no other option but to use the 1st years. Tell me something, Horikita. Since when did you start eyeing Kiyone?"

Towards the older Horikita, Ryuuen-kun calls him directly by his name. Not only that, but his attitude was one of condescension. Well, since I'm doing something similar too it's not my place to say. By the way why his arm feel thightened. I mean I feel a bit uncomfortable here Ryuuen-kun

Manabu : "Right after she enrolled. On the other hand, it seems you've had quite the hard time finding her. Doesn't she caught your attention yet at that time?"

It probably wasn't in retaliation, but in response to Ryuuen-kun. Horikita-senpai simply answered indifferently like that.

Ryuuen : "Kuku~ It's because I'm the type who takes his time enjoying the process"

Manabu : "For all that, you sure got beaten considerably well"

In response to Ryuuen-kun, who was taking such a high pressure attitude, he replied as though he were roasting him. It seems Ryuuen-kun also sensed that, but he toughened his gaze.

Ryuuen : "If you think my skills are lacking then, would you care to test them out right here?"

'Even though I'm injured, I can still take you down', Ryuuen-kun provoked him in that spirit.

Then Horikita-senpai glance at me

Manabu : "I'll have to decline. I have no interest in such things"

The older Horikita responds calmly.

Ryuuen : "Kuku~ I knew you wouldn't take me up on it or perhaps is there any reason you wouldn't accept it?"

As Ryuuen laughs lightly, he finally release his arm from me. Right after that, using a frontal kick, he sends snow flying towards the older Horikita's face. The point of it was to blind the opponent.

Looking for the moment where he becomes agitated after his vision is lost from the snow, Ryuuen launches his right fist forward aiming for the older Horikita's abdomen.

Towards that, without even giving off the feeling that his vision is obstructed, the older Horikita predicts the attack and completely guards against it. Even as he falls back, without panicking, calmly, he used his middle finger to adjust his glasses by the bridge.

Ryuuen : "Tch! I thought you were just an intelligent bastard who only has his craftiness, but you're quite good aren't you?"

Regardless of it having been a surprise attack, towards the older Horikita who blocked it, Ryuuen-kun gave his compliments.

Manabu : "I believe I told you I'll decline"

Ryuuen : "What's the matter? If you dislike it you're free to attack me anytime. Or could it be, you can't fight back against a 1st year?"

Manabu : "It seems like somehow you've gotten yourself quite a reliable friend, Ayanokoji".

The older Horikita brushes off the snow and dirt on his clothes.

Kiyone : "Ryuuen-kun might be more impressive than you think"

But Ryuuen-kun's gaze that would snap at just about anyone did not change.

Ryuuen : "Well, that's fine. I'll evaluate you as a man who can get things done to an extent. Horikita-'senpai'"

It's not like it couldn't be taken as sarcasm, but Ryuuen-kun added an honorific.

Manabu : "Likewise. You're not fit for the student council but I am giving you a certain amount of valuation"

Ryuuen : "I'm very happy to be praised by the former student council president"

Not receiving it sincerely, Ryuuen-kun raised his hand and answered as though turning it aside. Since such an interaction between those two has ended, the older Horikita got down to business.

Kiyone : "Can't we stop this farce and get down to the bussiness right now, gentlemans?"

Manabu : "You are right"

Ryuuen : "You surely like to hasten this meeting, aren't you Kiyone? Kuku~ not that I hate it"

-Skip Manabu-Kiyone cooperation explanation bla bla bla-

Volume 8

As I walked in the direction that person went, I saw her crouching down as though concealing herself.

She didn't notice me there as she continued crying while muffling herself. And for a moment, I hesitated. However, no matter how hard this place is for people to stumble upon, there's no telling when another student might come across this place.

In that case, I should wrap this up quickly.

Kiyone : "If you're in trouble you should be consulting Horikita senpai, shouldn't you?".

Tachibana : "You again?!"

The girl who raised her face was Tachibana Akane senpai from Class A of the 3rd years. Panicking over having shown me that pathetic figure of hers, she wipes her tears away.

Tachibana : "What do you want?"

Kiyone : "It's not about what I want, it's about what I just told you".

Tachibana : "It's not like I'm in any trouble or anything. There is no need for a 1st years like you to be concerned about me"

Kiyone : "Seeing you're crying like that, I guess the problem already escalated to the point which you can't handle anymore"

Tachibana : "I'm not crying! I don't need your concern. Just mind your own bussiness"

Kiyone : "I already warned you about this since first day, it was trap were set for you. What are you doing all of the time?"

Tachibana : "Seriously...you are such annoying kouhai..."

Despite she said like that. One could tell that it was more look like she grateful that there is someone out there who look after her. Her tears wouldn't stop at any time.

Saying that, Tachibana-senpai averted her eyes from me. The reason she's not moving from that place is that if she goes somewhere brightly lit, her reddened eyes and the traces of tears on her face would become clearly visible.

Tachibana : "Sometimes I just want to be alone".

Kiyone : "We certainly don't get much private time to ourselves, do we?".

A toilet break's about the only time for that but even then, it's abnormal to use it for long periods of time. There would also be more than a few students seeing you go in and out.

Kiyone : "I'm also on Horikita-senpai's side".

That's a lie. But if I say that, Tachibana-senpai will probably trust me more.

Tachibana : "Still, this is getting out of hands. You wouldn't be of any help".

Well...if she's going with that then I don't really have a reply. On the contrary, we'd just be risking the leak of information.

Crouching down. I tried to wipes her tears

Kiyone : "Please just count yourself lucky that we aren't enemies".

Tachibana : *sob* *sob* "Mind your manner and stop talking so casually to your seniors. I didn't say anything until now because Horikita-kun was also there but...".

More importantly, I became curious about how she usually refers to him as 'Horikita-kun'. It's also strange how she continues to refer to him as 'President Horikita' despite him having left that post. She could call him the 'former' one too but the way Tachibana-senpai sometimes refers to him is unnatural.

Tachibana : "It must be good being a 1st year. So optimistic".

Kiyone : "That's a rather fearful statement. Are you anxious about the exam coming tomorrow?".

Tachibana : "I don't really feel anything in particular. There's the leader and all but it's not like there's bad blood within our group or anything. On the contrary, things are going swimmingly on the surface".

Kiyone : "Then why are you crying here?".

Tachibana : "I'm telling you, I wasn't crying".

When I pointed at Tachibana's eyes, she panicked and used her hand to check whether or not her eyes were still wet. After realizing they were dry, she turned to glare at me with a slightly angry expression.

Kiyone : *sigh* "It's already dead end. Just ask his help already. Or is there any situation you can't do that? Don't worry, I could deliver your message to-"

Tachibana : "That's not necessary! Horikita-kun's the one I'm anxious...worried about".

It's a lie that's not quite a lie. I'm not going to go there yet.

Kiyone : "Worry, huh? Is there anything to worry about when it comes to senpai?".

Tachibana : "Horikita-kun...Horikita-kun's always been fighting alone. Until now, he's been fighting against the 2nd years and also the 3rd years. You couldn't possibly understand what it must be like to fight against everyone all on your own and how difficult it must be".

Even if I tried to understand, there's no way I'd understand since it wasn't me who were on his shoes.

Kiyone : "I do know a bit about how Nagumo-senpai and the 2nd years led by him are the enemy but I didn't know there were enemies among the 3rd years too. There can't possibly be that many people rebelling against the man who assumed the role of student council president, right?".

Tachibana : "Aren't you misconstruing Horikita-kun as some kind of dictator? Even though he was the student council president, he didn't abuse his authority unlike Nagumo-kun. Because there's no room to be lax in any exam".

Even if she says all that, I never had the opportunity to familiarize myself with the 3rd years' internal affairs much less have a clue about the older Horikita's background.

But by saying there's no room to be lax in any exam means...

Kiyone : "Could it be that...the class conflict between the 3rd years is still going on?".

Tachibana : "At the very least...if Horikita-kun falls, Class A will definitely go too".

Kiyone : "I see".

That's certainly also what Nagumo-senpai's been saying. That the gap between the 3rd years' Class A and Class B is only 312. It's definitely possible if the older Horikita is their only strength or if Class B possesses talented students of their own.

Kiyone : "So that means even he's not that amazing, just a normal student in the end huh?".

Tachibana : "Horikita-kun is—!...It's nothing".

She stops herself as though trying to hold herself back from raising her voice.

But as though spitting out her frustrations, she slowly continued.

Tachibana : "Because the other Class A students were always a liability...we lost a lot of class points we shouldn't have lost and even our private points—he's always sacrificed himself for the sake of protecting his comrades".

If what Tachibana-senpai says is true then that means the older Horikita is the Hirata-kun type. To be honest, it doesn't seem that way to me. Of course, that's what the one actually part of the 3rd years' Class A, Tachibana-senpai, is saying so there must be a degree of truth to it. In all likelihood, there were probably many instances where he dealt with matters behind the scenes without revealing his virtuousness.

The person who's seen those things happen more than anyone else from beside him is this girl here.

Kiyone : "In other words, you're feeling down because of the current situation?".

Tachibana : "Even I am aware of the boys' situation. The fact that Nagumo-kun challenged Horikita-kun and that he's unable to make a move because of that. And also, that we are unable to do anything to help him".

Kiyone : "Whether or not you can help him also depends on your tenacity, right?".

Tachibana : "I know that!".

Perhaps tears welled up again in her eyes, Tachibana once again wiped them away with her arm. Her thoughts about the older Horikita may be the reason for those tears but there are other reasons as well.

Kiyone : "I don't understand why are you so stubborn? Did I perhaps misunderstand something?".

Tachibana : "No...Not really".

She denied it.

Kiyone : "Is that really true?".

Tachibana : "You're persistent, aren't you? Do I look like that pityful to you?".

Kiyone : "W-Well...".

Wiping her tears she stand up and face me with gentle smile

Tachibana : "Don't worry. I'm not that pathetic to make her kouhai keep worried about me".

Kiyone : "Never once I though you are pathetic actually".

Tachibana : "Don't say this to Horikita-kun...No, don't you dare to said this toward anybody. I'll think something to tackle on this matter by myself. Just focus on your own exam, kouhai. Listen you better didn't bring shame to Horikita-kun since he is somewhat trusted you to certain extend"

After warning me, Tachibana-senpai went back towards the cafeteria. On the off chance, she probably doesn't want the older Horikita to know the truth I suppose.

Why she is so stubborn. You're making a mistake, Tachibana-senpai. This isn't a problem you can solve by sacrificing yourself if that what you are thinking about.

After seeing Tachibana-senpai's fragile back, I steeled my resolve.

Kiyone : "I suppose this means it's going to be checkmate unless I make a move".

Random Idea Plot (Sorry not part of chapter) Pt 3

Could be spoiler or not (Since some scenario here might be used or might be not). This scenario might be illustrated if I'm not lazy Hahaha. So, what do you think of this random scenario here

Note : I need motivation and ideas to continue the story hahaha

Volume 9

And then, the appointed time came. Instead of the sound of the doorbell, a light knocking echoed throughout the room. As the door was already unlocked, I just opened it up right away.

Kushida : "Good evening, Aya-chan!"

Because it was around midnight, Kushida-san's voice was a bit softer than usual.

Kiyone : "Sorry for calling you at such a bad time. Please come in."

Entering someone else room who you are supposed to had hostile relationship in the dead of night. Furthermore, to be completely alone with me. Generally speaking, it would be entirely understandable for her to turn down such an offer.

Despite all of that, Kushida-san came in without hesitation.

Kushida : "So, Aya-chan what did you want to talk about? It's unusual for you to ask me to come by this late at night."

If it was something casual, it would've been fine to talk in the morning or during the day. It was only natural for her to be suspicious.

Kiyone : "There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

Kushida : "Really?"

A bit surprised, Kushida-san continued.

Kushida : "I thought you hated me and didn't want to discuss things with me anymore."

Kiyone : "It's not that I hate you. I just thought that you'd rather avoid interacting with me."

Kushida : "Ahahaha! I see! Well, that is true."

She responded, laughing not as the Kushida-san she showed to the public, nor the Kushida-san she kept hidden within, but from somewhere in between.

Kushida : "But don't you have Horikita-san? Isn't she far more reliable than someone like me?"

Kiyone : "I can't rely on anyone else, you're the only one I can ask for this."

Kushida : "While I don't know if I'll be able to help, I can definitely hear you out. Though, what do you mean by 'I'm the only one you can ask'?"

She tilted her head, seeming to not have the faintest clue as to why I would want to talk to her.

Kiyone : "I want some personal information about various first-year students. Information they'd be embarrassed about if it became public. In other words, I want you to tell me their secrets."

Kushida : "Could you repeat please? What do you mean?"

The smiling expression on her face didn't fade, but the smile in her eyes vanished.

Kiyone : "You've said it before. That you already have enough information to cause the class to collapse. This doesn't just include Class C, but students from the other classes as well."

(Note : At that time, Horikita and co succeded to rank up as class C)

Kushida, who constantly plays the role of a popular person with a good personality, would often have others consult with her to talk about their issues.

She should have a noteworthy amount of information about the students from the other classes, even if it still dwarves in comparison to what she has on the students in Class C.

Kushida : "And why does Aya-chan want to know such a thing?"

Kiyone : "Are you aware that Ichinose-san is suffering because of the rumors right now?"

Kushida : "Yes. Like how today there were those terrible letters..."

Kiyone : "It's all for the sake of putting a stop to those rumors."

She seems even more confused

Kushida : "Wait a sec! Hmm... well...As expected I don't really get it. Is that your intention, Aya-chan? Or is it-"

Kiyone : "This has nothing to do with Horikita-san."

Kushida : "Hmm? You're quite compassionate. You did help Sudou-kun back then, after all."

Of course, Kushida-san knew about the actions I had taken to prevent Sudou-kun's expulsion shortly after we had enrolled here.

Kushida : "However, are you saying that learning someone else's personal information is related to stopping the rumors?"

Kiyone : "Yeah."

Kushida : "I still don't get it. If you spread rumors that hurt a lot of people, won't the situation become much more volatile than it is right now? Or is it fine as long as the rumors aren't focused on Ichinose-san?"

Saving one person at the cost of many. She might have thought of it as that sort of strategy. While that way of thinking was correct, she was mistaken.

She continued speaking.

Kushida : "I'm on good terms with Ichinose-san as well. If there's anything I can do for her, I'd want to do that. Sure, maybe I've heard a couple more secrets than the average person. But, that's also why I'm not able to say them easily. After all, they're secrets that I've been confided with under the premise that I won't go around sharing them with others."

Of course, her response was completely natural.

Hardly anyone would be happy to find out that someone had shared their personal secrets with the rest of the world. That being the case, one might think that it's better not to share anything personal with anyone, but human beings aren't that simple.

They choose to share their secrets with family, close friends, and lovers. After all, everybody wants to share their feelings with someone.

Kushida : "I can't just betray my friends. Besides, even if I cooperate with you for Ichinose-san's sake, wouldn't they find out that I'm the one who leaked the rumors?"

Kiyone : "Of course. In order to avoid that, it's necessary that we're selective with the rumors we end up using."

Heavy secrets, like those that had only been shared with Kushida-san, couldn't be used.

On the other hand, if the rumors are simple enough that all of their friends know about them, then they wouldn't hold any weight. The important point was that some, but not many, already know the secrets. We'd have to balance it perfectly.

Kushida : "Do you think that I would betray my friends and cooperate with a strategy I don't even understand?"

Kiyone : "It won't be easy. You had a point"

If I didn't know anything about the dark side of Kushida, there would be no room for negotiations.

After all, it was highly unlikely that Kushida-san, who always plays the role of an angel, would want to assist with a scheme to trap others.

However, because I knew about Kushida-san's dark side, there was some leeway.

Kiyone : "If you can provide me with the information I want, I'll be willing to do something for you as compensation."

Kushida : "Compensation?"

Kiyone : "I intend to answer your desires to the best of my ability."

Kushida : "Are you saying that you'll get me what I want?"

Kiyone : "To put it bluntly, that's exactly what I'm saying."

Kushida : "There's no guarantee that you'll keep to your word. You're allied with Horikita-san, after all."

Kiyone : "Then you should consider this conversation we're having right now as insurance."

Kushida : "What do you mean?"

Kiyone : "I don't need to spell it out for you, you know exactly what I'm talking about, don't you?"

I briefly directed my gaze toward the pocket of Kushida-san's outfit.

Kushida : "Hmm?"

She continued to pretend that she didn't understand, so I pushed the matter a step further.

Kiyone : "Even if I don't say anything, you should probably understand. A cell phone or Voice recorder or Maybe even both?"

There was no way that she wouldn't try to take advantage of this conversation.

Kushida : "So you already knew? That I've been recording?"

Kiyone : "After I considered who I was dealing with, I figured that you would at least do that much."

Kushida : "But you were sure of it, weren't you?"

She attempted to change tracks, thinking that I was trying to bait her with a trick question.

Kiyone : "If you had to cut out the parts that are inconvenient to you, it would lower the authenticity of the recording. Ideally, you would want to keep the data intact as much as possible. And for that to work, it would be necessary for you to curb your own behavior."

Kushida-san had been carefully choosing her words to be as polite as possible ever since she arrived at my room.

That way there wouldn't be any fault with her behavior, even in the off chance that something went wrong later on.

Kushida : "For you to determine it with just that... Not bad."

Kushida-san took out her cell phone, letting me see the screen as she stopped the recording.

Kushida : "Well, the recording is over. Ahhh~ how uncomfortable!"

With that, Kushida completely did away with the gentle atmosphere that had been filling the room.

Kushida : "I was vaguely aware of this already, but you helped Horikita-san back then, didn't you?"

Kiyone : "I'll admit that I gave Horikita-san some ideas."

Kushida : "Well, let's just put that aside for now. I'll always be able to hear about it when we're done with this."

She said, taking us back to the topic at hand.

Kushida : "So, how do you intend to use another person's personal information to stop the rumors about Ichinose-san?"

Getting to the point, Kushida switched gears and adopted a listening posture.

Kiyone : "That is...by getting the ever-watchful school involved."

Kushida : "I-Involving the school?"

Kiyone : "Currently, Ichinose-san has been keeping silent about the rumors, refusing to take action against them. So naturally, the school hasn't done anything in response."

Kushida : "Is it okay to make that assumption? It's possible that the school will still do something to stop the rumors, isn't it?"

Kiyone : "Sorta. Even if her homeroom teacher knows about her situation, the fact that the school still hasn't taken action is because Ichinose-san herself hasn't been asking for it in the first place. So, we should just escalate the issue to the point where they can no longer quietly sit back and watch. If we do, the school should definitely start to take the situation more seriously."

Even if the school's isolated from the rest of the world, the age of being able to cover everything up has come to an end. If there were constant reports of slander amongst the school's student body, causing dropouts, or potentially even rumors of suicide, the school would see its social status and honor disappear almost immediately.

Schools would never be able to ignore a problem that may turn into a case of bullying. Naturally, Arisu's attacks were just barely toeing the line of what was acceptable. In which case, I would just have to go behind the scenes and push it over that very line. And as a result, the whole situation with the rumors would start to die down. That was the plan.

Kushida : "Not everyone will be able to keep silent like Ichinose-san, so you're saying that you'll have other students go and cry to the school instead?"

Kiyone : "Exactly. Plus, even if nobody else reaches out to the school, the end-of-year exams are right around the corner. The rumors should help create an extremely tense, irritated atmosphere. Small fights or quarrels may end up taking place as well."

Kushida : "And as a result, the school won't be able to sit back and watch anymore? Is what you're getting at?"

Select a few people from each class and spread an intricate mix of truths and lies about them. It's possible that over half of the students targeted by the rumors will speak out and deny them. It's even possible that nobody would end up admitting to the rumors at all.

But, that would only go to show that there may be some truth hidden within the rumors in the first place.

Kiyone : "We would also have another advantage. Given the current situation, Class A would be the first suspect if new rumors show up."

Because the Arisu camp had spread rumors in order to entrap Ichinose-san, they would immediately notice the influence of an outside party.

However, even if they notice it, there wasn't anything they could do about it.

Even if they devoted all of their energy toward denying these new rumors, they still wouldn't be able to deny that they had spread rumors in the past. Due to that, they wouldn't be able to avoid shouldering most of the suspicion.

With this in mind, Kushida-san appeared to have understood where I was going with all of this.

Kushida : "But, how do you plan to spread so many rumors? It's not easy."

Kiyone : "How will I spread the rumors? With the school forums."

Kushida : "By forums, are you referring to the ones in the school's app? You do know that nobody uses those, right? Besides, if the school is forced into action, won't they punish the people responsible for spreading the rumors? Even though you can post to the forums anonymously, won't the school immediately be able to tell who posted the rumors?"

Kushida asked me one question after another.

Kiyone : "Those risks have all been taken into consideration."

Kushida : "In other words... In the worst case scenario, you're prepared to take on the blame for spreading the rumors?"

Kiyone : "Yeah. And should that happen, I wouldn't say anything about your involvement at all."

Of course, I had already thought of countermeasures just in case it came out that I was involved, but it wasn't certain whether or not it would get to that point yet. In the first place, I never intended to post anything on the forums that could be traced back to me.

Kushida : "There are still risks in this for me."

Kiyone : "That's true. If it's traced back to me, the fact that I know so much about the internal affairs of other students would seem unnatural. It's possible that some students will think that I got my information from someone else."

The one thing I had to be careful of at this point was to avoid conducting myself too perfectly in front of Kushida-san. It was important for her to think that I was overlooking a few things here and there.

Kiyone : "In order to make things more acceptable for you, we'll have to carefully select which rumors we end up using."

Kushida : "Hmm... Aya-chan's goal is clear to me at this point. I'll consider it. My cooperation will depend on our conversation moving forward."

Her words were another way of saying that she still hadn't been convinced just yet.

Kiyone : "It depends on whether or not I come to accept your conditions? Is that what you're saying?"

Kushida : "Exactly."

It would be difficult to carry out this operation without Kushida-san. While it would be possible to just make up a bunch of lies, that wouldn't be enough to cause discomfort within everyone's hearts. By weaving a countless number of truths into the mix, it would be enough to make people anxious of their surroundings.

And that anxiety would be the source of the fire that would spread shortly after.

Kiyone : "Then, what are your conditions?"

Of course, if the conditions she put forward were unacceptable, then negotiations would break down.

Kushida : "Horikita Suzune's withdrawal from school."

Kiyone : "Rejected."

Kushida : "It is, isn't it?"

That Kushida-san's greatest desire. She knew it wouldn't happen, but she mentioned it just in case.

Kushida : "Alright, how about this. Having you dropout would be acceptable right?"

Kiyone : *sigh* "That would be even more unacceptable than having Horikita-san dropout."

Kushida : "Ahahaha~"

Kushida laughed, finding my response just a little amusing.

Kushida : "But there's nothing else I want."

Kiyone : "In which case, how about I make a suggestion?"

I decided to offer her some conditions myself.

Kushida : "Alright. What is it?"

Kiyone : "I'll give you half of all of the private points I get moving forward."

Kushida : "What? Isn't that the same deal that Ryūuen made?"

As expected, Kushida knew the details of the agreement that Ryūuen had made with Class A.

Kiyone : "Yeah, you can think of it as the same agreement. Of course, if needed, I can show you the log of deposits and withdrawals in my account every month so you can be certain that I'm not scamming you. With this, by the time you graduate, you'll receive hundreds of thousands to a few million private points. It's an exceptional price for the information you'd be giving up."

There was a brief silence as Kushida considered the offer.

Kushida : "It's certainly not a bad offer. But, unfortunately, I'm currently not in dire need of more private points. It can never hurt to have more money, but I already have plenty."

Kushida-san had obtained a very large sum of points during the special exam on the cruise ship.

It can be inferred that, even if she had used those points extravagantly to some extent, she would still have more than enough left over now. However, at the end of the day, the easiest and most efficient way to negotiate is with money.

Kiyone : "Even if there's enough to use leisurely, there's nothing wrong with holding onto more points in case of an emergency. I believe Chabashira-sensei said it as well. That private points are indispensable when it comes to protecting yourself."

If you think of them as your own insurance, it would be better to hold onto each and every point you could.

Kushida : "This proposal of yours... No matter how I look at it, you're putting yourself at a disadvantage, Aya-chan. If this was an emergency where you were at risk of dropping out of school, I guess I could understand? But, it's strange that you're willing to sacrifice half of your own soul for the sake of saving Ichinose-san."

Kiyone : "I don't want Ichinose-san suffer more longer."

Kushida : "Are you trying to make me puke with your cringe statement?"

I had thought that she would laugh, but Kushida-san didn't show any signs of it.

Kiyone : "Then I'll tell you the truth. It would certainly hurt to lose half of my private points. But, that's exactly how I'll be able to protect myself."

Kushida : "What are you getting at?"

Kiyone : "I'm one of the people you want to see drop out of school. I don't know when I'll be stabbed in the back. In other words, it's my defense plan."

Kushida : "Your point is that if you start to supply me with your private points, your existence will become beneficial to me, is that what you're getting at?"

Kiyone : "Yeah. Being your enemy is troublesome. I think it's well worth giving you half."

It was an arrangement that would be concluded with the provision of private points. As long as neither of us betrays the other, she would receive a continuous supply of private points.

These conditions were definitely not bad for her.

Kushida : "I get more or less what you are trying to do"

After considering it for a bit, Kushida-san came to a conclusion.

Kushida : "Alright, I'm on board. The strict condition is that I don't antagonize Aya-chan, is that all? Don't you want to add some kind of guarantee for Horikita-san as well?"

Kiyone : "I'm not that greedy. It would be troublesome if I were to also ask for Horikita-san's protection and negotiations were to break down."

Kushida : "Those are immensely attractive conditions aren't they?"

Kiyone : "If you're worried about making a verbal agreement, would you rather I provide you with something in writing?"

Kushida : "No, that won't be necessary."

Kushida-san reached into her pocket... and took out a voice recorder.

Two recordings. She had been recording with not only her cell phone, but with a backup recorder as well.

Kushida : "I have all the evidence I need right here. If you betray me at all. You know what will happen, no?"

I nodded

If I were to break our agreement, in the worst case, she could bring this conversation to the attention of the school. It would then be possible for her extort points from me without making the matter public.

Kushida : "As expected, Aya-chan is completely different from Horikita-san."

Give and take.

It was impractical for the other party to believe in you with a relationship built upon emotion alone. Unlike emotion, invisible to the naked eye, numbers can be seen and verified.

Horikita-san's way of doing things was by no means inferior. There are times when relationships supported by emotion outperform relationships built upon numbers and agreements.

In this case, however, the hurdle for that was extremely high.

The very method of attempting to persuade Kushida to endure her own feelings of malice was a mistake in and of itself.

Kushida : "But is it really fine for you to give me half?"

Kiyone : "If the amount is too low, it wouldn't leave an impression on you."

Of course, continuously handing out so many private points would become a heavy burden for me. However, that problem would be handled soon enough.

Kiyone : "We've finished our negotiations, so is it alright if you tell me what I want to know now?"

Kushida : "Sure. What type of stuff are you looking for?"

Kiyone : "Crimes or even embarrassing information about someone's past, either would be fine. Generally speaking, something that would cause problems if it was made public."

Kushida : "Sure. I'll tell you properly then."

Amused by the situation, Kushida-san began to share the secrets she had accumulated over the last year. She led with things like crushes and who certain people hated, and then went into students' family circumstances and past acts of delinquency.

She spoke energetically. Even at this stage, she was unaware of my true intentions.

Saving Ichinose.

Responding to Arisu's provocation.

Diverting Stalker-kun's attention away from me. (In case you don't know she refer to Hashimoto)

The looming threat of Nagumo-senpai.

All of these things were nothing more than one piece of the puzzle.

There was only one thing I truly wanted to ascertain from our interaction here...

The quantity and quality of information held by Kushida Kikyō-san. All for the sake of removing her from the school. Although her removal may sound simple, it would be troublesome if I were to go about it the wrong way.

It was essential for me to gauge how powerful of a bomb she was holding.

To gauge Kushida-san's overwhelming network of information.

To gauge the scrutiny of that information.

Who she had heard the rumors from, what kind, and how many people knew about them.

She had a terrifying understanding of the character and personalities of the students around her. It could be that, at least among the first-years, there was nobody in the school who could approach Kushida's mastery of information.

This was the outstanding ability Kushida-san had cultivated, all for the sake of protecting herself and her image as a noble existence.

Kiyone : "That was enough"

Kushida : "Was that useful?"

Of course, the information she had just shared with me was only the tip of the iceberg.

Kiyone : "For Class C, I want to spread the information about Satō and Hondō."

Kushida : "That's fine I guess. Satou-san's dislike of Onodera is already relatively well-known."

She inferred that it was only a matter of time until it reached Onodera's ears anyway.

Kushida : "I also have a bad personality, but it'd be good for you to remember that's just how girls are."

With that, Kushida took out her cell phone and opened her messaging app. Her sheer number of friends couldn't even be compared with mine, and the number of group chats she was in was enormous.

Kushida : "For example, there's this group chat, we'll call it group A, which was made by some of the girls from our class. There are six people in it, right? But, as a matter of fact, there's a second group chat, made by the same girls. Let's call that one group B. Just so you know, there's one person who wasn't included in that second group, a girl named Nene."

Mori Nene, one of the friends from Kei's group.

Kiyone : "G-Girls society truly scary..."

Kushida : "In case you forget, you are girl as well Aya-chan."

She said while looking at me with poker face

Kushida : "Anyway, if group A contains the feelings they show on the surface, group B contains the true feelings they're hiding underneath. Sometimes, they'll come together just to badmouth Nene. I, of course, never take part in something so careless. There may be a smiling, close relationship on the surface, but deep down, everybody has someone they hate. It's totally normal for girls to come together just to badmouth somebody. Anyway, when it comes to two-faced groups like this, there aren't just one or two of them. As far as I know, there are dozens."

Apparently satisfied with saying something she wouldn't normally be able to say, Kushida-san stood up.

Kushida : "It's late, I'm going home. I'm looking forward to the outcome of our agreement, Aya-chan. Oyasumi~"

Kushida turned her back to me and began to put her shoes on by the front door.

Kiyone : "Kushida-san"

Kushida : "Hmm?"

Kiyone : "You've been a great help today. Thanks"

I said while bowing

Kushida : "Oh no, it was nothing. Well, see you later. Please treat me well from now on."

After she leave. I pick my own recorder which I hide inside the drawer which near placed at Kushida-san sat before. Kushida-san maybe already prepared herself well however she forgot to checking on enemy's base. That careless side of her which somehow I gratitude for it.

This conversation had been my chance to hear about Kushida-san's proximity to Nagumo-senpai.

However, I deliberately didn't ask about that matter. The fact that Nagumo-senpai and Kushida-san had come into contact with each other was something I had learned coincidentally. There was no reason to not make use of it.

Thus, with Kushida-san's intelligence as the source, I started preparing the rumors I'd be spreading for each class.

Kiyone : "Lets start the chaos"

She was now cheerful and bright, almost as though she'd been reborn from just a single impetus. Now then, all that was left is to overcome the end-of-year exam.

Ichinose-san intently looked toward me.

Kiyone : "What's the matter, Ichinose-san?"

Ichinose : "E-Eh?"

Kiyone : "You've been staring at me for a while now. If you've got something to say, I'll hear you out."

Ichinose : "You see, the truth is... Ahh! Sorry, Ayanokōji-san. Can you wait for a while?"

Just as Ichinose-san was about to say something, she instead looked toward a student in front of us. That appearance, and those followers of his. It was obvious who it was.

Ichinose : "Sorry, I'll head over there for a while."

Saying that, Ichinose left and caught up to the student in front of us.

Ichinose : "Good morning, Nagumo-senpai."

Nagumo : "Honami, huh? You're upbeat even in the morning."

Ichinose : "Because that's just who I am."

Nagumo-senpai may have been surprised, seeing Ichinose-san with a smile as usual.

Nagumo : "Don't you resent me, Honami?"

Ichinose : "Resent you?"

Wondering why, Ichinose-san tilted her head. Immediately afterward, she realized the meaning behind that question.

Ichinose : "No such thing, I'm grateful to you, President Nagumo. Thank you very much for recruiting me to the student council. I will keep doing my best from now on as well so I look forward to working with you."

Nagumo : "I see. It would seem you performed better than I expected."

For just a moment, Nagumo-senpai looked at me. He licking his lips but then he immediately turned his back and walked off.

It was easy to tell what he was trying to say.

He had wanted to break Ichinose Honami-san and build her back up with his own hands. Then he'd tame her as his own pawn.

I couldn't said that his motives kinda disgusting or something.

Since more or less I use the same method toward Karuizawa-san at that time.

That look was meant to convey his displeasure at how I had gotten in the way of that. Maybe something like that since it can be translated that I might probablym on his hunting list next time

He surely know that on certain degree, I had been involved in this incident. Ichinose-san bowed to Nagumo-senpai then came back to my side once again.

Ichinose : "Hey!"

When she came back, Ichinose called out to me in a notably louder voice. She then opened her mouth wide and tried to continue speaking.

Ichinose : "Hey, umm..."

As she spoke, she reached into her school bag and froze up.

Kiyone : "What's the matter?"

Ichinose : "Ehh... Umm, hmm... T-That's strange. I was planning on giving it to you straight up..."

She seemed lost for a while there, moving her hand around inside her bag. But then, as though she had made up her mind, she brought something out.

Then she offered it to me.

Kiyone : "This may be a bit late now but here, Valentines chocolate... W-Would you accept it? How should I put it... I've never given something like this before but... this is the only way I can express my gratitude, so-"

Kiyone : "You don't need to force yourself to give something to me, you know? Moreover you do know that you are supposed to give that toward a boy not me"

The 14th February was more or less over, I already giving my chocolate to classmates boys and several boys who I think as friend as well including unexpected one like Ryuuen-kun since he just deliberately steal the chocolates which is supposed for Yamauchi-kun. No, more look like I never had any plan to give him any of it to begin with.

However, this current situation it just feel strange because receive chocolate from a girl its uncommon moreover Ichinose-san said by herself she never done this kind of thing before which shocked me because its words coming from someone popular like her.

But it's not like I had done what I had for the sake of receiving chocolate, so there was no need for her to force herself.

Ichinose : "I-I-I-I'm not forcing myself, you know? Y-You don't want it?"

Kiyone : "Thank you."

If I dragged it out any further, we may have started to stand out.

I gratefully accepted the chocolate from Ichinose.

...

Later on

Inside my room

I tasted the chocolate which I received from Ichinose-san

Kiyone : "Its delicious"

Volume 10

With my bag in hand, I excused myself and started walking to the door. On my way out, I spotted Kōenji for a moment as he was still near around from classroom.

Kiyone : "Koenji-kun! Wait!"

Koenji : "Hmm? What is it, Ayanokōji-girl?"

Kiyone : "Thank you. Koenji-kun"

Koenji : "Hmm?"

Kiyone : "I didn't think you'd take action for the sake of the class."

Koenji : "Of course. Even I would cooperate with Horikita-girl in order to avoid expulsion."

Kiyone : "That's not what I'm talking about. Seeing how you were constantly provoking Yamauchi-kun, it seemed to me that you were trying to focus his hatred on you, and you alone."

It's obvious that Yamauchi-kun would come to hate his classmates after he's gotten expelled.

However, since even before the results came out, Kōenji-kun persistently incited Yamauchi-kun more than anyone else in the class, diverting Yamauchi-kun's hatred solely towards him.

Kōenji-kun had personally dealt with Yamauchi-kun once he had lost all sense of reason after his expulsion was confirmed. Although, from the perspective of the rest of the class, Kōenji-kun's actions may have just come across as bullying.

Koenji : "Well now, I have no memory of that. I just wanted to see his ugly figure disappear from my sight as fast as possible."

Kiyone : "Well, whatever the reason. I'm genuinely grateful for your action."

It just not for the sake of classmates, it was also for Yamauchi-kun sake himself as well if you could see through the bigger picture.

With bright smile he started to walk away while waving his hand. I watched him from behind the sight of unpredictable character named Koenji Rokusuke

Sakayanagi & Ayanokoji secret girls meeting LOL

Suddenly, within the empty special building, someone new had arrived.

??? : "Hello hello."

A lone man dressed in a suit appeared before us.

??? : "This is my first time at this school. Do either of you know where the staff room is?"

Arisu : "If you're looking for the staff room, then you've come to the wrong place. That said, please excuse my lack of manners, but may I know who's asking?"

??? : "My name is Tsukishiro. I'll be working as the acting director of the school for the time being."

He waved his hand politely and gave the two of us a seemingly gentle smile. He was probably in his forties, somewhere around Arisu's father's age.

Arisu : "Fufu, is that so? It seems that Mr. Acting Director has quite the poor sense of direction, seeing as how you just so happened to wander your way here. Or, perhaps...you had decided to pay us a visit after seeing the two of us meet on the security camera last time? This is the same place Kiyone and I had used to meet secretly at the beginning of the exam. It wouldn't be very hard for you to come here if you had always been keeping an eye on it."

As she spoke, I recalled the unnatural look Arisu had given the camera last time we were here. If someone had really been watching us last time, it would've been easy to lure them out next time we came here. Not only had Arisu thought of this plan ahead of time, but the person in question seemed to have fallen for it.

The Acting Director simply smiled and ignored what she had been implying.

Tsukishiro : "You say very interesting things. Though, I suppose I've heard that this is quite the amusing school. I wonder if all the students here are like you? Either way, please, pardon me."

The man proceeded to walk forward, as if he was attempting to walk between the two of us.

Arisu : "Since you're looking for the staff room, I suggest you go back the way you came. You're in the wrong building-"

With the same smile as always, Tsukishiro kicked Arisu's cane out from under her as she attempted to give him directions. Naturally, there was no way for her to react to something so unexpected, so she began to fall over.

With an exclamation of surprise, I quickly reached out and grabbed ahold of her to stop her from falling, only to be immediately met with a strike from his fist aimed at my guts which immediately caused me got puked

Unable to take evasive measures while holding onto Sakayanagi, I was forced to take the blow.

Arisu and I fall down to the floor.

Not giving me a time to rest. He came at me again with flash kick, Aiming at my guts again I tried to block it however the impact too strong which caused me got whooped by it.

Arisu : "Kiyone!!!"

Looking at me who tried to attempt stand up. He immediately put his shoes stomp it on my cheek. From the other perspective. This is clearly an adult bullying 2 helpless girls.

Tsukishiro : "How disappointing. You're not as good as rumors say, Ayanokōji Kiyone-kun."

He was pressing against my cheek so hard that I couldn't even move my head.

It was hard to imagine his strength based on his outward appearance. It felt like it would be difficult to break free of his stomp.

Still on the ground. Arisu glared that man.

Arisu : "You've gone too far and done something quite reprehensible, Mr. Acting Director."

Tsukishiro : "I know you were sent instructions to have her expelled, Sakayanagi."

Arisu : "So that message was from one of your associates then? Since school officials aren't able to explicitly force an expulsion, it's understandable that you would come to rely on someone like me."

Arisu smiled as she struggling slowly got up from the floor

Arisu : "Thank you for trying to helping me, Kiyone. Without you, I may got fatal injury from falling. Although...No..."

It would've been impossible for Arisu to avoid that given her physical handicap. There was even a chance that it wouldn't have ended with just a fall. The fact that I hold her immediately caused the pace she fell slow down a bit which reduced the impact from her falling

Arisu : "Do you believe your violent behavior against students will go unnoticed, Mr. Acting Director?"

Tsukishiro : "There's no need for me to worry about it. The surveillance cameras in this area have been doctored to show dummy footage."

In other words, no matter what happened, there wouldn't be any recording of it.

Tsukishiro : "Now then, Ayanokōji-kun. I have a message from your father. He has no interest in playing this childish game anymore, and wants you to come home immediately. How about you blink twice if you understand?"

I was unable to speak a single word, and furthermore, wasn't even given an option to refuse.

This was really something 'that man' would do.

Tsukishiro : "So you have no intention of making this easy for yourself?"

In response to my complete, unresponsive silence, the acting director began to mumble as he got bored.

Tsukishiro : "Why don't you show a little bit of resistance? Show me something a normal kid couldn't."

His stomp on my cheek became even stronger while he twisting his shoes. We both pissed off with his behaviour but we can't be careless so all we can do just glaring like helpless girls

He was a thoroughly trained, skilled opponent that an ordinary student wouldn't be able to deal with.

Tsukishiro : "There's more to you than just observation skills, right? Why don't you show me what else you're capable of?"

He provoked me once again, but I still didn't show a single shred of resistance. In the end, Tsukishiro realized that I had no intention of fighting back and released his stomp.

Arisu come approached to me. Passing through Mr. Acting Director who lost interest to bullying us.

Tsukishiro : "I officially take office at this school in April. Please do look forward to it."

With that, the man walked out of the special building.

Arisu : "Although it was frustating. That was a wise choice, Kiyone"

Arisu praised me for putting up with his actions and restraining myself from fighting back.

Kiyone : "He's the acting director. Had I chosen to retaliate, I don't know how he would've used it against me."

He said that the surveillance cameras had been doctored to show dummy footage, but there was no guarantee he hadn't recorded everything anyway. It would've been checkmate for me if I fought back and only his violent behavior was edited out from the video.

Arisu : "Are you hurt?"

Slowly I get up from the floor while rubbing my cheek from his dirty shoes

Kiyone : "Don't worry. I'm used to taken worst than this. More importantly, Arisu..."

Arisu : "Yes? What is it?"

Kiyone : "Let's officially have our match in the next exam."

As I spoke, Arisu's eyes seemed to widen in surprise.

Arisu : "I never expected that you would say that sort of thing to me face to face."

Kiyone : "If that man is going to be involved starting in April, I don't think I can afford to compete with you for very long. I'll make it obvious to you where things stand and leave it with that."

Arisu : "That's fine with me. I won't need a second or third time. I will gladly accept the privilege of being your opponent. Prepare yourself Kiyone"

The final exam of the first year would begin soon, and that would mark the end of the confrontation Arisu was hoping for.

Volume 11

After about an hour of searching, I came across his distinctive, lonely-looking figure seated on an outside bench.

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun"

I walked up behind the bench and, once he was within an arm's reach away from me, called out his name.

Hirata : "Ayanokōji-san."

His response came out slowly as he raised his head to face me, his eyes still downcast. It had been a long time since I had gotten a good look at his face like this. He didn't seem to be getting enough sleep, as there were dark circles under his eyes that I had never seen him have before.

Kiyone : "Can you spare some time?"

Upon hearing my request, Hirata's eyes opened up a little bit more.

Hirata : "I'm sick and tired of all of this. Of everyone coming after me over and over again. I thought you understood me, Ayanokōji-san. I thought you'd know to just leave me alone. I'm disappointed."

Kiyone : "Sorry. If you don't like it, why don't you push me away like you did to Mii-chan and run away?"

Despite taking the risk and provoking him, Hirata-kun didn't get up from the bench.

Hirata : "Spare some time, was it? It doesn't matter. I don't have anywhere to hide at this school anyway. I'm so tired today that I don't even have the energy to run away. But... I don't think I'll be able to meet your expectations either."

In just this short period of time, quite a few other students must've tried reaching out to him. Regardless of whether they were expressing their concern, or offering him encouragement, it must've been unbearable for him. Although I didn't know 'who' exactly had reached out to him, I could imagine 'what' they would've said. I was sure they had all attempted to gently comfort him and heal his broken heart.

There, on a bench on the outskirts of campus, the two of us sat together.

Hirata : "So... you had something to say, right?"

I already knew how Hirata-kun was going to handle this conversation. He was going to sit there and listen, letting my words go in one ear and out the other.

Kiyone : "I want you to tell me your story."

Hirata : "Eh?"

Hirata-kun responded meekly. He had probably expected me to offer him words of sympathy.

Kiyone : "What you were like as a kid, what kind of thoughts you had. I'd like to hear more about you"

Hirata : "W-Why?"

Kiyone : "Who knows. I guess I just want to know for some reason. I'm having a hard time giving you a reason for it."

Hirata-kun let out a deep sigh before slowly shaking his head.

Hirata : *sigh* "I don't have the energy to reminisce about my past right now. There's nothing to talk about."

Kiyone : "You don't have the energy? Why?"

Hirata : "Why? That's..."

He turned and looked at me, as if to question why I didn't already know the answer to that.

Kiyone : "Why is it?"

I repeated the question, ignoring the look he gave me.

Hirata : "I-It's because Yamauchi-kun got expelled."

He was being forced to say things that he didn't want to say. Hirata-kun spoke as if he had been greatly offended, as he was well aware of my intentions.

Hirata : "You're making me say some horrible things."

Kiyone : "I was just curious. I apologize if I've offended you."

Hirata : *sigh* "It's fine."

Hirata sighed once again, lacking the motivation to continue the conversation.

He sat with his back hunched over, listlessly shaking his head from side to side.

Pleading for me to leave him alone. Pleading for me to stop caring.

Kiyone : "What does Yamauchi's expulsion have to do with not talking about your past?"

Confronted with my obstinate request for an answer, Hirata let show a dumbfounded expression for the second time.

Hirata : "My past doesn't matter right now, does it?"

Kiyone : "Not necessarily."

I continued immediately, denying Hirata-kun a chance to shut down the conversation.

Kiyone : "Having one of your classmates expelled is certainly unpleasant. Pretty much anyone would agree with that. But, we don't have the luxury to regret it forever. The Event Selection Exam is already right around the corner. Not just Horikita-san and Kushida-san, but even Ike-kun and Sudou-kun are trying to buckle down and fight. But what about you, Hirata-kun? You're so hung up on Yamauchi-kun's expulsion, and even if you tried to cooperate..."

I purposefully stopped speaking for a moment.

And then, I changed the topic to show him I didn't really want to talk about what had happened anymore.

Kiyone : "What I want to know is, what happened in your past that instilled this sense of values in you?"

Hirata : "What's the point in asking that? Do you really think I'm going to tell you?"

Kiyone : "You'll tell me. Because as you are now, you desperately want other people to know about you."

In truth, he probably really does want to get everything off his chest. He had ended up like this because he couldn't find a way to do it.

This time, I spoke to him with my eyes.

I looked at him forcefully, almost as if I were threatening him to speak. Upon seeing the look in my eyes, a sense of fear welled up in his heart.

Hirata : "I finally understand the reason, the true reason, why Karuizawa-san decided to reveal everything to you, Ayanokōji-san. She saw your eyes... no, you showed them to her. Those eyes, such beautiful eyes that contain deep, eerie darkness diffused within..."

I slowly ate away the darkness held within Hirata-kun.

This boy wasn't simply waiting to die. Day by day, he had been praying for someone to come and save him. All he could do was reach for the black spider's silk that dangled before him in order to crawl up from the depths of hell.

Hirata : "I've told you once before, haven't I? About my friend who I had been close with since childhood? The one who started getting bullied once we got into middle school?"

Kiyone : "Sugimura-kun, right?"

Hirata : "To think you'd even remember his name..."

It was precisely because I knew about this story that I was able to predict Hirata-kun's mental state.

Back then, he had wanted to help this friend of his, but he was afraid he'd end up getting targeted by the bullies as well.

As a result, he simply ended up watching it happen from the sidelines.

And then

Hirata : "My friend... committed suicide by jumping off a building."

He was probably beginning to recollect what had happened back then.

Little by little, he began opening up about it.

Hirata : "He managed to just barely hang onto his life, but... he's been in a coma ever since..."

Hirata tightly clasped his hands together.

Hirata : "My decisions caused him to take his own life. The weight of my sins will never go away."

Kiyone : "That isn't entirely your fault. The blame mainly falls on the bullies."

Hirata : "Sure, but I think being a bystander makes me equally guilty."

Hirata-kun had said something similar back when we were on the cruise ship. This was the reason why he was always striving to save those around him.

In fact, every time the class ran into problems, Hirata-kun would always be the first one to intervene. He was the type of man who'd spare no effort to search for a solution.

For example, back when Sudou-kun got into a fight with those guys from Class D, or when he and Kei pretended to be a couple. However, there were still a few things that hadn't been explained yet.

Hirata : "I understand that you still have doubts."

Without turning to look at me, Hirata-kun continued.

Hirata : "Back when my friend attempted to commit suicide. There's actually more to the story"

He hadn't mentioned this back during the cruise.

Hirata : "Back when he attempted to commit suicide by jumping from a building, I thought that the whole mess was finally over. That, after making such a heavy sacrifice, there wouldn't be any more bullying in our school. But I was naive. From that day onwards, I saw for myself the unfathomable darkness of human nature."

His body trembled, and I could see something akin to a murderous impulse flash across his eyes.

-Skip Hirata talking about past-

No matter who it was, they would end up saying that Hirata was in the right and somebody else was in the wrong.

That simply wasn't going to change.

And because of this, it's unlikely that the problem would ever be solved.

There was no point in telling Hirata-kun to blame the very person he had set out to protect.

Instead, that would only end up making him retreat back into his shell even more.

Kiyone : "There's something I want to make clear to you. It's not Horikita-san's fault that Yamauchi-kun got expelled from the school, and of course it's not my fault either. You know that, right?"

Hirata : "Yes...It was unavoidable. There was nothing we could've done about it...And I don't blame you either."

He quietly added in that last part.

To Hirata-kun, it probably sounded like I was emphasizing that it wasn't my fault. It would've sounded like I was asking him if he had some sort of grudge held against me.

Kiyone : "Who do you think is responsible for Yamauchi-kun's departure from Class C? From this school?"

Hirata : "I think... he has nobody to blame but himself."

This was the conclusion Hirata-kun had come to, though he didn't want to admit to it. Yamauchi-kun had suffered the consequences of his own actions. Expulsion was the natural consequence of his lack of ability and lazy lifestyle.

Kiyone : "That's not true."

I denied it. I straight up kicked Hirata-kun's naive idea to the curb.

Kiyone : "It's your fault that Yamauchi-kun got expelled, Hirata-kun!"

He raised his head and looked at me.

The expression on his face was telling me that he couldn't understand what I had said.

Kiyone : "If you really wanted to save Yamauchi-kun, you should've done everything in your power to make it happen."

Hirata : "B-But I tried my best! There was nothing more I could've done!"

Kiyone : "Ichinose-san's Class B didn't lose a single person."

Hirata : "T-That's...But that's because she was a special case. We didn't have a huge amount of private points like she did!"

Kiyone : "In which case, the problem is that you failed to lead the class like that. You should've been saving up points for the past year like Ichinose-san so you could save somebody when they're about to be expelled."

As a result, Yamauchi-kun wouldn't have been expelled, and there would still be forty people in our class.

Hirata : "Impossible. We lost all of our Class Points just after we enrolled here. And, even if we hadn't, there's no way that our classmates would have agreed to hand over their points. You do know that, right?"

Kiyone : "Between ending up with zero Class Points and failing to lead the class. Either way, it's still your responsibility."

No matter how much Hirata-kun may try to escape, the fact that it was his fault wouldn't change.

Hirata : "Unreasonable!!! That's unreasonable!!!"

Kiyone : "Yeah, it's unreasonable. But it can't be helped. You chose to walk down that path. You should've kept this fantasy you have of wanting to save everyone to yourself. That way, no matter who ends up expelled from school, the blame wouldn't fall on you. But, if you keep projecting your feelings on the people around you, you have to bear the full responsibility when it doesn't end up working out. You should be resolved for at least that much."

Hirata : "I-I'm..!"

Kiyone : "I had the wrong idea about you. I thought you were an honor student, a man of character who was well respected by many of our classmates. But, I guess you're not. You're just a shallow, incompetent student who boasts about things you can't even do. That, Hirata Yōsuke-kun, is the type of person you are."

This was an excessively extreme argument followed through to its logical conclusion. He was by no means an incompetent person.

Hirata was such an exceptionally talented person that his capabilities went well beyond what's expected of a first-year high school student. There was nothing wrong with him saying he wanted to protect everyone, and just because he failed to do so doesn't mean that he's responsible.

But even so, I still blamed him.

I forced the blame on him until the bitter end.

I put him under heavy pressure, relentlessly driving him into a corner until he was about to break.

Was I doing this for Hirata-kun's sake? No.

Was I looking to empower him so that he could better protect everyone? No.

There was no way he could protect everyone.

And, there would definitely be even more expulsions at some point later on as well.

I was doing this because, when that time comes, Hirata-kun would be necessary to keep the class operating smoothly.

Kiyone : "Just how long are you going to keep dreaming?"

Hirata simply hadn't moved on from how things were back in middle school. He hadn't moved on from doing only what was required of him.

It was up to you to decide whether or not you'd continue your education into high school, and it was up to you to decide whether or not you'd stay there.

Hirata : "This... This is your true nature, isn't it? Your words are so terrible, ruthless, cold..."

I could see tears start welling up in Hirata's right eye.

And before long, he sat there crying in front of me.

Kiyone : "You're free to wish for whatever you want. But if you really want to see your wishes come true, you at least need to fight for it until the very end. Strive to do whatever you can. There's no other way. If there end up being expulsions along the way, you have no other choice but to accept it. Even so, you still have to keep moving forward."

Hirata : "How cruel..."

Kiyone : "If you stop now, the students around you are going to fall behind and disappear one after another. That's why, if you keep walking forward, if you keep your eyes on your goal, then there will surely still be people standing behind you after everything is over."

It takes an awful lot of courage to lead others. You never know what kind of obstacles you may face, and you could always fall down at any moment.

Hirata : "But... Then... How do I vent frustrations?! Do I have to keep moving forward all alone?! Bottling up everything deep inside?!"

Kiyone : "Not at all. When you're feeling troubled, you can rely on your classmates. Horikita-san, Kushida-san, Sudou-kun and Ike-kun, Mii-chan and Shinohara-san, it doesn't matter who. You can vent your frustrations to whoever it is that you rely on. We're all in this together."

There's no such thing as a rule stating that leaders aren't allowed to show weakness. The people who stand behind them can always be there to lend a hand in case they're about to fall. Our classmates should be more than willing to listen to Hirata-kun vent his frustrations.

Hirata : "I-I-I wonder... if it's okay for someone like me to lead everyone?"

I get up and and stand in front of him. I reach his hand and grasp it with both of my hand.

Kiyone : "It's alright. As you are now, it's okay for you to take the lead. That's why Hirata-kun, I wanted to believed in you again once more. Can't I?"

With this small gesture, even more tears began to pour from his eyes.

To bury the past.

To get rid of the huge, cumbersome burden that Hirata-kun had been carrying once and for all.

He, who had been stuck and unable to move, could once again stand up on his own two feet.

Hirata : "Thank you! Thank you, Ayanokōji-san!"

He hung his head, countless tears falling from his face.

Men are troublesome, difficult creatures who can't cry in front of others very easily.

I hug him and he buried his face on me. Not wanting the others know his weak side.

As for this, no more words needed to be said. I pat his head gently while waiting for his to compose himself

All that he needed was a friend at his side, somebody who would lend him their ear and hear out his frustrations.

As long as he did, I believe he could start walking forward once again.

...

Hirata : "I show my pathetic side to you again, Ayanokoji-san...somehow...this is kinda awkward..."

Kiyone : "I won't tell anyone"

Hirata : "W-Well, I know you wouldn't. However its kinda embarassing..."

Kiyone : "There is no need to be embarassing about that. I think there is no more shameless man than a man who ran away from his responsibility."

Hirata : "Is that so?"

Kiyone : "I don't think even if you cry like that you lost your cool points in front of another girl. I mean take example, this doesn't affect your capability to playing football, right?"

Hirata : "Ahaha.. What is it? This is the first time I heard this"

Long silence...

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun..."

Hirata : "Yes?"

Kiyone : "I wanted to give everyone in class C a hope. I wanted them to know that we aren't that much defective students which this school claimed to be at first. I wanted to show to our classmates we had a chance to fight on equal with those students from class A. That's why..."

I deep inhale my breath

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun, help me"

Hirata : "Leave it to me, Commander"

With this I gain Hirata-kun cooperation to tackle the special exam forward

Everyone inside class C feels amazed with the match between their representative and their commander against their opponents from class A. Nobody expected they could make a head on duel against the leader of class A, Sakayanagi Arisu

Kushida : "Sugoi! Aya-chan and Horikita-san could cornered Sakayanagi-san like that!"

When the others show joy and anxiety during their match. Only one person inside their class who look at the monitor with frown. He is Koenji Rokusuke, one of supposed to be oddball yet he is the only one who had serious look unlike the others. This sight of him of course caught Hirata attention.

The match look normal but somehow it might contain some kind of an ugly foul between it

Back on match

It was a play that could even be called the ultimate trump card, where you sacrificed the queen, the strongest piece. That was bold move made by Sakayanagi

It's an exceptional play when it works, but the risks that come with it are high. If it fails, defeat would come shortly after.

The next turn started.

Horikita's hand stopped.

She held onto a faint hope that her commander words would once again come flowing through the headset, but that was only for a moment.

She had probably realized it herself by now too. That, at this point, there was no way to prevent the checkmate anymore.

The outcome had been decided.

Horikita : "Ayanokoji-san..."

But even so, there was something about it that Horikita just couldn't give up.

Horikita : "Ayanokoji-san, I wanted to win. I really...really wanted to win against them...please do something..."

Ayanokoji Kiyone, the commander of the team look like still seeking an answer to get out from their predicament

Horikita : "Answer me, Ayanokōji-san... Is there really nothing I can do anymore?"

The commander took her hands off the keyboard.

SLAM!

Everyone who watched the match surprised by frustation which she displayed by suddenly slammed the table in desperation.

It was quiet tense. Her expressionless face stay still. On another side, Sakayanagi Arisu who usually mock or tormented her opponent frowned as if wondering that 'is there something wrong' behind her behaviour.

Normally Sakayanagi would be amused however that kind of expression didn't appear on her face at all.

Horikita : "Ayanokōji-san...?"

Horikita had wanted to beat Class A more than anyone else.

Realizing that no command enter through headset until the time up. She's crying on frustation

Horikita : "Almost it! So frustating!" *sob* *sob*

However, Horikita must be understand that she can't blame anyone aside herself.

She had entrusted her commander with everything, thinking that she'd be able to handle it, or maybe even win it. She know better that it wasn't enough to begin with

This was the finale, the seventh event. Even though she gaining the upper hand against a tough opponent like Hashimoto at first, in the hand of Sakayanagi Arisu. Both of them are defeated.

This loss wasn't anyone fault in the slightest actually. That's what class C or right now they ended up as class D because of this loss

Even if they losses. Nobody in the class feels dejected. In fact they are found new answer, a new hope which make them a bit more confident to tackle the next challenge which the school throw at them.

Koenji : "Hmph! How ugly..."

Koenji immediately leave the class

Shinohara : "Just what's wrong with him?"

Satou : "Yeah, how could he mock their best effort like that?!"

Hondo : "He doesn't even take his participation before seriously either"

Ike : "It maybe rich coming from me however he shouldn't insult their effort at least!"

Hirata : "Now now, everyone calm down. At least with this result. It shown that even we had a chance to compete on the same ground with students of class A. From now on lets do our best together"

Wang Mei-Yu: "Hirata-kun was right"

Sudou : "Yosh! We had a chance. We can do it!"

The class crowd with optimism however Hirata himself aware something doesn't sit right. It could be said that only Hirata who understand the cause of Koenji displeasure reaction after the match. Although he only had a suspicion about that, as long as he had no valid proof he can talk about it to anyone.

That's all some ideas around year 1. If you had some suggestion or opinion about these plots. Please let me now

Volume 2 : Prologue

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

It's morning just like usual. As expected, since what happened that night at rooftop. Kushida-san somehow keeping her distance from me. Usually she contacted me or go to school together like we used to be. This time, I go to school alone.

Sometimes I wonder, if I never saw that side of her...No...I didn't make a mistake. More look like its just a coincidence. Either it was bad luck or good luck, one thing I could tell that I did a good job to know someone else secret personality. Well, even if I never figured out her true nature. It's not like I could close with someone pushy people like her.

When I entered school building, I saw Ichinose-san. Why she is sneaking like that.

A letter? At least that what I saw which thing she hold right now

Huh? She stopped in front of trash can. I could predict she will throw away that letter. But...

She shake her head and decide to walk away. Where is she gone?

Suddenly from behind...

??? : "Good morning, Aya-chan!"

?!!!

When I saw the one who called me, I was immediately alerted

Yes, she is...

Kushida : "What happened? You are somehow look like a bit lost there. Did something happened?"

Something happened huh? There is so much thing happened yesterday and currently I was observe Ichinose-san until you greeted me from behind.

Kiyone : "Kushida-san..."

Kushida : "Hmm?"

Kiyone : "Don't you find that talking with me would be unpleasant for you?"

Long silence. Awaiting until the crowd of students passed. Kushida-san make sure that nobody aside us could listen what we talk. She walk closer to me

Kushida : "Of course, its totally unpleasant..."

She said while smiling

Kiyone : *sigh* "You don't have to force yourself like that"

Kushida : "Hmm, that would be true but..."

She draw her face closer to me

Kushida : "If I don't do something like this. Perhaps I would never find out your deepest secrets. You know its kinda uncomfortable that knowing someone who know my secret like roaming around, isn't it?"

Kiyone : "Trust me Kushida-san, you won't even like a bit when you found out my secret. I'm not threathening you."

Kushida : "It's me who decide, not you"

Suddenly some bunch girl come to greet Kushida-san from behind

??? : "Kushida-san, good morning"

Kushida : "Morning! Well, that's all. Keep this conversation secret okay? See you later Aya-chan"

She joined with them later on

After parting away I decided to go to locker room

When I opened my own locker. I'm surprised that I found a letter inside. Somehow I recognized the letter look like the same one which Ichinose-san brought this morning

Kiyone : "...There is no way..."

Yeah, there is no way it was the same letter which she brought this morning, maybe it just had the same appearance only. Let's check the contents

After reading the letter...

Kiyone : "...You must be kidding me right?"

Inside the class

I tried to figure out who's the one who put that letter on my locker however judge based on their expression and gesture. It seems the sender wasn't from my own class.

Well, sooner or later I will be find out about this truth later on. Exactly after school behind gymnasium just like what the letter tell me to

Sooner later, the bell ringing

Once it was lunchtime, everyone went off on their own to get food.

Lately, however, I've been thinking that going out with friends during this time is the hardest thing about school life. Take Kushida Kikyou-san, for example. She's friends with a lot of girls and boys, and is immensely popular. So while she obviously gets invited in person, she also gets invited over email and phone all the time. Even though she has to refuse people at times, it looks like she has a life, going out to eat with a lot of friends.

On the other hand, people who are unpopular with girls like Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun seem to always eat with a close group of boys. Sudou-kun is part of that group.

What I want to say is that I don't have anywhere that I belong.

I'm friends with Kushida-san or that look like on the surfaces, and also associates with several girls and boys in class. Even though I would eat with them, it wasn't very frequent. Generally, it was a relationship where the other party would approach me and ask, 'Wanna eat lunch?' or 'Are you free after school?'

I didn't mind it at the start of the school year. Since it was before I made friends, it was only natural that I would be alone since there was no one else that I kenw.

But now, it was a strange phenomenon of 'being alone even though I have friends'

This phenomenon is a really unexpected experience. If there was a day where we decided on groups for a school trip and I was absent, it would be really likely that I wouldn't be invited by anyone. Do they think that I'm a low ranking friend, or is it that only I think of them as friends? I might be having a wild misunderstanding about our relationship.

Feeling restless, I looked towards another girls group. I'm over here, it's fine to invite me. It was a gaze of selfishness and faint anticipation. And then feeling bad about myself, I reminded myself that it was bad to not know when to give up and averted my gaze.

These miserable events repeat every day.

Horikita : "You're still not used to it, I see. As usual you're pitiful, Ayanokouji-san."

My neighbor looked at me with a cold gaze.

Kiyone : "You look like you're completely used to being alone."

Horikita : "I'm fine, thank you."

It was meant to be sarcastic, but she responded frankly.

Most of my classmates had already formed groups, but the number of people like her who were eating alone weren't few by any means, so I felt relieved.

Koenji-kun also spent most of the time by himself. At first, he was surprisingly spending a lot of time in the cafeteria with girls from other class and other grades. But since his points were running low, he started spending more time in the classroom.

The only heir of the Koenji Conglomerate. One of the biggest companies in Japan didn't prefer being alone, but rather was a person that liked himself and held little concern for others.

I felt respect for him because he didn't feel any anguish from loneliness.

As usual, he checked his face with a hand mirror, and it looked like he found no faults with his own appearance.

Koenji : "Hmph! I look perfect today as usual"

Or so he said...

Other than him, there was a quiet girl. Another girl who wearing glasses aside of me, Sakura Airi-san. At one point, Ike-kun and co was once interested in her because he was going off about breasts but since they think she was plain and didn't particularly stand out, no one had any interest in her afterwards.

She was always alone, and she never talked. However, the difference between me and her are some classmates seeking for me when they had some bussiness only. It means that Sakura-san never had any interaction with any of them even though during study group. She is somehow could hold it the last exam by herself however if she needed to interact with the other sooner or later when it comes to any activity which required the other participant or teamworks.

Like every other day, she was eating her bento alone with her back hunched. She was one of the few that made her own bentos.

And then, my neighbor took out a bento from her bag and started opening it.

Lately, Horikita hasn't been going to the cafeteria, and instead, brought homemade bentos.

Today I bring my own bento's as well since I wanted to Horikita-san's cooking. I decide to walk toward her.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san..."

Horikita : "What is it? You wanted to taste my bento's?

Kiyone : "How could you tell?"

Horikita : "Everyone could tell when you keep your eyes on my lunch..."

After long silence...

Horikita : *sigh* "Fine, just sit over there"

Then I decide to grab a seat near her

Kiyone : "You are kinda generous today"

Horikita : "I just feel that if I never did this, you wouldn't stop staring at my lunch since a few days ago"

Kiyone : "Thanks, anyway if you interested with mine. You can take a pick whatever you like here"

I said while showing mine toward her

Horikita : "Alright, excuse me"

She decide pick an omelet

Kiyone : "Then, my turn. Excuse me"

I decide to pick some of hers as well.

As expected it was truly delicious. I wonder how does she think about mine

Kiyone : "It's indeed delicious. Do you need a lot of time and effort to make your own bento? So how about mine?"

Horikita : "I don't know. The supermarket also has free ingredients, you know. Anyway, your own lunch taste barely okay for me"

She didn't said it was delicious or bad. It was a line between those 2

Although it's not a luxurious thing to do, but there are relief measures in the cafeteria for students who have used up all their points. Since it takes time and costs some points to make your own bento, the free meal seems like the better option.

Kiyone : "Anyway, its quite amazing that you made this with free ingredients?"

Horikita : "Anyone can cook after reading books or looking things up on the internet. All the dorms have the necessary tools as well."

Without bragging about her skills, she took out her chopsticks. I guess she replied like that because she thought it was obvious.

During our short lunch...

I mean, We were agree that we are fine to taste each other dish but isn't she just keep picking on mine. She already tried each one of it though.

Kiyone : "Ano...Horikita-san..."

Horikita : "What is it? Did you find something unpleasant with my cooking?"

Kiyone : "N-No, not at all. I didn't think anything like that..."

I wonder does my cooking so delicious and she can't be honest to herself?

Or she just messing with me on purpose to give me uncomfortable experience which make me not wanting to eat lunch together with her anymore?

Well, its better not pursue it right now. I guess I'll buy some melon bread during next break.

Kiyone : "...Such a big wave...Beautiful..."

I said that as I gaze toward oceans from inside the class

After school ends.

I decide to go to the letter this morning telling me to

During my on my way, I spotted Sudou-kunseemed to had confrontation with Ryuuen-kun and some of his friends. Their confrontation seemed caused the girls who were training playing tennis stopped because of the commotion.

I better steps in before they actually getting fight here. Since it was an area which covered by surveilanced camera.

Sudou : "Fine then! Come here!"

Ryuuen follower A : "Why are you always acting like a lowlife like that?"

Ryuuen follower B : "So out of date"

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ Such pityful ugly creature"

Sudou : "What did you say?!!"

When Sudou-kun about to grab Ryuuen-kun. Ryuuen-kun's follower stopped him by holding each of side of his arm. Being restrained like that, Ryuuen-kun keep provoking him.

Sudou : "Grrr! Let me go of me!"

Ryuuen : "I can't wait to see how much trashy students will be got expelled from your class after several exam later on. I'm pretty sure the first one will be..."

Sudou look like about getting poke on his eyes by Ryuuen-kun. At that time I started to interfere with the commotion

Kiyone : "Stop this commotion already, Ryuuen-kun"

Everyone seems surprised since I was suddenly appeared and hold Ryuuen-kun hand before it poking on Sudou-kun's eye.

After realized who's the one who dare to interfered him. Ryuuen-kun turned his attention to me

Ryuuen : "Well well, isn't this Kiyone? Do you had any bussiness with me?"

Kiyone : "Not at all, but I would remind you to not provoking him to fight. Especially in a place which covered by surveilance camera like this spot"

Then I looked toward Sudou-kun

Kiyone : "...That applied to you as well, Sudou-kun. If you get involved a fight with them here. Horikita-san would be disappointed on you. Moreover everyone in the class would be more displeased with your action and worse you could get expelled because of this."

Sudou-kun looked away after I give him scolding like that. Ryuuen-kun look at him with eerie smile

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ interesting. So even a dog like you would be succumbed if your master name getting mentioned huh? So anyway..."

He turned his attention to me.

Ryuuen : "...Could you tell me more about this Horikita whom you mentioned before?"

Kiyone : "I'm sorry, I won't fall for that. You would use that information to provoke him more"

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ Come on don't be so boring like that"

Then he took a glance to Sudou-kun

Ryuuen : "...Then, if you won't say anything. I guess..."

He suddenly cheek-pinched me and pulling me closer toward him

Ryuuen : "...I would like to talk to you nicely..."

Sudou : "Oi! Stop it!"

Ryuuen : "What is it? She is not Horikita, so its fine for me to do whatever with her"

Sudou : "Damn it! Prepare yourself!"

Sudou-kun who were watching. With his monstrous physiscal strength he could shove Ryuuen-kun's follower which releasing him from being restrained. Look at that furious Sudou-kun, Ryuuen-kun show grin on his face as if he expected his reaction like this.

This is bad!

I immediately shove Ryuuen-kun hand and blocked Sudou-kun's fist before it landed on Ryuuen-kun.

Sudou-kun show surprised expression meanwhile Ryuuen-kun seems amused with this situation.

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ Nice job Kiyone"

Sudou : "...You...Why...?"

But, someone else coming here

??? : "You over there, Stop!"

A girl yelling to telling us to stop making commotion. When we look at the source of the voice. It was from...

Sudou : "Who the hell are you?! Its better you just shut up!"

??? : "As one of student from this school. I can't let a fight broke in this area"

She spoke with such confidence

??? : "If you guys still insist to fight, I'll call school guards you know"

Sudou : "Tch!"

Ryuuen-kun look at that girl

Ryuuen : "Oi oi, don't say something so boring like that Ichinose. Beside, this isn't a fight. We are the victim here"

Yup, that girl was no other than Ichinose-san from class B

Ichinose : "Is that so? From my point. You were the one who provoke him to attacked you. If its not for that girl over there. You would be got harmed already, Ryuuen-kun"

Ryuuen : "Oh my. It seems I got busted huh? So you already watch more or less the entire commotion"

Ichinose : "I already see what happened from far away before I reach this point. So, if you wanted to continue your act. I'll report this to school"

Ryuuen-kun decide to back down against Ichinose-san threat.

Ryuuen : "Good job, Kiyone"

He pat me then he walk away. Without looking he called Sudou-kun

Ryuuen : "Oi monkey! It look like you will become an interesting toy. Kukuku~"

Sudou : "Oi! What did you said?!"

Sudou-kun, if you respond his provocation like that. It will make him right to proved you as a monkey

Sudou : "You wanted to run! Hey you!"

I grab his arm to calm his down

Kiyone : "That's enough. He already stopped right?"

Sudou-kun finally calm. Then Ichinose-san walk toward us

Ichinose : "Listen, don't let Ryuuen-kun provoke you again next time"

Sudou : "What's wrong with you? Suddenly appeared and talk like that! So noisy"

He immediately leave the area after saying that

Ichinose : "Sorry for scaring you guys! Now its okay!"

She shout toward the girls who were doing tennis activity before

Tennis girl : "Ichinose-san, thanks a lot"

They said in unison while both of them waving hand

Kiyone : "You are Ichinose-san, right?"

Ichinose : "Oh! You are still here?"

Kiyone : "Thanks for your help and also I'm really sorry for his rude behaviour earlier"

I said while bowing

Ichinose : "Its fine. Moreover, are you alright?"

Kiyone : "Like you see, I'm completely fine thanks to your intervention"

Ichinose : "Is that so? Then I bid farewell here. See you!"

See leave

Now, let's go to the appointment spot

So, What's going on here?

??? : "W-Wh-Who are you?!"

Kiyone : "That's supposed to be my question, no? After all, isn't that you are the one who telling me to come here after school?"

??? : "Eh?"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Lets back from several minute ago

I walked toward behind gymnasium building but...

All I could find was a teenage girl of average height with short blonde hair and bluish violet eyes. She is somehow...err...practice...?

??? : "...A-Actually..I-I already had a feeling...since...No no no! This is sounds ridiculous! T-That's right, I should make an impression about myself that I'm not that kind of woman. Yosh!"

Then, I take out the letter and make sure that I didn't get misinformation or maybe these letter itself contain about some kind of code.

Kiyone : "There is nothing wrong. But...I don't understand..."

Yup, there is no way this unknown girl was the one who called me here. I tried to observe and sneakly checking around the surrounding just to figure out that no one else here aside of me and this unknown girl who keep practiced...

Kiyone : "...Maybe I'll find my answer if I asked her"

I had several assumption before reach this place. First, I was assumed that it was a letter of challenge. Second, it might be a confession letter. However right now, I doubt about the first one. It means that it would only probably a confession or might be a discussion. Could it be Matsuo didn't predict it and 'that man' already put someone to obstruct my peaceful life here?

I gulped and steeled my resolve. Lets do this! I started walk approached her

Kiyone : "Excuse me!"

present moment

??? : "W-Wait, what do you mean by I was the one who calling you here?"

I took out the letter which I received this morning and I show it to her

??? : "...I-Impossible..."

Kiyone : "This letter were found on my locker this morning"

Look at me with her disbelief expression. I could tell that there is misunderstanding. Maybe that letter wasn't mean to be send to me at all. I'm a bit relieved that she had no ties with 'him'

Kiyone : "I didn't know what's your intention by calling me here but it does seems there is misunderstanding. So, if you had nothing to say to me. I'll take my leave, excuse me"

I said while bowing then I started decide to walk away back to dormitory. However...

??? : "Did you heard?"

This kind of pattern again? Could it be this girl is same kind like Kushida-san

Kiyone : *sigh* "I heard it. But I don't understand. So, don't worry about it-"

She suddenly grab my arm

??? : "Wait!"

Kiyone : "?!!"

??? : "I admit that this letter were from me. However I didn't mean it for you"

Kiyone : "Is that so? Then, there is no problem right. Since this misunderstanding already solved."

??? : "No, since you already know. You should cooperate until the end"

Kiyone : "I refuse. I had nothing to do with this. Excuse me-"

But she suddenly hugged me

??? : "Please! Don't leave!"

Kiyone : "Eh?"

??? : "Please, Help me!"

Kiyone : "I refused. Nggh!"

She doesn't want to released me at all

??? : "I beg you, please help me to practice!"

Kiyone : "I don't wanna! Just release me already!"

The sunset begin to announced evening time

Inside my own room

Kiyone : *sigh* "In the end, I let myself get involved with something strange."

Well, it was harmless activity.

Summary

The girl that I encounter behind the gymnasium building was Shiranami Chihiro, same freshmen as me from class B. What did she do back then...She was waiting for someone that she send the letter to come. During that time she was practiced her confession while waiting the said person to come. In the end, after she figure out that the letter were fall onto me. She decide to hold her confession until she was perfectly prepared. During that time she asked me to become her practice partner for several days before she ready to do it.

Of course, I already refused her. However she keep bugging me and she doesn't even to release me. She hold too tightly on my skirt. If I force my way to released her, I'm afraid that my skirt got teared apart. That's why I ended up reluctantly agreed on her ridiculous request.

If I think about it again. I guess it wasn't that bad. Maybe I could get some information about class B through her. Since I already accepted it, lets turn this become an opportunity.

Next morning

First day on July

Before I leave my room. I checked my point to make sure how much class point we get since that May. However...

Kiyone : "...Z-Zero..."

I wonder, I guess our effort isn't enough at all. But still, 0 point for 2 month huh? This school might be more strict than I think...

Well, whatever. Let's go to school and find out the clue about this class point in there later on.

I lock my own room and started walk toward elevator.

While waiting the elevator I'm quite surprised. Horikita-san and also Kushida-san here as well

Horikita : "Want to enter or not?"

Kushida-san waving her hand on me

Kiyone : "I'll come in if you don't mind. Excuse me"

Then Horikita-san operated the elevator and it started to moving on

Kushida : "Good morning, Aya-chan"

She greet with smile like usual

Kiyone : "Good morning Kushida-san...and Horikita-san as well. Good morning"

Horikita-san only took a glance on me then she back her attention toward in front of her.

Kiyone : "Its kinda rare sight that you come together with Kushida-san"

Horikita : "She was waiting in front of my room since this morning"

Kiyone : "Oh..."

I look to Kushida-san and she only reply with smile

Not long after the elevator stopped and the elevator door opener

We decide to step out from elevator. And as usual Horikita-san already paced herself leaving us altogether

Kushida : "Aww, actually I hope that we could go to school together."

Kiyone : "Some people might be didn't like your pushy attitude. She might be find it was uncomfortable for her"

Kushida : "Fufufu~ But, making her feel uncomfortable was one of the reason I wanted to do in this morning though."

Kiyone : "You..." *sigh* "Well, at least nobody heard us here"

Kushida-san only respond with smile

The other elevator come and the door were opened.

Bunch of student come out from elevator. Then...

??? : "Morning Kushida-san"

Wow, I guess popular girl know each other

Kushida : "Ichinose-san"

She waved toward Kushida-san

Ichinose : "Aree~ You are the girl I met yesterday. Did she perhaps your classmates Kushida-san?"

Kushida : "Yes, Let me introduce her. She is Ayanokouji Kiyone. Aya-chan, this is Ichinose Honami from class B"

Kiyone : "Nice to meet you, Ichinose-san"

Ichinose : "Oh, nice to meet you too Ayanokouji-san."

Kushida : "Then, would you like to come with us?"

Ichinose : "Sure. Ah! By the way, did you guys happened to get any points this month?"

Kushida : "Huh?"

Huh? What?

Hello guys! I'm Back

X : Oh, you are still alive?

Its obvious bruh

Did you guys enjoy the story?

With this Volume 2 began to start

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 2 : The Abrupt Beginning

Sakura Airi POV

I'm not very good at interacting with other people.

I'm not very good at talking to other people while making eye contact.

I'm not very good with crowded areas.

I don't know when I started to be bad at those things.

However, the one thing I'm know is that a person can't live completely alone. No matter how much I love being alone, I cannot possibly survive by myself.

So, I came up with a solution.

Putting on a facade, I live by hiding my true self.

Only then am I no longer me, but rather become me.

In this dark lonely world, I can continue to survive.

The world is not a beautiful place. While it's common sense, everyone secretly wishes for a beautiful world. A bit of a contradiction.

Anyone... anyone's fine, so tell me this.

Is everyone putting on a facade like me?

Or does no one bother to create a distinction, and show their true selves instead?

Since I don't have any relationships with other people, there's no way for me to find out.

So, I'm all alone today too.

I'm alright by myself.

I'm alright with being alone...No...that's lie, I...from the bottom of my heart, want a person that can reach me. And so the me today will continue to live quietly, with my eyes cast downwards.

One day

While looking for places to take a selfie, I stumbled upon an incident. It was a tense state of affairs. The whole thing started a few seconds ago, when a trivial accusation provoked the other party and turned into a fist fight pretty quickly. Three male students were on the floor, covered in injuries. A red-haired boy was standing over them, looking down. It was a pretty one-sided fight.

I saw blood streaks on his right fist from the wounds of the other boys. It was my first time seeing a real fist fight. In elementary school, I saw boys pulling at each other's clothes and pinching each other but this was different. I could feel the weight of the tense situation.

Even though I was afraid, I unconsciously took pictures of the scene. The shutter went off silently. I thought to myself, 'What am I doing? but in my panic, I couldn't think very clearly.

I tried to leave the area as fast as I possibly could. But my brain wasn't functioning normally, and my legs wouldn't do what I told them to. Feeling paralyzed, I couldn't move at all.

??? : "Hehe, do you think this things will be over with this, Sudou?"

The boy who was barely able to move his upper body desperately tried to resist despite his fear.

Sudou : "Are you trying to make me laugh? You three are in a sad state. Do you want to go at me again? I won't hold back next time."

Grabbing the collar of the student who had lost his fighting spirit midway, Sudou-kun brought the other boy's face a few centimeters away from his own. Looking as if he'd devour them at any moment, the defeated boys looked away.

Sudou : "Are you shocked? Did you think you could win if you had more people?"

Laughing through his nose, Sudou-kun dropped him on the ground and picked up his bag.

As if he already lost interest in the three boys, Sudou-kun turned around and started walking away.

That instant, my heart rate shot up. Well, it's natural. Sudou-kun started walking in the direction of my hiding spot, after all. My routes off the rooftop are limited. The theory is to go down the staircase that I used to get up here. Losing the right timing to escape, my body isn't able to move as I want it to. When someone gets into an accident, I heard that their body tenses up and feels paralyzed, and that was the exact situation I was in right now.

Sudou : "That was pointless. Making me tired after practice, give me a break."

The distance shortened. He was only a few meters away.

??? : "...The one that'll regret this later is you, Sudou. Hehehe..."

One of the boys called out to Sudou-kun then laughing in a strained voice.

My paralysis slowly faded away, as if a curse was being lifted.

Sudou : "There's nothing as shameful as the whining of a loser. No matter how many times you try, you won't win against me."

He clearly wasn't bluffing. It was obvious that he had the confidence to back it up. After all, Sudou-kun was able to come out unscathed from a fight where he was at an overwhelming disadvantage.

Tomorrow was the first day of July, it was starting to look like summer. Still not moving from my hiding spot, sweat started forming on the back of my neck. Without panicking, I decided to leave from my spot quietly.

I just have to avoid being seen and getting involved in the situation. If I get involved, only a dark future awaits my calm and tranquil school life. Carefully but quickly, I moved away and left the place behind me.

Sudou : "Is someone there?!"

Unconsciously wanting to escape, the air slightly changed. Feeling the change in atmosphere, Sudou-kun peered into the location where I was hiding just moments ago. However, I was able to escape by a hair's breadth.

If I was late by one or two seconds, he would've probably seen my retreating figure.

Back to present

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

The morning was always lively in class D. It was because most of the students were far from being serious. But, today was louder than usual. The reason goes without saying. It was because we would most likely get some points ever since our entrance ceremony.

On the first day of every month. (Class points) x 100 is deposited into our private account.

These private points are for us to buy necessities, meals, electrical devices, or any other good, they serve the role of money and are very important.

Because real money can't be used on campus, if we don't have any private points we are forced to live day by day without any pocket money to use.

Since class D's points are 0, we inevitably don't get any private points and therefore have to make do without any money.

However, at the start of the year, our class points were at a thousand.

If we kept our points, we would be getting 100,000 yen every month. However, our class points fluctuate from day to day. Things like getting bad grades or whispering during class contribute greatly to the deduction of points. As a result, class D has no points by the time the first of May came around. It's sad but that has continued until today, July 1st.

In addition to our monthly allowance, the class points also determine our class' merit. In descending order of points, the classes are ordered from class A to class D.

So, if class D got more points than class C, class D would probably become class C for the next month. And eventually, if we make it to class A, our dreams for high education and job opportunities would be fulfilled. At least that what school announced to be.

When I first heard of this system, I thought it was important to keep our class points as high as possible. Saving private points wouldn't help at all.

But my thoughts changed once we could bought a point on the midterm.

On the previous test, I was able to buy a point for Sudou-kun who had regrettably missed the cutoff by a point. When I saw the school readily agree to sell the point, I understood that Chabashira-sensei wasn't joking when she said those words. 'At this school, there's nothing you can't buy with points'.

That is, holding private points means that you can make a situation more advantageous. If that's the case, it's probably possible to get more than just test points I think.

Chabashira : "Good morning. Everyone looks more restless than usual today."

As the bell rang for homeroom, Chabashira-sensei walked in the classroom.

Ike : "Sae-chan-sensei! Do we have 0 points this month too!? When I checked this morning, I didn't even have a single point!"

Chabashira : "Oh, so is that why you guys were restless?"

Ike : "This month, we worked our asses off! We got past the midterms so isn't it cruel to still be at 0!? We weren't late to class, weren't absent, and didn't whisper!"

Chabashira : "Don't go off deciding things on your own. Let me talk first. Ike, you clearly worked harder than I've ever seen you try. We recognize that. Naturally, the school understands how you feel too."

After being admonished, Ike closed his mouth and sat back down.

Chabashira : "Well then, these are this month's point totals."

The point results were listed starting from class A on the paper she put up on the board.

Other than class D, all the classes were pretty close in points, and everyone had been awarded about 100 points.

Class A : 1004

Class B : 663

Class C : 492

Class D : 87

Class A was at 1004 points, slightly above the amount of points everyone started with.

Horikita : "Not a very pleasing development. Have they already figured out how to reliably increase points?"

Horikita-san seemed to be concerned only about the other class' points. but Ike-kun, along with most of the class, didn't care about the other classes. To them, is it only important that we have points?

Ike : "Huh? Is that, 87... did we actually increase our points!? Woohoo!"

After seeing the points, Ike-kun jumped up and down in excitement.

Horikita : "Don't be so excited already. All the other classes increased their points about the same amount you guys did. The gap didn't get any closer. This looks like a reward for just passing the midterm. Everyone was paid about 100 points."

Ike : "I-I see. I thought it was strange that we were awarded points so quickly. Hehehe~"

Horikita-san, who was aiming for class A, looked like she wasn't happy with the points we got, and wasn't smiling.

Kiyone : "Are you disappointed, Horikita-san? Because the gap has slightly widened."

Horikita : "It's nothing like that. I got something out of it this time, after all."

Ike : "What do you mean, you got something out of it?"

Ike-kun stood up and asked Horikita-san. Attracting the attention of the other classmates, Horikita-san sunk back into silence. Hirata-kun after watching the situation unfold, stood up and answered for her.

Hirata : "The deductions we got during April and May... in other words, along with whispering and being late to class, there were no other deductions, is what I believe Horikita-san was saying."

The quick-witted Hirata answered without any problems. That's impressive. Right on the mark, too.

Ike : "Ah, is that so. If there were a lot of deductions, our 100 points would've been 0."

After having understood the easy explanation, Ike-kun raised his arms in celebration.

Ike : "Huh? Then why didn't we get any points?"

Returning back to the original question, Ike-kun looked at Chabashira-sensei.

If we didn't get 8700 points, it would be strange.

Chabashira : "This time, there's a bit of trouble. The points for the first-years were delayed. Sorry, but you'll have to wait for a bit longer."

Karuizawa : "Eh~ seriously? Because the school is having trouble, shouldn't we get some kind of freebie?"

All the students grumbled in discontent. As soon as they understood that they got points, their attitudes completely changed. Having 87 points and no points is a world of difference.

Chabashira : "Don't blame it on that. The school decided it, not me. Once the trouble is resolved, you'll get your points. If there are any points left, that is."

I frowned upon her last mark. What does she mean by 'If there are any point left'?

After school feels more comfortable since there's no need to be worried about personal relationships. Also, I don't really stand out if I try to go back to the dorms right after school since there are quite a few people who do the same.

There's some merit in being able to disappear into the crowd like a ninja. If I stick to the back of a group of friends, I can pretend to be a part of their group.

I was satisfied with myself for skillfully pretending that I had friends. But in the first place, there isn't anyone in this school that cares about who I hang out with.

Chabashira : "Sudou. I have something to tell you. Come to the staff room."

Sudou-kun, who was trying to quickly leave the classroom, was stopped by Chabashira-sensei.

Sudou : "Hah? What business do you have with me? I have basketball practice now."

Chabashira : "I already talked to your advisors. You don't have to come, but you'll face the consequences later."

Sudou-kun was on guard after Chabashira-sensei threatened him.

Sudou : "What the hell... Is this going to end quickly?"

Chabashira : "That depends on you. Just by staying here, we're wasting more time."

With those words, it looked like he had no choice but to follow.

After clicking his tongue, Sudou-kun walked behind Chabashira-sensei and walked out of the classroom.

Shinohara : "I thought he changed, but I guess that Sudou is the same as ever."

Satou : "Wouldn't it have been better if he dropped out?"

I could hear several students in the class mumbling to themselves.

After the last test, I thought that the class had become more united as a group. Somehow that seems to have been my imagination, guess it was a lie.

Horikita : "Do you think so too? That it would've been better if Sudou-kun was expelled."

Suddenly she talking to me, Horikita-san was putting her textbook in her bag in order to return to the dorms. There probably aren't many students that take their textbooks back and forth to review and prepare for the lessons. It's a sad thought.

Kiyone : "Huh, not really. How about you, Horikita-san? As the only person who initiated to helped out Sudou-kun"

Horikita : *sigh* "You are the one who make me do it. Well, we still don't know how many positive points we'll get."

Horikita-san replied with an uninterested voice.

When Sudou-kun was on the brink of being expelled, she purposely lowered her own grades. Also, spent her points to buy a point on the test for him. I didn't expect that kind of behavior from her.

At the same time, we both got up from our seats out walked out of the classroom together. I don't know when, but we started going back to the dorms together. Since we don't eat together, nor hang out, it's strange that it became this way. The only thing we had in common was that we were walking back on the same exact path. That's probably why we ended up walking together.

Horikita : "What do you think?"

Kiyone : "Huh? Are you perhaps talking to me?"

Horikita : "Stop playing dumb. I want to know what did you think about this matters"

Kiyone : "Well...honestly...I feel a bit worried. About what Sensei said this morning."

Horikita : "What's your though? Are you perhaps had any deduction regardess this situation?"

Kiyone : "Yes. It looks like there was trouble, but is that trouble on the school's part or from our part? If it's the latter..."

Horikita : "You're overthinking it. Lately, we haven't been making trouble. She said so herself. I doubt class D would've been the only class to not get any points. Simply speaking, it's the school's issue."

Kiyone : "Well, Chabashira-sensei wasn't lie. Class B didn't received any points yet as well this month"

If there was strong concern for worry, all first-years would've been delayed. So the probability that class D is involved is rather low. ...Probably.

Horikita : "I wish that was the case. After all, trouble directly affects our points."

Everyday, Horikita-san always thinks about how we can increase our points. She doesn't think about her private points, but rather the class points so that she can reach class A. Of course it's not impossible but even then it's pretty far from our grasp with the current situation.

However, there's still hope. If Horikita-san is able to find a reliable way of increasing our points, it'll become a great advantage for class D. Furthermore, our classmates will trust Horikita more and she'll be able to make more friends. A win-win situation on her case. Since she had class's trust. She wouldn't need me anymore and I can enjoy my leasure time during on school

Kiyone : "Oh, right, you should join the chat. You're the only one who hasn't participated."

Taking out my phone, I opened the group chat application.

Horikita : "I have absolutely no interest."

Kiyone : "Its for communication and sharing information. You don't need to follow it everytime just grasp some info which you deemed to be useful info. Unless you prefer to use primitive method for it"

Horikita : "Fine, but I'll keep my notification off"

Kiyone : "Is that so? I guess it"

Well, it seems like she had no intention to participate in the first place. She probably didn't delete the app because it'll send notify the rest of the group. Whether or not she participates is up to her, so I didn't pursue the subject. I don't really have the right to do so either.

Horikita : "Ayanokouji-san, you're also more talkative lately."

Kiyone : "Really? But all I do just simply replying your words."

Horikita : "It's only a slight difference, but you've definitely changed."

Although I didn't mean to change, I must've changed without having noticed myself. I must've gotten used to it.

Especially, I feel like I get along with Horikita-san...wait, no! We definitely don't get along, but strangely I don't feel awkward around her anymore.

More than anything, I'm grateful that being silent doesn't make the mood worse.

Horikita : "Is there anything that made you change?"

Kiyone : "I wonder... If I had to come up with a reason, it would be that I simply got used to school life and made a few friends. Also, Kushida-san was probably a big factor as well. Since the other started to noticed me because we sometimes goes to school together"

Horikita : "You seem to be getting along with Kushida-san. Aren't you concerned, especially knowing about her other side?"

Kiyone : "I was surprised when she said that she hated you. But it's natural that you'll like and hate some people. It's no use to get concerned over such small things. Even when she's said it explicitly, why do you pretend to get along with her?"

Horikita : "I see. Well, I also hate Ayanokouji-san since I think your existence kinda a bit unpleasant to me but we still talk normally. I don't really mind it."

What the hell, why say it to my face...

Kiyone : "You surely running your mouth whatever you want, huh?"

Horikita : "That's what I'm saying. If someone else says that they hate another person, it's fine, but if someone says that they hate you, don't you feel bad?"

Kiyone : "Were you testing me?"

I could feel that she is completely forced.

Horikita : "I don't intend to bother her, but Kushida-san and I are like oil and water. I think there's no need to fight with her."

In other words, it probably means that she won't join a group chat with Kushida-san in it.

Kiyone : "In the first place, why does she hate you?"

Ever since the start of school, there wasn't much contact between the two. Since when did she start hating Horikita-san?

Kushida-san did say that it was her goal to get along with everyone. But too bad that what she refer with 'everyone' would be not included me since what happened on the rooftop that day.

Horikita : "I don't know. She probably doesn't know much about me either."

Even if that's the case, it looks like there's something in between Horikita-san and Kushida-san.

Horikita : "If you are that curious? Go ask her yourself. You two are surely pretty close right?"

That's impossible.

Kushida Kikyou-san is normally an angelic and perfect girl that was the facade she is used to, but she inadvertently showed me a different side of her or perhaps her true nature.

It's impossible to tell from her kind smile and her tone of voice, but I still remember her behaviour from back then. I don't think Horikita-san knows either.

Kiyone : "No need for that. I'm fine with Kushida-san as she is now."

Horikita : "That's just disgusting, you know?"

Even though those words came from my mouth, it sounded disgusting to me too.

I stopped my pace.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, we split up here. I wanted to buy some ingredient first. See you later"

Horikita : "Hmph!"

We split up and I decide to walk toward supermarket. Horikita-san didn't even bat an eyes. Well, I already predicted that she doesn't even care to begin with.

After I finished to buy some ingredient, I returned to the dorms. Taking out my phone, I checked my balance. I had 8320 private points remaining. It hasn't changed since the morning.

Considering that we got 100,000 points at the beginning at the year, it's a really small amount.

I spent a lot of points to buy Sudou-kun's point.

Kiyone : "It would be huge if we got our 87 points."

In yen, that's 8700 yen. Although it's not enough, it's still relatively big money.

My phone suddenly ringing.

I take a look upon the caller

Kiyone : "Sudou-kun?"

What did he needs from me on this evening. Its kinda rare from me to get a call. Maybe this is related to me or some case that he only can rely on me to help him.

Kiyone : "Moshi-moshi, Sudou-kun..."

Sudou : "S-Save..."

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Sudou : "Save me, Ayanokouji!"

He rarely asking help. What happened actually...

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 2 : Turbulent Times

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

I'm waiting on the lobby just like we agreed before. Not long after that...

I saw Sudou-kun come here in rush. With a cold sweat he seems restless as if something weight on his mind.

Sudou : *pant* *pant* "S-Sorry I call you out at a time like this"

Kiyone : "You said that you needed help. But, just to make sure. You didn't get involved with such big incident right?"

Sudou : "W-What do you mean?"

Kiyone : "Who knows, something like the cause why all of 1st years points this month get delayed, maybe?"

Sudou : "...I-I-I don't had an idea what are you talking about"

Kiyone : "Whatever. Can we get down straight into bussiness now? So, what kind of help you needed from me?"

After I ask him that question. He begin tremble in fear. I see his eyes look at his right side. I don't know what kind of problem he gotten into. However, he seems try to find an excuse to borrow my help but he hesitate to revealing his problem. Well, whatever it is. I hate waiting like this, so I decide to take initiative

Kiyone : "Sudou-kun, if you don't tell me anything. I'll leaving now"

Sudou : "W-Wait! Give me a minute!"

Kiyone : "If you just want to waste my time like this. Its better that you never call me anymore"

Look at him now. He bit his lips and suddenly doing a dogeza in front of me. Of course I got startled by it. Then he started to talk

Sudou : "Ayanokoji-sama! I beg your help to get me out from my own predicament! I won't ask something you would find impossible to do. Some advice or suggestion were okay. Please, help me!"

Kiyone : "So, could you tell me what is this about?"

He turn his head up while his body still doing dogeza

Sudou : "I will tell you but I can't tell it here. Would you like to hear it...?"

I nodded

I regret it

I held my forehead

Kiyone : "So, the cause of 1st years points got delayed was you. Huh? Moreover you ask something ridiculous like asking me to solve this before our classmates figure it out. Before this case caught Horikita-san ears. You are demanding too much!"

Sudou : "...S-Sorry..."

Kiyone : "Beside, why me? If you're worried about something, how about asking Ike-kun or Yamauchi-kun?"

Sudou :"Those two are no good. They're stupid."

Well, I doubt that even if you ask Horikita-san. She would find a way immediately

Kiyone : *sigh* "I understand. Since it directly involved with our class. However, are you ok if I involved more people on this?"

Sudou : "W-Who?"

Kiyone : "Kushida-san."

Sudou : "...But..."

Kiyone : "Listen Sudou-kun. First we need to find someone who could be a witness. If what you said were right, that means you are getting framed."

Sudou : "...Is that even possible..."

Kiyone : "I doubt it. That's why we need to get Kushida-san involved on this case. She is popular so she is at least could be depended on this kind of situation"

Sudou : "Oh! I see!"

Well, even with Kushida-san help. I doubt that we could find the witness. Even if we find the witness, we need to prove Sudou-kun's being innocent on court. Well, to begin with I won't rely on standart tactic like that. I could say confidently that this kind of method not gonna works, not against the mastermind who somehow could make a mere small commotion into big one. I had an inkling that Ryuuen-kun is the one who framed him since Sudou-kun said that the boys who lured him there were from class C and also Ryuuen-kun is currently the leader of class C.

What I don't understand is what did he gain by doing all of this?

Wait, don't tell me...

Not bad Ryuuen-kun. Not bad at all.

Kiyone : "Then, I'll call Kushida-san. Let's wait on your room"

Sudou : "W-Wait a sec!"

Kiyone : "What is it again?"

Sudou : "...Errr...My room is kinda...well...ugh...Please, we can't use my room at this moment! My room right now its not in good condition for girls to visit!"

I don't understand exactly what did he means by that.

Kiyone : "Fine then. Let's use my room"

Then I started to dialing Kushida-san...

Wait, did she willing to get involved with me...

Now, I'm the one who is getting anxious here.

Kushida : "Moshi-moshi...Hello...Aya-chan? Are you there?"

I guess, if this for class sake. She would willing to cooperate, I hope she will.

Kiyone : "Sorry to calling you this late Kushida-san. Would you like to come to my room. There is urgent matters that I want to tell to you..."

Kushida : "Hee~ So, what is it? Did Horikita-san ordered you to do this?"

Kiyone : "This is not about her at all"

Kushida : "Mmm 'kay, I'm willing to listen but getting my help would be different matters"

Kiyone : "I understand that very well. I'll waiting for you"

I didn't activated loudspeaker on my phone or else the others will notice our hostile relationship. I ended the called then...

Kiyone : "She will come, let's wait on my room"

Sudou : "O-Okay..."

On my room.

I was on the kitchen prepared some dish for 2 guests

Sudou-kun seems a bit relaxed after he heard that Kushida-san agreed to help him. He sat on the floor while looking around my room

Sudou : "Your room..."

Kiyone : "Hmm?"

Sudou : "N-No, it just...how do I say...somehow its look too plain. There is almost no decoration at all aside the default one which already installed by school."

Kiyone : "So?"

Sudou : "N-No, I just think that girl supposed to be kinda like cute things or make their own room comfortable for themselves..."

Kiyone : "I'm already comfortable with my own room like this"

Sudou : "T-That's right, I guess that not everyone had same preference..."

Suddenly the bell ringing

Kiyone : "That must be Kushida-san. Sudou-kun, please open the door"

He get up and do what I told to him

After Sudou-kun opened the door, Kushida-san seems surprised

Kushida : "S-Sudou-kun, what are you doing on her room...?"

I'm done prepared the dish and I put it on small table.

Kiyone : "Please enter Kushida-san. Since this will be a long talk"

Kushida : "C-Could it be... you-"

Kiyone : "Alright, stop right there. Let me explain, when I said this was urgent matters. Its really means it, and like you guessed this involved our class and Sudou-kun will tell you what's going on here"

Kushida : "O-Okay..."

Then, both the guest and host sitting together around the small table with dish and drink which prepared by host

Kushida : "So, what is this situation about?"

With a meek look on his face, he slowly started talking.

Sudou : "You know how I was called out by the teacher today? Then, uh... actually... I might be suspended from school. And for a while, too."

Kushida : "S-Sus-suspended?"

Well, that's normal for her to be surprised. Compared to the beginning of the year, Sudou-kun has been pretty well-behaved. He hasn't been talking or dozing off during class, and is doing well in his club activities.

Kushida : "By any chance, did you insult or slander Sensei?"

When Chabashira-sensei stopped Sudou from going to his club today, he looked unhappy. He probably got mad and said some reckless remarks once again. That might be what Kushida-san thinking about

Sudou : "I didn't!"

Kushida : "Then did you grab her by her collar and threaten to kill her or something?"

Sudou : "I'm not!"

Without any hesitation, Sudou-kun deny all Kushida-san deduction

Kiyone : "Well, it's probably worse than what you're thinking..."

After listening to the clue which I give on her. She started to speculate again

Kushida : "Oh! This is how things happened, I get it. He beat up and assaulted Sensei and then spit on her!"

That's far too worse than I think. How do she got there?

Sudou : "That's cruel! Or should I say, your wild ideas are way too cruel!"

Kushida : "Ahaha, it's a joke. Of course you wouldn't go that far right, Sudou-kun?"

Sudou : "T-That's...ugh..."

Even though I thought Sudou-kun would immediately deny it, he look away as if it was contain some truth from Kushida's joke. Could it be he once do far worse than this one with his anger issue before?

Kushida : "What's wrong?"

Sudou : "Well, actually...I beat up some kids from class C yesterday. And earlier, Sensei said that I would be suspended... This is probably punishment for that."

Surprised from Sudou-kun's words, Kushida-san unintentionally looked towards me. I was sipping my tea, enjoyed each of it elegantly. Then after she saw me calm like this, she look toward Sudou-kun again and demanding his explanation

Kushida : "Beat them up... that, uh, why'd you do it?"

Sudou : "For your information, I wasn't at fault, ok? Those class C b*stard were in the wrong. I just responded when they tried to provoke me. And then they went and told on me. They were being untruthful, too."

Somehow, it seems like Sudou also hasn't been able to gather his thoughts. I understood what he was trying to say, but maybe Kushida-san not understand at all. She still didn't catch the reason why the fight started nor the details of the fight.

Kushida : "Wait a second, Sudou-kun. Can you say it once more, but slower?"

Kushida-san encouraged him to calm down and tried to get him to tell her how the fight started.

Sudou : "Sorry, I must've left out too many parts..."

Taking a few deep breaths, Sudou-kun started from the beginning once again.

Sudou : "The club advisor and I were talking about being able to be a regular for the summer tournaments."

Kushida : "Isn't that super good, Sudou-kun!? Congratulations!"

Sudou : "Nothing's decided yet. It's just that the possibility exists."

Kushida : "Even that's great. We just entered high school, after all."

What is it? He didn't tell that part to me before. I heard that he was good, but I didn't expect talks about becoming a regular so soon.

Sudou : "Well, yeah. Actually, I was the only first year to be nominated for becoming a regular. And even then, it's not like I'm definitely becoming a regular. On the way home, those guys... Komiya and Kondo, who are also in the basketball club, called me out to a special building."

Kushida : "Mmm"

Sudou : "They said they had something to talk about or something. I could've ignored them, but I've argued with them quite a few times during club activities, so I thought I would settle this. Of course, I went to meet them, you know? And then this Ishizaki guy was there, waiting for me. They said Ishizaki had fighting experience. Komiya and Kondo were this guy's friends, and said how they couldn't stand that a class D student like me was being considered as a regular. He then told me to either quit or face a painful experience. I refused and beat them up, but then all of this happened."

It was a hurried explanation, but she seems got the general gist of things. It looks like Sudou-kun's satisfied with his explanation.

Kushida : "And then you were portrayed as the bad guy, huh."

With an exasperated look, he nodded. Those class C students started the whole thing, and when Sudou-kun refused to quit, they resorted to the use of force... that is, violence. At last that was look like on the outside. However Sudou-kun, who was also experienced in fighting, turned the tables and beat them up.

Naturally, they were injured. But, there was no evidence, so they lied to the school that Sudou-kun beat them up for no reason. For the one who proudly proclaimed he is good at fighting there is no way they resort this pathetic method unless they intend to framed Sudou-kun from beginning.

Kushida : "Sudou-kun's not the problem if the situation was started by class C."

Sudou : "Right? I seriously don't get it. I don't believe that teacher either."

Kushida : "We should tell Chabashira-sensei tomorrow about what happened. How Sudou-kun isn't at fault."

Kiyone : *sigh* "I wouldn't call you here if the things could be solved like that, Kushida-san. Things aren't that simple. Sudou-kun must've told the school what he just told us now. But since there's no evidence to back up his claim, the school decided to punish him."

Kushida : "O-oh...Then...When you told the school, what did they say?"

Sudou : "They said they would give me time until next Tuesday to prove it. If I'm not able to, I'm suspended until the summer. On top of that, the whole class will be deducted points as well."

It seems like the school has decided to wait. But, it seems from his story its like Sudou-kun is more worried about not being able to become a regular, rather than getting our points deducted or being suspended. I guess he couldn't stand the thought of his chances being ruined. Quite selfish I think.

Sudou : "What should I do?"

Kushida : "Sudou-kun, you tried to tell the teachers truthfully, right? It's strange, since they didn't believe your story, even if you did nothing wrong. Right?"

Kushida was looking for a positive response from me, but sadly, I its impossible to give an affirmative reply.

Kiyone : "You know this thing isn't that simple. Beside if I was outsider, I would deduce more or less like 'the school' did"

Sudou : "What is it Ayanokoji? Are you doubting me? Even I already told you before her"

Kiyone : "At the very least, the school doesn't trust you, right? For example, it wouldn't be strange if Kushida-san was agreeing with you just so that our points wouldn't decrease."

Kushida : "T-That may be true."

This time, the trouble won't be solved by proving who started the fight. The three of them might be suspended for a week, for example. There are three people that say that they were beaten. Without sound proof, Sudou-kun will most definitely be punished. And that means only one thing.

Kiyone : "Even if the other party is the one at fault, Sudou-kun might still take some of the blame."

Sudou : "Hah? Why? It was legitimate self-defence. Right!?"

Sudou-kun, unable to understand, hit the table with his fist. Kushida-san jumped in surprise.

Then, I look at him with cold stare

Kiyone : "Sudou-kun...if the table were broken. I will charged you for it no matters what"

Sudou : "Hiiee!!! S-Sorry. Forgive me Ayanokoji-sama! B-Because I got slightly upset. And also, my bad. I'm sorry for make you scared Kushida"

Sensing my warning and seeing Kushida-san's frightened face, Sudou apologized.

Kushida : "A-Anyway. Why will Sudou-kun still take some of the blame, Aya-chan?"

Kiyone : "Sudou-kun hit them, but they didn't hit Sudou-kun. That's a big reason why, I think. It's a more difficult problem than just saying 'self-defence'. If they came at you with a knife and a metal bat, things would be different. Normally, if they were going to pick a fight, they would probably prepare for it. 'Self-defence' is when you have to defend yourself against sudden, dangerous attacks. In other words, I don't think this is exactly 'self-defence'."

This is the best I can explain of, given the circumstances.

Sudou : "I-I don't understand. There were three people, three. I think it's sufficiently dangerous."

Well, he isn't exactly wrong. I think the number of people has to be taken into account, but this case is a delicate one. If the school thinks that the number of people than I think, then Sudou-kun might be declared innocent.

But it's dangerous to think optimistically.

Kiyone : "I think the school gave a few days because they also found it difficult to come to a decision."

The proof we have right now... the only possible key we have is the injuries of the other three.

Kushida : "Then... they're planning on heavily punishing Sudou-kun, huh?"

Kiyone : "Whoever brought it up first has the upper hand. The victim's testimony works as evidence."

Sudou : "I still don't get it. I'm the victim! This isn't a joke. If I get punished, I won't be able to become a regular for this tournament!"

Those class C boys purposely lost to Sudou-kun to crush his chances. They're trying to stop him from becoming a regular, while bringing down the rest of class D as well. That kind of plan seems likely. Ryuuen-kun, if I find out that you are the one behind this. I'll make you regret it for messing with my peaceful school life

Kushida : "Let's ask the three class C students to speak honestly. If they feel like what they did is wrong, they'll definitely have feelings of guilt, right?"

Sudou : "Those guys aren't idiots. They won't speak honestly. Dammit! I won't ever forgive them, those bastards!"

Picking up the fork that was on the table, he snapped it into two. It's not like I don't understand where he's coming from, but that's my fork...

Kiyone : "Sudou-kun..."

Sudou : "Hiiee!!! I-I'm sorry, Ayanokoji-sama! I'll definitely taking responsibility for it!"

Well, last time he broke my pencil. He was actually try to show his sincerity to apologize by giving me the new one. The better one than the one he broke before. That's why I believed what he said for now

Kiyone : *sigh* "Now, back to main topic. If trying to explain it didn't work, then we'll have to find some actual proof."

Kushida : "Yeah... It would be great if there was evidence that proved that Sudou-kun wasn't at fault..."

If things were that simple, this wouldn't be so difficult. Even then, Sudou-kun couldn't deny it, and started thinking about the situation.

Sudou : "There might be something. It might just be my misunderstanding, but... When I was fighting with those guys, I felt a strange presence around the area, as if someone was watching."

Even though he wasn't too confident about it, Sudou threw the idea out there.

Kushida : "So you're saying that there might be an eyewitness?"

Sudou : "Well, that's what I thought. There's no definite proof."

An eyewitness, huh. If they saw the whole thing, it would be good. But in some cases, it might drive Sudou-kun further into the corner. For example, if they only saw the situation after Sudou-kun started fighting, it might be the final blow for Sudou-kun.

Sudou : "...What should I do?"

Sudou-kun held his head in his hands. Kushida-san talked, breaking the heavy silence.

Kushida : "There are another ways to prove your innocence. Like...the first is to go get the class C boys to admit their lies. Since Sudou-kun wasn't in the wrong, it is probably best to get them to acknowledge it."

That's definitely idealistic.

Sudou : "Like I said earlier, that's impossible. They won't admit that they lied."

Like he said, they probably won't admit it. If they confessed to the school that they liked about someone else to get them into trouble, they would definitely get suspended.

Kushida : "Then the other method is find that eyewitness. If someone saw you guys fight, we might be able to look for more evidence for the truth."

Well, this is about the only realistic plan we can do for now.

Kiyone : "How do you plan to look for that eyewitness?"

Kushida : "Asking people one by one? Or asking each class works too."

Sudou : "It would be great if someone came forward, but..."

He feel hesitant

Sudou : "This might be a shameless request, but... can you keep this a secret?"

Kushida : "Eh... a secret...?"

Sudou : "If rumor of this spreads, it'll make its way to the basketball club. I don't want that to happen. You understand, right?"

Kiyone : "You...even then—"

Sudou : "Please understand, Ayanokouji. If I can't play basketball, I have nothing left."

He pleaded. Things won't blow over even if the rumors don't spread. If word spreads that he used violence, the basketball club might not let him stay anymore.

Kushida : "Won't the class C students spread the rumors themselves? It would be convenient for them."

That was what I was thinking about. It wouldn't be strange for them to spread the rumors themselves. As if he was saying 'Seriously!?', Sudou held his head in his hands once again.

Sudou : "Damn! If the rumor got out already-"

Kiyone : "No, for today. The news of the incident probably hasn't spread."

Kushida : "Why do you think that?"

Kiyone : "If those class C students spread the rumor already, it would've probably reached us long ago."

The school called in Sudou after school. Also, there wasn't any word about it during the day. At least, it hasn't spread widely yet.

Sudou : "So we're safe for now?"

But how long will that last? Even if you put a gag order on it, it'll become a rumor sooner or later. Before long, it'll be known to the public. Right now, the only thing that's certain is—

Kushida : "Sudou-kun, you should probably try to stay away from this case."

Kushida, also understanding this, advised Sudou.

Kiyone : "Yes, it'll be bad if the related party tries to do anything."

I replied, agreeing with Kushida's words.

Sudou : "But, pushing the whole thing onto you guys is—"

Kushida : "I don't feel like this is being pushed onto us. We just want to help Sudou-kun. I don't know how far we can get, but we'll do our best. Ok?"

Sudou : "...Alright. I know this is a bother, but I will leave it to you guys."

It seems like he understood that things would get more complicated if he tried to get involved himself.

Sudou : "Well then, I'll return to my room. Sorry for this entire situation."

He get up then walking toward exit to open the door, and before he closed the door...

Sudou : "Kushida, Ayanokoji, thanks you very much. See you tomorrow."

Kushida : "Bye-bye, Sudou-kun."

She saw Sudou off, who looked kind of sad. It's only a few room over, though.

Kiyone : "Well then. Kushida-san, are you not going back?"

Kushida : "I just wanted to ask a few more things about what happened today. You don't seem like you're very enthusiastic to help Sudou-kun."

Well, how should I explain this...

Kiyone : "It's not like that, but there's not much I can do. I can only respond to Sudou-kun's story. If it was Horikita-san or Hirata-kun, they might be able to give some better advice. After all, I'm not confident with consoling another people"

Kushida : "That's probably true, but Sudou-kun came to rely on you. Even more than Horikita-san, Hirata-kun, or even Ike-kun, he entrusted his story to you."

Kiyone : "I don't know if I should be happy or not but one thing does certain its kinda troublesome"

Kushida "Fu~n."

I was confused Kushida-san's eyes turned cold for a split second.

Kushida-san once told me that she hated me directly to my face.

Kushida : "It might better if Aya-chan makes a bigger effort to blend in with the class."

Kiyone : "Well, I'm more or less trying. It's just that not much has come out of it. This time, I don't have the courage to say that I will help Sudou-kun"

I guess she doesn't think that I worry about not being able to eat lunch with anyone. I may think that way, but Kushida probably knows that I have trouble.

Kiyone : "Kushida-san, you're going to help Sudou-kun, right?"

Kushida : "Of course. We're friends. Aya-chan, you'll—No, what are you going to do?"

Kiyone : "As I said earlier, talking to either Horikita-san or Hirata-kun is better, right? Well, Sudou-kun hates Hirata-kun, so Horikita-san is the obvious choice."

But I don't think that Horikita-san would have a good idea to solve this problem. No, she probably leave him on this state

Kushida : "Will Horikita-san even help?"

Kiyone : "I don't know. Probably not but we'll have to ask. Because she won't idly watch as class D collapses... maybe."

I was feeling a bit hesitant. After all, it's Horikita-san.

Kushida : "I know you're trying to avoid the question, but Aya-chan, you'll help too, right?"

She steered the conversation back even though I was trying to change the subject.

Kiyone : "...Is it fine if I'm no help? I'll probably be useless, you know?"

Kushida : "It won't be like that. You'll be useful somehow."

Kiyone : "How exactly I'll be useful though?"

Kushida : "Now now. What should we do starting tomorrow? Sudou-kun said that it would be useless, but I still think that it's a good idea to go talk to the three people he fought. Actually, I'm friends with Komiya-kun and his group. So, we might be able to persuade them. Hmm, is it dangerous?"

It seemed like Kushida couldn't throw away the option of talking to them.

Kiyone : "The risk is high. Not considering who started the fight, it's the three of them that first brought it up to the school. They have the upper hand in this situation. Also, it wouldn't work. Since it was them, not Sudou-kun that picked a fight."

There's no easy way to prove to the school that they lied. But if the school knows that they fabricated a lie and told them, class C would get a massive penalty.

Kushida : "Then, I guess looking for the witness is the way to go."

Even that's pretty difficult. Without any details, it'll be impossible to find an eyewitness. Asking 'Did you see something?' is an extraordinary waste of time and effort.

That's why, starting tomorrow. I won't like to get tied with this farce and I will find the clue by myself.

If any change occurs in the situation, the flow of events might change a bit.

That's the plan but things sometimes didn't go as you wish.

On next day inside class

The bad events didn't stop there. The following morning, during homeroom, Chabashira-sensei had an announcement to make.

Chabashira : "I have an announcement for you all today. There was a bit of trouble the other day. Him over there, Sudou, and some class C students were involved in an incident. To say the truth, it was a fight."

The classroom became noisy.

Depending on the details of the disagreement between the two groups, Sudou-kun may be suspended and the class points may be deducted. Sensei told the whole situation to the class.

Chabashira-sensei was so disinterested and had absolutely no expression in her face while told it. Without any bias, she explained the school's neutral position on the whole matter.

Hirata : "Uh... why hasn't the matter been resolved already?"

Hirata-kun asked a reasonable question.

Chabashira : "The complaint was raised by class C. They said it was a one-sided fight. However, when we asked Sudou, he said that their claim was not true. He said that the class C students called him out, looking for a fight."

Sudou : "I wasn't in the wrong; it was self-defence."

Declaring that without any shame, Sudou attracted the cold gazes of his classmates. Too bad he made wrong move

Chabashira : "But you have no evidence. Am I wrong?"

Sudou : "Evidence? I don't have anything like that."

Ignoring Sudou-kun. She look away from Sudou-kun and started walk around while giving the information

Chabashira : "In other words, we don't know the truth yet. Therefore, the situation has been put on hold. The outcome will be decided on who the actual perpetrator is."

Sudou : "I don't know anything except that I'm innocent. I want money for my troubles."

Chabashira : "He says so himself, but as of now, there's not much credibility. If, as Sudou says, there is an eyewitness, the situation may change. If there are any witnesses to the fight, please raise your hands."

Chabashira-sensei kept talking with an indifferent voice. No student raised their hands.

While observing around classmate. I was certain. Of course, there is no way it was that easy-

Wait! You must be kidding me right?

It seems that I'm not the only one who noticed it, Horikita-san seems to frown at certain direction as well.

Chabashira : "Too bad Sudou, but it seems like no one here was a witness."

Sudou : "...Looks that way."

When Chabashira-sensei looked at Sudou-kun with doubtful eyes, he looked down at his desk.

Chabashiara : "In order to look for a witness, each teacher is informing their class about the situation."

Sudou : "Hah!? You told everyone!?"

The school probably can't do anything else. Since Sudou-kun raised the possibility of a witness, each class in the school had to be asked in order to find such a person. For Sudou, who had intended to hide the incident, this was not a good situation.

Chabashira-sensei only giving doubtful glance for responding on Sudou-kun question

Sudou : "Damn...!"

Kushida-san look at my direction and I respond it by shake my head, she clearly know that Sudou's plan of keeping it within our group had already failed.

Chabashira : "Anyway, that's all. We'll most likely get a final decision by next Tuesday, taking the presence or absence of evidence into consideration. Homeroom is now over."

Chabashira-sensei left the room, with Sudou-kun quickly leaving right after. He probably knew that he would get mad at someone if he stayed in the room.

Ike : "Hey, isn't Sudou the worst?"

The first to talk was Ike. Unexpected isn't it? Such beautiful friendship

Yamauchi : "If we lost points because of Sudou, doesn't that mean we're going to have 0 points again?"

The situation was getting out of hand as the classroom became clamorous.

If we ended up losing points, Sudou-kun would be the target of the class's frustration. Naturally, Kushida-san tried to alleviate the situation like usual. I know it she is truly useful

Kushida : "Hey, everyone. Can you all hear me out?"

Kushida-san took the chance to stop the uproar and change the situation.

Kushida : "As Sensei said, Sudou-kun was involved in a fight. But Sudou-kun was dragged into it."

Ike : "Kushida-chan, by saying 'dragged into it', does that mean you believe in Sudou's words?"

Kushida told yesterday's story to the whole class. About how he was being considered as a regular, and how a few people who were envious tried to get Sudou-kun kicked out of the club and the resulting fight. She explained that Sudou-kun beat them up in self-defense. Most of the class listened to Kushida-san's sincere words in silence. If Sudou-kun or I had tried to explain the situation in the same way, it wouldn't have the same effect.

It was a reasonable story, but considering his usual behavior, no one could believe it so easily. For me, well I'm just nobody on their eyes.

Kushida : "I would like to ask again. If anyone knows someone in this class, among your friends, or among your senpais that saw what happened, please tell me. You can contact me at any time. I'd appreciate it."

Even though she had said the same thing as Chabashira-sensei did, the class had a completely different reaction. It's fascinating how she's naturally gifted at being able to connect with people. The class was wrapped in silence. The one who broke the silence was not Ms. eyewitness, but rather, Yamauchi-kun.

Yamauchi : "Hey, Kushida-chan. I don't believe Sudou's story. I think he's making it up to justify his own actions. During middle school, he kept talking about beating people up. He even lectured us about how it was fun to beat people up."

Starting with Yamauchi, the whole class voiced their dissatisfaction towards Sudou-kun. Like I said, such beautiful friendship they had.

Hondou : "Earlier, I saw him grab some kid from another class just because they bumped in the hallway."

Matsushita : "I saw him cut in line at the cafeteria and get mad at someone who tried to warn him."

Kushida-san's words about Sudou-kun's innocence didn't reach the class. The class, feeling that they were going to lose their hard-earned points, all left Sudou-kun to dry.

Hirata : "I want to believe him."

The Hero of the class, Hirata-kun stood up as if to support Kushida. Sasuga hero-kun

Hirata : "I can understand if a student of another class doubts him. But I think it's wrong to doubt a friend, a fellow classmate. Isn't helping out someone in need what friends do?"

Karuizawa : "I think so too~"

Brushing her bangs to the side, Karuizawa-san followed up after him.

Karuizawa : "If it's a false accusation, wouldn't it be a problem? In any case, it'd be sad if he was innocent."

If Kushida-san is a leader with a soft heart, Karuizawa-san is a leader who is strong willed. Most of the girls voiced their agreement, seemingly influenced by her presence.

It's a typical behavior of the Japanese people: following suit when one person does something assertively. Secretly, they were probably making fun of him, but at least they were pretending to help. For now, the criticism of Sudou-kun stops.

Hirata-kun, Kushida-san, and Karuizawa-san. These three were particularly popular.

Satou : "I'll ask my friends."

Hirata : "Then I'll ask my senpais in the soccer club."

Shinohara : "I'll ask around as well."

With these three in the center, the attempt to prove Sudou-kun's innocence began. I guess I don't have to help. It'll be better to leave it to them anyway. Glad that I didn't need to get involved with it.

Well, time to fade out quietly.

I planned to fade out, but...

Lunch break. For some reason, I was involved with this troublesome group and went to the cafeteria.

The members were me, Kushida-san, Horikita-san, Ike-kun, Yamauchi-kun, and Sudou-kun.

It was inevitable. When lunchtime arrived, Kushida-san dragged me up. I mean I can't make an excuse like I'm busy or something since I used to be alone most of the time. For Horikita-san...

Well, I dunno but somehow Kushida-san succed to persuade her

Horikita : "You seem to be involved in one problem after another, Sudou-kun."

Horikita-san sighed in exasperation. She look at me with frown. Wait, why? At that time even I didn't know that Sudou-kun was the cause of our points got delayed either

Naturally, the topic of discussion was how to prove Sudou's innocence. Then we finally find a seat for this group

Ike : "Well it can't be helped, so we'll assist you as friends, Sudou."

Although he treated Sudou-kun as a bad person at first, Ike-kun's attitude changed. It's definitely because Kushida-san stepped in. Even so, Sudou-kun apologised.

Ike : "W-What is it, Ayanokoji-chan?"

Kiyone : "Nothing. I just think that Sudou-kun had truly beautiful friendship not the one who stabbed each other back"

Sudou : "Yes, you bet. They are the best buddy I could ask for"

Yet, you turn on me first when you are in trouble before them?

Yamauchi : "Y-Yes, of course its obvious. That's not even a question, ahahaha..."

Sudou-kun who aren't aware of my sarcastic remarks took it possitively unlike Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun who smiled with cold sweats.

Sudou : "I'm sorry for causing trouble again Horikita. However, I wasn't the one at fault this time. I was really frustrated at those class C bastards."

As though he will make it that was someone else's problem, Sudou-kun talked to Horikita in an indifferent tone. Well, that's not how you talk toward Horikita-san anyway

Horikita : "I'm sorry, but this time, I don't really feel like helping."

Horikita immediately rejected Sudou's request for help.

Horikita : "The most important thing to class D in order to rise up is to take back the points we lost as quickly as possible. However, because of you, we probably won't be able to get any points. In other words, you've just messed up that plan."

Sudou : "Wait a second. It's probably true, but I'm seriously not the one at fault! I only hit them because they provoked me first! What part of that is my fault!?"

Horikita : "You keep saying that they started the fight, but it's nothing more than a trivial difference. Were you not aware of that?"

Sudou : "Trivial my ass. It's completely different. I'm not the one to blame!"

Horikita : "Is that so? Well, good luck."

Grabbing her untouched tray, Horikita stood up.

Sudou : "Are you not going to help!? Aren't we friends!?"

Horikita : *sigh* "Don't make me laugh. I've never considered you as a friend. I feel most uncomfortable when I'm with people that don't realize how stupid and foolish they are. Goodbye."

Horikita sighed, looking more exasperated than angry, and left the seat.

Sudou : "What's up with her!? Dammit!"

Unable to vent his anger anywhere else, he hit the cafeteria table.

Ah! my miso soup spilling . I send glare at Sudou-kun, and he fall silent upon looking at me. I took some breathe and wipe the spilled miso on the table

Yamauchi : "I guess we'll have to make do with what we have"

Sudou : "I knew you would understand, Yamauchi. I'm relying on you too, everyone."

Kiyone : "Even if you ask me to help. I can't really do much this time, you know?"

It's ineffective to self-deprecate whenever someone asks for help, it seems.

Kushida : "You've been saying that ever since yesterday Aya-chan. Boys, say something to encourage her please"

Ike : "No, but... well, it's strange for Ayanokouji-chan to say that she won't be useful. Well, it's better than not being there. Probably."

As expected, Ike-kun couldn't come up with how I would be useful.

I looked at Kushida-san as if telling her 'told you'

Ike : "This is disheartening. I thought we got along when we were preparing for the test..."

Ike-kun said in a disappointed tone. I saw Horikita-san sitting back down in the distance, looking slightly irritated.

Ike : "I don't understand Horikita at all. What's wrong with her, Ayanokouji-chan? Why is she like that?"

Don't ask me. What am I? A manual user for her?

Kushida : "It's strange though. Horikita-san wants to get to class A, right? If we save Sudou-kun, the class would receive points. I wonder why she doesn't want to."

Yamauchi : "Isn't it because she dislikes Sudou? She said she didn't think of him as a friend."

Saying that wasn't going to help. They misunderstood what she said earlier for her dislike of Sudou-kun

Ike : "I don't want to think that way, but I guess it's true..."

Kiyone : *sigh* "Well, Horikita is—"

I unconsciously start to speak. Realizing that, I instantly stopped but Kushida-san looked at me in interest.

Kushida : "Horikita-san is? What is it? Come on! Why are you suddenly stopped?"

It can't be helped

Kiyone : *sigh* "It may not be relevant, but here are my thoughts on this. I think Horikita-san normally talks in a harsh manner. But I also think you guys are misunderstanding her."

Sudou : "Huh? What do you mean?"

Kiyone : "She won't help if there's no reason to do so... I think."

Sudou : "What do you mean by, 'I think, I think'? Are you just guessing?"

Sudou bursts into the conversation. As he is aware of Horikita-san, it wasn't difficult to understand that he didn't like being rejected by her.

Kiyone : "It's a guess like you say, Sudou-kun"

Sudou : "You don't even have a reason for thinking that way?"

Even if he said that, he still wish to hear me more

Kiyone : "Horikita-san's smart after all. I felt like she came to a conclusion that made her act that way."

Sudou : "A conclusion? Yeah, a conclusion to forsake me."

Kiyone : "Did you not realized it, Sudou-kun? This entire sutuation which could lead you on this state?"

Sudou : "Wh-What do you mean?"

Kiyone : "Let say.While this counts as self-defense, it's not the main issue"

Kushida : "What do you mean by it?"

Kiyone : "Sudou-kun always tend to talk rude ways and also he tend to mock the others who's below him. Your entire behaviour are the cause why are you being hated.He always made a bad impression toward peoples around him."

Kushida : "Oh, are you trying to said that with simple analogy like this:For example, at the scene of a murder, there are two suspected suspects. One ever kill and the other one is people who follow the rules and behave well. Its common thing that the one who follow the rules and behave well would be more trusted than the latter."

Kiyone : "Well, more or less like that. The truth may not be like that. But with little evidence, people have to make decisions based on what they have. Summary the situation ended up like this because Sudou-kun's history and behaviour. And it even worse since Sudou-kun doesn't feel guilty at all. That's maybe the reason Horikita-san doesn't want to get involved at all."

Sudou : "What is it?! Aren't you just the same with Horikita earlier?"

Ike : "Let's not accuse others, Sudou. It's only natural for Ayanokouji-chan to defend Horikita, since she's always with her all the time."

Sudou clicked his tongue and reached out for his tray, still feeling irritated.

Kiyone : "See? This is why I don't like to talk either. You guys never intend to listen to begin with"

Kushida-san try to pacify the situation

Kushida : "Now now, I'm pretty sure that Aya-chan didn't had any slight ill intention by her words. Well, if someone came up as a witness, it would be great. Since the teachers asked all the classes, this will probably be resolved quickly."

I understand wanting to think that way, but would the situation be resolved that easily?

After all, the issue was serious. It's not unreasonable for Horikita to give up. It would be checkmate if the witness, assuming there is one in the first place, was from Class C. It would be natural for class C to hide the truth in order to protect themselves. After all, this school is made up of ranks. It's unlikely that any feelings of guilt will outweigh the disadvantages the class may get.

But if the witness is not from class C, the problem is where to look.

If it was someone that was neutral and had seen the situation unfold from the beginning, the result may be different.

Kushida : "Ah, sorry, I'll take my leave. I'm going to go ask my senpais that I just saw over there."

Kushida-san stood up from her seat.

Ike : "You're doing your best for people like Sudou, Kushida-chan. It's cute."

Fascinated by Kushida-san's back, Ike-kun was enchanted.

Kiyone : "Then, I'll take my leave as well. Just little advice Sudou-kun, control your anger issue and stop giving trouble to peoples around you"

Sudou : "You suddenly getting annoying since lunch. What do you want? Damn it!"

Kiyone : "They were right. You know what our classmates think about this situation. It's better that you just get out from this school. That's-"

Suddenly he grab my collar. Of course this action caught everyone at cafetaria

Sudou : "You better careful with your words. Do you think I'm not gonna-"

Kiyone : "You understand now?"

Sudou : "What?"

Kiyone : *sigh* "You still don't get it? This is how easily you got into trouble. Its pretty normal anyone hesitate to help you unless you fix your bad habit. That's not only apply on Horikita-san, most everyone else in class D feel the same thing. That's included Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun as well"

Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun look away after I mention their name, Sudou-kun give them a quick glance as well.

Then I shove Sudou-kun's hand from grabbing my collar

Kiyone : "Since we are done here. I'll take my leave then, Sudou-kun, Ike-kun, and also Yamauchi-kun. Please, excuse me."

I started to walk leaving cafetaria. I could a faint voice from Sudou-kun

Sudou : "Damn it! Why everyone suddenly acting like this even that girl as well. She wasn't like this yesterday. Damn it!

Third Person POV

The cafetaria operate again after the commotion over. Horikita attention focused on Ayanokoji who leaving the boys after saying something. But, she decide to not pursue and stay still on her seat

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 2 : A Comedy Letter

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

The class was divided up into certain groups after school.

However, there weren't many people helping in the first place.

Hirata-kun and Karuizawa-san led the Hero & Girl team while Kushida-san led the Beautiful Girl & The idiot trio team

They had decided to look for the witness by themselves. Even so, it's difficult to get results in such a short amount of time. There are 400 enrolled students at the school. Even if everyone from 1st year Class D was left out, there isn't much of a difference.

It would be difficult even if all the time during the morning, breaks and after school were included.

Me?

Well, nobody asked me so I spend my time with a certain girl who practiced to confess toward the person she liked.

Shiranami : "H-How is it?"

Ah! I'm not paying attention to her. I hope she didn't notice it

Kiyone : "Hmm, I'm not sure...I mean, its just matters of confessing your feeling toward the person you liked, right? Why we should do this entire practice?"

Shiranami : "Huh? What are you talking about, of course practice its important. I mean-"

Kiyone : "All you need to do just enough courage to speak, right?"

Shiranami : "W-Well, you are not wrong..."

Kiyone : "Then, why you can't just say it? What are you worried about? Unless you told me about that part. I don't think this entire practiced worth to do"

Shiranami : "A-Actually...Huh?"

Kiyone : "Did something wrong?"

Shiranami : "N-No...How do I said, its kinda strange. While I find your question kinda silly but after I think it clearly again. What am I worried not about the confession, but rather what would happened after that..."

Kiyone : "Are you perhaps worried that you might be get rejected"

She shake her head

Shiranami : "What am I worried is what happened after my confession. Honestly...I don't think that confessing your feeling were wrong however in case that I got rejected, I hope that our relationship could be still fine like before..."

Kiyone : "What do you mean exactly with being fine? Are you perhaps wish that your relationship could stay same like before you confess?"

Shiranami : "Ahahaha...That's...impossible right? Of course, our relationship become awkward in case I got rejected. Keeping each other distance maybe our self-defense mechanic to not hurt each other anymore. That's why...this is just like gambling..."

Well, honestly I don't care about her at all it just her point of view regardess her situation kinda interesting. I wonder, did most of people had same worries just like her about confessiong your feeling toward the people you love.

Kiyone : "...Err...I don't know that this is sound a bit cliche or something. What about Shiranami-san herself? Did you prepared for this?"

Shiranami : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "I mean...just like you said it was kinda a gamble , right? However this is a situation which you would get it all or lost it all. That's why, what I wanted to ask is...does Shiranami-san had such enough courage to take an action? If you are afraid your relationship become more distant in case your confession rejected its better for you to back down. But..."

I purposely stopped in the middle. Shiranami-san seems take attention to what I said seriously

Kiyone : "Are you prepared well enough to do this?"

Shiranami : "Ayanokoji-san, you are right. This entire practice or another useless activity that waste our precious time. All of them are nothing, I know that this is...No..I know it very well the risk if I got rejected. Honestly I don't want to get rejected, but you can't force the other if they don't had the same feeling like you, right?"

She suddenly turn her head up look at the cloud

Shiranami : "You know Ayanokoji-san? Back then, I once got confessed by a boy. At that time, he keep stuttering when he try to confess to me. I was rejected him...I ignored him and leave immediately. The next day, I don't know how everyone in the class know about his confession. Everyone make a fun of him, bacause of that he suddenly distanced himself from me. Started by averting his eyes whenever we meet. Next, he barely talk to me unless it was something important or urgent matters. The last thing is...We completely become stranger..."

She seems worried that she ended up like him

Shiranami : "...Back then, I was thinking that. If only I could accept him. If only I ignored those people around me and maintaining our relationship like before. I feel guilty, maybe I should have never interact with him at all if in the end all I do was hurt his feeling that much...I-I'm scared you know..."

Kiyone : "That's why, are you ready to taken that risk?"

Shiranami : "I'm a coward...but if I didn't said what I wanted to said. I'm afraid that this kind of feeling get in my way. I need to make it clear or else it affecting on my life. I didn't know but I'm pretty sure somehow I will get rejected. Even though like this, I still wanted to said to ease up this feeling on my heart. Can you understand it?"

Not at all and I don't care

Kiyone : "...Somewhat I do..."

Well, I couldn't said what am I thinking right now toward her

Shiranami : "...That's why, I wanted an answer. No matter how painful it could be. I'll try to endure it. That's right, its better to confess soon before its too late."

She suddenly embrace me then grab my hand

Shiranami : "Ne~ Ayanokoji-san. It just...In case I got rejected. Could you allow me to cry on your shoulder?"

How annoying. Just confess already

Kiyone : *sigh* "Sure"

Shiranami : "Yosh! Please watch me, I-I'll make sure to guarantee you that our practice didn't goes waste"

Kiyone : "Yeah yeah...So...Are you perhaps going to confess tomorrow?"

Hearing my question she got flinched

Shiranami : "W-Well, t-tomorrow is...isn't that kinda hasty..? How about the day after tomorrow...or maybe a week later...or maybe several months...or next April..."

Kiyone : "Oi"

Where the hell your conviction gone back then. It just a mere minutes ago you determined to tackle this. I only take a deep inhale hoping that this matter just finished already.

Oh, that's right!

Kiyone : "Shiranami-san"

Shiranami : "Hmm?"

Kiyone : "What do you think about this case? The case which caused 1st years points got delayed by a certain boy from my class?"

Shiranami : "Are you saying that you wanted to heard that cristism? Are you fine with it? The reason I don't talk about that matter to you because you are from class D but since you asking my honest opinion regardess this situation. I just hope you don't think about me so badly"

Kiyone : "Don't worry, in the first place. That kind of things that I wanted to heard"

Shiranami : "O-Ok...Then..."

She started to tell her opinion about this case. Later on followed by her class stance regardess this situation. Then, she told me the most crucial thing.

Class B had the same opinion with class D about this case. Several students from class C try to provoke several member of class B a month ago. That's why, looking at such track record like that. Class B could be potentially be ally with class D since class C making an enemy with them

At night in the dorm inside my room

PING!

I got a message on my phone. I try to look from the sender. Kushida-san?

Kushida : "Why did you leave me alone to deal with those idiots farce?"

She didn't even filtered her displeasure toward me. How should I reply this...

Kiyone : "They didn't asked me for help. What's the point?"

Kushida : "Don't leave me to deal with them alone. Don't try to run away, give me a hand here"

After I read the last message suddenly incoming call entered my phone and it was Kushida-san.

Kiyone : "Moshi-moshi"

Kushida : "Aya-chan!"

Huh? her tone changed. Somehow if people didn't know the other side of Kushida-san they would thinking that the previous message and the caller was different person. Since she was behaving that way, she must be...

Kushida : "...Ano ne~, after school today. You didn't come to help us, I wonder is there something wrong which make us unaware about our action which somehow hurt your feeling?"

Huh, did she perhaps talk about that

Kiyone : "Kushida-san, are you perhaps with them today? With Sudou-kun's and co?"

Kushida : "Hehehe~ I got caught eh?"

Its kinda easy to guessed but...

Kushida : "I'm with them right now at Sudou-kun's room of course several our classmates are here as well"

Kiyone : "Then, does it matter if I joined or not? You guys already had enough support, right?"

Kushida : "This is not about that! We...we just wanted to know that...are you perhaps angry to Sudou-kun? If it was the case, I wanted to apologize on his behalf"

Eh? How come she got such conclusion?

Kiyone : "Are you perhaps talking about what happened during that time at cafetaria. If it was that case, I'm not angry at all. Beside, unlike those previous days. Nobody ask me so I had no reason to join. Beside..."

I purposely stopped in the middle

Kushida : "Beside...?"

Kiyone : "Even if it was the case, why are you the one who talk on his behalf? Can't he just talking to me directly? I don't know if it was because his pride or maybe he feels awkward however he already at the age as grown up boys that he didn't needs the other to babysit him. Just let him handle his own problem, you are not his mother Kushida-san"

Kushida : "Ahahaha...Well, at last I'm glad that you are not mad. Sure, I'll tell him. Just like you said, they should handle it by himself, right?"

Why her tone seems much more happier than before? Does she perhaps on her good mood phase this time?

Next day, in the morning on my way to school...

Ike-kun suddenly approach me with scratching his head. Then on the distance not far from us I could see that Yamauchi-kun and Sudou-kun watching. What is this? A confession?!

Ike : "Ano~ G-Good morning, Ayanokoji-chan"

Kiyone : "Good morning Ike-kun"

Ike : "Ano...you see..."

Did he began to confess now?

Ike : "Its about Sudou..."

Oh, its about him. How boring, well lets hear him at least. I tilted my head as a gesture to make him talking more about that although I already get the gist more or less

Ike : "Y-Yesterday at cafetaria, you know...How do I say? Sudou actually didn't mean anything bad..."

Kiyone : "But he grabbed me? I thought that he intent to hit me"

Ike-kun expression kinda funny. When I try to tease him he suddenly hold his head in confusion trying to thinking so hard

Ike : "T-That's...well ugh...that might be true, b-but actually you know. Its just that he is err...little grumpy"

Kiyone : "Well, indeed. If punching three boys from class C could be categorized as little grumpy. Who knows, maybe I'm the next"

Ike : "T-That's not what I mean! That's ugh..."

He lost at words

Kiyone : "Sorry Ike-kun. I just teasing you. Your expression kinda interesting to watch"

Ike-kun who finally get that I just messed up with him. Hold his forehead

Ike : "Ayanokoji-chan. That's not nice you know. I'm afraid that you are actually mad. With that face of yours, how could I tell the difference?"

Kiyone : "Forgive me Ike-kun, so what happened with Sudou-kun. Why are you the one who talk to me not him?"

Ike : "W-Well, I just think that if Sudou directly talk to you...You might be scared"

Kiyone : "Huh, why?"

Ike : I-I mean as his friend I wanted you to know that Sudou at that time doesn't mean to do harm toward you. He's not actually mad at you either"

Kiyone : "Well, neither I am. I'm not mad or anything toward him at all. Only if he understand what I mean"

Hearing my word, it does seems Ike-kun doesn't understand as well. Seriously?

Ike : "I-Is that so? Well, I'll tell him about this. S-See you later, Ayanokoji-chan"

He immediately leave me, although I know where does he gone.

I continued my step to go school after that

After school

Horikita : "Well, I'm going home."

Kushida : "Are you really going to go Horikita-san?"

Horikita : "Yeah."

Horikita-san replied without hesitation and left the classroom.

As expected of her. She wasn't discouraged by the surrounding gazes, all asking, 'You're leaving?' When she becomes an adult, she would probably be the type to quickly leave a drinking party—promising to finish things up at the next meeting—without reading the mood.

If Horikita's tactic is to leave out in the open, my tactic is to leave quietly in the shadows.

Kushida : "Aya-chan!"

I failed

Kushida called out to me with an anxious voice. The small size of the classroom prevented my escape as I was immediately discovered despite my stealthy footsteps.

Kiyone : "Do you need anything from me?"

Such bad luck. I got caught, I wanted to do my own investigation actually

Kushida : "You'll... help, right?"

Kiyone : "O-Of course."

I couldn't refuse her. Not when everyone in the class give an eyes on me

I couldn't help it, it felt like I was being controlled by Kushida-san. I wasn't able to escape.

I could predict what did she said with that kind of eyes, 'don't you think you can run away this time' or something like that

After I submit to her plea, Kushida-san made a suggestion.

Kushida : "I really want to get Horikita-san to help this time. Can you ask her again please?"

Kiyone : "But she went home today."

They failed to stop her just a few moments ago. Was it already time for revenge?

Kushida : "Yeah. Can we chase after her? If it's Horikita-san, I think she will definitely become a big help."

Kiyone : "Why?"

Kushida : "If we take the time to persuade her, don't we have a chance?"

If she wants to try again, I have no right to stop her. I nodded, telling her I understood.

Kushida : "Ike-kun, Yamauchi-kun, can you stay here? I'll come back quickly."

Ike : "Ok."

Yamauchi : "Sure."

The two of them aren't on the best of terms with Horikita-san. Anyway, it doesn't seem like Kushida-san's forcing them to follow along.

Kushida : "Let's go."

Taking Kushida's arm, I left the classroom. I wonder what this bittersweet feeling is. For some reason, I had complicated feeling

As I made my way down to the entrance of the building, there was no sign of Horikita-san. I decided to go out of the building. As she's not the type to stop for anything on the way back, she was probably heading straight towards the dorms.

I pushed past the crowd of students putting on their shoes. Soon after, I saw Horikita-san in between the school and the dorms. Most of the groups headed back had two people or more, but there was alone figure that stood out.

Kushida : "Horikita-san!"

I hesitated before speaking to her, but Kushida called out to her with confidence.

Horikita : "...What is it?"

Horikita turned around, looking slightly surprised. It seemed like she didn't expect us to chase after her.

Kushida : "I really want Horikita-san to help with Sudou-kun's incident... Is that not possible?"

Horikita : "I thought I already rejected that a few minutes ago."

She shrugged her shoulders, as if the person she was talking to was an idiot.

Kushida : "I know, b-but I do think we need to do this to get to class A."

Horikita : "We need to do this to get to class A, huh?"

Looking completely unconvinced, Horikita didn't listen to Kushida's words.

Horikita : "If you want to help Sudou-kun, go ahead. I don't have the right to stop you. However, if you need someone to help, go ask someone else. I'm busy."

Kiyone : "There isn't anyone that's playing around right now."

I unintentionally retorted. She glared at me, with eyes that said, 'Why are you talking?'

Horikita : "It's important to spend time alone. It's uncomfortable to have that time snatched away."

As expected of a loner's line of thought, she disliked spending time with other people.

Kiyone : "Hey-"

She continued

Horikita : "Even if I help him now, this will happen again. Won't it just be a vicious cycle? You may believe that Sudou-kun is the victim this time, but I think differently."

Kushida : "Huh? ...Isn't Sudou-kun the victim? It would be troubling if he was lying though."

Kushida didn't understand what Horikita said Or maybe she feign ignorance? I mean I remember that I already explained that part to her

Horikita : "Maybe it really was class C that started the fight this time, but in the end Sudou-kun is also the perpetrator."

Kushida : "W-Wait, Why? Wasn't he dragged into the fight?"

Horikita : "I guess I have to quit to say 'how stupid you can be' because someone else took that it was like a challenge"

With an expression that said, 'Oh my', Horikita looked in my direction.

Not me, I hadn't said anything. I avoided looking into her eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, Horikita spoke with a tired voice.

Horikita : *sigh* "Why was he dragged into this incident? The entire issue will be difficult to resolve without solving this fundamental question. I will not agree to help until this question is answered. Since I can't help you, why don't you ask the girl next to you? Even though she pretends to not understand, she probably knows what I'm thinking."

Please stop talking with the impression that I understand.

Kushida looked at me with a confused expression, as though she was asking, 'Do you know?'

Horikita-san, don't say anything unnecessary please

She resumed walking, implying that we were left to resolve the issue. Kushida-san, having understood something from Horikita-san's words, was unable to stop her.

Kushida : "Sudou-kun is also... the perpetrator? Is that... so?"

Kushida looked at me, asking for advice.

After Horikita revealed that I was pretending, even if I were to try to feign ignorance, the future seems troubling.

Kiyone : *sigh* "Why all of you think of me like her adjutant. I kind of understood what Horikita-san said. At the very least, Sudou-kun is partially at fault here. He's the type of person that easily resents others, so he has a violent behavior and tends to say reckless remarks to those who provoke him. I was surprised and impressed when I heard that Sudou-kun was being considered as a regular. He seems good at basketball, but his arrogance and pride would eventually make some people, particularly those who practice just as hard, hate him."

I explained while keep walking back with her

Kiyone : "...Furthermore, there have been rumours that Sudou-kun has been fighting since middle school. I don't know anyone who knew Sudou-kun previously, but seeing that the rumor has been circulating for awhile, there must be some truth to the matter..."

The impression other people had of Sudou-kun wasn't good.

Kiyone : "...This was bound to happen sooner or later. That's why Horikita said that Sudou was the perpetrator too."

Kushida : "In other words, his usual actions caused this situation, didn't they?"

Kiyone : "Yeah, just like I already explained yesterday. As long as he continues to provoke those around him with his behavior, this trouble was unavoidable. And if there's no proof, his image, particularly his impression on others, would be used against him"

If one was forced to answer, the majority would have made the same choice.

Kiyone : "With or without evidence, a decision must be made. Even if it's not the truth. That's what's happening right now. So long as Sudou-kun doesn't recognise his mistakes, Horikita-san won't give in."

However, it felt slightly different than the expression of 'you reap what you sow.'

Kushida : "So Horikita-san isn't helping in order to teach Sudou-kun a lesson?"

Kiyone : "Something like that. By punishing him, she wants Sudou-kun to have some self-awareness."

Kushida seemed to understand, but couldn't agree with it.

Instead, it looked like she was mad, she had balled her fists in anger..

Kushida : "I don't understand why she would abandon Sudou-kun just to punish him. If she's dissatisfied about something, she should tell him directly. That's what being a friend is for."

The way she speak like that. I wonder, does Kushida-san once felt a betrayal in the past...

Back to topic. The problem is I didn't think Horikita-san considered Sudou-kun a friend in the first place...

Putting that aside, she wasn't the type of person who would teach this nicely. She had no sense of responsibility for others.

Kiyone : "You should do what you believe is right. Wanting to help Sudou-kun isn't wrong in the first place."

Kushida : "Yeah."

Kushida nodded without hesitation. She's the type to help out however many times for her friends. To be honest, it's a really difficult thing to do, something only people like Kushida could do.

Kiyone : "However, it's probably better to be more careful when telling Sudou-kun directly. You might be wasn't there but his anger issue truly dangerous, who knows you might become his next target after those three students from class C. Since there's no point if he doesn't reflect on it, he should become aware of it by himself."

Kushida : "...Alright. I'll follow your advice."

Changing her line of thought, Kushida-san stretched her back.

After returning to the classroom, I joined up with the others.

Yamauchi : "Were you unable to persuade Horikita in the end?"

Kushida : "Sorry, we tried."

Ike : "It's not Kushida-chan's fault. We should be fine with the people we have."

Kushida : "I look forward to working with you, Ike-kun, Yamauchi-kun."

Kushida stood there, eyes shining brightly, asking for help. The two of them stared back at her with mad love in their gazes.

Kushida : "So, Aya-chan. Since it become like this. Where are we headed?"

She was right. Looking randomly for a witness would be inefficient.

It would probably be best to come up with a plan before making a move.

Kiyone : "If everyone's fine with it, how about asking class B first?"

Ike : "Why class B?"

Kiyone : "Because they're the class that benefits the most if a witness is found."

Ike : "Sorry Ayanokouji-chan, but I don't quite understand."

Kiyone : "Between classes D and C, which class is an obstacle to class B? To put it simply, which class is more of a threat?"

Kushida : "Of course, it's class C. So we should ask class C last. But why not class A?"

Kiyone : "In the first place, there is very little evidence. Class A has no need to provide help in a situation that wouldn't affect them as this dispute is between classes C and D."

Of course, we still weren't sure if class B could be trusted. If it was someone crafty, they might have a plan to defeat not only class C but also class D. Even if their plan isn't as detailed, they would have some kind of plan.

Kushida : "Alright, let's head to class B!"

Kiyone : "Stop"

I reflexively grabbed the back of Kushida's collar as she went ahead.

Kushida : "Nya~!"

Startled, Kushida let out a cat-like scream.

Ike & Yamauchi : "Moe~!"

They had hearts in his eyes at Kushida's cute yelp. Although that action was probably on purpose...

Kiyone : "Kushida-san's communication skills are vital here. However, it's not as simple as casually entering the class and attempting to make friends.

Kushida : "Is that so?"

If the witness was a friend, or would help for free, there'd be no problem. However if it was a more calculating person, they wouldn't agree to help without a price.

We won't know whether or not they'll help us until we talk to then. Even if we take that into consideration... will things turn out as expected?

Kiyone : "Do you have any acquaintances in class B?"

Kushida : "Yep. There's only a few people that I talk to and get along with, though."

I had some people on my mind when Kushida-san said that

Kushida : "Let's try to ask those people first then."

We didn't want word to spread quickly that we were looking for witnesses urgently.

Yamauchi : "One by one? Isn't it better to ask all of them at once?"

Ike-kun also seemed to dislike the indirect strategy. So he suggested

Ike : "I also think we're looking at it a bit too negatively. It might be good to ask class B first, but I think it's better to ask a lot of people at once. We might not be able to find the witness in time if we do it slowly."

I'm surprised! For once, they used their brain properly!

Kiyone : "That might be true, what do you think is best Kushida-san?"

Kushida : "Sorry guys, I understand. Isn't that obvious?"

Kushida held her hands together in front of her apologetically. It was nothing she should be sorry about. It's natural that sometimes our opinions didn't match, and if there were several different viewpoints, we should go with the majority opinion. I withdrew and left the plan up to Kushida-san and the others.

Only about a third of the class remained in the classroom.

Nothing seems out of place.

At the very least, I couldn't pinpoint what's bothering me.

The class we visited felt slightly odd.

Although it had the same basic layout, it felt like we came to a completely different place. I corrected my initial misunderstanding that a home and an away game were only slightly different. Since we didn't know if the class would be an enemy or an ally, our initial impression of the class was also different.

Even Ike and Yamauchi were shocked, they couldn't move from the doorway.

Being the only one unfazed, Kushida started talking to her friends with a smile right after she entered the classroom. What an amazing attitude. She was able to easily chat with her friends regardless of their gender, similar to how she acted with class D. I wouldn't be able to do the same.

The two who were the most jealous were Ike and Yamauchi. Kushida was talking and having fun with people who were clearly more attractive.

Ike : "D-Damn it! There are way too many guys aiming for my Kushida-chan!"

Yamauchi : "Don't panic Ike, it's alright. We've have an advantage: we're in the same class as Kushida-chan!"

Suddenly...

??? : "Oh! Hello there Ayanokoji-san"

Ike & Yamauchi : "What?! Not Ayanokji-chan as well!"

Then after we turned to look behind us. It was Shiranami-san. Well, I can't ignored her if she already greeted me like that

Ike : *phew* "Glad it was girl"

Yamauchi : "Yeah, I was afraid that it was another boys since I heard a rumor that she even close with a boy from class A"

Ike : "Seriously, someone from class A interested on her? M-Maybe, we are the one who couldn't find her actual charm at all. Well, whatever it is. Kushida-chan still the best for me"

They keep saying whatever they like. Talking some gossip which I could hear directly between this distance, just what are they thinking about. After talking about me end. They shifted their topic about Kushida-san. Poor Sudou-kun, in the first place they seems ready to abandoned him anytime

Feeling annoyed, the prideful two comforted each other. Although there were only 10 people in the room, Kushida-san started explaining the situation to those who were there.

Class B's atmosphere felt the same as Class D, certainly not someone one would expect from a bunch of honor students. It wasn't stiff at all and, contrary to how I imagined them, there were people who dyed their hair while some of the girls were wearing skirts that were too short.

Kiyone : "I though that your classmates would be...how should I explain? Something more dignified like having ojou-sama vibe. At least some a dignified appearance which make you guys look closer to class A but not too far from class C"

Shiranami : "Ahahaha...What is it? We were just fellow students after all. Not much different from your classmates. If you think like that, that same goes with Kushida-san and Ayanokoji-san as well you know."

Kiyone : "What do you mean?"

Shiranami : "W-Well, I thought that class D girls would look like most of them are gyaru or maybe had a delinquent-like aura. That's why I almost can't believed it at first time we meet that class D had some students like you."

Kiyone : "I see..."

I guess you couldn't judge a book by it's cover. Or was there something other than academic ability that Class B was better than Class D at? This school's system still had way too many mysteries.

It's bothersome to think about these things.

As this was Kushida's lead, I left her to take care of things. Shiranami-san leave me and decide to enter her classes

Trying not to be noticed by the others, I took a few steps back from the doorway.

Kiyone : "I want to go home..."

I didn't want them to hear me complaining to myself.

Out on the field, I saw the track and field club running laps around the track.

Since the air conditioning was comfortable, I didn't feel like going outside.

Ike : "The sports club sure is working hard."

Having finished scouting out class B, Ike joined me in looking out of the window. He's a fickle guy, this wait must have been boring for him.

Ike : "People who participate in club activities are stupid."

Kiyone : "What's with the sudden thought? You know that saying those kind of things will turn half the school against you, don't you?"

I didn't know the exact number, but I estimated that around 60%-70% of the students participated in club activities,

Ike : "Where's the merit in such a harsh training regimen? If they like to exercise, they should just do it as a hobby."

It was strange to consider club activities solely as a benefit or a drawback.

Participating in clubs had its benefits. One was able to socialise with others, as well as experience success and failure. These were experiences not included in academics. Furthermore, members of the go home club wouldn't receive the benefits of being in a club.

Kiyone : "I guess."

I waited for Kushida-san's report for the next few minutes, but I didn't get what I was expecting.

We finally parted away. Today result is not good. But we progressed a bit than yesterday.

I remember what Shiranami-san said back then.

flasback

Shiranami : "Ayanokoji-san, come closer here"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

I don't understand but I followed her order. She started to whisper on my ear

Well, looking at the content, I do understand that she wouldn't like that it could be heard by Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun or worse it happened to be heard by her classmates

Shiranami : "The truth is...Today, I decide to confess.."

Then I look around and fortunately nobody paid attention to us. Then we started to converse with lowering our voices

Kiyone : "...Seriously?"

Shiranami : "Yes, I mean. I can't wait any longer...whatever the result I'm ready to received it"

Kiyone : "I see, good luck for you"

Shiranami : "Ne~ Ayanokoji-san, please watch me!"

Huh? Why?

end of flashback

That's why I'm currently come to watch her confession although...

Isn't this supposed to be your privacy between the two of you that nobody know about this?

As I walk toward her confession taken place. I saw Ichinose-san talking with Satonaka-kun. I don't know what are they talking about but I saw Satonaka-kun submit to her demand with sigh.

Kiyone : "Eh, isn't that the place where Shiranami-san going to confess?"

What should I do? What if these two caught Shiranami-san confession? It would be...

Awkward isn't it?

As expected! They meet her, luckily the person who Shiranami-san confess didn't arrived yet.

But, some twist happen over there...

Shiranami : "Um, Ichinose-san... who is that person?"

Shiranami-san who had come to confess seemed to be wary of their presence. Judging from the situation...

Wait, could it be the boy that Shiranami-san going to confess was Satonaka-kun?

Ichinose : "He's Satonaka-kun from Class A. I'm sorry Chihiro-chan, for bringing somebody along that you don't know."

Shiranami : "Is he possibly... Ichinose-san's boyfriend?"

Ichinose : "Ah, uh..."

Ichinose-san tried to speak, but she paused. She probably intended to say 'that's right' but the words got stuck in her throat. Something doesn't sit right here! Isn't that supposed to be easy for her to said that even lie

Shiranami : "Why is this person here? It was supposed Ichinose-san only who coming here"

Confused by the unexpected situation, tears began to form in Shiranami-san's eyes.

'Is he her boyfriend? Why would he be here if he wasn't?' these were thoughts that were most likely going through her head as she seemed unable to understand the situation.

Noticing her tear up, Ichinose quickly began to panic, not knowing what to do.

Wait a sec! Hee!!!!

D-Don't tell me...the person she wanted to confess was Ichinose-san?!

No wonder she is more worried than I imaginated! I mean, she could be labelled as disgusting person by Japanese culture. Since I never know that this country allowed the same sex marriage

Shiranami : "Um, could you please go somewhere else? There's something important I'd like to talk about with Ichinose-san."

Ichinose : "W-Wait a minute, Chihiro-san. That's, uh- To be honest, Satonaka-kun is..."

It seemed that Ichinose-san intended to turn her down first.

She probably thought it would have made things harder for her if Chihiro actually confessed her feelings.

Kiyone : *sigh* "I can't keep watching this"

I decide to approach them

Shiranami : "...What is it?"

Ichinose : "Satonaka-kun? He's, you know, my-"

There was almost nothing I could do in this situation. If there was, it would have to be this...

Kiyone : "Just stop this farce already!"

I cut in before Ichinose could say the word. Those three seems surprised with my sudden intrusion. Wait, why are you surprised as well Shiranami-san? Aren't you are the one who asked me to observe you

Kiyone : "You both are not couple right? So there is no need to act like that"

Ichinose : "W-Wh-What are you talking about? And suddenly popped up out of nowhere like that! Y-You see, Satonaka-kun and I are couple. Right, Satonaka-kun?"

But the person in question didn't said anything

Kiyone : "Seems that he don't want to get dragged with this farce"

Ichinose : "Y-You are wrong! Satonaka-kun and I are-"

I cut her words

Kiyone : "You can't convince anyone with clear lies like that, Ichinose-san. If you both couple like you claimed before, isn't that there is simply ways to prove it?"

Ichinose : "W-What are you..?"

Kiyone : "Kiss"

Ichinose, Shiranami, and Satonaka : "What?!!"

Kiyone : "You heard me, it was easier thing to act than talking. Unless you both are totally stranger or a mere acquintance. There is no way you wouldn't hesitate, it just simply kiss on lips. Nothing more. Can you do it? No, can you do that toward him"

Ichinose : "I-I..."

Ichinose-san seems lost at words. But she gulped and...

Seriously, did she tried to goes as far as like that, she already taking stance to going to kiss him!

Suddenly, Satonaka-kun decide to talk

Satonaka : "Ichinose, it may not be convincing for me to say this, but I think calling me out here was a mistake."

Ichinose-san seems surprised by his words

Kiyone : "See? I know it was a lie"

Ichinose : "T-This is not what we both agreed before-"

Satonaka : "That's right, you can call me liars or anything but that's the truth."

Then I decide to grab Satonaka-kun arms with intention to drag him away from this.

Kiyone : "That's what he said. Just let him go"

Ichinose : "No! This is..."

Satonaka : "Sorry, Ichinose"

Looking at the situation. I decide to spoke honestly for their sake.

Kiyone : "Ichinose-san, a popular girl like you might be not realized it. Confessing to someone isn't such an easy thing. Every day, you spend your time in endless worry, simulating the situation over and over again in your head. Yet, you still can't confess. Even when you gather the courage to do it, the actual words get stuck in your throat and can't come out. I think that's just how it works. Don't you think that these desperate feelings deserve a proper response? If you give a vague answer in a situation like yours, both of you will only come to regret it afterward."

Ichinose : "Ugh..."

It's likely that Ichinose-san has never seriously fallen for someone before.

Therefore, she didn't know the right thing to do, or if she was making a mistake.

Trying to prevent somebody from having their feelings hurt is a fruitless effort.

When refusing a confession, hurting the other person's feelings is unavoidable.

If you muster your wisdom and come up with a decent excuse, it's true that you can somewhat smooth it over.

An excuse like: 'I want to concentrate on my studies right now', 'There's somebody else that I like', or, as what occurred here, 'I'm already dating someone else'. No matter which excuse you give, the other person is still bound to get hurt.

Not to mention that if that excuse is built upon a lie, the other person would only be hurt more if they ever find out the truth. I left the area dragged out Satonaka-kun without waiting for Ichinose-san to reply.

After we walk quite far away to the point that we can't see or heard them.

We decide to stop.

Satonaka : "Thank you very much for your help, Ayanokoji-san"

Huh?

Kiyone : "What do you mean by it?"

Satonaka : "Well, you see. Its kinda hard to turned down a request from a girl like her"

Kiyone : "Why, did you perhaps had any lingering feeling toward her?"

Satonaka : "Not at all"

Kiyone : "Then, why is it?"

Satonaka : "I just..."

Suddenly his mood turned gloomy

Satonaka : "I don't want to get on her bad side, not with a girl who had such big simps like her. You know, my school life already hard when all of those boys jealous of me because I mostly steal girls attention even if I didn't intend to. Imagine, what if that I had a ties with her?"

Kiyone : "...Err...maybe you can't get your school life peacefully..."

Satonaka : "...More accurately it will turned into living hell. Such troublesome, if I reject her, I would be on her bad side, imagine what if those simps of her will do after know that I had dispute with her. At another chance, imagine if I agree to become her fake partner, I couldn't sleep peacefully because every second some random boys cursed me from jealously. Moreover, either Ichinose herself aware or not. Lately I heard rumor that Nagumo started to had an eyes on her."

Kiyone : "Nagumo? Who?"

I tilted my head in question

Satonaka : "Seriously you didn't know? Nagumo Miyabi, he is our senpai from 2nd year from current class A. If he just nobody I wouldn't had so much worry. I heard some bad rumor about him being selfish, cunning, womanizer, and another else. The problem is...This kind of person is currently our Student Council Vice-President. Its natural for freshmen like us didn't want to get involved on their farce right?"

Kiyone : "Well...that's might be true. Its kinda troublesome..."

I leaned against the handrailing and sighed as I looked up towards the green leaves.

After about 5 minutes, Shiranami-san rushed past us from behind the gymnasium.

There were faint traces of tears in her eyes.

Satonaka : "I guess its over"

Kiyone : "Yeah"

Satonaka : "I'll take my leave here since my bussiness here already over. See you later Ayanokoji-san"

He walked away and I gave him a waving hand as a gesture to respond him

Not long after that, Ichinose-san wearily walked back from behind the gym.

Ichinose : "Ah!"

Upon seeing me, she hung her head a little awkwardly. However, she looked back up immediately.

Ichinose : "T-Thanks...I was wrong. I was...trying to avoid hurting her. I didn't even think about properly responding to her feelings, and instead tried so desperately to run away from them. That was my mistake..."

Ichinose mumbled,

Ichinose : "Love sure is difficult..."

As she sat down on the handrail next to me.

Ichinose : "I asked if things could go on as they always have tomorrow, but I wonder if that's possible."

Kiyone : "That will be up to the two of you."

Ichinose : "Yeah..."

She trailed off.

Ichinose : "Thank you for today."

There is long silence until...

Ichinose : "Are you close with Chihiro-chan?"

Kiyone : "We just a mere acquintance"

Ichinose : "Is that so?"

She decide to not pursue it further

Ichinose : "Ne~ Can I ask your help? I-I mean...if you can't do it I won't force you but..."

The sunset sight become a sign to warned us this is already evening

Ichinose : "Would you listen to my request?"

Kiyone : "If only listening to it. I guess that's fine, but just like you said before. To giving you a hand is different matters"

Ichinose : "Thanks...you see...could you come to speak on my behalf toward Chihiro-chan? You know, I don't hate her nor I think negatively about her just because of this. Of course, I was surprised when I got confession and I get more surprised it coming from a girl. You know what I means, right?"

Kiyone : "More or less I do"

Then I decide to walk away to fullfill Ichinose-san request.Anyway, I wonder what Class B's Ichinose Honami-san intends to do to confront this difficult situation. I was looking forward to it a little bit.

Ichinose : "Ayanokoji-san, thank you and I'm so sorry..."

Eh? Quite surprising that she remembered my name. But, what does it mean by 'sorry'?

Kiyone : "Huh? Why are you apologize?"

Ichinose : "The truth is...The one who shove that confession letter toward your locker, it was me"

Wait! What?!!

And why me from all of peoples?!

On the rooftop

Kiyone : "How is it?"

She seems surprised by my sudden entrance. Did she perhaps didn't hear any footstep from me?

Shiranami : "A-Ayanokoji-san! H-How could you find me here?"

The dry tears trace looks on her face. I guess she already calm herself since she stopped crying.

Kiyone : "Is this supposed to be another farce? This place mostly used when you practiced your confession nonsense with me here. Moreover I wonder, If you want nobody found you. First, You shouldn't told about your confession to me. Secondly, You shouldn't coming here. So, I expecting that you wanted me to come here. That's all"

Shiranami : "Ahaha..It just a faint hope from me but I guess you actually get what I wanted..."

Kiyone : "So, how is it?"

Shiranami : "Its terrible, its completely failed..."

I approach her and decide to sit next to her

Long silence, nobody talk until she decide to talk

Shiranami : "Did you wanted to said something? Since you coming all the way here to meet me"

Kiyone : "Ichinose-san talk to me..."

Shiranami : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "Ichinose-san...she didn't hate you or think negatively toward you because of this..."

Shiranami : "I see, so I even worth nothing on her eyes"

Kiyone : *sigh* "Don't take a conclusion too soon. Let me finished my talk. Actually, it was the first time someone do this do her, I mean the confession."

Shiranami : "No way! You must be lie!"

She seems surprised, well I do think like that as well. Nothing wrong here

Kiyone : "Ichinose-san never feel any romantic toward anybody before. That's why she don't understand how to tackle her situation as well...err...she just wanted you to give up about your feeling toward her without hurt you. Although we all know that impossible, there is no way nobody get hurt after being rejected..."

Shiranami : "Its obvious isn't it?"

Kiyone : "All she wanted to just maintaining both of your relationship like before..."

Shiranami : "I wonder...could I perhaps to do that..."

Kiyone : "Ne~ Shiranami-san, the story about the boy who get rejection from you. What would you do if you are on his shoes?"

Shiranami : "What is it? Are you perhaps telling me that I got my karma's like this?"

Kiyone : "Not at all. After all, this is about you not him."

Shiranami : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "I mean, did you let your relationship become distant and ended up like him or you wish to keep your happiness around her between your boundaries. The choice is yours to make..."

Shiranami : "My choice...huh? Honestly, I don't know. The time I got her answer, suddenly all of my feeling toward her gone..."

I'm surprised! Does feeling of love could be gone so easily?

Shiranami : "A-Ah! No! Don't look at me like that! I didn't hate her or something...I just...upset maybe. That's right, is this perhaps what he feel toward me back then. I do wonder now."

Kiyone : "Ichinose-san still need your help as a member of class B"

Shiranami : "Of course I do understand, but realizing this kind of feeling could be shattered so easily...that's truly scary, right? What do you think Ayanokoji-san, do you ever fall in love with someone else before?"

Kiyone : "Nope, sorry. I don't understand about that kind thing at all"

Shiranami : "Hehe~ I guess so"

Kiyone : *sigh* "Then, why did you ask if you already know my answer?"

Shiranami : "Please don't be mad. I didn't intend to make fun of you at all. I just wanted someone to exchange conversation to me at this moment"

Kiyone : "Alright, since you wanted to talk. I wanted to told you again that Ichinose-san didn't had any ill intention toward you and-"

Shiranami : "I understand, I know its kinda hard to ease these awkward feeling. You don't need to worry, I'll tell her directly that I also wish to maintain our relationship like before."

Kiyone : "O-Okay..."

Shiranami : "Ichinose-san just like sun huh? She shine so bright that make people around her feel so warm when she is around. Well, maybe for outsider like you. You won't understand how important Ichinose-san for our class. That's why I wonder, when the sun gone. Could we subtitute her role on the night just like stars on the dark skyes..."

Suddenly, the gust of wind blew toward us

Shiranami : "Kya~"

Kiyone : "Ouch!"

It seems I got dust on my eyes. I took of my glasses and rubbed my eyes.

Strangely, Shiranami-san keep watching me. Its kinda embarassing to be stared like that for so long.

Kiyone : "Shiranami-san?"

Shiranami-san flinched after I called her

Shiranami : "W-What?"

I put my glasses again

Kiyone : "You seems like you are out back there"

Shiranami-san face suddenly blushing become red

Kiyone : "Shiranami-san, are you alright? Did you get a cold?"

Shiranami : "I-I'm fine! T-Then, what about you Ayanokoji-san?!

Me?

Kiyone : "Its started getting chill here..."

Shiranami : "Is that so?"

After long silence. She get up

Shiranami : "T-Thanks for today, s-see you..."

She give a small wave hand and pace up her step toward exit.

She suddenly stopped

Shiranami : "...Maybe...That letter wasn't a mistake at all..."

After she mumbled that words she continue her walk. She hurried leave me alone here.

She was mumbling something about a letter before, well I won't pry about that

However I wonder, is she perhaps alright?

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

I tried do coloring my drawing, what do you think?

X : Terrible

Y : Its such great art but it would be better if you never draw anymore :v

Man, either you guys are too honest or you just wanted to trolling me -_-

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 2 : The Unexpected Witness

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

The next morning.

Part of the class, which consisted of Hirata-kun and Kushida-san's groups, was in a hurry to exchange information. Ike-kun and his friends hated Hirata-kun due to his popularity with the girls. That being said, they were idly chatting and enjoying themselves due to the girls that clung onto Hirata-kun. However, as I listened to their conversation, it appears that they didn't get the information they wanted. They were just recording the names of the people they directly asked, occasionally writing memos on their phones. It would be too good to be true for someone to actually come after school.

As for me, I still couldn't handle groups. So, I asked Kushida-san to tell me what happened later, and stayed away from the group.

Meanwhile my neighbor, who had rejected Kushida-san's invitation, was preparing for class with a nonchalant expression.

The person actually involved in the matter, however, was not at school.

Ike : "Hah~ Can we actually prove that it was class C's fault ?"

Kushida : "If we can find a witness, it's not impossible to prove. Let's do our best, Ike-kun."

Yamauchi : "Before we start 'doing our best', is there actually a witness in the first place? All Sudou said is that he vaguely recalled there being one, right? Isn't that just a lie? After all, he's violent and tends to provoke people often."

Hirata : "If we keep doubting him, we won't be able to get anything done. Don't you agree?"

Ike : "Yeah that might be true, but... If Sudou is at fault, all of our points will be revoked, won't they? We'll be back at zero and return to our difficult lives without any pocket money. Our goal of being able to play to our heart's content will remain a dream."

Hirata : "Then we can start saving up again. It's only been three months since the beginning of the year."

The girls in the class blushed while listening to Hirata-kun's honest words. The hero of our class, as always, gave splendid advice without wavering. Karuizawa-san looked proud of her wonderful boyfriend.

Kushida : "I think our points are precious. It's tied with our motivation, right? So, I think we should do anything to defend those class points. Even if we're defending only 87 points."

Hirata : "I understand how you feel. However, I think it's dangerous to be so adamant about defending points and losing sight of reality. The most important thing for us is to cherish our close friends."

Ike-kun looked at Hirata-kun with a suspicious gaze.

Ike : "Even if Sudou was at fault?"

It's natural to feel horrible if an innocent person was punished.

However, Hirata-kun nodded without hesitation. It looked like he was saying that such a self-sacrifice is a trivial matter. Because of Hirata-kun's upright morals, Ike-kun looked down, feeling overawed.

Karuizawa : "What Hirata-kun is saying is completely natural, but I still want my points. Every month, the class A kids always get around 100,000 points a month. I'm really envious. There are people who buy a lot of stylish clothes and accessories. Compared to them, aren't we just pitiful?"

Karuizawa was sitting on a desk while dangling her legs. Our classmates seemed really bitter when she pointed out the large difference between the classes.

Matsushita : "Why couldn't I have been in class A from the start? If I was in class A, I would be having the time of my life right now."

Shinohara : "I wish I was in class A too. I could be playing around with my friends all the time."

I realized that the people who met for the sake of saving Sudou-kun had practically given up.

No one noticed other than me. Horikita-san, on the other hand, couldn't stifle her laughter because of several our classmates delusions. It looked like she wanted to say that they wouldn't have been able to start in class A even if they tried.

Horikita-san immediately took out a library book and started reading, trying not to be distracted by the noise. I looked at the cover, it was Dostoyevsky's Demons. A good choice I think.

Ike : "It'd be great if there was a trick to get to class A in an instant. It's so difficult to save up class points."

The difference between our class and class A is a thousand points. Needless to say, it's a massive difference.

Chabashira : "Luckily for you, Ike, there is a way to become class A in an instant."

A voice called out from the entrance of the classroom. It was Chabashira-sensei, who had come 5 minutes before the start of class.

Ike : "Sensei?! What did you say?"

Ike, who had practically fallen off his chair, composed himself and asked.

Chabashira : "I'm saying that there is a way to get up to class A, even without class points."

Even Horikita-san looked up from her book, wondering if she was lying.

Ike : "You're kidding, Sae-chan-sensei! Don't make fun of us."

The usual Ike would've taken the bait, but he didn't bite in this time.

Chabashira : "I'm being serious. There are such special methods in this school."

However, it didn't seem like Chabashira-sensei was joking around.

Karuizawa : "It doesn't seem like she's lying to cause chaos..."

There are times when Chabashira-sensei omits information, but she usually doesn't lie.

Ike's laughing gradually stopped.

Ike : "Sensei, what are those 'special methods' you speak of...?"

Ike asked in a polite tone, trying not to offend her.

All the students that were in the classroom were also looking at Chabashira-sensei.

Even the students who didn't care about getting to class A are probably thinking that it wouldn't be bad to know the method.

Chabashira : "On the first day of school, I said that there's nothing you can't buy with points. In other words, if you use your private points, you can force a class change."

Chabashira-sensei glanced at me and Horikita-san. We put her "special method" to the test by buying a point for Sudou-kun right after the exam, and it worked.

Our class points and private points are linked. If we don't have any class points, we won't get any private points every month. But that doesn't mean they're strictly the same thing. Since we're able to transfer points, in theory, we can get private points even if we don't have class points.

Ike : "S-Seriously!? How many points do we need to make that happen!?"

Chabashira : "20 million points. Do you best to save up. Then you'll be able to get to the class you want."

Hearing the absurdly high number, Ike completely fell off his chair.

Karuizawa : "If it's 20 million... isn't that just impossible!?"

The whole class started booing. Everyone's hopes were crushed.

Chabashira : "It's usually impossible. But since it's a surefire way to get to class A, it's only natural that the price is high. Even if you reduced the number by a single digit, there would be a hundred class A students graduating every year. Then there would be no point in having a 'class A'."

Even if we were able to maintain the monthly 100,000 points, it's not a number that can be easily achieved.

Hirata : "I'm just curious, but... has there ever been a class that successfully bought their way out?"

An obvious question to ask. Koudo Ikusei High School has been in existence for about ten years. Thousands of hundreds of students have struggled their way through this school. If anyone accomplished it, there would still be word of it today.

Chabashira : "Regrettably, there has never been such a case. The reason is as clear as day. If you save up for three years by maintaining the initial value, you'll get about 3.6 million points in three years. As class A, you can maybe get up to 4 million points. Ordinarily, it's not something that can be done."

Ike : "Isn't that the same thing as being impossible..."

Chabashira : "It's very close to being impossible. But that doesn't mean it is impossible. It's a big distinction, Ike."

However, about half the class had already lost interest.

For class D, who wished for 100, maybe 200 points, getting 20 million was a far-fetched dream. It was outside the reaches of our imagination.

Horikita : "May I also ask a question?"

It was the observant Horikita-san who raised her hand. It seems like she decided it would be helpful to know more about the details.

Horikita : "Ever since the founding of this school, what is the highest number of points that a student saved up? I would like to know for reference."

Chabashira : "A very good question, Horikita. It was about three years ago, but it was a class B student that was close to graduating. He saved up about 12 million points."

Yamauchi : "T-Twelve million!? And a class B student on top of that!?"

Chabashira : "But before he could reach 20 million, he was forced to leave the school. He was expelled because he was carrying out a large-scale fraudulent scheme."

Horikita : "Fraud?"

Chabashira : "He went to the new first-year students one by one and scammed points out of them. It was probably so that he could gather 20 million points to get to class A, but the school couldn't overlook his actions. Although his objective wasn't bad, the school had to punish his actions that broke the rules."

Far from being a point of reference, it was a story that made the feat sound even more impossible.

Horikita : "So you're saying that even if you resort to shady methods, 12 million is pretty much the limit."

Chabashira : "Give up on this method and try to cooperate with your class to move up."

Horikita resumed reading, as if she felt like an idiot for raising her hand.

In this world, offers that seem too good to be true are really too good to be true.

Chabashira : "Oh, right. None of you have gotten points from club activities, huh."

Suddenly remembering something, Chabashira-sensei started talking about a different topic.

Hirata : "What do you mean?"

Chabashira : "There are cases where points are given to individuals for participating in club activities and for their contribution to the club. For example, if a person in the calligraphy club wins a prize in a competition, the school will award them points that correspond to the award."

The classmates were taken aback from the new information.

Ike : "W-We can get points for participating in club activities!?"

Chabashira : "That's right. The other classes probably know about this already."

Ike : "Hey, that's mean! Why didn't you tell us earlier!?"

Oh, is it the behaviour of the boy who once said that doing club activity was useless?

Chabashira : "I forgot about it. However, clubs don't exist just for you to get points. So, learning of this fact earlier wouldn't have helped."

Chabashira-sensei said without any shame.

Ike : "No no no, it definitely would've helped. If you said so earlier, I—"

Chabashira : "Are you saying you would've joined a club? Do you think you would've been able to achieve anything by joining a club and going out to competitions with such a weak will?"

Ike : "T-That's might be true, but-! It might've happened!"

I can understand what both Chabashira-sensei and Ike-kun are trying to say. In the first place, if someone joined a club just for the sake of earning points, they would probably be unable to create any results. Also, joining a club and putting in half-hearted effort would just hinder the serious club members.

On the other hand, someone might join for the sake of earning points and then find that they have a talent for that activity.

What I can say is that our homeroom teacher is being deliberately mean.

Hirata : "Thinking back on it, it was pretty obvious."

Karuizawa : "What do you mean? Hirata-kun."

Hirata : "During swimming class, our PE instructor Higashiyama-sensei said that the student who got first place would receive 5000 points, right? Even that hints towards the fact that doing club activities give points."

Ike : "I don't remember~"

he shrugged his shoulders while scratching his head.

Ike : "If we got points, I probably would've done calligraphy or some kind of art class."

It seems that Ike-kun is only looking at the positive side, in reality there's obviously something else involved.

If someone didn't participate seriously and slacked off, there might be a case where they're negatively assessed, going the easy way will only destroy you.

However, it's great that we learned that results in club activities also gave points.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san. Doesn't this show that there's some worth to saving Sudou-kun?"

Horikita : "Are you saying that we should save him because he plays basketball?"

Kiyone : "You might heard the other day from Kushida-san that he was the only first year being considered as a regular, right?"

She made a small nod as she thought back on it.

Horikita : "If he was speaking the truth..."

Somehow, it looks like she's still in doubt.

Kiyone : "It's better to have a lot of points. Right? We can support our own grades, and help others like we did with Sudou-kun's test."

Horikita : "I don't really think you're the type of person to spend your own money for other people though."

Kiyone : "I'm just saying that it's beneficial to have a lot of points. You understand, right?"

It's good to have a lot of points, both class and private.

It's never harmful.

Also, we don't know many methods to get points in the first place. If our chances of getting points increase with Sudou-kun being in the class, then it would definitely contribute to our class effort. Horikita-san sank into silence because she couldn't think of any other way to increase our class points.

Kiyone : "I'm not going to say that you should help, but it is necessary for you at least to recognize Sudou-kun's existence."

Horikita was being harsh, but she recognized and understood her own interests.

The facts should be accepted as facts.

I didn't think I needed to say much more, so I stopped talking.

For a short while, I looked at the sky outside ponder over the issue and passed the time in silence.

During after school

It was hot and humid after school. I made my way towards the club building where the incident happened a few days ago. The area didn't look any different after all, it wasn't like it had to be taped off because there was a murder case. Even during after school, I couldn't see anyone around since the home economics and the audiovisual rooms were rarely used in the first place. This would be one of the most ideal places in the school to call out Sudou.

Kiyone : "It's hot..."

This weather is pretty abnormal. I guess this is how summer should usually feel, but I didn't think it'd be this hot and humid inside the building. Well, this is the effect of getting used to air conditioning every day. It felt even hotter because I was so used to the cold air of the A/C.

The air conditioning was probably on during classes, but I couldn't tell from how hot it was.

I keep looking around and it was indeed there is no camera which caught on that spot. Ryuuen-kun surely calculated everything eh? Perhaps, it had connection with how he notify every camera spot in the school when first time we meet.

Huh? Sakura-san?

It even strengthened that my deduction wasn't wrong, the fact that she coming here again even without any actual reason

Just like a suspect or witness who usually coming again to crime scene just to make sure about something

A message arrived on my phone

I decide to not called Sakura-san and heading toward the message told me to go

During the investigation, they gathered not only names but also asked for contact addresses. Kushida-san's presence probably prompted them to tell her their addresses immediately after being asked. That's also a great talent...

Even though Kushida-san and her group were walking to the second-year classrooms and asking all the upperclassmen, there haven't been any leads.

As time kept ticking, the number of students left after school was rapidly decreasing. When we stopped passing by other students, we decided to call it a day.

Ike : *sigh* "We didn't find anything today either..."

In order to revise our strategy, everyone returned to my room. Why? Because Kushida-san suggested like that. Of course, Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun even ask if this was alright but Kushida-san smiled to me with eyes language and additional pressure as if she told me, 'Don't you dare to turn down this request! At least contibute a bit!' or something like that or that maybe just my imaginaton. However, I can't deny their claim if I was the least one to contibute on this group today.

Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun surprised just the same like how Sudou-kun surprised on the first time she entered my room. I immediately let them sit while I was going to kitchen to prepared a dish for guess

Yamauchi : "Ne~ Ike. Isn't that girls supposed to like small or cute thingy decoration? Why her room kinda lack of decoration, no she didn't put any decoration at all!"

Ike : "Shh! Yamauchi, not too loud. Even though I had more or less opinion like you. You shouldn't said that too loudly, isn't this also first time we actually entered to girl's room even though it wasn't Kushida-chan. At least we should be grateful for it"

They started to whispering each other although somehow I could still hear them clearly

Yamauchi : "Well, I could say that this is still somewhat what I expected from girl's room, neat and clean. It just...does Ayanokoji-chan not only plain on her personality but also kinda plain on preference as well?"

Ike : "You are right? Maybe, we could find Kushida-chan preference as well when we saw her room one day"

Soon after, Sudou-kun came by entered my room and joined in the discussion.

Sudou : "Excuse me, sorry for intrusion. So, what happened today? Was there any progress made?"

Ike : "Sadly, no progress was made. Sudou, was there actually a witness?'

I understand Ike-kun's feelings of doubt. Even after the school reported the same information, there was no indication at all that a witness actually existed.

Sudou : "Hah? I never said that there actually was a witness. I only said that I thought there was a witness."

Yamauchi : "Is... is that so?"

The dish ready. I bake some cookies as well and come to serve them

Kiyone : "Certainly, Sudou-kun didn't say 'I saw'. He said that he thought someone was there."

Ike : "Couldn't that just have been a hallucination? You must be doing some strong drugs."

That's a bit too far...

Sudou-kun put Ike-kun in a headlock.

Ike : "Hey—! I giveup! I give up!"

While the two fooled around, Kushida-san and Yamauchi-kun were still puzzling over the situation. After the discussion continued on for ten minutes, Kushida-san spoke up, having come up with a new idea.

Kushida : "I think it might be better to change the direction of our efforts. For example, let's look for a witness that might've witnessed the incident."

Yamauchi : "Look for a witness that witnessed the incident? Isn't that kind of useless?"

Kiyone : "Are you going to look for the people who went into the building that day?"

Kushida : "Yeah. What do you think?"

The idea's not bad. There might've been a few people that entered the building on that day, but the entrance is pretty easy to spot. In other words, if someone says that they saw a person entering the special building, we would be getting closer to finding the witness.

Sudou : "That sounds like a good idea. Let's do that immediately."

When I noticed, Sudou-kun was using up all of his stamina or whatever it called on a mobile game he got addicted to recently. It looked like it was called the 'Genshin Impact' or something, but I didn't really know what was happening. I took a peek on it, now the stage he was playing was called 'Spiral Abyss'. After clearing the stage with full stars, he made a triumphant pose.

Even though Sudou-kun really couldn't do anything in the present situation, Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun look disgruntled. However, since they were scared of Sudou-kun's counter-attack, they decided not to point out their own dissatisfaction. Both of them stayed silent, pretending not to have seen anything. Even though they could had been asking me, they decide to keep silent when I didn't joined with discussion. That's why I decide to keep watching the game which Sudou-kun's played

It's almost Friday already. It'll be difficult to get anything useful on the weekend.

In other words, the actual time we have to find a witness is very short.

The bell rang and a visitor appeared at my door. I never though she decide to come after I send a message toward her

The small group of people that visit my room have already gathered, so it was probably that person if everybody here could guessed

The door is unlocked so its no wonder she immediately opened it.

Wait! She just barging in like that! At least how about greeting the room's owner?

Horikita : "Has progress been made?"

Horikita-san asked with a condescending attitude even though she probably knew the answer to her own question.

Kushida : "Oh, Horikita-san!"

Kushida-san waved at Horikita-san with a smile. Looking at her cheerful attitude, Horikita-san naturally let out a sigh.

Kiyone : "You can't run now, you know?"

Kushida : "Seems that way..."

Horikita-san entered the room reluctantly.

Sudou : "O-oh, Horikita!"

Of course, Sudou-kun was the happiest to see her. He decide to close the game and looked up.

Kushida : "Did you decide to help? I'm glad you decided to join."

Horikita : "I don't intend to help. After all, you haven't found the witness yet, right?."

Kushida-san nodded her head dejectedly.

Kiyone : "If you didn't come to help, why'd you come?"

Horikita : "I was wondering what kind of plan you guys had."

Kushida : "I'm happy even if you're only going to listen to the plan. I wanted advice as well."

Kushida-san then told her about the plan that she came up with a short while ago. Horikita-san's expression was stiff throughout the whole explanation.

Horikita : "It's not a bad plan. It might even produce results with enough time."

Then furthermore, they discussed about plan. This time Sudou-kun joined as well.

Time is definitely the issue here. It's doubtful if we'll be able to get anything done in the few days we have remaining. However, why she keep staring at me while keep eating the cookies I made? D-Did I perhaps do something wrong?

Horikita : "Now that I've checked up on the situation, I'll be leaving."

In the end, Horikita-san intend to leave. But, after she said that she still sat on there while chewing the cookies

Kushida : "Did you think of something?"

When she was standing at the door earlier, she clearly had something to say at first but she decide to hold on after saw Kushida-san was here

She's not that amicable to have come to my room for no reason.

Horikita : "...I'll give one piece of advice to help your weak efforts. It's hard to see what's right in front of you, after all. If there really is someone that witnessed the incident, then that person is most likely close by."

The information that Horikita-san gave us was much more significant than I thought it would be. She's talking as if she already found the witness we weren't sure existed in the first place.

Sudou : "What do you mean, Horikita? Are you saying you found the witness?"

Surprise and doubt came first before joy for Sudou-kun. It's understandable.

Everyone, excluding me, was in disbelief until she replied.

Horikita : "Sakura-san."

That the name caming from Horikita. I guess she figure out about that as well

Yamauchi & Ike : "Sakura-san, from our class ?"

Ike-kun and Sudou-kun exchanged glances. They looked confused as to who Sakura was. That was probably expected, though. Her case kinda different with me. She just like Horikita-san who avoid to interact with the other but their motive are different, probably Sakura-san had an anxiety which caused her to be wary of stranger.

Ike : "The witness is it truly that girl?"

Kiyone : "Why do you say that?"

Horikita : "When Kushida-san was asking the class for witnesses, she looked down. A lot of the students were looking at Kushida-san, but she was the only one that looked uninterested. She wouldn't have acted that way if she actually was unrelated to the incident."

That probably at the same time my deduction about her was spot on however unlike me. Horikita-san believed it with firm answer without checking it like what I did during break time

Horikita : "Since you're one of the people that were staring at Kushida-san, it's only natural."

What a sarcastic tone.

Sudou : "So, you're saying that this Bakura, Kokura or something person is probably the witness?"

Its 'Sakura' desu

Sudou-kun said something reasonable, unlike the role of a boke.

Horikita : "No, Sakura-san is definitely the witness. Her actions made it obvious. Although she may not admit it, she's who you're looking for."

Horikita was acting like her usual self. All of them were moved that Horikita-san was doing this for the class.

Sudou : "Did you really do this for my sake...!"

Sudou-kun looked especially moved.

Horikita : "Nope. I just didn't want to waste this time and look shameful to the other classes. That's all."

Kushida : "Um, so in short, you're saying that you helped us right?"

Horikita : "You can interpret it however you want, but I'm just saying that you're wrong."

Ike : "Don't lie~. You're just a tsundere, Horikita~"

Ike hit Horikita's shoulders playfully, but she shove his arm onto harshly.

Ike : "Ouch!"

Horikita : "Don't touch me. There better not be a next time, because I'll despise you until we graduate."

Ike : "I-I won't touch... even if I tried to touch- Ow! Ow!"

Sudou-kun suddenly pin him down in a headlock.

Sudou : "You heard her, don't bother her"

Ike : "M-My head is...!"

Horikita : "Ike-kun."

Horikita-san talked to Ike-kun, who was in pain.

Horikita : "Maybe I should revise it to, 'Despising you until we graduate won't cut it?'"

Ike : "So cruel!!!"

Ike was defeated by those final words.

But Sakura-san, huh? It's hard to say whether or not this is a good thing.

Yamauchi : "Isn't that great, Sudou? If it's a class D student, we definitely have testimony!"

Sudou : "Yeah. I'm happy that there is a witness, but who is this Sakura person? Do you know her?"

Yamauchi replied in surprise.

Yamauchi : "Are you being serious? She sits right behind you."

Ike : "No, that's wrong. She's diagonally in front of you to the left, right?"

Kushida : "Both of you are wrong... she's diagonally in front of Sudou-kun to the right."

Kushida-san corrected them with a pout.

Sudou : "Diagonally in front to the right... I don't remember. I do know that there is someone though."

That's obviously a given. If the seat diagonally in front to the right was empty, that would be strange.

Sakura-san, certainly doesn't stand out. Most of us don't know what kind of person she is.

Sudou : "I probably know her, but I don't exactly know where I've heard her name."

He can't quite put his finger on it.

Sudou : "Tell us how she looks like."

Ike : "Well, would it help if I say that she has the biggest boobs in the class? Excessively big, you know?"

Ike, who looked lively again, told us her physical characteristics, but with that explanation. Everyone turned their attention to me. Feel being cornered I immediately try to crossed my arm to protect my assets being stared by masses

Ike : "W-Wait, you guys misunderstand it! I mean the other one"

Sudou : "Oh! But, doesn't her name is Hatsube or something?"

Its 'Hasebe' desu

Ike : "No, another one who wear glasses like Ayanokoji-chan!"

Yamauchi : "Oh, that plain glasses girl, huh?"

How'd you understand with just that? I drew back a bit.

Kushida : "It's bad to remember people like that, Ike-kun. That's pathetic."

Ike : "N-No, it's different, Kushida-chan. I'm not trying to be offensive. You know how you might remember a tall person by their height? It's just like that! The only difference is that I'm remembering other people by a different characteristic...!"

Ike-kun tried to smooth over the situation when Kushida-san quickly lost faith in him. But it's too late.

Ike : "Damn it! It's different, it's different! I don't like a plan girl like her! Don't misunderstand!"

No, I don't think there are any misunderstandings here. Everyone else shifted the topic towards Sakura-san as Ike-kun broke down crying.

Kiyone : "Then the next step is to find out how much Sakura-san knows. Does anyone know?"

Kushida : "Hmm, I'm not sure. We'll have to ask her directly."

Yamauchi : "Can't we go to her room right now? We don't have much time."

The proposal from Yamauchi-kun seems safe, but it also depends on her personality and character. If people she didn't know very well suddenly appeared at her doorstep, it's easy to imagine that she would be confused.

Kushida : "Then should we call her?"

Speaking of which, I forgot that Kushida-san has everyone's contact addresses in the class. Kushida-san was on the phone for 20 seconds, but she shook her head and put her phone away.

Kushida : "No, it didn't connect. I'll try again later, but it's a difficult matter."

Ike : "What do you mean?"

Kushida : "She told me her contact address, but I think she'll be annoyed if I try to contact her, especially since she doesn't know me very well. Also, I don't think she was actually there to pick up the phone."

She might also be pretending to be gone.

Ike : "So, she's kinda like Horikita?"

Ike-kun never learn didn't he? But, since it was Horikita-san. She probably wouldn't mind. Rather, it didn't seem like she was interested in what Ike-kun was saying either.

Horikita : "Goodbye."

Kushida : "Ah, Horikita-san!"

Looking like she was caught off guard, Horikita-san quickly stood up and walked towards the door reaching exit.

Sudou : "Tsundere. Hehehe~"

Sudou-kun looked happy as he laughed, scratching his nose with his index finger.

She doesn't have tsun, nor does she have dere. I think she's a lost cause... No tsun, no dere.

Ike : "Wait! Since when all the cookies are gone!"

Suddenly Ike-kun shout loudly when he try to grab one only to figure out there are no cookies left

Kiyone : "I could make it again, don't worry"

Since we couldn't do anything about Horikita-san's absence, the conversation continued without her.

Kiyone : "...Atsui~"

The reason is simple, every building is equipped with heating and cooling systems. The only drawback is that it's hot whenever we go to and from school.

It was the morning commute. My forehead started sweating in the few minutes that it took to get from the dorms to the school.

After making my way to school, I took refuge in the cool building.

It must be hell for the students that have morning training. In the classroom, the boys and girls with morning practice were all surrounding the air conditioner. It looked like moths crowding around a light source. Is that a bad analogy?

I keep walking and finally arrived at classroom

Hirata : "Ayanokouji-san, good morning."

Hirata-kun called out to me. Like always, he had a refreshing face. With such appearance today no wonder if I'd probably act like the other girls beg to him and, 'Please hold me!'. Well, just joking. I would not like to make him had a bad start in the morning.

Hirata : "Yesterday, I heard from Kushida-san that Sakura-san was the witness."

Hirata-kun looked at Sakura-san's seat, which was still empty.

Kiyone : "Are you going to talk to her?"

Hirata : "Me? No... I'm only going to greet her. I've wanted to talk to her because she's always alone in class, but I can't be pushy and invite her, especially as a boy. Also, if I asked Karuizawa-san to talk to her, it would also be problematic."

It's hard to imagine a conversation between the super assertive Karuizawa-san and Sakura-san.

Hirata : "For the time being, I think we'll wait for Kushida-san."

Kiyone : "That's great and all, but why are you talking to me? Talking to Ike-kun or Yamauchi-kun is probably better."

There's no reason to tell me, who wasn't really part of the so called 'team' we had.

Hirata : "There's no particular reason, but... if I had to say a reason, it's because you're related to Horikita-san. She doesn't talk to anyone but you, so I thought I should tell you."

Kiyone : *sigh* "I see. Just...why everyone treat me like Horikita-san's adjutant or something. I just hope that everyone could saw me as an individual not someone else mediator..."

Hirata : "Ugh...W-Well..."

He lost at words

Is that the only aspect where I'm better than the other two? While Hirata-kun was trying to seek an answer to reply me, he had a cute smile on his face.

I wonder if the other girl were on my position. Does their kyun-kyun points would've reached a hundred and their heart would be beating fast.

Hirata : "Oh, right. We should hang out sometime. Are you free anytime soon?"

Hey hey, are you no longer satisfied by the current girls around you and trying to expand your conquest now?

It would be a grave mistake if I accepted his invitation without any consideration.

Kiyone : "Well, it should be fine."

Ah, I said the exact opposite of what my mind told me to say. Damn this defective mouth. I definitely wasn't waiting for Hirata-kun to invite me or anything. That's right, that's right. This is the problem with Japanese people. Since we're unable to say 'no', we're unable to directly reject an invitation. Well, Horikita-san is kinda an exception though

Hirata : "Sorry, do you not want to hang out?"

Hirata-kun sensed my uneasiness. He is a sensible person

Kiyone : "It's fine it's fine. I'll definitely hang out with you"

I replied, sounding a bit disgusting. I tried acting pridefully, but I really did want to go, so I gave up in the end.

Hirata : "But are you fine with my girlfriend coming too?"

Kiyone : "Huh? Oh, Karuizawa-san? Yeah, that's fine if she was fine with me either."

My response came surprisingly quickly. Well, there are various types of couples. Since they still called each other by their surnames, I guess they're not that close yet.

Reluctantly parting with Hirata-kun, I waited for homeroom to begin as I held my phone in my hand.

Then I noticed that Sakura-san was at her seat. She was sitting down, waiting for the time to pass idly.

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 2 : Additional Hands

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

After homeroom ended, Kushida-san got up from her seat and walked over to Sakura-san, who was quietly preparing to go back home. Kushida-san seemed strangely nervous.

Ike-kun, Yamauchi-kun, and Sudou-kun noticed and looked towards Kushida-san.

Kushida : "Sakura-san."

Sakura : "...W-What...?"

She looked up listlessly. It looked like she didn't expect someone to call out to her, since she was panicking.

Kushida : "Do you have time, Sakura-san? I want to ask you something about Sudou-kun's case..."

Sakura : "S-Sorry, I... have plans, so..."

She averted her eyes, it was obvious that she was feeling uncomfortable. Talking to other people does not seem to be her strong point. Or rather, it felt like she didn't like talking to other people.

Kushida : "Can you make some time? I really want to talk because this is important. During Sudou-kun's incident, were you nearby by any chance-"

Sakura : "I-I don't know. I already said this to Hirata-kun, but I don't know anything!"

Her words were frail, but she denied it strongly. Kushida-san, also seeing how unwilling she was, probably didn't want to push it too far. Although she looked confused at first, she immediately went back to smiling.

But even then, she wasn't willing to withdraw so easily. After all, this person will greatly affect Sudou-kun's case.

Sakura : "Is... it fine if I go back now?"

She's not simply bad at talking to people, but rather, it looks like she's trying to hide something. That much is obvious from the way she's acting. She was hiding her dominant hand and wasn't making eye contact with her. Even if she may be uncomfortable with looking at her eyes, Sakura-san refused to look at Kushida-san's face.

If it was either Hirata-kun or Ike-kun talking to her instead of Kushida-san, it would make more sense. After all, Kushida-san was able to get her to exchange contact addresses. Interacting with Kushida-san is a completely different experience.

Kushida : "Can't you just give me a few minutes?"

Sakura : "W-Why? I don't know anything!"

If Kushida failed here, their conversation would amount to nothing. The awkward conversation naturally gathered more attention as it dragged on and on.

But this situation seems like a complete miscalculation from Kushida-san. Since they were acquaintances that had exchanged contact addresses, she expected this conversation to go much smoother.

If she wasn't expecting to be rejected, then this situation would make sense. My neighbor looked over the situation attentively, then looked at me with a slightly smug expression. It seemed like she was saying, 'I know that your powers of perception are exceptional'. Does she wanted me to take some action?

Sakura : "...I'm bad at talking to people... s-sorry."

She was speaking in a strained voice, trying to keep Kushida away from her.

When we were talking about Sakura-san earlier, Kushida-san said that she was an ordinary girl, despite being shy.

Looking at her current behavior, she's clearly not normal. Kushida-san probably thought the same thing, because she looked completely confused. Even though she's good at getting people to open up, she couldn't do it this time.

Horikita-san, also watching the situation, came to a conclusion.

Horikita : "Too bad. Looks like she couldn't persuade her. Isn't it about time you do something?"

It was as Horikita-san said. If Kushida-san wasn't able to do it, I don't think anyone in the class would be able to start and maintain a conversation with Sakura-san. But since it was crucial, she expect me to give a hand although I don't know how to do it properly...

Kushida-san might be good at creating an atmosphere where unsocial people can easily socialize. However, everyone has something called 'personal space'

I look around the class and most of our classmate already leave the classroom. Although, some students still around class

Sakura-san seems more nervous

It looked like she's about running away.

The first time around, she said that she 'had plans', but she didn't say it the second time. If she really had somewhere to go to, she would've said it again. With her inconsistency, it will take a long time moreover there is a chance she would keep avoid the topic

Lets move

Sakura-san stood up and took a few steps away from Kushida-san.

Sakura : "G-Goodbye."

Seeing that she couldn't end the conversation, Sakura decided to run away.

Before she could make a retreat I blocked her path

Kiyone : "Where do you think you are going?"

She flinched upon she saw me blocked her path.

Sakura : "I-I..."

Kiyone : "What is it? Say it clearly"

She is began trembling while holding her camera. Looking at this chance

I decide to snatched her digital camera that was on her possession. She is quite surprised with my bold action

Sakura : "W-Wha-?"

Kiyone : "What are you going to do with this?"

She began shaking. She open her mouth yet she couldn't said anything to reply me

Kiyone : "Is this related to 'plans' that you are talking about?"

She still couldn't utter any words

Kiyone : "What is it? Is my word too hard for you to understand?"

Kushida : "W-Wait, Aya-chan!"

I look to Kushida-san

Kushida : "Sakura-san seems uncomfortable. Maybe she actually didn't know anything at all about Sudou-kun's incident."

That's what she said however it could be translated to be 'don't pressure her too much'.

However it seems we had different idea about it. If Kushida-san method to make her talk by her own decision, I'll make her talk with coerce

Kiyone : "If she's not related at all. She should just reply you casually isn't it? Its different between being shy or try to hide something. I could tell it clearly that Sakura-san behaviour truly suspicious"

I could see Sakura-san flinched upon hear that I put suspicion on her. I walk approaching her

Kiyone : "Sakura-san, you already know that everyone in class desperately try to find the clue. Nobody here playing around, this case was involved with our points after all. If we can't find the witness until the promised time. We will had 0 point again next month, lets say...if you somehow had involvement with it and we happened lost this case because the witness decide to stay silent. Can you guessed what happened come after us?"

She suddenly started to shout. While turn her head down and closed her eyes

Sakura : "No! Its not me! Why are you insisted keep doing this to me?! I don't know anything about-"

Kiyone : "Then, say that again while look at my face."

Long silence. I decide to move closer to her

Kiyone : "Why?...Can't you do that?"

She started panting, her hand hold tight on her chest as she began having hyperventilation...

Kushida-san who watching from side starting worried about her

Maybe I pushed her too much...

Kiyone : "Etto...I-I'm so sorry Sakura-san...I-I didn't intend for being mean or something. H-Here your camera..."

Looking at me who suddenly changed my stance. She immediately grabbed her digital camera and run passed me

However, she bumped with Hondou-kun, he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings as he texted his friend on his phone while standing.

Sakura : "Ah!"

The digital camera fell out of her grip and clanged onto the floor.Can't blame him since it was Sakura-san who rushed toward him

Hondou : "Are you alright?"

Sakura-san didn't respond to him. She picked up her camera in a panic.

Sakura : "No! it won't turn on..."

Sakura put her hand over her mouth in shock. Somehow, it looks like the camera broke from the impact. She kept pressing the power button and tried taking out the batteries and putting them back in, but it didn't turn on.

Kushida and I look toward Hondou-kun

Hondou : "W-Wait..i-it was my faults?"

He asking while pointing his finger at himself. Honestly it wasn't his fault at all. We simply just stared at him.

I dunno maybe he feel pressured or something he decide to talk

Hondou : "A-Are you alright? If it was okay with you. I could get your camera repaired so-"

Sakura : "No! I-I was being careless, so it was my fault... goodbye."

Unable to stop the despondent Sakura-san, he couldn't do anything but watch her leave.

Ike-kun suddenly appeared behind Hondou-kun and touch his shoulder

Ike : "Well well, Hondou-kun. You are responsible man right?"

Hondou : "W-What?"

From his gesture I see that Hondou-kun intend to leave the scene since he make sure to himself that it wasn't his fault until Ike-kun suddenly appeared before him

Yamauchi : "Poor her, that camera of her must be expensive. What would you do?"

Yamauchi-kun chimned in

Hondou : "W-Wait, didn't you guys heard that she said herself it was her fault for being careless?"

Ike : "Hondou, are you truly a man?"

Hondou : "W-What?"

Yamauchi : "Playing dumb aren't you?

Ike : "Listen, its common thing to give pleasantry toward girl. For a dumbass like you who know nothing about gentleman act. I will tell you something, she probably said like that to make sure that you didn't feel responsible for it even if it was your fault"

Hondou : "What?"

Yamauchi : "She is just to kind to take her problem alone. If you are such sensible person at least you will feel something. Can you listen it over here?"

Yamauchi-kun pointed at Hondou-kun chest

Yamauchi : "Listen it, how is it? Did you calm over there? This is what am I talking about"

Ike : "You wouldn't be bothered if you are not responsible but I know deep inside that you had unsettling feeling. That's what we called guilt. Unless you do something to make up with it, it won't calm. That's why, you need to take responsibility for it"

Hondou : "T-That's right, maybe...err...at least it would be nice if I could talk to her or if it needed. I could go with her to repair her camera..."

Wow, he take that nonsense which Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun put on him. Although if it was me, I won't bulge since it was clearly not my fault and Sakura-san already decide that it wasn't his fault either

Kushida : "...Etto...if you feel burdened with it Hondou-kun. Aya-chan and I could coming with you if you don't mind..."

Ike & Yamauchi : "What?!"

Suddenly they try to change Hondou-kun minds again

Ike : "Ne~ Hondou, if you feel it was hard for you. I can go in your stead"

Yamauchi : "You see, I think that it wasn't your fault. So, its alright if you just ignored it"

Looking for a chance Hondou-kun to going out with girls on his mind, he immediately change his stance

Hondou : "I know I will troubling you with it. Kushida-san, I look forward for your cooperation"

Ike & Yamauchi : "That damn bast*rd!"

I wonder what's wrong with them?

Alright, shall I head home since we don't have to look for a witness anymore?

Kushida-san and the others might talk about looking for another witness. It'll be a bother to get involved in that.

Horikita : "Ayanokouji-san, want to go home together?"

Hearing Horikita-san's invitation, I reflexively put my hand on her forehead. Her forehead felt cool, but her skin was still warm and soft.

She glared at me because my action

Horikita : "...I don't have a cold, you know? I just wanted to ask you about something."

Kiyone : "O-Oh. Is that so?"

It was strange for Horikita-san to invite me. I wonder if it'll rain ice cubes tomorrow.

Horikita : "Can you take it off? Your hand."

Kiyone : "Oh, my bad."

I drew back my hand. The two of us walked out into the hallway. I think I know the general gist, but I wonder what she wants to talk about.

Horikita : "Oh, right. I want to go somewhere before we go back, is that fine?"

Kiyone : "Well, as long as it doesn't take too much time."

Horikita : "Yeah, it'll take about ten minutes."

Where did she wanted to go?

Oh, so she wanted to come here

We made our way towards the club building where the incident involved with Sudou-kun happened.

Kiyone : "Atsui~..."

Horikita : "Sorry for bringing you over here."

Horikita-san, who was standing next to me, didn't look like she was feeling the heat as she looked down the hallway.

We walked down the hallway, scanning the corner between the wall and the ceiling.

Kiyone : "It seems there aren't any here..."

Pondering about what I said and following my gaze. Horikita-san finally noticed it and started looking around. Maybe, I should play along too since I'm curious about what will she do?

Horikita : "Hmm, there aren't any here huh? That's too bad."

Kiyone : "If only cameras like the ones in the classroom. We would have solid evidence if those cameras were in the hallways, but there aren't any."

Horikita : "Oh, right. Those cameras. The case would be solved instantly if they were here."

There were outlets near the ceiling, but weren't being used.

The hallway doesn't have any obstacles, so if there was a camera, it would've been able to record the whole incident.

Kiyone : "In the first place, does the school usually have cameras in the hallways?"

The other buildings probably don't have cameras in the hallways as well.

Kiyone : "I mean, they probably wouldn't be in the bathrooms or the changing rooms, right?"

Horikita : "Yeah, probably not."

Kiyone : "...If there were cameras, the school would've checked them first and this wouldn't be a problem."

Horikita : "Hmph! Maybe you are right"

However, she was calmly wandering around as if she didn't have a care in the world.

Kiyone : "There are a lot of unpleasant things about Sudou-kun. However, I think he slowly understand his faults that's why I want him to take less backlash for the incident. Having a few points left over is the best possible outcome, even though it's a loss if the impression of class D gets worse."

I said my opinion

And unlike Kushida-san and the others, she definitely didn't care on trying to prove Sudou-kun's innocence.

Horikita : "Like I said earlier, it will be impossible to prove that Sudou-kun is innocent. Well, it might happen if class C admits that they lied. Do you think that'll happen?"

Kiyone : "Definitely not. Class C won't do that."

Since the other class also doesn't have any evidence, the lie won't go anywhere. We also don't have anything to believe other than Sudou-kun's words. The whole situation is in the dark.

Horikita : "There's no one here after school."

Kiyone : "Obviously, since this building isn't used for anything other than clubs."

One party called out the other to the roof. Afterwards, as if by fate, the two quarreling parties fought. In the end, Sudou-kun injured the other party, and they complained about it.

I wouldn't bother coming to this hot place unless someone else called me out here.

The humidity is oppressing. I feel like I'm going insane in this heat.

Kiyone : "Is it not hot for you, Horikita-san?"

As my body was suffering from the heat, Horikita was looking around with a cool expression.

Horikita : "I'm pretty good against the heat and the cold. You look- What are you doing?!"

I was out of it from the heat, I take off my blazer and moved towards the window in search of some cool air. I opened the window to save myself from the heat... but I immediately shut the window right after.

Kiyone : "...That was dangerous."

As soon as I opened the window, the hot wind burst into the room. It would be an even bigger disaster if I kept the window open.

When I think about the fact that it'll get even hotter until August, I feel depressed. However, there were results from coming here today. It's not impossible—

Horikita : "What are you thinking about right now?"

Kiyone : "No, nothing much. Just that it's hot... I've reached my limit already."

It looked like nothing more could be done right now, so the two of us started heading back.

??? : "Hey you guys, what are you doing here?"

Both of us turned around, not having expected someone to call out to us. A strawberry-blonde haired girl was looking towards us.

Ichinose : "Sorry to call you out so suddenly. Do you have some time?"

Horikita : "Do you have some business with us?"

Of course it probably wasn't something like that, but Horikita became immediately wary of Ichinose, who had just appeared. She probably thinks that this isn't coincidence.

Ichinose : "Business... well, something like 'what are you doing here?'"

Kiyone : "Nothing much. We're somewhat wandering around."

It would've been fine to answer honestly, but the pressure from Horikita-san's gaze made me answer differently.

Ichinose : "Somewhat, huh? You two are in class D, right?"

Horikita : "...You know us?"

Ichinose : "I've met you two several times you know. Also, I once talk to the girl beside you before...err...who's her name again? Ayanokoji?"

Kiyone : "Thanks for remember such side character like me, Ms. Popular Girl"

Ichinose : "Ahahaha...what a silly joke from you"

Horikita-san look at me with frown as if she demand an explanation.

Horikita : "How do you know her. She is not someone who should've worthy to be remembered"

Wait, is that supposed to be insult?

Ichinose : "I have a good memory, after all. Moreover, there is no way I forgot how cool she is when she blocked such fierce fist at that time"

She said as if trying to say that you wouldn't have remembered me if If I didn't do any stunt like that?

I was a bit happy, but my good mood disappeared from that jab.

Ichinose : "I thought that there would be something here that would be related to the fight. When I wasn't at school yesterday, it seems like some information about the witness had reached class B. I only heard later that the students of class D were trying to prove him innocent."

Horikita : "Let say, If we're doing investigating here because of the incident. Then how does that affect you?"

Ichinose : "Hmm, how does it affect me? ...well, it doesn't. But, I had a few doubts when I heard about the story, and so I decided to come here to check things out. If it's fine with you, would you tell me about the circumstances?"

Is it fine to called it up as 'curiosity' then?

After a few moments of silence, Ichinose spoke apologetically.

Ichinose : "Does that mean no? If other classes were interested-"

Kiyone : "No, it's nothing like that, but-"

Horikita : "I can only think there's something else to this."

I tried to go about things peacefully, but Horikita-san immediately shot down that plan.

Ichinose-san tilted her neck and smiled, interpreting the meaning behind Horikita-san's words.

Ichinose : "Something else? Do you feel like we're going to make a secret move to interfere with class C and D?"

She looked like she wanted to say, 'Oh, that's disappointing'

Ichinose : "I don't think you have to be that wary, though. I'm really just curious."

Horikita : "I don't want to answer someone who's 'just curious'. Just do as you please."

Horikita-san answered, trying to get her to back off, and looked out the window.

Ichinose : "Please tell me something. All I heard from my friends and the teachers were that there was a fight."

Kiyone : "...Actually..."

Although I hesitated for a bit, I knew that there wasn't much information out there and decided to explain how the three class C students called out Sudou, got beat up, turned it around on him, and how two versions of the story were reported to the school. Ichinose-san listened to the whole store seriously.

Ichinose : "I see, so that's what happened. That news hasn't come to class B yet. I see, I see... Hey, isn't this a huge problem? It doesn't matter who lied, since it's a case of violence anyway. Shouldn't you discover the truth?"

Horikita-san keep glaring at me while I talking this problem to Ichinose-san

Kiyone : "That's why we're here in the first place, but we haven't discovered much."

It's not a murder scene, so I didn't think there were any hints left over, but we did get some results, contrary to our expectations.

Ichinose : "So, you're believing Sudou-kun because he's your friend and your classmate. And therefore this case has become a case of false accusation to class D."

It would be hard for Ichinose-san, a third party, to understand that it wasn't because he was our friend or because he was our classmate. But I'm not going to explain that much.

Ichinose : "What would you do if Sudou-kun was the one lying? For example, what if there was evidence that clearly proved he was guilty?"

Horikita : "I would honestly report it. After all, such a lie would only bite us in the back later."

She didn't had any intention to protect the other when they were guilty huh?

Ichinose : "Yeah, I agree."

It's not like Ichinose-san's classes would be affected anyway.

Horikita : "Then we're good, right? Since you got what you wanted."

She spoke quickly, as if she wanted to turn her away as fast as possible.

Ichinose : "Mmm. Hey, is it fine if I help? I can help look for the witness. It's faster if there's more people, right?"

Obviously, the more people the better. That's true. But it's not like we're saying, 'Please listen to our story, it's a disaster!'

Kiyone : "I don't mean anything bad but I wonder why a class B student offering to help?"

Ichinose : "Are class B and class D completely unrelated? We don't know when and where these kind of cases will pop up. Since the classes are competing against each other, there's always of a risk that these troubles appear. This time was just the first such case. It'll also be a huge issue if the party that lied wins. Also, I personally can't overlook this after hearing what happened."

I couldn't tell if she was being serious or if she was joking.

Ichinose : "If class B helps in finding a witness, don't you guys have more credibility? Well, it's possible that class D is the one that suffers damage after the truth is revealed..."

If Sudou-kun's words are proven to be a lie, that means class C's claim is the correct one. Sudou-kun would be suspended, and class D would take some heavy damage, perhaps fatal.

Ichinose : "What do you think? I think it's a pretty good proposal."

I looked over at Horikita. However, she was still facing out the window with her back turned to me. I wonder what she thinks about her proposal.

Naturally, we were most worried about our merit. If the students of class D tried to prove Sudou-kun's innocence by ourselves, the credibility of our proof would be low unless the evidence completely solved the case.

If an unrelated class B student got involved, the situation would be completely different.

Kiyone : "You may think I'm being a hypocrite, but I also don't intend to carry such a heavy responsibility. The decision is yours, Horikita-san"

I weighed the positives and the negatives of her proposal. Obviously, we still couldn't trust Ichinose-san yet. After all, she's a student from class B, and there's no clear benefit for her in choosing to help. If helping other people repeatedly was related to the class and private points, then her actions are understandable. She probably won't give up such valuable information so easily... but there's no other way but to ask.

Horikita : "Let's accept her help, Ayanokouji-san."

Horikita-san must have determined that the merits were greater than the risks. I was thankful that she came to a decision quickly. In the first place, I didn't really have any power to decide, it was all up to Horikita-san.

Ichinose-san smiled, showing her white teeth.

Ichinose : "Then it's decided. Um..."

Kiyone : "Horikita. Horikita Suzune, that's her name"

I readily gave her name, Horikita-san doesn't mind it anyway. It looks like she approves of this cooperative relationship.

Ichinose : "Nice to meet you, Horikita-san and Ayanokouji-san as well."

By an unexpected turn of events, we became acquainted with Ichinose-san and formed a cooperative relationship, but it's still up to chance whether or not this is a good thing. Either way, it'll bring change.

Horikita-san and I looked each other then we nod together

Horikita : "Since you are willing to cooperate with us. I guess we will also share our intel as well"

Ichinose : "That's great!"

Kiyone : "Actually we already found the witness, but sadly, they're in class D."

Ichinose-san let out a sigh, facepalming.

Ichinose : "Well, that means a witness isn't in any other class, right? At least, the probability would be low."

A very low chance, but a chance is a chance.

Ichinose : "Even then, your friend is being considered as a regular, right? That's awesome! Even if he's holding you guys back right now, he'll be a great asset later on. If he goes out and does great, he'll get points and so will the class."

Looking at us getting flinched by the information, Ichinose-san asked us

Ichinose : "Wait! Did you guys not know? Did your teacher not tell you?"

We were only told that our private points were affected.

Horikita : "It's my first time hearing that it affects our class points. I'll have to bring up a complaint with Chabashira-sensei later on."

Horikita-san mumbled in dissatisfaction.

Either way, Sensei omitted something once again. I wonder if it was their teacher that told class B about the class points...

As usual, Sensei doesn't even try to pretend that we're all equal. I'm feeling the extreme discrimination.

Ichinose : "There's something strange about your homeroom teacher."

Horikita : "In the first place, she just doesn't have any motivation to tell us and is apathetic to the students. There are those kind of teachers."

I didn't think it was something to be surprised about, but Ichinose took a step back.

Ichinose : "Did you know that the homeroom teachers are evaluated when their class graduates?"

Kiyone : "No, first time hearing it. Are you sure?"

I wasn't interested. Rather, I had to be interested. An important distinction to make.

Ichinose : "My homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya-sensei, says it like it's her favorite phrase. She always says that she has to do her best because the teacher in charge of class A will get a bonus at the end. It seems like it's different for you guys."

Horikita : "I'm envious of your homeroom teacher and your class."

It feels like our homeroom teacher has no sense of ambition and no desire for money but with the way she act to me. Probably she had a hidden reason for trying to expose me back then

However, her act toward the other students...

Rather, it feels like she would say, 'You guys are failing! That's so great!' something like that

Ichinose : "I think it would be great to meet up and discuss things sometime."

Horikita : "I wasn't expecting to be helped by the enemy."

Ichinose : "I mean, it feels like this is a problem before we can compete. After all, we're not on even playing ground."

We were being pitied, even by the other classes. It shows the lack of enthusiasm Chabashira-sensei has for her students.

Horikita : "I wish we could switch teachers."

Kiyone : "No, I think there are another problems with that. There is always pros and cons on every situation"

Horikita-san look at me wondering why I didn't agree on this part even though I agree that Chabashira-sensei isn't good homeroom teacher either

I thought back on the time I met Hoshinomiya-sensei. My intuition tell that she seems like a whole different set of troubles.

Ichinose : "Ah, it's so hot here."

Ichinose-san took out a handkerchief with a cute panda on it and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Our thick uniforms trap the heat well.

Kiyone : "A school that turns on the air conditioning 24/7 even when the whole building is empty is bad for the environment and is detestable."

Ichinose : "Ahahaha, I guess. You're an interesting one."

Ichinose-san laughed even though the line wasn't meant to be funny.

Horikita : "I don't think there was anything to laugh at..."

Ichinose : "How about we exchange contact addresses to make sure things go smoothly in the future?"

Horikita-san sent me a look of, 'I don't want to, so you give her yours'

Kiyone : "If you're fine with mine. I'll reply when you contact me."

Ichinose : "Okay, I got it."

Well, with this somehow I had a contact with popular girl in our years

According to her mail, Ichinose-san seems to be planning a strategy so that we would come to trust her. She decided to ask for permission every time she would do something, but I didn't think it was necessary for her to restrict herself that much.

After having returned to the dorms, I thought that Horikita-san would go her own way, but she followed me to my room.

Horikita : "Sorry for intruding."

She said politely, even though there was no one else in my room.

I wonder why I feel nervous even though it's only Horikita-san in the room with me.

Kiyone : "So, what do you think?"

Horikita : "It's rare for me to go to your room. Going to your room is like a shame, a disgrace. You understand, right?"

That reply was also within my expectations. I'm totally not hurt. But, that doesn't what I mean with that question

Kiyone : "Well, please make yourself comfortable in this unpleasant room while I'll make you something?"

I immediately goes to kitchen to prepared some dish

Horikita : "This room is surely reflect on the person who living in this place"

She mumbled something. The most terrifying part is that she doesn't have any ill intentions.

If I brought it up to her, she'd probably go, 'I only said the truth'

Horikita : "I want to hear what you think about Sudou-kun's case again. Also, I think Kushida-san's actions are a bit troubling."

Kiyone : "Wouldn't it have been better to have participated from the beginning if you're worried about the situation?"

Horikita : "That wasn't possible. I couldn't accept the person in the beginning. I'm only helping for the class right now—frankly speaking, I still think it's better to abandon him."

Kiyone : "Even if you pitched in and helped Sudou-kun during the midterms?"

Horikita : "That's a separate matter. Even if we manage to miraculously prove him as innocent, do you think he'll be helpful later? I think that it's quite likely that our help will backfire."

Her eyes said, 'Do you know what I'm trying to say?'

Kiyone : "Is it for Sudou's sake that you're giving up on proving him innocent and letting him take the punishment?"

Horikita-san had a discontented expression, but then looked like she understood something.

Horikita : "You already knew from the beginning that it would be very difficult to prove Sudou-kun innocent considering his personality, right? It makes it easy to think that it would be better for him to get punished. Especially for those who hate him."

It looked like she wanted to say, 'You're thinking the same way, right?'

I feel like I've been cornered, unable to get away. If I try to force my way out by denying it, she'll just deliver the final blow.

Kiyone : "Well, isn't that obvious to anyone with a bit of thinking?"

Horikita : "Probably. It's not like Kushida-san's group hasn't noticed. It's just that they believe Sudou-kun and working with the class to try and disprove the lie. They don't understand why this incident happened and the urgency of the situation at all."

Her remarks concerning her classmates were considerably harsh.

Kiyone : "At least Kushida-san is trying to help after understanding the situation already."

Horikita : "After understanding the situation? Is that something she realized by herself?"

Kiyone : "T-That's..."

Horikita : "You told her, right?"

It felt like I was being boxed in

Horikita : "Getting old test questions, buying points on a test... I'm not surprised because you seem to be quite cunning but even then... I'm discontent."

I guess she's learned that I'm a cunning person. The dish ready. A dinner for 2 person

Kiyone : "Stop flattering me if you even feel disgusted while saying that. Here, just eat and get to the point"

She laughed, that's not what I meant to do. However, she immediately stopped.

Horikita : "Honestly speaking, you're a mystery. You're the hardest person to predict in the class. Tactful yet idles often, and is never constant. It's like you're in a separate category of 'cannot be categorized'."

Kiyone : "All of those are questionable descriptions. Not what you'd say when you praise someone..."

I mean, there are better ways to put it, right? However, Horikita-san looked at me with distrustful eyes

Horikita : "In other words, you're hiding your true ability. You make me feel the most disgusted."

I see. I wonder if it's normal to not know what those five words mean together. Somehow, I fell straight into Horikita's trap. A slight blunder on my part.

Kiyone : "At any rate, saying that I make you the most disgusted is too much. Koenji-kun is somewhat similar too."

That is, without a doubt, a seasonal good. If she related him to me, I would feel hurt.

Horikita : "He's surprisingly easy to understand—after all, he's smart and athletic. His behavior is the only problem, which is explained by the two words 'self-conceited'."

Actually, it's fairly easy to understand. Certainly, Koenji-kun's way of life is pretty simple.

Horikita : "I think you'd be a good teacher."

Kiyone : "Quit joking, just eat before the meals get cold"

If I became a teacher...

I feel like I'd be just like Chabashira-sensei more or less

Horikita : "Well, thanks for the meal. Good night, Ayanokoji-san"

She closed the door. She act polite after I give her dinner, glad that she still had a pride.

RING!

I received a phone calls. My cellphone's screen lit up as it was charging next to my bed, the caller ID indicating it was from Kushida Kikyou.

Kiyone : "Moshi-moshi"

Kushida : "Sorry for calling so late. Did I wake you up?"

Kiyone : "Hmm? Oh, I was thinking about going to bed in a little bit. Do you need something?"

Kushida : "Sakura-san's digital camera broke, right? I feel like I'm partially to blame because I was talking to her and made her nervous, so I wanted to take responsibility for that."

Kiyone : "This talk again? At least, I don't think you need to feel responsible for that. Besides, she's just going to get it fixed, right? Since it's important to her, wouldn't she go even if she had to leave it with the shop?"

As I asked this question, I realized that it wasn't so simple. Sakura-san was extremely inept at talking with people, and she didn't seem confident enough to go to the store on her own to repair it. It was probably somewhat similar to the situation where you'd feel slightly hesitant when you enter a restaurant alone.

It was a little hard to believe that the world was full of people of all kinds of characteristics and personalities. Isn't it particularly surprising that there are people who have trouble connecting with others?

Kiyone : "So you offered to help?"

She probably acted proactively in order to establish some common ground with Sakura-san.

Kushida : "Yep. She was a little hesitant, but she eventually said she'd be fine with the day after tomorrow. I think that digital camera is probably really important to her."

In order to have Sakura-san open up to her, Kushida-san had done a splendid job with taking the first step.

Kiyone : "But why are you telling me this? Won't it go smoothly with just the two of you? Beside if you need additional person. I think that Hondou-kun already willing to go with you"

Kushida : "That's true if we were just going to go get it repaired. Also, Hondou-kun would going out with us as well. However, there's one more important thing that I'd like to ask for your cooperation with, Aya-chan."

Kiyone : "Did you want me to ask about whether or not she knows anything about Sudou-kun's incident?"

Kushida : "Horikita-san is convinced that she's the witness, and after getting a bit closer to Sakura-san myself, I'm also thinking that she knows more about the incident than she's letting on. However, since she's been denying it, there has to be some reason as to why she's keeping quiet."

While it's true that having Horikita-san go along with her would be the best option, it would be delusional of me to think of Horikita-san and Kushida-san going out with each other on their day off. Through the process of elimination, she probably decided to choose me as I was the least likely to cause any issues. If she was to invite more boys like Ike-kun or Yamauchi-kun, they would focus all of their attention on her.

Moreover, it's convenient. I've been wanting to go to the electronics retail store at least once.

I sat up on my bed and leaned my back against the wall.

Kiyone : "Okay, I get it. Let's go."

But, before I closed the call...

Kushida : "Ne~ Aya-chan...Would you like to talk a bit longer..."

For a while after that, Kushida and I chatted about various unimportant topics. Since the conversation was casual, I didn't feel nervous about it. Rather, there wasn't any reason to get worked up at all. It stood as proof that she could intrude upon my personal space by this much and still not make me uncomfortable.

I guess on the inside, I've already firmly recognized her as a friend. But...

Well, they said that its normal for a friend to had disputes sometimes however if she do something stupid like tried to expel me. I hope she doesn't mind if I show a retaliate act

Kiyone : "Class D was somehow able to take shape thanks to you and Hirata-kun. It's also due to the fact that both boys and girls were involved."

Sometimes, matters between girls can only be resolved by girls.

Kushida : "I'm just doing things as I normally do. It wasn't anything special."

Kiyone : "I think Hirata-kun would've said the same thing."

Most of the time, special people don't consider themselves as such.

Kushida : "While we're speaking of special, isn't Horikita-san more special than someone like me? She can study and her physical abilities are excellent. It makes me wonder why she was placed in Class D."

That doesn't make her special. Instead, that makes her a rather unique type of person. I kept quiet as I was afraid that saying too many bad things about her would come back to bite me later on.

Kiyone : "Wasn't she assigned to Class D partially because she's not very sociable?"

Kushida : "But isn't she normal when she interacts with you?"

Kiyone : "I wonder how does such 'normal' friendship definition for you?"

If we were to base things off my interactions with her, the way Horikita-san treats others is really miserable in comparison...

Kiyone : "I still feel like there's some sort of wall between Horikita-san and I. Or perhaps I should say that's just the extent of our relationship, just in case you're misunderstanding something. I don't like her actually"

Kushida : "Uh-huh~"

She responded with an amused, yet doubtful tone in her voice. I really don't want to be misunderstood by Kushida-san.

Kushida : "Ne~..."

Kiyone : "Hmm?"

Before I realized it, Kushida had fallen into silence. A silence that came unexpectedly, without any signs of arrival. Our conversation, which had been going smoothly for some time now, suddenly stopped. Usually, Kushida-san would continue our conversation almost immediately, but that wasn't the case here.

It was so quiet that we could only hear each other's breathing.

Kiyone : "Is it alright if I hang up?"

Unable to bear the silence anymore, I gave up. It was too painful to stay on the phone in complete silence.

Kushida : "Say..."

Kiyone : "Hm?"

Kushida-san broke the silence but didn't continue to speak. It felt like she was hesitant to speak, nothing like the usual she who would always try to make the conversation brighter.

Kushida : "If..."

She trailed off

Kushida : "What if I... I-"

She stopped once again. Silence came as five, then ten seconds passed by.

Kushida : "... No, it's nothing."

That reaction doesn't seem like it's nothing...

Maybe our relationship itself already strange. I never considered her as threat even until now however I know there is some of sort boundary that we can't tell each other. Honestly, I think that its kinda fair if she wanted to know fair of my secret however I tried to hide it not because I'm afraid when it was revealed more look like I doubt she had a place to hide when she uncover that.

I didn't have the courage to respond with something like 'What is it? You were about to speak, so just say it.' so I decided to let it go.

Kushida : "I'll see you the day after tomorrow then, Aya-chan."

With that, Kushida-san cut the call.

I wonder what she was trying to say there?

It seemed like it was going to be a long, sleepless night.

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 2 : Shizuku

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

On the promised day

There's a retail store outlet located on campus, as the brand it belongs to is a famous nationwide retail chain store that entered into a partnership with the school. As their only customers would be students, the store itself isn't very large. Even so, the store readily sold supplies that students may need on a daily basis as well as electronics that students may be interested in.

Sakura-san, Hondou-kun, Kushida-san, and me. We exploring the area together

Kushida : "If I'm remembering correctly, the repair service is located at the counter in the back."

Kushida-san seemed to have been here several times before, as she promptly remembered where to go and headed deeper into the store. We followed behind.

Sakura : "I wonder if they'll be able to fix it soon..."

With an uneasy expression, Sakura-san tightly gripped the camera in her hands.

Hondou : "You're really fond of that camera."

Sakura : "Yes... Is that weird?"

Hondou : "No, not at all. Instead, isn't it a good hobby? Nevertheless, I hope they'll be able to fix it quickly."

Sakura : "Okay!"

Kushida : "There's where they take care of the repairs."

As there was a lot of merchandise inside the store, we were unable to see our surroundings properly. However, Kushida-san had found the repair center at the innermost section of the store.

Sakura : "Ah..."

Sakura stopped moving forward for some reason. From the side of her face, I could see that her expression had become one of blatant disgust, as though she had seen something unpleasant.

I followed Sakura's line of sight, but I couldn't find anything particularly out of place.

Kiyone : "What's wrong? Sakura-san?"

Kushida : "Are you perhaps ill?"

Kushida also seemed to find Sakura's behavior strange, so she called out to her.

Sakura : "Ah, uh... That..."

Though she seemed to have something to say, she ended up shaking her head and taking a deep breath.

Sakura : "It's nothing..."

After saying that, she put an earnest smile on her face and walked up to the receptionist at the counter of the repair center.

Kushida-san and I glanced at each other, but since Sakura said it was nothing, we followed after her.

The store name which we entering is 'SIVCAMERA'.

The clerk welcomed us. I see from a tagname on him. It seems that this clerk name is Kusuda Yukitsu -san

Kushida-san spoke to the clerk and commissioned for him to repair the digital camera. But, why Hondou-kun keep frowned at him. I mean to the clerk

While that was happening, I took a look at the nearby electronics device inside store out of boredom.

However, the way Kushida-san conducted herself was rather fierce. She was talking to the store clerk, who she had only just met for the first time, as if they were old friends. Although Sakura-san was the owner of the camera who was seeking the repair service, she was only speaking up when she was being asked for consent.

That said, the clerk was in frightfully high spirits. He was energetically talking on and on with Kushida-san carrying a torrent of momentum. Based on the snippets of the conversation that I was able to overhear, it appears that he was asking Kushida-san out on a date to the movie theater to see the screening of an upcoming female idol concert. He seemed to be an exaggerated otaku, who was skillfully choosing his words to approach Kushida-san with a wide range of topics, from how the elections were going to matters regarding idol magazines.

While all the conversation between Kushida-san and the clerk happened. Hondou-kun's face getting more and more pissed off by the time.

Since Kushida-san didn't show any signs of annoyance, he probably thought that he could smoothly tempt her into accepting his offer. However, I thought that he was doomed to fail, and that she found the situation distasteful instead.

The clerk seemed to be emotionally excited about being around a cute girl, so the conversation hadn't progressed at all. Glad I didn't need to deal with him since Kushida-san is the one who did that

As expected, Kushida-san felt that the situation was crude and pushed the conversation forward, urging Sakura-san to present him with the digital camera.

The clerk opened the camera and made a simple check inside. He stated that some of the parts had been damaged by the impact of the drop, which prevented the camera's power supply from turning on properly. Fortunately, since the digital camera was purchased after entering the school, it was included under warranty and it was to be repaired free of charge.

I think since it was almost done and I'm already satisfied looking on their product. I walked join up again with the group

All that was left was the process of Sakura-san filling out her personal information. Or at least it should be, but Sakura-san's hand came to a stop just before the paper.

Kushida : "Sakura-san?"

Kushida thought something was strange and spoke up. Sakura-san appeared to be hesitating about something.

I wasn't planning on interjecting, but the way she was acting worried me.

Besides, I looked at the clerk.

The clerk, who had been indulging in conversation with Kushida-san, was now staring at Sakura-san. As both Sakura-san and Kushida-san were focused on the form in front of them, they were unaware that the clerk had a terrible look in his eyes that I bet it would even make men shudder a little.

I stood next to Sakura and snatched the pen she was holding. Looking uneasy, as she didn't understand what I was doing. All she did was staring at me. But...

Hondou : "Hold on a second, okay?"

Suddenly, Hondou-kun stopped my hand.

Kiyone : "Huh?"

He took the pen and decide to fill the form on my stead

Hondou : "Please contact me when you finish the repairs."

He said while glaring the clerk

Kusuda : "W-Wait a minute sir. She's the owner of the digital camera, right? It's kind of-"

Hondou : "What? Got problem with it?"

Kusuda : "Th-That's..."

Hondou-kun keep glaring at the clerk. Look at the situation I decide to support him

Kiyone : "There were no problems verifying the manufacturer's warranty and proving the sale and purchase date, and there shouldn't any legal issues either. Besides, there shouldn't be any issues if the person filling out the form is different than the original purchaser, right? Or is there a reason why it has to be her?"

I added on, without shifting my attention off the form.

Kusuda : "N-No. I understand m-miss... T-There won't be any problems."

Under Hondou-kun watch, it seems he can't do anything.

Shortly after, Hondou-kun handed it over to him along with Sakura-san's camera without a hitch. Sakura-san breathed a sigh of relief.

It would take about two weeks for the camera's repairs to be finished. Looking very disappointed with this, Sakura-san hung her shoulders in frustration.

Sakura : "Mr. Shop Assistant was really terrifying... The way he was talking on and on was so imposing that it made me feel a little anxious."

Hondou : "The way he was talking so incessantly was gross, wasn't it?"

Kushida : "What do you think, Aya-chan?"

Kiyone : "Well, I didn't personally mind it. Do you know him by any chance Sakura-san? I mean the salesclerk?"

Sakura-san gave a small nod. It seems that she met the clerk back when she bought the camera.

Hondou : "What do you think, Ayanokoji-san?"

He asked for my opinion.

Kiyone : "Well, I guess he may have had a somewhat unapproachable temperament. Especially with girls."

Sakura : "There was a situation where he tried to speak with me before... B-Because of that, I was afraid of going to get the repair done alone..."

Kushida-san made a small sound as if she had realized something and turned towards me with wide eyes.

Kushida : "Is that why you try to fill the form before Hondou-kun stopped you?"

Kiyone : "That's it. I think that Sakura-san feel uncomfortable that's why after I realizing about the regulation. I try to put mine, but why would Hondou-kun stopped me?"

Hondou : "Isn't that obvious? It's because you are a girl. As if I would just watch that creep do as he wanted, so I write down mine on your stead"

Kiyone : "I-Is that so? Thanks Hondou-kun"

Hondou : "I-Its nothing much to grattitude for..."

He suddenly blushed. I wonder does he perhaps never receiver a word 'thanks' from girl

Whereas, as a male, there wouldn't be anything to worry about if he had his information instead I guess.

Sakura : "Th-thanks... Hondou-kun. You've really done me a great favor..."

Hondou : "N-No, it was nothing really. All I did was write down my address. I'll get in touch with you when I'm notified that the repairs are completed."

Sakura-san nodded happily.

Hondou-kun trying to act cool however I saw his face turn all red.

Kiyone : "You're watching over Sakura-san pretty closely."

Hondou : "T-That's misleading! Etto...to be exact, I was watching the distinct mannerisms of the shop assistant. How do I put it... He gave off an atmosphere that screamed 'pervert', didn't he?"

Kiyone : "Not gonna lie, I'm thinking just same like you"

It must have been pretty tough on the defenseless Sakura-san. I bet even Kushida-san had enough of him.

Sakura : "Because Kushida-san and Ayanokoji-san was with me today, he didn't focus all of his attention on me. Thank you."

If Sakura-san had faced the clerk one on one, she might have ended up running away.

Kushida : "If it's something like this, I'm totally willing to lend you a hand. Sakura-san, are you a fan of digital cameras?"

Sakura : "Yeah... though it wasn't a passion of mine when I was younger. I slowly came to like them after my father got me one before I got into middle school. That being said, I just like to take pictures, I don't know anything about how cameras work at all."

Kiyone : "Understanding how cameras work and enjoying photography are two different things. I think it's great to be passionate about something."

Kushida : "If I'm remembering correctly, you said that you usually like to take pictures of landscapes right? Do you take pictures of other stuff, like people?"

Sakura : "Ehh!?"

Sakura-san backed up quickly, in the blink of an eye. Did we ask an inappropriate question?

I thought that Kushida-san had asked her something completely natural. Does she take pictures of something else, or is her specialty in taking pictures of scenery or landscape only?

Sakura-san opened her mouth in shock as her body stiffened.

Sakura : "...S-Secret."

I see. She doesn't want to give a detailed answer to us.

Kiyone : "Why?"

Sakura : "T-That, that's because... it's very embarrassing..."

Sakura blushed and looked away in shame as she spoke. Is she taking pictures of something embarrassing?

It was a situation where my imagination ran wild with the possibilities, I had to bear with it.

Kiyone : "Is that so? Anyways, sorry for this, but can I take a quick look around the store?"

Hondou : "Are you looking for something?"

I don't know if there's something I'm looking for, or if there's just something on my mind.

Kiyone : "It's fine if the three of you take a look around as well."

Kushida : "Then let's all go together. Right?"

Sakura : "Y-Yes. It's my bad for having you come out and accompany me... so I also have some free time."

It appears that all of them ended up deciding to come with me, though I was hoping they wouldn't.

The two of them engaged in some sort of girls' talk in front of us, and in order to avoid disturbing them, I decided to make a check for what I was looking for followed by Hondou-kun beside me. I opened up the contact list on my phone.

I went down to the S line in my contacts, selected『Sotomura Hideo』, and started a call.

Kiyone : "Moshi-moshi. Sotomura-kun, do you have a minute?"

Sotomura : "Uwoooghh!!!"

Ugh so loud! I heard some a scream voice out there. Is he perhaps alright?

Sotomura : "Ahem! Tis quite unexpected to be phoned by a girl like Ayanokouji-dono. What can I do for you?"

The one on the other side of the call was Sotomura, nicknamed The Doctor. While his nickname makes it seem like he has a good head, in reality, he's just a passionate Otaku. He gathers information on a daily basis, covering a broad range of topics, from the latest bishoujo games to anime and manga.

Kiyone : "That notebook computer you're always using was bought with points from the school, right?"

Sotomura : "It is so. I parted ways with 80,000 points. But what of it?"

Kiyone : "There's something I'm looking to buy in the electronic appliance store on campus."

I told him that I was already in the store and gave an outline of what I was looking for. I explained that although there were many similar products in front of me, I didn't know which one to pick.

While I think it would have been faster to just ask the clerk, that would have been met with various difficulties.

Sotomura : "Ayanokouji-dono... do you figure me as well acquainted with things of that nature?"

Kiyone : "It's fine if you don't know."

Sotomura : "Wait a moment please! Give me this humble servant a chance!"

Kiyone : "O-Okay..."

He called out to me as I was about to cut the call.

Sotomura : "I do know. I used to have two of those things back at my parent's house."

Kiyone : "I see. You were making mischief like that back in middle school?"

Sotomura : "N-No! Don't misunderstand. At the time I was experimenting for the sake of foreign language studies."

Kiyone : "Well then, if it turns out that I need it, is it fine for me to ask you to set it up?"

Sotomura : "Fufu~ It has been entrusted. If you need my future assistence, please come to see me again Ayanokoji-dono"

He was the right person in the right place. For things where I hold no expertise, there's always another person with detailed knowledge to fill the gap. I ended the call

Kiyone : "Ne~ Hondou-kun. Can I ask you to help Sotomura-kun with the thing I entrusted toward him"

Hondou : "Sure, I don't mind but what is it?"

Kiyone : "S-E-C-R-E-T"

I said that while put my index finger in front of my mouth. He blushed looking at my gesture. Did it perhaps too much for him. Even though with my stoic face

Kiyone : "You will understand when the time come. Its wasn't big secret anyway. Let call those two"

Hondou : "O-Okay"

I turned to Kushida and Sakura.

Kiyone : "Sorry, I've kept you both waiting."

Kushida : "You're already finished?"

Kiyone : "I'm just previewing things today. I don't have enough points to buy any electronics anyways."

Suddenly Kushida-san abruptly stood still and stared at Sakura's face.

Kushida : "Huh? Sakura-san, have we ever met somewhere before?"

Sakura : "Eh? N-No... Not that I can remember, but-"

Kushida : "Sorry. For some reason, when I looked at you just a second ago, I vaguely felt like I had seen you someplace before. Erm, if it's alright with you, would you mind taking off your glasses?"

Sakura : "Eeeh!? T-This is a bit...! My eyesight is so bad that I can't see anything..."

Sakura-san refused Kushida-san's request while waving her hands from side to side in front of her.

Kushida : "Hey, let's get together sometime, Sakura-san. Not just you and me, but with many other friends as well."

Sakura : "That's..."

Sakura began to say something, but her words trailed off and she didn't make it to the end of her sentence.

Hondou : "Cute..."

Hondou-kun who beside me commented when he saw their interaction

It appeared that Kushida-san also felt it would be troublesome to ask again, so she didn't say anything in particular. No- perhaps she couldn't press the issue anymore?

Kushida-san and Sakura-san. Looking at the two of them walking side by side, I feel like the distance between them has shortened significantly over the course of today alone. I wish Kushida-san would share the secrets of how to do that with me. Meanwhile, the boy beside me...

Kiyone : "Hondou-kun, are you alright?"

Hondou : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "I mean, the real reason you are willing to come because Kushida-san asked you right?"

Hondou : "O-Of course, not-"

Kiyone : "Yeah yeah I understand. What am I asking isn't about that. I mean, are you displeased that Sakura-san and I get in your way to enjoy your weekend with Kushida-san?"

Hondou : "Well...honestly, this was unexpected however I didn't hate it in the slightest. If I could say that I'm kinda happy going out with 3 girls at once since I never gone with girl since I was on junior school..."

Pityful...

Hondou : "W-Wait, Ayanokoji-san. Don't stare at me like that. Please don't give a pity on me, it could shattered my pride as a man!"

Kiyone : "S-Sorry..."

He's though one I think. He doesn't want to get pitied even though he is on pityful situation. I respect you Hondou-kun

Then I decide to push Hondou-kun forward

Hondou : "W-Wait, Ayanokoji-san. What are you doing? S-Stop pushing me please"

Kushida-san and Sakura-san stopped and look behind.

Kiyone : "I wanted to talk with Sakura-san, is it alright with you Sakura-san?"

Sakura : "A-Ah...S-Sure..."

I look toward Kushida-san and she is nodded. Well, its killing 2 bird with 1 stone.

I whispered to Hondou-kun

Kiyone : "Do your best"

Hondou-kun seems flustered, well he is somewhat nervous...

Then, we continue our walks while Sakura-san and me followed behind Kushida-san and Hondou-kun

During our walk, Sakura-san keep giving a glance at me but when I look at her she look away.

Sigh...

Kiyone : "What's wrong Sakura-san? Is there something you wanted to talk-"

Sakura : "Ano..."

Long silence and we look each other.

Sakura : "What do you think I should do?"

Kiyone : "About Sudou-kun's case huh? You can do whatever you wanted"

She surprised hearing my answer

Sakura : "W-Whatever I wanted...?"

Kiyone : "Yes"

Sakura : "Honestly, when you talk to me like that yesterday...If I didn't say it I think I'll regret it..."

Kiyone : "Why are you decide to inform me?"

I keep look forward while we were converse. Gladly that Kushida-san or Hondou-kun can't hear what are we talking about since Hondou-kun somehow busy tried to impress her. Thanks for coming with us Hondou-kun

Sakura : "Because...I didn't feel any malice...err...how should I say...I'm more comfortable to talk with someone like you..."

Is it because that both of us had same status like background character in the class?

Sakura : "Sorry, I can't explain it well..."

Kiyone : "More or less I do understand what do you tried to said, but if you seeking an advice...I do think that Kushida-san would be more fitting than me."

Is it her intuition that she is somehow avoiding Kushida-san when she talking regardess something supposed to be secret?

She's grateful although she can't trust Kushida-san. Maybe something like that

Kiyone : "You said that you will regret it if you didn't tell it"

Sakura : "Yes..."

Kiyone : "if so, that's okay right?"

She got flinched after hearing my words. Maybe I should explain it better to avoid misunderstanding

Kiyone : "For Sudou-kun. For Kushida-san. For everyone in the class D. Just throw away that kind of thinking..."

Sakura : "W-What do you mean...I don't understand-"

Kiyone : "You don't have to burden yourself with that.If you wanted to take an act, just do it for yourself."

Sakura : "For...myself?"

Kiyone : "Yes, I that's enough"

She spacing out pondering what I just convey to her.

Well, whatever she wanted to do. I had another plan by myself

Eventually, we ended up back at the spot where we met up in the beginning.

Sakura : "Um... Thank you very much for today. You've really become my savior."

Kushida : "No, no. It's not anything you need to be that thankful for. Moreover, Sakura-san, if it's alright with you, could you speak normally? It's strange to use honorific language with classmates."

Sakura-san's choice of words definitely aren't the type one would use with other classmates of the same grade.

However, this wasn't a very simple matter for Sakura-san, who appeared to be overwhelmed.

Sakura : "I'm, not really doing it on purpose... am I strange?"

Kushida : "I'm not saying you've done anything wrong. However, I'd be happier if we could just speak casually."

Sakura : "Ah, y-yeah... Understood- I mean... I get it. I'll try my best."

I'd expected her to refuse Kushida-san's suggestion, but Sakura-san ended up giving a response that made it seem like she had come to terms with it.

I wonder if this is how people get on good terms with one another, one step at a time.

Even against someone like Sakura-san, who barely left herself open to others, Kushida-san had managed to steadily shrink the distance between them.

Kiyone : "You don't have to push yourself if you don't want to."

Sakura : "I-It's okay. Because... I also..."

Sakura-san cast her eyes downwards as her words quietly trailed off, unable to reach my ears. However, she didn't appear to be feeling discomfort.

Kushida smiled in satisfaction and left things like that without pushing the matter any further.

I guess that was a tactful place to stop.

From the standpoint of someone who's weak at socializing, it would be appreciated for someone to be willing to take the lead and show them what to do, but on the other hand, if it becomes annoying or if you push them too much, they may end up pushing back.

Hondou : "Well then, see you guys at school."

He nervously waved his hand

Kushida : "Then, Sakura-san. We will-"

However, unexpectedly, Sakura didn't move at all.

Sakura : "Hey...!"

Sakura raised her voice a bit and looked directly at both of us. When we returned her gaze, she quickly looked away.

Sakura : "About that thing with Sudou-kun... As a thanks for today, I haven't been completely honest but... if it's alright with you..."

She once again paused for a moment, and then clearly spoke the words.

Sakura : "... About Sudou-kun. I, I may be able to cooperate..."

Sakura-san personally stated that she was an eyewitness of the incident.

Kushida-san and I exchanged glances with each other.

Kushida : "Sakura-san, are you saying that you saw Sudou-kun's fight with the other students?"

Sakura : "Yeah... I-I saw the entire thing. Even though I just happened to see it by chance... it really is unbelievable, isn't it?"

Kushida : "That's not true. However, why are you bringing it up now? It's a completely wonderful thing to discuss, but I don't want you to overdo it. I didn't set things up today to make you feel like you owe us something."

Sakura-san seemed to be at a loss for words and shook her head from side to side.

The fact that she's chosen to speak up now of all times might be evidence that Sakura-san cares about Sudou-kun's situation more than anyone. It made me wonder if she wanted to cooperate and come forward with information to get a foothold on the situation.

Kushida : "Is it really okay? You're not forcing yourself here, right?"

She seemed to be thinking along the same lines that I was.

Sakura-san understood that Kushida-san's question came from a place of concern, so she nodded apologetically.

Sakura : "It's alright... I think, I may end up regretting it if I keep silent. I also... I don't want to be a burden to my classmates. But, if I was to speak out as an eyewitness, I would end up standing out anyway... I just hate it... I'm sorry."

She took a glance to me but when I look at her she immediately averted her eyes. I wonder what does she wanted to convey on me. Sorry, but I'm not an esper. Unless you talk I doubt I could understand your intention at all.

After offering many regret-filled apologies, Sakura-san promised Kushida-san that she would testify.

Kushida : "Thank you, Sakura-san. Sudou-kun will definitely be pleased to hear this!"

Kushida-san grabbed hold of Sakura-san's hands, and Sakura-san responded to Kushida-san with a smile.

So, Sakura-san could smile like that huh?

Was a new friendship born, right here and now? I wonder.

In any case, it was the moment Sudou-kun had been hoping for. A witness had finally been willing to act.

We finally parted away with Sakura-san.

However...

Kushida : "Hey, do you had a time?"

She asked me with her true face expression. Of course, I immediately wary when she is on this state

Kiyone : "Are you wanting to venting on how discomfort you are with that salesclerk before?"

She didn't said anything and come approach me.

Kushida : "Lets talk it on your place"

Kiyone : "Why?"

We glared each other, until...

Suddenly Kushida-san changed her expression again. This time it was the angelic mask and she smiled at me

Kushida : "I had something that both of us need to confirm. How is it?"

Pondering for a while, I decide that whatever she wanted to say. I guess no harm to hear it

Kiyone : "Sure"

Now in my room

Kushida : "Sorry for intrude!"

She gone inside first and I following her behind. She decide to sat on my bed

Kiyone : "What do you want that you need to come to my room?"

She look for her phone inside her bag. Next, she show it to me

Kushida : "Actually I was looking for something earlier on the internet. Did you perhaps know this girl?"

She said that while giving her phone to me to look for a certain picture.

Huh?

I decide to scroll next picture

Next

Next

Kiyone : "This...is this perhaps Sakura-san? Somehow its kinda hard to guessed from her face and her body proportion, but..."

I show the next picture while giving back her phone to her

Kiyone : "This photo, somehow taken in our dorms"

Kushida : "So, you taken the same conclusion with me then. You see, I find this picture under alias Shizuku. She is gravure idol."

Kiyone : "Gravure idol?"

Kushida : "Unexpected isn't it?"

No, more look like I don't know what is 'gravure idol'?

Kushida : "Ne~ Could you come over here"

I walk approached her then suddenly Kushida-san grab my hand when I'm unaware.

Kiyone : "Wait-!"

Losing my balance I fell toward bed. At that time she snatched my glasses.

I look at her. She hold my glasses somehow like checking something

Suddenly she throw my glasses back at me. I catch it casually...

Kushida : "As expected. I wonder why there is no distortion on this lens and that was a good catch"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Kushida : "Don't play dumb. You are just the same like Sakura-san, isn't it?"

Kiyone : "W-What do you-"

Not finished my word, I immediately understand what does she mean. I got careless

Kushida : "I wonder something. Its kinda strange that both of you wear a fake glasses. However in Sakura-san's case, I do get more or less understand she did that to hide her face but you..."

She pointed at me

Kushida : "...Is there something you hide from anyone, Aya-chan?"

We stared each other long time without nobody make a noise

I closed my eyes and put my glasses near the drawer at my bed

Kiyone : *sigh* "Of course I do, just like you"

Kushida : "Heh~ Interesting, I wonder if you could-"

PING!

Then suddenly Kushida-san phone making sound. Perhaps a message entered on her phone

She immediately look at her phone. She look at me with her usual angelic face with smile

Kushida : "Ano ne~ Sakura-san is willing to act as witness. That's great isn't it?"

Kiyone : "I supposed so..."

Kushida : "Then, I won't pry on you. Sorry for suddenly acting strange like that"

She walked toward exit. Before she leave the room...

Kushida : "See you later, Aya-chan"

She closed the door

What was that? What did Kushida-san wanted to do to me?

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

X : Ah! Your drawing just suck like usual

Well, thank you for looking at least

Y : LOL, you just pick the scene from anime. Not that I care anyway since I know you actually lazy to draw. Glad that I didn't need to saw how you screw Shizuku-chan drawing

Man, you talk as if I'll screw it...Well, now since you said that my self-confident somehow diminished... -_-

Z : May I ask you question, I wonder about something. Why you didn't use AI to draw? Isn't that tiresome? Or are you perhaps prefered that way

Well, honestly its nothing special. It just that the AI keep disappointing me, why can't that machine understood what I wanted. That's why, because I get pissed off I decide to draw it by myself LOL

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 2 : Preparation for Testimony

Horikita Suzune POV

Time to wake up. I looked at the clock that was hanged on the wall I was getting out of the bed. I woke up as usual. The habit that the body had developed can't be forgotten. This habit hasn't changed since I entered this school.

With the exception of some special circumstance that made me go to bed late, I have always woken up at 6:00 am.

Horikita : "What a day to started this week..."

After that I slightly arranged my appearance and started preparing breakfast.

Although I don't have much appetite because of these recent days. I've been keeping to eat three meals a day. As a result I've a balanced nutrition, to the extent of living a life of having a good diet.

After that, I left the room at 8:00 o'clock to go to school.

The sequence of actions up to this point has not changed since elementary school.

Originally, it should've been like this. The former me went to school alone, studied alone, ate lunch alone, returned home alone. This is me –Horikita Suzune's life, and at the same time, my nature. The pitiful gazes that comes from the surroundings considering me as a solitary person are just meddlesome.

No, even an explanation such as meddlesome is wrong. I can accomplish whatever I do. Be it studies or sports, I have the confidence that I'm superior than my peers. And more importantly, it's impossible for me to trust other people.

At first, everybody displayed a good attitude in order to approach me, but they would immediately leave. So I naturally distanced myself from other people. As a result, I never perceived loneliness nor inconvenience.

That's why this situation will inevitably continue. But recently, this has started to change. Inside me, the tempo of my life has started to change quietly. I feel that the time I spend being alone has been reducing. I know what's causing this. It's because of the resident of my neighboring seat in the classroom.

I casted a glance at Ayanokouji Kiyone-san's seat, who has not arrived at school yet. I don't know why, but no matter what attitude I adopt towards her, her attitude has never changed. When we meet for the first time, it couldn't be said that I gave her a good impression. I thought I would be quickly ignored.

But we spend more time without I realized it. Sometimes I eat her cooking, sometimes I give several advice on her when she ask, even we often go to home together.

When I came back to reality, I realized that the time where I talk to her has increased.

Why is that?

Why?

These questions rush to my mind in quick succession, I'm unable to understand this. I've never considered her as a friend, never. Although I don't know what she thinks, I only consider her as a person who sits beside me in the classroom by chance.

However, there is no doubt, my mind must has some other ideas...

The more I know her the more mysterious she can be. Even my homeroom teacher said something unusual about her. 'The most defective person in class', if it was Ike-kun, Sudou-kun, or Yamauchi-kun I could understand however she said it was her. Also, what make me confused is how could getting 50 on all subject on purpose could be considered as the most defect student?

At this rate I would doubt Chabashira-sensei's word but also started to observe Ayanokoji Kiyone-san. I wonder why would I do this? I doubt revealing whatever her secret she hold could help me to get into class A. What did I wanted to gain by interacting with 'my first pawn' or maybe because of that somehow I think that she is somewhat special.

She has come to the classroom.

She looks like usual, slowly going to her seat while lacking enthusiasm.

During that moment, my classmate Kushida-san talked to her.

Kushida : "Thank you for the previous Sunday. You've really helped me."

She was talking while having a big smile in her face and waving her hands. These are acrobatics I'm not able to do.

They somehow talk a lot of things.

Kushida : "Let's go play again in the future."

Kiyone : "Oh, oh...sure.."

Being treated familiarly, she answered her while looking as if she was thinking that wasn't bad.

In other words, these two went somewhere on Sunday, didn't they?

...Nothing to do with me.

...

...

I'm curious now. What are these two girls doing during their weekend?

Even I aware what people do in rest day in whatever place have no impact on my life.

Realizing that I somehow stared her for a while. Ayanokouji-san greeted me with a stiff manner, different to how she treated Kushida-san. I also used an equally degree of stiff tone to reply her. And the conversation is over.

That was supposed to be but...

Horikita : "Were you together with Kushida-san during the rest day?

I originally intended to end the conversation a moment ago, but I unconsciously let those words out of my mouth.

It looks like she treated those words as the everyday conversation and didn't look at me.

Kiyone : "She asked for my help because of Sakura-san. Then I had no choice."

She really treats Kushida-san with a different attitude. Is this due to the difference in the intimacy degree?

Horikita : "I see."

I couldn't help but answer coldly, as if she was a stranger.

Kiyone : "Is there any problem...?"

Did she look at me because she felt my question was unexpected?

After that she looked as if she was startled and she pulled back while shrinking her body. I decide to look at her stoic face but she asking me instead

Kiyone : "W-What happened to you?"

Horikita : "What do you mean?"

I totally don't understand why she would act like that. There were no other strange things nearby.

Kiyone : "Err...somehow you have a very frightening expression. Did I perhaps do something wrong?"

A very frightening expression? Did I put on that kind of expression?

In addition, nothing happened before that could make my expression change.

But if I have to say it no matter what, it was just that I was a bit dissatisfied at Ayanokouji-san's treats people differently.

That's wrong, there's something more. She's someone who avoids troublesome things, she should dislike those things. And yet she was called out by Kushida-san during rest days and she even accompanied her proactively.

This really puts people in a bad mood.

Even though there shouldn't be big variations of the time we spent in together, why is that?

Horikita : "Really? I didn't plan to do that, it's like usual. I was only lamenting that you have become someone who does as one pleases. When I asked you for help I even had an embarrassed face, but when Kushida-san requests for your help, you easily agreed. I am just calmly analyzing where could the difference be."

Why did I speak so fast? Not even I could believe myself. These words simply sounded like someone trying to divulge that they were gloomy. Why is that? It slightly looked as if I couldn't handle my unfathomable heart.

Kushida-san was looking at me from far away.

After that, she approached as if she realized something and touch Ayanokouji-san's shoulder then talked again for a while. Next, the two of them out to the corridor. I didn't know why my eyes followed these two.

Horikita : "...Why? Just...why are you treating me so differently?"

I muttered in low voice that nobody hear. What is this? Jealously? I mean, its true that I'm nobody to her but why I don't like it when Kushida-san slowly taking her away. Taking my very first 'pawn'.

Horikita : "...Don't tell me, I'm started to treating her as a friend?"

I said that in a low voice, as if to let myself confirm that. This can't be, right?

There shouldn't be any factor for me to treat her as a friend.

I'm no trying to boast, but I don't even understand clearly what a friend is. In other words, it's impossible that I can make friends since I can't comprehend this concept. Perhaps I'm just in a bad mood because of that attitude of her lately.

Because she is always unmotivated, she's not really the type of person I like.

It has to be this.

By distorting that only answer, my heart could relax a little bit.

I don't need friends.

That's right, this kind of feeling...

This just get in my way to achieve my goal. She's just a pawn, moreover a very first pawn that can be thrown away when they aren't needed anymore

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

It was just one day until the meeting between Sudou and Class C.

I'm pretty sure with Horikita-san's cooperation and Sakura-san's testimony, as well as Kushida-san and Hirata-kun's actions, our entire class felt spirited and courageous. You could say that we were united. However, it was obvious that we lacked firm, irrefutable evidence, and it would still be difficult to prove Sudou-kun's innocence. Our deliberation would decide the outcome.

Kiyone : "...Atsui~..."

As someone who first time experienced a heat wave on summer. I keep complain about anything which make me feel discomfort

I never thought about global warming more than when I exited a building with working air conditioning. Considering I'd likely suffer every day until August, my spirits remained low. The moment I left my dorm's lobby, hot and humid air assaulted me. While I endured the pain of my burning skin, I walked the path to school lined with green, leafy trees.

Something was different today, though. There was something on the bullet in board by the stairway's landing, a little in front of the shoe cubbies.A news on the board said that they were looking for students with information related to Sudou-kun and Class C.

Kiyone : "This-"

Clearly, somebody was trying to help. It was sincerely appreciated, because we hadn't even considered taking such measures ourselves. This mystery person was action-oriented. Furthermore, while the sign itself might have appeared a weak effort, the author also wrote that they'd be willing to give points to helpful informants. In that case, even apathetic students would pay attention.

As I scanned the message, I was quite impressed

Ichinose : "Good morning, Ayanokouji-san!"

Ichinose-san comingout from behind me

She must have just arrived.

Kiyone : "I saw the paper on the bulletin board.Is this your doing, Ichinose-san?"

Ichinose-san joined me in looking at the board. She appeared deeply interested

Ichinose : "Hmm. I see, I see. So there's this method, too."

Kiyone : "Huh? This wasn't you?"

I'd thought that surely this was her strategy.

Ichinose : "This was probably—"

Ichinose-san sight caught something

Ichinose : "Ah, he's here! Good morning, Kanzaki-kun."

Ichinose raised her hand up and signaled to a lone male student. The boy noticed Ichinose-san, and approached us with quiet steps.

Ichinose : "Did you put this up, Kanzaki-kun?"

I guess the violet-blush hair boy name is Kanzaki

Kanzaki : "Yeah. I made and posted it on Friday. Is there something wrong?"

Ichinose : "Oh, no. Not at all. My friend here just wanted to know who did it. Ah, I'll introduce youKanzaki-kun, this is Ayanokouji Kiyone fromClass D."

His demeanor was stiff, but he appeared to be a serious student. He was tall and slender. A pretty boy, but in a different way from Hirata-kun. But he keep stared at me

Kanzaki : "Did we perhaps once meet somewhere else, before?

Huh? Why did he suddenly asking that. I started to ponder what he said...

Kanzaki : "Ahem! Forget what I said. Since she called you 'Ayanokoji'. I though that we once meet somewhere before"

Suddenly, he just dismiss that question

Ichinose : "Aree~ What is it? First love on sight? Fufufu~"

Kanzaki : "Stop joking Ichinose-san. You only made her uncomfortable"

Ichinose : "Sorry sorry"

She said with giggles. Honestly I'm still wondering how Kanzaki-kun suddenly assumed like that.

Kanzaki : "Sorry, err...Ayanokoji. Maybe I mistaken you for someone else. Then, I'll introduce myself. The name is Kanzaki Ryuuji, nice to meet you"

Kiyone : "Nice to meet you too, Kanzaki-kun"

He nodded to my greeting

Ichinose : "Well, it could be happened right? I don't mean to rude or something but I guess Ayanokoji or Kanzaki are quite common surename in Japan. Maybe that's why you could mistaken her"

Kanzaki : "I guess so"

Ichinose : "So, how's it going, Kanzaki-kun? Did you get anything reliable?"

Kanzaki : "Unfortunately, I haven't received any useful information."

Ichinose : "I see. Well, how about we look at the bulletin board."

Kanzaki : "At the bulletin board? Did you put up another poster?"

Ichinose-san wore a thin smile, indicating it was something else.

Ichinose : "Well, I mean the other board. Have you ever checked out the school homepage? There's a message board. I requested that people come forward with information there. I said that if there anyone witnessed a violent incidentat our school, I'd like to hear about it."

After she said that, Ichinose-san showed us her phone's screen. It showeda message seeking out witnesses, as well as a count for the number of people who'd viewed it. The displayed number was still only in the dozens, but it was much more efficient than asking people directly. Also, the message posted to the homepage offered compensation to witnesses and people withhelpful information.

Ichinose : "Ah, regarding the stuff about points, don't worry. We just decided to do that on our own. Besides, it will probably be difficult for us to get new information now. Ah!"

Kiyone : "What's the matter?"

Ichinose : "It looks like I just got two messages regarding the post. There might bea little information."

Ichinose-san checked her phone for confirmation. After she'd read the messages, a slight smile crept onto her face.

Ichinose : "Just like this."

She showed me her phone so I could read the message for myself.

Ichinose : "It looks like one of the boys from Class C, Ishizaki-kun, was a bad seedduring on hisjunior high school. He was good at fighting, and terrorized the locals. A kid from his home town probably leaked this"

Kanzaki : "Interesting,"

Like Kanzaki-kun, I found the information quite interesting. Everyone had assumed that the three students Sudou-kun fought were normal kids.

However, if they were troublemakers too, then that was a different story. As for the other two, being basketball players meant they probably had good motor skills. Yet,Sudou-kun had turned the tables, and beat them all without once being hit himself.

I couldn't help but feel there was something unnatural about that.

Ichinose : "Kanzaki-kun, what do you think?"

Kanzaki : "Perhaps they let Sudou beat them up on purpose. If the three of themhad wanted to set a trap for Sudou, the story would make perfect sense. Theconnection seems natural."

Ichinose : "Yeah, I think so too. I knew you'd figure it out, Kanzaki-kun. Great work. If we can verify this information, then we could be one step closer to proving Sudou-kun's innocence. But what we have is still pretty weak, isn't it?"

Kanzaki : "Yeah. Even if we managed to convince people with this new evidence, we're really only halfway there. The fact that it was such a one- sided fight definitely puts a lot of pressure on us."

Sudou-kun probably wouldn't want to shoulder some of the guilt alongside the others. Neither party wanted to be liable for this situation. If we got testimony from Class D, though, our chances would probably be 6 to 4, or maybe 7to 3.

Kiyone : "No, we can't say anything yet."

I decide to concealed Sakura-san's name since we were still investigating

Kanzaki : "I see. Is there some reason why?"

Since the whole Sakura-san situation was rather delicate, I avoided explaining in detail. After all, she might decide to quit after all, even on theday of the decision. I wanted to have an escape route.

Ichonose : "There've been no reports of another witness, just as I thought. It would've been interesting if one had stepped forward, but I suppose it was tough. We're out of time. Our only choice now is to wait for more information from either the Internet or the bulletin board, right?"

Kiyone : "Is it okay to wait that long, though? I mean, those Class C guys mightzero in on us."

Ichinose : "It'll be okay. Besides, both Class C and Class A originally targeted us, anyway."

Kanzaki : "Ichinose is right. Besides, even if you wanted to stick by the rules, everyone is acting out of bounds. I think it's okay to ask for forgiveness this time."

Ichinose-sanand Kanzaki-kun made it pretty clear that they wanted to be fairand square when competing against the school and the other students. Though I doubt the other class would follow the norm

Ichinose : "Anyway, we'll have to transfer points over to anyone who provides us with information. Ah, but what if someone does so anonymously? In that case, how would we transfer over the points?"

Kiyone : "Ican tell you, if you'd like. Do you want me to?"

Kanzaki : "Wait, how do you know?"

Kiyone : "The method itself isn't that confusing. You had the right to doubt me Kanzaki-kun, that's why I asking her before to do this since I sincerely wanted that our cooperation build based on trust"

Ichinose-san and Kanzaki-kun look each other to confirm about that

Ichinose : "Do you know something, Ayanokouji-san?"

Kiyone : "I just remembered something when I was messing around on my phone. Do you know the person's number?"

Ichinose : "It's a toll-free number, but I remember it."

Ichinose-san drew close and pointed at her phone. Being this near to somebody usually made people feel defenseless.

Kiyone : "You are surely defenseless huh?"

Ichinose : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "Nothing"

Well, glad that Shiranami-san wasn't around. Although I don't know exactly what her feeling right now toward Ichinose-san, either still or withered away

Kiyone : "Here, open up the points remittance screen. You should see your ID numberin the upper left corner. Then..."

As I instructed her. She quite fast

Ichinose : "Umm...so is it right?"

Kiyone : "Not yet, please set the amount first..."

Ichinose-san's fingers were nimble. She pressed the button to open up her own points page. After the page loaded, it was displayed on the screen.

Ichinose : "Yep, yep. There it is. So what should I do now that I can see theIDnumber?"

Kiyone : "From your IDnumber, you can issue a temporary token key. If you open that, and send the key, you should get are quest for payment."

Ichinose : "I see. Thank you!"

Kiyone : "Sure, no problem"

Ichinose : "Okay. Let's go, Kanzaki-kun."

Ichinose started walking.

But, Kanzaki-kun keep stare at me as if he tried to analyze me or something.

Ichinose : "Kanzaki-kun?"

Kanzaki : "Ah, sorry. See you later Ayanokoji"

They left

Just then, for a split second, I had remember something on Ichinose's phone.

Kiyone : "...2,642,219 points. Is there a possible way to get so much amount of points during short time?"

The fragment of screen I'd noticed had burned itself into my mind and wouldn't go away. What should I do? Was what I'd seen even possible? Ichinose-sanmight prove a huge obstacle for Horikita-san in her quest to reach Class A

Finally arrived in classroom.

I went immediately to my seat. The desk was cold and so comfortable. Rubbing my cheek on it feel so refreshing.

Not long after I arrived on classroom

Kushida : "Morning Aya-chan! Aree~ why somehow you look so dispirited in the morning?"

Kiyone : "Ah, Kushida-san. Morning, well I just simply hate summer wave. Can't get easily adapted with it.

Kushida : "Fufufu~ you are really funny as usual huh?"

Kiyone : "No, its not a joke. Its clearly hot outside"

Kushida : "Thank you for the previous Sunday. You've really helped me."

Kiyone : "Its nothing, I had quite fun as well yesterday.

Kushida : "Ne ne~ listen Aya-chan. Today..."

Well, some small talk wouldn't hurt I guess. She told me several rumor going around in the school lately.

Kiyone : "That's too bad, so we missing it yesterday?"

Kushida : "Seems so..." *sigh* "I guess it was our bad luck that we didn't encounter any of that"

Kiyone : "I guess..."

Kushida : "Ne ne~ Let's go play again in the future."

Kiyone : "Oh, oh...sure.."

Once again, I'm blending with background. As expected from side character like myself.

Horikita : "Were you together with Kushida-san during the rest day?

Huh? That's rare, why she is asking me like that?

Kiyone : "She asked for my help because of Sakura-san. Then I had no choice."

Horikita : "I see."

She said with icy voice. Must be something bad happened in the morning

Kiyone : "Is there any problem...?"

I looked over at my neighbor, and saw anexpression on Horikita-san's face that I'd never glimpsed before.

Kiyone : "W-What happened to you?"

Horikita : "What do you mean?"

Kiyone : "Err...somehow you have a very frightening expression. Did I perhaps do something wrong?"

Horikita : "Really? I didn't plan to do that, it's like usual. I was only lamenting that you have become someone who does as one pleases. When I asked you for help I even had an embarrassed face, but when Kushida-san requests for your help, you easily agreed. I am just calmly analyzing where could the difference be."

She did not remotely look calm and discreet.

Just then, someone lightly tapped my shoulder, and I see Kushida-san. Horikita-san wore a tremendously puzzled expression as I went over to the hallway, where Kushida-san briefly peeked inside the classroom while we walked away.

Kushida : "I have a feeling I just saw something really incredible!"

Did Kushida-san understand the meaning behind Horikita-san's expression?

She seemed both delighted and surprised.

Kiyone : "Something incredible? That's creepy... I think that Horikita-san was a little angry."

Kushida : "That's not it. I think she feels alienated and lonely over not being invited."

Kiyone : "No way"

Kushida : "She probably doesn't know how she feels... I'm sure she's probably noticed how much fun it is to spend time with friends and talk to them, though. That's a good thing, a good thing."

What a bizarre thought. Horikita-san didn't have a good opinion of Kushida-san. Even so, it was strange for Kushida-san to say that Horikita-san felt alienated over not being invited.

Kushida : "Perhaps you're realizing something fundamental, Aya-chan. Horikita-san is upset that you didn't invite her to come along."

No, no, that couldn't be it... I mean, Horikita-san was a girl who loved solitude, after all. She wasn't supposed to enjoy going out, certainly not with a girl like me.

In that moment, I had come to a rather baffling realization.

After homeroom finished for today.

We asked an audience with Chabashira-sensei in the faculty room. We did this out of consideration for Sakura-san.

Now, we are on the faculty room. Kushida-san tell everything about the circumstance toward her smoothly

Chabashira : "A witness for Sudou's case?"

Kushida : "Yes, sensei. Sakura-san saw everything from start to finish"

Sakura-san step up a little.

Chabashira : "So, according to Kushida. You saw the fight between Sudou and the other?"

Sakura : "Yes, I saw it"

It's not she didn't believe us, but I felt ill at ease before her skeptical gaze.

Sakura-san, true to her word, slowly gave us the truth. This was the first time that we had heard the full story. None of us, not even the teacher, spoke a single word or even moved until the very end.

Chabashira : "I understand what you're said. However I can't simply accept what you're telling me"

I would have thought that, as Class D's homeroom teacher. She would've been delighted to discover a witness from Class D. Kushida-san, betrayed by this turn of events, was flustered.

Kushida : "Wh-What do you mean, sensei?"

Chabashira : "Sakura, why are you testifying now? When I reported the issue during homeroom, you didn't step forward. It's not as though you were absent that day, right?"

Sakura : "Well... That's... I'm just not good at talking with other people..."

Chabashira : "You're not good at talking with other people, and yet you've decided to testify now? Isn't that strange?"

I put a hand on my forehead. I already predicted at certain point that she won't believe it

Chabashira-sensei started hounding Sakura-san, as was typical. Beside, I wonder, even if Sakura-san had stepped forward back when she'd first called for witnesses, I doubt if Chabashira-sensei would honestly have welcomed it.

Kushida : "S-Sensei! Sakura-san is-"

Chabashira : "I'm speaking with Sakura right now. Understand?"

She cut Kushida-san intruption easily like an adult should be

Sakura : "Umm... Well, it's because our...class is in trouble now, and...I thought if...if I testify, I can help..."

Sakura-san hunched and shrank away, much like a frog cornered by a snake. As our teacher, Chabashira-sensei should have understood what kind of girl Sakura-san was. She should have realized that merely by speaking up, Sakura-san had made great progress.

Chabashira :"I see. So, then you mustered up the courage to come forward?"

Sakura : "Y-Yes.."

Chabashira :"I see. Well if you are a witness as you say, naturally I'm obligated to relay that information to the school. However, while the school will listen to the whole story, Sudou may not be declared innocent."

Sakura : "W-What do you mean?"

Chabashira : "Are you really the witness, Sakura? That's what I'm getting at. I think that it may be a lie made up by Class D because the students are afraid of receiving a negative evaluation."

Kushida-san who pissed off with her false accusation spoken

Kushida : "Chabashira-sensei, that's a horrible thing to say!"

Chabashira : "Horrible? If you really had witnessed an event, you should have come forward on the first day. It's natural to feel suspicious when someone steps up just in the nick of time. Considering that the witness is from Class D, it's doubly suspicious. Any reasonable person would have doubts. Don't you think so? Conveniently, a student from the same class happened to be in an infrequently visited building and happened to witness the entire event?"

Kushida : "Even it was like that, the truth is-"

Chabashira : "Yeah yeah, you can say that as much as you want but that doesn't change the school perspective easily like that"

Kushida-san turned her head downward after unable to convince her

I personally think Chabashira-sensei had plenty of good points. The fact that Sakura-san had witnessed the incident was too convenient. People would obviously have their doubts. If I were a third party, I'd probably think Class D had made this story up. Judged impartially, it was only natural to consider this eyewitness testimony weak.

Chabashira :"However, a witness is a witness. I cannot determine if she's lying, so for the time being, I will accept her testimony. So, Sakura, I will ask for you to join us on the day of deliberation. I understand that you do not like to associate with others, but can you do this?"

Chabashira-sensei's words shook Sakura-san, as if she were testing the girl. Sure enough, Sakura-san upon imagining this, turned pale and anguished.

Chabashira :"If you don't like it, you do have the option to withdraw. Also, we'll tell Sudou that he will be participating in the deliberation."

Kiyone : "Are you okay, Sakura-san?"

Sakura : "Y-Yeah...somehow..."

Kushida : "Do you mind if we participate as well, sensei?"

Of course, it was Kushida-san who spoke up, most likely to support Sakura-san.

Chabashira : "If Sudou himself consents, I will approve it. However, we cannot allow that many people. Only a maximum of two may sit in on the deliberation. Please think on that carefully."

We left the faculty room, though it felt more like we were being kicked out. Now, what will Horikita-san do after we explain this?

And soon, after we explained the situation to Horikita-san

Horikita : "Well, naturally that was the result. It's to be expected."

Kiyone : "The situation might be different now, but it's not that huge of a difference, right? I mean, the fact that our witness came from Class D does kind of mean we're out of luck, though."

I didn't know if it would comfort Horikita-san, but I said it to stick up for Sakura-san. If we hadn't convinced our eyewitness to come forward, it probably would've been impossible to prove Sudou-kun's innocence.

Horikita : "Now then, Kushida-san. It would be best for Ayanokouji-san and me to sit in on the deliberation. I fully understand you supporting Sakura-san. However, if it comes to a debate, then that's a different story."

Kushida : "That's... Yes, you're right. I don't think I'd be particularly useful in a debate."

Kiyone : "Wait! Why me? Isn't that better if you and Kushida-san who sit on deliberation?"

Horikita : "Isn't that obvious? I don't like her and its impossible for me to cooperate with her"

Kiyone : "Do you think that at least you should asked for my consent before decide on something?"

Horikita : "It was an order. Just accept it as part of your duty as class D student"

Kiyone : "That's even worse. You are being too selfish-"

Kushida : "A-Ano... I think that Horikita-san choice quite understandable. Aya-chan somewhat more coolheaded and I do think that you are perfect person for accompany Horikita-san tomorrow"

That what she said but I saw it was somehow like she stated that 'as if I could cooperate with her' or something like that. Seriously, these two are troublesome

Actually, I considered saying something about how it would be perfect if Kushida-san and Horikita-san worked together, but thought better of it. It was precisely because they might not make the best team considering that I'd been appointed as a substitute, I supposed.

Horikita : "That's it, just accept it Ayanokoji-san"

I'm sighing in defeat since my consent seems doesn't matter to their opinion to begin with

Kiyone : "Sorry Sakura-san. It ended up with me and Horikita-san who come tomorrow. Do you mind?"

Sakura : "N-No, it's fine."

She didn't seem to like this at all, but she also didn't have much choice right now just like me.

With that settled, we reconvened in the classroom during our lunch to discuss strategy.

Horikita-san had been reluctant to participate, but thanks to Kushida-san's persuasive tears, she'd agreed to join. As for the person of interest himself, even if Sudou-kun said he didn't care and compromised, he could easily become obstinate in critical situations. While I thought about how he might become difficult at any time, I kept silent.

Kushida : "Can we really prove Sudou-kun's innocence tomorrow?"

Sudou : "Of course we will. It's obvious that I was got set up. I'm definitely innocent. Right?"

They simultaneously looked to Horikita-san for her opinion. Horikita-san simply ate her bread in silence, either because she was unable to answer or because she found discussion to be annoying.

Sudou : "Hey, Horikita. What do you think?"

Sudou-kun clearly unable to read the room, drew nearer to Horikita-san.

Horikita : "Don't bring your dirty face so close to me."

Sudou : "I-It's not dirty."

Wild Sudou-kun appeared. Horikita-san used venom words. It was effective. Sudou-kun was depressed. Sudou-kun defeated

Maybe he was hurt by that unexpected jab?

Horikita : "I can't help but be mystified by your belief that your innocence can easily be proven. Although you've gained evidence that works in your favor, you're still in a very disadvantageous situation."

Sudou : "But we have a witness who knows I'm innocent, and the other guys were real jerks in the past. That should be enough, right? Those guys are bad news."

Sudou, completely blind to his own shortcomings, arrogantly crossed his legs and nodded in agreement with himself.

Ike : "Ah, hey, wait a second! I'm still reading that! Give it back!"

Yamauchi : "It's fine, isn't it? I paid for half of it, anyway. I'll give it back later."

Ike and Yamauchi scrambled over a weekly manga magazine. I guess they'd been quietly reading manga while we had our important meeting.

Considering their bitter tears over having absolutely no points at all, I found it kind of amazing that they still managed to buy a magazine each week.

Kushida : "Eh?"

Kushida-san, seated beside me as the Ike/Yamauchi spectacle unfolded, appeared deep in thought after she took a peep on the magazine

Kiyone : "What's up?"

I tried to do the same and...

We looked each other, understanding that we are currently on the same wave.

Kiyone : "Yabai desune"

Kushida : "We can't let anyone here know about the truth"

Well, honestly it was about a certain gravure idol who goes under name 'Shizuku'. However I wonder, does that mean Sakura-san actually somewhat like celebrity or might be an idol. I mean if their picture actually got published at some media like magazine, does that mean she is actually a superstar? Somebody tell me. I don't understand much about this kind of bussiness.

Realized this. I'm somewhat get dispirited...

Kushida-san noticed and asked

Kushida : "What's wrong Aya-chan?

Kiyone : "Nothing..."

To think that Sakura-san betrayed me like this...

I guess I'm the only one, nobody in the class

At evening.

I just happen to finished buy some ingredient from supermarket and I'm on the way at home. Suddenly a message come to my phone.

I look at the sender. It was from Sakura-san. I wonder what did she need from me at this hour.

Sakura : "If I was absent from school tomorrow, what do you think would happen?"

Is she perhaps joking?

Kiyone : "What do you mean?"

Even though my reply had been short, she didn't immediately reply my message.

I'm in front of my room right now. Well, this ingredient need to put on refrigerator first.

I waited a while for her response.

Sakura : "What are you doing right now?"

That was her answer.

Kiyone : "I was in my room by myself"

Sakura : "If it's okay with you, could we meet right now? I'm in room 1106."

Sakura : "If you could keep this a secret from everyone. That would really help me out."

I received two messages from her in quick succession. It was more like texting than message. What exactly was she getting at, I wondered? I thought about asking her why, but then stopped typing. If I bungled this, she might keep messaging me, but it would probably get more difficult to pay her a visit. I had the gut feeling that it would be better for us to meet directly, so I started rewriting my response.

Kiyone : "I'll head over there"

After sending my reply, I reached for my jacket but stopped. Since we were in the same dorm, going out with just a simple clothes was probably fine. I leave my room with my casual outfit

I headed towards Sakura's room.

I pushed the elevator's call button. When the doors slid open, Horikita-san was standing there. What horrible timing.

For some reason, I was completely unable to move. I just stood there. Was this good luck or bad? In the case of bumping into an acquaintance, I had to wonder.

Horikita : "What? You're not getting on?"

While she stared at me, she tried to close the doors.

Kiyone : "Ah, y-yeah! W-Wait Horikita-san! I'm getting on!"

While I felt like this was probably a bad idea, I hopped in and pushed the button for the eleventh floor. I saw that the button for the thirteenth floor was also lit. That must've been Horikita's floor. For some reason, I got the strange feeling that she was watching me from behind.

Kiyone : "Y-You're...heading home late tonight, huh?"

I asked, without looking at her. The silence was unbearable.

Horikita : "I was out shopping. Did you not see?"

I heard the rustle of vinyl bags.

Kiyone : "Y-Yeah...My bad..."

It felt like the elevator was going more slowly than usual. We were still only on the sixth floor. Being stealthily invited over by an introvert person was a stressful situation. My unease meant I had to say something.

Horikita : "This isn't the tenth floor. Is that okay?"

Why in the world was she asking me about the tenth floor? What was her intention?

Horikita : "For someone who dislikes trouble, you've been extremely proactive in involving yourself with this case. Or perhaps you have ulterior motives?"

She was clearly probing at me

Kiyone : "If you have something to say, why not come out and say it?"

Horikita : "You're going to meet with Sakura-san, aren't you?"

Kiyone : "No, I'm not-"

How could she tell?!!

Horikita : "Well. I suppose where you go is none of my business."

Kiyone : "In that case, don't ask me about it"

After a long time, we finally arrived at the eleventh floor in complete silence. I stepped off the elevator, trying to remain calm. I didn't look back. Well, from the outside my behaviour would look like that I treated her coldly. I hope that she didn't get offended by it

Kiyone : "P-Pardon me for intruding..."

I said at Sakura's door. She opened the door

Sakura : "Come on in."

She greeted me wearing casual clothes.

Kiyone : "So. What did you need from me?"

Sakura : "Umm... Ayanokouji-san, do you remember what you said before? You said I wasn't obligated to step forward, even though I was the witness. You also said it was meaningless to force me to testify."

That was back when we were on Sunday I guess. I gave a slight nod.

Sakura : "I...just don't have any self-confidence after all."

Kiyone : "Is this about speaking in front of other people?"

Sakura : "I've been terrible at it for so long... I'm not good at speaking in front of others. If I'm asked to testify in front of the teachers tomorrow, I don't think I'll have the confidence to answer properly. So..."

Kiyone : "So you're considering taking the day off from school?"

Sakura-san gave a slight nod before collapsing and laying her forehead onto the table.

Sakura : "Ahhhhh Mou! Why am I so completely useless?!"

She shrank into herself, clearly ashamed. This unexpected side of her...It was the first time I'd seen her like that.

Kiyone : "S-Sakura-san, you're...surprisingly high-strung, huh?"

I felt the gap between the person I saw now and her usual behavior, and was a little taken aback. Or rather, I was shocked.

Sakura : "Huh?!"

Sakura-san, realizing she'd let me see this side of her, blushed and shook her head.

Sakura : "N-no! I'm not like that at all."

So she could be act so lively like this. I'd had no idea, considering her usually depressed look.

Kiyone : "Hey, can I ask you just one thing? Why did you call me? Kushida-san or somebody else would've been friendlier, no maybe easier to talk to? From all people, why me?"

Sakura : "That's because I'm not afraid of your eyes, Ayanokouji-san..."

Huh? What did that mean? I certainly think I didn't have scary eyes or anything, but...

Kiyone : "If you're looking for someone to talk to, Kushida-san is a much warmer, more outgoing person. She has a lot of friends, too."

Sakura : "Oh, no. I don't mean the eyes that you've seen me with. I mean the pupils, way back in the eyes... If you look someone deep in their eyes, you'll understand. I'm sorry, I can't really explain it well."

So, was it like insight into a person's true self? When someone looked at me, would they see that I was insubstantial and lack ambition? Because of that she think I was harmless. This was kind of complicated.

Sakura : "Ayanokoji-san, aren't you afraid when you are interacted with men"

Kiyone : "Huh? Not at all, why?"

Sakura : "You see... Usually when I see a male...even if he seems kind...I suddenly get afraid."

Perhaps that came with a woman's point of view. It might have been natural for her to be uncomfortable around men, but Sakura-san had an abnormally terrified expression. Speaking of which, I recalled the day we'd gone to get her digital camera repaired...

It was certainly true that men and women generally differed in physical strength and stamina. However, some girls were overly mindful of that fact, and lived in abnormal degrees of fear. I wondered if something had happened in Sakura-san's past to cause her intense fear of men. Maybe if I was men she never considered to open herself toward me like this

Sakura : "I know it would be good to simply say what it is I saw. But no matter what I do, I can't seem to imagine it... How can I speak that assertively?"

She was so worried that she'd asked a student like me for help. She'd probably been agonizing over it for the past few days. Even with a helping hand from me, she appeared to be suffering.

Kiyone : "If you want to quit, would you like me to talk?"

Sakura : "You're not going to get mad?"

Kiyone : "I told you before, didn't I? If we forced you to testify, it would be meaningless."

Sakura was an invaluable witness, but her evidence wasn't automatically reliable. She might not have any influence on the outcome. However, if she were absent, Sudou-kun might get angry. I should probably try to coax her into participating, but I had no idea how to do it.

Sakura : "You already told the same since Sunday. But I still don't understand. Aren't you the one who cornered me that day? I mean you were so intimidating with your expresionless face while telling me all of that"

Kiyone : "Is that so? I'm sorry that-"

Sakura : "No, that's fine"

She probably wanted more concrete guidance, but unfortunately this was the best I could do. I wasn't an outstanding person, and certainly not qualified to guide anyone. I wasn't suited for that job.

Sakura : "Anyway, I guess I suppose it's probably bothersome to ask you for help like that... I'm just no good. It's probably why I can't even make a single friend myself perhaps"

Sakura-san shrugged and smiled bitterly. She seemed disgusted with herself.

Kiyone : "Sakura-san, I think you'll be able to make friends with someone in no time."

Sakura : "I'm sorry. I don't know how to best say what I feel... You seem to get along really well with a lot of people, Ayanokouji-san. I'm a bit envious."

Kiyone : "Are you making fun of me? I'm pretty sure that our classmate classified us as one of same stereo-type person"

Apparently Sakura believed that I had many friends and lots of fun.

Sakura : "That's...kinda strange. I don't think that you are bad with communication or something."

Kiyone : "That's the truth. You should observe our class more carefully. Err...It might be presumptuous for me to say this, but I think that we're like friends. Are we?"

Sakura and I stared at each other.

Sakura : "We're friends? Really?"

Kiyone : "If you don't think so, Sakura-san, then that's different."

Sakura : "No... It does make me happy...to hear you say that,"

Sakura-san looking somewhat perplexed.

I began to realize that if people didn't talk face to face, they wouldn't get a feel for what the other person was really like.

I was surprised by the discovery of Sakura-san's unexpected side. If she let this part of her out more, she'd probably make friends right away. Honestly, even a minor adjustment would do wonders.

But for her, I supposed making even a minor adjustment would be difficult. What might seem trivial to one person could be quite difficult for another, depending on their issues.

Sakura : "Thank you for coming to see me today,"

Kiyone : "It's no big deal. You can call me anytime."

If I could ease Sakura-san's burdens even slightly, then it was worth it. I'd leave it up to Sakura-san herself to decide whether or not she'd come to school tomorrow.

Thinking that our conversation was over, I stood and started to leave, but Sakura-san looked like she still wasn't feeling well.

I always wonder. Could I become pro-active like Kushida-san? Maybe this is worth to try

Kiyone : "Do you have any plans for tonight? For right now?"

Sakura : "R-Right now? No, I don't have anything planned. Or rather, I didn't make any plans."

Hmm. Even I felt a little sad when I heard someone say that : 'Well, why not go out with me for a while? If it's not a bother, of course'

I decided to be daring and invite Sakura-san. She stiffened, almost like she had forgotten the time and realized she had to be somewhere important. She looked like she couldn't understand what I'd meant. Then, without any hesitation, she shot up out of her seat.

Sakura : "Huh?!"

As she leapt up, she banged her knees against the table and doubled over in agony. Her glasses flew off her face.

CRASH!

Kiyone : "S-Sakura-san? Are you okay?"

Sakura : "I-I'm perfectly fine! Don't worry!"

She wasn't very convincing. The pain was so intense that she was on the verge of tears. I picked up her glasses. I handed her glasses back.

Her hands trembled when she took them, and she thanked me. Sakura wrestled with her pain for about a minute before she finally calmed down and quieted.

Sakura : "Wh-Where do you want to go?"

She was on her guard, but I didn't understand why. Maybe she believed I was some kind of pick-up artist trying to smooth talk her. If that were the case, it was bad. Maybe an amateur like me shouldn't try to become like Kushida-san

Kiyone : "I haven't really decided. Just kind of felt like wandering around, you know? Ah, but I hate being in hot places...I hate summer and its stupid heat wave..."

Sakura-san giggles about my answer. Then somehow our situation got reversed

Sakura : "If you don't mind, there is someplace I'd like to go. Is that all right?"

Kiyone : "Huh? Yeah, sure, I don't mind. Please lead the way."

I didn't really care about the location, I just wanted to get a change of scenery and talk. If Sakura-san had a place she preferred, then everything would be going according to plan. Although the plan a bit messed up since she is the one who at lead now

Sakura took me to the place she wanted to visit.

I must admit, I hadn't expected the location. We went to a part of the building used specifically for club activities, located away from the school. She guided me around a building that had a pronounced Japanese flair, one that hosted things like the archery club and the tea ceremony club. From a short distance away, we could hear the sound of arrows being fired. They still do their activity even at this time. I guess joining club was part of hardship as well.

Kiyone : "Sakura-san, you're not doing any club activities, right?"

Sakura : "I'm not, but I've wanted to come here at least once. I'd stand out if I came by myself, so..."

If you hung around here on your own, people would think you were interested in joining their club. However, if two of us came together, they would just assume we were just hanging out

Sakura : "Why did you ask me to come out, anyway?"

Kiyone : "Hmm? Why? It's kind of hard to answer when you ask me like that."

Pondering her question for a while...

Kiyone : "I asked you because I thought it would be good to get a change of scenery, I suppose. I mean, I'm kind of a loner, so I usually just stay in my room. I have a tendency to hang back all the time."

Sakura looked somewhat unconvinced by my roundabout answer

Sakura : "But I do think you have several of friends?"

Kiyone : "I do? Like who?"

Sakura : "Horikita-san, Kushida-san, Ike-kun, Sudou-kun, Yamauchi-kun, Hirata-kun..."

She listed their names while counting them on her fingers. However she can't mention more than that...

Kiyone : "Well, they're just for show. No, you're right, a friend is a friend. I guess what I mean is, I feel like that's all we are. I feel like I'm still kind of standing outside the group and looking in. Do you think we get all along, Sakura-san?"

Sakura nodded without hesitation. If she said so, perhaps it was true. I guess I just didn't understand myself.

Sakura : "I don't know how to make friends at all. I'm envious. You were the first person to call me a friend."

Kiyone : "What about Kushida? Wasn't she the first person who invited you out?"

Sheepishly, Sakura gave a self-deprecating smile.

Sakura : "Yeah. I should apologize to Kushida-san sometime. She was the first one to call and invite me out, because I didn't have the courage... I actually wanted to hang out with her. I just couldn't answer her, no matter what I did. Also, I'm sorry for 'that day' as well Ayanokoji-san"

Kiyone : "That day?"

Sakura : "The first time we coming to this school. You know, actually I was happy that there is someone go to try approach me. I didn't said anything back then and since then you won't come to talk to me again. I was waiting for you to giving that chance again but...I'm so pathetic."

If you were good at making conversation with other people, you'd have an easier time of it. I was once again impressed by Horikita-san's ability to make fun of people around her while also dealing naturally with complete strangers. That was a splendid talent.

Kiyone : "...To think that you though me that way...Honestly I'm surprised and I'm somewhat happy being told like this...Thanks a lot, Sakura-san"

Maybe I did it because I understood how it felt to be wanted. Because I needed someone to know I understood the pain and anguish of battling loneliness.

Sakura : "Then, perhaps I'll do it because of you...You see..."

She seems about to say something. Suddenly she shake her head and look at me with confident face

Sakura : "N-No, its nothing. Thank you, Ayanokouji-san. About the testimony, I'll come tomorrow"

Seems that my words somehow had found purchase somewhere in Sakura-san's heart.

Sakura-san somewhat feels uneasy for going outside but I always wondering what gives her the reason to fear about.

As 9:00 PM approached after I send her back to her room. But when I started to back at my room. Kushida-san somehow already waiting for me in the corridor

Kushida : "Took it so long for you to come here. Did you enjoy your time with your loner comrade?"

She leaning her body at wall while crossing her arms

Kiyone : "You should just send me a message...well, what do you need from me?"

Kushida : "Would you like to had another walk?"

Kiyone : "Why? Can't you just tell me here?"

Kushida : "Its quite boring here, so accompany me tonight"

Her tone when she talk its not contain about request but an order instead. However, Kushida-san wouldn't act like that if she had nothing to talk. Especially toward a person she marked as enemies like me

We walk and arrived at a certain playground park

Kushida : "Oh yeah. So, what do you think about Sakura-san?"

Kiyone : "I was surprised when I found out that she was an idol, but I also kind of understood it. I wonder if that's her real personality?"

Though I'd avoided just stating this idea outright, I also thought that Sakura-san had a hidden side, just like Kushida-san. However, Kushida-san, who had a different understanding of the facts, had come to an entirely different conclusion.

Kushida : "I think that most likely, Sakura-san would say that her idol self is actually her false face. Well, I guess saying that it's false isn't right, either. I think that she's creating another personality with make up."

Kiyone : "Make up? So in other words, it's a persona?"

Kushida : "Yeah. I think with the right pretenses in place, Sakura-san could even make herself smile in front of people."

Kushida-san sounded rather persuasive. There was something true about her words. But at that moment, I began to think about what Kushida-san had been trying to tell me whenever we had a talk like this.

Thinking about this chance. I tried to brought up about our call during night before we go to repair Sakura-san's camera

Kiyone : "Back when we were talking on the phone, what was it you wanted to tell me? You seems like you would said something but you ended it up abruptly. So, I was curious about that"

Kushida-san's shoulders twitched slightly in response. It was like she hadn't remembered it until just now.

Kushida : "I'll tell you later. Right now, our priority is to resolve this case. Besides, it's a personal request."

Kiyone : "A personal request?"

I found her wording enticing, but it seemed like Kushida-san needed help with something. I didn't really stand out in any way. I couldn't provide something that Kushida-san lacked. She could study, and she had ambition.

Kushida : "I'm sorry. If I told you now, it'd just be a bother."

Kiyone : "Well, if things with Sudou-kun turn out okay, could you tell me then?"

Kushida : "Yes, that would be fine."

Long silence. Then she decide to break silence

Kushida : "Ne~ You see, when I told you about Sakura-san as Shizuku. Actually, there is something more than that"

Kiyone : "What do you mean-"

PING!

Suddenly a message entered my phone

Kushida : *yawn* "I already send it to you. Good night, Aya-chan. See you tomorrow"

Seems like she already feel sleepy. She immediately head back to dorm

I'm still here opened the message which she send to me.

Kiyone : "This..."

At night on my room. I sat in front of my computer and looked at Sakura Airi's...I mean, the gravure idol Shizuku's blog. As I read through the past entries, I saw that she had started blogging about two years ago.

Precisely around the time that Sakura-san started working as a gravure idol. Her hopes and aspirations for the future were spelled out in writing. I didn't see anything that especially stuck out, no red flags. I checked out other idol blogs just for reference, but they seemed similar.

I had to wonder, how would it have felt for a second-year junior high student to debut in the entertainment world? During one year, she'd updated the blog almost every single day. She wrote about what happened that day and her thoughts. She also responded to almost every single comment from her fans. But, just as I'd expected, she stopped replying after being accepted to this school.

She had strictly adhered to the rule about contacting anyone outside the school. Although she wasn't really the direct center of attention, Sakura seemed more popular than I had imagined. She had over 5000 followers on Twitter. Many of them were fans that wanted her to return to doing gravure magazines really soon, or asked if she had any plans to appear on television. Among those many comments, a post from three months ago snagged my attention.

Anonymous : "Do you believe in fate? I do. I believe we will be together forever."

Kiyone : "...Wow..."

It that had been the only message, it would've been the delusional fantasy of a fan. But there was more every day, and it escalated quickly.

Anonymous : "I can always feel you close to me."

Anonymous : "You were even cuter today, huh?"

Anonymous : "Did you notice when our eyes met? I noticed."

Kiyone : "...That's creepy as hell..."

If Sakura-san saw this, those words would probably frighten her. It was almost as if the poster wanted to be physically close to Shizuku so he could whisper these words into her ear. Were they just delusions? Within this heavily restricted school, only a very limited number of people could encounter Sakura-san.

Students, teachers...or anyone who did business with the school. I flashed on a memory of the man who worked at the campus electronic store. Then, a post from last Sunday caused my hair to stand on end. I had a crushing realization.

Anonymous : "Look, God is real after all."

Sakura had bought a digital camera after she enrolled in school. Of course, she'd probably disguised herself that day, just like any celebrity would. But while a disguise like that would make sense for her to use with fans, that clerk had recognized who Sakura was. Of course, there were only a few ways that they could have contact at that point.

However, after Sakura's camera broke, he saw her. Since she loved it so, she had to fix it. Given our circumstances it was nearly impossible for someone in Class D to buy a new one. However, because she took it in for repair, there was the possibility that she'd encounter the store clerk.

She'd been hesitant to go get her camera repaired because of the clerk.

The clerk, on the other hand, had been in incredibly high spirits. After all, here was his chance to get his favorite idol's real name and phone number on the form she had to fill out. It also might explain why she'd called me that evening and asked some rather significant questions.

When I thought about it, the answer seemed obvious. I combed through the comments, searching for more he might have written.

Anonymous : "It's so mean for you to ignore me! Or perhaps you just didn't notice me?"

Anonymous : "What are you doing now? I want to meet you, I want to meet you, I want to meet you!"

Kiyone : "..Ugh..."

Frightening comments were posted one after another.

Of course, other fans had simply been disgusted by these comments, but it was different for Sakura-san. I wondered if knowing that he was so close pushed her to the point of almost unimaginable terror?

But Sakura had concealed that from us, and now she was desperately trying to fight Class C for us as a witness. She was probably hesitant to leave her dorm, considering how much this man's existence terrified her. If they were on the same campus, her fear wasn't surprising.

I'm worried and my intuition told me to do something now at least. So I decide to send a message to her at this late night

Kiyone : "If you are in danger and you can't rely someone else to asking help. Don't hesitate to call me"

I don't know why I send her a message like that...

However, there was hardly anything we could do, no plan we could implement to solve the issue of this stalker by tomorrow. In the end, the only option was to wait on an SOS from the girl in question.

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

X : This damn too long!

Y : Its unusual that a chapter from this fic this long

Z : Hey dude, are you do drugs perhaps?

Sorry, if this chapter look too long and also I never do drugs

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 2 : Truth and Lies

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

The day our fate would be decided was here.

Before anything else, I wanted to confirm that Sakura-san was coming to school. When I entered the classroom, I saw the same thing as always. Sakura-san sat quietly alone, so as not to get roped into other students' conversations. Her expression seemed even gloomier than usual. But in any case, she'd still come to school. I decide to interact wih her

Kiyone : "Good morning Sakura-san. Are you okay?"

Sakura : "Ah, good morning Ayanokoji-san. I'm fine."

I wondered if she was nervous. She seemed composed, if not completely calm.

Sakura : "I thought that things would be tough if I were absent today, so..."

so she'd made the painful decision to come to school. I imagined it would be impossible to tell her not to think about Sudou-kun and the others.

Kiyone : "Don't forget what I said. Testify for your own sake, more than anyone else's."

Sakura : "Yeah. I'll be okay."

Kiyone : "Sakura-san..."

I wonder should I repeat this again but...

Sakura : "Huh?

Kiyone : "Did you read the message which I sent to you last night?"

Sakura : "Eh? Y-Yeah..."

Kiyone : "...Just like the message that I tried to convey to you. If you need my help, I'll help you"

Sakura : "O-Oh..."

Then I decide to head toward my seat.

As the bell rang for the end of class

Horikita-san and I stood up.

Kiyone : "Have you prepared for this, Sudou-kun?"

Sudou : "Yeah... I'm good. I was born ready."

As if mentally preparing himself for what lay ahead, Sudou-kun closed his eyes and folded his arms. But then he slowly opened his eyes again.

Sudou : "You might call me a complete idiot and make fun of me, but I'm me. If you have something you want to say, say it now."

Suzune : "Don't do anything selfish. Actually listening right now would be the clever thing to do, yes?"

Sudou : "Ugh, you always act so high and mighty, lady."

When you saw them like this, it did seem as though they fought like cats and dogs. But at the very least, Sudou-kun didn't hate Horikita-san. If he did he would've absolutely refused her help, no matter how advantageous her offer.

Kiyone : "Okay okay, lets stop thus meddlesome quarrel. And also, do your best, Horikita-san. Sudou-kun."

Suzune : "Hmph!"

Sudou : "Yoshaa!!"

Horikita didn't respond at all, but Sudou-kun pumped his fist to show resolve. I turned to check on Sakura-san who was still sitting down, her body rigid. She stood, her lips trembling slightly.

Sakura : "Yeah... I'm okay. Thank you..."

Sakura-san was far tenser than I'd expected. If she was in this psychological state before the meeting had even begun, she might not be able to speak satisfactorily.

Suzune : "Let's go. We'll make a bad impression if we're late."

The discussion was scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM. It was already 3:50 PM. We couldn't afford to take it slow. When the four of us got to the faculty room, a teacher waved at us to come on inside.

??? : "Yahoo! Hello, Class D students!"

The homeroom teacher for Class B, Hoshinomiya-sensei gave us this happy-go-lucky greeting.

Hoshinomiya : "It seems like something rather incredible has happened, hmm?"

Her eyes sparkled, as if she enjoyed sticking her nose into other people's business.

Chabashira : "What are you doing this time?"

Chabashira-sensei suddenly appeared behind her

Hoshinomiya : *gulp* "Oh no. I've been found out already, huh?"

Chabashira-sensei glared over at Hoshinomiya-sensei as she exited the faculty room.

Hoshinomiya : "W-Well, forgive me okay? But, whenever you sneak out, that's around the time I start to feel suspicious."

Hoshinomiya-sensei gave a cute wink, as if saying, 'Teehee! you got me!'

Hoshinomiya : "So I guess I can't join in, huh?"

Chabashira : "Of course you can't. You know that outsiders cannot participate."

Hoshinomiya : "Aw, that's too bad. Well, that's all right. The results should be out within the hour, I guess."

Chabashira-sensei forcefully pushed Hoshinomiya-sensei back into the faculty room.

Chabashira : "Well then, shall we be going?"

Kiyone : "We're not going to do this in the faculty room, are we?"

Chabashira : "Of course not. This school does have rather complicated rules, but in cases such as these a settlement is reached between the homeroom teacher of the class in question, the concerned parties, and the student council."

Horikita-san froze the very moment she heard the words 'student council'. Chabashira-sensei turned and glanced sharply at her face.

Chabashira : "If you want to stop, now's the time, Horikita."

Sudou-kun who didn't understand why Horikita-san would react that way, looked confused. It was almost as if a giant question mark was floating above his head. Our teacher, as usual, had revealed an important detail right at the last minute.

Suzune : "I-I'll go. I'm fine."

Horikita-san quickly glanced at me. Her look probably meant something like, Don't worry on my account. We left the first-floor faculty room and walked up three floors to the fourth. A placard that read 'Student Council Room' was affixed to the wall near the doorway. Chabashira-sensei knocked, and we went inside.

Even though Horikita-san had winced, she immediately followed us. Inside, long tables had been arranged in rectangular formation. The three students from Class C had already arrived and were seated. Beside them sat a bespectacled male teacher in his 30s.

Chabashira : "Sorry we're late,"

??? : "It's before the scheduled start time. There's no need for apologies."

Chabashira : "Have you already met?"

Sudou-kun, Horikita-san, and I did not know the teacher. Beside our classes up until now, he never had a schedule to teach our class

Chabashira : "This is Sakagami-sensei, the homeroom teacher for Class C. Now then..."

One lone male student seated in the back of the room attracted everyone's attention. Although I already know this 'male student' identity

Chabashira : "This is the student council president."

Horikita-san's older brother, without so much as even a glance at his sister, pored over the documents on his desk. Horikita-san directed her gaze at her brother for a short time, but when she realized that she wasn't his focus, she lowered her eyes and sat down in front of the Class C students.

Manabu : "Well then, I would now like to discuss the violent incident that occurred last Tuesday with the members of the student council, the involved parties, and their homeroom teachers. You may begin the proceedings, student council secretary Tachibana."

Secretary Tachibana-senpai, a woman with short hair, gave a slight bow

Manabu : "Of course, considering the magnitude of this dispute, there are times when the student council president will take over. There are several unusual things about this incident. Other than that, the bulk of the proceedings will be handled solely by Tachibana, as usual."

He look at his surrounding then he continued his speak

Manabu : "Because I am quite busy, there are certain agenda topics upon which I will defer. As a general rule, though, I would prefer to attend to these issues, as I'm entrusted to lead this student council."

Chabashira : "Hee~ So, this is all by chance?"

Chabashira-sensei smiled as she said that, but Horikita-san's older brother didn't wavered. On the contrary though, Horikita-san...errr...i mean Horikita the younger sister

She couldn't hide her trembling. Considering they were brother and sister, the odds were not in our favor. In fact, I couldn't help but think that this situation was extremely disadvantageous, as the younger Horikita couldn't demonstrate her usual prowess here. Our expectations had been thoroughly shattered.

If the student council president acted, there'd be nothing we could do, even if we didn't like it.

I heard several information about him.

He'd enrolled in Class A and immediately taken office as secretary for the student council. In December of his first year, he became the student council president after receiving an overwhelming amount of support in the election. Although some senior students had naturally voiced their displeasure, our current, hopeless situation spoke to his incredible abilities.

Anyway, Secretary Tachibana-senpai already summarized the situation from both sides in an easy-to-understand manner. There wasn't any need for further explanation. Also, I somewhat get the three perperator name from class C after Tachibana-senpai mention all the person who were on this court.

Tachibana : "Based on the aforementioned facts, we would like for you to identify which version of events is true."

After completing her explanation and the preface to the proceedings, Secretary Tachibana-senpai turned her eyes toward us in Class D.

Tachibana : "Komiya-kun and two other members of the basketball club went to the special building after Sudou-kun called them there. There, they claim to have been beaten up in a one-sided brawl. Is this true?"

Sudou : "What those guys said was a lie. I was the one that got called over to the special building, that day, after practice, Komiya and Kondou asked me to go to the special building. Honestly, I thought it was kind of annoying, but I also thought it might've been because they were always hostile towards me. So, I went to meet them."

Good grief, it just start but it seems we alreasy at losing tides. Sudou-kun wasn't one to mince words. Normally, younger Horikita would have been disgusted by his casual way of speaking, but judging from her trembling she didn't hear him at all. Sakagami-sensei, Class C's homeroom teacher, stared in wide-eyed amazement.

Komiya : "That's a lie. Sudou-kun called us over to the special building."

Sudou : "Don't screw with me, Komiya! You were the one who called me, you jerk!"

Kondo : "You don't seem to remember your position here."

Sudou-kun irritated, impulsively struck his desk. Immediate silence followed.

Kiyone : "Please calm down, Sudou-kun. Right now, we're merely listening to what both parties have to say. Also, please we ask that class C too to show some restraint, and not interrupt."

Komiya : "Puh, fine..."

Then Secretary Tachibana-senpai continue

Tachibana : "Both parties insist that the other called them over, so the accounts conflict. However, the stories share some commonality. There was a dispute between Sudou-kun, Komiya-kun, and Kondou-kun, correct?"

Kondo : "I wouldn't call it a dispute. Sudou-kun's always picking fights with us."

Tachibana : "'Picking fights'?"

Komiya : "Sudou's better at basketball than we are, so he's always bragging about it. We practice with everything we've got, but it doesn't exactly feel good when he makes fools out of us. So we often butt heads."

I didn't really know the details of Sudou-kun's club activities, but when I saw the veins popping on his forehead, it was rather obvious that they were lying. Next, Secretary Tachibana-senpai spoke to Sudou-kun

Tachibana : "Is it true, Sudou-kun?

Sudou : "Not one bit of what Komiya said was true. Those guys are just jealous of my talent. When I practice, they constantly get in my way. That's the truth."

Naturally, both sides claimed that the other party was at fault.

Tachibana : "Both sides have given their grievances, but now we have to come to a judgment with the collected evidence."

Kondo : "Sudou-kun beat us senseless. It was a one-sided fight."

Class C seemed intent on focusing the discussion on their injuries. The three students did seem to have black-and-blue faces. That was undeniable.

Sudou : "That's a lie. They attacked first. It was self-defense."

Yare yare, if he keep insist acting like that. We would definitely lose Sudou-kun. I took a glance at Chabashira-sensei but she seems somewhat disintereted on this matter meanwhile the younger Horikita...

Kiyone : "Horikita-san..."

I whispered to her, who remained mute and kept her head down.

Clearly, this situation was really bad. If we wanted to stop Sudou-kun from getting carried away, we had to take action sooner rather than later. However, she showed no reaction. It was as if her mind was gone. Did her brother's mere presence truly have this much of an effect?

I flashed back to those two talking behind the dormitory. I didn't really understand the depth of the situation, but I suspected that younger Horikita had chased after her extremely talented brother, enrolling in the same school to make him recognize her abilities. But regardless of her hopes and talents, the younger sister in Class D was still very far away from her brother, the Class A student council president. To prove herself, she'd have to rise up to the same arena as him.

Tachibana : "If Class D has no further proof to offer, would you mind if we continued the proceedings?"

If the student council and the teachers continued to sit in complete silence, their judgment would almost certainly be merciless. To prevent that, we needed younger Horikita to rouse herself into action. However, our team's most crucial member withered and shrank before her older brother.

Manabu : "It would seem there's no objection, given the arguments we've heard thus far."

The older Horikita seemed as though he wanted to draw a conclusion as soon as possible.

Manabu : "Regardless which party called the other over, the fact remains that it was a one-sided fight between Sudou and the other students. We can clearly see that from the injuries they sustained. We have no choice but to come up with a conclusion based on that."

Sudou : "W-wait! I can't accept that! It's just because those guys were a bunch of wimps!"

The moment that Sudou uttered those words, I saw Sakagami-sensei smile.

Sakagami : "Then can it really be considered self-defense when fighting against opponents of such unequal strength?"

Sudou : "B-But, hey. I was fighting against three people! Three people!"

Sakagami : "But only the Class C students were hurt."

This was getting worse. I resigned myself to the fact that what befall on me later for doing this. I stretched my arms out and grasped her sides as hard as I could.

Suzune : "Hyah-?!"

Younger Horikita cried out in an abnormally girlish voice. However, this was not the time or place for me to focus on that. Since she hadn't yet regained her sanity, I grabbed her more forcefully and tickled her.

Suzune : "Ah~ Ngghhnn~ Nyuu~"

Chabashira-sensei who watched these tried her best to hold her laughter while the class C's side seems speechless about what are we doing here

Suzune : "W-Wait. S-Stop, stop!"

No matter how upset or dazed a person was, if you stimulated the body enough, they'd come back to her senses. Even if they didn't like it.

They seemed somewhat taken aback by my actions, but right then I didn't care. When I believed I'd roused her enough, I let her go

Younger Horikita, looking like she was about to cry, glared at me with startling intensity. I'd had to force her, but I knew it was essential to return younger Horikita to her usual self.

Kiyone : "If you coming here to do nothing, doesn't it better if Kushida-san were here in your stead. Anyway, we're going to lose at this rate. We have to fight"

Suzune : "Tch! I'll get you later for this"

Younger Horikita, looked at Class C, then the teachers, Secretary Tachibana-senpai and then her brother as if finally understanding our situation. It seemed to dawn on her just how desperate our situation was.

Suzune : "Excuse me. May I ask a question? Do you mind, president?"

Manabu : "I'll allow it. However, please answer more quickly next time."

Younger Horikita slowly rose out of her chair.

Suzune : "Earlier, you said that Sudou-kun called you over to the special building. But who exactly did Sudou-kun call, and why?"

Ishizaki-kun and the other Class C students looked at one another, as if saying, Why is she asking that question now?

Suzune : "Please answer."

She added those last two words to reinforce her aggressive style of questioning. Secretary Tachibana-senpai allowed it.

Komiya : "Kondou and I don't know why he called us over. When we'd just finished up for the day and were changing, he said he wanted to talk to us for a minute. Wasn't the reason just that he didn't like us?"

Suzune : "So then, why exactly were you in the special building, Ishizaki-kun? You're not on the basketball team, so you have no connection to this case. I'd think your presence there would be rather odd."

Ishizaki : "That's... I came as a precaution. There were rumors that Sudou was violent. He's also in better shape than we are, physically. I had to go, didn't I?"

Suzune : "So in other words, you felt the situation might turn violent?"

Ishizai, Kondo, Komiya : "Yeah."

They answered in unison, almost as if they'd expected these questions. It appeared that the Class C students had thoroughly rehearsed for this conference.

Suzune : "I see. So you brought along Ishizaki-kun as your bodyguard, since he was reputed to be rather good at fighting. Just in case there was an emergency."

Komiya : "It was to protect ourselves. That was it. Besides, we didn't know that Ishizaki-kun was known for being good in a fight. We just considered him a reliable friend."

She quietly listened to their responses, as if running various simulations in her head. Then she immediately made her next move.

Suzune : "I do have some knowledge of martial arts, if only to a certain extent. I understand that when you're fighting against multiple enemies, victory becomes exponentially more difficult. So I don't understand how you were defeated so handily, how the fight could be so one-sided, when you had a skilled fighter like Ishizaki-kun with you."

Kondo : "Because we didn't intend to fight."

Suzune : "The primary factor in triggering a fight is the collision of the 'energy' between opponents. In the event that you don't have any intention of fighting, or that you're nonviolent, the probability that you'll be hurt should be very low. Especially when there are three of you."

Her opinion was very objective, grounded in evidence, rules, and her own logic. On the other end, Komiya fought back with his own weapon, real evidence.

Komiya : "That way of thinking doesn't apply to Sudou-kun. He's exceptionally violent. Even if we were nonviolent, he'd still be mercilessly violent. That's what happened."

He peeled off the gauze that covered his cheek, exposing the scrapes underneath. No matter how many reasonable arguments she made, his injury gave powerful evidence.

Manabu : "Are you finished with your claims now, Class D?"

After staying silent while younger Horikita gave her argument, his words were few and icy. His look seemed to suggest that if that was all we had to say, it would've been better not to say anything at all.

Suzune : "It's true that Sudou injured the other students. However, Class C started the fight. There is one student witness who saw the entire incident and can attest to this."

Tachibana : "Well then, Class D—if Class D's witness would please enter? Sakura Airi-san from 1st year class D"

Sakura-san looking worried and restless, walked into the student council room. She looked down at her feet, as if scared of danger.

Sakagami : "1-D? I thought I'd heard something or other about a witness, but you're a Class D student, right Sakura Airi-kun?"

The Class C's homeroom instructor, snickered while wiping his glasses.

Tachibana : "Is there a problem, Sakagami-sensei?"

Sakagami : "No, no, please. Go ahead."

Sakagami-sensei and Chabashira-sensei exchanged looks.

Tachibana : "You may begin your testimony, if you wouldn't mind, Sakura-san."

Sakura : "Y-Yes, okay... Well... I..."

She stopped speaking. A period of silence followed. Ten seconds. Twenty seconds. Sakura-san steadily looked further downward, and her face became increasingly pale.

Kiyone : "Psst!!! Sakura-san..."

Unable to take any more, I addressed Sakura. Unlike before, the words didn't seem to reach her.

Sakagami : "Apparently she didn't witness anything. More of this would just be a waste of our time."

Chabashira : "Why are you in such a hurry, Sakagami-sensei?"

Sakagami : "I want to speed this along. If we waste time, my students will suffer. These students are the joyful heart of their class, so I've no doubt that their many friends are worried about them. Also, they're striving to improve their basketball skills, and we're depriving them of valuable practice time. As a teacher, I can't overlook this."

Chabashira : "I see. You're probably right about that."

We'd think that Chabashira-sensei would ally herself with Class D, but that didn't seem to be the case. Instead, she nodded in apparent agreement with Sakagami-sensei.

Sakura-san stand still not saying anything

Chabashira : "You're certainly right that this is a waste of time, so I suppose we have no choice. You can come down now, Sakura."

Chabashira-sensei ordered Sakura-san to leave, almost as if she'd lost interest. The student council members didn't ask for a delay or anything. The writing was clearly on the student council room wall, and it spelled Class D's defeat.

Sakura-san closed her eyes tightly, as if she couldn't bear it anymore, as if she regretted her own weakness. Even Sudou-kun and younger Horikita felt like this was impossible for Sakura-san, and mentally resigned themselves.

She took a glance on me, after that she turned her head down again.

Then, it happened. An unexpected voice reverberated throughout the room.

Sakura : "I definitely saw what happened!"

It was certainly Sakura-san's voice, though it took me several seconds to recognize it. What most struck me was the volume of her voice.

Sakura : "The students in Class C threw the first punch. There's no mistake about that!"

Sakura-san's words had a force that belied the image she'd presented at first. She spoke so desperately that you wanted to believe she was telling the truth. She certainly made me believe it. However, much like a magical spell, the effect lasted for only a few minutes. If the audience remained calm, it wouldn't be difficult for them to see through it.

Sakagami : "Excuse me, but may I say something?"

Tachibana : "Normally, teachers are asked to speak as little as possible, but this situation is just too pitiful. Student council president, do you mind?"

Manabu : "I'll allow it."

Sakagami : "In regards to what you've said, Sakura-kun, I do not necessarily doubt you. However, I have one thing to ask. You've stepped forward to testify as a witness, but you were rather late in doing so. May I ask why? I would think if you really did see something, you would have come forward much earlier."

Sakagami-sensei harped on the same point that Chabashira-sensei had yesterday.

Sakura : "That's... Well, that's... I didn't want to get involved..."

Sakagami : "Why didn't you want to get involved?"

Sakura : "Because I'm not very good at talking with other people..."

Sakagami : "I see. I understand that. However, I'd like to say something else. You're not good at talking with others, and yet when the week was nearly out you stepped forward as a witness. Doesn't that seem rather odd? To my mind, it seems Class D secretly put a story together and are having you act as a false witness to give phony testimony."

After conferring together, the Class C students answered that they'd thought so, too.

Sakura : "That's... I'm just...telling the truth..."

Sakagami : "No matter how poor your communication skills might be, I can see you haven't testified with much confidence. Is that because you're tormented with guilt, because you know what you're saying is actually a lie?"

Sakura : "N-No, that's not it..."

Sakagami : "I'm not blaming you. You were probably forced to lie for your class's sake, to save Sudou-kun. Weren't you? If you come forward and confess honestly to us now, you won't be punished."

The teacher's relentless psychological attacks just kept coming. Of course younger Horikita raised her hand.

Suzune : "That is not the case. It is certainly true that Sakura-san is not good at speaking before others. However, it is precisely because she witnessed the incident that she is standing here today. Otherwise, she most likely would not, even if we'd asked her. Don't you think that if we needed someone who could speak boldly, we would have found a replacement?"

Sakagami : "I don't think so. There are excellent students in Class D, students such as yourself, Horikita-san. By setting up a person like Sakura-san as your witness, it would establish a sense of realism that you yourself could not."

Sakagami-sensei probably didn't actually believe this. However, no matter what response we volleyed back, I was convinced that he'd do anything to block us. Just as I'd felt from the start, a Class D witness did not carry enough weight. No matter how many times we stressed the truth, they would say that we were lying. If the testimony came from someone on your side, they wouldn't accept it.

Had we run out of options? Sakagami-sensei gave a hostile grin as he began to sit back down.

Sakura : "If you want proof... I'll give it to you!"

Sakagami-sensei froze in response to Sakura's words.

Sakagami : "Please, let's not force this situation to continue. If there really was evidence, you would have presented it at an earlier stage—"

SLAM!

Sakura-san loudly slammed her hand on the desk, and put down what looked to be a few rectangular pieces of paper.

Sakagami : "What are those?"

Because she'd produced something other than words, Sakagami- sensei's expression stiffened for the first time.

Sakura : "This is proof that I was in the special building that day!"

Secretary Tachibana-sanpai walked over to Sakura-san. Though she hesitated at first, she then reached for the paper. No, those weren't pieces of paper like I'd thought. They were photos.

Tachibana : "President?"

After looking at the photographs, Secretary Tachibana-senpai handed them over to the student council president. Older Horikita after looking at the pictures for some time, laid them out on the desk so that we could see.

We saw Sakura-san in those pictures, but this Sakura-san wore a lovely expression that looked both similar and dissimilar to the Sakura-san with us now. It was the idol, Shizuku.

Sakura : "I'm...I was looking for places where no one was around so I could take pictures of myself. The pictures also show the date and time, which proves that I was there when I said."

The date on the pictures definitely showed that they'd been taken in the evening one week ago. That would've been around the time that Sudou-kun and the others finished their club activities for the day. Younger Horikita and I unintentionally gasped in response to this new evidence. We began to see changes in the three Class C students, who up until now had been playing the part of victims. They were visibly shaking.

Sakagami : "What did you use to take these photos?"

Sakura : "A digital...camera."

Sakagami : "You can alter the date rather easily with a digital camera, though. If you manipulated these photos on a computer, you could effectively set them at the time and date of the incident. This are inadequate evidence."

Manabu : "But Sakagami-sensei, don't you think this photo is different?"

Older Horikita slid out one of the photos and handed it to the teacher.

Sakagami : "Th-this?!"

The photo showed the fight itself, clearly there was no need to nitpick the time. The setting sun bathed the hallway in dusky light. The picture seemed to show what had happened immediately after Sudou-kun hit Ishizaki-kun

Sakura : "I think that you'll believe I was there after seeing...this."

Suzune : "Thank you, Sakura-san."

This picture had absolutely saved younger Horikita as well. To rescue such an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation...

Sakagami : "I see. Well, you do seem to be telling the truth about witnessing the incident. That much I simply must accept. However, I can't ascertain how the situation started from this picture. This doesn't prove that you saw the entire incident."

It was certainly true that this picture made it look like the fight had already ended. We couldn't call this definitive evidence.

Sakagami : "So, what do you think, Chabashira-sensei? Why not look for a compromise here?"

Chabashira : "Compromise?"

Sakagami : "I'm convinced that Sudou-kun lied in his testimony."

Sudou : "You jerk- Arrghh!!!"

Sudou-kun stood up, looking ready to fly out of his chair, but finally backed down after I stepped his feet on purpose which make him groaned in pain.

He glared at me, I only send a gesture to order him to calm down and he followed my order.

Sakagami : "No matter how long we go back and forth, we'll never reach an agreement. We won't change our testimony, and your side won't give up or admit that you conspired with the witness. In other words, you won't stop. It'll be an endless cycle of saying that the other side is lying. In addition, the picture is too inconclusive to be considered definitive proof. Therefore, I suggest we compromise. I do think that the students from Class C are responsible for some of the blame here. There were three students up against Sudou-kun, and one of them has a history of fighting, which is a problem. So how about two weeks of suspension for Sudou-kun, and one week of suspension for my students? What do you think of that? The weight of the punishment is different, of course, but I think that matches the difference in sustained injuries."

Older Horikita stayed silent as he listened to Sakagami-sensei. It seemed that Class C was willing to compromise only halfway. If we hadn't had Sakura-san's testimony or evidence, Sudou-kun probably would have been suspended for over a month. Asking for less than half of that made this a considerable concession.

Kiyone : "We disagree. The problem here isn't the injury of your students Sakagami-sensei. But Sudou-kun chance and reputation to be able to play basketball is at stake with this false claim. Its not even equal compensation in comparison at all. I hope your align with your students didn't blinded your judgement as a teacher who known had better wisdom than us"

Sakagami-sensei seems couldn't refute my reasoning tried to look at our homeroom teacher

Sakagami : "Chabashira-sensei. What do you think?"

Chabashira : "We seem to have already reached a logical conclusion. There's no reason to refuse Sakagami-sensei's proposal"

We are surprised as if we were somehow get backstabbed by our homeroom teacher. After everyone attention were away from her. She took a glance at me with smirk. I wonder if she do that on purpose?

Sakagami-sensei proposal was certainly a reasonable compromise by this school perspective.

Younger Horikita looked up at the ceiling, as if quietly mulling over everything that had gone on so far. No matter how much we resisted, Sudou-kun wouldn't be acquitted entirely without conclusive evidence. She had known this from the very beginning.

She had concluded that like it or not we needed to reach a compromise. For a Class D student, Younger Horikita was quite impressive.

However, if she was aiming to make it to Class A, she couldn't give up here. I hadn't intended to speak out until the very end, but I decided to lend a helping hand, perhaps out of respect for Sakura-san's earlier courage.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, are we really out of options?"

Younger Horikita did not respond. Well, did she even have any words left?

Since nobody could utter any words. I guess I'll the one who take the rein. Well, winning this court wasn't my actual plan to begin with

Kiyone : "I'm not very smart, so I can't really come up with a solution. I do however think that we probably should accept the compromise that you have offered to us, Sakagami-sensei"

Sudou : "W-What?!!"

Sakagami : "Right?"

Sakagami-sensei replied with a smile, pushing his glasses back up his nose while he look at younger Horikita

Suzune : "W-We have no definitive proof of Sudou-kun's innocence. I suppose I should say such concrete evidence just doesn't exist. If this event had occurred in a classroom or the convenience store, a greater number of students would have been around to see it, and there probably would have been sound evidence. There's no record of anyone watching this scene unfold. Since this event took place in the special building, where there weren't any people around, there's nothing we can do."

I sighed deeply and shook my head. I looked straight into younger Horikita's eyes, and she gazed back at me. I give a sign as if we were accepting defeat.

Sakagami : "I understand why we're having this discussion. No matter how much we appeal to the contrary, My students from Class C won't admit that they lied. Sudou-kun won't admit that he lied, either. We really would just keep going back and forth. Honestly, it's getting to the point where I would've been happier never having had this discussion in the first place. Don't you agree?"

Horikita cast her eyes down. I wondered what she was thinking. If she took my words only at surface value, then things would end here.

Sakagami : "So, that's it, yes? Well, Class D representative Horikita-kun. Please give your opinion on this matter."

In other words, as a declaration of defeat. For Class C, victory meant not allowing Sudou-kun to be acquitted. The teacher's expression indicated that he had won this match.

Suzune : "I understand..."

Younger Horikita answered, slowly looking back up.

Sudou : "Wait, Horikita!"

It was the roar of a man who, more than anyone else, did not want to admit defeat. He couldn't. However, younger Horikita did not stop there. She continued with her closing remarks.

Suzune : "I think that Sudou-kun, who caused the incident, has a problem. He doesn't ever stop to consider his actions, which inconveniences everyone around him. He has a history of getting in fights. He's the type to raise his voice and fists right away whenever something displeases him. In the event of an uproar such as this, well, it should be obvious who caused it."

Sudou : "H-hey!"

Kiyone : "Horikita-san that's enough. And as for you..."

I look at Sudou-kun

Kiyone : "You need to understand, Sudou-kun. Your attitude caused all of this."

But Younger Horikita still glared intensely over at Sudou-kun, almost as if to outdo Sudou-kun's own ferocity.

Suzune : "This is why I wasn't motivated at all to help Sudou-kun in the beginning. I knew that even if I forced myself to lend a hand, he would just repeat the same mistakes again and again."

Sakagami : "A very honest answer. The matter seems settled now, wouldn't you say?"

Tachibana : "Thank you very much. Please take your seat now,"

A period of silence followed. After that came Sudou-kun's clearly irritated below. And then, even after five, then ten seconds of waiting, younger Horikita did not sit back down.

Tachibana : "Will you take your seat now?"

Secretary Tachibana-senpai asked younger Horikita to sit once again, as if she suspected that she couldn't hear her. Yet she still did not sit. She fixated on the teachers, continuing to stare right at them.

Suzune : "He should reflect on his actions. However, not in this particular case. When I say he should reflect, I mean that he should look back on his past actions. In regards to this particular incident, however, I don't think Sudou- kun did anything wrong. This was not an unfortunate event that occurred merely by chance. I'm convinced that this was a deliberate move made by Class C. I have absolutely no intention of meekly accepting defeat."

Younger Horikita broke the long silence with these haughty words.

Manabu : "So then, what do you mean?"

The older brother looked at his younger sister for the first time. Younger Horikita did not shrink under his gaze. She probably felt that this wasn't the time to be frightened, that she had to be brave in front of Sakura-san. Or perhaps she could see the path to a final resolution?

Suzune : "If you did not understand, I will say it once again. We claim that Sudou-kun is completely innocent. Therefore, we cannot accept his suspension from school, even for just one day."

Sakagami : "Hahaha! What can I even say? We did this intentionally? What a bizarre claim. Apparently, the student council president's younger sister can't help but spew nonsense."

Suzune : "Sudou-kun is the victim, just as the witness testified. Please do not make any errors in your judgment."

The Class C students began to shout insistently

Kondo : "Don't screw around! I'm the victim here!"

Sudou-kun compelled by the shouting, raised his own voice again. The objections came fast and furious. Everyone understood that we would not find a solution this way.

My my...its become so noisy. All I could do just trying my best to close my ears

Manabu : "That's enough! Continuing this discussion would just be a waste of time."

Horikita Manabu looked at us as if we were just swapping lies in a giant mudslinging match.

Manabu : "What I've learned today is that each side has an exact opposite claim. In that case, one side is propagating an extremely malicious falsehood."

D or C? Which class was lying to the school? If this fact became known, the consequences would be greater than suspension. I bet the stake will become bigger than being suspended. The liar side seems could get expelled.

Manabu : "I'll ask you, Class C. Have you lied to us today?"

Ishizaki : "Of...of course not!"

Manabu : "Well, what about you, Class D?"

Suzune : "I haven't lied. Everything we've said has been the truth."

Manabu : "Then we will regroup here for a retrial tomorrow at 4:00 PM. If by then it hasn't been clearly established which party has lied, or in the event no one admits that they were at fault, we will pass judgment based on the evidence we've collected thus far. Of course, in that case we may have to consider the possibility of expulsion from this school. That is all."

After offering that statement, Older Horikita ended the proceedings. If the trial was set to reopen at 4:00 tomorrow, that was a very small window of time in which to uncover new evidence.

Suzune : "Would be possible to have a little more time before we reconvene?"

She raising her hand. She hadn't protested, but she had made an offer.

Chabashira : "If this matter required some extra time before retrial, then the student council president would have offered a sufficient grace period. In other words, the amount of time granted should be enough for this case. Extensions are only offered under special circumstances,"

The question answered by Chabashira-sensei, folding her arms. It appeared she'd taken the student council's intentions into consideration.

We were told to leave. Everyone looked dissatisfied as they exited the student council office.

Right after the meeting end.

Sakagami-sensei approached Sakura-san, who seemed to be on the verge of tears. He said something very cold to her.

Sakagami : "I want you to reflect on the fact that many students will be involved in this due to your lies. Also, if you think that we'll go easy on you if you start crying, then I am afraid you are being foolish. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Maybe I should retaliate a bit

Kiyone : "Interesting. But, could you talk the same thing if your students are the one who's lying here, sensei. You see, I'm quite envy that class C had supportive homeroom teacher like yourself Sakagami-sensei. You even goes as far as meddle too deep on these students farce. That's why, you'll quite disappointed if the truth turn out to be unexpected for you."

Sakagami : "What are you trying to say?"

Kiyone : "I wonder, are you perhaps know the truth or just blindly trusted your students too much? Which one is true?"

We stared each other for a while...

Sakagami : *sigh* "Everything should be revealed tomorrow. If my students proven that they are lying. Even I won't protect them. No, More look like I doubt I could even protected them. That's my stand of me as the teacher"

Sakagami-sensei left, leaving those words hanging in the air. Truly, I envy that these bunch of these troublemakers had a good teacher like him although like Ichinose-san said the other day. His stand could be because of the reason that even homeroom teacher could gain advantages if their students goes on top.

The Class C students repeatedly complained that the witness's lies were far too much on their way out, almost as if they wanted Sakura-san to hear them. Silence enveloped the student council room immediately afterward.

Sakura-san trying to stifle her voice as best she could, burst into tears. I hug her to calm her down.

Sudou : "I tried my absolute hardest to speak up during the discussion, but do we even have a chance? Horikita?"

No Sudou-kun. You just make it worst

Suzune : "I won't give up. I will keep fighting to support your testimony until the end"

Kiyone : "Good spirit there but you understand that we won't solve this problem just by being stubborn. Won't that just hurt more people in the process?"

Suzune : "I have no intention of losing. Well then, I must excuse myself."

Sudou : "T-Then, excuse me as well"

With that, Younger Horikita turned and left. Sudou-kun followed. I left the student council room alongside Sakura-san

Sakura : *sob* *sob* "I'm sorry, Ayanokouji-san... If I'd only stepped forward in the very beginning, everything would have been fine, but... Everything turned out this way because I didn't have the courage..." *sob* *sob*

Kiyone : "It would've ended the same even if you had stepped forward at the beginning. They would've fought to discredit your testimony simply because the witness came from Class D. The result would be the same."

Sakura : "B-But!"

If they suspected Sakura-san to be a liar, she probably wouldn't be able to save Sudou-kun by herself. Overcome with emotion, Sakura-san started crying again, large tears rolling down her cheeks. If Hirata-kun were here, he probably would've kindly offered her a handkerchief. Strangely enough, this scene seemed to mimic the time younger Horikita had collapsed briefly when reunited with her brother. It was a moment of deep déjà vu.

Why was this world divided into winners and losers? I'd already witnessed many victories and defeats, and had seen how closely joy and sorrow seemed to be linked to those outcomes. I couldn't just abandon Sakura-san, so I decided to wait until she could move.

Manabu : "You're still here?"

Older Horikita and Secretary Tachibana-senpai came out of the student council room. Secretary Tachibana-senpai began locking the door with a key.

Manabu : "What are you planning to do?"

Kiyone : "W-What do you mean, Horikita-senpai?"

Manabu : "I thought that when you came here with Suzune, you'd unveil some kind of master plan."

Kiyone : "What did you expecting from me? I'm not exactly Zhuge Liang or Kuroda Kanbei. I don't have any plans."

Manabu : "So does that mean when Suzune claimed Sudou was completely innocent, she was merely getting carried away?"

Kiyone : "Hyperbole, you mean? I don't think so."

Manabu : "I see."

Strangely enough, though my exchanges with Older Horikita up to now had been short, our conversation continued. Though he'd left a bad impression on me during our first meeting, I found him easy to talk to now. Perhaps this was to be expected of someone who had climbed the ranks to become student council president. He had a superior understanding of human nature.

Manabu : "Then there's what you said, Sakura."

He turned to Sakura, who'd stifled her crying.

Manabu : "Eyewitness testimony and pictorial evidence certainly carry weight during deliberation. However, please keep in mind that how much we value the evidence is determined by how much we trust in its believability. No matter what you do, the evidence's legitimacy is reduced because you are a student from Class D. No matter how detailed your account, we cannot accept it as one hundred percent true."

Basically, he was calling Sakura-san a liar.

Sakura : "I-I...I just...told the truth..."

Manabu : "If you can't prove it, then it's little more than nonsense."

Sakura hung her head low in frustration, crying once again.

Kiyone : "I believe her. I believe Sakura's testimony"

Manabu : "Since she's a Class D student, it's only natural that you would want to believe her."

Kiyone : "I didn't say that I want to believe her. I said I believe her. Those mean different things."

Manabu : "I see. Then-"

He suddenly put his hand on the wall behind me and tried to intimidate me. No, more look like I think he tried to probe that are lying or not.

However, what with this 'kabedon' position...

5 seconds...10 seconds...we were in this situation while asserting each other goal with long silence. Even Sakura-san and Tachibana-senpai somewhat being shut and only could watching us like this

He finally break the silence

Manabu : "So can you prove it? Can you prove she's not lying?"

Kiyone : "I don't know. That's not up to me. Your sister will prove it. If Sakura-san isn't lying, then she will find a way to convince everyone."

Older Horikita chuckled softly, then smiled, as if to suggest such a thing couldn't be done. Then he retracting himself from me.

Manabu : "I'll keep an eyes on you. Don't disappointed me"

After Older Horikita and Tachibana-senpai left, I approached Sakura-san who still was not able to move. Sakura-san suddenly slumped on the floor as if she got pressured with Older Horikita's stunt.

Kiyone : "Come on. Chin up, Sakura-san .There's no use in crying forever."

Sakura : "But...it's all my fault...Hic-" *sob*

Kiyone : "You didn't do anything wrong. You just told the truth. Right?"

Sakura : "But... I..."

Kiyone : "I'll say it one more time. You didn't do anything wrong."

I crouched slightly so I could meet Sakura-san's eyes. She lowered her head once more, like she didn't want anyone to see her tears.

Kiyone : "I believe in you. I'm grateful that you came here today. Thanks to you, we now have a chance to save Sudou-kun and our classmates."

Sakura : "But... I... Wasn't I completely useless?"

Just how little confidence did this girl have in herself?

Kiyone : "I believe you because you're my friend. Also, I know my friend isn't lying on this situation"

I put my hand on her shoulder. Turning her around somewhat forcibly, I tried to make her look me in the eye. I repeated it with conviction. I told her

Kiyone : "Remember, do it for yourself."

We walked heading to go home together

Sakura : "I let you see something so embarrassing..."

Sakura-san walking next to me, had stopped crying. She now wore a sheepish smile.

Sakura : "It's been such a long time since I cried in front of someone. I feel a little relieved, actually."

Kiyone : "I'm glad. When I was a kid, I used to cry in front of people all the time."

It was painful memory when I was still categorized as infant at that time

Sakura : "I had no idea that you were like that, Ayanokouji-san. That's completely unlike the image I have of you."

Kiyone : "Yeah, I cried a lot. Maybe 10 or 20 times in front of other people."

I'd been frustrated and embarrassed, but I'd been unable to stop crying at that time. Until I completely giving up, either I cry or even die. I doubt they even care to me. Remembering that memories again make my heart hurt somehow

However, people who cried could grow stronger and move forward. Sakura-san seemed to be the type who bottled up her feelings. This incident might have been an important step forward for her.

Sakura : "I was really happy...when you said that you believed me."

Kiyone : "It's not just me. Horikita-san, Kushida-san, and Sudou-kun do, too. All of our classmates believe you."

Sakura : "Yeah... But you came out and told me directly, Ayanokouji-san. You said it."

Sakura-san wiped her eyes once again, probably because the tears blurred her vision.

Sakura : "You gave me courage. So, I was somewhat happy,"

She said with a small smile.

When I heard that, I felt relieved. Even if we could've saved Sudou just by forcing Sakura-san to come forward and pushing her into an uncomfortable situation, it wouldn't have been a perfect solution. The two of us lapsed into silence. Neither of us was very good at making conversation. However, it didn't feel strange or unpleasant.

Sakura : "U-Um, well... I don't think I should be saying this now, but..."

Just as we neared the entrance way, Sakura opened her mouth.

Sakura : "Actually... I... Right now..-"

Two person come toward our direction

Ichinose : "Yahoo! You're really late, huh?"

Ichinose-san and Kanzaki-kun were waiting for us by the entrance way. They must've been on tenterhooks about the trial's results.

Kiyone : "Were you waiting for us?"

Ichinose : "We were wondering what happened."

I stopped and turned to Sakura

Kiyone : "Sorry, Sakura-san. Can we continue this later?"

Sakura-san opened up her shoe locker and looked inside. She turned her face to me

Sakura : "N-No, it's nothing. I just...wanted to say that I would try my best. I'll be brave."

With this quick answer, she lowered her head and left.

Kiyone : "Sakura-san?!"

I tried to stop her, but she hurried out the door.

Ichinose : "I'm sorry. Was this a bad time?"

Kiyone : "No, it's fine. Alright, I'll tell the result"

I described the events that had transpired in the student council room.

Kanzaki : "I see. So, you rejected the compromise, huh? Class D is insisting on Sudou's innocence until the very end?"

Kiyone : "Well, if Sudou-kun even got as little as one day's suspension, Class C still win."

In other words, the compromise had been a trap. A sweet trap set to lure us to our defeat. The two of them didn't seem convinced, though.

Kanzaki-kun in particular insisted that we'd made the wrong choice.

Kanzaki : "The fact remains that he hit the other students. Your opponents made a concession because of corroboration from the witness and her evidence. You guys should've accepted the compromise."

Ichinose : "But like Ayanokouji-san says, his suspension would be a loss for Class D. If he were suspended due to his bad behavior, then his chances of being a team regular would probably vanish. He'd be back to square one."

Kanzaki : "He might not just be sent back to square one. It might be worse actually. If the school knew both sides shared the responsibility, they'd take that into account when assigning punishments. However, if Sudou's share of the blame increases tomorrow, it'll be bad news."

Neither of them were wrong. Either we appealed for his innocence, or we accepted the deal. One of those was the correct answer.

Kiyone : "I see. I think so, too."

Kanzaki : "If you think so, shouldn't you have stopped it?"

Ichinose : "If you're brought back into a retrial, you'll inevitably lose. Just like Kanzaki-kun says, obtaining a not-guilty verdict is virtually impossible."

No matter our testimony, no matter how passionately we made our claims, we couldn't win on that point. It wasn't about just winning or losing anymore. We'd come to an impasse on the battlefield.

Ichinose : "Are you still going to fight? Even without new evidence or testimony?"

Kiyone : "Horikita-san gave us her decision. We'll fight to the bitter end."

She wasn't stupid. She already knew well enough that this extension wasn't a victory. Yet she'd still made the choice to press forward, intending to fight on. That Class D was prepared to face the difficulties ahead was proof of our readiness.

Ichinose : "Hmm. Well, I don't think we'll be able to obtain any more leads, but I'll go check what information I can gather from the Internet."

Though it wouldn't have been odd for her to wash her hands off us at this point, Ichinose-san laughed and still offered her cooperation.

Kanzaki : "I'll do my absolute best to look for more evidence or another witness."

Even though Kanzaki-kun would have opted for compromise, his cooperation also remained unwavering.

Kiyone : "You're still willing to help us?"

Ichinose : "We're in too deep now. Besides, it's like we said before. We can't forgive liars."

Kanzaki-kun nodded. These were really good people.

Kiyone : "I sincerely appreciate the offer, but it's not necessary."

??? : "Not necessary? Interesting, Can't you tell me more about it?"

Younger Horikita, who I thought had returned to the dorms, suddenly stood behind me. Had she been waiting for me?

Kiyone : "Horikita-san! Since when-?"

Suzune : "Stop your useless question. Just explain your plan to us, I know you had some knacks for doing dirty tactic"

Kiyone : "Don't called it dirty tactic. You didn't even heard that yet"

Suzune : "Looking at our circumstance right now, its impossible to win with a conventional plan. Although I had some plan as well, I would like to heard your plan first."

Kiyone : "Well, as we already know that we cannot get Sudou-kun acquitted. Even if a new witness were to come from Class A or B, it would be impossible. However...there is something I would like you to prepare for it"

Ichinose : "Preparing something?"

Kiyone : "The plan is—"

I proceeded to explain to them what I intended to do. The previously calm Ichinose-san's expression now stiffened.

Ichinose : "Oh... That's...going to be a really hard request..."

If Ichinose-san was this hesitant, perhaps it truly was unreasonable.

Kanzaki-kun fell silent and appeared deep in thought.

Horikita : "Interesting"

Kiyone : "I understand that I'm in no position to ask this. The burden I'd be placing upon you is exceptionally great. Even I doubt we could give you payback immediately. But—"

Ichinose : "Ah, no. Well, this should be within the range of what we can do, I think. That's because I plan to figure out what's happening to Class D. I've got tons and tons of things I want to know, but... Well, maybe it would be better for you not to tell us why?"

Kiyone : "You're certainly right about that. Well then, if I can convince you, will you cooperate with us?"

I continued to explain the details of my solution to them. Why was it necessary? What would we use it for? What was its purpose? After I finished my explanation, Kanzaki-kun and Ichinose-san stood lost in silent thought.

Suzune : "You should understand the risks as well as the usefulness of this strategy,"

Kanzaki : "When did you come up with this?"

Kiyone : "Just before the deliberation ended. Only by chance, though."

Somehow Horikita-san frowned at me. It seems she still didn't believe at me on this part

Ichinose : "That's...an incredible move... I went to the scene of the crime and even I didn't think of that. Or, I guess I should say, I was completely in the dark about it. It wasn't even close to what I could imagine."

Ichinose-san appeared to understand the plan and its intended effect. However, her expression was still distant, and she still seemed to be thinking.

Ichinose : "An unusual idea. You can probably anticipate the results, too. But does such a thing even exist?"

She asked Kanzaki-kun, who seemed a little shocked. But Kanzaki-kun who seems clueless just like her giving a gesture that even he don't know about it.

Kiyone : "It might be contrary to your ethics and morals, Ichinose-san. That's why I won't force you"

Ichinose : "Hahaha, yeah. You might be right. It's a change for me. But...it's certainly one way of doing things."

Kanzaki : "Yeah. That's what I thought as well. It's something that never should have been done."

Were they going to lend us a hand? There were lies baked into this strategy. For someone like Ichinose-san, who hated lying, it was supposed to be a harsh request.

Kiyone : "Well, since a lie started all this trouble, maybe it'll take another lie to close the books on this incident. That's what I think, anyway."

Ichinose : "Mmmhmm, I see. An eye for an eye, a lie for a lie, yeah? But is that even possible, I wonder? I can't imagine such a thing would be easy to obtain."

Kiyone : "Don't worry about that part. I've confirmed it, also-"

Suddenly the footstep coming toward our direction

Kiyone : "You guys done with it?"

Sotomura-kun and Hondou-kun come approach us

Sotomura : "Everything goes smoothly like you requested, Ayanokoji-dono!"

Hondou : "We got it covered up"

Hondou-kun said while giving us a thumb up

Suzune : "So, you never intended to winning this court and resort to use this kind of method behind me, huh? Not bad, not bad at all"

Younger Horikita gave a slight nod. She apparently didn't have any objections.

Kanzaki : "So, since you used our points on your plan. May I sticking with you to execute this plan?"

Somehow, Kanzaki-kun intended to supervise our plan or maybe he just cannot trusted us but he can say that directly his opposition toward Ichinose-san. I guess its normal to had some doubt

Kiyone : "Sure, you had the very right to watch us since we used your classmate points, Kanzaki-kun"

Ichinose : "Hey, Kanzaki-kun. Did you think perhaps I make a mistake. I mean somewhat we help them so that they would outpace ClassC?"

Kanzaki : "Yeah. But why are you worried. Did something bothered you?"

Well, her concern might be right. When we are ascend to become class C. Its clear that we could be counted as threat to the current class B

Suzune : "I was just thinking, perhaps what we're doing right now might end up coming back to bite you in the ass later? That's why I hesitate to immediately asking your cooperation but a certain shameless girl here took some advantages of your kindness behind my back."

Ichinose : "Well, that can't be helped"

Kiyone : "Sorry, Ichinose-san...but..."

Ichinose : "Hahaha~ Oh my. I completely neglected to calculate the fact that Class D has a girl like both of you."

Ichinose-san somewhat complimenting us

Ichinose : "Well, since we class B got somehow involved on this, Promise us that you won't disappointed us. Beside, Kanzaki-kun here willing to give a hand to succeded your plan"

Kiyone : "Sure. I promise."

Then after everything seems already decided. Hondou-kun and Sotomura-kun already leave so it back only the 4 of us here again

Suzune : "Well then, Ayanokoji-san. There's something I'd like you to help me with."

Kiyone : "If it's not something really bothersome, sure. I'll help."

Suzune : "Helping others is fundamentally bothersome and time-consuming."

In other words, I needed to prepare myself. I didn't see a way out of this, so I hesitantly decided to yield to Horikita.

Kiyone : "Fine, what do you need from me—?!"

She suddenly push me on the wall. I was startled but she continue her action before I could even ask or refute

I tried to defend myself but somehow she is more fiercer than before

Kiyone : "H-Horikita-san-! P-Please, stop! Stop! I-I beg you please forgive me!"

I received a shocking attack. Horikita-san who suddenly assault me. She keep groping my 'assets'. I was doing my best to endure the pain. I do my best to hold it.

Ichinose : "Kanzaki-kun don't look!!!"

Ichinose-san who watched us doing her best to prevent Kanzaki-kun to watch the entire tragedy by keeping his eyes shut with her bare hands

Suzune : "Hmph! This seems enough for you"

I tumbled into the corner as if blown by a stiff breeze. I slumped down on the floor while my body leaned on the wall. My uniform somehow disaray. My blazer and my blouse look like in a mess

Kiyone : *pant* *pant* "That's cruel..." *pant* *pant* "I could report you about this for bullying you know"

Suzune : "Good, I could do the same to you. You know I won't be this mad if only you didn't try to tarnished my reputation in front of him"

So, it was a payback for making her had shameful experience in front of her brother?

Suzune : "I'll forgive you for touching me this time. However, next time I'll pay you back double no triple or even more."

Kiyone : "Isn't this already settled off? Why did you intend to make it worst?! Beside all I did during the court was tickled your side but you assault me in exchange"

Suzune : "You should know the best that your existence already bring unpleasant feeling toward me."

Kiyone : "W-What are saying?!"

Dumbfounded with our banter, Ichinose-san who watched the whole spectacle. She looked at younger Horikita as if the girl were something terrifying existence especially for the same kind of her, like myself.

Bewildered with it, Ichinose-san slowly dragged away Kanzaki-kun from the scene

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

X : ZZzzz

Y : Another long chapter?

Sorry, if this chapter look too long

Anyway, how do you think about my illustration this time?

X : No coloring?

Sorry no, because it was terrible when I do coloring so decide to make it luminousity

Y : Its terrible as usual. Nothing new

Z : No nude catfight? I'm disappointed

Hold your horse dude! As if I would draw that!

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 2 : The Playmaker

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

On the next day.

The summer sun hanging in the sky was dazzlingly hot.

Kiyone : "I hate summer..."

As I took each step along the tree-lined path to school, my body screamed in agony. Sweat poured down my face.

A bunch cheerful students ran alongside and overtook me. They certainly looked lively. I wonder how could they enjoy this?

Just beyond the trees, light filtering down through their leaves, a lone female student was sitting against the handrail. She looked over at me. Well, just ignore her

However...

Suzune : "Good morning, Ayanokouji-san."

Kiyone : "Were you waiting for someone, Horikita-san?"

Suzune : "Yes. I was waiting for you."

Kiyone : "If you wanted to settle our dispute yesterday. It can't be helped then"

I said that as I put a fighting stance instantly after I said that.

However she only look at me with poker face. She touch my forehead with her hand

Suzune : "I though you got a fever but I was wrong. Did you still feel asleep or something?"

She spat. Then she get off her hand from me

Suzune : "I was thinking...maybe I made a mistake. The wrong choice..."

Kiyone : "Would you be happy if we'd compromised?"

Suzune : "If Sudou-kun is penalized for this, it'll be my responsibility."

Kiyone : "So you do worry about things like this, huh?"

Suzune : "The truth is that we're gambling. I'm a little anxious of the outcome. Are you okay?"

Kiyone : "I had several plan in case this plan failed. Beside we got support from class B too. I'm sure we'll manage."

Suzune : "Hey—"

Kiyone : "Hmm?"

Suzune : "Nothing. I hope there is no problem followed us after we settle this case"

She replied, as if she'd been about to say something. She shut her mouth.

Then we arrived at classroom together

I noticed a change as soon as I set foot inside the classroom. Sakura-san who usually made it to school just in the nick of time, was already sitting at her desk. Had she come here early for any specific reason?

It seems younger Horikita also looked shocked to see Sakura-san. Moreover, Sakura-san's body language itself... Well, she looked the same as usual, but I felt like she was sitting up straight, as if ready for something. It was such a subtle difference that you couldn't really call it a change. It was so miniscule that if you told me I was imagining it, I would say you were right and drop it.

Just as we were about to pass Sakura-san's seat, she looked up. Instead of a proper greeting, she meekly raised her hand. For someone like Sakura-san, that seemed an appropriate response.

That's what I thought, until—

Sakura : "Um... Good morning, Ayanokouji-san. Horikita-san."

Kiyone : "G-Good morning..."

Suzune : "Good morning Sakura-san"

That was the first time Sakura had given a morning greeting. I was so shocked that my response stuck in my throat. Our eyes didn't meet, but she still desperately tried to squeeze out the words.

Suzune : "What's with her?"

She whispered at my ear

Kiyone : "Maybe because of what happened yesterday, she took a step forward on the path to adulthood?"

Sakura-san, who rarely spoke in front of others, had boldly given testimony in a tense environment. She'd likely taken the opportunity for some self- reflection.

Suzune : "People don't change so easily. Trying to change yourself is virtually impossible."

Her realistic statement shattered the lovely image I'd created. As I was no idealist myself, I thought she was perhaps correct. There was no truly major difference between the today's Sakura-san and yesterday's.

However, it certainly wouldn't be true to say she was exactly the same.

In order to change, first she had to think about changing herself. She had to want to change. There was no mistaking that.

Younger Horikita decide to go to her seat. I waved my hand slightly to her before I go to my seat as well

Suzune : "Well, as long as she doesn't overdo it. I think it'll be fine"

Kiyone : "Overdo it?"

Suzune : "If she tries to do what isn't possible for someone like her yet, she'll just set herself up to fail."

There was a mysterious yet convincing power to her words, almost as if she were speaking from experience.

Kiyone : "Well, as a loner who loves her solitude, you're very persuasive on this topic."

Suzune : "You seems didn't learn anything huh? How about we had wrestling again like yesterday?"

Perhaps she didn't come from solitude, but rather from hell...

I observed Sakura-san from a distance. She wasn't yet in a state where she could easily greet other students. Just as I'd expected, she didn't spontaneously become sociable. Would it be better if she didn't force herself? Certainly. She didn't usually talk to anyone, but she gave us a greeting. What another would consider a trivial action was a tremendous mental and physical strain on Sakura-san

It was hard to think that this wouldn't have an effect on her. Then again, she might split at the seams if she tried to force herself to change too much. We should take care with how we executed our strategy.

After school

We had a time before the trial to start. I stood and began to leave the classroom, heading to meet someone at a certain rendezvous spot. Before I left, I decided to have a word with Sakura-san

Kiyone : "Sakura-san. Are you heading back now?"

I asked as she prepared to leave.

Sakura : "Ayanokouji-san... We're having the trial today, so-"

Kiyone : "I'm not participating."

I told her that since I had to do some trivial work behind the scenes.

Sakura : "I see..."

She murmured. She cast her eyes down, as if she had something on her mind. She looked a little odd, like she was nervous. It was as if she couldn't settle down.

Kiyone : "What's wrong?"

Sakura : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "Sakura-san, you don't really need to testify today. There's no need for you to be so worked up, right?"

Sakura-san looked like she was sweating.

Sakura : "It's because everyone's doing their best. I thought I'd do my best, too."

It felt like that she was saying that to herself, rather than to me.

Kiyone : "What are you thinking about?"

Sakura : "Well, if there's something I need to move forward... I'll do it."

Even though I'd asked what she was thinking, Sakura-san wouldn't give a clear answer. I wanted to ask why she looked uneasy, but the cell phone in my pocket vibrated. My alarm told me the time. I couldn't stay any longer.

Sakura : "See you later, Ayanokouji-san."

Sakura-san's words and bright smile seemed so unlike her. They left me with an unpleasant feeling.

Kiyone : "Wait, Sakura-san. Do you have any time later? I wanted to talk to you about something."

The words felt like they were being squeezed out of me. Sakura-san gently shook her head.

Sakura : "I have plans today. Maybe tomorrow?"

Kiyone : "I-Is that so?"

If she assured me that she was fine, I couldn't exactly keep contradicting her. I really had to be going. I turned my back on Sakura-san and headed off.

It was past 3:40.

With classes over for the day, I went to the special building

I meet with Kanzaki-kun and we exchanging glance. I giving him nod and I'm hiding while waiting for some people to come

This place had become increasingly hot and humid as the summer wore on. If things proceeded as planned, then the person I was expecting should arrive soon. Shortly thereafter, three guys showed up, all grumbling about how unbearably hot it was. They appeared happy, though, wearing optimistic expressions.

That was because the three of them had received emails from our class sweetheart, Kushida-san. Had the message contained an invitation to go on a date? Or perhaps, even more insane, a romantic confession? They were probably dreaming of such things. When they saw Kanzaki-kun, their fantasies were crushed.

Ishizaki : "W-Who are you? What's going on? Why are you here?"

Well, its no wonder they upset because of it

Ishizaki-kun the group's leader, stepped forward as if to intimidate him. He was rather forceful when no one was around to see.

Kanzaki : "Kushida won't be here. I asked her to send an e-mail to compel you all to come."

Ishizaki-kun looked incredibly ill-tempered as he closed the distance between him.

Ishizaki : "This isn't funny. What did you do this for, huh?"

Kanzaki : "You better use your little head a bit. Did you think that your behaviour wouldn't bear the consequences"

He suddenly grab Kanzaki-kun collar

Ishizaki : "Tch! I don't know who you are but if you want to mess with us-"

Kanzaki : "Go ahead, do you think I would lose against a weakling like you? I heard that you three being beaten by Sudou alone. I guess all you did to put those stunt just all talk"

Ishizaki : "Damn you! You wanted some taste of beating?! Here you go-!"

Well, Kanzaki-kun giving a signal for me to enter the stage so I decide to revealed myself

Kiyone : "Oh, you guys are making trouble again just like with Sudou-kun huh?"

They look at me immediately after hear my voice.

Kondo, Komiya, Ishizaki : "W-What?!"

Ishizaki-kun released Kanzaki-kun immediately

Komiya : "Y-You?!"

Kondo : "T-That's one of the girl who accompany Sudou during court yesterday!"

Ishizaki : "Amayuki!"

Kiyone : "Its Ayanokoji"

I'm quite sad that he remembered my name wrong

Kiyone : "So, this is how you guys entice Sudou-kun to attack you. Then what next? Playing victim again, honestly that's kinda pathetic."

They began panicked, but it seems Ishizaki-kun alone who seems to be calm

Ishizaki : "Is this your doing?"

Kiyone : "If I hadn't used an underhanded method, you would've just ignored me, right? I wanted to talk to you."

Ishizaki : "Talk to us? Why would we want to do that? Has the heat scrambled your brain or something?"

Ishizaki-kun who clearly was affected by the heat, grabbed his shirt and flapped it.

Komiya : "No matter what you do, you can't hide the truth. Sudou called us over here and beat us up. That's our answer. Now he needs to quietly accept his punishment."

Kiyone : *sigh* "You still don't get it huh? I have no intention of arguing. That would be a waste of time. I fully understand that neither Class C nor Class D will retract what they claimed yesterday."

Kondo : "So why you do this? Are you going to abduct us so we miss the trial? Or are you going to have a bunch of people surround us and threaten us with violence? It'll be just like that time with Sudou."

Kiyone : "That's interesting idea. However like you see, I won't do that since we are lacking in number beside it only work as a stopgap measure."

I know they prefer it since they looked like they'd welcome it. If they were the victims of another attack, they'd probably find a way to make their situation even more favorable.

Ishizaki : "I don't know what do you wanted to talk with us, Amanekoji. Just give up. See ya later."

I wonder if he do that on purpose or perhaps does my name somewhat hard to remember

Understanding that Kushida-san would not be coming, the three turned and tried to leave, but Kanzaki-kun stood in their way.

Kanzaki : "I think you guys might want to consider that idea, actually."

Komiya : "Huh?!"

Kondo : "What do you mean?"

Kanzaki : "What do you mean? What if I said that I'm here because I'm involved in this case?"

Ishizaki : "Wait, I remember now. You are from class B right? I know you are perhaps hold some grudge against us but this incident had nothing to do with Class B, right? So butt out..."

But unlike when they'd spoken to me, their threats sounded weak. Maybe he feel threathened that their dispute started to involved another class because their past behaviour caught them

Somehow they sounded desperate to get away.

Kanzaki : "You're certainly right that Class B has nothing to do with this. But how do you feel about involving so many people in your lies?"

Kondo : "We didn't lie. We're the victims. We are. Sudou called us out here and beat us up. That's the truth."

Kiyone : "This is so pityful to watch. So evildoers remain obstinate until the very end. You lied. We can all see through you. I had small advice for you. If you don't want that fact to become public knowledge, withdraw your claim right away."

Ishizaki : "Huh? Withdraw? Don't make me laugh. What, were you half asleep when you came up with that argument, Ayumiyoji? You can't just claim something and make it true. Sudou started the fight. Right?"

Kondo & Komiya : "That's right! That's right!"

I wanted to hit him. Is it that hard to pronounce 'Ayanokoji'?

Kiyone : "Did you know that this school is one of the leading government- sanctioned institutions in Japan?"

Komiya : "Of course we do. That's why we tried to enroll here."

Kanzaki : "In that case, you should try using your heads a bit more. Your aims were obvious right from the start, wouldn't you say?"

Kiyone : "Didn't you think that the school's response to this incident was rather strange?"

Kondo : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "When you raised the issue with the school, why wasn't Sudou punished immediately? Why give an opportunity to escape by granting a grace period of several days? What do you think was the reason?"

Ishizaki : "Because he lied to the school and cried for mercy. If they hadn't given him the time as a formality, we, the victims, would have won."

Kiyone : "Is that really true? I wonder if you had a different aim, a different purpose."

The windows in the hallway were all closed. The sun, still high in the sky, glared down upon us, increasing the heat and humidity.

Ishizaki : "I've got no idea what you're talking about. Ah, damn it. It's so hot!"

One's ability to think, that is to say, to concentrate, decreases as heat increases. One cannot exhibit sufficient logical, creative thinking outside of a comfortable environment. The more content you cram into your head, the more your brain will overload.

Komiya : "Whatever, we're out of here. We'll going to boil alive if we stay."

Kiyone : "Is that really okay, though? If you leave this place, you might regret it for the rest of your life."

Ishizaki : "What do you want, Amiyoji?"

They didn't seem to understand what I was getting at.

Kiyone : "Don't you understand? The school knows that you're lying, Class C. They've known from the beginning."

This statement probably came as a surprise to them. None of them had imagined such an outcome. Ishizaki-kun and the others looked at each other for a few seconds, then snorted with laughter.

Ishizaki : "Don't make me laugh. We lied? And the school knows it?"

Kiyone : "Did you think I'm joking with this kind of face?"

Kondo-kun and Komiya-kun frowned and try to see something beneath my face but...

Komiya : "Err..honestly I can't tell. What do you think Kondo?"

Kondo : "I don't know. She just expresionless like a doll"

While the two of them murmuring, Ishizaki take a step forward

Ishizaki : "That's a nice try. But we're calling your bluff!"

Kondo : "Hah? Nice trick"

Komiya : "Yeah, as if-..."

I closed my eyes and let them talk all they wanted.

Kanzaki : "Did you know that there are security cameras installed everywhere around the school? It's a measure they've taken in order to monitor what we do every day."

Ishizaki : "Yeah. So what?"

They seemed to have already known about the security cameras.

Ishizaki-kun and the others appeared unconcerned.

Kanzaki : "Well, then. Did you not see that?"

Ishizaki : "Huh?"

I pointed to a spot near the ceiling a little further down the hall.

Ishizaki-kun and the others tracked where my index finger pointed at.

Ishizaki, Kondo, Komiya : "Huh?"

They voiced complete disbelief. A security camera hung in the hallway and occasionally swung from left to right, capturing everything.

Kiyone : "That's too bad, isn't it? If you want to set a trap for someone, you'd need to do it in a place without any cameras."

Ishizaki : "Buh, wh-what camera?! You're lying! But, there weren't any cameras in the other hallways, were there?! It's weird that there's only one installed here! Right?!"

Ishizaki-kun looked back at his two accomplices, seeking their opinion.

They nodded, confirming that yes, he was right. They wiped sweat off their faces as they answered.

Ishizaki : "You can't trick us like that. You guys installed that camera yourselves!"

Kanzaki : "You're right that by and large, cameras aren't installed in most of this building's hallways. However, there are exceptions, and several places in which security cameras have been installed, like in front of the faculty room and the science lab. Obviously, there are many valuables stored in the faculty room, you know? Additionally, the science lab has many chemical products. Since the science lab is on this level, it's only natural that a camera would be installed here."

For the first time, Ishizaki-kun and the other seemed to be at a loss for words. We notice how they faltered.

Kiyone : "Have you looked back there, behind you? There's one there too, right?"

Ishizaki-kun and the others looked down the hall as instructed, and saw a camera. Of course, that camera was monitoring the hall's opposite end.

Kiyone : "So if we'd installed a camera, like you said, would we have prepared one on that side, too? Besides, how exactly would we have prepared surveillance cameras judging by our class situation, I wonder. Please enlightened us?"

Looking at they couldn't even argued such simple nonsense like that, it seems this started to work. We were cutting off their escape routes one by one.

Ishizaki : "Th-that's impossible... That... I mean, we...checked back then... We should have..."

Kiyone : "This is the third floor, but did you really check? Maybe you only looked at the second or the fourth? Perhaps the cameras were truly set up here as a trap?"

The three were holding their heads and sweating far more than normal.

Kanzaki : "Also, you realize that you just destroyed yourselves, right? Normal people wouldn't think to check whether there were security cameras, right? That's basically admitting your guilt."

He said while showing them a recorder device. It means that our entire conversation being recorded

Komiya : "So, so... That time... No way..."

Kiyone : "The security cameras couldn't record the sounds of your voices, but they definitely captured the decisive moment you threw the first punch just like what Sakura-san stated"

The cuffs of their uniforms were completely drenched with sweat.

Kiyone : "The school's waiting, right? Go ahead and tell us the truth. After giving you a grace period, the student council president himself asked if you had lied. If you think back, don't you realize that the student council saw through everything?"

The three of them were probably frantically wracking their brains to recall what happened at the meeting. Of course, the student council had not seen through their lies at all. However, the student council had their doubts about who was telling the truth. If the Class C students interpreted that question to be focused squarely at them, it lent itself a certain credence.

Komiya : "That's... I didn't hear about anything like that! It's all over!"

Komiya-kun buckled. Leaning against the wall, he slid down to his knees.

Kondou-kun held his head in his hands. They all seemed to recognize what was happening. Or so I thought, but Ishizaki-kun wasn't buying it.

Ishizaki : "W-Wait a minute. I'm still not convinced. Okay, let's say the security cameras did capture some footage. You should've been able to prove Sudou's innocence without having to really do anything, right? You didn't need to call us out here to tell us this. You could have just presented it at the trial. But you guys called us here, right?"

Kiyone : "Innocence? That depends on what you're innocent of. We know that both parties took damage during the incident. No matter the circumstances, Sudou-kun hit the three of you. That's undeniable. Of course, if the security footage can prove that Sudou-kun wasn't the one who called you three over here, he'd probably receive the lightest possible punishment. However, his position as a regular would still be threatened. He might not be allowed to participate in tournaments."

Sweat poured down Ishizaki's forehead like a waterfall. We were hot as well, but comparatively much better off than these three. Their temperatures kept rising as we cornered them.

Ishizaki : "What the hell? Well then, if it's like you people say, the security footage shouldn't be any trouble at all, right? We'll be fine as long as we can get Sudou suspended for even one day."

Did they forget already that Kanzaki-kun just show them a recorder before? One by one they keep making blunder

Kiyone : "If that happens, you might be expelled. Are you fine with that?"

Clearly they hadn't thought that part through, and didn't notice the dilemma they faced.

Kiyone : "If someone checked the security camera footage, it would expose your lies. If that were to happen, chances are good you'd be expelled. Anyone could see that."

Komiya : "Wha—!"

Kondo : "W-Wait, why expelled? You didn't say that we lied!"

Kiyone : "The school is testing us. They're testing to see if we can solve problems, and what kind of conclusions we draw. Don't you think that's consistent with everything else in this case?"

Kondo : "Why would... I-I definitely don't want to get expelled!"

Komiya : "H-Hey, Ishizaki. It's not too late to tell them we lied! If we do, the school might forgive us!"

Ishizaki : "Damn it. This is ridiculous. Admit that we lied? Well, fine. As long as Sudou's punished, I'll prepare myself for the worst punishment possible, an honorable sacrifice! It'll all be over for Sudou!"

In other words, Ishizaki-kun wouldn't withdraw. Instead, he'd press forward.

Kiyone : "It's rather early to draw a conclusion. I'll give you one last chance. There's only one way to save both Class C and Class D-"

Ishizaki : "Like hell we'd do that!"

Kiyone : *sigh* "At least lemme finished my talk first"

If the incident existed, it would be impossible to save everyone. In that case, it would be better if the incident didn't exist at all.

Kiyone : "There's only one way to resolve this issue. Tell the school that you wish to withdraw your complaint. If you do that, the school will not bring forward the security camera footage. If there's no complaint, no one can be punished. Additionally, if the security footage is never brought up, Class D benefits, too. As we already know, if the security footage were brought produced, Sudou-kun would still face some degree of punishment. In other words, Class C and Class D can come to a compromise together. The school can't investigate if they can't watch the video and see that you lied, right?"

Ishizaki : "Ahh, ahh... Just...let me call..."

A shattered-looking Ishizaki-kun took out his cell phone. However, I immediately snatched his phone.

Ishizaki : "Wha-! Hey you-!"

Nice timing. Kanzaki-kun garb his arm before he could landed a touch on me

Kanzaki : "If you don't mind of getting expelled. I'd welcomed any of you to had a fight here"

Ishizaki : "Damn you!"

Kanzaki : "Well, since you're not being very cooperative. Therefore, we have no choice but to prepare. We'll have the school confirm the security footage right away, and you'll be expelled."

I nodded in agreement. Kondo-kun and Komiya-kun grabbed Ishizaki-kun's arms.

Komiya : "Come on. Let's just accept Yayoi-san's idea, Ishizaki!"

To think that they didn't do that on purpose somewhat make me sad. Beside 'Yayoi' just too far from 'Ayanokoji'

Ishizaki : "W-Wait. If I don't check with that person, it'll be bad,"

I look at the phone contact who's he tried to call and it was just as expected

Kiyone : "Did you mean by 'that person' perhaps is Ryuuen-kun? Well, he's surely famous troublemaker in our years after all"

Kondo : "No way!"

Komiya : "We've already lost! I don't wanna get expelled!"

Kondo : "Please, Ishizaki!"

Looking out of solution and the mastermind getting exposed because their blunder as well. Ishizaki-kun getting frustated.

Ishizaki : "Damn! Fine... We'll withdraw. It'll be fine if we withdraw!"

Ishizaki fell to his knees.

Kiyone : "Thanks for your cooperation"

We went to the student council room, the three C students sandwiched between us.

If we took our eyes off them for even one second, they might contact someone for advice.

It seems Ichinose-san, Kushida-san, Hondou-kun, and Sotomura-kun are waiting outside the room.

When we finally reached the student council room, we pushed the three inside.

She was already here accompanied by Sudou-kun

Suzune : "You are being too merciful, it would be better if you just stay silent and let them get expelled!"

The three class C students shudder upon hear that word. She had put everything together her act really well.

The court started to begin inside student council president room. Let just wait they withdraw the case and victory is on our side.

The other still attended the court. Only me, Kanzaki-kun, and Ichinose-san. Also Hondou-kun and Sotomura-kun who come back with stepladder

Ichinose : "You guys successfully manage that, awesome"

Kanzaki : "There is still no guarantee that this would go smoothly."

Ichinose : "Then how much persentation we win this case?"

Kanzaki : "About 90%"

Ichinose : "Isn't that already high chance your plan works?"

Kanzaki : "We can't ignored the 10% which somehow could turn our advantages upside down"

Ichinose : "I-I see, you are right? Hehehe~"

Kiyone : "Ano~, thanks class B cooperation we were somehow had a chance to be able to win this. Beside I though somehow Kanzaki-kun role-playing were good. You should saw that how cool Kanzaki-kun as well, Ichinose-san"

But the person in question keep silent as if he still wary of me. He didn't even reacted when he got teased either

Ichinose : "Ahahaha, you are such funny one eh? Anyway, I was wondering what you were up to when you asked me to lend you some points at that day..."

We returned to the hot and humid special building and set up a stepladder.

The boys included Kanzaki-kun, Hondou-kun and Sotomura-kun ready to remove the camera behind us. Kanzaki-kun being silent all the time while Sotomura-kun and Hondou-kun chating something but I didn't paying attention to what are they saying since they talking about mobile games which I don't quite understand at all

Ichinose : "I couldn't believe you wanted to install security cameras."

Yes, that's right. The school hadn't actually installed those security cameras. Using fund from class B student. We managed bought them, and together with Sotomura-kun and Hondou-kun, we installed them during our court yesterday. Ishizaki-kun and the other two students were terrified of leaked footage from the cameras, but those cameras were fakes.

I was surprised at first that the school sold such equipment. Then again, while you wouldn't think of using them for crime prevention, they could be useful in measurement and recording. In other words, study tools. Perhaps calling them network rather than security cameras would make it easier to comprehend.

The heat had compromised the Class C students' ability to think.

They'd been in crisis mode, without a chance to relax. In addition, they'd felt psychologically threatened during that standoff. There was no way that they would have figured out we were bluffing. Even if they'd doubted it, they had no time to investigate.

Kanzaki-kun finished and he climbed down from the stairs. But he keep staring at me afterward like he somewhat observe since I make contact with class B. However this time he keep looking without said anything

Sotomura : "Oya~ Did Kanzaki-dono sense something wrong here?"

Kanzaki : "You are a threat"

Of course his word immediately gained attention around him

Sotomura : "Huh?"

Hondou : "W-What do you mean?"

Kanzaki : "The ability to making decision, setting a trap, and another else. Honestly it make me worried. Right now, you might be class D. But, sooner or later I believed someday you guys become formidable threat to us."

Kiyone : "I-I see..."

Kanzaki : "Well, however our contract stay still. Unless you paid off your debt to Ichinose-san, you won't do anything to bear hostility against us right?"

Kiyone : "That's right, I used mine as bargained chip"

Kanzaki : "What I don't understand is why would you try to bear it alone? Beside, can't you guarantee that your classmates could stay still like the contract you signed or is it that just part of Horikita plan to order you like that?"

Kiyone : "Kanzaki-kun, you may believed it or not but our class isn't like what you imaginated"

Kanzaki : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "Basically, our unity is the worst compared the other class. You might be not believed it but Horikita-san isn't our leader yet. There is Hirata-kun, Karuizawa-san, Kushida-san and also several students who didn't aligned with anyone. Take Koenji-kun from my class for example. He's someone who didn't follow anyone order. That's why I use myself as guarantee for it"

Kanzaki-kun then look toward Hondou-kun and Sotomura-kun to check that am I lie or not but these two affirmated my statement

Kanzaki : "You said 'yet', does that mean you intend to make Horikita leader of your class?"

Kiyone : "I believe she had some certain degree to achieve that, beside she was ranked 3rd during this school entrance exam. She may had one or two defect traits which make her ended up in class D, but I do believe she could overcome her shortcoming soon"

Well, since younger Horikita is such conveniance excuse at this kind of situation

Kanzaki : "Fine, I'll believe you for now"

Then, the tension between me and Kanzaki-kun started to cooling down

Ichinose : "When the day comes, you guys will probably become formidable rivals for Class C, Ayanokouji-san."

Kiyone : "Well, If such a day ever comes. I guess."

However, Ichinose-san might well be in Class A by then.

Ichinose : "If Horikita-san were in Class B, we might have gotten to Class A right away."

Kiyone : "Probably. If only you can deal with her annoying behaviour. That's it"

Kanzaki-kun put the removed camera and put it inside of certain bag, and the other boys tried to fold the stepladder and packed it back

Kiyone : "I'll definitely return the points I borrowed. Just tell me when you want them."

Ichinose : "Sure. As long as you pay me back by graduation, it's fine. So what are you going to do now? Wait in front of the student council room?"

Kiyone : "Probably..."

I suddenly remembered seeing Sakura-san. She'd said that she had plans today, but what in the world was she doing? Earlier, when she'd been waiting for me after class, what had she wanted to tell me? She seemed like she'd resolved to do something, judging by her expression. Right? She'd said she had courage. But what for?

A sudden call ringing on my phone

Sakura-san?

The feeling plagued me, as if the back of my head were going numb while my thoughts swirled.

Sakura : "A-Ayanokoji-san..I- Kya-!!!"

Before anyone asking what happened so suddenly to make me act like this, I was already running away. Whatever it is my current goal is to find Sakura-san immediately

Third Person POV

Without thinking twice, violet haired boy taking an action

Kanzaki : "I'll go with her!"

Kanzaki already left following Ayanokoji

Ichinose : "Huh?! W-Wait a minute!"

Surprised by sudden act. Hondou-kun, Sotomura-kun, and Ichinose-san stunned.

Hondou : "What's going on Professor? Did she tell you something about it?

Sotomura : "N-No at all. I don't know anything about it"

Ichinose : "I'm sorry I can't accompany you. I'll go check on her"

She couldn't understand what was happening, but for some reason she followed them

Hondou : "Sorry Professor, I'll go with her"

He just shove the stepladder to Sotomura and he began to leave

Sotomura : "Wait, does it mean I'm the one who bring this back alone?! Wait, Hondou-dono!"

He keep shouting until Hondou can't be seen anymore

Sotomora : "Good grief, just what's going on here?

Sotomura pondering what's goingon but also he become dispirited when he left to bring back the stepladder alone

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

My phone's tracking data displayed a certain location like a small alley not too far from Keyaki mall. As I approached the destination, I was incredibly winded. I had to stop and catch my breath.

Sakura : "Please don't contact me anymore!"

Kusuda : "Why would you say something like that? You're my treasure... Ever since I first saw you in a magazine, I've loved you. Meeting you again here, I felt like it was destiny. I love you... I can't stop feeling this way about you!"

Sakura : "Stop... Please, stop it!"

Sakura-san shouted. She took something out of her bag. Letters. It looked like dozens...no, hundreds of letters. I wondered how many this man had sent.

Sakura : "How do you know my room number? Why do you keep sending these?"

Kusuda : "Why? Of course I would know your room number and send you letters. It's because our hearts are connected."

Sakura-san had probably been suffering ever since she started school here. Her fan knew her identity, and she had to deal with his attention every day. However, Sakura-san had had enough and, thanks to her newfound courage, was going to break away. She'd decided to free herself from him here and now. Her resolve made sense now.

Sakura : "Please stop it. It's bothering me!"

She tossed the bundle of letters to the floors, rejecting the man's unrequited love.

Kusuda : "Why... Why would you do something like that? Even after I wrote out my feelings to you!"

But instead of backing off, he suddenly rushing forward toward her. I immediately use my phone to record it

Sakura : "D-don't come any closer!"

The man closed the distance between him and her. He walked with an intensity that made it look as though he were about to attack. Latching onto Sakura-san's arm, he shoved her up against the wall.

Kusuda : "I'll show you just how much I love you now... If I do that, then you'll understand, Sakura."

Sakura : "No, let me go!"

I wanted to stop it but I need to wait until he actually do 'that'

Sakura : "Ah! Stop!"

Sorry Sakura-san...

I could saw her tears burst out. My heart can't take it anymore. I know this can't be used as concrete evidence but it can't be helped.

While he keeps busy with Sakura-san, I decide to showing myself while recording it with video

Kiyone : "Ah, to think that I found something like this while recording about this school! That old guy's doing something naughty!"

Sakura & Kusuda : "Huh?!"

Sakura was completely dumbfounded after hearing my voice. That kind of gaze like someone who just find their salvation

Sakura : "Ayanokoji-san...Why...are you...here? How...come...?"

Kiyone : "Oh, 'Adult harasses high school girl.' I can just see the headlines tomorrow, you'll be famous on media tomorrow. I wonder how does your family react upon hearing this news?"

Kusuda : "N-No! That's wrong. You're wrong!"

Kiyone : "Wrong? I don't think so. Whoa~ look at all those letters! Gross. Are you a stalker?"

I stomped his letter on purpose. But to think that he got triggered because of that

Kusuda : "Y-You! How dare you stupid b*tch! How dare you getting in the way with our fated love!"

Kiyone : "Fated love? You just stalker who coming out to assault her. Beside this stupid letters even proved that you are truly gross"

Kusuda : "Don't you get carried away!"

He is mad and charge to my direction. I immediately readily a fighting stance!

Sakura : "Ayanokoji-san!"

But before I took an action. Suddenly a gallant figure appeared before me.

He throwing a punch toward his face which caused him plummeted away

Kiyone : "Kanzaki-kun?!"

He keep his vigilance to the old man. He seems ready to fight him in case he did something stupid to harm any of us.

I use this chance to approached Sakura-san and hugged her

Kiyone : "I'm glad I'm not late"

Sakura : "A-Ayanokoji-san..you're coming...Hic...You are really coming"

Her sudden burst of tears because she feels relieved. I give her hand to stand up while try to keep her safe

Kusuda : "Damn you! Who are you?"

Kanzaki-kun and the old man glared each other.

Suddenly...

??? : "Here they are! Over here!"

Huh? it was Ichinose-san and Hondou-kun followed by 2 security guard

Ichinose-san and Hondou-kun look at the scenario and they come into conclusion.

Ichinose : "S-Seriously?"

Hondou : "Damn it! is that salesclerk guy on the other day? I know he's creepy bast*rd! But, I didn't expect he would do this. That damn trash!"

Then the security guard detain the old man and Kanzaki-kun simply put his hand up as a sign he intend to cooperate.

??? : "I need the three of you to come with us to explain what happened here"

I nodded.

Sakura-san, Kanzaki-kun, and me followed the guard instruction

The three of us walked away from a certain room after being questioned by the officer and it does seems police come after being called by security guard

Kiyone : "A-Ano...Kanzaki-kun, thanks for your help"

I said while bowing

Kanzaki : "Don't mind it"

We keep walking in silence. Only our footstep which we heard along our walk

On the outside. Ichinose-san and Hondou-kun are waiting for us

Ichinose : "Good job for you, here Kanzaki-kun"

She come while waving her hand toward Kanzaki-kun. Next she greeted us

Kiyone : "Thanks Ichinose-san"

Ichinose : "Don't mind, how about you?"

Kiyone : "I'm perfectly fine, but..."

We look at Sakura-san with worry

She keep stared downward with her hunched back. I wonder did this situation probably shaken her.

Sakura : "A-Ano! T-Thanks a lot! Thanks for helping me everyone! I-"

Hondou : "You don't need to be so formal like that Sakura"

Ichinose : "Don't worry, he won't come after you anymore"

I hugged her

Kiyone : "I'm glad that you are fine"

She let out burst of tear but it wasn't tears of fear. Instead it was tears of grattitude.

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

X : Is it just me or the picture somehow kinda familiar?

Well, this was the fight scene between Touma and Accelerator so I don't deny that I was tracing it from there. LOL

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 2 : Epilogue

Horikita Suzune POV

Sudou-kun and I arrived at the student council room 10 minutes before the court began. Tachibana-san was the only other person there. I saw no sign of other students, or my older brother.

Sudou : "Oh jeez, I'm so nervous. How about you, Horikita?"

Suzune : "I feel the same as ever."

This case would be settled today.

If this strategy failed though, it would likely devolve into a verbal battle where we hurled abuse at each other. In the end, the result would certainly be worse than the compromise that had been proposed at the previous hearing. Sudou-kun would hate me then. Well, he'd be barking up the wrong tree. Still, I would have to acknowledge his complaints, because the appeal to the council was my responsibility.

Alternatively, I supposed that if Sudou-kun himself wished it, there was the possibility of meeting them halfway. They'd probably want to shorten his suspension as much as possible. If we made that the focal point of our discussion, we might be able to arrange for Sudou-kun's sentence to be lightened as well.

Reconciliation was another name for defeat. Still, if the person in question wished for it, I would have no choice.

A short time later, the student council room doors opened. My heart started pounding at double the speed. My older brother... My words stuck in my chest and would not come out.

Even though I should have understood it, I felt attacked. I was wracked with various symptoms such as trembling, nervousness, and dizziness. But I couldn't repeat yesterday's mistakes.

I turned my eyes from my brother. There were other opponents I should have been facing.

Sakagami : "Oh, my. I see that the girl from yesterday isn't here."

Next came the Class C teacher, Sakagami-sensei. Chabashira-sensei was with him.

Chabashira : "What happened to Ayanokouji, Horikita?"

Suzune : "She's not participating."

Chabashira : "Not participating?"

Chabashira-sensei turned to the vacant seat with a puzzled look. Then, she show her small grin as if she is interested what are we going to do this time

It was vague, but I had the gut feeling that what Chabashira-sensei was seeing the evidence of Ayanokouji-san's involvement.

Sakagami : "Well, even if she's not here, the results will be the same."

Yes, it will be more or less same like you said

Chabashira : "Well, whatever. It's up to you guys to decide."

Both teachers took their seats.

When that time came, how would the battle go? Well, that was simple. We would object to what the other side had to say. We would reiterate that the other side was lying, and then pierce through those lies before claiming that we were the ones telling the truth. That was it. Since that girl already planned something behind the scene

It would be the same for both sides. Through lies, we would arrive at the truth. This was a battle between truth and lies. We could bandy about ideas, but there could only be one solution.

Tachibana : "Well then, we would like to resume deliberations on this case, from where we left off yesterday. Please take your seat."

Tachibana-san urged the students from Class C to sit down. However, they didn't budge. Instead, they remained standing in front of Sakagami- sensei.

Tachibana : "Can you please sit down?"

Komiya : "Umm... Sakagami-sensei."

Sakagami : "What is it?"

I guess everyone else noticed that this situation was strange.

Komiya : "Would it be possible not to hold this trial?"

Sakagami : "What are you...? What in the world do you mean?"

Sakagami-sensei stood up in response to this unexpected request.

Manabu : "Did you want to come to an agreement? Or did you already do something to the effect?"

My older brother gazed sharply at the Class C students. However, the three boys shook their heads in unison, signaling that no, they didn't want to compromise.

Komiya : "We realized that we weren't really saying anything worthwhile about which side was at fault. Our complaint was a mistake. Therefore, we'd like to withdraw it."

Chabashira : "You're withdrawing your complaint?"

Chabashira-sensei chuckled as she spoke. She wore a thin smile, as if she found something amusing.

Sakagami : "What's so funny, Chabashira-sensei?"

Sakagami-sensei did not seem to like her attitude, glaring at Chabashira-sensei in irritation.

Chabashira : "Oh, excuse me. I was just surprised because I hadn't foreseen this. I figured we would argue all day until one side collapsed, or until we could propose an acceptable compromise. However, unbelievably, they've said that they want to withdraw the complaint."

Ishizaki : "Teachers, members of this student council, we are sorry to have taken your time. However, after careful consideration this is the conclusion we've all come to."

The three's ardent appeal signaled that their will was strong. It seemed that Ayanokouji-san and Kanzaki-kun had handled things quite well. I tried to act calm and collected, without letting my relief show.

Sakagami : "Surely you can't accept this. You did nothing wrong. Sudou-kun caused all of this through one-sided intimidation and violence. Do you plan to just quietly sit there and take this?"

As if realizing something, Sakagami-sensei turned anger-filled eyes towards Sudou-kun and me. Sudou-kun responded with big grin as if he taunted back the teacher.

Sigh...

It would be better if this idiot just stay calm

Sakagami : "What did you do? Threaten my students with violence so they'd withdraw their appeal?"

Sudou : "Huh? What is this? Don't screw around. I didn't do anything"

Sakagami : "There's no way that my students would withdraw their complaint unless you had. Tell us the truth. If you do that, then we can do something about it."

Kondo : "Sakagami-sensei...we're going to withdraw the complaint no matter what you say. Our decision won't change."

Sakagami-sensei, as if unable to comprehend what his students were saying, hung his head low and sat back down.

Manabu : "If you say that you'd like to withdraw your complaint, we will accept it. It is certainly rare to cancel deliberations during a case, but we can do it."

My older brother, the student council president, tried to remain calm and composed.

Sudou : "Heh~ Pathetic"

CHOP!

Sudou : "Aw! What was that for Horikita?"

I give a chop on his head. This idiot never learn to not caused a ruckus

Sigh...

Sudou : "Horikita?"

Suzune : "Don't provoke them"

I wonder how many time we explain this to him. Its not only me, Ayanokoji-san, Kushida-san, even his two buddy I bet they already told this to him

Suzune : "If you wish to withdraw your complaint, we have no intention of fighting it. We accept."

I could understand Sudou-kun's dissatisfaction at being brought to trial based on a lie, that's why he try to vented it by mocking them with victory. However if he do that, there is small chance that what Ayanokoji-san doing behind the scene would be gone waste

Tachibana : "However, according to regulations, we will require a certain payment of points in order to cover of miscellaneous expenses incurred over the course of deliberations. Are there objections to this?"

This was the first time we'd heard of such a thing. The students from Class C looked upset, but came to a conclusion right away.

Ishizaki : "W-We understand... We will pay."

Tachibana : "Very well, the proceedings have come to an end. We will now call this discussion closed."

While we waited for the curtains to fall on this rather abrupt end, I wondered who could have predicted such an outcome. Meanwhile, I saw Chabashira-sensei direct a rather bold smile at me.

Suzune : "Sudou-kun, will no longer face suspension. The school will not consider him a problem child. He will be able to participate in club activities from today onward, right?"

I looked to Chabashira-sensei for confirmation.

Chabashira : "Of course. The same goes for the students in Class C, naturally. Youthful zeal is a good quality. However, the next time you think about causing problems, you should remember this incident as an example. Do not forget. Okay?"

She emphasized this point strongly to both sides. Sudou-kun looked rather dissatisfied, but nodded. I supposed that his joy at being able to play basketball outweighed his dissatisfaction.

Sakagami-sensei slowly left with his students. The moment the door closed, it sounded like he started hounding his students for answers. But that didn't matter. We wouldn't have to deal with any more idiotic appeals after this, most likely.

Chabashira : "I'm glad, Sudou"

Chabashira-sensei said, sounding grateful

Sudou : "Hehehe. Well, of course!"

Chabashira : "Personally, I think you should have been punished. The reason this incident occurred at all is because of your behavior. Who told the truth and who lied is trivial. It's important that you don't let this kind of thing happen again. You do understand that, yes?"

Her words condemned Sudou-kun, who was still joyful over his victory.

Sudou : "Yeah..."

Chabashira : "However, admitting your own faults isn't 'cool.' So even if you acknowledge that your personality was partly to blame, you act tough. You get stronger. That's fine. However, if you act like that, you won't be able to make real friends. Eventually, Horikita will abandon you. She'll leave."

Suzune : "I wouldn't exactly call us friends"

Chabashira : "There's strength in admitting your mistakes, Sudou."

She ignored my remark. Chabashira-sensei had tried to reach out to one of her students for the first time, as a homeroom teacher. I think that Sudou-kun understood what she was saying, even if unconsciously. He hung his head low and sank in his chair.

Sudou : "I understand... If I hadn't acted that way in the first place, then I wouldn't have hit those guys. It wouldn't have been such a big deal. I knew that, somewhere."

When this first came up, he'd asserted that Class C had lied, and had continued to say only that.

Sudou : "I always fought all I wanted for my own satisfaction. But it's not like that anymore... I'm a Class D student, and my personal actions affect the entire class. Now I've experienced that firsthand..."

Sudou-kun might actually be dealing with a great deal of anxiety and stress in ways I couldn't see.

Sudou : "I won't cause problems again, sensei. Horikita."

Those were the first penitent words I'd heard out of Sudou-kun's mouth. I wondered if Chabashira-sensei was surprised. If so, she shouldn't be. Sudou-kun might have understood this much, but he was still Sudou-kun. A person couldn't change in just one day.

Chabashira : "You shouldn't make promises so casually. You'll cause trouble soon again."

Sudou : "Tch!"

Our teacher, who was rather perceptive about Sudou-kun's shortcomings, rejected his promise.

Chabashira : "What do you think, Horikita? Do you think that Sudou will become a model student?"

Suzune : "No, I don't."

I agreed with the teacher without hesitation. But...

Suzune : "However...Sudou-kun certainly made some progress today. He admitted he was at fault. So I'm sure that he'll grow more tomorrow."

Sudou : "Y-Yeah..."

He is somewhat happy

Chabashira : "I'm glad to hear that, Sudou. It looks like Horikita hasn't abandoned you yet."

Suzune : "No, I've already abandoned him. I just won't allow him to run loose anymore."

Sudou : "Wh-What does that mean?!"

Sudou-kun scratched his head and smiled, as if he just shaken off something heavy.

Sudou : "Well, I'm gonna get going. I have club activities. See you later, Horikita."

With those words, Sudou-kun hurriedly stepped out of the room and into the hallway. He was not remorseful. He was definitely going to cause trouble for us again soon. He was a nuisance.

Suzune : "I'll take my leave now, Chabashira-sensei. Please, excuse me-"

Chabashira : "Wait just a moment. There's something I want to talk to you about, Horikita. follow me"

I followed her at the rooftop. Its the usual place when we talk face to face just like what happened after midterm exam

Chabashira : "So. What methods did you use, Horikita?"

Suzune : "What do you mean?"

Chabashira : "Playing dumb eh? Don't try to dodge the question. They wouldn't withdraw their complaint without a reason, would they?"

Suzune : "I'll leave that to your imagination."

We'd fabricated a lie because we were backed into a corner. I wonder if I could tell a teacher like that

Chabashira : "So it's a secret, hmm? Well, allow me to change the question. Who came up with the strategy that defeated Class C?"

Suzune : "Why do you care about that?"

Chabashira : "Ayanokouji isn't here, so I'm a little curious."

Chabashira-sensei had been rather preoccupied with Ayanokouji-san ever since we started school. I wonder, she ask too much about her as if she was her mother. But...

Suzune : "Fine then, she's the one who come up with the plan and also she's the one who execute it. She had knack of doing dirty tactic I guess"

I'm saying this hoping that we could skipped this part. However, our victory would not have been as decisive without her. At least she would understand what am I trying to say at this point

Chabashira : "I see. So you recognize that, hmm?"

Suzune : "Is that surprising? You were the one who first put me together with Ayanokouji-san, Chabashira-sensei. You did it because you couldn't overlook her's potential, right? And I just simply use her like you're suggested"

Chabashira : "Potential, hmm?"

Suzune : "Though she does try to hide her ability by pretending to be an idiot, for some mysterious reason."

Yes, she was truly incomprehensible. I could not find meaning in such behavior. It was likely that she was simply being absurd.

Chabashira : "The students in Class D all have some kind of defect, more or less. To borrow an expression used by others in this school, Class D is an assemblage of people that could be called 'defective products.' You already understand this quite well though, don't you?"

Suzune : "I don't intend to admit that I have a defect. But I do understand."

Chabashira : "Well, what do you think is Ayanokouji's defect?"

One thing immediately came to mind. What is her actual defect? What happened on her in the past? This never come to my mind since she never told anyone about this and also I respected her privacy by not meddling with her bussiness

Suzune : "We've already established it. She already knows what his own defect is."

Chabashira : "Oh? And what is it?"

Suzune : "She 'dislikes trouble'"

I answered, with confidence. I hope this answer could satisfy her.

Chabashira : "She dislikes trouble, hmm? Is that what you perceive when you look at Ayanokouji?"

Suzune : "No... It's because she said it herself."

Chabashira-sensei snorted and chuckled. She spoke again, her tone firm.

Chabashira : "Well, Horikita. Let's try to learn as much as we possibly can about the girl called Ayanokouji without delay, shall we? Otherwise, it'll be too late. You already seem to have fallen into Ayanokouji's trap."

This is absurd! What does she mean by that?!

Suzune : "Fallen into her trap? That was nonsense"

Chabashira : "Lets talk about past event again. Why do you think Ayanokouji purposefully got scores of 50 points across on the board on her entrance examination? Why do you think Ayanokouji is helping you? Why do you think that Ayanokouji doesn't put herself forward as a superior student, despite having superior ability? Is Ayanokouji Kiyone really someone who 'dislikes trouble'?"

Is she truly superior like she claimed to be? Somehow she kinda exaggarating her capability too much

If she truly wanted to prioritize peace and tranquility, then why score 50 points in all subjects and allow herself to draw this much attention? I do understand one of certain reason however...

Had she deliberately poked his nose into this incident as well? I wondered if she ought to have been carefully monitored, like many other students. As Chabashira- sensei said, her behavior didn't fit the pattern of someone who "disliked trouble." That unconscious realization must have been the cause of my earlier discomfort.

Chabashira : "I already told you. In my personal opinion, Ayanokouji is the most defective student in Class D."

Suzune : "That's why I don't understand. How could she branded as the most defective student by your standard?"

Chabashira : "Fufufu~ Let see, higher functioning products are more difficult to handle. If you misunderstand how to handle her, the class might be completely destroyed in short order."

Suzune : "Then, Chabashira-sensei. Do you really understand what about her can be considered defective?"

Chabashira : "Get to know the person called Ayanokouji. What is she thinking? What focal point does she base her actions around? What is her fatal flaw? There's definitely an answer there."

Suzune : "You already told me the same thing last time"

Chabashira : "So, what is your observation result of her?"

Suzune : "That's..."

At this moment I feel that this is the first time I faced with the most hardest question. The real reason I started to observe her because I wanted to seek an answer. But instead of an answer, what I got after observe her is more question come into my mind.

What kind of human she is?

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Did I come late?

I was on my way to go to students council president room but...

Sudou : "Oh! here you are Ayanokoji. Geez, I don't understand what happened, but Horikita did something for me, right?"

I met Sudou-kun on my way. I guess its already ended

I nodded on his question

Sudou : "I knew it. I knew she'd come through for my sake. Heh heh heh."

He looked incredibly happy. Well, as long as he's happy without divulging too much on the truth. I guess its fine

Sudou : "Well, I gotta head to my club. We should have a party tonight."

Kiyone : "Yeah...yeah"

I guess I decide to head back since there is nothing else involved me

However...

The student council president and Secretary Tachibana. I met them on my way. A small greeting wouldn't do harm right?

Kiyone : "Excellent work, senpai"

I said while bowing

I thought we'd just exchange a light greeting, but the president stopped in his tracks to address me.

Manabu : "I have approved Class C's request to withdraw their complaint."

Kiyone : "Is that so? Well, I guess miracles do happen."

Older Horikita remained still and looked me in the eyes. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Manabu : "So this was all to prove that Sakura wasn't a liar, as you said? I suppose if Class C withdrew their complaint, then talk would spread quite naturally. If Sudou or Sakura weren't the liars, then Class C was."

Kiyone : "Your little sister handled things well. I didn't do anything."

Manabu : "If that's your answer, then I'm impressed. Even though it's a simple story."

Secretary Tachibana-senpai seems doubt it. Then he continued

Manabu : "Tachibana. Do you still have one seat open for secretary?"

Tachibana : "Yes. A first-year Class A student applied the other day, but was rejected after the first interview."

Manabu : "Ayanokouji. If you wanted it, I would appoint you to the position."

I was surprised, but Tachibana-senpai appeared even more shocked than me.

Tachibana : "S-Student council president... Do you really mean that?"

Manabu : "Do you disapprove?"

Tachibana : "N-No. If you say so, I have no objections. But..."

Eh? Why she glared at me?

Kiyone : "Not interested, I hate troublesome stuff. Besides, being in the student council is no joke. I want to lead an ordinary student life at this school,"

Tachibana-senpai was even more shocked by my response.

Tachibana : "Huh? Are you refusing an invitation from the student council president?!"

Kiyone : "Is that perhaps a surprising thing to do senpai? I don't know what Horikita-senpai saw on me however I know myself better that I'm not fit to become Students Council member."

I didn't do what I didn't want to do. Besides, there was no reason to invite me onto the student council in the first place.

Manabu : "I see. Let's go, Tachibana."

Kiyone : "See you senpai"

I said while bowing

Tachibana : "Y-Yes."

She leave following Older Horikita

Their interest in me had apparently run out with my refusal, so they left. A short time later, younger Horikita and Chabashira-sensei appeared. Chabashira- sensei just gave me a slight glance, leaving without saying anything in particular.

Kiyone : "Err...What were the results?"

Suzune : "You'd already know, right?"

Kiyone : "I'm glad to hear that. Looks like it worked well."

Suzune : "Hey!"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Suzune : "Am I just your puppet?

Kiyone : "My puppet? What are you talking about?"

Suzune : "Nothing, don't mind it"

She abruptly ended the conversation.

...

That's right, I think I need to tell this part to her as well

Kiyone : "Horikita-san"

Suzune : "What?"

Kiyone : "You see, the mastermind about this incident...it was planned by Ryuuen-kun"

Suzune : "Who?"

Kiyone : "You surely unaware of any rumor huh? Well, he is like some short of class C leader"

Suzune : "Is that all?"

Kiyone : "Well...yes...for now"

When we walk together. We saw Ishizaki-kun alongside with Kondo-kun and Komiya-kun. They somewhat suspicious

Suzune : "Are they gonna making trouble again as a retaliate act against us?"

Kiyone : "Who knows"

Then we decide to tailed them.

Well, such ugly view.

I guess all the bad rumor about him was true

flashback

The three of them meet with someone. No, there is several students on there. But, between them I only know a man, Ryuuen-kun.

I guess they are called here by him. They were kneeling in front of him

Ryuuen : "Which one of you who withdrew the complaint without my permission?"

Ishizaki : "W-We are agr- I mean all of us agree to do it"

Ryuuen : "Albert"

After he said that. The big guy between them step up. He was a half american, a tall black male that stands slightly above average height.

Albert : " Its boss order. Don't hate me" (english)

He only stated that then he begun to punish the three of them. They were scream in pain. The only girl on the group, a blue short haired girl averted her eyes upon saw the scene

end flashback

Honestly, that was something unpleasant to see.

Suzune : "To think that I find this kind of thing on the so called school run by government. Its quite something, lets go"

But, instead leaving the scene she walked toward them.

Kiyone : "W-Wait! Horikita-san, aren't we supposed to avoid to interact with them?"

Suzune : "What are you worried about. I just want to have a nice chat with the so called leader you just mention about"

In the end I decide to stick with her and followed behind her

Ryuuen : "I plan to have one of the trash removed from this schoolto see how the school reacts. You guys are useless.It makes sense that you should suffer from your failure.Tell me, who has trapped you"

He asking toward Komiya-kun but it seems we finally arrived here

Suzune : "To think that I find this kind disgusting scene here. Truly befitting of a bunch of delinquents isn't it?"

They were surprised by younger Horikita sudden grandiose entrance. Some of them had immediately put a fighting stance including the girl on their side. But, unlike the other. The girl seems eager to fight, she didn't even hesitate to move toward us until Ryuuen-kun raise his hand as sign to make her stop.

Kondo : "T-Tha-"

Ishizaki : "I-Its them! That's them Ryuuen-san!"

Ryuuen : "Ho~"

Ryuuen-kun analyzed the situation calmly and he decide to take a step to apprach us

Ryuuen : "Well well, isn't this Kiyone? You seems to bring someone with you, who is she? Let me guess, is this perhaps your master Kiyone?"

Kiyone : "No-"

Suzune : "Yes, she is work for me. Got problem with it?"

She suddenly cut my words

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ Of course not. So I guess you both are the one who thwarted my plan."

Suzune : "I warn you. Refrain to do something stupid toward us or else next time I'll gonna expel you by myself"

They glared each other. He wore a wide grin. His smile looked ominous.

Ryuuen : "Setting up a camera? You guys really did planned something funny?"

Suzune : "Actually that was this girl idea. She had knacks for do something underhanded"

He look at me

Ryuuen : "Good job Kiyone, although I failed to got the result I wanted. At least because of this I met another interesting girl like her"

He suddenly cheek-pinched her and showing his wide grin

Ryuuen : "Next time, I'll be your opponent. I look forward to it."

Younger Horikita shove his hand away and glared him back with disgusted expression

Suzune : "Don't you dare to touch me with your dirty hand!"

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ I don't hate such woman like you. At least tell me your name, you just piqued my interest just like your underling over there"

Eh? Is it me?

He look at my direction, I look around to make sure it wasn't me but I find nobody else aside me. To make it sure I pointed my own finger at myself. Ryuuen-kun reply it with wide grin signaling that he mean it was me meanwhile younger Horikita look at my direction like about to say 'are you an idiot?' or something

Ryuuen : "If I could tamed you. That girl over there will following soon if her master already pledge to me. That's why gimme some interesting entertaintment before that. Because, both of you will become my property soon. Kukuku~"

Feeling disgusted, she lost interest with him

Suzune : "Tch! Lets go, I already grasp more or less what kind of a disgusting man he is."

Kiyone : "Y-Yes"

She leaves the scene and I followed her from behind

Horikita Suzune POV

Suddenly, a heavy rain pouring down on our way to go home.

Such a bad day.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, over here"

She suddenly grab my arms and pulled me to take a shelter on a certain cafe.

Since we came here we decide to entering the place as well.

While waiting the rain to stop we decide to order coffee and some dessert. There is only the 2 of us here as customer. That's why we didn't wait too long for our order to come

I take a sip while observe the girl in front of me. I wonder does this dish is that delicious. Whenever I look at her like this I had a hunch like somehow this girl never tasted this kind of dish before.

She can fooled the other with her expressionless face however its not easy to deceive me. Her gesture and behavior mostly didn't match at all with common peoples do.

Is this perhaps had something to do with her defect like Chabashira-sensei told to me?

Suzune : "You know..."

I purposely hold my word and observe how she reacted to it. She suddenly shift her attention at me

Suzune : "There is something which bugging me all along about you"

Kiyone : "M-Me?"

Suzune : "Who are you?"

Kiyone : "W-What do you mean, who am I? I'm just a girl who dislikes trouble, right?"

Suzune : "Someone who dislikes trouble. If that's—"

Kiyone : We're done talking. I'm not gonna tell anything to you"

Suzune : "Wait. We're not done talking, Ayanokouji-san."

Kiyone : "I won't pry on you so I believe you respect my privacy as well"

She blocked me right away. Forcing her to talk is impossible

Suzune : "You are right, I'm sorry about that. Then allow me to change the question. You promised, right? You promised you'd help me reach Class A."

Kiyone : "I never promised like that to you. You just sort of forced me to do so."

Suzune : "That's not what I meant. I want to know what you're thinking."

Kiyone : "I'm thinking 'This is annoying,' and 'I don't have any motivation to do this.' Stuff like that. That's what I'm thinking. Even if you took back what you said just now Horikita-san, I do intend to live my life quietly. Whether we aim for Class A or whatever, that's it."

Suzune : "If you really hated drawing attention, you wouldn't make all this effort to get involved. You say you're someone who 'dislikes trouble,' after all. Yet you act all evasive and non-committal even while you help me. Why?"

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Suzune : "If you really hated drawing attention, you wouldn't make all this effort to get involved. You say you're someone who 'dislikes trouble,' after all. Yet you act all evasive and non-committal even while you help me. Why?"

I underestimated Horikita-san observation. But still, she is not the type of someone who interested on the other people affair. Wait, there must be a reason she suddenly ask that question

Kiyone : "Is this perhaps because Chabashira-sensei?"

Suzune : "Even without her interference. Sooner or later I would still ask you about this question"

Kiyone : "Well...I-I thought that I should help the friends that in needs. Probably..."

Suzune : "Probably...?"

Kiyone : "I-I mean errr...y-you see, I'm not good with choosing word to explain thing to other people...so...err..."

I'm thinking quite hard how to explain this without revealing my true nature

Suzune : "That's enough. So, basically your defect is something related to communication. No, more look like depend on the context you had tendency to caused misunderstanding between each other party. Well, I guess its common thing that someone couldn't identify themselves however I think this was still partly categorized as your defect. Maybe you are more easier to understand than I was thinking actually."

No. You know nothing about me

I knew more about me than anyone else. I knew just how defective, just how foolish I was. I was a horrible human being.

Third Person POV

A heavy rain pouring so suddenly. Several students immediately grab their umbrella or decide to take shelter.

A magenta haired boys seems walking with his follower. Then they decide to stop.

From another direction there is another group of student who keep walking until they stopped because there is another party stood waiting for them

??? : "Sakayanagi?"

The magenta haired boy called

??? : "If I'm not wrong, you are from class C right?"

The girl who seem to be called 'Sakayanagi' giving a respond

Ryuuen : "Playing as the queen of the school, huh? You are really something."

The girl smiled in respond

Sakayanagi : "That's not my goal."

Ryuuen : "I'll destroy class D. Next class B. And lastly, class A. I'm gonna destroy you too"

They stared each other with such high intense

Sakayanagi : "Can you do it?"

Ryuuen : "There is only one leader to taking the lead."

Sakayanagi : "You are right"

On another place. Not far from the commotion between class C leader and some students from class A. There is 2 person who happened to watch from 2nd floor inside building near them.

??? : "...Seems that he finally began to taken an action by declaring war against to the other class leader."

??? : "He does seems like a trouble didn't he?"

??? : "Instead of making trouble like this. Isn't it better if he just focused to study. The fact that he taken control his class hierarchy with violence. No, in the first place how could he didn't get reported for it?"

??? : "As long as the victim party said nothing. The schools seems to let it go unless it escalated to become more dangerous scale, they won't do anything. Even I don't quite understand how he managed to make his classmate let him do as he please."

??? : "...And yet here, he try to picking a fight with class A students after they just creating trouble for class D. Its not even a day yet he doing it again.

??? : "...I guess they just bunch of people who loves to show off and flaunting their might, right Kanzaki-kun?

The kid which the girl called Kanzaki reply it with nod

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

With this, finally we reached end for Y1 Vol 2. So, lets wait for another 500 years for new Volume LOL

X : Wait! That's too damned long!

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardess typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Miscellanious (Sorry not part of chapter)

Hello guys, how are you?

Thanks for reading

Actually, I wanted to change the cover and also rewrite the synopsis to become decent one LOL. So, which one do you think the best?

Here Kiyone with her usual winter uniform but without her blazer

Here Kiyone with her summer uniform and without her glasses

X : Both of them aren't good. Better draw another one

Y : Not good, just ask the other person to do this

Z : Dude, you just wasting your time

T.T

Synopsis A :

Advanced Nurturing High School, a leading prestigious school with state-of-the-art facilities where nearly 100% of students go on to university or find employment. The students there have the freedom to wear any hairstyle and bring any personal effects they desire. This is a paradise-like school, but the truth is that only the most superior of students receive favorable treatment.

The protagonist Ayanokoji Kiyone is a student of D-class, which is where the school dumps its 'inferior' students in order to ridicule them. For a certain reason, Kiyone was careless on her entrance examination, and was put in D-class. After meeting Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyo, two other students in her class, Kiyone's situation begins to change.

Synopsis B :

Advanced Nurturing High School, a leading prestigious school backed by Government with hugh rate employment chance for their alumni. This is a paradise-like school, but there is a cruel hierarchy inside. With top notch students being placed on class A and the worst students being put on class D which considered 'defect'

Our protagonist is , a quiet, unassuming girl who is not good at making friends and would rather keep her distance. She is a student of , which is where the school dumps its inferior students in order to ridicule them. After meeting and , two other students in her class, Kiyone's situation begins to change.

Some memes here

Ayanozuma and Aquakita LOL

Poor Kiyo

Okay, thanks for reading and voting

Volume 3 : Prologue

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

During summer vacation

Our School had organized for us a luxurious two-week trip. A cruise on a luxury liner. The name of this special cruise ship is Speranza.

There are also so many room. In this luxury ship, my roommate are Sakura-san, Mii-chan, and Onodera-san. They are nice and kind person, also my roommate are not too noisy and also not so quiet as well. Its perfectly balanced I think

The school which backed by government is truly something.

The everlasting summer sea. The boundless blue sky. Perfectly clear air. The rustling of the salty sea breeze that gently wraps around the body.

Here, in the heart of the Pacific Ocean without feeling the sweltering midsummer heat.

Yes, this is really a Sea Paradise.

I could see the others enjoying themselves on deck.

Suddenly someone calling me from behind

Sakura : "A-Ayanokoji-chan..."

Kiyone : "Hmm? What's wrong Sakura-san?"

Sakura : "E-Eto...Chabashira-sensei said that she need to talk about something with you. She wished you to come...so..."

What does Chabashira-sensei wanted from me?

Kiyone : "I understand, so where is Chabashira-sensei now?"

Sakura : "She said that to meet you at..."

In certain theater inside "Speranza"

There is a show that currently playing but most of the audience seat were empty. Its about story of Icaruz. Chabashira-sensei was called me here to discuss something with me. I had a hunch but I hope that my hunch were wrong. None of us talking since I arrived and sat beside her. Our gaze focused on the theater.

Then Chabashira sensei broke the silence

Chabashira : "Say Ayanokoji, how does your school life?"

Kiyone : "I'm not quite understand what's your intention but I dare to say I'm currently happy with my school life right now."

I reply without looking and both of us still keep our gaze at theater

Chabashira : "Happy huh? Well I do glad that you are enjoying your school life to the fullest, however..."

She intentionally stopped in the middle of her words. Realizing that I'm not even interested to pursue her word she seems decide to explained it by herself.

Chabashira : "You see, several days ago. There is someone who contacted school. 'Get Ayanokoji Kiyone out of school' that man said"

Kiyone : "Nice joke there sensei"

Chabashira : "You said it was nice joke but you are not even laughing and keep your stoic face as usual"

Kiyone : "Fine then I'm curious. So, what does it mean?"

Chabashira : "Its definitely just like it heard"

Kiyone : "I don't know that man and also you can't get any student out of school without a reason"

Chabashira : "Under common situation, it does right. As long as you are student belong on this school, the rules and regulations will protected you. But-"

But?

Chabashira : "It would be different if you are making trouble."

Kiyone : "You already know I wouldn't take the same path like Icaruz during on school. You already saw myself that I'm just common student like any other else."

Chabashira : "Your goal isn't the problem here. If I decide that you are troublemaker, that's it."

What? Why?

Kiyone : "Are you threatening me?"

Chabashira : "I offer you a deal. If you try to cooperate to reach for class A. I will protect you. That does sounds good, right?"

My father is the only one that I could say as a threat on my current situation

Honestly I doubt that she could even do that. Even if she decide to protect me, if the opponent had the same power like my father or worse it was him all along. I don't think she can do anything to help me at all

Kiyone : "Impossible"

I give her instant answer. After long silence it seems that she didn't had anything to say anymore so I stand up and leave. Since I don't want to waste my time

Kiyone : "If you had nothing to say. I'll take my leave. Excuse m-"

Chabashira : "Okay. Ayanokoji, you will get expelled"

I grab her collar

Kiyone : "You called yourself teacher"

Chabashira : "Make your choice!"

She said that calmly with that threat. I keep frown at her while glaring her eyes directly. With this current situation. I had no choice but to comply for now since I don't have any useful information at my disposal. I released my grip

Kiyone : "I'll make you regret this one day."

Chabashira : "Nice kid, just like that you should listening to adults"

She look at me with smile of victory and I look away since I don't want to see this kind of disgusting grown up who manipulate kid to do her own selfish desire

Chabashira Sae POV

There are many stories in Greek Mythology that include human suspicions, hatred and jealousy. Have you ever heard about Icaruz wings? Here a simple summary of it.

Once, in Greece, there was a great inventor called Daedalus. Daedalus was ordered by King Minos to build a labyrinth where the monster Minotaur would have been confined.

However, later, he was forsaken by King Minos and ended up being confined in a tower together with his son Icaruz. Daedalus, to escape from the tower in which they were imprisoned, managed to gather all the birds' feathers he could find, so that he could fabricate bigger wings. The big feathers were fastened with threads, while the small ones with wax.

Soon, the wings were completed and at the request of the son who asked him when they could fly away freely, Daedalus, as a father, warned him: 'If you fly too high, the wings that are reinforced with wax will be burnt by the sun and they will melt. Be careful!'

Icaruz, who received such a precious advice, flew away from the tower with his father. Then came the Freedom. But freedom, on some occasions, is a dangerous thing because it makes one lose sight of his own self.

With liberty spreading out before his eyes, Icaruz became intoxicated by it. Maybe it was inevitable. It was like a breakthrough from a painful, restrained situation.

Completely fascinated by freedom, he forgot his father's advice and flew higher and higher. The wing crafted as one of a fake angel was burnt by the sun and the wax melted out in a twinkling of an eye.

Eventually, the false wings were burned out completely. Icaruz fell into the ocean and died.

Was Icaruz simply a brave man who jumped up in the sky to gain freedom? Or was he an arrogant man who believed he could have reached the sun and just overestimated his own power and capacities? Maybe, except for his own father, no one will ever know.

Now, I don't know why I was reminded of Icaruz wings when I found myself in front of a particular girl. Comparing this to various situations, I felt that she's none other than the closest to that figure. Though, right away I'm made acutely aware that they were both radically different. Because this girl didn't have the courage nor the arrogance of Icaruz.

I was being pressured. I had no other choice but to do this.

There was no other way to deal with it, but to incur the girl's displeasure.

I couldn't do anything but to behave firmly and with courage towards the girl who turned her quiet anger in front of me.

I cannot restore a rolled dice to its original position.

Because the bet already started.

Third Person POV

On a certain place inside 'Speranza'

There is 2 woman who currently enjoying themselves. Inside a certain spa, they were currently half-naked while enjoying the massages. In fact these 2 woman actually a homeroom teacher and her students. They were chatting about the recent circumstance of their own class

Hoshinomiya : *moan* "It feels good"

Ichinose : "Hoshinomiya-sensei?"

Hoshinomiya : "Sorry sorry, please continue"

Ichinose : "...I think that Sakayanagi-san and Katsuragi-kum from from class A, also Ryuuen-kun from class C, are some people we have to watch over."

Hoshinomiya : "...Hnn...ah...and how about class D?"

Ichinose : "Class D huh? I think it might be Horikita-san and Hirata-kun I guess. I don't think there is someone else..."

Hoshinomiya : "Are you sure?"

Ichinose : "W-Well...I mean...They said Koenji-kun had great academic score and also he had great capability on his physical ability, but..."

But her teacher only respond her with smiles. Which make her confused. Looking at her own students confused the teacher ask.

Hoshinomiya : "...Hmm...hmm...Koenji-kun is good but don't you think you missed someone else there?"

Ichinose : "...Hmm, I don't know if this person that you mean all along. Is this perhaps about Ayanokoji-san?"

The teacher respond her with gleam eyes

Hoshinomiya : "That's it!"

Ichinose : "I-Is that so?"

Hoshinomiya : "My guts telling me that we have to watch over her as well especially Sae-chan somewhat giving her special treatment toward her"

Ichinose : "You mean Chabashira-sensei?"

Hoshinomiya : "There must be some reason why Sae-chan somewhat overprotective to her. I mean she mostly evaded any question revolving around her. Don't you think that there must be something else on her?"

Ichinose : "I see...but Hoshinomiya-sensei. I can't make decision by relying on your guts feeling you know"

Hoshinomiya : "You are so mean!"

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

On the next day

I walk toward the deck. Sakura-san somehow waiting for me. Wait, did she perhaps here all the time? She should had been enjoying herself like the other.

Here I could see Koenji-kun walked in the corrider with his drenched body and an attendant following him while warned him about the rules

Koenji : "...I'm on my way. Hahaha!"

Attendant : "W-Wait sir! This can't be accepted, this against the rules. You must dry your own body first before entering the hall."

Koenji : "Hahahaha...I never lose even once on my entire life."

Attendant : "That's not what am I talking about"

Then he suddenly turned around and facing the attendant

Koenji : "What's with that expression? 'Dripping with manly'? Hahaha..."

Well, that's not my problem.

Kiyone : "Sakura-san, lets go to deck"

She nodded and followed me behind

When about to arrive on the deck

Ike : "OHHHHHH! This is the best AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

From the deck of a luxury liner loudly rang the screams of Ike-kun who stood with both hands raised. Usually, complaints and phrases like 'SHUT UP!' came flying from nowhere, but today of all days there was nothing and everyone finally enjoyed a blissful moment. There was a remarkable view from the best place on the deck in the reserved seats.

Ike : "What a fantastic view! I'm really super excited!!!!"

A group of girls led by Karuizawa-san showed up from the inboard compartments. She pointed at the ocean and with a ear-to-ear grin said

Karuizawa : "Really, what a terrible scenery..."

Kushida Kikyo-san, one of the girls of the group idling about, was also ecstatic and was sighing while looking at the sea.

After overwhelming hardships, the midterm and the finals we finally welcomed summer vacation. It was waiting for us with open arms.

Despite being in agony only some time ago, this trip seems to have completely blown everything away. It surely seems like this blue sea washes away all the usual troublesome things and the difficult situations.

Sudou : "I never would've dreamed I could be part of such a luxurious trip. And it's 2 weeks, 2 weeks. When mom and dad will hear it, they will be so surprised that they will piss in their pants".

I could hear what Sudou-kun said, from an ordinary person's point of view, this is a non-standard trip. In this high school, supported by the country, there's really no need to pay for miscellaneous expenses or tuition. And naturally, even for this trip. It's all special treatment.

And needless to say, the exterior of the liner we boarded and the facilities were also very fulfilling. From a first class restaurant and the theater where you can enjoy plays or live performance, to a classy spa fully equipped of anything. If I ever thought of travelling as an individual here, I would need to spend 100.000 yen in the off-season.

Such a marvelous and commended trip starts today.

The schedule will go on like this.

In the first week, we're going to make the most of our summer vacation by staying at a pension built on a desert island.

Then, the following week we're going to sojourn on the cruise boat. At 5:00 am, the first year students will take the bus simultaneously and head towards Tokyo Bay, then the passenger ship will leave from the port where the students boarded.

It seems like this school owns a small island in the south, and we're heading there now.

While eating breakfast in the liner's lounge, the students could behave as they pleased. Additionally, a very fortunate thing was that all the facilities on the ship could be used free of charge. For us, usually worried about points of shortage and expenses, this was a life-saver.

I was thinking this while looking at the ocean. Sakura-san didn't said anything and she's here beside me.

Kushida : "Ah! Here you are!"

Suddenly, Kushida-san turned towards me and gave me a thoughtful look. Backed by the ocean and the blue sky, she looked at me.

Kushida : "Its such uncommon combination huh? Well then, how about Horikita-san? Aren't you always together?"

It seems like she was simply thinking about Horikita-san. I wonder does she keep thinking about Horikita-san all the time

Kiyone : "Don't ask me. I'm not her guardian"

I can't remember seeing her on board after breakfast.

Kushida : "You don't seem much of a person who enjoys travelling, are you more like one who enjoys staying in the room?"

Kiyone : "Well...who knows"

Kushida : "Around noon we can go on the private beach of the island and swim freely. I can't wait!"

Kiyone : "What about you, Sakura-san?"

Sakura : "I-I..."

Not finished her words, a random announcement being announced

??? : "Attention to all the students! Please gather on the deck. You'll be able to see the island soon. For a while, you will be able to see a very meaningful and splendid scenery".

This curious announcement suddenly reverberated throughout the ship. Kushida-san and the others paid attention to it and calmly seemed to be looking forward to what was to come.

A few minutes after several students started to gather, the island appeared.

Ike-kun let out a whoop of joy. The students noticed it and they began to cluster on the deck all at once. When a whole mass of people crowded the place, some bossy students came to push us so that they could take our place on the best position.

??? : "Ah so bothersome...Hey, get out of the way! You rejects!"

In that moment, one of the very intimidating boys thrust away one of my classmate shoulder. In a sudden fluster, he grabbed the balustrade of the deck to avoid losing balance and falling. Those students laughed at him in disdain.

Sudou : "Hey you, what the fuck are you doing?"

Sudou-kun became extremely upset and intimidated on the spot. Kushida-san, worried by the situation, came beside me. Another girl who followed behind that student and saw the scene actually had a very miserable aspect.

??? : "You should understand this schools' system. It's a school based on merit. There are no human rights in class D. 'Defectives' have to behave obediently and submissively, like the rejects they are. This side, we're all class A".

The D class then departed like they had been kicked out. Sudou-kun seemed displeased, still he didn't give in to a fight and was able to endure with it, which proved that he was becoming a little more grown-up. Or was it simply because he understood and accepted class D's inferior position?

But suddenly

??? : "Ack-!"

The boy who making commotion before seems fallin' down. And there is new commotion happened on there

??? : "You! What the hell are you doing?!"

Eh, Satonaka-kun?

Satonaka : "Can't you see? I just kick annoying pest right in front of me"

After he said that, the boy enraged and grab his collar

??? : "Damn you!"

But he didn't get intimidated in the slightest instead he domineering him back while using his right hand to crush his face.

Satonaka : "Listen here! I hate the existence some people like you the most who flaunting themselves as a top elite with subpar abilities. In my opinion people like you just like a cancer which sooner or later would be infected this entire class which caused this class loss its quality."

Suddenly, a tall baldy guy step in on that commotion

??? : "Stop it, let him go"

Satonaka : "Huh? Why should I listen to you?"

??? : "I don't want to make a trouble here. Whatever happened we could solve it with more civil way. Don't you agree?"

Satonaka : "Indeed"

Then, Satonaka-kun walk toward that bald guy.

Satonaka : "You are right about that Katsuragi, but he is different matters. You better put a leash on your stupid dog. Because, if there is a chance to get rid of him. I will not hesitate to do so"

??? : "Damn it! Had you lost your mind? Are you try to defy Katsuragi-san?"

So, his name is Katsuragi-kun eh?

Satonaka : "Defy? That's so funny considering that I was never be any part of this stupid faction inside our class."

He simple walk away passed Katsuragi-kun

Katsuragi : "Are you siding with Sakayanagi?"

Satonaka : "I siding with nobody but don't get me wrong. My goal is the same to keep this class being on top chart that's why..."

He said while looking at the boy which he harm before

Satonaka : "I won't hesitate to root out someone who considered as cancer in class A. Keep that in mind"

That's kinda cool phrase to exit 'the stage' I think

Hirata : "Hey everyone, you were all here. What's going on here? What happened?"

Among the students who came flocking, one boy called out to me.

Although we sensed that the situation was displeasing and unfair, there was no need to have unnecessary worries. So better to pay no heed to it.

Kiyone : "No need to worry about it. Nothing happened here, Hirata-kun"

Hirata : "I-Is that so?"

He doesn't seems convinced however its better that he paid no mind of it.

Just when I remained alone, the entrance of Hirata-kun kind of like a Messiah settled the situation.

Ike : "Say Hirata, how far did you get with Karuizawa?"

Ike addressed Hirata who actually never tried to get closer to Karuizawa.

Ike : "Why don't you take the chance of this long-awaited trip and try to be more flirty with her?"

He poked fun like that, having also heard that Hirata hates when other girls look at him.

Hirata : "We just go to our own pace, huh sorry. I'll be going now. Miyake-kun seems to be in trouble"

His mobile rang and Hirata-kun went back to the ship while fiddling. Busy is the destiny forpopular people.

Ike : "What's with him? Is he really only worried about his classmates?"

Yamauchi : "But Karuizawa is Karuizawa, and apparently they've not been much close recently so...perhaps...they've broken up? If it's like that, then it sucks. Kushida-chan will have much more competition".

Certainly, they could be less close compared to when they started dating. But I don't feel like they've fought or the situation has got uglier. Because indeed they seem to get along well when I see them talking.

Ike : "I've decided Haruki. I...will confess to Kushida-chan on this trip"

Yamauchi : "Well, what the fuck. If she dumps you Ike, it's gonna be incredibly awkward. Will it be okay??"

Then I decide to walk leaving the boys. Some of students who watch the commotion also do the same

Kushida-san matched my pace while Sakura-san following from behind

Kiyone : "Kushida-san, you heard that. It seems Ike-kun about to confess his feeling toward you. What will you do?"

She smiled at me but her hand pinching my waist

Kushida : "What are you talking Aya-chan, stop joking please. After all Ike-kun and I just friend"

That what she said but why does that word seems like somehow she despised Ike-kun

Watching the sea truly bring peace of mind. None of us talk and we just stared on the sea, but I just realized that I noticed something a bit strange

Kiyone : "Was that a herd of dolphins?"

Kushida : "Huh? Where?"

It seems Sakura-san and Kushida-san didn't saw that moments yet

Suddenly, I heard a footstep approaching us slighty fast from behind

Ike : "Hey hey Kushida-chan. You got a minute?"

Kushida : "Uhm? What is it, Ike-kun?"

Ike immediately approached Kushida who was calmly looking over the sea nearby. Obviously, that was a suspicious move.

Ike : "Well...how shall I say...Hasn't been about 4 months since we met? You see, it sounds cold and distant when I call you by your last name..."

He gulp and keep stuttering

Ike : "That's why...M-May I c-call you by y-your first name?"

Kushida-san stunned with his request. Honestly, I do expect he would immediately confessed however he decide to play safe first huh?

Ike : "I-I guess it's bad if I call you your first name, after all".

Ike-kun exclaimed a bit deflated but Kushida respond it nonchalantly.

Kushida : "Of course, there's no problem with it! Should I call you Kanji-kun too?"

Ike : "UUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH KIKYO-CHAN AAAAAAAAHHHHHH"

Ike cried out and screamed assuming a pose of one who was going towards heaven or of someone who just received a package with Platoon the Movie. He run back to his herd with small victory on his heart

Kushida laughed softly. I guess she saw him as strange and funny.

Mii-chan : "Kikyo-chan, let's play together! Come on!"

Kushida : "Okay, wait a minute. I'll go there"

Then she look at us

Kushida : "Aya-chan, Sakura-san. Would you like to join us?"

Kiyone : "I'll pass"

Sakura : "M-Me too..."

Kushida : "I see..."

She seems a bit dejected

Kiyone : "Don't mind us, just enjoy yourself. We already enjoy ourself like this"

Kushida : "Is that so? Bye, then..."

She leave us to go play on pool with her friends.

Kiyone : "What happened Sakura-san? Did you perhaps wanted to join with Kushida-san?"

Sakura : "N-No, it just...aren't you feel bored with me?"

Kiyone : "Not at all, I just...well I don't feel like doing anything. Watching this beautiful scenery already enough for me"

Sakura : "I see..."

Suddenly, someone approach us. It was Sudou-kun this time. I do wonder, did he going to asked our first name as well?

Sudou : "Y-Yo, Ayanokoji, Sakura."

Kiyone : "That's kinda rare for you to called us. I doubt that you come just to ask our first name like Ike-kun did before"

Sudou : "Well...I won't beat around the bush then. Come to think of it, what is Horikita's first name?"

Sudou-kun naturally asks me if I know it. Though he wasn't wrong actually

Kiyone : "It's Tomiko. Horikita Tomiko."

Sudou : "Mhm Tomiko...it's a cute name. As expected, the feeling is perfect."

Kiyone : "Ah no, I was wrong. It was Suzune"

Sudou : "You little! Do not make more mistakes. Suzune uh? It feels perfect like Tomiko, but 100 millions times more"

Whether Horikita-san's name is Sadako or Tomiyo or another else, it would be selfish to feel it or say it without her permission I think.

Sudou : "During this summer vacation, I will also call you by your first name. Suzune, Suzune... hehehe"

He already loses his mind. Even Sakura-san look being creeped out by him

Well, it seems the boys want to get closer to the girls they like during this vacation.

Sudou : "That's right. Hey look here, Ayanokoji."

What do you want this time

Sudou : "You made me try practicing. Now you practice saying Suzune's name too"

Kiyone : "Practice? Why? That's not normal, it does sounds stupid"

You can't do something like practicing saying a person's name... unless you do it before the person himself.

Don't tell me that the simple-minded Sudou-kun intends to make me out to be an imaginary Horikita-san.

He was staring at me intensely, but that gaze is awfully gross to be honest.

Sudou : "Say, Horikita, you got a minute? I need to talk to you a little"

Kiyone : "I'm not Horikita"

I became immediately disgusted and averted my face as a sign of disapproval followed by Sakura-san as well

Sudou : "You idiot! It's practice. I also don't want to do it, but it's necessary for me, mmm...maybe or maybe not. Because if I don't practice I can't be good. It's important I give it a shot either way."

I really don't want to hear such a stupid talk. I'll just go along with it and be patient.

Sudou : "Horikita. It isn't strange that we're always treating each other as strangers? We've been acquainted for a long time. And it seems like others are calling each other nicely with their first name. How about we do it too soon... gradually?"

I wanted to hit his head so much. But I endured it with patience and mentally just like an adult would do. Just like an adult would do.

Sudou : "Say something! Why are you not practicing with me?"

Kiyone : "Its not like that. Exactly, what do you want me to say?"

Sudou : "Just something that Horikita is likely to reply. Since you've known her for a long time, you must know what she'd say, right?"

Our level of acquaintance is 4 months, so it's impossible for me to know such things. Even so, Sudou-kun insisted that I played the part of an imaginary Horikita-san. I clenched my fist unconsciously as to threaten someone.

Kiyone : "I'm one step from becoming an adult and I should do something like this on behalf of Horikita-san? What do you take me for? Feel free to practice by yourself"

Sakura-san also saw at Sudou-kun with disgusted expression.

Suddenly Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun coming here

Ike : "Well well, what is it Sudou? If you wanted someone to act as substitute, you shouldn't ask another girl to do that?"

Sudou : "What?"

Yamauchi : "Are you dwimmit? Of course they would feel disgusted. Moreover they don't had any feeling toward you at all"

Sudou : "I-I guess that's true...Sorry Ayanokoji..."

Ike : "Instead of her, how about you practice with me?"

Since we don't want to elaborate. Ike-kun come acted as a substitute.

While looking a bit shady, Sudou-kun gulp and said

Sudou : "Horikita...is it okay if I call you with your first name?"

Ike : "Um well...Sudou-kun is not really a handsome guy, isn't he? I mean, it seems like he doesn't have much money either. He isn't really my type, can't you see? I mean, sorry sorry, isn't he an outcast?! "

Ike-kun was acting as a gyaru high school student who, on the contrary, looked nothing as such. So Sudou-kun, even while being on the deck, decided to chokehold him and making him writhe in agony.

They're always full of vitality, these fellows. Just by looking at them, the fatigue builds up and accumulate. Still, it seems funny. I could see that Yamauchi-kun and Sakura-san laughing at their antics

But this situation not hold any longer.

PING!

A message?

Horikita-san?

I finally arrive on the place which Horikita-san mentioned

Horikita : "That was fast"

She said without even look at my direction and keep focused reading the book she brought on the drinks counter. Coming from behind, I slowly grab a seat next to her from her right side.

Kiyone : "Did you need something?"

I said while pointing a certain drinks on the menu. The bartender immediately grasp what I mean and nodded. I use my finger to inform him.

Horikita : "Do you think this trip will still be just a vacation?"

Kiyone : "You are implying that must be something more than this"

Horikita : "Yes"

Kiyone : "This ship said that will be go to dormitory which located on Southern Island which owned by school right? What will happen after we reach that place I wonder..."

Horikita : "We can't let our guard down"

And my drinks finally come. I use my phone on the scanner to pay for the drinks

??? : "So, here you are"

Suddenly he arrived, yup who else then if it wasn't him?

He walk toward our direction with his big boy bodyguard. He take a seat on her left side. Horikita-san didn't even bat an eyes on him just like how she treat me before and she keep focused reading her book

Ryuuen : "Your last stunt, it was nice joke."

Horikita : "I don't think we know each other. Who are you?"

Ryuuen : "That's quite cold, isn't it Suzune? Just like I said before, I'm interested with a girl like you"

How did he know Horikita-san first name? Since when? I do wonder all along

Horikita : "I don't know where did you know about it, but I never gave you permission to called me by my first name. Especially in front of me"

Suddenly Ryuuen-kun hold her chin and forced her to face him

Ryuuen : "There's something very sexy on your face."

She shoved his hand

Horikita : "I don't know who you are but your existence truly annoy me."

Then his bodyguard giving him a phone

Ryuuen : "I'm your fan"

And immediately he took a picture of her right on her face

CHEESE!

Horikita : "Wait, you!"

Ryuuen : "Next time I'll face you directly.I'm looking forward to it."

Horikita : "Oi, you!"

Eh, did she just talk to me.

Horikita : "Don't just sit there. Get him out of my sight"

Kiyone : *sigh* "I understand"

I get up from my seat and walk approach Ryuuen-kun

I don't know that does she mean by get him out of her sight.

Ryuuen-kun stared at me with his big grin as if he wanted me to entertained him

So, I use this method although I don't know that this were right or not according to her wish

I immediately give him shuffle back kick.

He stand up fast which caused his chair fall

I intend to aimed on his face but his reflect was good. I mean his respond quite fast that he could block my kick with his hand.

I do understand that Ryuuen-kun was surprised but why does everyone here surprised as well included you Horikita-san. I mean, isn't this what you mean by it?

His bodyguard seems rushed to attack me but Ryuuen-kun giving glance to order him to stop.

I lowered my leg and keeping watch the big guy who intend to attack me earlier. We glared each other. I could see that he bear his hostility through his shade just like him how he could see that I was watch over him through my glasses.

Ryuuen : *whistle* "My...my Suzune, to think that you order her like this. You surely wild. I though since you were class D student, I think I'll gonna tamed a meek rabbit but I was wrong. I'm facing a raging lioness here"

Suddenly I hear a footstep coming toward us. I keep my vigilance by sticking at Horikita-san side

??? : "Ryuuen!"

Isn't that the blue haired girl on that day?

Ryuuen : "Oh, Ibuki..."

So, her name was Ibuki-san

Ibuki : "I need to talk with you."

He suddenly grab and embracing her.

Ryuuen : "You missed me?"

But Ibuki-san get pissed off instead and slapping his hand

Ibuki : "Don't joke with me! I'm already fed up with the way you do the thing."

Ryuuen : "Oh, this talk again huh? Don't worry, we could talk about it again inside my room later. Only you and me"

She can't hold her anger anymore and she throwing a fist toward him but his bodyguard on time to block her fist.

Ibuki : "Albert?!"

So, the bodyguard-san name is Albert

She talk to the bodyguard

Ibuki : "Hey, are you fine with this as well?"

She stared at him but he didn't respond at her question so more or less she already drawing her own conclusion

Ibuki : "So, Ryuuen already tamed you?"

Ryuuen : "So, once again. I'm looking forward for it, Suzune, Kiyone"

Without saying anything toward her he decide to leave

Ibuki : "Wait, come back here Ryuuen! Our talk isn't finished yet!"

When she is about to chasing him. Albert-san suddenly grab her.

Ibuki : "Albert! You! Let me go! Grr!!!"

Then he suddenly throw her and unexpectedly he throw her at me.

So strong! Being surprised I can't react well and we bumped together which caused her to fall above me

Albert : "That's enough!" (in english)

And with that he decide to follow him to leave as well

Horikita-san approached us

Horikita : "Hey, are you alright?"

Ibuki : "Tch! This isn't your bussiness. Stay away!"

She get up and leave us

After she's out from our sight Horikita-san giving her hand to me. I reached her hand and get up with her help

Horikita : "What a rude girl, she's not even apologize to you. Class C might be more in trouble than us"

Kiyone : "Is that so? What if that it was just a play between them"

Horikita : "And what? This doesn't change anything that we still can't let our guard down. Unless that guy already replaced or get expelled. Although it doesn't seems to be happened soon"

I guess Horikita-san was right. Class C still class C, this little internal conflict doesn't seems affected them much with how Ryuuen-kun somehow efficiently controlling his own classmate

On the next day.

I was about to go on the deck.

This time I'm with Kushida-san, how?

Because she suddenly popped up right in front of my room when I was about to going out

After a while, all around the gasps grew louder.

The students' enthusiasm also increased greatly when the island could be clearly visible to the naked eye and the distance shortened more and more. I thought the ship was directed to the island, but I don't know why we passed through the pier and the ship began encircling around the island. The area lent by the country to manage the island is 0.5 km. The highest altitude is 230m. It's a very tiny island if seen from the perspective of Japan's totality as a country, but if seen by a hundred and a dozen people on a cruise like us, it was even too big.

Somehow, the liner circumnavigated the island and showed it entirely. It continued to go round and round the outer perimeter without changing speed. Although the ship barely made a splash of water, it actually navigated at an unnatural high speed.

Kushida : "It's a very mysterious sight... I'm impressed. Don't you think so, Aya-chan?"

Kiyone : "Oh? hmm yeah true."

I looked at Kushida-san whose eyes were shining while looking at the desert island. Again. She was really cute if only she behave like this every time.

??? : "From here, we will land on an uninhabited island owned by the school. Students should change into their jerseys, check their prescribed bags and luggage properly and don't forget to bring out their mobile phone. After that, please assemble on the deck. Please keep all your personal belongings in your rooms. Since there's a possibility that you won't be able to go to the toilet for some time, please settle it properly now."

This announcement rolled around. Apparently, the docking point on the private beach is near. It seems like our classmates and the others are going back to change with high spirits.

I also turned my feet back to the my room. Then I dressed myself in a jersey I used during physical education class, returned to the deck and waited for the boat to reach the island. As we drew closer to the island which was directly ahead, the enthusiasm of first-year students reached its peak.

??? : "From this point onward, starting from the students of class A, we'll begin to descend in order. Moreover, it's forbidden to bring mobile phones on the island. So please, hand them over individually to your homeroom teacher and go down the ship".

With the teacher's voice on the loudspeaker, the students went down the stairs of the ship in order.

??? : "Whew, please hurry up! Even though we're thinly dressed, we're all sweating here".

The deck of the anchored ship was too exposed to the sun. No wonder many complaints came out. Class D was standing on the ship ready to go down while enduring the heat, and in the end Horikita-san joined them too.

At first glance it seemed like a usual situation, but something has shifted. There was like a feeling of discomfort and uneasiness. Even Horikita-san who is usually a methodical and scrupulous person seemed to be anxious about outward appearances.

Nevertheless, she kept her black hair tousled not changing completely her own aspect. She looked a bit cold and unconsciously she rubbed her arms while waiting for the landing on the island.

Kiyone : "What have you been up to?"

Horikita : "I've been just reading a book in my room. 'For Whom The Bell Tolls'... You wouldn't know".

Why are you assuming that I didn't know about that book. It was one of Ernest Hemingway's representative works, wasn't it? An unparalleled masterpiece, no doubts about it.

I thought about it for a long time, but Horikita-san's hobby of reading this kind of books is amazing...But, I wonder about the priority of reading even during this wonderful trip. Well, in these circumstances I'm also dubious on whether I favored the room as a good place to read books or not.

Let's just forget about it. The person herself won't say anything about the topic and to pry inquisitively from here would be rude.

Kiyone : "I'm anxious about the sequel, but if it's forbidden to bring personal items, then I can't do anything about it".

Regretfully and awkwardly, I clear my throat.

These are not things that people commonly say while going down to the beach.

Going ashore and leaving the boat took longer than I thought. Probably because the teachers divided and compacted the students in two sides, and they were proceeding to check their luggage.

Satou : "Hey, strangely aren't they being too guarded or, how should I say, careful? They should confiscate mobile phones during a test, not now. It looks like it's even forbidden bringing too many personal items"

Matsushita : "Definitely. If people are only playing in the ocean, I also feel like they don't really have to go to the extent of doing that".

By the way, abaft there was a helicopter. Speaking of unnaturalness and strangeness, that one was unnatural too. Well, it is true that it was a little suspicious, but maybe I was thinking too much. If students brought a mobile phone to the sea, probably some of them will end up getting it wet or broken.

Bringing extra personal things could also imply that all the garbage will pollute the beach. If someone suddenly fell ill, the helicopter's dispatch could be useful and probably it wouldn't be such an unlikely story to tell...right?

Soon our turn will come, and we will get off the ramp after receiving a rigorous inspection.

At that time, I didn't realize yet this place was going to be the borderline between heaven and hell.

Hello guys! I'm back!

With this we started The 3rd Volume

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardlesstypo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 3 : Day 1; Starting Point

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Fierce words arrived from our homeroom teacher as we came leisurely chatting.

Chabashira : "From now on I will be calling the roll for class D. Students who have been called, please reply firmly."

We were instructed to form a line at the same time as our teacher started checking the attendance for the class while simultaneously holding a surfboard in one hand.

Chabashira-sensei wore the same jersey as the students. Rather than summer vacation, the atmosphere was closer to training camp.

Still, there were no signs of tension in most students.

Ike : *groan* "Oh c'mon, give us free time already. The sea is stretching in front of me, you know..."

Ike-kun muttered. It seemed like most of the students wanted to run off to the sandy beach impatiently.

Shortly after, a tall teacher came forward, getting up to the prepared white platform.

It was Mashima-sensei, the English homeroom teacher in charge of A class, famous for being a stubborn person. He might seem beefy at first glance due to his pro-wrestling-like physique, but he was quite smart and taught special subjects sometimes before.

Mashima : "First of all, I'm happy that you arrived safely to this place today. However, it's unfortunate that one student couldn't take part due to sickness."

Ike : "Ah, there's one sick guy who couldn't join this trip, poor thing."

Ike-kun said in a low voice so that the teachers couldn't hear.

But I totally agreed with him.

If it were a half-baked trip then that would be okay, but it's a different thing with this much luxury. I wonder if that person going to regret it after hearing about the trip from his/her friends later. I think he/she should have participated despite the fact that he/she was in a somewhat poor physical condition, even if he/she pushed himself to the impossible.

Nevertheless, the facial expressions of the teachers were rather severe for a trip.

Could it be that while for us students this is a vacation, will supervisors only treat it as a job?

No – it doesn't seem like it's going to be just that.

While Mashima-sensei was finding students in silence, I saw some adults wearing work clothes who started setting up a special tent a bit farther away. I could also see a laptop on a long table.

At the urban sounds that didn't match the rippling waves, the students began to look bewildered.

Mashima-sensei only uttered a cruel word, as if he was waiting for the air to change.

Mashima : "So, Let's go ahead with this academic year's first trial."

??? : "Eh? Trial? What do you mean?"

In that moment, when this matter popped up. It seemed like all the classes were ready to burst.

Till just now, no, even now, the students thought that it was just a class trip. They were gathering like they had been attacked unexpectedly. Our vacation in the summer holiday depended on the benevolence of the school. But this was, as I thought, just an illusion.

The change from relief to tension was too much.

Mashima : "The duration period will be of one week. It ends at noon on August 7. From now on, you are going to live on this deserted island for one week. It is a test to see if you can live all together as a group. Furthermore, this special trial has been designed in reference to real life corporate training. Even before we start, I am going to give you hints about what it takes to win this special test."

??? : "Since this island is deserted, there are no ships or boats, what will we do about accommodations?"

Class B and Class C that were close to Mr. Mashima hit him with this question.

Mashima : "That's right! Boarding a ship is not allowed without a justifiable reason. Living on this island requires you to consider everything, from sleeping place to meal preparation. The moment the test starts, each class will separately receive 2 tents and 2 flashlights. You will be provided with one box of matches. There is no restriction in supply of sunscreen cream. Each person will receive one toothbrush. As an exception, sanitary good are allowed without restriction only for girls. You can ask anything to your homeroom teacher. That's all. What's left now is to distribute the provisions."

Ike : "Whaaaat? So to win this deserted island trial, I have to turn into a survivor? Now, it's not the time to talk nonsense! This is not an anime or a cartoon!"

Yamauchi : "We can't sleep all together in just 2 tents! And what are we going to do about food? I can't do this!"

Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun made a fuss in a loud voice so that everyone could hear.

Developing self-sufficiency while living in a desert island. Hunting wild animals for food, taking a bath in the river and streams and building our beds with tree branches. It was seriously like watching a movie or reading a novel. Who would have expected that it'd come the day in which our school prepared this kind of test? But there was no sign from Mr. Mashima that this was some kind of a joke. No! It seemed to me that he was not astonished at all. And then came his next words.

Mashima : "It may not be to your advantage to know, but I will tell you a small piece of trivial information. This deserted island belongs to a big enterprise, the same that designed this very test. It is a top-secret operation, so nobody else knows what is happening on this island."

Karuizawa : "No... way! So ... This is not just some special operation. The island itself plays an important role in this whole thing. This is why it exists, being a test ground."

Ike : "No way!! This can't be happening!"

But the teacher doesn't care with the student's whine

Mashima : "Now, because it is against the rules. Let's stop."

Chabashira : "So what Mr. Mashima told us about this island, only a part of it was true. In this world, there are many other forms of enterprises like our school that exist, and the training course can be changed suddenly. Your place in work is not just your chair on the office but also your ability to move forward by the cast of your dice, just like when your salary is decided. The world is much wider and deeper than you know..."

Watching Ike-kun's reckless moves, Chabashira-sensei said this in a voice like she was hurt and continued.

Chabashira : "...In other words you get to draw the thin line between reality and unreality..."

Many students, not able to grasp the realization of the situation, had a glum look on their faces.

Chabashira : "What is the meaning of this test...? I bet you guys are thinking like this now. Or you may doubt the very existence of this training program, but, students who are thinking like this will become adults with no possibilities in the future. You may think... Is this talk a basis to criticize with words like 'You're impossible', 'You're ridiculous'? But you guys are just students. You are still nobodies and your worthlessness is equal among yourselves. Are you going to criticize the methods of a top class corporation? That would be ridiculous. To give you an example. In order to control a corporation, you have to rise to the top as the manager. If you were the president who runs a higher-ranking company than the one I cited, you may have the right to deny it. However, there shouldn't exist a basis that seeks to deny lesser human beings, in the first place."

Each of us, still in shock, having just heard only fragments of these words. Wishfully thinking that this whole thing is just a lie. But it was exactly as Mashima-sensei had said before. There is no point into being in denial. Starting to think selfishly, I realized my situation. I have to pass the election part of the trial first and stop thinking that 'This is ridiculous' or 'This cannot be happening'. I should start by trying to understand the people near me. Should I approach them with humor?

??? : "But, teacher... It's supposed to be the summer holidays. And we came here with the pretext of a trip. Don't you think taking part in a training survival test instead is foul play?"

Some students of the class finally remembered how to protest. This was followed by the others, too.

Mashima : "I get it. You are not wrong about this point. I also understand your discontent and grumbling."

Unlike with Ike-kun, Mashima-sensei recognized a part of the objection by the students but did not make any trivial remarks. At that point everyone's dissatisfaction was obvious. The process of arriving at this point, the sense of objection. The point that the viewpoints of the students and the teachers were different.

Mashima : "But, do not worry. In this cruel every day life, to be coerced into rigorous criticism is quite common. When we say that this is a special trial test do not think of it too deeply. From now on during a week, you will swim in the sea, you will also have barbecues. I think it will be nice. You will be able to sit around campfires, talk with friends and develop relationships. That's not too bad, right? The theme of this special test is 'Freedom'."

After hear him. Ike-kun become confused

Ike : "Eh?? Eh??... Freedom is the theme?... We can also make a barbecue then???? And all this, is a part of the test? I feel confused..."

Even though it is a test, they chose 'Freedom' as the theme. As soon as the students heard about the theme, they felt more perplexed.

Chabashira-sensei finally decide to explain further toward us

Chabashira : "This survival test on the deserted island is supposed to be of major importance. It has been decided that each class will be provided with 300 points. If you decide to spend these points wisely for one week, there is a possibility that you will enjoy this test like you are being on a trip. For this very reason we have prepared a manual. Mashima-sensei has made this manual by gathering info from various teachers for years, until it was big enough to be turned into a book. This book contains a list of how you can obtain points. Advises about every day necessities, drinking water or finding food, also about how to make a barbecue. About equipment, ingredients and how to prepare a meal, how to catch food from the sea, how to have enough food and water, how to fully enjoy your everyday life, how to gather various tools and how to use them in many occasions."

Gradually the stern look on the students' faces started to change.

Chabashira : "In other words, with these 300 points we will be able to have whatever we want? That's right! We can obtain what we need by accumulating points! We may make it. If we make a proper plan of how to spend and how to accumulate points for one week, it's not impossible! If we can live with these points for a week then truly this test will be like a vacation. More like it will be the closest thing that we can have to vacation."

Hirata : "But, teacher... You said this is a trial? Isn't it supposed to have a level of difficulty?"

Chabashira : "No, there is no difficulty, it will not even affect the second semester, I guarantee it."

Karuizawa : "So... We just have to enjoy ourselves here for one week?"

Chabashira : "That's right. Just enjoy yourselves freely. Of course, to live a community life with the minimum necessary, there must be rules you have to abide, so that this won't be a difficult thing for you."

Horikita : "Should we assume that there is really no risk?' If that is the case, then we should find out the real purpose of this trial..."

So we pretended like it is a simple summer vacation, like a class trip exchange in a loop. What is the meaning of this. I wonder... Thinking this and that. I do not think I have realized yet the meaning of school. But the next few words by Mashima-sensei made the purpose of this test more obvious.

Mashima : "When this special examination is over, the points of each class that are left, will be added into each class' general points. The points will be reflected when the summer vacation is over."

These last words sounded like a gust of wind blowing into a midsummer beach. A cloud of dust soaring up to the sky.

There was no mistake, Mashima-sensei's last words were the biggest blow today and it let us all thinking about them. A written test calculates the literary ability, in this test the superiority is determined by the class as a whole. Every time D class divided the points was put in a really tight place. That's why this time we have to implement the rules perfectly, so that we make a difference. It seems that there is no significant disadvantage between A and D class.

Horikita : "If we can endure for a week, then could we see our 'pocket-money' increasing substantially?"

That's right, this is not a test in scholarly abilities, we compete for endurance in a form of a battle. While not rejecting the desire to win, we must endure patiently. So we must be able to reach high in the class rankings. Even Ike's words were not just a dream.

Mashima : "Each class will receive one copy of the manual. If somehow it is lost, a reissue is possible, but it will cost points. So, keep it safe. Again, there is one absent student from A class. Since this is a test that requires physical ability, even though the student retired due to poor health reasons we will extract 30 points from A class as a penalty. So, A class will begin with 270 points."

A class was present, but they accepted the merciless blow. The students were trembling already with the sudden state of affairs. The other classes though, were surely looking surprised by the extraction of the 30 points.

The end of Mashima-sensei's words signaled the end of the announcement. Each homeroom teacher was holding a megaphone and calling their respective classes, while trying to give supplementary explanations. We were gathering around our homeroom teacher, Chabashira-sensei. The distance between the four classes became clear.

Ike : "From next month 30,000 points, From next month 30,000... From next month 30,000... Let's do it!!!!!"

Ike-kun and the others were building a triumphant pose. The girls looked delighted as they were discussing what things were needed. The biggest desire of D class is to accumulate more points. We just have to ignore living in luxury for one week. It is really simple in words.

But, with this kind of situation. I don't think we would got those much points after the end of this exam, but that doesn't mean we won't get anything

Mashima : "Now to all the members we will distribute wrist watches. You will wear it for one week until the end of the trial. You are not allowed to take it off. In case you take it off a penalty will be implemented. This wristwatch has not just an instant time-table, it can track body temperature, your pulse rate, it detects your movements and your senses, it also has GPS. It is equipped that way so that you can use it even in a state of emergency. If you find yourselves in a state of emergency, please push this button. These were given to us gracefully by the manufacturer thanks to Chabashira-sensei."

As Class D was taking their tents, Chabashira-sensei brought the box to distribute the watches.

??? : "When you say in a state of emergency... like when a bear appears?"

Mashima : "To give you an example... This is a trial, you have to look left and right, then, there is a possibility that you may find the answer to your question."

??? : "Err...Sensei... telling us something like this, it is quite scary."

Mashima : "I do not think that there are wild animals here. If any of our students got hurt, that would be a big problem. The truth is we gave these wristwatches for the well-being of our students . We are on a deserted island, so, for the sake of the school's reputation and for the guarantee of our safety, isn't it something that it should be done?"

With these smooth words the wristwatches were distributed for the enforcement of our safety. So it is not only the eyes of the teachers that will watch the students but also these devices will monitor the movement of the students on the island. It is exactly like having cameras in the school classes. Monitoring our physical condition, dealing with unexpected circumstances also. Plus, the helicopter that I saw on the ferry-boat. Maybe it is ready to fly in case of emergency.

As the wristwatches were distributed, each student was wearing it on the left or right hand, as they liked it.

While wearing it, some of us wondering about something

Ike : "But is it ok to get on the water, wearing this?"

Chabashira : "No problem. It is waterproof. But, still in case of malfunctioning we will replace it immediately. However, we already run test management protocol by a trusted person."

This special trial was designed by the school with eccentricity and elegance and I do not think this was the first time. It should be carried out taking into account that various situations may happen. However there might be some slips.

Hirata : "Chabashira-sensei from now on, during a week we will be living on this island. Is there any way we can survive without spending our points at all?"

Chabashira : "The school competes as a whole, right? For food and for water too, you should start preparations. It looks like your tent is not sufficient. Thinking about a solution for these problems is also a part of the test."

Both the boys and the girls looked very confused. The thought that we were not going to have a bed to sleep brought a feeling of uneasiness.

Ike : "It's alright. If you can catch a fish properly, you can also find fruits in the woods, right? Use leaves or trees to make a tent, you know. Do your best even in your worst state."

Said Ike-kun quite indifferently as if there was no anxiety but fully motivated by the well-kept 300 points.

It would be fine living alone, but the class is composed of 40 people. Even if they said that all the members need to obtain important things, probably it won't work so well immediately.

Chabashira : "I'm sorry Ike, but I don't think it will go as you're expecting. Open the distributed manuals."

Hirata-kun did as Chabashira-sensei said and opened the manual we received.

Chabashira : "Firstly, let's read the part on the last page where the assessed items are listed. Those will become a very important information which will symbolize this special trial. It depends on you guys whether you'll be dead or alive."

On the last page there was a description that said: 'The established penalties will be imposed on those who fall under the following.'

-Those who have been estimated to be in a remarkably wrecked physical condition or having serious injuries will lose 30 points as well as become retired.

-In case an act of polluting the environment is discovered, you will lose 20 points.

-Each one of you will lose 5 points if you're absent from every day's roll calls at 8 am and 8 pm.

And the biggest punishment was stated in a total of four matters: 'In cases such as violent acts against other classes, plundering or damaging utensils, the class affiliated with the students involved will be immediately disqualified and the private points of the subject will be all confiscated'

It looked like class A have received these rules' penalties as well.

The fourth obstructive behavior was very reasonable while the remaining three were clearly rules for not letting each student do unreasonable things.

With roll calls being in the morning and night, it not only becomes impossible to sleep outdoors all night but also suppresses barbaric behavior of scattering excrement around randomly as well.

In other words, this is a contest to examine one's endurance.

As a school that takes care of their precious kids, it could be said that these are the required rules that are impossible to avoid.

Chabashira : "It's up to you to behave unreasonably, but if 10 students feel sick all your patience and effort will disappear in bubbles. Once you decide to retire you can't return to the trial. When you need to push through, I want you to be resolute, Ike"

Some of those students who made suppositions were confused, knowing that the possibility to survive the trial with just perseverance had been excluded. The strategy of not using even one point became partly impossible like this, since the possibility of other classes challenging survival with all one's strength would almost disappear. At the same time, whether you play or resignate to fate in this trial, it seems that it isn't just patience that becomes distinct here.

In what way to efficiently use points, save and overcome it for a week? Perhaps...

Anyway, the literal form of "special trial" comes to sight little by little.

Shinohara : "Basically, it's inevitable to use this system's points, right?"

Said Shinohara-san, who was listening to the conversation.

Yukimura : "I disagree with compromising from the beginning as a method of fighting. We should put up until we can."

Yukimura-kun as well voiced his though

Hirata : "I get you, but it will be hard if our physical condition suffers."

Yukimura : "Hirata, don't say discouraging things. We have a test stand/a tolerance test first, right?"

The more we get to know the rules, the more we meet with differing opinions. Opinions are going to separate. Even so, the range of items on the manual that could be purchased was quite wide. Equipment essential for survival such as tent and cookware, digital camera and transceiver, parasol, life belt, barbecue set and items for amusement such as fireworks. Food and water essential for living. Everything was set in a way that can be arranged in points.

If we wanted to use points, everyone could apply by requesting it from a homeroom teacher whenever.

Horikita : "Chabashira-sensei, please answer if you can. What happens if someone retires after using all 300 points?"

She got the basic explanation, raised her hand, asking our homeroom teacher

Chabashira : "In that case, only the number of people who retire will increase/Retired people will only increase, if that's the case. Points won't change from zero."

Horikita : "In other words, we don't fall into minus with this trial, right?"

Chabashira-sensei affirmed.

Mashima-sensei also said there weren't negative influences of the trial. It looked like it was true.

Chabashira-sensei continued while mincingly checking the time on her wristwatch:

Chabashira : "One supplied tent is big enough for 8 people to use. The weight is close to being 15 kilos so please be careful when carrying. Moreover, the school is absolutely not going to help regarding the loss or damage of supplied items. If you need a new tent, remember to use your points."

Kiyone : "Is it okay if I ask a thing, teacher? Where does it say about this roll call?"

Chabashira : "It has been decided that the homeroom teacher will be together with each class until the end of the trial. If you decided yourself a base camp, report it. I will set up a base and roll calls will be done there. Once you decide on a base camp you can't change it without a justifiable reason so please think about it thoroughly. This applies to other classes as well. No exception."

Does this mean that she will spend a week with D class as a supervisor?

Of course, she won't help in any way.

Sudou : "Look, teacher. I'm sorry for interrupting your story half-way, but I want to go to the bathroom – could be the juice I've drunk a while ago. Where's the toilet?"

Sudou-kun was calmly looking around. It seemed like he didn't hear the announcement.

Chabashira : "Bathroom? I was thinking of explaining that from now on. Use this when you need to go to the toilet. "

With a foot, she hit a cardboard box out of a pile. Then, she peeled the gum tape and took a folded corrugated box out.

Sudou : "Huh? What's that?"

Chabashira : "It's a basic toilet. Each class will be supplied with one. Please handle it carefully."

It was not Sudou-kun who was the most perplexed with this explanation, but we, the girls in class.

Shinohara : "Don't tell me we're also gonna be using that!?"

The one who was particularly surprised and raised her voice was Shinohara-san. Rather than saying that this was Karuizawa-san's group, the girl had a presence to the point of gathering a certain support from other girls.

Chabashira : "Both boys and girls will be sharing it. But don't worry. It comes with a one-touch tent that can also be used for changing clothes. It's not like you will be seen by anyone."

Karuizawa : "That's not a problem, to say so! But it's in a corrugated box! That's absolutely unacceptable!"

Chabashira : "It might be a corrugated box, but it's a well-made one that can also be used in times of catastrophe. I'll show you how to use it from now on so please remember it diligently."

While being booed from the girls, Chabashira-sensei familiarly set up a toilet with her hands. Then she set a blue plastic bag and put something like a white sheet in it.

Chabashira : "This sheet is called a water-supply polymer sheet. It covers and solidifies filth. It makes filth invisible and at the same time suppresses the smell. After you're done using it, stack the sheet up again. It is possible to use one vinyl by repeating this around five times. Only these vinyl's and sheets will be supplied unlimitedly. If absolutely necessary, you can change it after each use."

At this explanation the girls went silent and listened. If this were a time of catastrophe they wouldn't be able to complain.

Cause it won't matter if it's a boy or a girl or a corrugated box at that time.

But now it was quite difficult to say that this place was a location of disaster and that we should act like it was.

??? : "I can't do this! I definitely can't!"

Starting with Shinohara-san earlier, nearly all girls rejected it all at once. Ike-kun, who has been watching the situation silently, said sullenly:

Ike : "Let's endure this kind of toilet. It's not time to fight over it, girls."

Shinohara : "Stop messing around. It doesn't matter to guys, right. I'm not gonna do it in a corrugated box."

Chabashira : "It's up to you. I don't have anything to say. But it's not approved to relieve yourselves in the forest, as well as in the sea or the river. Don't forget that."

With only this warning, the teacher continued talking indifferently.

Shinohara : "But, a corrugated box! Besides, guys will also be close by, right? Disgusting!"

Shinohara, who wasn't acceptive of the fact, started to throw out her anger toward boys, especially Ike.

Ike : "What. I don't understand why you treat us like perverts."

Shinohara : "It's true, right? You seem to be very perverted."

Ike : "Ouch, that hurts! I'm a big gentleman!"

Shinohara : "Don't make me laugh. A gentleman? what are you talking about? By far the biggest pervert contender."

They had a heated argument.

Shinohara : "Anyway, I think it's impossible for me."

Shinohara and most of the girls were thoroughly unaccepting of the situation.

Ike : "Then what will you do? It's not possible putting up with a toilet for a week, right?"

Shinohara : "Well, that's..."

Kushida-san approach me

Kushida : "Ne~ Aya-chan. What do you think about this situation?"

Kiyone : "This totally disaster, especially for the girls who had their period. They need better sanitation on this situation, I think"

She nodded like she had same opinion like me

Chabashira-sensei, who was watching Shinohara-san and Ike-kun's complaints and dispute as someone else's problem, suddenly made a sullen face when she looked behind us.

??? : "Ya-oh~ ... "

Such a faded voice came from behind.

The owner of that voice rushed over to the targeted person, capturing and hugging them from behind.

Chabashira : "... W-What are you doing? "

Hoshinomiya : "What? this is skinship, I was thinking what would you do about it."

Said Hoshinomiya-sensei, a teacher in charge of B class, stroking Chabashira-sensei's two hands harshly.

Hoshinomiya : "Whenever I touch Sae-chan's hair, it's always smooth."

Chabashira : "Do you understand school rules properly? It's inexcusable to eavesdrop on other class' information."

Hoshinomiya : "I'm an unimportant teacher. Even if I hear any information by chance, I certainly won't tell it. However, wouldn't you say this feels something like fate? The two of us coming to this island, it's unbelievable. Don't you think so?"

Fate? Chabashira-sensei completely ignored Hoshinomiya-sensei's significant words and their hidden meaning.

Chabashira : "Shut up! And quickly go back to B Class"

Hoshinomiya : "Oh! Isn't that Ayanokoji-chan? It's been a long time~"

I didn't have many opportunities to meet her because unlike other teachers that I saw regularly in class, she was also the doctor of the school. I bowed lightly to her as a sign of respect

Hoshinomiya : "Summer is the season of love. If you want to confess to a man you like, maybe it could be effective if done before this beautiful sea. Is that right, Ayanokoji-chan?"

Huh? What do you mean by it sensei?

Hoshinomiya : "The sea is beautiful but I can't afford to do this during class" *sob* *sob*

She cried out. In view of the current situation, since everybody was staring, I wished she would stop getting involved with me.

Hoshinomiya : "Yosh! I have to take it easy"

Chabashira : "Should I report this as a behavioral problem to the school upper authorities? There is no more time left"

Chabashira : "Ok ok, don't glare at me like that...I understood, I really got it. See you"

She took her leave from Chabashira-sensei with a sad face. Just when Hoshinomiya-sensei went back to B Class, it was the only suitable time for Chabashira-sensei to bring up the subject.

Chabashira : "...So, let's explain the additional rules"

Hondou : "Additional rules? There's still something else...?"

Chabashira : "Shortly, you will be granted permission to roam freely, but several spots are provided in each part of the island. These spots will be recognized as places simply called 'Rights of Possession', and the class that will have them is entitled to exercise its own rights there. How to use them is a prerogative of the class that got the right. However, the right of possession has validity only for 8 hours from when it takes effect first after which the right is automatically revoked. It means that every time, you get the right to acquire another class. And you can get one bonus point each time you occupy one spot once. Even so, this one point is provisional and cannot be used during the trial. So, it will be settled and added up only at the end of the examination. Due to the school constantly monitoring the situation, there is no room for fraud regarding this rule. It's better to pay attention to this last point"

Ike : "Well, then, isn't that important? It's fantastic to come to the point."

Yamauchi : "Leave it all to us!!!"

Soon, Ike with Yamauchi and also the others who following after decide to go searching.

That's also written in the manual in minute details. And various devices that indicated the right of possession were always prepared near the spots. We don't know how many spots are on the island, but it can be said that they should be important factors in the trail. Still...

Chabashira : "I understand that you're impatient, but this rule has a big risk. It's about whether to make use of that risk, take it into consideration and check it. All is written in the manual, including that risk."

As Chabashira-sensei suggested, the manual was written to clarify the special rules and additional rules all organized in bullet points.

– An Exclusive Keycard is required to occupy a spot

– You will get 1 point for each occupation. Occupied spots can be used freely

– If you use a spot occupied by another class without permission, you will get a penalty of 50 points

– The use of Keycards is restricted to the people who became leaders

– Leaders cannot be changed without justifiable reasons

The above-mentioned are the general rules. Subsequently, there has been also Chabashira-sensei's explanation, but it's written that there will be a cancellation of 'possession rights' once every 8 hours and if some spots are unoccupied they can be seized simultaneously in several places, even if it's the same class that holds them down repeatedly. It's all permitted.

If one successfully occupies three spots repeatedly every 8 hours, he can get more than 50 points at the end of the trial. However, there is a big risk there.

Up to here, the rules are on a first-come-first-served basis. It seems to be a good mechanism if one possesses the same spots repeatedly by force. But, that's impossible. There's a rule written in the end about the reason.

On the 7th and last day, during roll call time, we're entitled to the right of guessing another class's leader.

In addition to this the classes, whose leader was caught, will lose all the bonus points they've accumulated so far. It was a rule that would make people hesitate in participating to the 'occupation battle', unless they had very great confidence.

Chabashira : "Without exception, you all get to decide one person who will be unquestionably the leader. However, you have the freedom to take part or not. If you're not greedy and ambitious enough, you won't become known as a leader and you will probably be over soon. When the leader is decided, please report it to me. In that occasion, we will provide a Keycard stamped with the leader's name. You have a time limit, until today's roll call. If you don't decide by that time, we will decide at our own discretion here. That's all"

In other words, even if you only stole a glance at the card, the embossed leader's identity will surely be brought to light. With this, Chabashira-sensei's explanation was over.

The die was cast and then entrusted to the students. Hirata-kun immediately set the class in motion.

Hirata : "Later, there will also be time to think about who you should pick as a leader. But first, where will the base camp be? Whether we're going to be on the beach or in the forest...we should think carefully about the spot"

Attached to the manual, was a simple map of the island. Only the size and the shape of the island were written there. The area and the inclination of the forest were absolutely unknown. I'd say this was more a blank piece of paper.

Hirata : "It seems like we have to fill in the necessary parts by ourselves"

This was confirmed by the fact that a ballpoint pen has been prepared especially for this.

Sotomura : "It's okay to have a spot near the ship where all the teachers are, right?"

Hirata : "No, don't be too sure. As I suppose, there are only few spots, so near here you won't find anything"

If there's no water, there's no food too. Building a base here means that it's possible it'll end up being the farthest position from the place where we'll get the resources. To make matters worse, during daytime the sunlight is very strong and the environment is rough. On the other hand, it seems like there's also the risk of going too far in the forest.

Sudou : "More importantly. First, I need a toilet. I can't hold it anymore"

Sudou-kun grabbed the simplified toilet assembled by Chabashira-sensei.

We decide assembled a one-touch tent, set it up at a short distance and then we went inside. Shinohara and others were looking at the situation while sitting huddled together, impossibly close. Chabashira-sensei took a step backward. She probably won't take part in this anymore and we may now do as we like.

Karuizawa : "Hey, Hirata-kun. Isn't it better to decide ahead of time about what to do with the toilet?

Before long, things including the toilet will be necessary to other students too. This is reasonable.

Yukimura : "We could decide but, don't we just have to grin and bear it now, do we?

Matsushita : "No, it doesn't mean that there's no other way"

Hirata, who had dropped his eyes on the manual, raised his face while saying this.

Hirata : "In the manual it's written that temporary toilets can also be purchased with points and then installed"

At those words Karuizawa-san's group and others gathered together around him all at once and looked into the manual. The functions of a provisional toilet seemed to be impeccable, and seeing the reference pictures it compares favorably to the toilet at home because it's flushable. If this is the case, the girls will consent enough. But the problem is that it needs 20 points per temporary toilet? It's really difficult to judge whether it's expensive or cheap.

Shinohara : "Absolutely Not! I mean I don't really like that too...Even that, for me it's impossible!"

A lot of girls, triggered by Shinohara's remarks, agreed to that. For the girls, the presence of the toilets, may be better than food and water's. They communicated well enough to show their intention of not budging an inch from there.

Ike : "Wait, wait a minute. You guys want to spend 20 points? Only for a toilet?"

Reacting acutely, Ike-kun ached to tell that he was against it and wanted to save points. Just like other guys who could bear with the cardboard box toilet. It probably means that we should refrain from useless expenses as much as possible.

Ike : "About the toilet, yes it's a good one. But we get this one too. Look! We have a lot of time to use points. It's a bad idea not to save points now".

Shinohara : "You can't decide, because it's Hirata-kun that will collect all the opinions and decide. Hey, Hirata-kun"

Ignoring his talk, She pleaded Hirata-kun to buy a temporary toilet.

Hirata : "That's right...to have at least a decent toilet for girls would definitely be..."

Ike : "You have the freedom to gather opinions but you can't decide arbitrarily"

Ike-kun looked at Hirata-kun, who wanted to approve the toilet's purchase, and hurriedly stopped him.

Shinohara : "Ahh! Stop bugging people! Karuizawa-san say something. We have the temporary toilets here"

She called out her, representative of the girls, asking for consent.

Karuizawa : "Is that so? That's going to be pretty rough. But I want the class points. It seems like I'll have to bear with it too"

Unexpectedly, Karuizawa-san who was likely to complain first, agreed to use the simplified toilet. Even I got surprised as well. Does she perhaps some people who would do anything for money-type?

Karuizawa : "The school will prepare the minimum necessary. I will endure it. There's a river where we can bath, and if we use well this place, don't you think it will come out okay?"

Shinohara : "That's...Karuizawa-san!!!!"

If Karuizawa-san said so, there's no way of going against her face to face, even though She is very self-assertive. That's because majority of the girls is more attached to Karuizawa-san, so the influential voice has been by all means restricted only to her. Yukimura chimed in on the dispute.

Yukimura : "I don't understand the girls' feelings of wanting a provisional toilet. However, I don't accept that we use the points indiscriminately and/or arbitrarily object our opinions. If you want a provisional toilet, I'd want to tell you the decision after collecting at least the majority of the votes"

Sliding the glasses up his nose, he vented his anger with severe voice towards Shinohara.

Shinohara : "I-I am just making a natural request as a girl. Boys should mind their own business"

Yukimura : "A natural request? Mind our own business? That's impossible to understand. Isn't that simply discrimination?"

Shinohara : "What! Discrimination...Ahhh my head hurts. Hirata-kun, get him off my back, ok?"

Probably they will never yield on the toilet and Shinohara, by herself, refused to back down.

Yukimura : "This test is a rare opportunity. A chance to fill in the points difference with other classes. Valuable points cannot be used for temporary toilets and such. I have no intention of staying in D Class forever. It's out of question to follow whatever one would like to do personally like Shinohara. So here, I want to decide on a secure plan"

Shinohara : "Eh? About that, do you mean to suggest I wasn't thinking about anything or the consequences?"

Yukimura : "If even a monkey can do it, one should be able to work here following the natural instinct. I hate that women operate according to emotionally charged arguments"

Shinohara : "Huh? It doesn't mean that I want to use all the points indiscriminately. I meant that there has at least to be the minimum necessary things. Do you have the intention of only speaking in theory?

Hirata : "Both of you calm down! I understand what Yukimura-kun is trying to say but if you talk so belligerently maybe you won't resolve anything, will you? More calmly..."

Yukimura : "Calmly? Under no circumstances should we use the points at our discretion?"

Hirata : "That's..."

Hirata-kun, who was caught in a dilemma between two people whose tension was rising, was desperately attempting to settle and organize things while trying to not to show his troubled face as much as possible.

Kushida : "Ne~ Aya-chan. Which side of you on this matter?"

She whispered to me

Kiyone : "Isn't that obvious, I do agree with Shinohara-san."

Kushida : "You are quite selfish right?"

Kiyone : "Whatever your impression of me, if one of us get sick or worse more than 10 person rooted out because of this. I do think that 20 points is such small sacrifice in comparison."

Kushida : "Hee~ That's nice reason of you. Then, let's go with it~"

Kushida-san decide to step in on the dispute but...

Horikita : "...For Class D that has no leadership, the future is going to be unpredictable and dark. Besides, Hirata-kun who is a pacifist can't decide on one thing decently, right?"

While we was watching over the situation from a little distance, there was Horikita-san who disrupted the situation while sighed a little too heavily, after realizing that the situation wasn't going to develop at all.

She already steal Kushida-san attention before even she enter the stage

Horikita : "...It seems likely that this trial is going to be much more complicated and difficult to understand than we thought..."

Unusually, rather than being perplexed Horikita-san showed signs of being embarrassed.

Horikita : "It's a great opportunity to get points and you're okay with enduring it, right?"

Seen from profile, Horikita-san's expression seemed to be a bit irritated rather than complex.

Horikita : "...I wonder. I'm not optimistic enough to say that it is easy at this stage. I'm the same as the others. I've never lived in such a place before so I can't predict anything. I'm realizing the trial that seemed to be simple at a glance has changed greatly. I want to save the points we all share, but I can't find good resolution. What an obscene trial..."

There were groups who decided to use points, groups who decided not to use points and groups who've decided to use every important point.

Even if they're divided in a very simple way, the classes fell into these 3 categories. Furthermore, a small difference emerged from there as well. In other words, there was a strategic pattern which envisioned only the number of students in substance. It won't be easy to face that fact in a class of 40 people.

About the thick manual, as much as one can adjust himself according to those pages, at the same time, it also seemed to represent the difficulty of the class to be united.

From far away, Chabashira-sensei looked persistently at the confrontation between boys and girls with cold eyes, but not to the point of assessing them. After all D Class was a gathering of defective goods and was only going to fall.

Was it a suicide?

Yukimura : "What do you want to do?"

Horikita : "I want to leave as much as one point like Yukimura-kun too. But I'm not confident I can live a week without satisfactory equipment. That's my honest opinion. I think we should challenge ourselves, but how far can we bear it... How about you?"

Yukimura : "Mainly the same opinion. Everything is much unknown."

Horikita : "Look. By any chance, did A Class and B Class already settled with a story?"

We turned our heads to the voice of a flustered girl.

Although only a few minutes had passed, I could see several students from each class gathering together and going into the forest. Perhaps, they were going to look for spots or the best base-camp area. As if symbolizing their quality, we in D class and C class are still lacking in finding resolution. We couldn't even properly make a start.

Ike : "Oh, no! This isn't time to be leisurely talking about toilet! I'm gonna do anything to protect my points. I'll go find camp areas and spots. Yukimura, Shinohara and the others...errr...don't use points by yourselves."

Yukimura : "Got it. We won't."

You couldn't say that Ike-kun and Yukimura-kun were usually good buddies, but it looked like they would cooperate together if they had the same goal.

Hirata : "Wait a bit Ike-kun. It's dangerous to go inside the woods without a plan.

Ike : "Would staying here worrying solve everything? It won't right?"

The feelings of going and staying were clashing with each other.

However, Hirata-kun didn't meet with the basis of persuading Ike-kun and the others to stop their actions.

Sudou : "I'll come back as soon as I find a usable spot or site. After everyone moves there we'll talk to each other. Easy-talk, right?"

Do they intend to search for a spot as well?

They had gathered around Ike-kun who was losing his patience.

Sudou : "Are you guys also coming?"

Sudou-kun called out and met my eyes. I lightly shook my head and refused.

Hirata : "I want the three of you to never act alone. If you get lost, it will be hard."

It looked like Hirata-kun realized it's useless to stop overflowing vigor.

Sudou : "I see. We'll, find various things!"

Even so, it became hot with nothing blocking the sunlight.

Seems like we've dried up discussing in this place for a long time.

Kiyone : "At least, it seems tough to build a base here..."

Classmates started occasionally shrieking due to the heat and it looked like Hirata-kun felt the toughness of making a base camp out of a beach as well. If this were a genuine camp, we'd have ways of setting up a parasol and turf tent, having fun swimming in the sea and protecting ourselves from the sun as much as we like, but in this condition even that was hard.

Hirata : "Shall we move until we find a place with shade for the present? We can also talk while moving."

Hirata-kun took the initiative and started carrying the tent. The other guys jumped too.

Mori : "By the way ... Did Sudou tidy up that toilet properly?"

One girl pointed at the toilet anxiously.

Someone said that when Sudou-kun came out after doing his business, he was empty-handed.

At least inside that ...

Yuck!

The sun was blazing down on the toilet left. The inside of the tent was certainly a steam bath.

Our classmates looked like they were about to start screaming from the increasing heat. Hirata-kun too, positioned on the beach began to grasp the difficulty of the situation. If we wanted to have a real camping, then we needed to build a tarp tent. From swimming in the sea or playing on the beach to protecting our bodies from the sun, how many more things do we need? The situation, now, is rather difficult.

Hirata : "For the time being, let's move in a place under shade. We must see how we can move the whole camping and we can talk about the rest while working".

Hirata took the initiative and started preparing the tent for the move. The rest of the boys followed.

Mori : "By the way... That toilet, I wonder if Sudou tidied it up properly, after all?"

One girl looking anxious already about the situation and pointed to the toilet. It is true that he had gone to take care of some business, but he left empty-handed. At least within that blazing sunlight, we left the toilet as it is, because, inside the tent it's steaming just like being in a bath house.

Walking from the shore to the mainland, a huge forest appeared, one of the boys looked up anxiously at the woods.

Okitani : "Is it ok to enter this huge forest... We might as well lose our way?... I cannot see at all what's like inside"

That's why we have to implement some rules and that is the reason our wristwatches are equipped with the emergency button. We have to cooperate tightly, If we fail to collaborate, we are going to spend our money like water and I am afraid that we will spend all of our points.

Satou : "Hey, Karuizawa! Hirata is really amazing! He even accepts to do all the things that the others don't".

Shinohara : "Pfff!!! But of course! Calling the other boys for help would make him look so lame, leave everything to Hirata!"

Hirata-kun was working with eagerness transporting the tent, walking past Karuizawa-san's group, they looked at him with great admiration. Incidentally, I was passing, too, helping to carry some packages. At that time we had to move the simple toilet that we had built, so we had to fold it as it was made from cardboard. I have to help out, too, somehow. After that there is going to be a lot of work to think about and a lot of decisions to be made, but for the time being, all I have to do is to show fervor that I want to help.

On the other side, Horikita-san as she had already chosen to be isolated, followed the group at the end of the line, slowly and silently. Walking regularly in one direction, sometimes staying still making some gestures and then immediately going back. As I was just back to base camp, I found myself walking side to side with Horikita-san.

Kiyone : "Not in a good mood?"

Horikita : "Honestly speaking, I could say I feel a little gloomy. Say I am not designed to be that person. Living on a deserted island, even so not having to live alone but with many others. How about you? Its kinda strange that you are eager to help like Kushida-san."

Kiyone : "At least, I don't want to be seen as a burden by the whole class from both sides"

Now, regardless of something like the spirit of cooperation, acting as a member of a group, is far beyond from Horikita-san's abilities. Even though I think it is good to make a great effort to blend with our classmates to improve, but, to say it out loud to her is futile, so I won't point it out. Beside, its better if she learn it by herself

Horikita : "You know, the things that you told me before, I can say that they proved to be quite practical"

Turning to tell me this, Horikita-san made a rather amusing face.

Horikita : "My scholarly abilities may be out of the question, I am talking about this conversation. I think, though, that it has been decided that I am dead weight, already. So, taking the initiative that I have to look for Ike and Shinohara, I made my exit. I did not mind, particularly, whether my behavior was right or wrong. If it is them. They would move fast. I might be able to find something good"

Kiyone : "Yes, you may find something. But more importantly, are you all right?"

Horikita : "Why are you asking?"

She looked me with eyes like scowling at me. I gave her a response like 'It's nothing' and I averted her gaze. As I was making this small talk with her, I felt the eyes of someone on my back.

Kiyone : "What's wrong?"

Sakura : "N-Nothing, I just wonder about the same thing but..."

Kiyone : "Are you perhaps wanted to help as well however you aren't good interacted with the other?"

She nodded

Kiyone : "Alright, you can stick close with me. We'll do this together. How about it?"

Sakura : "S-Sure! Thank you very much Ayanokoji-chan!"

Then I look at Horikita-san again since she stared at me for a while

Horikita : "What's the matter?"

That was supposed to be me who asked but whatever

Kiyone : "It's nothing"

Maybe, I was too mindful, turning around to see.

Horikita : "I wonder what are the other classes doing. I am a little interested to see how is their attitude. If A Class and B Class thoroughly enforced a plan to restrain the use of their points, we must too, be prepared. In this kind of exam, we cannot let happen a big difference in points."

At that point, I realised that this extraordinary determination might exist. By Horikita-san's serious look from before. The change of behavior in someone's every day life by tiredness. A test of scholarly ability may separate the current status quo, but the only antagonism in this test, may be to fight so that we will not fall behind A class at any cost.

Kiyone : "To fall behind upper classes would be so terrible"

Horikita : "The things that Chabashira-sensei said I thought they were joke at that time, but are you really not interested in moving up to an upper class?"

Chabashira-sensei said some of those things when she 'bumped' into me and Horikita-san in the consultation room.

Sakura : "I-Is that true that Ayanokoji-chan isn't interested in moving up to an upper class?!"

Oh! I forgot that Sakura-san was nearby as well

Kiyone : "How do I say...well, I don't really have doubts on it. Even some of our classmate don't want to fall behind Class A. I'm happy if there will be a lot of allowances every month and I would be lucky enough if we could rise up to Class A"

Honestly, take for example. I don't even know what Hirata-kun and Karuizawa-san are thinking, to what extent these were their true intentions.

Horikita : "People who entered this school thought that they entered to make use of those privileges"

Rather than looking discontent, she coughed lightly with a puzzled air. Originally at the time of enrollment, college entrance and place of employment were supposed to be guaranteed by the school. De facto, a lot of students were expecting them.

Horikita : "So, what did you choose this school for?"

Kiyone : "About that, can I also say the same? To use openly and shamelessly of those privileges"

Horikita : "I see"

This time she coughed openly in dissatisfaction, looking up to me with a sharp side glance. I think Horikita-san enrolled here to go to the same school as her brother. I understood so. If not for herself to climb up to A Class, to be recognized by her older brother. In other words, her original purpose in the school changed.

Horikita : "It's not a pleasant thing to be prying into a person's past. That's a good example of it"

I intended to pierce the nail a little farther, but it seemed like she immediately realized my true intention. I'm trying to find out my past by analyzing this person's past, or perhaps I should say, by analyzing humans/other people thoroughly. That's not a pleasing thing for me. I'd like to do something about it as soon as possible.

Horikita : "The only thing I can just tell you is that Chabashira-sensei leaked the information willfully. Can you not misunderstand me only on this point? I didn't accept you yet. Don't forget it"

Kiyone : "It's all right. I'm not thinking of wanting to be accepted by the like of you anyway. Even though you said that by yourself. You still used the information which Chabashira-sensei leaked about me to you. Don't you think that's not fair"

Horikita : "What's the difference? As resident of class D like it or not you will be forced to do this sooner or later"

Kiyone : "No wonder that almost nobody like you"

I mean to insult her but she taking it as compliment. Does she like it that much being known as self-independent person.

Also, Sakura-san who watched our interaction confused about how our relationship. She- No. Probably most of our classmate think that we had good relationship however this is how we used to while we talk each other

Shortly after, Hirata-kun and the others stopped in a single line.

Hirata : "Here you can both block the sunrays and you don't have to worry about being heard by someone around you"

Hirata-kun and the others stopped walking when they entered a bit in the forest and resumed talking. Some of the boys gathered together as if united and begun to thrive on a clash of ideas they might have thought on their way here.

Hondou : "Not just Ike, we all better move too. If we can seize a main spot from another class, at that rate the point difference will inevitably widen"

Miyamoto : "Yeah, that's right. We have to move right away. But it's not good to neglect the current problems and leave them scattered around. First, shouldn't we begin from the solution to the toilet problem?"

Yukimura : "That's only a matter on whether we all support the supplied toilet"

Yukimura-kun glared at his classmates, especially the girls' group.

Hirata : "I was thinking while we were on the way, but first I think we should install a toilet"

Hirata then spoke to Yukimura with a slightly stronger tone. Because of the strength of those ending words, it seemed that the situation will not differ or budge an inch from before.

Yukimura : "Do not decide on your own. You should also get a feedback from Ike considering his dissenting opinion"

Hirata : "The toilet's installment might be a necessary expense. In the first place, there's a simplified toilet to which we're not accustomed to, in a class of 30 or more people. I wonder if we could really put it to a good use without trouble"

Yukimura : "About that...we'll make good use of it.."

Hirata : "But to put it in a few words, it's not practical. I really don't want to think to the worst case. But even if one person takes only 3 minutes to use it, by the time everyone are finished, more than 90 minutes will pass. Thereupon, will it be done by then?"

Yukimura : "It's a pointless assumption. Everyone can use the toilet all at once quickly. Given that even the school's decision was practical, they provided us with only one toilet. Shouldn't we make use of it cleverly?"

Hirata : "I don't think so. From the get go, I always thought that one simple toilet is impossible. If you reflect from there, isn't that actually a hint that eventually we have to spend our points regardless and we have to learn how to use them efficiently. Yukimura-kun would know. Perhaps the other classes have reached the same deduction, namely that it's not possible to set up temporary toilets"

Certainly I feel that this test, no matter in which part we'll use the points, will be a critical time that will determine victory or defeat.

All supplies are way too incomplete in the first place. As if they suggested that you should be using points if you want to use a tent or flashlight that only half a class can utilize when feasible.

Yukimura : "It's all your speculation... Besides, if other classes do set up a toilet, we will be 20 points ahead if we put up with it. We can definitely use that, right?"

Hirata : "Right. But, I feel that it's highly unlikely that putting up with toilet is a plus. It will put extra stress while inducing anxiety, and I'm also worried about hygiene. So after an objective judgement I was thinking that at least one toilet should be prepared."

It looked like Hirata came to a solid conclusion due to having time to calm down. That wasn't an act of buying male's objection, but a conviction for consent had to be secured eventually.

Hirata : "With this I think girls can calm down and challenge themselves in the trial too."

Even Yukimura-kun couldn't deny the story struck without falling on the spot. He could understand the feeling of preserving points, but it's extremely difficult to endure things with one simple toilet. Classmates were stuffed with various information in one breath to the point where even natural things wouldn't come out soon in that condition. Yukimura-kun, who couldn't bear surrounding gazes of girls and silence, broke before long.

Yukimura : "...I-I...Got it. Well then, we should install a toilet."

In the end the installation of the toilet was consented due to Yukimura-kun, who was before in the same objecting team as Ike-kun and the others was now giving in.

Shinohara-san and the rest were a little relieved.

Hirata : "Teacher. If we want a provisional toilet, is it possible to decide the installation site in detail?"

Chabashira : "If it's not on an impossible terrain then everywhere is fine. You can also re-transfer it after the installation, but in that case it will take time. The weight is over 100 kilos. Quite a bit of labor."

Hirata sighed in relief now that one problem was solved.

Hirata : "The next thing is ... We've already heard opinions before, but I think we should explore to decide on a base camp as well. Consumption of points depends largely on where we settle down."

Hirata-kun give a clear

Ike : "Hey hey! We are back. I found some great spot nearby!"

Sudou : "Yeah! You bet"

Yamauchi : "Did you guys miss me?"

Yukimura : "This idiots..." *sigh*

Here, the trio finally come back.

While on the deep thinking Hirata-kun finally decide to ask

Hirata : "I wonder if someone among us is familiar with the survival."

Hirata-kun asked holding on a ray of hope. Like in a corny manga, in times like this there is only one person you can count on. He looked back checking his classmates, but no one showed an attitude of coming forward.

Then, Ike-kun who was silent raised a hand all of a sudden.

Yamauchi : "Oi oi. We yearn for the main character who was driven into survival skills by his father and trained to survive alone even in the jungle since childhood."

Instantly Ike-kun, who was bashed, flustered apologized, but he was still hated by everyone.

Kushida : "Erm, I will go if it's okay."

It was Kushida-san who volunteered to break a deadlock if no one wanted to participate. Seeing her appearance, the boys who bluntly refused (participating) had their eyes lighted up and started demonstrating their participation to volunteer. I guess there were students who were motivated by doing favor to Kushida-san as well as students who felt embarrassed that they let the girl take initiative.

I've raised my hand a bit later, roughly at the same time as Hirata-kun started to count the number of people.

Hirata : "Twelve. Good, we could make four teams."

Horikita-san approach me

Kiyone : "Are you going too?"

Horikita : "I'll have to restrain. But it's unusual to see you volunteer so assertively."

Kiyone : "If you don't have a role for some reason, you'll be cut off from class."

Next, Hirata-kun announce the assignment

Hirata : "Let's go in 4 teams with 3 persons each. It's 1:30 now so I want you to return here at once at 3:00 regardless of the outcome."

Then each person joined a team as they liked. In a blink of an eye only three person left. Even here we treated like scrap huh? They are so mean

Sakura : "So...We are together again Ayanokoji-chan! I-I look forward for your cooperation"

Kiyone : "Y-Yeah, me too Sakura-san"

She seems happy that she would be put on the same team with me. However...

Koenji : "Refreshing sun indeed. My body needs energy."

Koenji Rokusuke. This boy is really gonna cooperate with our research group. Luckily, a son of freedom and a quiet girl. With these two I hope there won't be any difficulty.

Right?

Right...?

Ri..ght..?

Why do I feel uncertain with this situation somehow...

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 3 : Day 1; The Boundary Line Pt 1

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

The moment we set foot into the forest, we were struck by the lush and overgrown greenery around us. It was much better that we avoided the direct sunlight that hit us on the beach, but still, the dampness and humidity made the heat unbearable. Suddenly, I feel a rush of coolness in the back of my neck, like a fan flapping... I had the feeling that this mission was about to fail.

It's, hot, it's hot and as I am thinking about it, it's getting even hotter. But that's not the only problem for me...

Kiyone : "Koenji-kun!"

Koenji : "Ah! Beautiful! To be able to explore calmly surrounded by nature! This is just perfect... The ultimate beauty!"

It's hopeless. I cannot have a proper conversation with him, now. Actually, there is nobody around that I can have a substantial conversation with, however this boy classified as different case.

Sakura : *pant* *pant* "He sure move so fast!".

Kouenji without thinking at all, about the pace of a girls, he kept moving deeper into the forest. Ignoring that he leads us steadily into unfamiliar territory. On an unknown path, there is nothing to do but rely on our feet and stamina and admire the obedience.

Kiyone : "Koenji-kun! Wait for us!"

What is the meaning of this. Is this a coincidence? No! There is no hesitation in Koenji-kun's pace. For example, we chose the place for our base camp in discretion for the sake of the whole team. How is it normal for someone to move straight forward without looking left or right in unfamiliar territory? It is like that Koenji-kun has a pretty clear aim on his mind. Above all the quick progress on the route surprised me. There is a chance that Koenji-kun just not push forward blindly.

Kiyone : "It can't be helped...Hup!"

So I decide to climb as well following him by jumping from tree to another tree like he did.

But there is a problem here. I have to leave Sakura-san into matching Koenji-kun's pace, so I take a deep breath and move faster.

Kiyone : "Hey Koenji-kun! Wait for us! Don't you think we've come too far away from our base? We might get lost out here!"

Sakura-san looked both my way and Koenji-kun's looking concerned as I called out to him. Koenji-kun's silhouette stopped and turned our way to face us, as he fixed a strand of his hair.

Koenji : "Hahaha! Don't worry ladies, I am a genius with the perfect physical ability, there is no way that I will get us lost in a forest of this size. If anything might happen to you that's because you might have lost sight of me and then let's be honest, it would be better if you'd give up"

Kiyone : *pant* *pant* "Huh?"

He stopped quite a bit longer and I could see Sakura finally catch up with us although...

She maybe didn't looks okay at this moment

As I would expect of him, the situation around here is not entertaining at all.

Koenji : "I would like to ask you, ordinary people, don't you think that this is truly beautiful?"

Thinking that he showed us of his perfect nature as always, Koenji flashed us a daring smile, asking us that question.

Kiyone : "Uuuhh...Well... It is only natural for the forest to be a mysterious place, although, I mostly feel that it is beautiful, I think..."

More or less this is how I felt and tried to transmit it. However, Koenji did not expect this kind of reply, feeling a little disappointed he took a deep breath.

Koenji : "What are you talking about? This is not what I asked you about! Having a perfect physical condition, myself, I can shine beautifully in this place. You do not understand?"

Kiyone : "Uh...uhn...yeah..."

So when you have a perfect body physique, you have to make self proclamation remarks about your body abilities.. Ah, you are right, then. I do not understand.

I giving up. As if I could even understand that!

Koenji : "Did this heat it caused your heads feel weird ladies?"

No, it because of you

Koenji : "It can't be helped then. Let's follow my shines!"

He already move again, seriously this kid...

I take a deep breath

Kiyone : "Koenji-kun! Please move a bit slower!"

As expected it didn't reach him at all

Koenji decided to test our physical capabilities some other time, so he turned his back and continued his move. From this point onwards I should not fuss over advices or wishes. Better save my energy.

Koenji : "There is no need to worry, whatever happens in this forest more or less there won't be any problem. Actually, I cannot call this a natural forest. At least during daytime, the chances of getting lost while wandering around are pretty low. For this very reason, there is a certain level of curiosity"

He left the conversation hanging with significant words. Koenji, having lost his interest in us some time ago he decide to move faster with intention to left us as if he didn't care about this exam anymore. In that quick pace, Sakura-san finally could not follow him.

This guy...seriously...his attitude got on my nerve.

I decide to move faster with intention to give him a choke from the back if I could catch him

Kiyone : "Come back here!"

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Finally he is within my reach.

One step closer I don't care who is he but I will clutch him without hesitation after this.

But just about I catch him

CRACK!

Suddenly, the tree's branch which I step in suddenly break.

I fall down immediately

THUD!

Damn it! He is just like that one main character with plot armor...

...

Since I lost his sight. I decide to giving up and just lay down here.

I was though that I need to wait a bit longer but Sakura-san finally came

Sakura : *pant* *pant* *pant* "Mou~ I can't do it anymore..." *pant* *pant* "Huh?"

Sakura while sweating, decided to ignored her fatigue she rushed toward me. Look at my brushed appearance. She come at me

Sakura : "W-What happened Ayanokoji-chan?!"

Kiyone : "I fell down from that tree"

I said while pointing at the tree with broken branch

Sakura : "T-That's...quite high you know...A-Are you okay?"

I see, she might be wondering if I had fatal injury. So, I decide to get up to show I'm still in good condition

Kiyone : "I'm fine"

I said while showing my both arms muscle

Sakura : "I-Is that so? If you feel sore or numb don't hesitated to tell me"

I nodded to reply her

Sakura : "Anyway, where is Koenji-kun?"

Kiyone : "About that...sorry...I lost him..."

Sakura : "Eh? HEeee!!!!"

Sakura-san screamed since we both know that we are screwed

Sakura's gaze, who observed the situation silently since before, became uneasy.

Eventually, Sakura didn't say anything to me and we walked together in the wood to explore.

Kiyone : "It'll be great if we can secure drinking water. Or it'd be better to first secure a place where we can shelter ourselves from the elements?"

Sakura : "A-Ano...I do understand just like you said before if something bad going to happened befall us. The school will soon rescue us as long as we didn't lose this watch however aren't you worried since it was jus two of us here?"

Kiyone : "Worried? Hmm...maybe a little but we can't just go back without bring any result, no?"

Sakura : "Y-Yes...okay..."

Since I have nothing to fill my time with, I'll try to speak to her gently. So that it's easy for her to understand. If you can secure a spot, there's the possibility of saving points, and it'd be an extremely easy expansion.

Kiyone : "Well, I wonder if 2 tents won't be enough...but I can't come up with anything else"

No matter how much I look out over the landscape and walk, I can't even find one man-made thing. Well, even if we say we're walking all around, it can be confirmed that we're seeing an area of only the 1% of the island. This school probably isn't lenient enough to spoil us with easy-to-find stuff in a small-scale search.

And then a few minutes later, when going ahead while walking on a way without a proper road, a new place opened halfway.

Sakura : "This here...isn't it a road?"

Kiyone : "It looks like it"

From the forest that were on the desert island, a road came out appearing to cut out a path for people. Of course, it wasn't paved but there was trace of chopped down trees and a well-beaten path. If this is something that the school did for us, beyond this point there may possibly be a spot.

I proceeded to the next steps with Sakura and we took the road that cut through the forest.

Sakura : "Wow...Amazing..."

Soon we reached a place. It was the entrance of a cave, empty and unoccupied, built as a large gaping hole in a part of the mountain. At first sight, it seemed like a natural cave, but when you looked at it closely the inside of the cave seemed to be firmly enforced and supported. Maybe the hole itself might have been created by human hands.

Sakura : "Could it be...a spot, possibly?"

Kiyone : "Well, I'm not sure"

Since time immemorial, caves have fulfilled an outstanding function as people's dwellings. If this is the place designated as a spot, there should be an evidence or proof inscribed somewhere.

When I tried to approach the cave to confirm and check this, I saw a man coming out from the inner depths of the hole.

Immediately, I pulled Sakura's arm, retracting in the shade and hiding.

I've already seen the figure. When the man stopped at the entrance, he stood quietly facing the southwest direction without moving. Did he stand there for a minute or two?

Without wasting any time, this is how you should secure a spot promptly. It seemed like he came straight into the cave without hesitation. However, apart from that, the problem is that the man gripped something similar to a card tightly in his hand. Then, a voice directed to the man could be heard from inside. I retracted immediately in a fluster.

??? : "If this is the size of the cave, two tents are enough, Katsuragi-san. Even so, we were just lucky. We got to hold down such a spot this quickly"

I listened carefully, trying to grasp the situation from a faint voice I was hearing.

Katsuragi : "Luck? What have you seen until now? I've figured out there's a cave here since before landing. It was inevitable to find it. Be wary of words and deeds. We don't know if someone's eavesdropping on us somewhere. I have a responsibility as a leader. Let's keep in mind not to do even a slightest mistake."

??? : "... S-Sorry. But what does it mean since before landing...?"

Katsuragi : "For some reason, before the ship was attached to the pier it went around the island's outer circumference to make a detour. It was probably an act of the school to give students some hints on where to proceed because I've already seen the road that opened to the forest from the deck of the ship. All they had to do later is to go forward the shortest route from the landing pier to the road."

??? : "So, rather than just an ordinary sightseeing, isn't there a possibility that was a forethought to enjoy the scenery?"

Katsuragi : "The turn was too far for a sightseeing. Besides, the content of the announcement was strange."

I guess I'm not the only one who think something like that

??? : "I could not feel it at all but... Katsuragi-san has seen through the school's intentions. Because of that he realized there is a cave here... As expected!"

Katsuragi : "Let's move to the next one, Yahiko. It's useless to stay longer since the spot has been seized. There was a road seen from the ship from two more places. Before that, there must be something like a facility."

So, his name was Yahiko-kun huh?

Yahiko : "Y-yes! But if you leave the result like this, Sakayanagi has no choice but to be silent!"

Katsuragi : "When you turn your eyes on the inside, be careful or you'll trip."

Yahiko : "That's right, but shouldn't we be cautious of B class? Isn't D class an assembly of defectives? Even if we think about the point difference, we can ignore it."

There was a similar story on the ship as well that D class was out of consideration to A class. We were treated like a stone dropped on the corner of the roadside.

However for someone who supposed to be part of class A. Aren't they was kinda sloppy as well? Since they somehow shown their card so defenselessly like that especially on someone who had a good eyesight like me

Katsuragi : "Enough with the chit-chat. Let's go Yahiko."

I waited until I couldn't hear the voices and footsteps of the two. Then I waited two minutes more for caution's sake.

Sakura : "They left..."

I took a quick look to check, but I couldn't see the two from a little while ago. Soon I nodded as a reply for Sakura-san question

Sakura : "Those two before. It looks like they're from A class based on their conversation."

However, to abandon this place and leave is what I was worried about. There was also a possibility that the spot might be usurped unless we let someone to stand guard.

We went to the entrance of the cave once again. In other words, they left this place without hesitation...

Inside the cave a terminal device with a monitor was installed, embedded in the wall. There was a letter of an A class on the screen and a countdown displaying 7 hours 55 minutes left.

Was it a proof of owning a spot? We can absolutely not interfere until the countdown reaches zero. It is also impossible to forcibly use this place. That's why the two from A class have peacefully left the place. No – the problem wasn't only that.

As long as it keeps being updated without being deprived of the ownership points of other classes, A class will keep acquiring one point every eight hours as well. Although people would lose 30 points for absence due to sickness sick, more than half of them will decide to call it quits.

Moreover, it looked like Katsuragi-kun was still figuring out a few facilities as well. Can other classes establish a lead again if it's a spot with food and water?

To remembered a terrain of the island and used it as a hint to find out the spot. That idea was brilliant. As might be expected, being in A class means that even the world you can see, in its minimal necessities, is different. However, points that are hard to swallow appear like that as well.

Right — this incident was a proof that a fatal mistake was made. Although it was in order to securely seize the cave, A class passed a key card in order to obtain point ownership. It became clearly known to us know that he is the leader. Of course, he didn't think someone from the other class will be watching... It's clearly inadvertent. Just to be sure we've examined the inside of the cave, but as expected the people were not hiding.

Sakura : "Wha-wha-? what should we do. We've found an important secret!"

Said Sakura, a little excitedly as she'd heard the information that gives a heavy blow to A class.

Kiyone : "We'll report it to Hirata-kun later."

I've let Sakura, who's a poor talker, relieved as I said she doesn't need to report it herself.

Sakura : "Hey, Ayanokoji-chan. The person before ...he was the leader right?"

Kiyone : "You mean the boy who's being called 'Yahiko'. Yes, he is the leader, I saw on a glance the card they shown before and I'm pretty sure his name was engraved there"

Sakura : "Eh! Is that so? I thought the other boy was the leader?"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Sakura : "Huh?"

Wait, what?

The situation around began to move, without bearing any results Hirata-kun's team returned to base. The trio was surprisingly in an uplifting mood. Hirata-kun and the others were talking about something with great fervor.

Ike : "It is a river!! A river!! What a beautiful feeling it is! It looks like there is an equipment! It seems that we will be able to have an exclusive possession of a mechanism! From here it is only a ten minute walk, so let's go all together at once."

Ike-kun's team had left earlier for a search mission, they may have found out that spot already. And it seemed that they were guarding it so that other classes won't snatch it away.

Hirata : "This is a glorious achievement, if we can maintain the source of the river, our situation may vastly improve."

It seems like as we came to find this spot originally, it was already decided that this would be the place of our base camp. Of course I thought it was because of the terrain and the environment, but it seems that it is just the first step forward.

Hirata : "Still, there are 2 teams that haven't returned yet, I guess it will be a trouble if no one stays here to wait for them. Then I'll ask several of you remain here while the other goes to secure our camping spot"

Several boys : "Got it!"

The clock showed that it was almost 3 o'clock, we might not be able to hold on the original schedule, besides, there are countless possibilities of where they could be wandering in this vast forest.

Hirata-kun suddenly walk beside me

Hirata : "Ayanokoji-san. I'm glad that you are able to come back safely with Sakura-san. I'm worried that something happened to both of you"

Kiyone : "I-I'm sorry Hirata-kun because it is my fault, in the middle of our expedition I trailed off the road after we were being separated from Koenji-kun"

Hirata : "Ah, If you are talking about Koenji-kun, he returned alone a little while ago, he wanted to go and swim"

Kiyone : "What?!"

That rascal!

Hirata : "Well, I was mad at him as well but he only said that both of you will come back safely since there is no dangerous situation on this forest and also he said that both of you will come and bring your group report. After that he leaves and go to swim"

Kiyone : *sigh* "That does sounds like what will Koenji-kun would do..."

After that leaving us with smile he fasten his pace to walk side by side with Ike-kun

Somehow my anger disappeared with sigh since it no use to mad at someone like him. I'm pretty sure even somebody goes violence to warn him he wouldn't change his ways at all.

But still, it seems that he did not get lost but he sneaked away out of the forest. Something that would be expected from a free-spirited guy like him.

Suddenly Horikita-san walk by my side

Horikita : "How did you lose him? Did you not following him properly?"

Kiyone : "I am who I am and I am not someone who would put restraints on people. Do you understand?"

This girl, is she trying to do this on purpose? I have succeeded in breaking free from Koenji-kun's game already and also being well-informed about the forest thanks to him as well.

Horikita : "I get it, a leader other than showing personality has no ability to answer in complaints, that's him"

Kiyone : "You are no different than him either"

Horikita : "Did you say something?"

Kiyone : "No, nothing"

There are too many problematic students, including me in this class. Hirata, too, is troubling.

Horikita : "What?"

Suddenly Horikita, turned around and looked back. She glared at Sakura with sharp eyes.

Horikita : "Hmph!"

After that she haste her pace as well leaving me and Sakura

Sakura : "Just, now, did she look at me? S-Sh-She was not looking at me, right?!"

Sakura looked confused and being in denial, trying to run away from the view

Kiyone : "Do not let her scare you. From the beginning, that's how Horikita-san behaved anyway."

Sakura : "Is that so?"

Ike : "This is the place!"

Hirata : "We have found the spot! It is amazing!"

We finally arrived to the spot that was found by Ike and the others. To the interior of the cave I saw a mechanism embedded in the wall.

However, to this edge of the river, there is one artificial big boulder. This is where the mechanism was originally embedded. Meanwhile, Hirata-kun's team started preparing the tent and all other necessities to a place close to the river.

Me? Since most of girl had nothing to do. I decide to take a look the boys who making tent. I do amazed that Ike-kun truly capable on this outdoor situation. He is truly indeed good at doing his own thing

Okitani : "Yes, the sunlight cast its shadows in the beautiful water. Smoothing the way below ground. This might be an ideal spot to build our base camp. This is fantastic, Ike!"

Ike : "He he! I know, right?"

The waters of the river run calmly in a width of 10 meters, creating such a splendid sight. The river is surrounded by the thick forest and a sand road. It feels like this place was already established and opened before. I do not believe that this is a newly discovered site. This was built by our school for a specific aim.

Miyake : "What kind of verification do we need to prove that this river is ours now...".

The river has a great width, it goes extremely downstream from this point onward and it seems like it continues that way.

At one glance towards the end of it, we are standing at the flat point that seems to be the only exception in a place where the difference between high and low is really extreme. Maybe there is not another place as well as this one around here.

However, we came to find this place too easily. We don't even know if there is a possibility for us to actually somehow use the river. Or possibly, we thought too simply that we have a special right to hold this spot.

We only worried about one thing, while walking parallel to the riverside to the direction of the forest. Yet, somehow, we came to hold the north canal.

Miyamoto : "It is just like understanding the vicinity around the school? It seems like we are the only ones who can make use of the river maybe"

Along our way, as we were walking down along the river that we thought we could use, there was a sign of old wood. So this place was designed specifically for a reason after all and unauthorized use is prohibited. This is what is written on the wooden sign.

Feeling light-headed as we were walking around, Hirata and his team came back.

Karuizawa : "Concerning the decision to build our base camp on this spot, is there a not problem at all about occupying this spot?"

Ike : "We already decided on that! Is there any other alternatives, anyway?!"

Hirata : "There are! Of course, having this place is to our benefit, there are ways to monopolize the river and we can gain some points for doing so, if we can actually hold it for 8 hours and the operation is approved and executed by our leader. However, if other teams found out who our leader actually is, we will be in trouble. Someone with clever eyes might grasp the gravity of our situation"

Across the river and all around us, in 360 degrees there is only the forest. If there is someone or something looking at us from the trees, then we would not notice.

Ike : "You mean..., this place... it is not good for hiding, we are unprotected. We are surrounded"

It is true that risk has cast its shadow, but, Hirata-kun's observation is accurate.

Even if we make the base camp on this terrain, we cannot maintain it, there are no options. If by any chance the students of some other classes try to monopolize the river, we will not be able to get out.

Girls and boys alike seem to give Ike-kun their approval. I think that Hirata-kun too from the start had the intention to do the same thing, but from sticking to a neutral position has gathered a lot of viewpoints.

Certainly to be able to earn the right of an exclusive possession is somehow like a two-edged knife.

However, in order for Class A to monopolize the cave, they have to protect the equipment's fully by stacking them up/by placing them one upon another in the same location of the base camp. It's a no brainer that B class and also C class will do the same thing. In other words, we cannot afford to lose ground even for the slightest risk.

Karuizawa : "Yes. So after this issue, the new case is who is going to be the leader?"

More than taking possession and occupying spots, the big key factor is deciding who will be appointed as the leader.

Making mistakes on this point can possibly become fatal.

While everyone was thinking of avoiding this kind of role with such heavy responsibilities, Kushida-san told everyone to gather and make a circle. In a small voice, she began:

Kushida : "I had a lot on my mind and I thought about various things but, whether one likes it or not, Hirata-kun or Karuizawa-san stand out as persons. But isn't a leader one that you could rely on and also one that has a deep sense of responsibility? I think that Horikita-san is the one that meets both conditons. How about that?"

Horikita-san looked like she didn't expect this kind of recommendation from Kushida-san, but her expression didn't change. I wonder if it's less risky to let her act as a leader since she's always observing and aiming for class A than to let someone else do it. I think the main point is there. I was calmly looking at the reactions around me.

Mii-chan : "I agree with Kushida-san's opinion. I also think that Horikita-san can be a good leader. So long as Horikita-san is okay with it too, I would like her to take over later"

Even though all the gazes gathered on her, she didn't particularly appear as she wanted to refuse it.

Sudou : "You don't want to do it, right? Don't force her. I can do it instead"

Suddenly, Sudou announced his candidature, doubtful as to whether Horikita-san had decided not to take over. But ironically, that became a trigger for Horikita-san as she soon made a cool decision. Thanks Sudou-kun

Horikita : "Fine, I accept"

Even if it's a little troublesome, I'm relieved since this is more secure than having incapable person as leader.

As soon as he heard those words, Hirata immediately went to Chabashira-sensei to pass on Horikita-san's name. Before long, he received the card and entrusted it to Horikita-san when he came back.

But of course, before this, taking into consideration the risk of being seen by someone nearby, everyone making a circle and touched the device. This was to camouflage the leader and to not let anyone find out the real one.

Ike : "Okay, I resolved the problem of the bath and the drinking water"

With shining and flaming eyes, Ike advocated to economize on points.

Shinohara : "Huh? With things like drinking water from the river? Are you crazy?"

Apparently, Ike intended to use the river's water both as a natural bath and drinking water. Meanwhile, Shinohara-san and the girls seemed to not to having such idea and they glanced at the river both disgusted and appalled.

Satou : "Well, it looks nice for swimming...but to drink...mmm"

Ike : "What's the matter, it's completely fine. It's pure and clean water"

Matsushita : "Yeah, that's...it seems it can certainly be drunk but..."

Shinohara-san pulled Hirata's sleeve after seeing how Ike-kun didn't stop appealing for saving points in every way.

Karuizawa : "Hey Hirata-kun, is it really okay? It is not normal to drink water from the river. Is it truly save?"

Several girls gathered and they came to talk to Hirata uneasily, asking for advice. Watching the gently flowing river waters, the girls protested shaking their heads left and right and saying it was impossible.

Shinohara : "I don't think I could drink that..."

Ike, who was looking surreptitiously at the consultation going on, opened his mouth already growing irritated.

Yukimura : "Is that so? The water is really clean and transparent and it looks like natural water"

Although it wasn't turbid or muddy, not only all the girls but also part of the boys remained on the sidelines and watched some parts of the river.

Ike : "What's going on, everyone. What's your beef? There's no reason we shouldn't make use of the available water we found with so much trouble"

Shinohara : "Well then you should try to drink it as an experiment"

Ike : "Whatever, I don't care..."

Ike scooped up the river water with his hands and drank it. Part of the girls were urged to do it forcibly too.

Ike : "Aaahh...It's ice-cold and I'm chilled to the bone but it's good! Damn good!"

Shinohara : "Wow that's a major turn-off. No way I'm drinking that. Yuck!"

Ike : "Ehh? You told me to drink it, Shinohara!"

Shinohara : "No way! The type I hate the most are barbarian guys like you"

Ike : "What the..."

The two were also glaring to each other and they threw off sparks during their heated argument.

Kiyone : "I heard that the closer you are the more you fight, could this be applicable to both of them?"

Kushida : "Fufufu~ Well, it seems to be true"

So next to the toilet's issue, wouldn't it be logic to resolve the drinking water's problem? But even if a river has been found for it, there hasn't been any solution yet.

Hirata : "For the time being, why don't we think about the water's problem later? Because if you fight it's gonna be even harder to resolve"

Hirata told everyone that he wanted to break through the current situation. Probably delaying the situation will bring other problems but if that's Hirata intention, there won't be a particular objection. Or so I believed...until a guy that I least expected put a stop to the flow of the conversation.

Sudou : "Shinohara, don't complain. It's a trial where everyone has to cooperate together, that what is it."

Sudou is the class problem child. But unusually, he put Shinohara in her place in a cool and calm tone.

Shinohara : "Oh please, don't make me laugh. Do you cooperate yourself with everyone, like you said, Sudou-kun?

Shinohara smiled contrived like she has lower abdominal pains, but it's impossible for her to take up this stupid attitude. Sudou-kun, after getting into school, he often got into trouble and stirred problems in the class. Very differently compared to Horikita-san, he's very far from cooperative. It seemed like Sudou-kun himself was the first to be aware of it, but he continued to have the same attitude without changing behavior.

Sudou : "I know that I caused trouble for the class. That's why I'm saying this. If you provoke somebody's antipathy by being boring and tiresome like this, it will come back to you like you know what it said, what goes around comes back around"

Shinohara : "What ..that's why Sudou-kun doesn't want to use the point right?"

Sudou : "No one said such a thing. Kanji, just cool down a little. If you're told by others to suddenly drink the river's water, it should be normal for you to feel that you have the right to resist and protest. I'd feel the same too. Hey, if you boil the water, you can sterilize it, right? Why don't you try that for the time being?"

Shinohara : "Boiling... It's not a chemistry experiment. Stop with the proper remarks said in the spur of the moment"

Shinohara was prepared to fight with anyone who displeased her, and was aggressive towards Sudou-kun as well even if he was giving a solution.

Hirata called out to settle down the intensifying argument for the second time.

Hirata : "Let's end this for once. We still have time so there's no need to decide things in a hurry."

As if those words made her a little calmer, Shinohara-san silently withdrawn. Shortly afterwards, Hirata-kun went to Chabashira-sensei to apply for a provisional toilet.

Without containing the anger towards Shinohara-san's words and deeds, Ike-kun left the situation behind biting his lips in frustration all the way.

Ike : "Crap, what's wrong with Shinohara? It's not only that she doesn't work hard."

Annoyingly, Ike picked up a pebble and threw it to drain in the river.

The stone kicked water surface five-six times and jumped to the other side of the shore without difficulty. For something picked by chance, it had a beautiful form. It wouldn't have worked so well, if he only learned to do it by watching others.

I decide to sat beside him

Kiyone : "Ike-kun, are you good at outdoor stuff perhaps?"

Ike : "Huh? Ah – no, it's not like that. I was just often camping with my family when I was little. There's no danger in drinking river water. I'd know if the water is clean and hygienic. And also, I just realized that I was being too selfish as well. About setting a temporary toilet, I was in the wrong. I didn't think something like that from the perspective of someone who don't have experience living in the wilderness moreover girls with no experience about that as well. When first time I do camping, I keep worry and feel anxiety whenever I wanted to seek the toilet so I understand that much what you girls were thinking about this later on."

Rather than being boastful, he really spoke as if it's a natural thing.

Kiyone : "Wouldn't it be better if you came forward with your camping experience from the beginning? If you had gained people's trust I think you could have carried it a little better."

It wasn't acceptable to just act as one pleases without any explanation, even if you had abilities. Not to mention that wasn't something to be clearly understood unlike the test score.

Ike : "If I did boy scouting, I could brag about it. Having just a camping experience isn't something to boast about. Even if I said something, it would be in vain anyway."

Somehow, he looked discouraged by the girls' harsh criticism. Judging from Ike-kun, whose usual thoughts were about being well liked by girls only, it was natural for him to be dissatisfied. However, it seems like the situation would have been be really different if he'd only change manners a little.

To only slightly see Ike-kun and Hirata-kun cooperating and leading the class would feel precious.

But... Ike-kun added, a little dry of words

Ike : "Everyone seemed excited to start this kind of camping life. I thought everyone had some experience. I may have been a little unreasonable thinking that way."

That was the first time Ike showed us his regret. It was a moment where we became aware of his error.

Ike : "Sorry. I have to think of a good solution. I'm going to take a bath in the river."

Kiyone : "O-Oh...sure..."

That being said, Ike stood up and turned his back on me. I thought that was good for now. His head must have been clouded and confused due to the heat and to look everywhere for this place must have taken a considerable amount of physical strength.

After I couldn't see Ike anymore, Horikita-san walk approach me

Horikita : "Ayanokouji-san. Can you follow him?"

Kiyone : "Huh? Wait! Why me? You should asking the boys to do it instead of me right?"

Horikita : "I had no one that I could rely on this matter, I wanted to use this chance. His knowledge might be useful. It might be necessary for D class. He also knows how to walk around the forest to some extent as well as outdoor knowledge. Since Koenji-kun is useless, it's necessary for him to somehow pull the class."

Kiyone : "How about you do that by yourself. You don't think you can persuade him by yourself?"

As if she didn't think such a thing would be told, she said upsettingly

Horikita : "Me? Persuade? Him? You think I can do it? Are you stupid?"

Even though she appealed to me for the thing she couldn't do with a smug face, I could see she was worried. She is truly a fitting example that building human relationships relies heavily on the abilities of ordinary people.

Horikita : "I'm asking because I know that's impossible. Can I rely on you?"

Kiyone : "Isn't it kinda pathetic that you can't rely someone else other than me. Fine then, but don't forget that you owe some favor to me"

Even if the expectations were the lowest, if the others were all zero, I had to become the top inevitably.

Horikita : "Don't you think that you are actually indebted to me as well? As someone who isn't usually to be relied on, Ayanokouji-san you're happy deep down, right?"

It was great of her that she could boldly ask a favor while crossing her arms proudly.

Kiyone : "Not at all. I'll call out to him indirectly. But please, leave the timing to me."

Horikita : "... Good. Cause I'm not certain if it's the best to call out to him now."。

I stepped aside as to let her know that I accepted, without any particular conversation beside that one. I wonder if Horikita-san will fully realize the hardships of being alone to the extent of hating it during this week. I think she herself is an excellent person, but only if you consider her individually.

In case of pursuing your own grades only, you will keep on running silently for the top without relying on anyone, but this trial is a good example that there are things that cannot be done by yourself.

Probably, Horikita-san fully realized for the first time now that she is powerless. If that weren't the case, it's unlikely she'd rely on me so quickly. If she had no friends, no one would drop by to visit and she couldn't even talk to someone. If we cannot communicate, we cannot cooperate and trust each other. A talented woman who looks perfect within the school will become less than an ordinary student in this situation.

Kiyone : "... The school probably calculated the space of that area too."

Although that's also the point where you could see the bottom of Horikita Suzune's limitations.

Because it's impossible to break away from the rules this school made.

Across the distance you could see a little, the two completed tents standing side by side. While talking together with the other girls, Shinohara-san held up a gourd-shaped war fan. Both of the tents were exclusive to the girls. In other words the boys, now, were simply sleeping outdoors so that they could become stronger with this experience. I do pitied them even though I was on girls side

I feel that the majority of our classmates have never slept outdoors before. Luckily, it is summer and although there is no wind blowing, make no mistake there are still some hardships to endure. Sometimes it is troublesome as bugs are targeting our hands and feet and when it gets dark the visibility around is quite bad. Especially in the grass under our feet, mysterious bugs are jumping and flying around creating an ominous feeling.

Being a child living on confined place, all this seemed repulsive to me. Spending a whole week on this bed, already seems impossible. But from understanding Ike-kun's views of point consumption, it is different and requires the utmost resistance and the ability of a person to take action.

When the bugs from the ground came to bed, then we changed the sheets. We were even discussing if we should cut down some branches from the trees around. We should really figure out what to do, instead of absurdly praying for something to happen.

Hirata-kun, after finishing the tent for the girls, came towards me while wiping the sweat off from his forehead.

Hirata : "Ehm... Ayanokouji-san, if it is ok, could I talk to you for a minute?"

With this low profile behavior and an almost apologetic look, he continued talking to me.

Hirata : "If there is something happened on you girls. Coming out to meet me with the flashlight at night is quite eerie. We may agree or not how we use or not use points, but, apart from that, I believe that it is necessary to make sure that we have light at night-time. However, that cannot be done just with only your persistence."

Certainly I wanted to avoid having no light at all in the night. It was a pain if you had to go to the toilet at night-time. I wanted to hear what we should have done about it. After thinking about it a little, Hirata-kun said.

Kiyone : "Are you perhaps suggest we can make a bonfire here? We can look for branches and pick them up from the trees around us I think"

Hirata : "Exactly"

We have many people here, we can rely on them into undertaking such a task.

Kiyone : "Well then, let's go find some branches."

Hirata : "Thank you! Ah, but do not go alone, it is dangerous, it would be better if you take someone else with you."

As we reached to that conclusion, I had to search for a partner. Standing still on that spot, gazing up at the sky I found Horikita-san. As she caught me looking at her, she started walking towards me.

Horikita : "You are usually uncooperative, but now you are really easy-going, granting his favor. I only heard about his request to you, anyway one way or another Hirata-kun can save himself from this somehow. The details are not a part of our work. Just the working part."

A part of the students will voluntary mobilize and work in order to help the class. The position of the caste system in the class will change depending on whether or not you can make a successful move in such times.

Horikita : "He is comparatively at the center of the class, so that is why he can't accept to rely on you."

Kiyone : "I do understand that he wanted to appear to be reliable person. For good or for worse, class D relies on Hirata-kun and Karuizawa-san too much. With the exception of these two members, if we unify the strength of other people, it is nonexistent and incompetents"

Standing beside me Horikita-san expressed clearly the situation of the class about its ability and talent but, some other abilities like generosity and dignity, we are lacking of them to the point that it could be fatal for us. It is true, even for myself, I do not think that I possess these two important abilities.

Already causing a stir, Kushida-san said that she was overexerting herself since she couldn't afford to bear the brunt of following troubles around. Even now somewhere, she was doing something with strenuous effort.

Kiyone : "What if you would become Hirata's assistant? Moreover, for the class' sake, you'd rather do it for yourself."

Horikita : "Me? His assistant? Don't joke with this please. If that is the case, then I'd rather have become his girlfriend instead"

Kiyone : "What? So...you had that kind of feeling to-"

No matter what I am going to say now, it feels kind of offensive for Karuizawa-san, no, it is definitely offensive.

Horikita : "It is just a joke! How his girlfriend seems being had easy going school life like that, well that's another story. This time, there is nothing on which I can become stronger. I have to think if there is a clear goal. Not only about myself, but to think on how to use the points. To what degree can we use the points or how exactly. I still don't have an answer for that."

Talking quietly, we went our separate ways and I found myself close to the tent that was just being set up. For the time being I am searching for an easy-going partner to go together for branches. Looking for one into the circle I head for the riverbank and I see Sudou gazing up at the sky. I wonder if it was him who followed Ike-kun previously, or perhaps he had become a guy to rely on after all. He might actually take action and do something in order to help a friend in need.

Kiyone : "Excuse me, Sudou-kun. We need to make a bonfire, so we have to pick up some branches, will you help me?"

Sudou : "Ehhh... What's up with that? If it is a troublesome task, I think I'll pass".

He told me that without making a move to get up at all.

Kiyone : "It may be troublesome, but we are going to gather around here close to the camp."

Sudou : "That is exactly what a troublesome task is, I am sorry, but I prefer to swim in the water."

Standing up, he took the bag that was placed beside me and head for the water.

Kiyone : "Well... If that's the case."

As I was denied, earlier I noticed a couple of girls chatting close to the tent with Yamauchi, so I decided to ask him.

Kiyone : "We need branches so that we can have a bonfire, I will go and pick up a few, but could someone come and help me?"

Yamauchi : "Eehhh... I smell trouble... Look, as Kanji's team we already found a good spot, right? Our minds are occupied right now, so I am really tired. Sorry but, I'll pass. Let me rest."

Being dumped like that, I didn't feel like having to answer him in a strong manner. It is too bothersome. As things are going, my chances about seeking a companion that I can rely on and actually talk to, is close to zero.

Horikita-san is not in the right "condition" for me to ask her a favor. Kushida-san already preoccupied on another girls' team, anyway.

Kiyone : "In the end... I am alone."

Just in time that I made the decision to head towards the forest all alone, just like she was peeking at my situation, Sakura appeared.

Sakura : "Erm... Is it ok if I go with you?

It was like she had overheard my conversation that I had earlier and understood my situation.

Kiyone : "Eh?.. I am thankful, but are you sure it's alright with you? Because you look tired, maybe it would be better for you to rest."

Sakura just earlier had accompanied me in a search in the forest. So, she must be tired already and she should not force herself further.

Sakura : "Isn't that just same with you? I will be alright. But if I am left here... well... It feels a bit discomforting."

While saying that, she turned her back to the girls of our class. I feel like Sakura-san's situation resembles my own. Having to live in a community, as a part of a team made us feel bitter.

Kiyone : "Well, then let's go."

Since Koenji-kun is not with us, we can take it easy and we could move with our own pace.

??? : "Hey!"

As soon as we were ready to enter the forest, I heard a voice behind us calling us to halt and someone rushed immediately towards us.

Yamauchi : "It seems that you girls had a troubles. As a man myself. I thought that I could help too. How about it ladies?"

Yamauchi-kun appeared in front of us even before we departed, however having him try to imitated Koenji-kun truly uncomfortable to watch. Unconsciously I landed a fist on his guts

Yamauchi : "Urrggh!!! What was that for Ayanokoji-chan!"

Kiyone : "You said that you don't want to help me before. Why did you suddenly change your mind?"

He immediately get up and tried to persuade me

Yamauchi : "W-Wait! Come on don't be like that Ayanokoji-chan! It was misunderstanding. I never deny a girl request, no?"

Kiyone : "But you just happened to reject me to gathering branch for bonfire a while ago"

Yamauchi : "L-Look. I'm sorry about it so I reject you without thinking. That's why, can't you see why I hurried up here, no? Come on! Please...!"

Kiyone : *sigh* "Fine"

Yamauchi : "I know it, Ayanokoji-chan would understand!"

Well, since he insisted to help. I can't deny additional hand since it will make thing easier with more help.

Sakura : "Eh?... Is it ok?"

Yamauchi : "Hey, come on, now. When in trouble, it is the time for a friend to come to the rescue, right? Sakura?

Sakura : "Eh? Ye-Yes."

Looking like she is shrinking, Sakura hid behind my back and bowed her head in agreement. Yamauchi did not make any actual conversation with her, but it is a good chance for Sakura to increase her circle of friends I think.

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 3 : Day 1; The Boundary Line Pt 2

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

We decided to collect branches in the vicinity so that we're not too distant from the base camp. In a place not too far away from the camp, the three of us spread out picking up branches.

Yamauchi : "Hey, look, Ayanokoji-chan. I want you to keep this a secret between you and me."

Yamauchi, holding a branch in his hand, approached me whispering into my ear. Wait, he didn't mean to confess right?

Yamauchi : "I...I am thinking of having my eyes on Sakura."

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Yamauchi : "Nah, isn't Kushida-chan on a higher level? Her communication skills are also superb. That's why I was thinking of giving up on that eminent target on this occasion. Compared to her, Sakura can't get used to guys at all as if she's bad with people on purpose. To be honest, I was thinking of going as far as I can go on this trip. Perhaps that girl will fall for a guy who's kind and caring. I will go after her until I get a kiss at least. No, really. It's okay if it's Sakura on this occasion. No – Sakura's good!"

Kiyone : "On this occasion... You haven't been involved even once with Sakura-san until now. It's quite unexpected."

Yamauchi : "Nah, look, I feel sorry for not seeing it earlier. She didn't catch my attention because she is plain, but she's really cute. Is she an idol? Her breasts are already at their finest. Even when she wears a jersey you can see them completely, it's very noticeable- Arrghh!!! My eyes! My eyes!"

He screamed after I give a poke on both of his eyes

Kiyone : "So, you just after her body right?"

Yamauchi : "No no! You are misunderstand it Ayanokoji-chan! I mean, look she is plain but compared to you she had an idol aura on her. Yeah something like there is different gap even for plain-looking girls between both of you. So- Aww!!! M-My head hurt!"

I knock his head without waiting him for finished his words

Kiyone : "Are you trying to using Sakura-san to insult me on purpose Yamauchi-kun?"

Yamauchi : "N-No way I thought like that! I mean who would've like to get involved in trouble with a girl with an eerie aura like you. That's why- Arrggghh!!! Stop it Ayanokoji-chan! I'm sorry!"

Kiyone : "Should I take your soul here for real?"

Yamauchi : "W-Wait, I'm sorry but at least listen to me. I'll get straight to the point this time!"

His reason for suddenly feeling like helping out was that, it seems. It looked like a backup measure after giving up on his favorite Kushida-san. I can't think of Sakura being pleased with that. I wished for an event to happen where Yamauchi would start liking Sakura-san for real not just because she is kinda an easy target to do.

Yamauchi : "Ahem! Summary I want you to help me. For instance, you could leave us to be alone from now."

Kiyone : "I'm not saying I'll help you with that. Your motive too much questionable in every aspect. Why should I help you?"

Yamauchi : "What? Come on Ayanokoji-chan! I swear I won't do something stupid. So please, let me had my moments with her. I won't ruin it!"

I don't mind cheering and helping out if necessary. But unlike Kushida-san, Sakura-san is not used to interacting with men in any case. It would be a different story if this was him just purely wanting to become friends with her, but I can't let her suddenly be alone with a guy who's after the opposite sex. If Yamauchi acts recklessly, there will be no chance with Sakura-san to overcome her trauma. I wonder should I tell what happened to her at that day? However I alongside with Hondou-kun already swear to her not to say anything about it.

Kiyone : "Please, give it up for now. I will cooperate when I get closer with Sakura-san. Besides, I'd like to go back and try to set a bonfire properly while it's still early. Alright?"

Yamauchi dropped his shoulders in disappointment, but recovered his mood quickly.

Yamauchi : "It's really hard. Well, whatever. Since it becoming like this. Ayanokoji-chan, would you happen to taken interest on a guy like me"

He said while trying to impress me however

Kiyone : "How about you actually did something aside keep running your mouth for a while?"

I said while showing my fist to him and he immediately collected branches almost silently in the end.

Fuh~ This ended faster than I though

Yamauchi : "We have enough already, haven't we? It's enough for today, right?"

That was right, we have collected even more than enough amount today.

I reply him with nod

With Yamauchi's remark, the three of us finished collecting branches and started heading back to the camp.

Yamauchi : "Hey, hey, Sakura. Would you like me to help you with carrying? It must be hard for a girl. You might hurt yourself."

He was going to break the ice from the beginning – she was holding only about half the amount of branches I had. It seemed he intended to present himself as a sweet, caring guy. I wondered if Yamauchi's kindness would be conspicuous in contrast to me not helping out.

Sakura : "It-its' fine... Ayanokouji-chan, she's carrying a lot. P-Please help her out."

Yamauchi : "Ugh! You're so nice, Sakura! Really, you're too greedy, carrying a lot of them all alone Ayanokouji-chan. Look, I will carry half for you so lend me some- oh uh... nevermind ..."

He immediately shrinking back although I just simply look at him. I didn't threatened him at all like before. Maybe because my expressionless face is hard to read he probably guessed it wrong

Such an adventure happened on the way back.

There was a girl sitting with her back on a large tree who seemed to have been left behind. She is Ibuki-san, she wasn't a class D student. She is from Ryuuen-kun's class. When she realized our presence, she turned her eyes to us only once and then she completely averted her gaze like she had immediately lost interest.

Because another class left her to fend for herself, I immediately understood that the situation of the girl was not a trivial matter. On her cheek, there was a red swelling mark. I knew at first glance that was a sign of a slap, like it was struck by someone. One given with a great force too. When Yamauchi tried to rush to the girl, I grabbed his shoulder.

Yamauchi : "What is it?"

Kiyone : "Be careful"

Yamauchi : "Ah..uh...sure"

Now, when I tried to say something, actually I tried to say it was an unnecessary thing to do, at the last minute... I just restrained myself.

Yamauchi : "Hey. What's wrong, are you okay?"

Yamauchi couldn't leave the injured girl alone and he wanted to take the initiative to call out to her. But...

Ibuki : "Leave me alone. It's nothing."

Yamauchi : "Oh, it's nothing?...It doesn't seem so. Who did this to you? Should I call a teacher?"

From the state of the swelling, it was easy to see how she was accompanied by considerable pain.

Ibuki : "I just had a dispute with the class. Don't worry about it"

Laughing with self-derision, the girl said so and rejected Yamauchi-kun's offer. She gave off a masculine feeling, but it was clear that she looked down and unwell. I guess she was a little concerned about the story of the dispute.

Yamauchi : "What are you going to do? I can't just leave you here"

This place is completely different from the school grounds. It's a jungle surrounded by another forest.

In 1 or 2 hours, the sun will begin to set. When that happens, this too could probably lead to accidents.

Sakura : "W-What should we do?"

Kiyone : "Hmm.."

Yamauchi : "Eh?"

Both of us look at Yamauchi-kun as the only male in the group with the intention to let him make decision

Kiyone : "The decision is yours. We will follow you"

Yamauchi : "You just want to dump the responsibility to me right?"

I averted my eyes avoiding his gaze

Yamauchi : "Don't look away! You just want me to take the responsibility right?!"

It seems he figured out my intention

Yamauchi : *sigh* "You girls..."

He gulped and decide to try to talk to her

Yamauchi : "You see, we're class D students. If you don't mind, come join us to the base camp"

Since Yamauchi asked lightly for approval, me and Sakura nodded slightly and played along with his story.

Ibuki : "Huh? What are you talking about? Are you kidding me?"

Yamauchi : "I mean shouldn't we help each other when someone is in trouble? Isn't that natural?"

She had no intention of listening to such words so she turned away and said nothing. I'm sure it would be very easy to leave her on her own but, unless in extreme circumstances, girls couldn't be left alone in such places.

Ibuki : "I'm from class C. In other words, I'm your enemy. You understand that much, right?"

That's no reason why she shouldn't receive help.

Yamauchi : "But...we cannot leave you behind in this kind of place, can we?"

Both me and Sakura nodded, agreeing with him. Still the girl didn't even try to raise her heavy back from the tree. Because we're students from the same school, it's natural for us to help each other. But whether or not it was the right thing to do in this special exam, it's another matter completely. Especially if you judge it in a calculating and selfish way.

Yamauchi : "We cannot go back leaving this girl behind. We're going to be here until you move"

Yamauchi decided to continue staying in this place. Then we just had to watch and wait together. But then, perhaps judging our presence as a temporary trick of her imagination, moved away immediately and continued on giving us the cold shoulders. She took no notice of where we stood.

Yamauchi : "Anyway, in the forest it's gloomy and there's an unpleasant heat and humidity. Sakura, aren't you hot?"

Yamauchi : "I...that's...uhm..not particularly...I'm okay"

Being there just waiting was really boring, but from Yamauchi's viewpoint, he had his exact wish fulfilled. Because he could spend his time with Sakura, until the girl gave in. Even then, he could also spend a meaningful time whenever he hit the girl with questions, together with Sakura. After 10 minutes or so, the girl, losing perseverance, stood up since she had no more choice.

Ibuki : "You guys are so stupid. You're so naïve. You aren't thinking about your own class"

Yamauchi : "Because we can't leave behind a girl who is in trouble"

Yamauchi tried to look cool by raising his thumbs up. I do wonder how Sakura-san's impression of Yamauchi-kun now?

The main thing is that Sakura does not care at all about Yamauchi's painful efforts. It is just like our situation now, when we are deep in the forest and there is no meaning in trying to watch the sky. First and foremost, if he could see that Sakura is not very good at being surrounded by other people, maybe we could avoid this unpleasant situation. I let him come close to us with the best of intentions and for helping us do the task faster.

Ibuki : "But, excuse, me? If you are going to tell me about the place that your camp is. At least make a guide map. How is it?"

Yamauchi : "Huh?! That seems to be kind of inappropriate."

I think that Yamauchi did not understand the words of the girl and turning to my place he sought for validation. As I was thinking without saying a word, the girl talked, without hesitation.

Ibuki : "What an idiot! I can not believe it, truly, I can not believe it."

Yamauchi was taken aback and stood still. If we somehow find out where are the campsites of the other teams, how this could help our class to overcome this exam? If we study and take some measures, then, there is a possibility. Speaking of class D, the existence of the spot that the camp is based is already known. There is a part for a lot of reasons for my anxiety, but I correct my seated position and I start thinking of everything, one by one.

Kiyone : "Err...It is alright, I think that there will be no problem."

Yamauchi : "Is that right? Then there is no problem. I am Yamauchi Haruki. Please, treat me well!"

Ibuki : "Well, you seem like a nice guy but... for real you are an idiot!"

While being astounded by the self introduction, the girl without even looking towards us, gave us a short reply.

Ibuki : "I am... Ibuki. Ibuki Mio"

With a voice pleasant to my ears, as soon as she told us her name she brushed her cheek with her hand that had become quite red. Even during introductions she made sure not to meet our eyes. Maybe she hates looking at other people's eyes. Whatever it is, I am quite interested in this. It might be insignificant, but there is dirt between Ibuki-san's nails and hands. Just a little while ago, we found Ibuki-san seated down, but it seems that she was digging the ground for some reason.

Yamauchi : "He he, nowadays fellow girls do things like fighting by slapping each other...?"

Kiyone : "Just let it go. Our problem is where are the other classes set up their camps."

Even if I am saying that out loud, my aura is emitting the fact that I am actually worried.

Ibuki took the bag and put it on her shoulder, like it was something troublesome, then she flashed a strange look at Yamauchi. Her eyes flickered as she almost saw something coming.

Well, Yamauchi has to show that he is a man, at least in front of Sakura. Moreover, in order to impress me too with his technique, he offered his hand to the new girl. Truth be told, it was courteously.

Ibuki : "... I'm ok, wait, I'm telling you, I'm ok. Stop it."

We might have Ibuki and her bag into custody, but there is no chance that she will entrust it to us to carry it, if we possibly believe that she will trust us, then we are in denial. The bag left her hands and as it bounced it bumped into a tree with a thud. As the atmosphere became awkward and almost dark Yamauchi apologized.

Yamauchi : "Ah, I'm sorry. I did not have any bad intentions. I apologize."

Ibuki : "I understand, it is just that I still do not trust you, guys. You do understand, right?"

That is all, it seems that there is nothing left to say, Ibuki stood still in silence, Yamauchi too, gave up and started walking. If she did not carry the bag, then she should carry some branches... Maybe she thought that we would make her carry branches in large quantities and thus hurt her hands, so she held on to the bag.

We gathered the branches and we returned to the campsite. We did not want to cause trouble as Ibuki was from a different class, so we made her sit in a place hidden from most people. Even though we left her in a place within our eyesight, I hope there will not occur any unpleasant situations. It would be a really bad luck if we were to meet Hirata. For the time being it's me and Yamauchi, as Sakura was keeping herself busy with the preparations for the bonfire. Well, the night was beginning to fall around us and still we had not prepared to make a fire, so we felt a bit improper.

Yamauchi came with the box of matches he received from Hirata, making a heap of light branches, then, crouching down, before it.

Yamauchi : "Let me take charge of this, I will show you an easy way to do this"

He took a match from the box and rubbed it against the rough striking surface to ignite a small amount of flammable fuel. I heard for just an instant, the rubbing sound, but the stick did not seem that it would produce a flame easily.

Yamauchi : "Damn it, it is really difficult."

As Sakura was standing beside him, Yamauchi took an imposing posture, but it does not seem to work as always, especially in front of other people. Well, it seems that is not something that it will go smoothly.

Nevertheless, to repeat something for the millionth time is a challenge, but suddenly the tip of the match lit a spark.

Yamauchi : "Oh! Alright!"

Finally, we were going to light a fire. The panic and confusion that were piling up, dropped down by a simple technique.

And... It only produced smoke and in spite of waiting for a long time to spread its flames and see the fire, well there was no sign of it.

Yamauchi : "Eh?!..."

Not feeling dejected he tried again once more

Yamauchi : "Alright, this time I will try to do it more carefully. Ah!... Damn it! I failed again. Did they give us defective goods or something?"

It is really difficult to spark a fire using only one match stick? For real, we will not be able to have a bonfire any time soon. Also, Yamauchi gradually seemed to lose his temper, so naturally he grazed the tip of the match with vigor and the thin tip of the stick peeled off too quickly. Like this, 1 match, 2 matches and so on, ended up unused and the sticks were piling up.

Kiyone : "If we fail to start a fire with what remaining matches in the box, then we will be in trouble."

On Yamauchi's feet there was one third of the matches that went to waste, so in order to cool him down I spoke to him.

Kiyone : "It's ok, it's ok. It's enough, because we only have just a few".

I grabbed the match box for him. It did feel light, but there were in no less than 20 sticks. However... If we wanted to keep on using them for a week, then there was a possibility that they were not going to last long.

Yamauchi : "I got it! This time, for sure!"

Thankfully, just like as I thought, he put the stick carefully closer to the branches. Surely in order to start a fire, it is necessary to possess a level of skill, but in order to maintain it, it needs persistence. We cannot expect to have a fire based only on our wishes. Again, although the wood branches emitted smoke, still it did not turn into a spreading fire.

Yamauchi : "But why? I did not make any mistakes this time, right?! I'm going to ask our teacher for advice."

Failing to look cool in front of Sakura, Yamauchi, felt more flustered than usual, now goes to search for Chabashira-sensei

He should think more clearly about the obvious matter. I crouched down trying to rearrange the branches with my hands.

Sakura : "Why we cannot light a fire?"

This moment, another figure crouched down beside me looking with wonder the burned traces of our efforts.

Sakura : "I thought that it would be easy, since we used wood, but compared to my imagination, starting a fire in real life is far harder."

I could not comprehend the meaning of Sakura's words, so I just nodded in agreement, pretending that I heard of what she said.

Kiyone : "The bonfires that we see in movies or in dramas are huge with lots of piles of branches, so we take this as reality. We stayed close to this image and we went to gather branches, however, why we couldn't start a fire with our great skills?

We folded the thin branches into one pile.

Kiyone : "It feels like this time we should attach the stick from the side of the thin branches, since there are many branches that are damp, too."

The amateur wondered if it was a reckless act, setting fire to wet branches. Well it seemed like the fire didn't spread widely even though Yamauchi used dozens of matches.

Kiyone : "It's a little troublesome, but we need to go again in the forest to pick up thin and dry branches and highly inflammable leaves..."

Ike : "Huh, what are you guys doing in such a place!"

While we went through a trial and error process, Ike, who we'd thought had gone swimming, came back.

Kiyone : "Now, we're a bit in the middle of a preliminary drill of the bonfire. We're struggling and we've been unlucky until now."

Ike : "Bonfire, you say? You won't ever set a fire going with those thick branches. Aren't thin branches necessary, at the beginning? The branches that you bring mustn't be thick. There are also wet branches here. It's a complete no for those too. What were you doing all along! Why you didn't ask me about this earlier?" *sigh*

Sakura : "B-But actually Ayanokouji-chan is-"

I decided to cut off Sakura's words. She was following me around.

Kiyone : "Is that so? If you don't mind, can you tell me what should I do?"

Ike : "Jeez, I have no choice. I'll do an easy lecture. Just wait a bit, I'll pick them up in a more suitable area"

With that, Ike put down the bag containing his swimsuit, went in the proximity of the forest and came back soon after. It seemed like he picked up branches of several levels, from thin branches to branches of medium thickness. Besides, he also returned bringing with him a bundle of dead leaves.

Ike : "I brought some suitable branches. I think we'll manage somehow."

As he said so, he picked up the box where Yamauchi put the matches and quickly set fire on the dead leaves, then the leaves gradually flared and he moved the twigs around. After that, while we watched the regulation of the fire, he cautiously added the branches according to their thickness. In a blink of an eye, the small fire's appearance changed to one of a familiar bonfire.

Ike : "That should do it."

Kiyone : "I'm genuinely impressed. Thanks a lot Ike-kun. As expected, a person who already experienced camping life sure is different."

Ike : "It's the basis within the basis. The way to start a fire. Anyone can remember it even if they see it only once."

But he's a very important person now since there are almost no students who have the same experience in class D.

Not gonna lie, what he said were right. If there is next time something like this happened again. I'm confident I could do it by myself

Yamauchi : "Oh, crap. Guys, teacher didn't teach me anything — Wow. Why is a bonfire set?"

Yamauchi, who now came back, was surprised to see the splendidly completed bonfire. He was complaining for a little while, grumbling and completely forgetting to show his cool side.

I decided to leave the matter of the bonfire to Ike and Yamauchi, so I left the place.

Sakura : "Hey, Ayanokouji-chan. I noticed what you were about to say something before and is it okay to tell them? You don't have to say anything though, if you don't want to."

Kiyone : "Even if you're right there's no solid evidence of my experience, so it bare no meaning to tell them now. Instead, when my experience can be useful to Ike-kun, I'll confirm it myself later for the sake of the class."

That's some cheesy lines there but I simply spoke my mind.

Sakura was looking at me like she was impressed or moved. Somehow, I was feeling embarrassed.

Kiyone : "Sorry. I'm a bit tired so I'll go somewhere else to get some rest. Thank you Sakura-san."

As I walk away, I kept my distance from the base camp.

Chabashira-sensei, who was prepararing a tent for personal use in the vicinity, fixed her eyes in my direction. But in the end she decided to ignore me by pretending of not noticing me there.

When the wristwatch turned 5 o'clock Kushida-san and her group returned. Hirata-kun too, was mobilized with Kushida-san's group. As this was somehow the return of the leader, the students were starting to gather close around. It seems that they were searching for food supplies and they looked like they were carrying food. Looking from a distance, it seemed to me that they were carrying some kind of small red fruits, something like strawberries, or even small tomatoes and also there were things that had the shape of grapes and kiwis.

Shinohara : "Can we really... eat all these? they do look like some kind of fruits, but still.."

Since there is no self-confidence the students looked at each other waiting for someone to do or at least say something. But who has got the courage to eat a fruit that has never been seen by them before?

Satou : "Nevertheless, my throat is thirsty... and my stomach is empty"

Mori : "Me too, my throat feels a bit dry"

Evening may come and still the students will have the same conversation without actually doing something. I feel like after all, I am all alone in this.

But, as the time for dinner came closer the problem of adequate food and water became distinct.

Ike : "Hey! Isn't this bog bilberry? Did you find a Chinese bell-flower, too? That's cool!"

Catching up the uproar, Ike, who was sitting close to the bonfire, came closer. Grasping one of the fruits, he spoke.

Sudou : "Kanji, do you understand what is this?"

Ike : "Ah, this is the fruit of a bog bilberry. I ate this when I went for camping at Otoyama. In appearance as well in taste it looks like a blueberry. This one is Akebia Quinata or we would known with by chocolate vine. It is tasty and sweet. Well, it certainly brings back memories"

Oddly, he was not trying to look elsewhere. Having found these berries that brought back memories from the past, he was smiling like a kid, but everyone else just stood there, watching at Ike and no one said a word of admiration or encouragement.

Shinohara may have decided to attack Ike with her question, however she got an upfront reply.

Ike : "Huh?... Somehow, I feel that they have a much better taste than I remember"

As the cause of the disturbance is now obscure, the class is mostly gathered around this matter. Being able to get food, even in such small amounts is still a factor that can determine our win.

Shinohara : "At least you could do one thing. Thank you for the bonfire"

Kiyone : "But it wasn't me, it was Ike-kun doing instead"

She seems failed to find a fault at Ike-kun

The fire kept burning steadily, but the smoke was making strange shapes. It was almost like reminding the others who were responsible for this duty.

Sudou : "If we get lost in the forest, just by looking at the smoke, we can locate the place of the camp and come back, right?"

Kushida : "That is the reason we came back so quickly, it is thanks to you, Kanji-kun!"

They can't understand that this way it is inevitable that our camp may be found easily by the other classes, too?

It is not just Kushida-san, the other students too nodded in agreement to Ike's words of admiration. The unexpected attention and the look of honor I thought it would turn him into a Tengu or something, but Ike was not looking at Kushida-san, he was facing Shinohara-san.

Ike : "Hey... Shinohara. I was thinking about it all day, my behavior I mean. On an isolated island, when there is no toilet it must be hard for the students. In order to protect the points that we need I exaggerated. So, I apologize"

Shinohara : "Huh? Why are you apologizing, so suddenly?"

Ike : "It's because of my memories. I remembered the first time I went camping. That time it was hard, thinking what to do about a toilet among other things, of course with bugs crawling around and getting dirty. That is why I hated going to the toilet. So, when I came back, I complained to my parents. I reminded myself, how difficult it was, not to mention that this is way more difficult for the girls..."

Ike explained his situation while keeping his cool composure. Being able to do this, he was truly an outstanding guy. He was able to stand out as an excellent individual, and excel himself to a great deal compared to the other. Of course the fact that he had to share this story it took a lot of courage. However, this courage for apologizing seems to be infectious. Before long Shinohara began explaining her situation.

Shinohara : "Me too... I apologize for earlier. For denying to drink the water from the river, saying that it is not good enough. I overstep the boundaries think I got too emotional. I believe we all have to try and do things so we can preserve our points and win."

Even though both of them could not see each other straight in the eyes, it seemed like they reconciled.

Whatever happens unexpectedly, well it happens. It seems that class D may actually manage to save points. This premonition, this omen might have been felt by the other students, too. That's why Hirata would not leave this chance pass him by. He raised his hands getting everyone's attention.

Hirata : "Everyone, no matter what, we all have one goal. It is our first time that we face such a special exam, but we understand why we might have these perplexed feelings, also, each person has a different system of values so it is natural to create misunderstandings. However, without panic, without disturbances, until the end, I want to put trust in each other and move forward."

He said this with a clear tone in his voice. He composed himself to catch up and he continued talking with comprehension.

Hirata : "After all, even if we are left with only one point, it is still good, alright? That's because everyone has their own sense of reality. But, in order to make an estimation we have to derive the appropriate numbers. This will only happen at the end of the exam. We might be left with 120 points or less. This is the feeling for which class D should be fighting for"

Yukimura : "So, are you planning to use 180 points? That is a naïve perception of our situation "

If we end up using more than a half... Having made already the calculation, Yukimura-kun shoot a sharp look, not wanting to let this go.

Hirata-kun could sense what was happening around him, so he left the manual on the ground and he began to explain how he reached that conclusion.

Hirata : "Firstly, I want you to listen to me until I conclude what I have to say. We have to cover the points for our meals, it is our number 1 expenses and I thought that our sources are scarce. Our need for nutritious food and mineral water should become a set."

Food and drinking water for class credit we have for 1 meal, 6 points each. If we do it as a set we have 1 meal for 10 points. If we have 2 meals per day, that's 20 points. If we start from today until the day we finish the exam, the total amount is 12 meals. 120 points in total. If we omit the final day and try to tolerate our hunger, then we might finish with 110 points. Our temporary toilet cost us 20 points, the use of the 2 tents of the boys, adds another 20 points. All that in total is 150 points. We are left with 30 points and we have, almost a week to live here, that totals 180 points. Hirata's plan had a basis of truth and left everyone else at a loss for words.

Hirata : "When I hear that there are only 120 points left, I get the feeling that we are going to spend them, quickly, too. However, it is only transient and I want to remind you that you are too conscious of the 300 points. For this reason we have to see the result of the midterm test or the end of the term test, in order to find out more easily. For the written exams before our summer vacation, we received a change to our points, but even if it wasn't for class A superiority, we could not reach these 100 points. When I see the situation, I understand that 120 points is a small amount, available. However, adding one thing to another, when we reach the end of the examination, the ability of holding exclusive possessions, may give us bonus points. So, in reality after all, there are plenty of points left"

But, this we could probably gaining more point based on additional rules which appeared on manual book

Hirata : "Well, that was me thinking about the lower limit of our points, if, we can find the food and water for just one day we can save 20 points, then we may make it through. If we are not troubled with potable water for one week, then we can win more than 50 points and that might help us change the game"

With the sound of the streaming river close by, Hirata-kun keeps talking and then the importance of the river hit us like a blow.

Hirata : "So.. this is how it goes, if we can try and show self-control just a little, we might be able to change our standing..."

Even while talking about similar matter, his tone and protocol gave a different impression. Hirata's progression of words was almost perfect. After letting them know the lower limits, he finally told about the possibility of saving nearly 200 points. By doing so, he reasonably succeeded in setting high goals on his classmates. If we do our best, not only we can save a lot of points, but we'll be at ease thinking that the points will increase steadily with some effort.

Ike : "That's okay, isn't it Hirata? We can earn at least 120 points. If we do it, we can earn points by only adding our performance, right? Let's try it!"

Ike, who was thought to be the most confronting, agreed in a burst and raised his voice. Sudou and Yamauchi also agreed as if there's no other option. Yukimura still seemed a little reluctant, but gave up after seeing his fellow Ike siding with Hirata.

Kiyone : "Ah! That's right, Hirata-kun. I have something to check—"

Since Yamauchi forgot to report about Ibuki, I had no other choice but to call it out myself. However, class continued the discussion with a lot of energy without a chance of cutting in.

Kiyone : "It's fate of popular person I guess... Should I do it later?"

I approached Ibuki, who was watching the situation from a distance

Kiyone : "Sorry, could you wait a bit more, I'm trying to consult about your situation."

Ibuki : "Don't force yourself particularly. I don't want to get in the way."

As if she has feelings of self-hatred, Ibuki grasped the grass tightly and pulled it out strongly.

Ibuki : "...After all, I'll soon be kicked out from here, right?"

Kiyone : "I don't know. Hirata-kun is exceptionally kind of softhearted."

I couldn't imagine him kicking her out when he finds out about Ibuki-san's circumstances.

Kiyone : "Alright. I didn't introduce myself before. I'm Ayanokouji. Ayanokoji Kiyone"

She frowned at me

Ibuki : "Should I do it one more time as well?"

Kiyone : "No, that's fine. You're Ibuki-san from class C. I remember well."

Ibuki : "Well you do. Also err...sorry for bumped to you at that time, Ayanokoji..."

Well... I don't think it was a mere collision. I mean, the boy named Albert-kun literally throwing her at me. So...How do I called it?

We faced each other after I'd finished introducing again, but Ibuki-san didn't make an eye contact after all.

Ike : "For reference, those thinking that it's okay to drink river water please raise your hands."

Overlooking at Ibuki and class D, Ike tried to change the topic of discussion. This time, it wasn't in an enforcement but to ask for opinions. Of course, he took the initiative and raised his hand. Closely half of the boys raised their hands in agreement. Shinohara seemed to be a little puzzled, but Ike gently told her to loosen it up.

Mii-chan : "I-I want to agree... But I'm a bit scared."

Ike : "I think what Sudou said earlier about boiling isn't bad. If you're scared of drinking it directly, why don't you try drinking it boiled first?"

A few students agreed with this. With a different timing, once refused matter was accepted smoothly. Shinohara-san also raised her hand, albeit angrily.

Shinohara : "I don't know if we can drink it, but... Let's try."

Kushida : "I also agree. If the first person can drink it, then it's okay for sure."

With other students easily agreeing, Kushida raised her hand following Shinohara. Was the influence of collective psychology on work? Everybody raising their hands except for Horikita and me was an unexpected development. Since the focus came to us, we who didn't bother raising hands before lightly raised ours as well. However, it was difficult for everyone to suddenly drink the water. Therefore, we decided to purchase the water not only to secure it, but with the proposal of effectively using pet bottles.

Hirata : "I have a request for you, Ike-kun. I want you to help me with your abilities from now. It looks like you're the only one in the class with proper camping experience... Could you help me?"

Ike : "Well, well, if you're saying it by all means I might cooperate."

Hirata : "Thank you!"

As if Ike's curt response was a pleasant one, Hirata jumped with joy. Neither Shinohara, who seemed to complain the most, didn't cut in. He started seeking for opinions on food immediately.

Ike : "It's getting dark soon so we can only order for the time being. But please, let me think for a while from tomorrow. It seems there's various food close to us so I will check that out tomorrow."

Sudou : "What do you mean close to us? Is it a different place from where Kushida and others found fruits?"

Ike : "Uh-huh, there's this river. It's a good place to catch and eat fish. It seemed there's quite of freshwater fish by checking it only at a glimpse. I think we'll be able to suppress point expenditure to some point. It would be absolutely delicious to catch a fish and eat it grilled on bonfire."

Hondou : "Even if it tastes good, how are you planning to catch a fish?"

Ike : "Well, I'll dive like this? I haven't done it before."

Ike made a swimming gesture, but it's probably not easy to catch a fish by doing skin dive.

Hirata : "Even if it seems unreasonable to catch it with bare hands, capturing a fish is perfectly realistic."

Said Hirata, pointing at an entry mentioned in the manual. There was a character of fishing rod, and it looked like several kinds are being lent separately as well.

Hirata : "1 point for fishing rods using baits, 2 points for those with lures."

That is to say, it didn't seem surprisingly hard to recover a cost.

Depending on the situation, it could become the most spectacular victory to secure an amount of food for 1 to 2 days with only one point. Even in a situation where we wouldn't be able to catch any, it's hardly a serious blow due to minimal expenditure.

Without hearing any objections, Ike said happily

Ike : "It's a deal, then. Let's get a fishing rod and lure them in. Of course, with the cheaper one."

With this, we decided our goals to be supplying food from forest and ensuring fishes starting from tomorrow. If we succeed in catching fishes or obtaining vegetables, we would decide via discussion on purchasing a set of cooking utensils with additional 5 points.

Then we decided on paying 20 points for installing one shower room via discussion as well. Strong objections were expected, but with a high possibility of ruining our health with cold water, granted that the boys will only use it in the middle of the night and all the girls give a positive response of wanting to drink river water, we convinced the opposition faction into approval.

Satou : "By the way... That girl, Ibuki from class C, right? I saw her before."

Satou-san was suspiciously watching Ibuki-san who was quietly sitting at a distance. She seemed to notice her before so there was no need for me to break the ice.

Yamauchi : "Err, actually it looks like there were troubles in class...so..."

Yamauchi explained a little hurriedly why she might have been isolated from classmates.

Hirata : "I see, that's a proper judgement. We can't leave her."

Karuizawa : "But Hirata-kun... She could be a spy? There are rules applying to leaders..."

Yamauchi : "Ah, is that so? ... There is that kind of possibility..."

Yamauchi was confused with him having noticed it now. He wanted him to notice that in the first place, if possible. He look at my direction as if he demanded why I didn't told him earlier and I reply him by averting my gaze from him

Hirata : "I'll check that from now. Is that okay, Yamauchi-kun and Ayanokouji-san?"

Hirata called out Ibuki and two other acquaintances and headed towards the place where Ibuki was. Did Hirata exclude Sakura due to his ikemen-like thoughtfulness? Sakura also seemed to be relieved for not being noticed.

Hirata : "Is it a good time, Ibuki-san? I want to ask you some details."

Ibuki : "I'm probably a nuisance. You've taken good care of me."

As if she made a decision on her own, she got up quickly trying to leave.

Hirata : "Wait a minute. I wanted to ask in case something happens... I want to help."

He called her to halt, emphasizing the end of the sentence. Did Hirata also sensed it wasn't a trivial thing looking at her swollen face?

Ibuki : "Things won't change if I wait. I don't want to waste any more time here."

Hirata : "This is a trial, of course there will be students that doubt you. However, I don't want to oust you if you're hurt and aren't able to go back to your class. Therefore, I was thinking of bringing Yamauchi-kun here as well. I want you to tell me your conditions properly."

Ibuki : "This isn't something that will work out by talking. Besides, I've heard your discussions before. It will become a problem if your strategies so far will be leaked."

Turning away, Ibuki started walking. Hirata cut in a bit forcibly.

Kiyone : "If you're really a spy, you wouldn't be talking about being kicked out. Right?"

Ibuki : "It's enough already. I'm only looking for a place where I can sleep."

As expected, she won't return to class C. With the sun sinking, the night will come soon.

Yamauchi : "It's crazy for a girl to sleep outdoor alone in this forest."

Ibuki : "Even if it's crazy, it's the only thing to do. You don't gain anything even if you help me."

Hirata : "This isn't about gaining or losing. We can't just leave a person in trouble. We all think so."

Her refreshing face had suddenly sunk. She showed it to us without regrets. When said in this manner, that's no way to go against a person who has been taken captive. Ibuki followed Hirata's resolution, she spoke with a few words and hesitantly like she finally knew what had happened.

Ibuki : "I...I had a dispute with a boy of the class. That's why I was slapped and kicked out by that ass. That's it"

Yamauchi : "That's horrible. Raising a hand on a woman"

Ibuki : "I don't plan to give a detailed account for it. I don't even think you will give refuge to me, a runaway. See ya"

Hirata : "Wait. I understand that you're really in trouble, and now I understood the situation. Give us a little time. Then you will talk to the other students about your circumstances and how you've been left behind. Ayanokouji-san, can you stay and watch Ibuki-san? From now on, we will go telling everyone of your situation"

That being said, they returned to their groups and left me there. Did he left me here because he trusted me or because I took Yamauchi's place as the reliable person? Just wondering.

Ibuki : "That fellow, he's really too soft-hearted, isn't he?"

Kiyone : "To a greater and less extent, most people are like this. There aren't people who are like that too, in your class?"

Ibuki : "Not at all. Those kind of people are almost non-existent in C class."

That being said, Ibuki sat once more on the ground, hugging her knees to her chest, without looking up. And as a result of the discussion and also thanks to Hirata's persuasion and social influence, it's been decided that Ibuki will be looked after in class D. Some students strongly expressed opposition to it but on the occasion of the roll call, class C will give up points.

It seemed that ultimately they accepted it and thought of it as an opportunity. Hirata didn't seem to have the same mind but the other students thought otherwise. Precisely because there could be a gain, a profit from it, it's better to recognize the opportunity and take it.

However, the occupancy rights issue of this place is very delicate. Everything has been precisely explained to Ibuki and they made her promise not to inadvertently approach the device. It's a natural they will do so because, if someone let slip that the leader is Horikita, she will suffer great damage.

Then we decided to order and purchase from Chabashira-sensei two sets of food, water and men's tent needed for tonight. With the cooperation of Hirata and Ike, the tent was assembled smoothly. Just before the sun sets down, everything was prepared and the students started to eat as much as they liked.

Kushida : "Oh, Ibuki-san, here eat this"

Kushida walked up to Ibuki who had been at a distance where she was left alone. Then she offered her one nutritious meal and a bottle of water.

Ibuki : "What is this? Why me?"

Kushida : "Aren't you hungry?"

Ibuki : "But certainly isn't food provided and divided per class, is it? There shouldn't be any spare left"

Kushida : "Yes, but it's okay. We decided to share everything with the group"

From a little far away, four people of Kushida-san's group waved their hands in Ibuki-san's direction with smiling faces. In other words, 4 people shared 3 portions of food and water, and the extra portion went to Ibuki-san.

Ibuki : "I'm not an idiot. Everyone, you're too soft-hearted"

Kushida : "Don't hesitate to eat. Also, let's talk later. I'll be waiting in the tent"

Kushida told her so and went back to her group. It seems easy to help a kid from another class until we have to reduce our own portions of food. It then becomes difficult. But Kushida-san, who wishes for everyone's happiness, would absolutely do an act of charity.

Third Person POV

Yamauchi : "Well, seen in this light, it's all remarkable. Even the girls are"

Yamauchi, who was eating, pointed at each group.

Yamauchi : "The empress team led by Karuizawa. Kushida's team with her own close friends. Shinohara's arrogant team. And then, Horikita and Sakura who are by themselves."

All the boys were eating huddled relatively together but the girls were taking distance from each team. Obviously there seemed to be a wall or a gap there, just like they were groups of other classes. If there were any exceptions, then Kushida-san team would be considered neutral or more precisely it was far from having a lot of influence as a whole?

Yamauchi : "Sakura is so pitiful. I should just eat with her, right?"

Sudou : "Just stop that. You will probably scare her, beside look there. Ayanokoji already accompanied her"

Yamauchi : "Damn, I want to get closer but the fact that she's too shy is a problem"

Other than Sakura's flaw, she probably feels that it's hard to come in touch with a pushy type like Yamauchi. Despite the warnings, Yamauchi seemed worried and he was too impatient to go to her.

Ike : "What is it, Haruki!! You're sly, watching a beautiful woman all by yourself. Let me join you!"

Ike, who was looking at Yamauchi glancing around with a repeated strange movement, misunderstood and approached him.

Ike : "Honestly, anytime I see them, Sakura's breasts are not that bad. They're not the size of a 1st year student. Her shirt is bulging out. They're too erotic. That's even more attractive than Kikyou-chan and Ayanokoji-chan"

Ike was looking at Sakura's breasts devouringly and with sheer concentration. Yamauchi then blocked Ike's field of vision.

Sudou : "Isn't that because her tracksuit somehow unfit with her body proportion. I mean look, that Ayanokoji and that blue haired girl over there has a big breast as well but they didn't bulge like Sakura right?

Ike : "Hey, what the fuck. Don't ruin my imagination like that Ken"

Yamauchi : "Hey! Don't look at Sakura as you please and with those pervert eyes. You have your eyes set on Kushida, right?"

Ike : "Yeah yeah, you're absolutely right. But it's okay. An idol is for everyone right? Haruki, you, ohhh, maybe you...towards Sakura..."

Yamauchi : "Well, it's not like that. Look, let's eat quickly!"

Apparently as for Yamauchi, it seems that he wants to keep secret the fact that he switched his aim to Sakura. In this camp, there's no time left anyway in the night to do something. It's the flow of the nature that rouses this sort of love talks.

There was Hirata nearby handing out food.

Hirata : "Huh? By the way, where's Koenji-kun?

He probably thought that everyone was gathering here, but one of their classmate, Koenji is missing.

Suddenly Chabashira-sensei appeared since she do the duty for roll call her students

Chabashira : "Oh, you didn't know. As for Kouenji, he complained about being in a poor physical condition and returned to the ship. Of course, since he became sick, 30 points have already been deducted to you all. It can't be helped. This is the rule. Koenji is now retired and he has the obligation of being on the ship for 1 week, receiving medical treatment and waiting for further orders. That's it."

Most of class D : "Eeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhh????"

Screams of shock rose all at once.

Sudou : "Don't kid around. Koenji, that sucker!! What is he thinking?"

The usually silent Yukimura yelled and began kicking the ground. He supposed was a free man in all respects, but surely he selfishly retired. He didn't feel the need to rise to class A. To ease up, even if the class lost 30 points, he don't seem to care at all.

Yukimura : "Damn!! We've lost 30 points. Fuck it!"

Both boys and girl seemed raging mad at Koenji's actions but if the person himself is not here they can't hit him.

Everyone could imagine Koenji's booming laughter continued to reverberate in everyone's head.

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 3 : Day 2; Rival Begin to Stir

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

After the end of the morning roll call, we were free to move as we pleased. Of course Hirata gave instructions to reliable classmates, also starting a strategy on how to save points. On the other hand students who didn't really feel like helping out or people like me and Horikita who preferred to be independent began their own activities.

Ike : "Who the fuck are you, guys?!"

Suddenly, Ike's angry voice resonated through the camp's ground. I looked in the direction of the voice in order to peep through the situation. And then two male students stood grinning like Cheshire cats.

Ibuki, who showed a bitter expression only for a moment, stepped into the shade of the tent like she was trying to hide herself.

Ibuki : "Komiya and Kondou?"

Like Ibuki who coughed abruptly, I also found those two people familiar. They were two students of class C.

Kondo : "Well well, it seems that class D is living a rather frugal life. As expected, this is a class of defectives"

While filling their mouths with potato chips snack, they bought PET bottles to fight the heat. And it was not just water there, it looked like soda.

Kiyone : "It seems that you have a very comfortable life instead. You class C fellows"

Ibuki : "Did you perhaps know Ryuuen before?"

Kiyone : "They said he already become famous delinquent before even become one of student in this school. I heard various rumors about him. Quite a reckless fellow, it seems"

Ibuki : "Not quite so. Everything that guy does ends up being messy"

Ibuki becoming irritated, as if she was talking about her own enemy.

Ibuki : "Those two are that Ryuuen's gang mates. You can say they're his underlings"

Kiyone : "Aren't you one of his goons as well? I saw you there back then."

Ibuki : "Don't lump me together with them!"

If I think about it, those two fought a lot with Sudou in the past as well and rather than accidently appearing in this place, it's more probably that Ryuuen is moving more in the shadows and sent them here.

Komiya : "What did you have for breakfast? Grass? Or insects? Here, you can eat snacks too"

With that, he took out one potato chip and threw it near Ike's foot who, meanwhile, crawled to it. The whole D class couldn't help but be irritated, while watching that instigating behavior. Exactly because they still continued to cut the supplies of food.

Kondo : "We have a message from Ryuuen-san. If you want to fully enjoy summer vacation, you should come to the beach right now. Don't be reserved. You better come. If you're sick of living like fools, let's spend a dream time together"

I thought they would go back immediately after but they stayed here. They continued to eat snacks before everyone as a form of harassment.

It seemed that Ike was snarling at them repeatedly but there was nothing to worry about. On the contrary sometimes a repeated provocative behavior seemed to fuel even more antipathy. Such provocation from class C continued for 10 minutes, but as Hirata decided it was the moment to leave and gather again, we went back to the direction of the place we considered our own campsite.

Ibuki : "It doesn't seem like they came to search for me"

Kiyone : "They simply had harassing class D on purpose"

It was a bizarre behavior but we were able to obtain the information that their class, by using points, had their hands on luxury goods such as sweets and juice.

In this special trial where we should save up, even if it's only one point, what the hell is that suppose to mean? Is he perhaps use 'that' strategy?

Kiyone : "A while ago, those two told us to share with them a dream time, do you happen to know what were they talking about?"

Ibuki : "...maybe, I wonder if it's not moving towards the worst case scenario"

Ibuki didn't say anything more than that, and just like yesterday, she headed to the side of a tree that was a little far away.

The worst case scenario...

Just in case, it seems better to put it in Horikita-san's ears.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, are you here?"

After breakfast, Horikita returned immediately in the tent and didn't show up anymore. I called her on the tent. Although there was no reply for a while, a sound of the tent swaying slightly and of cloth rubbing was heard. When that sound stopped, Horikita came out slowly from inside.

Horikita : "Did you hear the voices a while ago?"

Kiyone : "Yeah, I heard it was a cheap provocation on C class's part"

Horikita : "I'm a little worried and I'm thinking of going to supervise the situation, do you want to go together?"

Kiyone : "It's something rare...seeing you act by yourself, taking the initiative. Are you ok? Is your physical condition good?"

These are actually words I want to return back to her.

Horikita : "I don't want to move too much. Now that I'm the leader, there is also the possibility of an accident, if I stand out too much and too poorly"

Kiyone : "I see. It's a risk you have to take since you've been designated as a suitable leader"

Even if you're not sure on who is the leader, if you report a student as a leader, there's always a possibility of being right. The more you stand out, the more you will be on the list of suspicious people to keep an eye on.

Kiyone : "I understand your feelings but, even if you remain secluded, it won't change the situation. You've been keen to look for Ryuuen-kun and you've been observing Ichinose-san. There's also the fact that you're the sister of the students' council president and your colleagues are also aware of it. In other words, no matter what you do, you will become one of the targets"

Either way, whether you guess right or you miss the target you still get 50 points just this once, and since there's no definite evidence, gambling on this is hard. The moment we designated a leader, certain conditions became necessary.

Horikita : "You're right. No matter what I think about it, I guess you can't tell which one is the right leader. Well, ok, I'm also concerned about other classes' situations. Let's go"

Contrary to our bad feeling, along with Horikita who proceeded with heavy movements, we set out for the beach where C class was waiting.

Just before passing through the forest, from the bushes we saw a lot of C class students on the beach. The situation we were looking at had been far beyond our imagination.

Horikita : "It can't be... This kind of stuff... Is it possible?"

As if she couldn't believe the sight, Horikita was repeating 'impossible' many times over.

I thought the same. It was a pattern we didn't expect at all. There weren't only provisional toilets and a shower room installed. Turf with sunlight protection, barbecue set, chairs, parasols, snacks, drinks, and even jet sky. There were all kinds of equipment necessary for entertainment.

Smoke from a burning meat and laughter. On the coast, the students were loudly enjoying the sea while the water bikes were running through. Even with only roughly calculating the visible range, more than 150 points were spit out.

Horikita : "What the hell is C class doing? Does this mean they don't have to save points?"

We could only think that way looking at this. It exceeded the level of splurging.

Kiyone : "Let's check that out. What is class C thinking doing this?"

The two of us walked in on the beach from the bushes, stepping firmly on the sand. One of the male students noticed us and called out to the boy nearby. We couldn't see his face from here well because he leaned his body on a chair. One of the boys immediately rushed to us.

??? : "Err, Ryuuen-san called..."

Said the male student somewhat frightened, or perhaps I should say without drives.

Horikita : "Just like a king. Using classmates like this. Looks like we're welcomed by the king. What are we going to do?"

Kiyone : "That's on you to decide, Horikita-san."

Horikita : "Alright. I wanna know what's going on. Let's go."

We accepted and accompanied the male student. A savory smell of burned meat got into our noses as we approached the sea.

Horikita : "...This is outrageous."

My eyes glued on a some students and a magic box around them

What was that? An ice cream? In this summer heat

I realized again how we're not enjoying vacation even a little.

Horikita Suzune POV

We drew near the guy who seemed to had commanded this Dionysia.

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ Well well, isn't this sassy Suzune? What do you want from me?"

Horikita : "You're doing very good. This really looks like an extravagant spree."

Ryuuen, who was tanning in the chair in his swimsuit, showed his white teeth.

Ryuuen : "As you can see. We're enjoying summer vacation."

He said this spreading his hands, showing off the entertainment that fully unfolded on the beach.

Horikita : "This is the trial. Do you understand what that means? Although I'm shocked that you don't understand the rules themselves..."

He was rather disappointed than delighted, being alerted about his incompetence.

Ryuuen : "Oh? I'm amazed. Does that mean you're showing humanity even to an enemy like me?"

Horikita : "If the ones at the top are incompetent, then those under will deal with hardships. That's only pitiful."

Ryuuen only laughed, taking a plastic bottle of water that was next to the radio.

Horikita : "How much did you use to enjoy this much of pleasure?"

Ryuuen : "Hah. I wonder. I didn't neatly calculated."

Without hiding, Ryuuen answered.

Ryuuen : "Jeez. It's already getting warmer. Hey, Ishizaki. Bring ice-cold water."

He said, throwing away about half of the remaining water in sand provokingly.

The boy named Ishizaki, who was playing volleyball in vicinity, rushed to get the water into the tent. A large number of what appeared to be card-boxes with food and water were carelessly piled up in the tent. He looked into a cooler box next to the boxes.

Ryuuen : "As you can see we're only enjoying summer vacation. Basically, it's impossible for us to become your enemies during the trial. Do you understand?"

His entire behavior giveng me a headache, I pressed my forehead because I can't come to understand, creating wrinkles between the eyebrows.

Horikita : "It's not about being enemies, but the matter I said before. I was foolish for being alerted and coming here."

Ryuuen : "Who's foolish? Is it really me? Or is it you?"

Far from accepting insults, Ryuuen clapped back at me likewise.

Ryuuen : "Survival on this awfully hot inhabited island? Isn't that a joke? In order to pick up 100 or 200 small class points you, the lowest class D, have to put up with hunger, heat and emptiness. You're making me laugh by just imagining it."

Running over the sandy beach, Ishizaki came back with new water dripping with sweat, handing over to Ryuuen what looked like a cold pet bottle. However, the moment Ryuuen took the bottle he threw it at Ishizaki's body.

Ryuuen : "I said bring ice-cold water. This one is still warm!"

Ishizaki : "B-But..."

Ryuuen : "Huh?"

Ryuuen's sharp pupils resembled those of a snake. Making his body stiffened, Ishizaki picked up the pet bottle and ran toward the tent again.

Horikita : "... This trial is about endurance, calculation and cooperation. That seems impossible for you from the beginning. You can't even set up a proper plan."

He couldn't even last a week using points this lavishly. Living hell would arrive sometime soon. And at that time things like turfs, parasols and chairs would only become obstacles. This guy completely didn't understand about it at all

Ryuuen : "Cooperation? Don't make me laugh. People easily betray. Lie. Relationships involving trust aren't practical. You can only trust yourself. If your business here is finished you can leave. Well, if you truly desire you're welcomed. You can enjoy yourself as you like, whether it's eating meat or having fun on the water bike. Or would you like a different type of entertainment with me? I'll prepare a tent for personal use."

Horikita : "Not an answer I would expect from someone who has declared war before."

Ryuuen : "I hate hard work. Patience? Saving? You must be kidding."

Ishizaki came back again and stretched out the water. After receiving the water, Ryuuen opened the cap and drank it up.

Ryuuen : "This is my way of doing things. No more, no less."

Horikita : "Right. Well, do as you please. It works fine with us."

The fact that now class C is no longer a problem, they are already out of the competition.

Ryuuen : "You are so stiff person huh, Suzune? How about you enjoyed your moment a bit like your companion over there?"

Horikita : "My companion?"

I followed his gaze and I just realized that she wasn't stick with me anymore.

Ayanokoji-san was with some of students who offered her ice creams. This girl! What the hell is she thinking or might be she probably didn't think at all

Kiyone : "What? So, this is not ice cream?"

??? : "N-No, I wouldn't say this isn't ice cream. It just that mostly peoples called this popsicle"

??? : "I don't think that what this girl said wrong either. What's the difference?"

Whatever their discussion result. It had nothing to do with me or this exam

Ryuuen : "Well Suzune, take an example from Kiyone. Only fool who let the temptation slip up within their reach."

He began to talk again with his annoying smirk.

Horikita : "Are you gonna make us indebted for some ice cream?"

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ I'm not such petty person. Unlike you guys who take everything for a price. I'm quite lenient myself."

Horikita : "Tch!"

I'm gonna get out here fast after I drag that hopeless girl out from here. But when I'm about to walk to pick her I just realizing something odd between his paradise

Horikita : "There is just one more matter. You know a girl named Ibuki, right?"

Ryuuen : "Ah, yes! She is a member of our class. What about her, though?"

Horikita : "Her face is swollen. What is the meaning of this? Who did this to her?"

Is this perhaps his doing as well?

Ryuuen : "Heh? I thought she ran away. What is it? After all, she asked help from the members of another class instead of her own, right? What a pitiful woman!"

Ryuuen laughed scornfully and once more he lied down.

Ryuuen : "Within this world, there are a lot of hopeless idiots, a ruler of command does not need underlings that go against his will. It was decided that I get to use the points of my class as I like. That is a matter of decision. Besides, it would be pointless if somebody was about to rise in revolt"

Horikita : "In other words, the way Ibuki ended up meeting us, is related to the way you used the points"

Ryuuen : "Well, if you want to think of it in a simple manner, I guess it is. That is why I gave her a light punishment"

Saying that he made a movement like giving a punch to an invisible cheek. Just as I thought it was him who punched her face.

Ryuuen : "There was another guy who defied me. I kicked him out too, of course. I learned from some piece of information that he is not dead, but he is somewhere living by lying on the grass trying to catch bugs to eat. Kukuku~"

I did not feel that this was a remark towards a classmate. However, here I must agree on one thing. I found out about Ibuki's absence during the roll call, so her absence has no effect whatsoever on class C. That is why her classmates did not bother to look for her at all or maybe...

Nobody dare to go against this guy

That's right. Since the beginning of this examination, we were granted with 300 points, if now they are minus these points, then they are as good as lost already. Where and how? And more importantly. Who had the idea to use all the points? The effect of this decision is nonexistent at the moment.

Ryuuen : "That's how it is. It is me who used all our points. Ibuki is not the kind of person that she would be charmed by points. So, do not mind about her. Besides that is what we call freedom, right? Kukuku~"

Horikita : "You are batshit insane!"

Ryuuen : "If Ibuki was really at your place, then it would be better that you have kicked her out already. Your awkward sympathy will not help her. Plus, it will save you provisions that you waste for one extra member, for water and food and bed and other arrangements. Anyhow, you do not have to put up with this any longer, she can come back now. If she kneels and begs for forgiveness, I will allow her comeback, with a generous heart. Kukuku~"

He seems to have the conviction that even if they defy him and running away, in the end, they will return to him. Actually, he knows it would be difficult for Ibuki to live all alone for a week in a deserted island.

Horikita : "What are you planning to do? After all, even the simple task of finding food here, is a hardship"

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ Well what should I do? After all ordinary people have to express their uncomplicated ideas. You have become desperate into protecting the points bestowed to us, who to choose for a leader, to find and protect a spot for the team, searching in the woods for provisions drenched in sweat, completely foolish"

Even if I want to see the truth it is unreachable. His state of things is not just confusing, Ryuuen's way of thinking is just laughable.

Horikita : "That's enough. I am going to feel sick."

Ryuuen : "We'll talk again, Suzune. Well, confident women are not unpleasant to me. Anyway, I will let you submit in front of me. That time will be the ultimate moment and I will savor it."

Saying that, with his own hands nearly touched his groin above his swimsuit and made a disgusting gesture. Is he try to provoke me?

Eventually I turned my back pretending not to see this scene and begun to approach Ayanokoji.

I walk toward her and grab her collar from behind which make her shocked

Kiyone : "W-Wait! Horikita-san! Hold on! D-Don't drag me like this, please! Horikita-san! Horikita-san!"

I haste my pace and grab her to retreat from this unpleasant place ignoring her plea

We already leave thus unpleasant place.

Seriously? This girl seem still enjoying her popsicle and savor it until the last moment...

Sigh...

I just don't understand this at all

Suddenly she opened a conversation

Kiyone : "This is unexpected move for class C isn't it?"

Horikita : "It seems that this is the case. For real they have used all their points, already. Also I do not care to think about the trouble that might happen toward them later"

But she look like isn't on the same wavelength like me

Kiyone : "I am sorry but, but class C will not be in trouble in this exam"

Horikita : "It won't be in trouble? How come? There is no way you can endure this exam without having any points."

Kiyone : "That is alright. Besides, this is exactly Ryuuen-kun's goal. The points that was given was our fund, for a one week vacation to enjoy ourselves no matter how impossible it seems. However, no matter how simple and prudent we are with food, or with other necessities there will be no favorable conclusion. Our school makes these kind of rules, in this manner"

Horikita : "So what? We already trying to save resources in order to overcome the week"

Kiyone : "Mmm, Ryuuen-kun's plan is quite different. For one week he cannot see the situation past the end of his nose"

Horikita : "He cannot see... what... for over a week"

I still couldn't catch what does she said. Especially on her casual manner while licking ice cream

Kiyone : "Let me say this differently. What if the exam ended today, what would you do? Do you think that this whole thing will turn into a real vacation?"

Horikita : "That's right... I understand. But after all what is crucial? If you have 0 points in your hands."

Kiyone : "That is a simple-minded conclusion. Well, that is something like Koenji-kun would do anyway"

Horikita : "Huh?!"

Kiyone : "He is in bad physical condition and mentally unstable. He should use these things as a reason and retire already. Then everyone can return to the ship and back to their normal everyday life. This is what it means that you can fully enjoy the summer vacation without any hardships"

I cannot deny that the school's behavior is almost sick on this examination. 300 points are only enough to use freely for a 2 day 1 night vacation. But change will come even if we feign ignorance in repeat.

Horikita : "Well, then that means he has abandoned the exams from the very start, for real?"

Well, this might not be just a theory. Maybe Ryuuen wanted to avoid the troubles that would occur, or maybe he wanted to conserve physical strength by avoiding mental strength for survival. Or it was just for boosting the morale?

Kiyone : "This exam is literally free. Ryuuen-kun's way of thinking is not completely wrong and one of his plans might actually hold the correct answer. In class C Ibuki-san and another student seem to be absent due to a violent rebellion and it results in saving 20 points each day. However, if you are going to lose points no matter how much you are trying to save them, then you might need a drastic strategy."

Horikita : "We should be thinking about a method to take the points back without giving up. His method is absolutely wrong. I do not understand it."

That's right. I can't understand what Ryuuen is thinking. However, as we talked I believe that at least there might be a measures he took.

We passing through the sandy beach

Kiyone : "0 point tactic...mmm? Interesting" *slurp*

She suddenly blurted out something that I can't understand at all.

'0 point tactic'? What do you mean by it?

I keep stared at her who keep walking beside me indifferently while sucking an ice cream on her mouth. Either Ayanokoji or Ryuuen, both of them are kinda hard to understand...

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Having decided to check situations of class A and class B in order to effectively use our spare time, we proceeded going into the forest from the root of a broken big tree as Kanzaki-kun told us. When I think about it now, the tree wasn't broken naturally but was created by the school as a sign. I can't help having a feeling it was a hint that there was a spot ahead.

The moment we walked into the deep forest, we noticed some change. It was easy to walk through since there were traces of a lot of students beating the path. By simply following the trail we reached class B campsite. That could also be a reason why Kanzaki-kun didn't give a detailed explanation. Mosquitoes watching for a chance to jump on our arms and legs sucking our blood were quite a pain in the ass.

Soon after, we reached B class campsite.

Kiyone : "I wonder if it's gonna look like as one would expect of class B..."

There was a completely different view of life from that of class D when we arrived at the campsite. Well's surroundings that was used as a spot was fickle and there was no space to spread 3 or 4 tents for 8 people. They secured a space to stay by supplementing tents for hammocks. Even though we started in the same way, the items they used were completely different. One unfamiliar device that was placed near the well caught my eye, but the unique atmosphere around this class was what surprised me the most.

Ichinose : "Huh? Horikita-san? And Ayanokouji-san?"

As if sensing a presence of sudden visitors, she who was tying a string to attach a hammock to a tree turned her head toward us and called out. A figure of Ichinose-san in jersey . A little far away was Kanzaki-kun.

Horikita : "The class is functioning surprisingly well. Although you are facing many hardships with your base."

Ichinose : "Ahaha. It was hard at first. But I tried figuring out various ways and I've made it work. Although there's still plenty of work to be done."

Said Ichinose smiling while finishing tying the rope tightly.

Horikita : "Then I assume it's wrong to bothered you in your way."

Ichinose : "I'm sorry. I guess that has become a way of leave-taking. It's okay to take some break, right? I wonder if you came to visit to ask me something."

Without detest, Ichinose-san encouraged us to sit on the hammock, but instead decided to sit on herself since Horikita-san refused her offer.

Horikita : "I wonder if it's okay to think we're more or less in a cooperative relationship since the last time."

Ichinose : "At least I think that way."

Horikita : "Well, how many points did you use so far? On what did you use points? And if you could tell us the rating of your tools, we'd be saved. We'd tell some information as well, of course."

I wonder if Kanzaki-kun could estimate what we were planning to do seeing us that morning. We wanted to negotiate after being sure it wouldn't become a hard blow if we inform them directly. Ichinose-san smiled and took out the manual from her bag. While showing that they had a list of what they bought on a blank paper, she read it out loud:

Ichinose : "Hammock, cookware, small tent, lantern and provisional toilet. Fishing rod and water shower... If we combine it with food, it's a total of 70 points."

Excluding Koenji who retired, we almost had the same utilization rate as class B.

Kiyone : "What's water shower? I'd like to know."

Although we figured out it had something to do with bathroom based on the name, since it was 5 points cheaper than provisional toilet we concluded that its effectiveness is weak and passed up the installation.

Ichinose : "Well then, let's explain the situation little by little, shall we? Since there are various places containing fruits and vegetables in the forest, we substitute shortage with points while searching for supplies. Then we go to the sea and catch some fish too. That's what we eat. We're not worried about water since we have a well."

Did class B ended up obtaining this place because Kushida-san and others found several fruits? Even judging by the word 'vegetable', should we look at it as being their fruit of labor in comparison to class D?

Ichinose took us to the front of the well, moved a pulley and with a wooden bucket scooped up the water.

Ichinose : "At first there was a danger of water being polluted so I was worried if we should drink it, but looking from the cultivated food and surrounding environment I concluded the well was well-managed. For caution's sake only I tried drinking it yesterday. I waited some time but I didn't got diarrhea. From this morning everyone's sharing and using well's water."

So they didn't jump at water well from the beginning, but they started using it after they checked it out properly. Although it could become something you would naturally want to drink lured by having a point saver right under your nose.

Ichinose : "I also figured the amount of water is abundant. It'd be enough even using it for shower. This is water shower."

As expected, it was the large machine place next to the well.

Ichinose : "I can make hot water in a few seconds when I put water in this tank. It's convenient. I'm using it now since heat source from the gas can can be removed . If it runs out, I ask for supplementation."

Horikita-san asked her, who explained a usage of unexpected tool as something ordinary, rather mockingly

Horikita : "Did you know about this water shower?"

Ichinose : "No. I've just heard and used it for the first time. The school rules are pretty scary, aren't they? There aren't any details in the manual. You can't ask teachers detailed questions either. We were saved because there's a kid in our class that's familial with outdoor activities."

There was a single-button-press type of tent in a set with a simple toilet near the water shower. There was nothing inside.

Ichinose : "We're using this instead of a shower room so that kids who hate being seen by others while taking a shower can be able to use it. The fabric is also waterproof."

So that's why it's empty. It makes sense since the ground inside the tent is wet.

Horikita : "You don't have trouble with the hard ground when you go to sleep?"

Ichinose : "Ah! Yes. I thought of what to do first, but I took appropriate measures. Wanna see?"

After asking apologize from the babbling girls who were inside, Ichinose-san lifted a little under the tent.

Under the tent is spread a thick vinyl, which thickness is about 2 cm.

Ichinose : "When we paid with our points for a simple toilet, it was a rule that the usage of vinyl was unlimited. Maybe I used too much, but we had it already in large quantities. Of course, I do not want to waste our resources, so I am planning to use a lot of our unused vinyl at once. I intend to return it all in the end "

Kiyone : "By the way, how about measures against the heat? It feels somehow cooler around here"

Ichinose : "I wonder if it is because we are sprinkling water. Because we are close to the water well. We can sprinkle water around here, casually. We are putting the water in plastic bottles and give to everyone to carry them around, so this happens pretty quickly. The soil is easy to soak in water, because we release it in a long period of time. The effect lasts and it takes away the heat by evaporation quite efficiently"

Ichinose-san and the rest seem that they are not depending on tools, but they enjoy their camping life using their wisdom. Additionally, Horikita-san brought us information about class B and she made them explain their situation properly, so we'd better not cut corners around here and do not forget the spirit of fairness.

Ichinose : "I see... It is hard that you came out of retirement"

Horikita : "Yes. But, there are still a lot of uneasy things that need to be fixed in our class, so I will try to fix them, somehow"

Ichinose : "That's right. Is it ok with you to continue this cooperative relationship? Also, we could exclude the rule to find out the identity of the leader for our respective classes. What do you think?

Horikita : "I was thinking too, that we should talk about this. I would appreciate If we could break away from the whole subject of honoring the class. If you do not mind Ichinose-san, I would like you to accept the proposal"

Ichinose : "Of course, it's ok"

Having finished the task of reconfirming information exchange and cooperation relations one after another, Horikita-san looked around and let out a deep sigh. There is a feeling of solidarity in perfect order, where each student acts with their respective role. In addition to that, we can see that everyone is doing their part happily. Of course, there are some who do something that they hate, or they try to skip it.

Horikita : "This class... It is going better than I'd imagined. After all it is you who lead them, right?"

That means that Ichinose-san gathers up and commands firmly the class in school as well as outside of school.

Ichinose : "And is there a person that gathers everyone's approval in your class? Is that perhaps you Horikita-san?"

Horikita : "About that.."

Kiyone : "No. Since we have Hirata-kun, who is a boy and everyone in class in gathering around him"

Ichinose : "Ah! That boy from the football club! I know, I know. He is very popular among girls."

Horikita-san is really not interested in talking about Hirata-kun, so she moved away from the topic.

Horikita : "Ichinose-san, I am sorry that I only ask you questions, but we would like to confirm the situation of class A. Is there something that it could help us reach their base camp? Even a hint of the place that they set it up, it would be of great help"

Ichinose : "That's fine. Kanzaki-kun!"

As expected of class B. Or should I say better, as expected of Ichinose-san. They have done their research already about class A.

Kanzaki : "As you leave this place, there is an opening. Turn right from there and then, all straight, where you can meet a cave. Class A seems to be camping there...probably. I have already checked myself, going there with my own two legs, but I did not understand things properly. That's because of all the secretiveness, or putting it in other words, their defense is thorough"

Horikita : "Secretiveness? What kind of measures has class A taken?"

Kanzaki : "Seeing is believing. I think that you'll understand by a single glance, when you see it. Since from now on, you are going to class A, does that mean that you two already know the situation of class C?"

Horikita : "Yes. We just went there, a little while ago. They did such incredibly stupid things, that I could not just believe all these"

Ichinose : "Yup. It seems that they do not intend to work on the exam seriously. The remaining 5 days. It is clearly visible that they will run sort of their points, before the exam is over. I do not think they can change the situation, even if they are switching into saving mode, immediately. They do not even looking for a spot. I wonder if they find it difficult to understand the purpose of this exam even for a little?"

Ichinose-san too, did not seem able to derive the right answer, either.

Horikita : "Sly tricks cannot help you in this exam. He will certainly exhaust all the points. Although it may be fun for now, later he will absolutely regret it"

Horikita-san talked to Ichinose daringly, but she did not talk about the succession plan that I told her about. But it seemed to me that Ichinose-san would find out about it sooner or later.

??? : "I am sorry to interrupt you. Ichinose, do you know where Nakanishi is?"

In the middle of the conversation, a male student appeared and asked with modesty.

Ichinose : "Could Nakanishi-kun have gone to the shore at this time? What for?"

??? : "He went there to offer some help. Should he not have? Was it unnecessary?"

Ichinose : "No, that's not it. Kaneda-kun is really nice and always helpful. Well then, can you follow up Chihiro and bring them back? I will be alright as long as you tell them that I said that"

??? : "Understood. Thank you very much"

Horikita-san looked curiously over this short exchange.

Horikita : "It seems he is quite formal, when talking to his classmates"

Ichinose : "Ah, he-"

Kiyone : "Is he class C student?"

Then Ichinose-san responded to my words before I even get to ask further and I just nodded.

Ichinose : "Did you notice? He seems to be faithful to class C. He was saying that we'd better leave him alone, but I did not want to let him go. I have not heard what caused his situation because I do not want to talk about it"

Apart from Ibuki, another student run away because he opposed Ryuuen's ways. Apparently it seems that it was picked up by B class. So maybe he found a place to offer something in cooperation instead of staying in a humiliating situation.

Horikita : "We also picked up a student yesterday, a student escaping from class C"

Horikita-san speaks as she has met Ryuuen-kun a little while ago and has heard the details. It seems that this student is one of the two who rebelled against Ryuuen-kun. Ibuki-san is the other one, who seems that she was also beaten.

After hearing all this Ichinose's glare hardened as a determination to protect further her team.

Horikita : "Let's go now Ayanokoji-san. It is bad for B class for us to linger around here, any longer"

Horikita-san and I separated from Ichinose-san quickly, we started walking leaving behind us the grounds of class B.

Horikita : "Well, I cannot help talking about class D and the high compatibility of our members"

After leaving class and becoming unpopular Horikita-san's words can be taken as a defeat. However, I have the same impression with Horikita-san. There is already a big difference between class B and class C. And it is not just a points difference.

Kiyone : "Well, it cannot be helped. Class B has a special ability that class D lacks of"

Horikita : "That is teamwork, right? Class B seems to be the superior class. It is kept under control with a firm hand by a great leadership so it cannot be manipulated or be divided."

In D class there is a selfish student like Koenji-kun who takes charge of the class team and runs away in difficult times and there is no student with the power to stop him. Meanwhile, Ichinose-san put together class B, which seemed to have a united force that did not get disturbed by a single string. That may be the biggest difference between class D and class B right now. The longer it takes the struggle for the completion of the exam, the more obvious the difference will become.

Coming out from the deep forest, a cave showed its appearance of what looked like a demon opening its mouth. There were two provisional toilets and one shower room near the cave.

Horikita : "I can't see what's inside from here..."

It was near impossible to confirm while taking a distance in a hiding place. Horikita-san didn't know anyone from class A so planning to gather information while being hidden, even in a stealthily way, would lead us nowhere. I went ahead of Horikita-san who hid herself and stepped on a road that led to the cave.

Horikita : "Hey, wait a minute!"

Kiyone : "Let's go. It's A class, of course we'll be frightened. But there isn't much to do about that."

Together with Horikita-san, I headed towards the cave I thought to be class A' base camp.

Horikita : "What are you thinking? There's no advantage even if we carelessly expose ourselves to them."

Kiyone : "You think being in hiding does? We can hardly see the facility and there's no one around. There are many things that cannot be seen unless we enter the cave."

Horikita : "...Isn't it too quiet? What do you think?"

Kiyone : "I don't think so. Please don't worry about it."

Horikita : "I don't get your half-assed responses, but okay."

She was staring at me with terribly cold and scary eyes, but I pretended I hadn't noticed them.

Naturally, we were seen by class A students who were in a vicinity when we arrived at the entrance of the cave. Although I expected I could check the situation to a certain extent if I could see the interior of the cave directly...

A huge blindfold connecting the vinyls was spread out so I couldn't see anything inside.

Yahiko : "Who are you? From which class are you coming?"

This guy was for sure... Yahiko-kun who was one of the two people who found the cave promptly on the first day. The other one, Katsuragi-kun seemed to be absent.

Horikita : "We came to snoop around. You have problems with that?"

Oh, as if she changed her way of thinking for a moment Horikita-san's response was imposing. Then she continued

Horikita : "Now that you revealed yourself as class A, no doubt you're leading a tough life..."

She sighed affectedly when she saw the entrance of the vinyl-covered cage.

Horikita : "Rather than being tough, it's a makeshift. A coward method, right."

Yahiko : "What?"

He clapped back at with an irritated tone as if she got on his nerves although it was an easy-to-understand provocation.

Horikita : "I'm Horikita from class D"

Yahiko : "Huh, I'd say myself you're class D. You're a bunch of weak-headed."

Kiyone : "Weak-headed, right. Therefore there won't be any particular impact even if you show us what's inside, right? Or does it put you in an uncomfortable position by us just being able to see inside?"

Yahiko : "It could be the case!"

Horikita : "So it's not a problem if you show us inside? Sorry for bothering you."

Yahiko : "Wa-Wait! Hey! Wait! Don't do things as you please!"

He cut in so he could stand in Horikita-san's way, but then Horikita-san's words jumped in like a knife

Horikita : "I'll just look inside. That won't be a rule violation itself right?"

Yahiko : "Stop playing around, this is occupied by class A! class D has no permission to use it!"

Horikita : "Really? You occupied this place? I didn't know that. Is the device inside?"

Kiyone : "Thanks for telling us"

Yahiko : "Y-Yes. Therefore step back!"

Kiyone : "Huh? Why?"

Horikita : "There are no rules saying you can't go inside the cave without problems. Sure, you can't use the cave while being occupied, but it's different from monopolization. We should also have rights to check out the inside or the device, right? Otherwise we'd be able to forcibly monopolize all stops. That's not what the trial is about."

Yahiko : "Guh!?"

A sharp argument like this had stabbed him without problems.

Horikita-san tried to tear off the veil of the cave that was hidden in vinyl while seducing with her hair. However...

??? : "What are you doing. I don't remember approving to call guests."

A large-statured boy passed me from behind and continued walking toward Horikita-san. Certainly, his name was...

Yahiko : "Katsuragi-san! Those guys came to snoop around our crib! They are a filthy bunch."

Horikita : "You're exaggerating stuff, it's just vinyl. Show me just a little bit inside."

Viewing back, Horikita-san wasn't even a bit frightened of confronting those guys.

Katsuragi : "Then it should be okay to take a look inside. But be prepared. If you touch things even once, I'll notify your actions to the school as an obstructive act toward another class. I can't be sure what will happen to class D then."

Katsuragi-kun's words were probably a bluff. It was unlikely to be disqualified from touching vinyl. And yet, him saying he'll sue us invoked the slightest danger.

Horikita : "I've explained to him as well, but this is an overbearing monopoly act. It isn't a right protected by rules."

Katsuragi : "No doubt that's right. That point is certain. But I think this is like an implicit rule. You guys from class D have a spot near the river. Class B has a well. I'm occupying the land so that is monopolized partly. Have you used force on someone trespassing your land?"

The calm and hefty words of Katsuragi-kun stopped Horikita-san's legs without prevention.

Katsuragi : "One class holds one occupied spot. And they keep on protecting it while continuing to obtain points until the end of the test. If you break this implicit rule, havoc will happen. Of course, class A will step into the class D base camp as a retribution. Troubles should be avoided."

It was possible to ignore these words, but we couldn't. As Katsuragi-kun was saying, the other classes unconsciously seized a spot forcefully as well. Troubles could arise with breaking that rule. Horikita-san turned around and passed by Katsuragi-kun while going away from the entrance of the cave. I simply followed behind her

Horikita : "Well then. I'm looking forward to seeing the results of class A' ability."

Yahiko : "Hahaha! It's very powerful. We as well anticipate class D' useless resistance."

After the short conversation, Horikita-san sank. Or should I say, it killed her enthusiasm. If Katsuragi-kun hadn't showed up, Horikita-san would have stepped into the other side of vinyl.

Katsuragi : "Yahiko, don't jump on cheap provocations. It is her goal to forcefully steal a glance of the inside. It is the other side that goes down if you thrust your dominance and righteous in their face."

Yahiko : "S-Sorry."

So, they managed to put Horikita-san who instantly settled for retreat out of the way. Splendid.

Horikita : "It seems there is no other option beside leaving class A alone. It's impossible to investigate."

They built up impregnable defenses once the exclusive spot of the cave was seized. However, no matter how much they tried to hide the interior we could figure out it was something providable.

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 3 : Day 3; Trial Based Freedom

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

The questions Koenji-kun asked to Sakura-san and I had been on my mind for a long time. On day 3, I left the base camp just before noon and turned my feet to enter the forest. Just then, there was a girl who came near, running from behind.

Sakura : *Gasp* *gasp* *pant* "...What are you planning to do now, Ayanokouji-chan?"

Sakura came running like she was searching for me. She exhaled and with every breath, her big breasts moved up and down.

Kiyone : "Have I not tied a handkerchief to a tree? I'm going there to check something out."

I wanted to confirm if it was true at an earlier date but I hardly had the time to do it.

Sakura : "...I know I shouldn't come...right? I'd be a hindrance, but..."

Kiyone : "You shouldn't do it. Aren't you had a little fever last night?"

Sakura : "It doesn't bother me at all. Besides...look I'm totally fine"

She lift up her arms and show me that she was on great condition.

Kiyone : "Well, suit yourself but I don't think this would be a fun thing to do, though? After coming to this island at great pains, I think it'd be better for you to have a little fun... even though I don't have a fun side myself."

I decided to turn down Sakura's proposal with an appropriate excuse. But...

Sakura : "Well, doing that is fun for me!"

Sakura recoiled, feeling bad more than I imagined.

Kiyone : *sigh* "Well then, should we go together? There's a condition. Later even if we get in trouble, you won't blame yourself."

Sakura : "It's okay!"

She replied with a beaming eyes. What kind of exchange was this...

On the way, finding the silence weird I decided to kill time by bringing up a familiar topic. Nothing could be more awkward than the lone sound of crispy and crunchy footsteps on the soil.

Kiyone : "Are you doing well with the others? For this kind of life, you can't do it alone."

Sakura : "Nuh-uh, not at all. I don't even talk to them, nor do I something else."

As if she was embarrassed by her pathetic self, I coughed while rolling a strand of hair with my index finger.

Sakura : "I really can't do anything. I can neither study nor do sports, I'm never improving in anything."

Kiyone : "Ah! This talk again..." *sigh* "How many times I told you. That's not true at all. Sakura-san is improving steadily."

Sakura : "Me? improving? Hahahaha...No way. Beside I don't think I had changed that much"

Kiyone : "It's true. Maybe you may not see it yourself, but little by little, you're surely growing."

I conveyed these things, not only by words but also through my behavior. It's effective for types that aren't confident like Sakura-san. It was the first time I made an appeal with words from the bottom of my heart, hoping they could ring out in her heart too.

Sakura stopped walking and looked at me with wavering eyes. Like those words didn't come from me. She was unconsciously trying to find the true meaning of my words.

Kiyone : "It's okay. Sakura-san can make new friends soon. School will be even more fun."

When our eyes met, Sakura hurriedly averted her gaze and looked down.

Even the fact that she managed to look at people for one moment. Even taking in only one reaction from others was such a great difference from when we first met.

Sakura : "That said...you know...it seems like that man got fired after the incident. I heard his trial started soon. I'm still worried. What happened if he coming back again..."

Huh? Why did she suddenly changed the topic?

That man worked at an electronics retail store located on the school's premises. That man was an extremely enthusiastic fan of Sakura-san when she was a gravure idol... No, he was more of a stalker. He wasn't satisfied with only spending all his time on Sakura-san's homepage but if there was a chance, he would attempt any contact with her and I understood he was up to something. And for worse he finally 'did it' to her. Glad that somehow he could be stopped

Sakura : "Thanks for that time... It's all thanks to Ayanokouji-chan."

Kiyone : "I didn't do anything. Sakura-san has been saved only because Kushida-san became close with you and because Kanzaki-kun, Hondou-kun, and Ichinose-san cooperated he could get caught, while I was like a bystander. Apart from that, nothing strange happened from that incident?"

Even though the stalker left the school grounds, it's also possible to make contact again on later time. I do understand her worry but I can't decide the right words to say to her

Sakura : "Yeah, it's all ok. Now, the bulletin board's people are also taking a little break."

This was by way of precaution, right? I think they made a good choice.

Kiyone : "Even if you were nervous and frightened when you were an idol, you always had a dignified expression."

Sakura : "About that...basically, I wanted to take photographs by myself."

Kiyone : "Long ago...Were your selfies on the magazines?"

Sakura-san, who heard it, answered with a little bitter smile.

Sakura : "It didn't go well at all and I took much more time than others. Also, a cameraman would take shots of all the girls to reduce the number of people involved as much as possible. Besides... as if I was without emotion when I erased myself, I could endure it emptily. But, in the end, since I reached my breaking point, I stopped doing it."

Because she talked without pausing, Sakura-san suddenly paused a moment and breathed in and out. The case of the stalker seemed to have left a big scar on her, but it's all turning for the better.

Before our eyes, there was quite a thick bunch of trees. I left Sakura-san's side and went ahead to lead and open a path. If she ended up hurt because of the branches, there'd be a lot of trouble. Then, after continuing walking for a while, I felt that the front of the path was becoming steep so I decided it'd be better to take a break soon.

I looked back. I never thought that I would see Sakura trembling with shaking shoulders.

Kiyone : "Let's take a break. It'll take a little while longer to reach the destination."

Sakura would be exhausted if we walked on such a wild trail for 30 minutes. She was just beginning to look a little happy.

I searched for a big tree that could protect us with shade from the weather that was becoming hotter and hotter. I sat down between the roots in a space where two people could sit well. However, Sakura, maybe for precaution or modesty, wanted to sit a little apart. But the ground was uneven, and it would only hurt if she sat there.

Kiyone : "Let Sit down here."

Sakura : "Is it okay?"

Kiyone : "Here is good. But we won't ever get enough rest in this place."

Sakura : "Mhm, yes..."

After the short interaction, she sank down next to me, keeping her distance. It's a distance where the sleeves of our gym uniforms were touching.

Sakura : "Nature is amazing, isn't it...I just like to spend a lot of precious time even only walking around for a while."

Kiyone : "Considering that Koenji-kun seemed disappointed, it looks like this place is still good enough for the school that tended to it with great care. Going to a jungle overseas would have brought more dangers."

Sakura : "When we departed at the beginning, I was very depressed. I had no friends, nor did I enjoy travelling. And I thought it'd be better to confine myself to my room. Because like that, it'd be the same as always. But then, this happened. We've been told this would be a trial..."

I placed my back on the tree and Sakura looked up at the sky.

Sakura : "But, this moment... I think that it was good that we've come here, together even for a little. I never had the opportunity to chat with you like this at school, Ayanokouji-chan..."

It seemed that sitting within the deep woods, wrapped in nature, brought a feeling of calmness.

Sakura : "I wish we could stay like this forever..."

Kiyone : "I disagree, we need to seeking foods, secure water, and also to take a bath. Staying here forever would be no good"

Sakura : "Etto...I think you misunderstand a lot...Ayanokoji-chan...ahahaha..."

It was still the third day since we had come to the deserted island and I felt like I'd spent the longest time just being with Sakura-san. I wondered if this was some kind of a mutual arrangement between people who did not have friends.

However, it did not feel strange and it did not happen in vain. As Sakura-san said, I felt like the distance between us had shortened a little.

We became friends. Our relationship changed so suddenly that I did not even understand when it had begun to actually change.

Sakura : "Hmm... It's a pity. If we had a digital camera, we could have taken the best photos..."

Sakura made a gesture like picturing with both her hands, but instantly she felt embarrassed by the gesture and regret showed on her face.

Certainly, cameras are essential in shaping memories. A certain form remains intact.

As I remembered watching Sakura-san at school carrying a digital camera and taking photos all the time, I thought that this moment must be a perfect shuttered chance for her.

So that a certain form remained intact...Anyway, if I'm not wrong. I also saw Ibuki-san had a digital camera as well on her bag.

Kiyone : "However, when we enter the photo, does that mean that we also mess up the scenery?"

Sakura : "If there is Ayanokouji-chan, then it seems that it'll be the best one since you are the most prettiest girl in my opinion.. Ah!.. No!!.. I mean.. That's because I've never taken any pictures together with a friend!"

Sakura-san kept denying what she said, shaking her face. It's genuinely natural. But to think that this is the first time someone compliment me like this genuinely. It somehow make me happy...

It wasn't a flattery or something but it was her genuine opinion. I'm so happy

Huh? That's...?

While sitting side by side, I stared at Sakura-san

At first, she did not notice that my eyes were watching her, but as our long silence continued, she finally noticed it.

Sakura : "Wh... What? What is it?

Kiyone : "Calm down. Be quiet."

I firmly held Sakura, who had fallen into a panic, on both her shoulders.

Why is she closed her eyes with reddened face like that?

As I held Sakura's body closer to mine, she was unable to move, like a frog snatched by a snake. I took a peek at Sakura over her head. I saw something moving... a bug was crawling on Sakura's hair. Even I, who didn't know a lot about insects, could easily identify it. It's what we commonly call 'a caterpillar'.

This caterpillar-kun surely naughty one it seems

A body that moved, and attached to the body, a myriad of limbs that were moving too, so that it's too much to make the spine straight. Apparently, it fell from the leaves of the tree we used as a backrest.

Well, what should I do now? If I were to tell her that there was a caterpillar in her hair. Then, the possibility that she would panic and start screaming was high. If the caterpillar entered between her hair or went into her clothes, then it would be a further disaster.

Kiyone : "Sakura-san, there is something I want to ask you."

Sakura : "Wh-What is it? C-Could it be?"

Kiyone : "Well... Are you okay with insects?"

Sakura : "Huh? I-Insects?"

Kiyone : "Yes, insects, like grasshoppers or dragonflies, those kinds of insects."

Sakura : "N-Not good at all with any of them. I can't stand ants, either."

Kiyone : "Ah well, I get it."

Just as I had guessed, it seemed that I couldn't tell her what was happening. There was no alternative but to think of another way. I wish I could remove it quickly

Even if I tried to remove it with a branch or something, Sakura would immediately notice my suspicious behavior.

Kiyone : "Let me see, now. Do not move for the time being and close your eyes, okay?"

Sakura : "Yes?"

After I gave her this advice, I let go of Sakura-san's shoulder. Meanwhile, the caterpillar was moving little by little, it seemed like it was going somewhere.

I had to think of a way to remove it safely.

Sakura : "What's wrong? How long I should close my eyes?"

Sakura moving her head, puzzled, as I was trying to make a plan in my head.

Did it sense danger just by the movement of my hands? The caterpillar was trying to escape with strenuous movements.

Ah! This is dangerous, caterpillar-kun stop being so stubborn!

This was going too far. But, I had to save her, even at my own cost. I endured courageously, with my hand right hand shaking, I reached for Sakura's hair as quickly as I could.

Here! I could feel my fingertips touching the caterpillar. So, I grabbed it faster than my conscious judgement allowed me and threw it into the bushes.

Sakura couldn't even swallow as I made such a move, but still, I managed to protect her.

Sakura : "Un...Is it done?"

Kiyone : "Yes, you can open your eyes now"

Sakura : "Uh okay... Somehow I felt that you saved me from something unpleasant..."

After a proper break, we arrived at our destination with the help of the mark by the handkerchief, while having a friendly chat.

It seemed to me as though it had taken less time than I thought. We arrived in 20 minutes. For the time being, I wrapped the handkerchief carefully and returned it to her. I would try to observe the surroundings where I thought Koenji-kun had been standing. I couldn't tell the difference by walking into the forest so far, especially at first glance. I wonder if it is here? There is nothing else around here? What is the meaning of this?

Sakura : "Did you see something?"

Kiyone : "Errr... something feels different."

If you couldn't take the necessary information from your sense of sight, then you would have to rely on your other senses.

Kiyone : "For now, let's investigate around here randomly. However, we will check regularly without diverging from each other to the point that we can't see each other anymore. If we are concentrating too much on finding something, it's easy to become careless."

We searched through the roots and bottom of big trees that couldn't be seen while standing, green leaves and branches that grew thickly above our heads and the soil using our hands. Sometimes, the hot wind would quietly hit our noses and ears. While stimulating the five usable senses, we were checking the area without overlooking even the slightest change.

Sakura : "Ah!"

A surprised voice similar to a shriek coming from her, who was searching the bushes a little far away. The bushes were so deep, I could only see one part of her body. I wondered if she had fallen again.

Sakura : "Hey, look Ayanokoji-chan. I've found an amazing thing!"

She called me in excitement.

Looking at the bushes, there were different green leaves growing with yellow fruits sticking out from one part.

Kiyone : "That's... Corn... Right?"

Sakura : "It looks like it."

I wondered if corn was growing only in this section. I was not well acquainted with plants, but it was obvious the situation was unnatural. The soil in which corn was planted is of a different color than the soil in this forest. It was proof which showed that this corn was cultivated artificially. Surrounded all around by bushes, it was odd how they were difficult to find due to weed.

Kiyone : "This is what Koenji-kun was hinting about..."

He was aware of this existence immediately but wasn't willing to tell us.

Anyhow, there was no doubt that based on the spot, the school frequently visited this inhabited island. When I pulled out a piece in order to check it, a beautiful ordinary-looking corn came out. This beautiful form must have come to life due to thorough management and cultivation.

Kiyone : "I should have brought a bag... Probably not, but I wonder if we can take them with us at once."

There were fewer than 50 corn, but taking them all at once in our hands was impossible. It was inevitable for us to make few round trips to carry them over. I took off the track jacket which I was wearing.

Sakura : "Huh!? Wha-What are you doing Ayanokouji-chan?"

Sakura wondering what am I gonna do.

Kiyone : "If we tie the openings of the jacket, we'll get a substitute for a bag. We can carry more at once."

There was fear of this place becoming harvested if people from the other classes found it while we were away. It was a risk I wanted to avoid to the utmost.

Kiyone : "We'll report to other classmates and let them harvest when we return."

Sakura : "Oh, I see"

The unexpected big harvest made her hearts pound with excitement, but unanticipated visitors made an appearance.

??? : "Look, Katsuragi-san! That's an amazing amount of food!"

Concentrating her attention on corn, Sakura's shoulders jumped in surprise. She soon took a roundabout path and hid behind me.

Oh, its two of them

Seeing this, Katsuragi-kun said a word of apology.

Katsuragi : "Sorry, I did not mean to surprise you. This guy also had no evil intent, please forgive us."

He gave Yahiko a harsh look, encouraging him to apologize. Like an angry puppy, Yahiko apologized, showing his low spirits. I didn't think we would encounter them in a place like this. Katsuragi didn't respond to us, but Yahiko noticed immediately.

Yahiko : "Wait! You were the one spying on us yesterday!"

Raising his voice in a shout, Sakura once again got surprised and curled herself up. Seeing this, Katsuragi dropped a fist on Yahiko's head. A painful, sharp sound could be heard from all the way up here.

Katsuragi : "Ahem! I'm Katsuragi from class A. This is Yahiko. Since this is the second time we've seen each other, at least self-introduction would be alright."

I nodded

Kiyone : "I'm Ayanokouji and this is Sakura. As you already guessed we were both from class D"

After a brief exchange of greetings, Katsuragi glanced at the large amount of corn and started walking.

Katsuragi : "This is what you've found. Don't worry, I have no intention of snatching it forcibly. But if someone else finds this spot, high chances are, it will be taken away from you."

Kiyone : "There's nothing we can do, there's only two of us."

Besides praying this place won't be found, there were no other options. There was a thought of taking and hiding everything away, but the possibility of someone else finding it in the process wasn't the lowest as well.

Yahiko : "Are you stupid? One of you can stay and watch over it. Right? Katsuragi-san."

Katsuragi : *sigh* "You're the one who doesn't understand, Yahiko. Don't dismiss the danger of moving around in the forest alone. After all, actions will have its limits if both woman participate, not to mention if it's only a woman."

Since Katsuragi understood this well, he acted together with Yahiko rather than alone.

Katsuragi : "Let us help you."

Yahiko : "R-Really, Katsuragi-san? Working together with class D..."

Yahiko showed obvious refusal, but the words stayed in his throat, having received Katsuragi's sharp discernment.

Kiyone : "We appreciate your offer, but we were told by our class to be careful. They will get mad when they find out we turned to class A. Sorry about this Katsuragi-kun, but let us decline."

It was a promptly made lie, but Katsuragi could do nothing but withdraw after that.

Katsuragi : "I see. If that's the case, I can't force you. But can you trust us? There's a chance we will take it all after you leave, right?"

Kiyone : "In that case, I have no choice but to give up on the part I hold now."

With this answer, Katsuragi got out of the way quietly. Sakura showed signs of uneasiness and she pleaded to hurriedly returned back.

Having returned with Sakura to the base camp, I reported about finding corn.

Ike : "Great achievement, Ayanokouji-chan! Sakura-chan as well! Let's go get it right now, Haruki!"

Standing nearby, Ike called out to Yamauchi. But once he found out about it he instantly kneeled in regret

Yamauchi : "Why? Just why I can't woke up earlier?! To think that I missed this chance...I'm such a fool!"

Ike : "Calm down. You'll gonna create more big misunderstanding like that."

I didn't know what sort of delusions he had, but this wasn't the time to look after him.

Kiyone : "I have to talk to Hirata-kun. Excuse us"

I passed by shouting at Yamauchi in order to report the case of corn.

Soon after, we formed a team of students in the camp, who would depart once again to bring corn to us. In addition, there were also plans to explore other places and find food.

Sometime after 1PM, they returned after finishing all the harvest.

Hondou : "There's so many of it!"

We weren't short of corn, with plenty packed in the bag.

Miyamoto : "But it was dangerous. That guy Katsuragi from A class was nearby."

It seemed like Katsuragi decided to follow us by staying at that place without taking away the corn. This guy seemed as if he lacked both good and bad intentions.

In front of the girls' tents.

When I was about to enter the tent I'm surprised with something that showed inside of the tent.

Kiyone : "Huh?"

I once took a peek on boys tent. Unlike the empty boys' tent, the girls' tent had a completely different view because there was seems no space to sleep.

On the floor, there was a floor mat to soften the hardness of the ground, and several pillows seemed to have been inflated with air. Furthermore, they installed a battery-powered cordless electric fan.

Suddenly a voice coming from behind.

Horikita : "The exact same things are also placed on the other tent too. A total of 12 points."

Kiyone : "Wait, since when? And who's the one who did this? This isn't like what we planned right?"

I know that it's not like several girls were patient from the beginning. Even though the thing we just purchased all the necessary items.

Horikita : "Karuizawa and the others applied for these."

Kiyone : "Karuizawa-san?"

Horikita : "When I realized it, it was only after they had placed the order and everything was ready. It's difficult to do anything when they made a rule that anyone can use points if they apply for it."

Just like with the case of Koenji that withdrew early from the exams, there was no way to stop using points.

Kiyone : "But...to think that she do that behind Hirata-kun..."

Horikita : "It seems that Karuizawa reported this to Hirata, so he definitely knows. But you didn't know it. It's a fact that no one told you or informed the others. However, I think that this kind of information must absolutely be shared with everyone else."

Horikita explained the situation with her arms folded. Her words made sense, but it didn't seem that Hirata kept his mouth shut because he actually had malicious intentions. Maybe, he just wanted to avoid unnecessary commotion like what happened on the first day.

I'm not quite sure why Hirata-kun allowed her or more look like why he didn't think that this will not caused a commotion when the boys find out about this? Or could it be he become biased when it was involved about Karuizawa-san

But still for Horikita -san. To think that even Karuizawa was evaluated by her when she reported it to Hirata.

Kiyone : "I understand what you mean, but I don't have anything in particular to say. Points that have been used cannot be returned, and there aren't many days left for the test to end. So, I'm pretty sure Karuizawa-san probably won't use any more points carelessly unless she is ready to got some backlash from everyone."

Horikita : "Hmph! This didn't change the fact that I can't trust her nor Hirata as well"

Well...

For someone who almost trust nobody, I'm not surprised to see that this kind of thing would be bound to happened.

Being thrown on wilderness is one of the best method to saw someone else's real face

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 3 : Day 4; The Quiet Outbreak of War

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

On the 4th day on the uninhabited island, changes started to occur little by little and we reached a turning point. I went deaf to the complaints yelled around but then, at some point, I realized that non-stop laughter filled the place. We added some Indian corn we found to the fishes Ike and others caught. Every resistance against drinking the river's water disappeared too. Some things, like the fruits that my classmates found, helped us in saving more points than we planned to get us through the trial.

Currently, the points used amounted to about 100 points, including setbacks like retirement. If we continued smoothly, we'd probably be able to finish the trial with a lot of points remaining. If we looked at D Class's situation before the start of the trial, then this number was a perfectly satisfactory numeric value. Even Yukimura, who was the most hostile and opposing party, wouldn't complain. Yes, not even one student was unsatisfied with this result.

I suddenly got a tingling feeling in my head and it hurt.

I secretly borrowed a ballpoint pen and put it in my pocket together with the folded paper. Then I left the base camp. I got started trying to know the situation of the island which I still couldn't grasp.

This might only be my personal guess but, when we break down this special trial, we'd see that 80% of it was a defensive test that has to confirm whether there was a cooperative relationship within the class. And the remaining 20% suggests that it's a test of scouting against other classes and attacking them to interfere with their information-gathering ability.

However, this 8:2 proportion is not directly reflected in the trial's results. Or rather, I think it's only that 20% that greatly influenced the results.

We'd already grasped the plan of each class. On this topic, we decided what to do. Simply attack the other classes.

So, I'd start moving to the class A area. As class D moved around the riverside, class A's center of activity was probably the cave area.

Katsuragi made no sense though. It's not like he'd been the first one to occupy the cave. The true attraction of the cave was not just that it's protected from natural elements. The place itself had a special meaning.

When I was wandering for a while through the forest, I could hear faintly the sound of waves. My pace got a little faster and I directly pushed through the trees to finally find myself on the coast.

Kiyone : "Whoops..."

I applied a sudden brake in my steps and came to a stop. All because there was no foothold here and it was actually a cliff.

Kiyone : "Mmm, I saw it from the ship for sure... it was under here I think."

Not far from the cave, very close to it actually, a multi-facility peeked out. Somehow, whether there was an alternative route or not and walking along the cliff, I noticed there was a ladder close to it, made in a blind spot where it was probable to miss it at first glance. I tried grasping the ladder in my hand with all my power, but it seemed so sturdy and strongly built that, in fact, I bumped into it.

Using the ladder from the bottom of the cliff.

If a person discovered it before landing on the island, he'd have to find his way to that place as soon as he landed.

Soon, I discovered a small hut. At the ingress of the hut, there was a device which was the clear evidence that this was a spot. Looking through the window, I could see some tools that were usually used for fishing. In other words, by taking control of this place, people could catch fish without any help from the school or without spending points for food.

And checking to see if there was a right of possession...

Yeah, you could read the characters of class A here. Time left was about 4 hours.

There was no doubt that Katsuragi and others arrived here, after holding down the cave, and then they started taking possession.

This was a classic spot you didn't know it existed unless you discovered it while being on board the ship.

Because this hut was directly below the cliff, you could see every moment of the occupation from the surroundings. You didn't even have to worry about anything.

There was no trace of indoor tools being touched. Dust was accumulating. I couldn't see any signs which indicated that this place was now occupied as a spot. I took out a map from my pocket and wrote down the location of the hut. Of course, it was only an approximate position. It would take a huge amount of time to measure it accurately.

When I finished marking, I folded the paper again and put it in my pocket.

Since there seemed to be nothing besides the hut, I used the ladder again to return to my original road.

Kiyone : "I thought that when we were turning around the island, I saw a tower over there..."

Relying on my memory, while I looked out over the area farther, I eyed the ground where I thought people had walked on. Then, as if to follow them, I proceeded towards the forest.

Eventually, I reached a place on higher ground, on a hill. Was this a spot too? If I climbed on the installed ladder, it seemed possible to overlook the shore but I thought that it wasn't all that much use as a facility. I wondered if there were things left that were not very useful in this spot too.

I got closer to find out that the equipment had been installed on the facility wall. Unlike the one before, the communication device here wasn't taken into possession by anyone and it was free. The fact that this kind of facility existed, was huge by itself. It was easy to find by a comparatively high number of students even though it was in the hinterland.

In brief, I didn't know who was keeping an eye on us, observing us wherever. Despite knowing that some spots had been discovered almost at the same time, the fact that tower was not occupied implied 'the difference in the probability of being discovered by the enemy'

Katsuragi-kun is a person who only used solid strategies. A man who never carelessly approached the closest sweet bait.

Suddenly, I realized that some bushes nearby were swaying despite the fact that there was no wind.

Kiyone : "I wonder if the reason for not occupying is not only a prudent one."

??? : "What are you doing here? This is the place that we class A use."

A boy with menacing face and a purple haired-girl showed up from the bushes as if they were waiting for their prey to fall into their trap. I was surrounded while I was leaving the place where the communication device was kept. Another one immediately went to check the state of the device.

Manacing boy : "You... You are a face I haven't seen around here."

As a self-proclaimed pill bug that hid behind stones, like a social outcast as a member of class D, well he might not know who I was.

The guy in front of me was standing right before me with his menacing face. Like he was threatening me with his stare, giving me a warning.

Kiyone : "I-I am Ayanokouji of class D"

Of course, I gave my name frankly, as I surrendered to the threat immediately.

Menacing boy : "Search her in case she is probably carrying anything suspicious."

He ordered her female colleague to inspect me

As if I was a suspect surrounded by policemen, she checked my pockets. She even checked if I had hidden something around my ankles or in my shoes.

Purple haired girl : "This is not an act of violence, you do get it, right?"

In times like this, there must be only one response. Just nod. As she searched my body, I was thinking that they could have found my pen and the piece of paper with the handwritten map. Both, in fact were eventually discovered.

Purple haired girl : "Why do you have a pen?... And a handwritten map?"

The girl asked

The rough map of the island that I had sketched along with the teams and occupation of places, everything that led to this place.

Kiyone : "Please, give it back."

I reached out to take it, but she won't hand it back obediently, so instead I grasped the air.

Menacing boy : "What are you aiming at? Do you act alone?

They were hitting me with questions, but I stayed silent. 3 seconds... 4 seconds... I made a sound with my throat just to break the silence.

Kiyone : "...I-I can't tell you this."

Purple haired girl : "I see. That thing you cannot say, is it that there is someone pulling the threads behind? You people in class D, have you plotted a plan as a whole? Or is it a plan of a bunch of students from there?"

As if the police was interrogating a suspect, there was a rapid succession of quick questions.

Kiyone : "I-I cannot say. If I tell you then... I will not be able to return to my class."

Purple haired girl : "It is hard to be an underling right, Ayanokouji? Oh well. I do not know what you were asked to do, but do not do any unnecessary actions. I want you to just sit quietly in your camp."

She threw the pen at my feet, while they kept the piece of paper with the map. These fellows might not have the right to order around, but their attitude was very oppressive.

Purple haired girl : "There is just one more thing that I would like to ask you. We are ready to deliver a generous reward if you speak of who is the leader that holds the keycard. A total sum of about 100,000 to 200,000."

Kiyone : "Sell my class for money?"

Purple haired girl : "You are free to interpret our word however you wish. I will propose the same thing to other people too. I am telling you that this deal is first-come-first-served so you'd better hurry to decide."

The strategy of class A had no risks basically. A simple method that could be materialized if there was abundant money. Although the probability was low, the possibility that some students would sell their friends, because they had their eyes set on money, couldn't be excluded.

Kiyone : "Thank you, but this is unbelievable for some reason. How and when will you hand the money? We do not even have a phone here."

Purple haired girl : "Certainly, it's impossible right now. We may sign a legal agreement if necessary."

In other words, first, we'd sign a contract and then they intended to transfer the money after the end of the exam.

Kiyone : "So, a written agreement? Let me ask you something, just for reference... Could you tell me how many points would I earn from this?"

Purple haired girl : "To a degree that is up to your ability."

Kiyone : "Could the person who is in charge here explain it to me? Katsuragi-kun for example, or maybe someone else-"

The moment I spoke the name, the expression of one of the boy changed drastically.

Menacing boy : "Why are you bringing up the name of Katsuragi?"

Kiyone : "I heard some rumors that the representative of class A is Katsuragi-kun."

Menacing boy : "Do not make me laugh. The leader of class A is Sakayanagi, not Katsuragi. You may go already."

The students of A class opened the way as there wasn't anything to do with me anymore and then disappeared. Apparently, these two were Katsuragi's enemies. Then, were these guys working under Sakayanagi's orders? Was Sakayanagi really the one who gave instructions around here?

This was something that I had to make clear.

In order to check how Class C was doing, I looked around the base camp that was close to seashore. Until yesterday, this place was loud as if there was a festival going on but now it was just quiet with flies flying all around.

??? : "Hee~ You scared me seriously. I thought you were strange but not to this extent."

I was just vaguely looking around at the shore view when two people came out walking from behind me, pretending that they knew who I was.

??? : "Did you come here to spy too, Ayanokouji?"

It was Ichinose and Kanzaki from Class B. I wondered if these two came to see how Class C was doing.

Kiyone : "I'm in charge of finding food. I was just walking around in the forest and ended up here on the shore."

Kanzaki : "Even though it's the middle of the day, it's dangerous to be out here for a girl doing this by yourself."

I nodded my head in agreement to Kanzaki's kind warning. The two of the them hid themselves in the shade and closely watched the movements of Class C.

This is because they had a good reason to be hiding.

Ichinose : "Woah, I can't see anybody. It must be just like Kanzaki-kun said. They must be abstaining from any operations."

Ichinose scratched his cheek and let out a sad sigh.

Kanzaki : "We were trying to see who Class C's leader was but... was this all for nothing? If they've all gone up to the boat then we won't be able to find any hints."

Ichinose : "I thought about it and don't you think Class C already used up all their points? If so then even if we do find the leader, does that mean we won't get a penalty?"

Kanzaki : "They said there would be no bad influences in Semester 2 so their points wouldn't go below 0."

Ichinose pursed his lips as if she was sort of bored. Since it was 3 o'clock, at the base camp of Class C that we had looked around, there was already nobody there and all we could see was an empty place. There were still students playing around in the water but that too, was due to the time.

Ichinose : "An operation that uses all of your points, it's not really something to compliment but even so it's really amazing."

Kanzaki : "No matter how much I think about it, this just doesn't seem like it will work. This test is so you can gather points. By just throwing that whole idea away, Ryuuen has already lost."

Ichinose : "It's so hard trying to figure out who the leader is. It's really a waste of time, just a waste."

Kanzaki : "I think quietly keeping watch and quietly taking part in the test would be the best option."

Ichinose : "Yes, yes. I think a solid strategy is the best thing we can use."

Kanzaki : " But, I just wondering something, under a situation like this. Could it be possible to change the leader? I mean...if it still could works then the probability that the leader of class C would would be fall either to Kaneda or Ibuki, right?"

Ichinose : "Well...that's might be true...Maybe we should keep watch Kaneda-kun from now and on"

Ichinose and Kanzaki, both with a pitiful look on their face, looked towards the uninhabited island as they spoke.

I don't know if those two were lying or telling the truth, but I could clearly hear their plan. Ichinose and Kanzaki realised that spying in Class C was meaningless and they focused their attention on the shore. Right now, it was the perfect opportunity.

I felt compelled to try asking Hirata and Kushida about Sakayanagi and since it's the two of them, they may know some details. Right now, the best thing would be to avoid doing anything that would make Class D notice me.

Kiyone : "Err...I happened to hear this somewhere but... Class A's Katsuragi-kun and Sakayanagi-san, do they each have their own opposing groups?"

Ichinose : "They don't get along, that is true. It seems they fought really hard. But... why are you asking?"

Kiyone : "Nothing. It's just that Horikita-san said if I had time to come and find out something about it. That there was a chance to really break down Class A down here but... even if they did fight that much, wouldn't they all come together for the sake of the test?"

Ichinose : "I feel the same but Sakayanagi-san is taking it easy in this test. It seems like Katsuragi-kun is the only one putting in any effort. Because of that, don't you think all of them would be leaning towards Katsuragi-kun? Am I wrong?"

Ichinose tilted his head and asked Kanzaki for his opinion. Who would've thought that Sakayanagi was an absentee.

Kanzaki : "Katsuragi is one smart boy. Sakayanagi may be absent but the right-hand men won't defy him. I don't think they would do anything to like... deliberately cause a division between them though. To do that means you have no merit."

If this was all true, that meant that those two were doing exactly what Katsuragi told them to do.

Ichinose : "I see, I think that's true. But then, the students working with Sakayanagi-san, wouldn't they be really unhappy? Those two are complete opposites so it's clear their opinions would be opposites too."

Kiyone : "Complete opposites?"

Kanzaki : "Well, they were had different perspective. Reformists and conservatives? Offense and defense? One side assaulting and one side protecting? It feels like that's the complete opposite. Seeing it that way, if I think of Class A just going all out, that'd be scary. If they properly came together then, that would reveal their true side."

Kiyone : "I see. I will inform Horikita-san, later. Oh! Well. I think she would prefer to investigate it on our own again. What can I say? She works her underling very hard, anyway. Ahem! Pretend that you did not hear this last line. It's bothersome to be yelled at later."

Ichinose : "Ahaha.. I will keep it a secret. However, Horikita-san...Her viewpoints are very good. It seems that if those two people completely oppose each other, there will be retribution for sure, to the point that they may self destruct. But, there's not much that can be done at this stage, anyway."

Kanzaki : "Should we head back now?"

Kanzaki confirmed the time on the wristwatch and began suggesting that he should go back to Ichinose.

Kiyone : "Thanks, sorry I must go. I should go back look for food. They will be angry if I return empty-handed."

Ichinose : "Well then, let's be careful with each other's injuries and do our best. Please do not act rashly."

That's right, if I were to put it in Ichinose's words I would say thank you for your petty tricks.

Around 8 PM

The girls bags were piled up. We already put our bags like this since first day but I just realized something. I could even say that, aren't we somehow got too careless? The girls' bags were piled up unprotected. Anyone could easily steal something if they wanted to just like I easily searched through Ibuki's bag on the first day.

Sakura : "A-Ayanokoji-san, the other girls already done."

Kiyone : "Thank you Sakura-san"

Then I pick a towel andtoiletries from my bag.

??? : "Hey yo~"

Eh? Did someone just calling me?

I look behind and a girl waving her hand at me

Kiyone : "Satou-san?"

Satou : "Oisu~"

I saw her bring towel and toiletries as well

Satou : "You want take a bath? Let's go together!"

Kiyone : "S-Sure..."

I rarely talk with her, we only interact if it was necessary. So, along the way she is the one who mostly talking. Honestly I do feel bad, I'm afraid that she though of me as boring person or maybe the worst that she though of me as cold-arrogant person just most of our classmate think about Horikita since I rarely taken a respond and mostly silent. I hope I could tell her honestly that I can't follow up some of her words and she could explain it explicitly beforehand.

Satou : "...It's so stylish but don't you think that thus clothes kinda weird on teenage girl like us. What do you think?"

What am I thinking huh? Honestly I can't follow up most of girls trend nowadays so I just put some façade as if I get what is she talking about. Although deep inside I feel bad toward Satou for my own shortcoming

Kiyone : "T-That's sure awesome. But I think Satou-san make a point as well"

Satou : "Is that true?"

I slowly nodded since not sure about my answer as well. Then she looking back focused on the way but...

Satou : "Tch!"

Huh? D-Did she perhaps feel offended by my action? What should I do?

But when I look at the front. Onodera-san coming while waving her hand toward us

Onodera : "Oh, the bath is empty now. You guys better hurry up before the boys occupied it"

I respond her with nodded

Satou : "O-Oh, sure. Thanks for telling us about it"

She is somehow forced her smile

Onodera : "Don't mind"

Onodera-san walked passed us while giving glare toward Satou.

Huh? What happened?

After that we arrived at the bath place

Satou : "Ne~ I'll going first. Watch the surrounding for me, please?"

Kiyone : "Sure"

Then Satou-san began to taking bath while I was watch around.

While I was guarding her, I wonder something. What was that? Did Satou perhaps hate or hold grudge toward Onodera? Sometimes I don't understand myself. I mean, on my perspective both Onodera and Satou are good person.

Onodera isn't the type of girl who would creating a trouble just like Satou herself. Just what happened between them? Girls society are quite scary

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Sorry if this somehow a bit shorter than usual

So could any of you guessed who's the identity of these menacing boy and purple haired girl?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 3 : Day 5; Divided by Wall

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

I just woke up and I don't think the sun even rise yet inside this tent already happened a quite commotion.

Kiyone : *yawn* "What is this?"

I saw Karuizawa surrounded by the other girls. She seems panicked and throwing a tantrum

Karuizawa : "H-How? Why? Why it wasn't here?! Did someone perhaps stole it?!"

Kushida : "C-Calm down Karuizawa-san, w-we will help you to look for it..."

Karuizawa : "Calm you say?! How could I calm because of this? Can't you say the same if this was happened to you as well?"

Kushida fell into silent unable to answer her question. This even make me curious, what kind of belonging she's missed to act like that

I crawl toward Kushida to ask

Kiyone : "What's going on here?"

Kushida : "Oh, Aya-chan. Etto...apparently Karuizawa-san underwear gone missing"

Huh?

Kiyone : "Excuse me? How?"

Kushida : "I dunno, it just happened not long ago."

Kiyone : "I see, if she keep her underwear well hidden beneath her bag. Does it mean that someone stole it?"

Kushida : "That's what I thought as well but why would someone else wanted to steal underwear?"

Kiyone : "Who knows, maybe because somebody hold a grudge toward her or it just simply someone want to mess with her"

But, before we realize it. Karuizawa and her follower already create their own conclusion

Shinohara : "It must be the boys. I'm pretty sure of it"

Onodera : "Are you sure? Aren't you guys too hasty? I mean look, there is this girl from class C as well. I'm pretty sure she's the one who did this?"

She pointed at Ibuki-san who had just arrived because of the commotion

Shinohara : "There is no way she's the culprit! She's girl, the culprit must be between those boys"

Onodera : "That's even sounds absurd I think. Why would they do something stupid like that?"

Looking at the commotion between them. Karuizawa decide to speak

Karuizawa : "All of you just shut up! Either they did it or not, we need to check on everyone here! You girls won't had any problems right if I check all of your belonging"

With her charisma, every girls nodded in agreement. Even Horikita who were watching could not refute her since Karuizawa herself believed that its not good to jump at such conclusion.

...

In an orderly manner, we checked our belonging between girls...

Matsushita : "Hmm, it isn't here as well..."

Matsushita-san currently checking mine

Karuizawa : "How?"

She suddenly approached us

Matsushita : "It wasn't found as well"

Karuizawa : "Hmph! I though that the culprit were you?"

Kiyone : "Huh? How come? That's false accusation Karuizawa-san"

Karuizawa : "I heard from Satou that you sneak out that night. Where are you going?"

Kiyone : "To bathroom..."

We stared each other. 3 second...7 second...

Karuizawa : "So, where are you going after that?"

Kiyone : "Huh? Where am I going? I immediately come back to tent. I'm pretty sure Satou-san would say the same"

After she look at me for a while...

Karuizawa : "I guess...you didn't lie at all."

Then she leave after she believed I'm not involved on this at all

Onodera : "Oi, don't make this hard for me!"

On another side there is commotion. It was Onodera-san and Ibuki-san

Ibuki : "I told you it wasn't me!"

Onodera : "Then show it to me!"

But Karuizawa from behind snatched her belonging

Karuizawa : "Here, check hers!"

She throw her bag at Kushida

Kushida : "O-Okay..."

Ibuki : "Hey, wait! What are you-?!"

Onodera hold her from behind while Satou and Shinohara block her from approaching Karuizawa

Ibuki : "Tch!"

Kushida helped by Inogashira checked Ibuki's belonging but...

Kushida : "...Its...really isn't here..."

Karuizawa : "What?! You guys are useless. Let me do it"

Not believing Kushida and Inogashira, she decide to check it for herself

Karuizawa : "N-No...way..."

Everyone immediately realized that none of the girls hold her underwear. Ibuki who being hold before shake her body to release Onodera hold

Ibuki : "Tch! I told you it wasn't me!"

She getting pissed off and grab her bag then she move a little far from us

Satou : "Seriously...?"

Matsushita : "M-Maybe you lost it somewhere else-"

She immediately shut up when Karuizawa glare at her with her teary eyes. To think that she could threaten the other even with baffling eyes. Is this some sort of 'gyaru power'?

Shinohara : "Let's check the boys. I'm pretty sure the culprit must be between them"

With this, all the girls agree to take conclusion that we should also inspect the boys as well.

Ike Kanji POV

When I was in deep sleep, I heard the girls' voices coming from outside, all in a bad mood.

??? : "Oi! Wake up!"

??? : "Hey boys, will you gather up?"

We mostly still even half asleep but everyone got up promptly with rage and complaints. I went to sleep at dawn after gathering some usable source yesterday. So I woke up slowly while rubbing the sleep out of my drowsy eyes.

Sudou : "What the hell? I'm so fucking tired..."

An irritated Sudou wake up looking at the others around him.

Hirata decide to move out from the tent to check followed by several boys

Hirata : "What's wrong?"

Shinohara : "Uhm Hirata-kun... Sorry but can you wake up all the boys here? It's serious."

Shinohara notified Hirata looking apologetic. Whether she was confused or angry, Shinohara's appearance was not the problem regardless. A little far away, the girls were glowering at our side. I don't understand what's going on but my guts telling me that it will soon lead to a big problem

Hirata : "Understood. I'll call the other as well"

Then, in a couple of minutes the boys came out of their tent rubbing their sleepy eyes. When they began looking at the girls gathered outside the tent, the half-asleep boys sensed an alarming situation.

The girls' eyes, that stared at us boys, were all somehow scared like we were facing some kind of trial and they were the judges.

After every boys gathered up, Hirata began to ask

Hirata : "So, What's wrong? Did something happened this early in the morning?"

Shinohara : "S-Sorry Hirata-kun. It's something that doesn't concern you, Hirata-kun but...We've gathered here because there's something we have to check at any cost."

Shinohara gave everyone except Hirata, a look of contempt and then she spoke.

Shinohara : "This morning, well... Karuizawa-san's underwear was missing. Do you know what that means?

Hirata : "Eh... underwear?"

Most of boys : "What?!"

Even Hirata, who was always calm, appeared shaken and upset at the completely unexpected situation. Which reminded me, I couldn't see neither Karuizawa nor the other girls.

Shinohara : "Now Karuizawa-san is inside the tent, crying. Kushida-san and others are comforting her but..."

Saying so, Shinohara looked to the girls' tent. Wait, don't tell me that...

Ike : "What? Why are you glaring at us knowing that the underwear is missing?"

Shinohara : "We decided that someone, in the middle of the night, went through the bag and stole it. The luggage had been put outside so if someone thought of stealing all of it, they could have done so after all."

The boys, still dominated by drowsiness, looked at each other simultaneously.

I looked alternatively to the boys and girls in total panic. A boy, looking at the situation, coughed out in a calm voice.

Hondou : "Come to think of it Ike, you yesterday... You went to the toilet quite late. You took a long time."

Huh? What the hell? Are you trying to placate me as culprit?!

Ike : "No no no! I was struggling because it was dark!"

Hondou : "Is it true? You're the one who stole Karuizawa's underwear."

Ike : "The hell are you talking about. Beside if I wanted to steal girl's underwear I prefer to take Kikyo-chan-"

I immediately shut my mouth with my hand

Damn you Hondou! I almost slipped out my words

Hondou : "What?"

Ike : "Tch! N-Nothing..."

However the other boys also argued as well

??? : "Well, you're wrong!

??? : "I didn't do that!"

??? : "Its not me damn it!"

??? : "I don't even go out from the tent last night!"

??? : "Why should I?"

The boys begun putting the blame on each other for the nasty and offensive crime.

Shinohara : "Anyway. I guess this is really a big problem? But it's impossible to live camping in the same place as those underwear thieves."

Shinohara, who looked like she was about to lose her temper, offered a monish with her arms crossed.

Shinohara : "So Hirata-kun. You can manage to find the culprit somehow, right?"

Hirata : "That's... But there's no evidence that the boys have stolen it. There's a possibility that Karuizawa-san has lost it."

That's it! Nice Hirata

Most of the boys : "That's right! We have nothing to do with this!!"

All the boys shouted at the top of their lungs from behind Hirata, proclaiming their innocence.

Shinohara : "I don't want to think that there's a culprit here."

It seemed vile to doubt our classmates and not to shield them.

Shinohara : "I know that Hirata-kun is not the culprit... But, for the time being, let us check the other boys' luggage."

Apparently it seemed like the girls didn't change their idea, and they perpetuated the idea of the culprit who is on the boys' side. Well, it's impossible not to think such a thing in this kind of context. But still...

Sudou : "Eh? Stop saying bullsh!t. You don't need to do such a thing. Hirata, just say no."

Hirata : "For now, we will gather and talk with all the boys. We may have a little time, right."

Shinohara : "...If you say so, Hirata-kun... Ok I understand. I will talk to Karuizawa-san as well. But if the culprit can't be found, we have an idea as well on who is on it."

After saying this, the gathering dissolved. Hirata quickly gathered all the boys again to have a talk in front of the tent.

Yukimura : "Let's just ignore what the girls said. You'll feel bad if you're suspected right? I will confront them!"

Yamauchi : "Exactly. There's no way that one of us has stolen Karuizawa's underwear."

Yamauchi, following the rest of the boys, looked at each of them. It's not that Karuizawa isn't pretty. But since Karuizawa is Hirata's girlfriend, it's more convenient for guys to chase after the other girls.

Hirata : "I'm not going to doubt you, guys. But I think this problem won't ever be resolved like this..."

The girls, who were talking and conspiring together over there, were now nearly jumping towards us. They are somehow pissed me off

Hirata : "To prove our innocence, it's better for us to respond to our luggage inspection in a confident and dignified way. That way we could gained their trust right?"

Having said that, Hirata himself brought out his bag.

Hirata : "As miserable as I am, I still responded to the girls' request, that's why you guys have to keep up by doing the same. Are we good?"

Ike : "B... But..."

Hirata : "Of course, I can open it first."

To mobilize someone, although I thought we had no choice but to start acting by ourselves, there would be no one who thought that Hirata was actually the culprit, including boys, not just girls. To say that he stole his girlfriend's underwear, in the first place, is a bit of a contradiction. However, if the first one disclosed his luggage this way, we couldn't help but follow the example. It was inevitable that the students who didn't show the content of their bags were going to be suspected. Hirata's bag, naturally, was bound to not to have any underwear like all of us expected.

Miyake : "There's no other choice..."

Influenced by Hirata's actions, all the boys began pulling out their bags from the tent, one after another.

I don't like it but I couldn't go against the flow of things. Yamauchi and me become the last to go. So I guess I was finally going to the tent. I was following the other two.

Sudou : "Sh!t, I'm mad. Men are suspected unconditionally and irrevocably. It's too unreasonable."

Well I do understand your feeling Ken, I decide to inspect my bag while keeping the conversation

Ike : "...Well, let's prove our innocence in a confident way and triumph over them-"

The hell?! Damn! God, I'm fucked up...

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

I watching them from faraway

Ike started to stand up while grabbing the bag but suddenly he stopped and stood still.

Yamauchi : "What's wrong?"

Ike : "Ahh, Nothing..."

Abruptly, he turned his back to Hirata and the others and sat down. Checking the inside of his bag, he closed the zipper like he was confused.

Yamauchi : "Kanji?"

Ike was rigid with a pale face. He was unmovable like he was having a temporary feeling of paralysis.

Yamauchi : "Come on, let's go!"

Yamauchi was watching Ike, whose appearance became suddenly strange, and he said half-jokingly:

Yamauchi : "Hey hey... Could it be...Maybe you stole it?"

Ike : "What..?!! Y-You're wrong!"

Ike hastily denied it, shaking his head while holding the bag in his hands. What a blatant reaction. Did he perhaps think that he could deceive anyone who saw it. And not only me, it does seem Shinohara saw him as well

Yamauchi : "You... Don't tell me..."

Ike : "What? Are you suspecting me?!"

Yamauchi : "No, that's not it... Just... The bag... Show me what's inside."

Ike : "Ah! Wait..."

Yamauchi grabbed the bag as he was really going to examine it. I couldn't saw it clearly but somehow it raised my suspicion on them

Ike : "Eh! That's not mine! Somehow this was put in my bag!"

Yamauchi : "Hey now, give me a better excuse."

As Ike was in panic, Yamauchi's look towards him was one of pity.

Ike : "I am telling you, I do not know! Seriously! Why there is... u-underwear in my bag?!"

Yamauchi : "This is shameful. Anyway, let's explain the rest to Hirata and the others."

Ike : "Huh? If I do that, then it would mean that I confess that I am the culprit!"

Yamauchi : "And the culprit was no one, right?"

It does seem Karuizawa's underwear somehow landed on him. So, is Ike the culprit? The case is not that simple as to come to such an easy conclusion.

When and how did he steal the underwear? Also, I don't think that the thief would hide casually the underwear in his own bag. He should know that his act would soon cause an uproar and that we would start searching for the culprit as soon as possible. He sure failed to keep his composure.

However, the moment we talked about opening his bag to search his belongings I thought he would panic. In Ike's case that didn't happen until after he found what we were searching for.

The conclusion drawn from this, is that the culprit is someone else and they put the underwear in Ike's bag.

If the stolen thing was found here, no matter what the boys said, the girls would declare that Ike is the culprit.

I wonder should I jump in to help him or just leave it to Hirata. I mean, looking at how he didn't tell to the other about how Karuizawa usage point then I don't think he would exposed Ike either

Being docked back and forth he hide the underwear on his pocket and leave his fate on Hirata

Hirata : "Ike-kun? Are you okay?"

Ike : "My bad, sorry. My bag got a bit dirty, so I was cleaning it with my hands."

By making this excuse, Ike handed over his bag.

Hirata at first declined the offer to do the inspection, but eventually he did it. After finishing inspecting everyone's belongings Ike give a smirk to Shinohara who was waiting with her arms folded. I wonder why he taunting her, if it was me I will try to avoid making any contact with her at all

Hirata : "We searched everyone. But we found nothing."

Shinohara : "Really?"

Hirata : "Yes. We are sure now. None of the boys is the culprit."

However...

Shinohara : "Wait a minute!"

Mori : "We are not convinced yet"

Shinohara : "Hirata-kun, allow us to check something"

Sudou : "Wait, what are you doing?"

As Shinohara approached boys, she and Mori began looking inside the tent.With that I decide to approach Ike to make sure did it was actually her underwear or not

Using this momentum I snatching the thing on his pocket while everyone attention turned on Shinohara and Mori who checking boys tent. Carefully move in stealth like a pickpocket I finally managed to get it from his pocket.

When I'm inspecting this, it does seem like girl's underwear. This must be definitely Karuizawa belonging. After make sure of it on a flash I immediately hide it in my pocket but...

Oh shoot...

Did I get caught? A boy seems focused his sight on me

He didn't say anything but his gaze keep focused on me

Can't be helped then...

Hirata Yosuke POV

Ayanokoji is mysterious like always. Maybe because of that among the girl aside of Karuizawa. Somehow I give her a bit attention than the other girl in the class.

Solving Sudou problem and again. I saw her tried to save Ike from his predicament.

Oh, our eyes meet. So, she noticed that I saw her. After I caught her in action. She unexpectedly come approach me.

I become anxious since Ayanokoji who rarely talk suddenly come and whisper at me

Kiyone : "...Let's talk later..."

I'm stunned not knowing what did she wanted to do. Could it be she is the culprit? Absolutely not I think. I mean, as Horikita's right hand, she won't do something so silly like that

I keep stared at her who went silently back at girls side

After inspecting the two tents, Shinohara went back to the girls and whispered to them.

Then, she come to talk with me

Shinohara : "You know that Hirata-kun. Maybe the culprit hid it in his pocket or something? I am curious as Ike and Yamauchi were talking to each other in whispers before."

Of course they were, the girls demanded to search all over the place carefully.

Ike : "That's enough! That's false accusation!"

All the girls started began attacking Ike.

Onodera : "Wasn't Ike acting suspicious from a little while ago? Maybe he is hiding something after all!"

Ike : "What!? I'm... I'm hiding nothing! If you want to search me, then search!"

Sigh...

Even he is saying like that, I know from his gaze that he pleaded me to save him. Glad that Ayanokoji immediately do something about this. She is surely quick-witted person

Shinohara : "Well, nice suggestion there then let's search. Hirata-kun could you do it please?"

Ike began pale after his own words seems a like suicidal attack instead

Hirata : "All right. However, you girls must understand one thing. If we find nothing here, then from now on I would like you to stop investigating the boys constantly."

Under the supervision of the girls began a physical examination of Ike and Yamauchi. They didn't move under my careful examination and I was able to inspect every corner. Of course the underwear won't be found on Yamauchi nor Ike. Although...

On the other hand...

Ike seems pale although he do his best but...

Hirata : "He doesn't have it either."

Ike seems confused, like he can't believe it he immediately touch his pocket but there nothing bulge on there. I walking towards Shinohara. Ike and Yamauchi surprisingly exchanged looks.

Hirata : "These guys didn't have it. You girls satisfied with this right?"

Shinohara : "That's strange... I thought it would be someone from those two. But if Hirata-kun says so..."

Although I feel guilty, I'm glad Shinohara believe it.

Hirata : "It should be fine once I tidy up the luggage. I'll talk about this with Karuizawa-san herself later"

She nodded

After all the inspection ended, some boys hurriedly returned inside the tent.

Ayanokoji approach me.

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun, would you like to accompany me to gathering some branches to lit a fire?"

She probably means to use an excuse gathering something to lit up fire for cooking.

Hirata : "Sure"

Then we began to walk together toward forest

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Now, there is only two of us

After I thought we gathered enough branches, I decide to began break the silence

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun, I do aware that you had several question on me. You can ask away now"

I wonder if he think that I was the culprit or I had a feud with Karuizawa so its a good time to say what's on my mind to clear some suspicion and also talking about this exam as well

Hirata : "Um...Ayanokoji-san. Do you perhaps had a boyfriend?"

THUD!

I'm surprised and even unconsciously dropped some of the branches I hold before.

W-What?

Eh? Why did he suddenly asking that?

Wait, could it be he seeking the correlation between the event? B-But...

How should I explain it to him? How do I answer that question properly to avoid suspicion?

What should I do?

I was confused but...

Hirata : "Ahahaha, sorry sorry, it was because you look like so tense that's why I intend to cool it down. Are you mad at me?"

Seriosuly Hirata, don't make me startled like that

Responding his question I shake my head and began to crouch to pick the fallen branch I dropped before

Kiyone : "N-Not at all. But that was surprised me for real that you asked me like that out of the blue"

He began to put down his branches and help me collecting the branches which I dropped.

Hirata : "I'm sorry about that. Anyway, you still having it in your pocket, right?"

I nodded

Hirata : "Karuizawa's underwear... Did you do that, Ayanokouji-san? I mean the one that put hers inside Ike-kun's bag"

Kiyone : "No, that wasn't me"

Hirata : "Well I trust you. You're not that kind of person. But why having them inside your own pocket? If the girls figure out, don't you think that you are not in safe position"

Kiyone : "I do, however if this was on boys hand. It would caused rift in our class..."

Later, I told him honestly about her underwear being in Ike's possession before. Hirata showed his brooding gesture for a moment.

Kiyone : "...That's why I don't think Ike-kun did it. If he's the culprit in the first place I'm pretty sure he won't put it in his own bag and put it instead in another place."

Hirata : "That's right, that's why its better that you gave it to me"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

There was no way I couldn't answer that after he told he believed me without hesitation.

Hirata : "I can take care of the underwear, if you'd like."

I'm surprised

Kiyone : "Wait! Is it okay?"

Having this is similar to holding the joker card – something that is hard to process.

Hirata : "Even if I turn out to be the worst culprit, it will have minimal damage on me. They'll think I'm pretty much her boyfriend."

Kiyone : "But still..."

With saying this, Hirata put the underwear inside the plastic bag used for the toilet. I wonder if Karuizawa would be happy knowing he touched her underwear with bare hands.

Hirata : "However... With this we've found out one bad news. Knowing the underwear was in Ike-kun's possession, high chances are there's a culprit in the class."

Kiyone : "Probably..."

No matter what, if other class' students were wandering around then someone must have seen them for sure especially with 40 pair of eyes of students here.

Hirata : "I believe you're not a culprit. That's why I want you to leave it to me"

Kiyone : "O-Oh. Thank you. But still, that's not all... we still had to find the culprit Hirata-kun"

Hirata : "Indeed, it will be uneasy if the culprit isn't found, boy or girl regardless. Truth to be told, I didn't like to suggest it but it would be the best if someone like you to find them, no one paid an eyes to monitored you. Since it somehow kinda looks difficult to devote time to put everyone together..."

Well, there are behavior restriction tagged along to the class' center person such as Hirata.

Kiyone : "Person involved in the crime is certainly worried about the culprit. I don't think a person who would do things like hiding the underwear in Ike-kun's bag can be easily found."

Hirata : "I do aware of that as well"

Were we fully aware of that thing? Even Hirata was supposed to know that finding the culprit is hard.

Kiyone : "... Well, I'll do as much as I can for the time being. Don't have excessive expectations."

Hirata : "Thank you, Ayanokouji-san!"

While saying thanks with embracing spirit, Hirata deeply and thankfully lowered his head. The theft of this underwear was probably an extremely troublesome case to Hirata. It would be an evidence of him as a leader taking seriously a crisis that had come to the class in order.

Hirata : "Ah! Also, if you find the culprit... At that time I want you to tell me first. Certainly don't tell it to anyone else."

His ability to convey strong emotions with appealing eyes is strongly assertive even for me. Since I had nothing to lose I think, I nodded on his appeal

Hirata : "I know it kinda selfish however if it becomes public, this class will again sustain a big damage. I want to avoid this. That's why I want to think of a method of getting a peaceful settlement through talking with the culprit. And if they reflect, we could be done with this story because of me."

Kiyone : "In other words, you'll hide the truth?"

Hirata : "Hide, huh... It's a bad wording, but even if it's taken that way it cannot be helped. Even if someone from the boys is the culprit, I think the truth should be hidden."

He fixed his pupils on me intensively. It looks like he's saying he's willing to protect the perpetrator.

I closed my eyes while pass the underwear to him

Kiyone : "I understand. So I'll report to you first. Is that alright?"

Hirata : "Thank you. Let's get back to camp."

He started walk and I do follow him from behind

I felt one contradiction in Hirata's story. He said the truth should be hidden right after he said he wanted to saved me because he trusted me. In other words, even if someone had the underwear, the truth will be hidden from the classmates. Hirata might be didn't have full trust in me. Let alone that, he probably highly thought there was a chance that I was the perpetrator. That's a natural thing, of course.

From outsider's perspective I, who the last one hold the underwear, and saving that Ike is probably the culprit. That's why Hirata by giving me, who might be the culprit, the role of the detective spilt the thread of salvation and gave a warning not to cause second offence at the same time. While thinking this way, I could grasp the story. The only thing certain is to forget the incident.

I also had thoughts of Hirata being the culprit, but somehow it almost impossible he was the culprit.

Kiyone : "Hirata Yosuke-kun. Are you trying to play hero?"

Hirata : "Hero huh? If that's how you saw me then so be it..."

He smiled but somehow behind his smile it hid a deep sorrow on it. I can't tell exactly what is it unless Hirata himself told it. Well, when the time come I do believe that he will tell his story sooner or later

Karuizawa : "Could you please gather the others?"

When we just got arrived at the camp, Another meeting had already started to take place. It was not long before the whole class gathered together.

Shinohara : "Men are not to be trusted. It is absolutely impossible to stay in the same place with them!"

Okitani : "But there seems to be a bit of a problem for guys and girl to live apart now, don't you think?... The exam is almost over. Because we are friends, we must believe in each other and cooperate. Isn't that how we go through this exam?"

Karuizawa : "That may be right. But we cannot stay in a place with underwear thieves!"

Karuizawa is swinging her head to the side dismissing this idea as absolutely impossible.

Well, honestly I don't know how they could take such conclusion, I mean the girls. And also Hirata cannot say anything since he isn't the one who become the victim.

Adding to this, Shinohara brings a branch of a tree and pulls out a line, in a patronizing manner.

Shinohara : "We believe that the culprit is a boy. So, we draw a line here and divide the area between girls and boys. Boys entering our area is absolutely prohibited."

Shinohara finally proposed to officially divide our common living space.

Sudou : "What's this?! You treat us like criminals, without proper proof. Didn't we let you check our baggage and also do a physical examination?"

Shinohara : "You may not have necessarily hidden it into your bag, right? Men are perverts. Anyway, please do not enter the girls' territory until we find the culprit. So go over there."

After saying that, they demanded the boys move the tents. As expected, the boys did not seem satisfied with this and booing ensued.

Yukimura : "If you do not believe us, then move your tent away or whatever. We will not move our tent and we will not help you move yours either."

??? : "Ah! I see, then fine. You cannot stand the burden of getting caught, while pretending to help."

??? : "And do not use the shower anymore, ok? It is not a joke to let a man who might have been a perverted thief use it."

It seems that the unity that we had so far has completely broken down.

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun?"

Hirata : "Yes, this is bad"

Kiyone : "S-Sorry...I didn't know how the other girls come at such conclusion... I mean..."

Hirata : "...Enough, its not your fault. You were with me earlier so its normal that you don't understand. I'll try to get knowing situation first"

He began to walk toward the commotion

Sudou : "Heck. Can you even stamp your tent?"

Feeling that the situation became rather dangerous, Shinohara asked Hirata who just walking toward the commotion direction for help.

Shinohara : "Hey Hirata-kun, could you please help us? For Karuizawa-san's sake?"

Hirata : "Ok, I'll help you. But, I need to understand the situation first. How could you girls come with this conclusion? Can't we just talked it together like we usually did? So-"

But this time Karuizawa throwing tantrum

Karuizawan : "I don't care! I don't like near around them! They are perverted panty thief! Hirata, please... I can't had a peace of mind around them..."

Looking at his girlfriend begging like that and also the boys doesn't seems to make compromised as well. He don't had any choice but to agree with both of party wishes.

Naturally the boys' complaints were rising, but in this situation their words weren't taken into consideration. Everyone except Hirata was suspected to be the thief, so it couldn't be helped. The discussion where Karuizawa and Shinohara seized the initiative was rapidly approaching the conclusion.

Hirata : *sigh* "Since I'm alone...It may take some time, is that okay?"

Shinohara : "Thank you, Hirata-kun! Good for us, Karuizawa-san!"

Mii-chan : "Yup. Only Hirata-kun is to be trusted."

Being a little bit happy and a little bit embarrassed, Karuizawa's cheeks blush. However only one girl who seems disatisfied with this result

Horikita : "I need to remind you all that Hirata still boy, so Hirata could be the culprit as well."

Karuizawa : "What?! Hirata is not the culprit! What a stupid thing to say! Get lost!"

Horikita : "Don't make a fool of yourself Karuizawa. Just because he is your boyfriend does not mean that he cannot be the culprit!"

??? : "What's wrong with you?"

??? : "Did you think just because you had influence you can throw false accusation like that?!"

??? : "You could say something like that because you don't even interact with anyone in class!"

??? : "What is this pathetic loner said?"

Immediately Horikita being attacked by Hirata's harem although several of girl actually had the same opinion like her but they didn't dare to voiced their opinion especially against the largest girl's group on this class

Horikita : "So, are you done?"

With her cold eerie tone. Even though it just simple word but if it said with different accent and intonation it could even silenced the other girl who badmouthing her before. Is this her loner skill? Quite amazing that she could pierce the flow and turned the tables on them with simple moves.

After every girls silent. She began to talk

Horikita : "Can I raise my objection against all of you? Especially to you, Karuizawa?"

In the midst of such a cold atmosphere Horikita calmly but also firmly faced Karuizawa. Of course Karuizawa can't be get overhelmed by her as well because if she does then her goons would be lose their trust on her

Karuizawa : "What is it Horikita? Do you have any objections against our present plan?"

She asked while crossing her arms

Horikita : "I do not mind dividing the living area between men and women. As long as the culprit hasn't been found, it is prudent to keep ourselves at a distance from the boys, since there is a high possibility that the culprit is a guy. However, I do not trust Hirata, I mean I cannot rule out the possibility that he is the thief and I'm not convinced as to why he must be excluded from the rules and let him enter the girls' area."

Karuizawa : "Hirata would never do such thing. Can you understand that, at least?"

Horikita : "That's your own personal belief. Do not force the same idea on me as well."

Karuizawa was clearly not satisfied with Horikita's attitude and took a step closer to her.

Karuizawa : "Hirata is definitely not the criminal. You don't even have friends, let alone a boyfriend, so you may not understand."

Horikita : "Do not make me say the same thing over and over again. You cannot convince me about him."

Horikita did not bend even when she was provoked.

Karuizawa : "Well, then let me ask you something. I guess there are not any other boys that can be trusted except Hirata. Or are there?"

This time, Horikita the one who get cornered. It does seems she thinking so hard but she can't mention any boys in the class who can be trusted on her perspective

Horikita : "Listen, I won't speak without thinking. Simply put, you can increase the number by another one. If you do that then we'll have two boys. It's very effective when boys want to watch each other's backs."

Karuizawa : "This is not a joke! Did you experienced the same just like me? No! I've been humiliated by a boy. Do you even understand? Do you know what is going to happen if you pull the culprit in?"

Horikita : "Don't you think this is happening because of your insufficient crisis management? While we were wasting time, maybe they were making up their reason of how they did not know the underwear were being stolen?"

Karuizawa : "Oh! What crisis management?! They let us search their bags! What's insufficient in this!"

Horikita : "It does not matter if your underwear is stolen. It happens often in everyday life, people fall victims of robbery. However, here it seems that there is a someone that has a grudge against you."

In other words Horikita considered the possibility that the culprit did not steal the underwear with an ulterior motive, but rather it was an act of randomness against Karuizawa specifically.

Maybe there was someone who was trying to get rid of their old grudge against Karuizawa and who deliberately decided to humiliate her. I can imagine the culprit following such a route. But is it appropriate for Horikita to express that idea against Karuizawa in public?

She is smart, but she has difficulty in interpersonal relationships and this is exactly Horikita's weak point. If Karuizawa is stirred up in front of a large crowd, then she will get even more hurt and irritated. And this rage will not only be headed towards the boys, but to Horikita too.

Karuizawa : "You..."

Karuizawa was on the verge of bursting out with rage when Hirata barged in and stood beside her gallantly.

Hirata : "Karuizawa. It would be of great help for me if you chose to save another boy. Can we do that?"

She followed up to his mediation.

Hirata : "Bu.. But.. How can I trust anyone else apart from you, Hirata?"

Ike : "Well, then choose me!"

Ike slowly raised his hand.

To think that he was fighting with Shinohara just a little while ago...

Sudou : "Wait! If it's about physical work. It's me! Trust me Horikita!"

Sudou was waving his hand.

Yamauchi : "Wait! It's me who has shown the most skillfulness, here!"

Yamauchi also continued. Actually he even least useful than thus two before

No matter how many times boys had disputes with the girls, boys couldn't help but wanting to be close to them.

Karuizawa : "Stop joking! This is serious! We are not trying to find a way to bring a pervert here. It's no wonder that one of you is the thief. Or Horikita, do you think these guys are good enough?"

Horikita : "Well, this is what I believe. These 3 people are completely unreliable, considering their daily behavior. But that doesn't change the fact we need someone else to help him. At least someone who can be trusted aside him. "

Karuizawa : "Who is it? Someone other than Hirata? Between these boys?"

I look towards the boys. Is there a guy who can feel at ease when compared to Hirata?

Horikita : "How about Hirata himself? Let him choose another boys"

Karuizawa : "B-But still..."

Horikita : "Don't you said you trust him"

Karuizawa grit her teeth. She can't refute Horikita's arguments.

Karuizawa : "Fine! But someone should be in charge to watch them, are you perhaps going to do this?"

Horikita : "Why should I? If it about this, I had suitable person for that in mind."

Who is it exactly?

Satou : "Me!"

Mii-chan : "L-Let me do"

Shinohara : "I don't mind to do this"

Horikita began to point at the person she mean to be

Horikita : "It's you, Ayanokouji-san!"

Me? I point my finger at myself while being confused

...What? Why me? How is it me?... Unintentionally, my mouth hung open, unable to speak a word.

Most of girls : "Eh? What?!!!"

Karuizawa : "Hmm, indeed. She looks okay. It does seems she is someone who would not seduce Hirata nor she had appealing appearance. Fine, I accept your suggestion"

Not that it matters to me, but my existence in this school seems to be something between "that girl" and "sulky fellow". Is this the pitiful fate of a girl who could not build satisfactory interpersonal relationships in the first semester?

It does seems most of girls especially the girls from Karuizawa's group disagree with it except Shinohara

Shinohara : "This will do. Until we figured out who's the culprit, we surely can't trust the others boys. Right, Karuizawa-san?"

Karuizawa : "Right. The culprit is surely someone from the boys."

Hirata look at me with a guilty look

Hirata : "It does seems that I need your cooperation once again Ayanokoji-san"

I nodded

Kiyone : "Likewise"

Because of this incident, it had been decided to continue with our activities with the boys and girls being separated individually in the end.

Hirata Yosuke

It was that boy name. I do admit that he really caught my attention. Not because of his outstanding looks, but because of his ideals of how actions ought to be. An ordinary human being takes the initiative to be responsible for troublesome, unpleasant matters while responding uppermost to the others. Cooperating with the girls, he and the other boy was setting up 2 tents to keep them at a distance from the boys.

I, who was on the other side, watching them had a fixed role of hammering pegs of carrying tents to the ground. At the beginning, the other boy immediately groaned with girls selfish request, but as soon as I bring consumption, he seems somewhat happy. It was unexpectedly easy. Right now, I can't just watch them so I decide to help them in disguise of 'learning'. Now, I was nailing the peg of the second tent with a hammer while wiping my sweat. Our link Hirata assisted me with spreading the rope and hammering the peg.

Hirata : "Sorry for giving you a hard time."

The other boys were playing outside or trying to store some food with fishing.

Kiyone : "No, you don't have to apologize. Beside, that supposed to be my words. It would be bad leaving it to you."

Hirata : "It's not bad. I'm doing it because I wanted to do it."

The existence of his refreshing smile was a big factor in making the other girls fall for him.

Kiyone : "It might does sound strange, but why are you working so hard?"

Hirata : "Working hard? I don't tend to work hard. I'm only doing what has to be done."

Without meaning to sound boastful, he wiped dripping sweat with a towel that was hanging on his neck.

Hirata : "I think this special trial isn't a battle, but an important opportunity for everyone to become closer. That's why I want to cherish this very moment. I will gladly work if that's necessary for it."

I wonder if an ordinary person can be full of good intentions as much as Hirata without being two-faced. Wanting to be liked by people, wanting to attract attention – it's normal to have such a mindset. But I couldn't get such an impression from Hirata. I had strong feelings that he just wanted to be good to everyone.

Hirata : "Alright, about half is left. Let's end this quickly."

He went to the opposite side of the tent in order to hammer the remaining pegs.

Karuizawa : "Hirata~! Come here for a moment!"

Karuizawa and the other girls were calling Hirata. In a flash they surrounded Hirata and were pulling his arms forcefully.

Satou : "C'mon, c'mon, come here!"

Hirata : "Ah, I still have things to do..."

??? : "Can't you leave it to him, no? Can't you?"

They said while pulling him with all strength.

Looking at Hirata and his worried face, I averted my eyes since I don't want to get caught on thus dispute

Hirata : "But, it's hard to do it alone, So —"

But the girls ignored his pleading and he went along with them

??? : "Wait! Where the hell he's going?"

The boy who were helping him somewhat mad because he leaving him alone

Kiyone : "Err...Hirata-kun went along with Karuizawa-san and the other girls so-"

??? : "Fvck this! I'm done.

He is angry while throwing the hammer to the ground

??? : "I don't care with you girls anymore. I'm not gonna help even you girls beg and whining to me later!"

He truly leaving. He walking back to the boys side

I took the hammer, as I was dejectedly watching he leaving the flag behind. I decide to continued with the work they leaving

In the middle of my works someone approach me. I saw a silhouette shadowing across me.

Kiyone : "Kushida-san?"

Kushida : "You do this alone?"

I nodded

Kiyone : "He was mad at us and also Hirata-kun being dragged by Karuizawa-san and the other girls. So, guess I had no choice."

Without saying any word she come to pick some frame and asking me

Kushida : "Ne~ Do you know how to do this? Or should we called someone from the boys to help us?"

I shake my head

Kiyone : "It'll be done soon."

1 tent finished and it left us with the other tent

Kushida : "Wow, you finished it? I never though you know this"

Kiyone : "I just continued unfinished job which Hirata-kun left behind. I paid attention to Ike-kun and Hirata-kun before, so more or less I think I can do it. Let's try assembled it by ourselves then we will ask them if something didn't work out. I mean... I do feel bad with the boys. We already complained a lot, so..."

Kushida : "That's right. Let's do it by ourselves."

But before we started an additional hand come

Onodera : "Yo, need a hand?"

Sakura : "A-Ayanokoji-chan, is there anything I can do to help you?"

Inogashira : "You know to do it? Awesome! I think we could do this with 5 of us"

Thanks God

And finally completed everything by ourself before Hirata returned.

Kushida : "It took us more time than I thought, I mean to do this... however this is somewhat fun, I guess I started to understand where does Kanji-kun spirit coming from"

She said while smiled. On the other hand Onodera checking the tent and Sakura and Inogashira taking rest

Onodera : "Yup! I though we've done it well. It good and sturdy just like boys tent I think"

We had to pay attention to the direction of the tent and pegs while stretching the rope many times.

It was on the middle of noon. We decide to taking break to restored our physical strength. Working under the blazing sun was too exhausting.

But when we were resting. Someone unexpected coming to us

Ibuki : "May I have a word with you?"

Since we completed the tent, we'd rest for a while when Ibuki called.

Ibuki : "The discussion about the underwear thief this morning looked very serious. I mean, class D isn't monolithic."

Kiyone : "Hmm, could be. We can't stand various hardships."

Ibuki : "Whatever the reason, as a woman stealing the girls' underwear is unforgivable."

Onodera : "Huh? That's rich coming from a spy like yourself"

That's right. But why was she telling us this? It wasn't me or any of us here who was protecting Ibuki but Yamauchi. Since we had a discussion there shouldn't be any special entwined concern...

Ibuki : "Are you doubting me?"

It looked like Ibuki saw our treatment of being a culprit from Onodera and the others this morning from far away as well.

Kiyone : "Are you the culprit?"

Ibuki : "No"

Onodera : "Then who's the culprit then. I'm pretty sure no matter how dumbs the boys are, they wouldn't do something stupid like this. But if it was you, then it does make a sense"

Kiyone : "Etto...I do belive that you had no reason nor bad intention to interupt us however some of my classmate had a doubt on you. I...I wanted to believed you Ibuki-san"

Ibuki : "It's fine, that's reasonable that I'm being doubted here. Well, it's not like I have specific proof. It looked like some girls trust you and that boy Hirata as well. I think the chance of the culprit being a girls is low."

She had such a conclusion after hearing the argument between Karuizawa and Horikita.

Ibuki : "You guys have no clue about the culprit, right?"

Kushida : "Right now, not at all. I don't want to doubt the boys as much as possible."

Ibuki : "So, who do you think is the culprit?"

Her inquiry was as if she was testing us. I was side glancing Ibuki who was standing right beside me, but she was waiting for the response without facing me. Even so, she continued without an answer:

Ibuki : "If the boys aren't the culprit as you're saying, then the next one who is suspicious is me, a stranger. Someone is certainly doubting me. I might be pretending as if the boys have stolen the underwear. Am I right?"

She said so in self-mockery as if being fully aware that she herself is a suspect. I replied to her in a moment full of feelings:

Kiyone : "I wonder if you at least trust me either but I don't think you're the culprit."

I answered this to Ibuki without hesitation. She looked at me a bit surprised as if wanting to make sure that this is true. When my eyes matched hers, she looked away.

Ibuki : "... T-Thank you. I didn't think you'd be so kind."

Kiyone : "It's just my honest impression of you."

Onodera : *sigh* "Well...that was her opinion, but like I stated before. I don't trust you at all"

She said while glaring Ibuki

The reason I could answer her like that because only by getting on her good side I could know more about her.

I wouldn't lie if I had some opinion like Onodera about her. Therefore, I thoughtlessly made a conclusion. The culprit who stole the underwear from Karuizawa and hid them in Ike's bag was Ibuki.

Its about dawn and I just coming back from gathering food with Sakura however...

Horikita : "You are back just now, well...I'm sorry. It seems I can't defend you this time. I do believe you are innocent it just... Nothing..."

What did she wanted to convey toward me? I decide to continue walking back to camp and stored our gathered turfs but when I stored it I saw something. Something very despicable to do

Kiyone : "Huh? W-Why my bag where outside?"

??? : "So, you finally come huh?"

I look toward the source of the voice

Kiyone : "Etto...what's going on?"

Karuizawa : "Did you even need to ask for this? From now and on you are going to sleep outside together with her!"

She said while pointing out Ibuki who hold her bag as well

Kiyone : "Wait Karuizawa-san, honestly. What's going on? I don't understand at all"

Karuizawa : "That just like you've already heard."

Kiyone : "No, I mean the part that why I should sleeping outside? I don't understand about that part. Did I perhaps somehow making mistake or something?"

Karuizawa : "Good grief, then please. Explain this!"

Her another underwear? So, what exactly is this?

Karuizawa : "This one, I found it on your bag. Or are you trying to making excuse to take mine just because yours were dirty?"

Excuse me? What?

Kiyone : "Huh? B-But, I never do something like that toward you. How come?"

I look toward her clique. Satou immediately averted her eyes while the other seems just following her lead. Unexpectedly, some group of girls walking to this commotion. And one of them are...

Shinohara : "Wait, Karuizawa-san. This must be works of the actual culprit, you can just send her out like that-"

Karuizawa : "Huh? What?"

She said while glaring her

Shinohara : *gulp* "I-I mean, if she is actually innocent and we somehow wronged her. It caused you will gained hatred from the others more importantly she is Horikita's goofer. We can't let this group fell apart because of this, I-I mean we-"

Karuizawa : "That's enough! If you keep complaining like that. You are going end up like her as well!"

She immediately goes silent since she can't argue against her gang leader

But still. Why does she just jumping on conclusion like that easily like I was the cause of this?

Sakura : "W-Wait, th-that's not true at all. Ayanokoji-chan is..."

Karuizawa : "What? Another complaint? Or you wanted to go accompanied her? There you have it"

Sakura : "N-No! T-That's not it, I mean she was with me all along. I-I'm pretty sure that she isn't the culprit since she didn't even entered the tent at all after we set it together. Tha-That's why-"

Karuizawa : "I don't care! Save your damn excuse for yourself. I don't like her, Hirata is mine. I can't trust her anyway. Unless you could prove her that she is truly innocent aside of your lies testimony then I will apology- No, I will even kowtow toward her if you could proven your words. Can't you do it?"

Backed by Karuizawa fierce words, Sakura can't do anything. Even though she stick with me however it just same like the case with Sudou and class C. As long as she were coming from the same side, the other would normally believe that her testimony was a fake

Bursting out the tears, she runaway leave the commotion

Kushida : "W-Wait! Where are you going Sakura-san?!"

Kushida immediately goes after her

So, in the end I got kicked out from tent and nobody stand up for me even though some of girl had more or less opinion like Shinohara. She believed that this kind of act are impossible for a girl doing. Since it become like this, I can't just tell what happened toward Hirata or the boys.

The girls making a territory line between boys and girls so its no wonder unlike the other day ago we were still eating dinner while merge together without any space like a class unity supposed to do.

During the dinner, Karuizawa seems so hostile toward me. She even wanted to alienated me from the others however with Horikita argument:

'If she's truly the culprit? Isn't this good chance to keep watching her as well. By doing this, she won't even had a time nor a chance to get revenge at you right, Karuizawa?'

Karuizawa back then goes silence since she can't refute Horikita reasoning and also she's truly understand that if she keep throwing tantrum. The other girls would be disatisfied

On the 5th night of the special examination trial, class D was feeling depressed. It was like we were keeping vigil all night over a dead body. After all, no one knew who the culprit was and no one wanted to talk about it. A whole day passed without a moment of doubts and suspicions.

Within this situation today. I was just looking at the fire, throwing some branches occasionally... a very monotonous and nothing to do. The boy who watching for the bonfire across me didn't said anything in particular and focused on his job to keep the fire while guarding the post as well

The problem, though, laid elsewhere. She comes truly at the worse timing you can be

Horikita : "Let's talk somewhere else"

I nodded and began to follow her

Horikita : "It's hard when you are forced to do miscellaneous routine duties."

Kiyone : "... Look who's talking. I would have been alright if it wasn't for your unnecessary recommendation."

Horikita : "There was no other way. Hirata is not to be trusted. Insurance is necessary."

Kiyone : "You are the only one in class who doesn't trust Hirata. It's better not to think that all people live by being two-faced. Thanks to you that the real culprit using this momentum to put me in this though situation as well"

Horikita : "That's true. In fact, I am not two-faced. And also I'm aware that some part of you wanted to blame me..."

Indeed. Horikita lives, by being true to herself. She ended up dodging this rather skilfully.

Horikita : "...However, most people use their real intentions quite differently from their principles. Just like you do. Moreover, I don't trust any of them because charity and hypocrisy are two sides of the same coin."

It seemed that her trust issues weren't limited only to Hirata. They applied to everyone as well.

Kiyone : "Still, I trust Hirata-kun"

Horikita : "Hmph! At least, I can count on you. You are really reliable."

Kiyone : "Rely on me? Can you at least say that I have a good influence on the class because of him?"

Horikita must have had something on her mind since she came back at me with a counterattack. It probably seemed to her that I was holding information that she didn't know and, on top of that, I kept answering her with an unfriendly smile.

Kiyone : "Well, Hirata-kun may not perfect. There are times that we cannot organise things properly when boys and girls are gathering together. But don't you think he is doing his best as a coordinator? He can do what other students can't."

Horikita : "That's for sure. It's true that his act of taking on a big role without making a sour face is impressive, but this must come together with a good result. However, it's not possible anymore. The situation looks dire already. Do you really thing that we had a chance to win like this?"

Kiyone : "Well...probably no..."

Horikita : "If nothing continues to happen, this time we should probably remain quiet and obedient. But it's very risky that the stolen underwear case remains unresolved. If the culprit is still nearby, from now on we should probably hold him/her back from achieving other successes. That's why I want to catch the culprit as soon as possible."

Kiyone : "So, do you want me to collaborate with you?"

Horikita : "Yeah. Now that cracks started to appear on the male side, there are many things which we can't do alone."

Boys and girls were now in the middle of a cold war. Information from both parts had been cut off and it was hard to find them out even if we went out to explore.

Kiyone : "Understood. I don't know if it'll help but I'll do what I could"

When I replied so frankly, on the contrary, Horikita had a doubtful face.

Horikita : "...I can understand things a bit... Do you have any other aim?"

Kiyone : "It's better for you to accept other people's favours amenably. As a normal class D residence, I'm quite dissatisfied with the fact that the boys have been treated like thieves by us. My motive to collaborate is enough. To clear this entire stupid misunderstanding"

Earlier before, Hirata asked me to be responsible for the situation but it shouldn't change anything.

Horikita : "Well, I'll wait for your report soon tomorrow."

But the culprit wasn't stupid. First of all, under the situation of being suspected by all the members of the class, he/she wouldn't give himself away or show his true colours. Horikita may still think it'll all be okay even in the worst situations. When we've already been disturbed on this trial more than this, it had an effect on the points too.

However, about the culprit... Ibuki will probably have to take action once again. No, it has to happen for sure. Because she didn't achieve her goal yet.

Horikita : "Treating someone like a criminal like that perhaps is not to your liking?"

Kiyone : "Isn't that obvious? Because of this incident, the class is a mess. It's a pity, despite the fact that we did everything very skillfully until today."

Horikita : "It's unexpected that we managed to cooperate until now. Because usually there's no teamwork in class D. The final effect has been poor though, especially now that there's a crack in between the boys' side and the girls' side. Of course, it would have been better to bring everything until the end of the exam"

Kiyone : "Whoever is the culprit, I wonder what is really their aim? Was the purpose of stealing Karuizawa-san's underwear just putting into disorder our teamwork? I feel there's another hidden purpose."

At the keyword 'purpose', Horikita crossed her arms but, after considering it for a while, she shook her head.

Horikita : "Let's not think too much...Sorry, but I'm going back to the tent."

Horikita, while breathing bit by bit, brushed her hair up and turned her face away from me. Before she is get up I hold her arms to forced her to stay

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, how about confessing quietly?"

Horikita : "C-Confessing? What in the world are you saying?"

Although she pretended to be calm, Horikita had a slight perspiration on her forehead. I decided to be reasonable with her.

I keep moving myself at her face closer, she's somehow began to panicked

Horikita : "W-Wait! Y-You can't do this! What's wrong with you?!"

I keep analyze her behaviour

Horikita : "S-Say something. Did summer heat somehow screws your brain?"

Kiyone : "I won't deny that summer heat truly make me get screwed over though"

Horikita : "W-Wait wait wait! We can't Ayanokoji-san! We're both girls so-"

What the heck is she saying. Perhaps her fever even more severe than I though

Kiyone : "From when the exam started, you've become increasingly sick, no?"

There may have been signs of her poor physical condition even before travelling but it was still light. Due to Horikita's personality, the possibility that she would have been absent in a travel where there was excessive playing around was very high.

After she realized my intention. She composed herself like she usually supposed to be

Horikita : "Ahem! I don't get what are you saying. It's normal though."

Kiyone : "Stop lying please."

I extended the my hand and grab her shoulder thighly. She tried to escape but she is too weak. Then she tried to hit me but I caught her hand so easily

Kiyone : "Don't move"

She closed her eyes and...

Why does she put that kind of expression? Did she think that I'm going to kiss her? As expected her fever truly affect her rationality as well.

I make our forehead touched each other. I feel her fever kinda high. I couldn't tell exactly how much her temperature but...

Kiyone : "Its around 38 degrees Celcius, huh? Are you started getting dizzy lately?"

While our forehead still touching each other, she ask

Horikita : "Since when? Since when did you notice it?"

Kiyone : "That time when we met on the deck. I wanted to hear what were you doing at that time?"

Horikita : "I told you I was reading a book in my room."

Kiyone : "It was really tough on you so you stayed in your room sleeping, right?"

She pushed me away gently

Horikita : "What's the basis of that?"

Kiyone : "When you joined the others, your hair were disheveled. In other words, that was the evidence you were laying down just before. Moreover, on the anchor deck, it was so damn hot but it seemed like you were cold. Even now, you're wearing long sleeves with the zipper raised to the top. If you observe your situation until today from an external point of view, even elementary students will understand where my conclusion came from."

Horikita, who usually would strike back, this time lost the words to retort back and sunk into silence for a while.

Kiyone : "I know this is a good chance. If you could offer all that sharpness to make us moved towards class A, you'd be able to get a little more recognition. This is your chance and we can't waste it. But, if your condition like this-"

Horikita : "No! There's no turning back. Are you not going to keep silent about my condition anymore?"

TIt was clear that there was a flu close to 38 degrees. Still, she was hiding it. That was for some simple reasons. If you reported your bad physical condition, the class would end up receiving a bad evaluation and getting a bigger penalty. Her luck ran out since the exam started.

Kiyone : "Are you gonna make it through the end of the exam? Your health is-"

Horikita : "Just shut up!"

After a long silence

Horikita : "Sorry...I'm already hold up for 5 days, it'll all be in vain if I give up here. That's why..."

She walked passed me

Horikita : "Good night, Ayanokoji-san..."

She's determined to going survive until the end. Her will seems to be solid.

Right now I'm with Ibuki

Since both of us got kicked out from tent. We were forced to sleep outside

Ibuki : "Oi, move it here. My back still hurt over here"

I nodded and following her order. Soon...

Ibuki : "Well, thanks for sticking with me"

Kiyone : "N-Not at all. In fact thanks to you that we somehow could make a bedshed even on this place although..."

Ibuki : "Mosquitoes huh? Can't be helped then, its annoying but just bear with it. When your body is too tired, you might be managed to got sleep."

Kiyone : "T-Thanks for your advice"

We sleep together at our hand-made bedshed, we dig a ditch and pour ground salt on it to make some small insect away from our bedshed. Ibuki might be think that I was suffered, however I got excited instead since this is my first time sleeping like this.

We keep silent tried our best to sleep but...

Ibuki : "Hey, are you still awake?"

It does seems she can't sleep easily like she claimed to be. Well, I guess a little chat would do

Kiyone : "Un, what's wrong Ibuki-san?"

Ibuki : "You see, that afternoon. I caught up the culprit who made you become spacegoat."

Kiyone : "Really?"

Ibuki : "Yeah, I do understand that you doubt it. Well, either you believe this or not. The culprit was that girl with beige hair. She was together with you during afternoon on camp."

Beige hair? Satou? Matsushita? Or might be Kushida?

Ibuki : "I dunno what's your problem with her. I mean, she was with you when you trying to set up the tent together. Did you perhaps do something which make the other hate you like you are being too close with that boy Hirata or someone else maybe?"

Kiyone : "I dunno and I do think that I never had a dispute with anyone in the class before this exam"

Execpt some incident with Kushida on rooftop that night

Ibuki : "You are not loathed them? The culprit and those fools who wronged you?"

I shake my head

Kiyone : "Not at all... I just had a bad day or might be not bad at all"

Ibuki : "Huh? What do you mean by that?"

Kiyone : "I mean, this might be a chance for me to know better about Ibuki-san. That's why maybe God created this opportunity like this behind this incident. You know Ibuki-san, I think you are actually good hearted person. I wonder, perhaps both of us could become a good friend after this..."

Ibuki : "Sh-Shut up! Just sleep alright. Good night!"

She hurried herself to sleep. Well, I slowly closed my eyes and feel the cold night of the nature through my jacket like trying to enjoying every second on the wilderness until I fall asleep

Third Person POV

At middle of night, a silhouette of person walk approach toward 2 girls who fall asleep with hand-made bedshed.

That person seems bring something

??? : "So, here you are. Quite faraway from girls tents"

That person inspected the bedshed

??? : "This must be not comfortable right"

Next, that person touch the girl who sleep withsupine position while holding her glasses on her chest. That person touch some part of her body.

??? : "Her jacket seems too thigh"

That person fixed her jacket and next that person touch her face

??? : "Its so cold, how could they feel asleep in this kind of place?"

After that, that person draw out something, 2 large warm blanket.

That person put the blanket on them and decide to leave

??? : "I-I'm so sorry...I don't mean the thing to end up like this. Because I need to keep it, I need to cover it. Once again, I'm truly sorry. Please, forgive me..."

That personsilhouette began to exposed under moonlight.

A beautiful teenage girl of average height with waist-length blonde hair that is tied in a ponytail and purple eyes. She's somehow show her pained expression as if she made unforgiven sin.

??? : "I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."

With heavy guilt she keep muttering while walking back toward the camp

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

X : That's too damn long this time damn it!

Hahahaha

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 3 : Day 6; False Teamwork Pt 1

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

I felt a strange warmth on my body when I tried to woke up from my slumber.

Kiyone : "Blanket?"

I look toward unknown blanket who covered us. Here I found that Ibuki still sleeping beside me. It still dark, I guess I woke up too early. By the way, who's the one who giving us blanket here? Is this perhaps Horikita or Kushida doing? Somehow I doubt that either of them did. Well, whoever did this I'll send my gratitude later. If I could find out about this person later on

I decide to get up and fold the blanket. After that I do little stretching to make my body comfortable to move around. I walk to look what happened at the camp. Two boys already awake...No, they probably keeping watch all night.

Miyake : "Huh? Never though that I saw you stay up late just like we did"

Kiyone : "N-No, actually I just woke up"

Okitani : "Huh? But its still dark though. You could just go back to sleep"

Kiyone : "W-Well, I just feel bored so...I think that it such a waste to just lay down on this fresh morning breeze, that's why I do think that I'll took a little walk before everyone wake up. So, I'm sorry for bothering you guys"

Okitani : "No, not at all. You are not bothered us so much like the other girls did. Be careful-" *yawn*

I nodded

I could see they somehow feel sleepy with their reddish eyes. Since I don't want to bother them any longer, I walk toward different location

After I take a little walk in the morning I decide to come back to saw Ibuki

The time on the wristwatch was still before 6 in the morning, but as soon as I felt the hot, humid air, my drowsiness vanished in an instant.

The moment sun rise, I realize that the scenery is completely different from yesterday.

Kiyone : "... Just my luck, isn't it?"

It seemed that the curtain on the 6th day of the special examination test opened, early in the morning with trouble.

There are signs that it will begin to rain soon. Most probably around noon.

The weather was rough, towards the end of the exam.

There is no need to worry if it rains a little bit, but in some cases it rains heavily and strong winds are possible.

Then, we may have to act thinking the worst case scenario.

It seems that we will have a lot to do. Like checking the tent pegs and thinking what to do with the baggage.

In other words, that means that we are going to be busy and that will cause unnecessary attention.

Ibuki : "Hnng~ Huh?"

Kiyone : "Ohayo~ Ibuki-san"

Ibuki : "O-Ohayo~..."

She look like confused. Maybe she isn't the type who could get instantly focused in the morning

Kiyone : "Did you rest well enough?"

She nodded...

Only that?

Hmm, I guess she isn't the type to talking much in the morning. She is also immediately get up and fold the blanket and put it on the blanket which I fold not far from bed-shed.

Eventually, when everyone gets up

Hirata immediately command the class like usual. We will combine the food we gathered with the emergency food we've got in store, by using our points and make it into a pot, so we can eat.

In our everyday life here, there are naturally complaints here and there that gradually increase, but in the last couple of days, everyone showed their willingness to survive this test.

Hirata : *phew* "Excellent. We have no incident, for days."

Surely. This would not have been the case if there had been an incident today where underwear was stolen.

Now, In front of the boys' tent, the guys who were guarding up until the morning were passed out like being drunk. I do feel pity at them to be honest

This is a deterrent that was devised to prevent the recurrence of underwear theft.

Hirata was gathering already a lot of students and giving them a final round of encouragement.

We should split into groups and start searching for food in order to survive today.

Once we get the food of the day. We don't have to use points.

It can be said that this is a critical moment.

We gathered around Hirata.

Ike : "Shouldn't we also come with you?"

Already standing on the riverbank with the fishing rod in one hand, Ike turned over his shoulder to ask.

Hirata : "No. Ike and Sudou, I want you next to go fishing. From now on try to teach instructions about fishing to the other students. We have no time."

As soon as the policy is decided, Hirata goes and gathers the group as many raise their hands.

Of course, I will not be able to raise my hand, but I will participate as a remainder this time.

The members chosen are Horikita, Sakura, Yamauchi and surprisingly, Kushida.

Horikita's physical condition seems to be still bad, but she is struggling to look well so as her situation is not to be perceived by the people around.

Horikita : "How did this happen and you are left behind? Where is your usual group of friends?"

Come to think of it, I can't see any of the girls who were working with Kushida in this exam.

Kushida : "Ah, yes. Well..."

Kushida whispered in Horikita's ear, as if he was worried about the boy presence.

Kushida : "The truth is, Mii-chan today is a girl's day, right? ... Anyway you look pretty sluggish too and you look sick all the time. Isn't it better for you to rest, my other friends may attend you at the tent"

Standing close to Horikita and Kushida, I heard their conversation. Kushida take a glance on me.

I see

I nodded and she averted her eyes from me

Horikita : "I am safe from the effects of the menstrual phenomenon even if you say that I seem to be in a poor physical condition. It's only natural, after all. But why bother with this group? I am sure there are many other options"

The only reason why Horikita goes on a fool's errand is because she hates Kushida.

Basically, Horikita hates humans in general, but among them, it is Kushida the one that she particularly dislikes the most.

Why does she hate her so much?. The reason for this seems to be simple, it is because Kushida seems to hate Horikita, too.

However, whenever I think about the relationship between these two, I feel like there has always been a strange sense of discomfort between them.

Kushida Kikyou has a hidden side, especially towards girls. There is one side of her that changes suddenly so as to abuse a person calmly.

However, this is a fact that I happened to know by chance, and the usual Kushida is basically a bright and caring cute girl who is kind to everyone.

I don't think there are any students who dislike her except for reasons such as jealousy, but I think I understand well that Horikita is not the kind of person who would be jealous of Kushida's character.

There are some things that make even the philosophers suffer.

Such as the question 'Which comes first, the chicken or the egg'

A chicken is a creature born literally from an egg, but also a creature that lays eggs. So which came first, the egg or the chicken? That kind of story.

So, I do not know which one between these two was the first to dislike the other, Horikita or Kushida, or when did this started.

Kushida : "I thought that it would be good to talk to you Horikita-san, since a lot has happened. You know, we haven't talked that much during this trip. As soon as it gets dark, let's go to sleep, together"

Kushida understands that she is hated and tries to make friends with her even though she hates her, too. Well, if her goal is to be friends with all her classmates, being friends with Horikita is a road that cannot be avoided on her dictionary. That's also the fact that she somehow still wanted to interact with me despite she is somehow hate me for finding out her secret side

There are a lot of complicated and confusing questions about the relationship between these two.

Horikita : "I do not have free time to accompany you for unecessary things"

Kushida : "You are so mean Horikita-san. Even though your sleeping face is so cute"

Horikita seemed a little annoyed, as Kushida said those things to make fun of her.

For the time being, though, it seems that I will search for food with these members.

Kiyone : "Ano... Ibuki-san. Why don't you come with us, too?

Just as we are ready to go, I call Ibuki who is resting under the shade of a tree near us.

Ibuki : "I..."

Kiyone : "Today is the last exam. But, I don't want to pressure you if you don't want"

Ibuki : "Fine. Since I have a debt of gratitude with class D, I'll help ok? I'll take part in it"

Ibuki who put her bag on her shoulder, wished to participate and Yamauchi was pleased by it.

Yamauchi : "Ah, that's good, that's good! So this is the feels like of a harem protagonist, huh?"

The more the girls' percentage increased, the more Yamauchi's tension increased too. But there was nothing better than having a lot of hands. With no reason to refuse, Horikita set foot into the forest without replying anything in particular.

We walk together through the forest

Yamauchi : "The dark forest is really ominous...or rather I should say are you afraid of the heat and the fact that it's damp and humid"

The sky was actually pretty cloudy, and the inside of the forest changed considerably compared to yesterday. The visibility was scarce. Yamauchi, who was sweating from his armpits, proceeded to fan his own gym tracksuit with low spirit.

Yamauchi : "Aren't you hot too, Sakura?"

Yamauchi, who wanted to talk about something, called out to Sakura. But, his eyes were fully concentrated on her breasts, and it was easy to understand that his only aim was that he wanted to see directly her tits.

Sakura : "Eh? Ah! Ah, no! It's okay"

All of sudden, Sakura tried to lean back like she wanted to indirectly escape his gaze. It is said that girls are really sensitive to men's gaze because there's always an ulterior motive to it. In Sakura's case, this is particularly noticeable, since she already had many experience like this.

Kiyone : "Yamauchi-kun, stop stare at her like that."

Yamauchi : "Haaa~ Ayanokoji-chan so cold. You see, take a little page from Kushida-chan there"

He said while pointing out at Kushida and the others

Yamauchi : "I just heard something about yesterday, Karuizawa was really terrible toward you right? Also you're so gentle Sakura, you tried to protect you Ayanokoji-chan but since you were alone of course its futile against her.

Sakura : "A-Ah, no...err...Horikita-san, Kushida-san, Onodera-san, Shinohara-san actually tried to do so as well..."

Yamauchi : "Ah...uh...well anyway...Seriously, Hirata so pathetic that he couldn't even keep his classmates trust on him. His biased action toward his girlfriend right now made several classmate began to doubt him because of his incompetency to keep her girlfriend on check."

He had all the intentions of talking warmly but his gaze and the substance of it is a high-explosive bomb.

Kiyone : "Yamauchi-kun. You might as well be mindful of the trees. It's possible that they may bear fruits. Also, in this area the trees are tall, so please keep check on them"

Yamauchi : "Oh, Of course. Leave it to me"

Doing this, I'll somewhat be able to prevent that Yamauchi's gaze will turn again towards Sakura. Nevertheless, the boundless lust of this man will never run out.

Kiyone : "Rain clouds are approaching from south-west. The weather may be stormy sooner than we imagined"

Sakura : "S-Should we head back already?"

Kiyone : "Well, that depend on Horikita-san. If she said to retreat then we retreat

Depending on the circumstances, it would be better to keep in mind that the rain will probably fall first thing in the afternoon. If this happens, it may be dangerous to go out looking for food for a long time. If we end up being caught up in the rain in the forest, far from being forced to a standstill, there's the fear of injuries. In this case, a large quantity of points will be spewed out all at once.

Kushida : "Mmm..."

While we kept walking quietly looking for food, Kushida repeatedly assumed a brooding and pondering expression while looking alternatingly between me and Horikita. Of course, Horikita was ignoring everything.

Yamauchi : "What's wrong Kushida-chan?"

Yamauchi asked her, when he noticed her delayed actions.

Kushida : "Aya-chan and Horikita-san are on good terms from the beginning, right? So, I was thinking about the reason"

Yamauchi : "Huh? Is that so? But I do think that they arguing a lot though"

Kushida : "Well...It looks like this. How are they could be that close?"

Kushida opened a difficult topic as well. Well, I should clarify already

Kiyone : "We don't really get along well and what Yamauchi-kun said is the truth"

Kushida : "You always deny it but you still get along. Even now you're always interact frequently to each other"

Even if they say such a thing, I'm not really aware of it nor I particularly remember doing it.

Kushida : "Ah! I may have found something that Aya-chan and Horikita-san have in common"

Yamauchi : "What is the common point?

Kushida : "Well, look at them properly Yamauchi-kun. Do you notice anything?"

Yamauchi : "What?"

Yamauchi drew near and observed my face centimeter by centimeter. Then, after that, he rushed to Horikita and took a closer look to her face.

Ah, so stupid. He got too close.

SLAP*

And so she struck his face in the most dry way. so merciless

It's just exploded a splendid slap in the face from an ashamed drama actress. Yamauchi started to hop up and down in a weird dance, first soundless from the vigor and the pain of the slap, then shouting and falling down. What is terrible is that Horikita doesn't even glance to Yamauchi nor she cared about his words.

Yamauchi : "W-What did I do?"

Horikita : "You were too close. You better remember to keep away from my personal space"

It was something similar to what happened when Ike came out and made a pass at Horikita. I think everyone would feel uncomfortable when coming face to face, and at a really short distance, with a boy you don't like to begin with.

Kiyone : "You should've learn from what happened to Ike-kun already"

Kushida : "Ahahah...So-Sorry Yamauchi-kun. I said some unnecessary things. You okay?"

Yamauchi : "Y-You're kind Kushida-chan..."

Yamauchi took the hand that Kushida held out, and he stood up with a red face. Ibuki kept watching the whole story from beginning to end with a slight surprised face. She probably doesn't see often this kind of stupid exchange in her class.

Yamauchi : "So, What is the common feature that you noticed, Kushida-chan?"

Kushida : "You know? They both laugh very little! I mean, I think I never saw Aya-chan and Horikita-san smiling"

Kushida pointed out this unexpectedly, and she was convinced I would accept it obediently. Regarding Horikita. I saw her smiling several times like she wanted to fool the other party but that was nothing more than a smile of courtesy. I glanced to her with a little displeased feeling

Kiyone : "Don't think about it too much like it's all genetic maybe. I mean, the part about the difference between a person who laugh often and a person who doesn't"

Kushida : "Un, I don't like this kind of reason. Even if it's true"

Well, that's not all. There's also the possibility that the environment, in which one is mainly brought up, influenced this kind of thing but I don't want to talk about it.

Yamauchi : "Should you try practicing once? How about that? Smile"

Horikita : "For the time being, let's start with the center of this area"

Said Horikita who suddenly cut through the conversation.

Kushida : "Eh?"

Horikita : "How long do you feel like travelling? We decided already that we need to find food"

Horikita put Kushida in her place with a strong tone and a flat refusal. And immediately she fired instructions to deploy the people for the search.

Horikita : "Two persons should search without acting alone. Beware of that. Let's go Ayanokouji-san."

Being called, I started walking with Horikita.

Sakura : "Ah... Au..."

Huh? I saw Sakura who was following us from behind dropping her shoulders.

Yamauchi : "Let's find food together Sakura."

Yamauchi, who called behind Sakura's back, suddenly showed her thumbs up. It seemed that was the sign of using the chance of only two of them being together.

Kiyone : "Please, take care Ibuki-san."

Kushida : "Leave it to me"

Ibuki and Kushida who stayed paired up. Ibuki is unsocial as well but there shouldn't be problem being with Kushida.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, how will you handle the custom key card?"

Horikita : "I check it on the sixth day of the trial, right... I always have it on me."

Saying this, she put her hands in the pocket of her jacket letting me know it's right there.

Horikita : "When I improve the device, I'll slip it among the students arranged by Hirata-kun. Ibuki and the others aren't supposed to know."

Well, I wasn't worried much concerning the circumstances. Since it was the thing I had to pay the most attention to I'll do it well.

Kiyone : "Could you show it to me?"

Horikita : "Huh? Here?"

Kiyone : "It's rather convenient here. It's too suspicious in the base camp."

Horikita : "... That's true, but what will you do when you see the card?"

I explained the situation to Horikita who was giving me suspicious look.

Kiyone : "To be honest, I was being silent until now. Since I was together with Sakura-san, she can confirm it later, but I saw students having some kind of keycard on the first day."

I told Horikita about Katsuragi obtaining the card in front of the cave.

Kiyone : "However, I'm not sure if that was really the keycard. I haven't properly seen the thing. I wouldn't joke about mistaking it with different card, right?"

Hoorikita : "... Right. If you're absolutely positive, then that's a huge accomplishment."

Being convinced of the reason, Horikita turned to alert Ibuki and secretly took out the card. I received and checked its front and back. The back side was the usual magnetic card, but as Chabashira-sensei said the front side was having the proof of the leader. The name of Suzune Horikita was carved. Even when I tried touching it with hands, I understood it wasn't something to be peeled off.

Horikita : "Well? Is it the same card Katsuragi-kun had?"

Kiyone : "No... Hmm. I thought I'd know seeing it... But it's of a different color than I remember."

Horikita : "There's a possibility that the keycard is of different color depending on the class."

Kiyone : "Indeed. But there's a shortage of material to decide. If we make a mistake we can't recover."

When I tried to return the card, I dropped it from my hand on the ground.

Kiyone : "Ah!"

At the same time I let my voice in panic, Horikita immediately reached out her hand to pick it up. She put the card in her jacket, but due to the noise we naturally gathered the attention of surroundings.

Kushida : "What happened?"

Kushida looked over here a bit worriedly. Ibuki as well.

Horikita : "No, it's nothing. There was a bug and I got surprised. That's all."

When I looked at Horikita apologizing, she glared at me terrified.

Kiyone : "I-I'm so s-sorry..."

Horikita became extremely furious and took a distance from me.

Yamauchi : "Did you two just argued again?"

Yamauchi approached me. This is perfect opportunity

Kiyone : "You come at the right time. Look, Yamauchi-kun. I have to ask for a favor, so would you lend me your ear?"

Yamauchi : "What is it? If this the consultation fee for love, it would be expensive you know?"

Kiyone : "This vicinity's ground is full of mud due to rain, right?"

Yamauchi : "So?"

Kiyone : "I want you to put this mud all over Horikita-san's hair. Can I ask you that?"

Yamauchi : "... Huh? Wait, if I do that I'd get killed! I certainly won't do that! Don't drag me on your girls feud!"

Of course, I understood I won't get an agreement. However, this was an act that was too unnatural for me to carry out. Since Yamauchi is normally good at telling lies and doing pranks, I thought he could pull off this stunt.

Yamauchi : "You know, if Horikita gets mad at me. I would be on danger!"

Kiyone : "Is that so? That's too bad, maybe this is the only opportunity for you to get Sakura-san's address"

Sorry Sakura, I sold you out but this is necessary

Yamauchi : "It can't be helped. I'll do it."

He immediately change his stance without any doubt like before. Boy that lives for love quickly decides to die for it. This decisiveness is amazing

When I gave a sign, Yamauchi gathered up a lot of near-by mud with both hands and turned behind Horikita's back. If she had not been ill, she might have noticed signs, but Horikita couldn't afford to pay attention to her surroundings now.

Kushida and Ibuki, noticing the bizarre behavior of Yamauchi, were watching curiously. And then, Yamauchi did it. With all one's strength he covered Horikita's beautiful black hair in mud with both hands. He filled her up all over with both hands. He didn't have to overdo it, but well...

Yamauchi : "Ahaha! Horikita, you're full of mud! Now you are muddy-Kita! Hahaha!"

Like a youngster, Yamauchi laughed at the prank pointing finger.

As if she couldn't grasp the situation for a moment, Horikita didn't move for a while. However, when she understood it, she got up and without words grabbed Yamauchi's hand that was pointing at her.

In a moment of confusion Horikita intent to threw away Yamauchi.

Wait! Did she intent to kill him. This is dangerous!

I immediately run to save him

We returned to the base camp before noon with no result. Even without the sun, it was unbelievably hot in the forest during midsummer. Even Horikita, who said she didn't sweat, was slightly wet.

Kushida : "You'd better wash yourself quickly, Horikita-san. You're quite dirty..."

Horikita : "That's right... This situation is truly painful."

Having her hair and clothes covered in mud, Horikita was annoyed with displeasure. She wasn't excepted even with her bad physical condition.

Horikita : "It's because of this I resent you for a lifetime. Prepare yourself!"

Burbling Yamauchi hid behind my back, trembling in fear.

Yamauchi : "I-I-I-I di-did it. T-The promise!"

Without saying anything I gave him a small fold of paper. When he opened it he immediately celebrate like he just achieved MVP

Yamauchi : "Uuuoooogghhhh!!!! I know I could trust you Ayanokoji-chan. Thanks you very much!"

It might have been bad for Sakura, but Yamauchi needed a compensation for his heroic act.

Kushida : "Oh no, looks like it's impossible to use the shower room..."

The girls who had already returned from the search gathered in front of the shower room waiting for their turn. Ironically, Karuizawa and two other girls from her group were standing in line. Even if Horikita and the others stood in line now, it would be a long wait. But due to various reasons of her muddiness, she wasn't thinking of surrendering to Karuizawa who showed hostility towards Horikita.

Sometimes I wonder. Isn't that Karuizawa supposed to hostile toward me? Why she look like hostile toward Horikita instead. Anyway, it looked difficult to cut in there.

Kiyone : "How about using the river? It's easy, right?"

Horikita : "... Right. Looks like there's no other option."

Kushida : "I could go swim as well. Would you come with us, Ibuki-san? I sweat a lot. If we get the approval then class C can use the river?"

Using the spot without permission was the unquestionable rule.

Ibuki : "I'll pass. I'll quietly wait for the shower room since I don't like swimming."

Sakura : "W-Well me too..."

Taking advantage, Sakura refused as well not wanting to expose her bathing suit to the other. Horikita turned her back after seeing the shower room once again. The shower room with its source of hot water was the best for sure, but regardless of the cloudy sky it was quite humid. She didn't have confidence to keep on waiting with her bad condition.

I was heading towards the front of the boys tent together with burbling Yamauchi.

Kiyone : "Are you alright?"

Yamauchi : "I'll rest in the tent for a while. It hurts where I was hit. Anyway, thanks for it Ayanokoji-chan"

It looked like Yamauchi was crying entering the tent while walking unsteadily, though I don't understand which is crying of joy or crying of pain either. Although a suitable person, he really did agree to a harsh favor...

Well, let's go back to Horikita's state. She disappeared from our views having already started to change into her swimming suit. During that time the number of people waiting for the shower room gradually increased. Behind Karuizawa and the others were Sakura and Ibuki. Two other girls lined in the back.

On the other side, the number of students enjoying their time swimming in the river was big as well. A few minutes later Horikita and Kushida appeared in swimming suits.

Then I was waiting inside the camp. When I returned to see the Horikita and Kushida about 5 minutes later, I saw Horikita who was washing herself in the river standing up. The cold river's water must have been a poison to Horikita's sick body, but she was satisfied with washing away the mud.

Kiyone : "...Looks like you've worked hard."

Seeing Ibuki at the very end of the shower room's line. I guess she really did her best

I was waiting 15 minutes in front of the girls tent for Horikita to come out. She stood stock still for a while, laying her eyes down to check up her condition. She then slowly raised her head looking around. When her eyes met mine, her pupils swayed for a moment. Her figure approaching me with heavy footsteps yet didn't seem to be frail.

Horikita : "... Ayanokouji-san. C-Could you come for a moment..."

I turned around once again to check if Ibuki lined in front of the shower room.

Kiyone : "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Horikita : "Follow me!... We can't talk here."

With only uttering this, we left the camp moving towards the forest.

Kiyone : "What happened? Are we going to enter the forest searching for food again?"

Horikita kept on walking without answering my calls. She stopped once we couldn't see the camp anymore. Horikita turned back wanting to say something, but hesitated for a moment as if having second thoughts.

Horikita : "... It was my negligence. I wanted to say to you after I realized it was a mistake. Is that alright?"

Kiyone : "What are you talking about? Just get to the point"

Horikita : "... It is stolen."

Kiyone : "Are saying your underwear were stolen? So you wanted to borrow my spares?"

Horikita : "No! Even worse! The thing stolen is..."

A long silence

Kiyone : "What is it?"

Horikita : "K-Key card. It was stolen. It was a complete mistake."

Kiyone : "This is not funny at all"

Falling into self-hatred, Horikita showed a facial expression I hadn't seen until now.

Horikita : "I-I wanted to talk to you since in this class I trust you the most. I couldn't consult with someone who might be a culprit. It's so embarrassing I want to die..."

Kiyone : "So what now? Are you going to kill yourself like you said?"

I was honored to hear that, but I couldn't possibly rejoice in front of her when she was feeling down.

Horikita : "S-Such a big mistake..."

Kiyone : "The one who stole it who's to blame, right?"

Horikita : "Even so, it's a matter of responsibility. It has nothing to do with me being in a bad physical condition or covered in mud."

Said Horikita regretfully, casting her eyes down. The leakage of information could bring big damage in the trial.

Horikita : "I shouldn't have let go of the card even for one second. But instead, I..."

Kiyone : "Don't blame yourself. Maybe it won't console you, but I think you did the best you could do."

I didn't know if she had heard me. All she did was bit her lower lip as in regret.

Horikita : "We couldn't announce this publicly for now. We should grasp the situation first."

Kiyone : "Yes... I think so too."

Everyone would have panicked if they had known the truth. I wanted to avoid that at least.

Horikita : "I suspect two persons. Karuizawa and Ibuki."

The former one would have done it out of simple hatred. Horikita hurriedly explained she could have stolen it out of fun.

Kiyone : "The chances are low. Karuizawa-san was the whole time in front of the shower room."

Horikita : "Are you sure...?"

Kiyone : "Yes, I can affirm. You can ask the girl who were around the shower room and they would gave you the same testimony as well"

Horikita : "If that's correct, the chances of Ibuki being the culprit is high. She could have known about the existence of the card in the morning and the timing was just too good. However, don't you think stealing is a very dangerous stake? Since the name of the leader is carved on the key card, only looking at it is supposed to be enough. Maybe she's mimicking crime on purpose."

As if seeking for my answer, she looked at me with suspense. I laid my hand on Horikita's shoulder and calmly said

Kiyone : "We could understand that if we examine the timing and inquire Ibuki-san. If we're going to doubt Ibuki-san then we shouldn't keep our eyes off her. Her escaping away would be the worst scenario."

Horikita : "That's right. But excuse me, I wonder if you could return before me to follow her immediately."

Kiyone : "... Is that so? I get it. I'll go back and look out for Ibuki-san- Huh?"

Suddenly we saw the dark smoke on the sky, if we approximate the distance. That's probably from our campsite

Horikita : "W-What's going on?!"

She probably had the urge to be alone in order to throw up, but even so she didn't seem had the chance even for remorse. I left Horikita by herself and returned to the base camp.

Horikita Suzune POV

I came back and felt the uneasy air of the campsite. It was because of the dark smoke that could be seen from my initial point before.

It was too early to make a fire. I noticed that the place where this was coming from was very strange.

Horikita : "What's that smoke? What on earth happened?"

I caught Ayanokoji's tension nearby and asked her about the situation.

Kiyone : "This is serious. It's a fire. Someone burning something behind the toilet..."

All the girls who were lined up in front of the shower room before are gone. They must have left in a hurry as soon as they heard that a fire broke out, .

Horikita : "I can't see Ibuki. The fire might have been her work. Where is she?"

Kiyone : "As soon as she noticed the fire, she just walked there."

I hurried to the back of the temporary toilet, there were Hirata and the others. It does seems Hirata and Sudou tried to extinguish the fire while the other tried to save another stuff to avoid getting burned

However, Ibuki was also there.

I was ready to call out Ibuki, however the moment I saw her, I was hesitated. Because Ibuki's expression was so genuine. She couldn't hide her confusion about the fire. That's the face she was making.

Horikita : "Does that mean... She didn't do this?"

My head already dizzy and now this situation even more confusing. What does it mean?

If it was for the key card to be stolen, it had to be Ibuki. If there was a fire, only Ibuki could have caused it. Nevertheless, Ibuki was still on the scene and acted surprised by the fire.

When I looked into the origin of the fire, there was something left after the east side of the papers got burnt. But since most of it had been already turned into soot, I couldn't tell exactly what it was, as I saw it just for a moment.

However, some parts that had not burned completely looked familiar, so the moment I saw them, I realized.

Horikita : "T-This is...Did the manual get burnt?"

Hirata : "W-What?"

Sudou : "Seriously?"

Hirata : "Who would do this?..."

Ike and several boys finally come while bringing several buckets full of the water

Ike : "Move! move!"

With their arrival, finally it already extinguished

Urg! Why? Just why it ended up so terribly like this?

Horikita : "I-I am responsible for this. The manual was kept in my bag. We kept them all piled up in front of the tent and I didn't expect mine to be stolen by someone during daytime. But first I have to digest properly what happened."

Hirata coughed with a gloomy expression on his face.

Hirata : "Why... Who would have done something like this... Why can't we all come along..."

Spontaneously, his look so terrifying. Where did his usual refreshing expression go? There was a terrible atmosphere hanging in the air.

Hirata's body and mind, as he constantly worked as the leader to consolidate our class, continued to bear a heavy burden. Meanwhile me, who only had a role to just keeping 'key-card' safe. In comparation toward his role, I would be truly ashamed because of this.

I...

I can't just left everything else like this right?

Hirata : "H-How? W-Why does this entire thing happened?"

Mii-chan : "H-Hirata-kun, I-I don't think you have to overburden yourself."

She said words that couldn't be considered comforting to Hirata, however, he stood up muffling a thank you.

Horikita : "This incident... We have to discuss it, properly."

Hirata : "That's right. Most of class D has witnessed the fire. I am sure they would like to find out the truth."

With a depressed expression, Hirata tried his best to reassure the others. However...

Karuizawa : "...Hey, you boys must be doing this right?"

Ijuin : "Does that mean there is a traitor for real in our class?"

Not far from where we stood up, we found Karuizawa at the head of a confrontation between boys and girls.

Sudou : "Why are you suspecting us? Isn't this a whole different matter from the one with the underwear?"

Shinohara : "You think we don't get it? Did you not burn it, so that you can mislead us?"

Okitani : "Don't speak nonsense, as if we could do something like this."

Ike : "Burning something like this carelessly in the forest could be fatal, nobody stupid enough to do this!"

Hirata immediately come to dissuade the confrontation

Hirata : "Wait a moment, everyone! Let's calm down and discuss altogether."

At once Hirata went to the center of the circle and intervened to mediate and convince them not to quarrel.

It may have been due to yesterday's theft of underwear incident, but both sides have now heated up and showed no sign of settling down.

But this time its even worse, he failed to pacify the both side. It seemed that the members of class D couldn't help starting a hunt for the culprit here.

Kiyone : "Rain..."

She muttered something while she look up at the sky

Following her, I looked up at the sky.

Drops of water were falling and dripping onto my cheeks. The clouds were getting darker than before. This was proof that heavy rain would come soon.

Originally, all of us agreed to unite and overcome the last pinch.

But now, boys and girls were strongly opposed to each other, and they remained unmoved as if they were having a real war with each other.

Shinohara : "I can't do this, anymore. Seriously, this is the worst. Having arsonists and underwear thieves in this class, this is the lowest of the low."

Ike : "That's why we've been telling you that it wasn't us! How long are you going to keep suspecting us?"

A quarrel that could keep going forever.

Hirata was supposed to stop this soon as usual, but he was standing still, looking dumbfounded for some reason.

Hirata : "Why... Who would have done something like this... Why can't we all come along..."

Was he thinking about who could be the culprit?

Suddenly Yamauchi and Kushida come with running toward us

Yamauchi : *pant* *pant* "Kanji, did you see Ibuki?"

Kushida : *pant* *pant* "E-Everyone, did any of you perhaps noticed where does Ibuki-san gone?"

Everyone noticed that Ibuki, who was nearby some time ago, wasn't here anymore. And I noticed that the bag that should have been left here was also gone.

Damn it!

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Everyone seems shocked

Ike : "Hey...Could it be...?"

Shinohara : "Perhaps, the culprit of this fire..."

Karuizawa : "You're also doubtful, I see. If she was to start a fire, well, as expected..."

Men's suspicions began to turn towards Ibuki, and the girls also begun to doubt Ibuki little by little. However, before the resolution, the rain began to fall gradually stronger and stronger.

Ike : "Crap. Let's postpone the discussion for the time being. It's terrible if we're going to get drenched."

Ike and others, in hot haste, began to put into the tent the food and packages taken out. The other group immediately trying their best to keep some of their own stuff dry from the rain

Ike : "Hirata, give us next instructions."

Ike called out to Hirata but, he still stood motionless in the same place. Hirata was staring at the empty space and didn't move the whole time. In the meantime, the sound of the falling rain was gradually getting stronger. I was getting anxious for this situation, so I approached Hirata but I didn't get any sign of recognition.

Hirata : "Why...Why is this happening...It's the same as that time..."

He keep murmured that words. I couldn't understand the meaning but it's certain that it's not a trivial matter.

This is not like Hirata at all. Hirata, who is always calm and composed.

Hirata : "Because of me, up until now..."

Hondou : "Hey Hirata, what are you doing?!"

A voice called Hirata from a distance. Still Hirata made no move, whether he had heard it or not.

I gently grab his hand and he slowly turned over and looked back to me, surprised and astonished.

Kiyone : "Ike-kun and the others is calling. Hirata-kun, are you okay?"

Hirata : "...Huh?"

Hirata's expression completely lost life — he was turning pale. The second time that Ike called Hirata, he slowly regained back his sanity. So in that moment, he finally noticed it was raining.

Hirata : "Rain..."

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun, we are waiting for your next instruction."

He began to look at his surrounding

Hirata : "Th-That's right, sorry. We have to settle everything quickly."

Then, he immediately give us command like usual

During our middle work. Sudou who helped me to bring some of the girls stuff toward our tents suddenly ask

Sudou : "Hey, Ayanokoji. Is that fellow, Hirata, okay?"

Kiyone "I don't think he is fine, he looked like in shock. Probably because many accidents happened in succession."

Sudou : "Hehehe, you see. There is a story in middle school, there was a young master and and also a honor student, he carried a lot of heavy responsibilities? Due to the fact that he took too many of them upon himself, he ended up exploding. From there, for a short time his class became a mess. You know, its like some kind of horror movies plot story right?"

Kiyone : "Etto...I don't quite understand but the part about being 'explode'. Is this going to happened toward Hirata-kun too?"

Sudou : "Well, still it's an exaggeration to say he'll explode. In some respects, it's too much of a danger though."

Kiyone : "Oh..Uh.."

I wonder if it'll be like Sudou's wild intuition. But he seems to strike the point unexpectedly. Since the start of this special exam, Hirata has been burdened with various things. It would be strange to compare these difficulties with the common trouble of school life. For sure, the environment surrounding Hirata was starting to change.

The issue of Karuizawa's underwear, the mud, and the uproar of the fire. His heart may stormy just like this sky.

Sudou : "Well, our part done. Let's help the others"

I nodded

We joined to help the students who had already begun putting them in order. Thankfully, it was all completed in short time.

Kiyone : *phew* "Alright...All the preparations are over."

I supposed that Ibuki was going to disappear but at the same time, unexpectedly Horikita did too. I read this as a fifty-fifty possibility but rather, she probably proceeded voluntarily towards a favorable direction.

While the other succumbed on their tent or taking shelter from the rain. I use this chance to looking for them

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Hahahaha

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 3 : Day 6; False Teamwork Pt 2

Horikita Suzune POV

Amidst the rain which began to fall heavily, I forced my sluggish body to chase after Ibuki. The sky, covered with rain clouds, blocked the sun, and visibility was poor. Even though I couldn't see Ibuki, fortunately there were footprints on the muddy ground. I'm sure that if I follow them, they will lead me to her.

She walked around a 100 meters from the base camp, going sometimes left and sometimes right, along the way. Then, unexpectedly, her figure stood still, as if she stopped and waited for someone to come and meet her. Inadvertently, I went into hiding, even though this action had no meaning.

Ibuki : "What do you think you're doing?"

Without even turning to look back, I heard Ibuki's calm voice through the sound of the falling rain.

Ibuki : "I am aware that you have been following me. Why don't you come out already?"

Horikita : "Since when did you notice it?"

Ibuki : "Right from the start."

Her short answer, gave me an ominous feeling that I had not felt from her before. Her quiet and reticent impression didn't seem to change. But, something was different.

Ibuki : "So, what is the reason you've been following, me?"

Horikita : "I wonder if you do not know, unless I tell you directly."

Ibuki : "I don't know."

She's playing hard way, I see.

Horikita : "You clearly understand very well why you are being followed, right?"

Ibuki : "I really have no idea. Why? What's the reason?"

Turning back to face me, Ibuki was looking at me straight in the eyes. There was no dejection in her eyes. I almost had the urge to apologize to her. I had no definite proof either. I was just acting based on my own intuition.

Horikita : "Don't you think that there is no use in lying, anymore?"

I felt my own hesitation for a moment, but I pressed on for an answer.

Ibuki : "At least I want to hear from your own mouth, the reason why have you been following me."

Horikita : "From the case of a piece of underwear being stolen, to the tumult of the fire. Class D has had a series of misfortunes."

Ibuki : "So what?"

Horikita : "Do you realize that some people suspected you?"

Ibuki : "Of course. Since I am an outsider. It cannot be helped being suspected."

Horikita : "In other words, that's what I mean."

Ibuki : "That I am the culprit. So where are the evidence?"

Horikita : "Unfortunately, there is no evidence at all about the underwear theft. Even so, I think it was you."

Ibuki : "This is quite a terrible story. You suspect me, even though there is no proof."

Well, she was so good at it. I could only praise her.

She didn't make her move until the 5th day and she did not try to approach anyone from class D, at all. This stance, conversely allowed her to spend time with us without being suspected.

Horikita : "The reason I suspect you is because of today's actions. You do not need a further explanation, do you?"

Somehow, I wanted to take a testimony out of Ibuki. Trying to make me explain all the reasons why I suspect her. It's like to admit that I am the leader. Even if I am 99 percent certain that she is guilty, if there's a possibility of one percent that she is innocent, then, I should avoid pursuing things straight.

Horikita : "Let's get straight to the point. Give back what you've stolen from me."

I said that to Ibuki who was standing in front of me, but without looking in her eyes.

Ibuki : "Whatever..."

Giving a short answer, she began to walk at a quick pace. I also kept chasing her, following her speed.

Ibuki changed her course heading straight into the forest.

Horikita : "Where are you going?"

Ibuki : "Let's see, where am I going to?"

It was difficult to walk straight into the woods. I realized this in the past several days. Even more so in this weather, which doesn't give us much visibility. However, Ibuki didn't seem to care and stepped further into the woods. I also couldn't pull back, here. I have been following her, in order to find out the truth. Now that I have made a mistake, I must take the responsibility of solving the problem.

I must make up for my mistake

I must make up for my mistake.

The same words repeated over and over again in my head.

The trial had just begun. I couldn't fail here... Besides, it is my mistake for being so aggressive towards Karuizawa.

My heart beat became intense. Little by little. I held my breath and cut down the distance to Ibuki. It depended on the situation, but it might be necessary to consider recovering the key card by force.

It's alright.

If it's me

I can do it

I can do it

I can do it

I can do it...

I understand fully well, that I am not calm. But still, I have to do something about it now. I have been doing well on my own so far, and I will continue to do well by myself. There is no one else to turn to.

Being in the forest was somewhat better than being in the open, on the road where the rain and the wind were fierce. But the visibility was even worse, and the footing was much worse than I expected. And as I went right and left along the path, I naturally lost my sense of direction.

But my biggest problem was my physical condition. I have noticed from a little while ago that as time passed, it deteriorated. Up until now, I had signs of a little fever, but maybe because of this rain, my body temperature dropped. My limit line had collapsed and a cold was coming to attack me all of a sudden.

When Ibuki suddenly stopped, she unexpectedly looked up at the tree. A piece of handkerchief wet with rain was tied in front of her.

Ibuki : "Until when will you keep chasing me? Would you stop it?"

Horikita : "Until you return what you've stolen from me."

Ibuki : "Would you calm down and think for a bit? If I had stolen the keycard, it's not like I would have had such a dangerous thing forever. Someone seeing that means immediate disqualification. I won't end up just losing points."

I didn't refer to a keycard even once while telling her to return the stolen item. In other words, it looks like Ibuki confessed in that moment. She showed me her white teeth while faintly smiling as I was trying to pursue that point.

Ibuki : "You thought I had confessed? Sorry, but that's wrong."

Horikita : "If that's so, then what's the deal..."

Ibuki : "I'm fed up talking with you."

Ibuki crouched down starting to dig the ground using both hands.

Horikita : *pant* *pant* "Oh, hah..."

Being structed by intense dizziness and nausea, I leaned on a large tree beside me without thinking.

Ibuki : "You look very sick."

Ibuki turned her head once noticing my condition. However, she continued with her operation.

Horikita : *pant* *pant* "Ngg...Ngnnh..."

Until now I managed to breath normally to the utmost, but I couldn't endure anymore. My jersey soaked with downpouring rain suddenly snatched my body temperature away. I fought against the feeling of wanting to lay down the best I could, but I couldn't properly lift my head. ...When I thought about my resilience, it only really started there.

Horikita : "Ibuki-san. I'll start investigating you using sheer strength. You won't mind?"

Muttering, Ibuki stopped digging up the earth, stood up and approached.

Ibuki : "...Sheer strength?! Would you be more specific? To wield violence?"

Horikita : "... This is the last warning. Return it obediently."

I confronted Ibuki with a sharp tone. I wanted to avoid using force, but there was no other way. I can't show this side of self to anyone...

There was a problem with Sudou that had occurred before. He was hitting class C students and the case turned out in a trial involving the school. That time, I condemned Sudou who had to deal with a lot of unexpected difficulties. I deserted it then as a well-deserved punishment. To think that I was about to try to solve things with violence like this is seriously hilarious.

Ibuki : "The last warning, huh? I get it, I get it. So what if I do as you please?"

She dropped the bag onto the ground, lightly raised her hands and took a pose of surrender. She got here very obediently. I couldn't watch her resignation, but I couldn't let go of this opportunity.

I stretched out my hands, checking the bag first.

?!

The next moment, Ibuki's small leg aimed for my face. The smallest precaution saved me. I bounced backwards, avoiding the kick. The thief jumped and took a defensive posture clinging to both hands.

Ibuki : "Hee~ you are quite good."

Horikita : "Violent act means immediate disqualification..."

Ibuki : "Are you saying someone might see us in this place? You're willing to do it as well before, right?"

While I was contemplating whether she smiled suggestively, she grabbed my shoulders and pushed me down in the next moment. Without even managing to react defensively to the unexpected events, I collapsed into the muddy ground.

Ibuki : "Would you like a few moments to rest?"

Her face looking down on me from above seemed blurred to me, who was riddled with wounds. Ibuki made a fist tightly as she grasped my collar and pulled up the upper part of my body. If I received this directly, it would tear my consciousness to pieces. I dusted it off, rolled on the ground, and escaped. I got up from the muddy ground with my hands, desperately trying to raise the upper part of my body. For the first time, I was glad I did martial arts.

Ibuki : "Huh? You can sure move. You practiced something?"

Without losing her head, Ibuki looked at me in evaluation as if impressed. Detecting instantly that I had knowledge of martial arts, she realized I wasn't an average person. How should I respond without telling her that my condition is at its worst?

Horikita : "Indeed... I'm nothing but failure in this trial."

I have not contributed a thing to class D. In fact, in spite of my poor physical condition, I butted in trying to pull class D' legs that were working so hard. I wish I could have reported from the start.

Since I felt unwell, I could have requested another person to be the leader or I could have just refused. But my pride interfered which was unforgivable.

I made a fool out of many, and hated the fact that I, who had cursed at those incompetent, wasn't of any use.

I let a dry laugh in my mind. Was it until now that I made excuses for myself like this?

Horikita : "It was you, right...? Who stole the keycard."

Ibuki, who I was trying to chase, stopped. We shortened the distance shortly after. She pretended to do an attack with her right arm, only to do a high, fast kick with her leg. I escaped her attack and stretched my arm trying to distract her counterattack. Ibuki avoided my arm being instantly aware of the danger. She then switched over the next attack, forcing me to do a bewildering defense.

While having bad foothold, I kept the center of the gravity low, without worrying about giving the impression that I had the skills. Besides, in her, I didn't see any hesitation in hurting others.

Ibuki laughed showing her white teeth, like she was enjoying this situation. I never thought I would see her with such a big smile. Because of all the moving around, I was attacked by an intense cold and nausea. It was only a matter of time to stand still until the end.

Ibuki : "You did your best until here so I'll give you a reward and tell you the truth. I'm the one who stole the keycard."

Ibuki put her hands in her pocket and slowly she took out the card. On the surface facing my way, my name was engraved firmly.

Horikita : "You admitted it pretty quickly after all that."

Ibuki : "It has come to a point where it doesn't matter whether I admit it or not. There's no striking evidence that I hurt you. It's not like the school can make a right judgement. Isn't that right?

Ibuki's reading was right. There was no factor that could make the school perceive this situation as it really was.

Ibuki reached the same conclusion. Even if I got damage unilaterally here, Ibuki could find any excuse as much as she liked. Even if I complained, the two guilty parties of the crimes won't get punished. It was class D that had many points to lose.

But, if I managed to get back the keycard, we could possibly be saved. By seizing reliable evidence, there was no choice but to force class C to admit to their faults.

Fingertips remained on the keycard.

There was a chance that we could claim its legitimacy if stolen. If it functioned to make the truth come to light, the school may thoroughly investigate as well. I couldn't abandon that hope. But I couldn't get back the keycard unless I gained total control of Ibuki's next actions. I couldn't believe she was stupid enough to show this kind of bold behavior.

If she took it away, the card won't ever be discovered or found anywhere else.

If that happened, it'd only become a dispute involving me not stealing what had already been stolen.

From there, I had no more energy to break into a run and draw near to her. To make matters worse, I had no strength in my fist either. But all I had to do was to make use of whatever force I had left.

I wonder if Ibuki had some reasons why she was rushing things, or she was just underestimating me. I advanced through the ground and commenced the attack. Like a hunter who enjoyed a one-sided hunt. She glanced at me for a moment, taking advantage of my weak situation.

She was all fake.

While I focused my attention on the lower half of the body, she turned without wavering and swung her right fist with the smallest movement. She barely grazed my hair and avoided any physical contact or attack at any short distance, then she applied a little force to the back of my body and made use of her momentum. Even if I was incompetent then, I'd still try everything until I defeated her.

I tried to take her arms and she lost her balance but again, she grasped the situation in a moment and slipped through my arm. I was trying to see things through by using my strength and speed but I was also avoiding any physical contact. I mustered my remaining strength and I drove into the pit of her stomach with my left fist.

Ibuki : "Ack-!!"

Ibuki, who couldn't breathe anymore, kneeled on the spot like she was suffering. But at the same time my strength also reached the limit and my field of vision was distorted. There was no way I was going to chase her if she escaped, so I kept her under control.

Horikita : *pant* *pant* "This is worst...Already reached my limit."

Because I moved my body intensely and overdid things, my condition, which was already bad enough before, became hopeless. But I couldn't let myself collapse. My blow was superficial and it wouldn't defeat her.

Horikita : *inhale* "I don't know...I was sure you were involved in it."

Ibuki stood up wiping her muddy face.

Ibuki : "Involved? In what?"

Ibuki showed a moment of hesitation but eventually standing alone, she revealed.

Ibuki : "I didn't burn the manual."

Horikita : "Do you have the intention of just repeating a lie again?"

Ibuki : "What would my profit be in doing such a thing like the arson? It's inevitable that people would want to search for the criminal again with the uproar of the fire. And I also would strongly suspect myself. But there's only great damage and not even one advantage in this."

Horikita : "That's..."

Certainly I agreed with what she was saying. She was stealing the keycard before the fire broke out. There was no time for her to bother burning the manual and fan the flames.

Then, who? Did it even make sense to burn the manual?

Ibuki : "The reason I talked to you in such a roundabout way was to confirm that. You seem to be much different. But in that case, it's better to say that it was hard to understand. Do you think she's in the class D? I'd say a girl who seemed to be aware of my crime even before you." *sigh*

Ibuki sighed as if she couldn't understand.

Horikita : "You mean..."

Immediately, after the appearance of said person in my mind, I noticed that Ibuki was gone. The next moment, a blow shocked me and hit me hard when she attacked my head with her bag like a weapon. I fell, hard.

Ibuki : "Our conversation is over."

I unconsciously started to feel that I had to get up, but the hand which had lightly been bruised by Ibuki's right foot made me fall again. Then, Ibuki gripped my bangs firmly and pulled me up.

Horikita : *pant* *pant* "Ah...let me go..."

Ibuki : "Sorry. I've got a busy schedule ahead of me."

Suddenly, she aimed at my face and slapped me with her right hand. My thoughts and my body were at their limit and it was impossible for me not to suffer damage. I shook off the hand that was gripping my bangs. Then, I tried to get upright and draw distance with clumsy movements.

But my legs tangled and crumbled again to the ground like they used all their strength.

Horikita : *pant* *pant* "D-Did you think that such a coercive method will be excused?"

Ibuki : "Come on now. I don't feel like answering."

When I narrowed the distance, she raised her feet high and kicked me in the face knocking me out.

How many times I repeated this to myself.

I...made a great mistake.

In an attempt to repair that mistake by myself, I transformed it into an irreparable situation.

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

I kicked the wet ground and ran after them. One bothersome problem was the weather. Depending on the weather, there might be the possibility of getting stuck somewhere or getting involved into an accident. It was also a concern the fact that the sun would go down sooner than I expected and it'd be difficult to push forward without a flashlight.

The passing shower became stronger and the wind was also starting to blow more violently. The weather was just one of the bad circumstances. There was no advantage here. Visibility could only be maintained for a few meters due to the pouring rain. And even if it looked like I lost my way, thanks to the rain, the footprints of two people remained on the muddy ground, so it was easy to follow them.

Those footprints suddenly vanished. No, they weren't interrupted, rather they continued in the deeper forest. This implied that the path changed sharply and the persons intentionally bought themselves into the forest, they didn't go astray. Using the flashlight, when I aimed the light deeper in the forest, the two pairs of footsteps gradually were entering deeper and deeper. There was no reason why those people would put their feet in a dangerous forest like that.

Just to be sure, I tried to illuminate the regular route leading to the beach, but there were no footprints there and the ground was clean. With my hand, I cleared away the dripping rain from my bangs. Then I followed the footprints and went into the forest.

Naturally, the visibility soon got worse. It was safe to say it seemed night already. The ominous atmosphere floated around the dark forest but I pushed forward relying only on the footprints.

It happened about 30 meters after. In a moment, I felt a light entering brightly in my field of vision.

Immediately, I turned off the flashlight and concealed my breath. Staring fixedly at the direction of that brightness, I could see the light again. It was a flashlight. It was like it was sending off a signal. Ibuki and Horikita? No. Both of them wouldn't have anything to make a light. I quietly turned my feet towards that light and shortened the distance.

Hearing voices of people making small noises in the rain, I concealed myself. It didn't matter who was there and what they were talking about. The problem was that I discovered them. Grasping the situation was secondary.

And then, shortly after, the light of the electric torch went far off. It seemed to be over. Just to be sure, I approached cautiously. And then, there...

Near a big tree, there was Horikita's figure, covered in mud, who lost consciousness and she really looked like she was dying.

A keycard was dropped to the ground not far from her that had no force left. On her injured body, traces of excavated soil. Looking at the situation, it was confirmed that Horikita has been found out as the class leader by none other than Ibuki. After picking up the keycard, I hoisted Horikita up in my arms.

Horikita : "Urghh..."

I felt a sense of discomfort when I held her in my arms. I sighed faintly and Horikita, slowly but surely, opened her eyes very weakly.

Kiyone : *sigh* "Did you come to your senses?"

Horikita : "Ayano...koji-san..."

Whether she could understand the situation, she uttered another faint comment.

Horikita : "...My head...hurts..."

Kiyone : "You have a high fever. It's better for you not to strain to talk"

Horikita : "I see...I...to Ibuki...but, why are you here?"

Even if I told her to sleep, Horikita would concern herself with this and that problem while her fever was still rising. Then, she started to understand the situation little by little.

Horikita : "As expected...it was Ibuki who stole my card"

I decide to piggyback her

Kiyone : "Hup!"

She's truly on her bad shape

Horikita : "I can't be any more stupid than Sudou-kun and others. And I'm usually the one who exposes the disgraceful behaviors"

She closed her eyes lamenting a situation, honestly I don't care about her muttering but even I care I couldn't do anything about.

Kiyone : "It's not a trial where you should keep hiding for 24 hours. You can be open to attack, you should've thought of that earlier"

I intended to follow-up with something else but it seemed like it made Horikita depressed. She was too injured and in a state of total heartbreak.

Horikita : "It could have been avoided if I knew how to rely on someone"

If you seriously wanted to protect the leader's identity, you would have to rely on trustworthy people from the bottom of your heart. Doing so, people would have protected the existence of the card on a 24-hours basis. But Horikita had no friends who could have done it.

She looked miserable and she was coughing a little.

Horikita : "When I was losing consciousness, I felt like I heard Ryuuen's voice...That's odd, he should be retired since long ago..."

Kiyone : "You were losing consciousness. Maybe you saw him in your dream"

Horikita : "If it was really a dream, it would be even worse"

I wonder if she really heard Ryuuen's voice. Even if she fell asleep and lost consciousness, her brain probably allowed her to wake her up by herself after she heard something. It's no wonder that she unknowingly picked up Ryuuen's voice.

Horikita : "I'm sorry...I'm sorry for my behavior up until now to you, Ayanokoji-san"

While I was thinking silently, Horikita apologized.

Kiyone : "Why are you apologizing to me?"

Horikita : "That's because...there's nobody else I can apologize to, except you"

Hmm yeah. It's something that makes me think hard.

Kiyone : "If you think that's bad, in the future you should try to make some reliable friends. Start from there"

Horikita : "That's difficult...nobody is willing to be my ally"

Well, she maybe right.

Horikita : "Why won't you laugh at me? After all, all of your words are true"

Kiyone : "You know that you've already look like pathetic with that kind of narrow-mindset of yours. So, you're starting to feel that you need allies now."

Horikita : "You're so cruel..."

The usual Horikita, now, would be insulting the other party but this time, there was another meaning to her words. The meaning included in her words was that of 'exchanging and changing' oneself. Otherwise she wouldn't have said 'Nobody who is willing to be my ally'.

Still, it was not easy. Until now, nobody had any difficulties if he could change steadily and skillfully the way he was moving forward. Horikita's vacant eyes seemed to be looking at someone else through me, rather than at me.

Horikita : "Such a thing...I understood it since long ago"

You should not live alone in this world. Both school and society consist of a huge amount of people.

Kiyone : "Enough talking. You're sick"

I can persuade her to be quiet but Horikita didn't stop her repentance. However, for Horikita, there are no alternatives other than rely on nobody. And even if she saw a new one, she couldn't choose it.

Horikita : "With my own strength, I will rise to class A. I will surely recover from this failure"

Without strength, she grabbed my sleeve and made an impassionate appeal.

Horikita : "I'm ready to be cursed by all the classmates...I failed to that extent. If anything then...please...at least don't leave me. I need you..."

She's still selfish till the end huh?

Kiyone : *sigh* "According to this school's system, if we fight by ourselves we can't go up to class A. You need to rely someone else others than me. You need classmates' cooperation at any cost. It's inevitable"

She had no strength to keep her eyes open. So her eyes, in the end, shut. Horikita's faint grasp on my sleeve.

Horikita : "It's impossible to admit. Regardless of how hard it is... in the end...I am alone"

Kiyone : "Can't you just shut up? Stop talking. There's no persuasive or convincing power in a sick person's words"

I'm started getting annoyed with her losing talk. This is unlike her usual self, honestly there is no use to accompany someone who lose their spirit. But...

Kiyone : "You can't bear heavy responsibilities. You're not that strong. Just accept it"

Horikita : "You're telling me to give up? I have a dream that my brother will recognize my dream to be in class A"

Kiyone : "It seems you're more dumber than I think. You don't have to give up"

I glance toward Horikita. I somehow feel suffering and groaning a little in my chest and added these words.

Kiyone : "If you can't fight by yourself, it's better to fight with another. I will give you a hand until you could stand up with your own effort. Are you happy now?"

Horikita : "W-Why? You're not the kind of person...who says such things..."

Kiyone : "Then, why not?"

It's better for me to be intentionally vague. Shortly after, Horikita used up all of her strength and lost consciousness again.

What I have to do now is carrying this out without being noticed by anyone. The easy choice would be to retire, but I don't know which one is the emergency button on the wristwatch. If the helicopter is dispatched for an emergency, the sound will echo all around.

Kiyone : "I confused, the road...it's dangerous, surely dangerous.."

I was proceeding with the prayer to exit from the path but, unfortunately, I got out on a steep cliff.

Another step forward and I would have fallen. I tried to make light below. It seemed to be about 10 meters. Unfortunately, it looked like I was walking in the wrong direction. Anyway, should I retreat back to the original route? I tried to invert my direction slowly as to not to put a burden on Horikita, but right after ―

Unluckily, the soil under my footing collapsed and I lost my balance.

If I were alone, I would have grabbed a tree branch and I would have stepped on it, but with additional weight who is Horikita. Its impossible to do, since it reduced my agility as well

I fell. It was inevitable.

I curled up my body to protect Horikita but I tumbled down the steep slope at loss for what to do. For several seconds, I had the sense that I was flying. I can't remember clearly what happened after I fell.

Kiyone : "Ngck-!"

Should I say that it's fortunate that it didn't hurt Horikita somehow? I looked up to the sloped but with my state of still holding Horikita in my arms, it's very unlikely for me to crawl up.

Kiyone : "I screwed up"

I think somehow I injured my leg.

However, now it's not the time to be stuck here. This time I will carry the still unconscious Horikita on my back and I'll go forward with a single light stick in the forest.

Rain came without mercy hitting my body and robbing away my physical strength. The heat that came from Horikita on my back is not usual. If she's exposed to the rain any longer, it could be dangerous.

But here, deep in the forest, there were no shed or other man-made shelters that people could use, so, there was no other choice but to rely on the power of nature.

Fortunately, we found a small-like cave and depending on the place, our bodies may stay relatively dry.

I looked around the place and then I moved her inside. Of course, it was better than being directly under the rain, for the cave prevented a lot of rain.

Gently, I left Horikita to lay down on the ground.

Her jersey most probably will get dirty, but this is something that we have to put up with at a time like this. I sat there putting Horikita's head on my lap.

Here, there was some relief as the surrounding area is cool, however, the humidity was so high that it felt damp and hot.

Horikita's condition wasn't good. I feel her trembling as she curled her body from the cold.

Horikita unconsciously holding to my jersey as much as possible, hoping that the burden would be eased a little bit and just waited quietly for the time to pass.

How much time had already passed, I wondered.

Horikita finally woke up being her usual fierce self but she seemed to be absent-minded or maybe she was unable to understand the gravity of the situation in which we were.

Horikita : "How... Did you?... I..."

I wondered if she was temporarily confused, it looked like she didn't remember what happened a little while ago.

I explained what happened. However, I was a bit doubtful whether she understood it all clearly.

Horikita : "That's what happened huh? I see... I remembered everything, now"

Kiyone : "That's good"

Horikita : "I don't know how good this is. Since I can remember my mistake, I feel the worst"

If she could talk in such a self-deprecating manner, then, I was relieved for the time being.

Kiyone : "It's almost seven o'clock, Horikita-san. You might think that it is harsh, but you should retire. I guess your body is at its limit already"

She barely have come this far by pretending to be alright, but from now on this will no longer possible.

Horikita : "I can't do that. We can't afford to lose 30 points, because of me... Wasn't I, the one who confronted Karuizawa and the others who used our points, carelessly? It will make me look like a total fool..."

The penalty related to poor physical condition was severe. Speaking of the possible lost points alone, there were more than Karuizawa personally used.

She laid her arm bitterly over her own eyes, so that she could conceal the tears from her eyes.

Horikita : "It's not only that... The key card was stolen from me, too. You clearly understand what that means...?"

Kiyone : "We will lose another 50 points and all of our bonus point got nullified as well."

Horikita nodded her head slightly. Then, our class would have just a few points left.

Horikita : "Go back alone and leave me here. If we do this, at least for now, I will be the only one absent from the evening's roll call."

Kiyone : "And, what are you planning to do?"

Horikita : "By tomorrow morning... I will somehow return alone to the camp. If I manage to surpass my bad condition during morning roll call, then for sure we will be able to do something about retirement, too"

So we could pass this through with a minus 5 points. That was the target.

Kiyone : "This situation isn't so easy, you're pretty weak right now, and the teacher in charge isn't naïve enough so that you get through this with a fake performance. Above all, it is impossible for you to get back on your own."

Horikita : "Still, I have no other choice... So that some points remain in class D"

Aside from the key card case, there was still a possibility that we could protect some points in relation to roll calls and retirement. That was certainly not a small number.

Horikita : "Go!"

Although Horikita was weak, I felt that behind her words, there was still some kind of an indomitable fighting spirit. She could stand all the strain on her own, but it seemed to be unbearable for her to involve others. Without saying a word, I rose up steadily, putting her head to rest on the base of the big tree. She really meant to set me free from this situation.

Kiyone : "I will leave you alone without hesitation, but if things go on like this, our classmates will blame you"

Horikita : "... Yeah. That's correct judgment. It was my responsibility and it's all my fault."

Horikita praised my cold decision as being accurate. But she was just feeling ashamed of herself for growing weak. She embraced her trembling body to endure the cold.

It is hard when you are not dependent on others.

The weather was still stormy, and there was no sign that the rain or wind will end, soon.

Kiyone : "Can you really come back alone tomorrow morning?"

Horikita : "Yeah... I'll be ok"

Kiyone : "... Horikita-san, do you really think that it's alright not to retire in this situation?"

I blurted out unnecessary words.

Horikita : "Of course I won't... I do not have the option of retiring"

It was quite convenient to keep fighting with an indomitable fighting spirit, but then again, it had no meaning if you lost in the end.

Kiyone : "Hey. Why do you think we are driven to the corner, in despair?"

Horikita : "My negligence brought mismanagement. That's all"

Kiyone : "That's not right. Not right at all"

Horikita Suzune fought as hard as she could. And tried to finish the test without failing.

Horikita : "... Please, go... Because I think of you as... my friend. Please, this is my request...I am going to make it right. As, if it didn't happen at all. It's alright. I... alone!...""

Horikita said this and suddenly pressed her lips.And when she suddenly stood up she shut her eyes again in pain. After all, it was a burden for Horikita.

Horikita : "Please, go..."

When she finished her sentence, Horikita lost consciousness, again.

Splendid. Yes, I think it's splendid. Your ideas and actions were almost right.

Kiyone : "You see, I don't think you as my friend so I would gonna do something on my own."

I gently picked her up, shifted my position to make her feel even a little comfortable, and then, when I stood up, I looked up at the unquenchable darkness and I let out a sigh.

Kiyone : *sigh* "It would have been much easier, if you had retired by your own will"

This stubborn princess will not resign from the exams until the very end.

It's not my fault that Horikita was driven to this point. I just complied with it. So, don't blame yourself, Horikita. What I mean is that you were useful to me.

I walked down the muddy road, while lighting up the flashlight. My shoes were already covered with mud, and the inside of them was flooded.

I don't mind it anymore.

The first thing to do was to grasp an understanding of my location. When I went down the slope, without a doubt I drifted far from the base camp of class D. But I was sure if I turned the other way back, the distance to the shore should be way shorter. I can go through the woods that I've been walking for several days, relying on the map in my head.

Kiyone : "It was close, after all"

Eventually, I reached the beach. The ship was afloat and its lights were reflected in the sea.

Then, it took me a couple of minutes to return to the previous place and pick up Horikita who had been lying on the ground, without any strength left. Her face stained with mud. Although I lifted her up in my arms, there was no sign of her, regaining consciousness.

I took hold of Horikita and started walking towards the shore, instead of the base camp direction. I continued walking, the time was around 7 in the afternoon, when I barely managed to get there in time. The tents set up by the teachers were now folded so as not to be blown by the wind.

I went up the ramp on the pier and reached the deck of the ship. Then one of the teachers noticed my presence and ran up to me.

Mashima : "You are prohibited from entering here. You will be disqualified-"

Kiyone : "I have an emergency case. She got a high fever and now she is unconscious. Please, allow her to rest at once."

As soon as I explained the situation, the teacher skipped the instructions and brought a stretcher while also treat my injured leg. He laid Horikita down on stretcher and the medic staff brought her inside.

Mashima : "Is she ok with retiring?"

Kiyone : "That's without a question. However, let me confirm something, please. Because it is not 8 o'clock yet, her roll call has no effect, right?"

It was fifty-eight minutes past seven, it's almost certain that we are safe.

I must win the teacher's promise, here.

Mashima : "... Certainly. She is at the very limit, but are you okay?"

Kiyone : "M-Me?"

Mashima : "You injured your leg, normally it was students decision to continue the exam or not but as a teacher I would suggest you to retire as well. That could be even worse if you just leave it like that"

Kiyone : "I'm fine sensei. Your first aid already helped me a lot"

Mashima : "I see, then you better out from here since you intend to continue this exam"

Kiyone : "I understand. One more thing. This key card, I have to return it."

I handed over the key-card from my pocket to the teacher.

Kiyone : "Well then, I am going back to the exam. Thank you very much sensei"

I said while bowing

I couldn't stay here. I was going down at the beach again, in the rain. With this, class D would lose 30 points with Horikita's retirement and I would end up losing 5 more points with my absence during roll call.

Mashima : "Wait a minute!"

Of course. It would've been happened if Horikita just nobody on this exam

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Hahahaha

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 3 : Day 7; The 'Defect' Results

Third Person POV

August 6th

In the evening

In class A base camp

Katsuragi : "Yeah, I understand. I will met you there soon"

He ended the call from walkie talkie device.

He smiled with confidence

Katsuragi : "With this, class A total point would be 544. Though it would be better if they could also manages to reveal class B leader as well. But either way, with this we will get 350 points more than class B. And class D will got utter defeat on this exam"

He immediately close his note and prepared to depart toward promised place

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

August 7th.

At last, our never-ending short life on the uninhabited island was reaching its end. Was our minimal salvation lying in the fact that we spent our time having modest fun in this cruel survival?

Hirata : "What should we do?! Our card already got revealed to another class..."

He seems somewhat panicked, so I decide to approach him.

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun, do you have a time?"

Hirata : "Eh? Uh...Yes...what is it?"

Kiyone : "There is something that we need to talk"

I said while showing him 'something'. Of course, he is surprised.

Hirata : "T-That's?! W-What happened?! Tell me Ayanokoji-san!"

He said while grabbing my shoulder hard. Somehow its kinda embarassing when everyone on the camp saw us like that

Kiyone : "Ahem! Ano, could you please release your grip first Hirata-kun. I mean...everyone is watching so..."

Hirata : "Ah! Sorry sorry, Ayanokoji-san"

He immediately release his grip from me

Kiyone : "I can't share this information to anyone yet however I trust you with this information. Follow me, I'll tell you about this"

He nodded and we go somewhere else when nobody watching but...

Maybe I should ask Hirata-kun to clear up misunderstanding as well since Karuizawa and her group keep glaring at me

Third Person POV

In the morning, eventually during morning roll call. Each of homeroom teacher come to check their own students

There is also an announcement made this morning about submitting class leader's name from the each class.

On class A camp

Katsuragi seems confidence with the result. He immediately fill class D's leader name without hesitation.

Yahiko : "Hahaha...this is easy"

On class B camp

??? : "Did anyone saw Kaneda-kun?"

??? : "Where did he gone?"

??? : "Dunno..."

And not far from there

Kanzaki : "Tch! We were careless"

Ichinose : "Now now Kanzaki-kun, we already dispatch several boys to keep an eyes on him. I doubt that he manage to get our leader name."

Not long after, their homeroom teacher come

She did her job like usual since these past week

Hoshinomiya : "Please write according to you who's the other class leader identity here. If you guys didn't know, you don't need to wrote it. Just take it easy"

She said while giving form of assignment to Ichinose

Ichinose : "Ahaha...so...it does seem we can't figure out class A leader in the end. What should we do? Should we not write any on this form"

Kanzaki : "Well, depending on situation. If we guessed wrong we would got minus 50 points as punishment. I guess we shouldn't take an uncertain gamble. Even if our leader got revealed if we guessed the wrong person. Our situation would be more grim than this"

Ichinose : "Well, that's it sensei. After all, we got around 200 points. It should be save right?"

On class D camp

Sakura : "Its already ended huh? This situation truly disaster. I do feel that everyone here being hostile toward each other."

Kiyone : "Not gonna lie, the rift clearly shown although we already take conclusion about the thief. However it does seems they still throwing blame on how nobody keep an eyes on her or how careless we are to let her stay with us here"

Sakura : "Ne~ How much do you think our points left?"

I look toward Hirata-kun who seriously facing the form with intense look like everything here depends on his gamble.

Kiyone : "Who knows, let put our trust toward Hori- Ahem! I mean Hirata-kun this time"

Sakura nodded in response

...

Meanwhile on certain place in the part of island

Class C homeroom teacher standing as if he waiting someone in the middle forest

Sakagami : "Are you here?"

Someone finally come out from the bushes

??? : "Is this damned trial already over?"

Sakagami : "Kaneda-kun and Ibuki-kun are already retreat."

??? : "Hmm, is that so?"

Sakagami : "Now, lets end this exam here"

??? : "Yeah"

He said while giving a form toward the one who just appear from the bushes

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

There was still no sight of Mashima-sensei and others when noon arrived. It was time to end.

Mashima : "I'll announce a tally of the trial's result. Please wait for a moment. Due to the trial being already over, we're kindly asking people wanting to use toilets or drink to use the rest spot."

With this announcement, the students went to gather in the rest spot in unison. Among others, there were tables and chairs prepared under the temporary tent and it seemed as if you could take plenty of rest. There was no sign that Koenji, Horikita or retired students were waiting on the cruise ship. Sudou who was always with Ike and the others was standing still, looking up at the cruise ship.

Sudou : "Ayanokouji. You're close with Horikita, right? How close, actually?"

Rather than getting mad or making a fuss, Sudou seriously wanted to know.

Kiyone : "There's nothing between us. We're just classmate. Nothing more, nothing less."

Sudou : "...Don't you know more about her? You both are girls right? You must be know something more about her as a girl like what's her hobby or what kind of favorite person to her. Well, something like that maybe"

Kiyone : "Hmm...Horikita-san loves reading books and also she is somewhat idolizing the current Students Council President"

Sudou : "W-What?! S-She's liking someone like him. H-How close their relationship? Why wasn't I told?!"

Kiyone : "Wait, you didn't know? The current Students Council President actually her big brother"

Sudou : "Wha-What???!!!"

He probably didn't know

Sudou seemed a little disappointed, maybe because he was thinking about his bad track records before.

Kiyone : "But even so, I do think Horikita-san noticed you for a moment on this occasion I think"

Without causing troubles, I took the initiative to keep his motivation intact

Sudou : "I hope so. After all, she couldn't call me by my first name."

Someone approached us

Hirata : "Good job, both of you. Thank you for everything this week. You really saved us."

Having said words of gratitude, Hirata appeared. He handed me one of the two paper cups he had. A cold sensation crossed my palm when I grabbed it with my hand. He handed Sudou the other one. Meanwhile Karuizawa beside him seems somehow hesitated

Hirata : "Karuizawa-san"

Karuizawa : "I know I know...Err...You see..."

She suddenly bowing

Karuizawa : "I-I'm truly sorry for my action toward you. I finally figure out the truth later on. Please, forgive me"

I guess this must be Hirata doing. Well...

Kiyone : "It's alright Karuizawa-san, more look like that's what the real culprit goal all along. She must be realized my relationship with Horikita-san. That's why she tried to make our coordination disarray by inciting hostile relationship between us. First the boys, the next is the relationship between girls groups. Horikita-san realized it, although she can't convinced the others at that time. Beside, if she acted rash, who knows that she even planned something more even disastrous than these trouble"

Karuizawa : "O-Oh...T-That's might be bad right..."

Hirata : "I'm glad that because both of your efforts that we were able to passed through this exam without any retaliation fight between us."

Kiyone : "It's me who should be thankful. You helped me a lot, a classroom's nobody. Moreover, you covered up the fact that Horikita-san retired or when I got late for roll calls."

Hirata : "Ahahaha...I couldn't condemn you when I heard the reason. Besides, Horikita-san gave us a big information like you said."

Kiyone : "Do you believe what she said?"

Hirata : "She isn't a type that would say irresponsible stuff. That's why you help her, didn't you?"

This guy would protect a colleague even if he had to gamble his pure reputation.

Kiyone : "I'd be lying if I said there's no risk, but I have to act for Horikita-san."

Hirata : "Don't sell yourself low. You also play a big role to fill the missing gaps which she failed to fulfilled"

Said Hirata softly. His profile was like that of a phantom. As if there was a non-comprehensive part in our dialogue, Sudou tilted his head.

Sudou : "Information? What's that about?"

Hirata : "I think you'll figure it out pretty soon. Even so, class C is strange... On a whole other level."

Due to most of class C' students retiring during the roll call of the fourth day, there was no one left in this spot. I couldn't find Ibuki anywhere on the sandy beach as if she had also retired.

Only the bizarre sight of Ryuuen was ahead us. Its quite surprising that almost everyone at the scene seems shocked by his presence. Well, except me and Hirata who I gave the information about it beforehand

??? : "Wait! How could it be...?!"

??? : "Isn't that class C..."

??? : "Isn't this against the rules?!"

Sudou : "Why is he... Why only Ryuuen hasn't retired?"

When Hirata and I peeped from a distance, he turned his head in our direction as if being aware of our gazes. Then, he slowly moved closer as if thinking something. Tension arose in the air.

Ryuuen : "Hmm, bunch of losers"

Karuizawa : "What?"

Ryuuen : "Oi, Kiyone. What happened to Suzune?"

Ignoring the others presence, Ryuuen came closer with a paper cup in his hand. Hearing 'Suzune' coming from Ryuuen's mouth, I became aware of Sudou's head vein pulsing due to his glare.

Kiyone : "Sorry but it'd be a problem if you hear it from us."

Ryuuen : "Come on, don't be like that. I know you chased around your master's ass. We were together before that."

Having drained its content, Ryuuen lightly crushed the paper cup and threw it at Sudou's face

Sudou : "Damn you!"

Ryuuen : "Throw that thing for me."

Sudou, after ignoring it with all his strength, kicked the paper cup covered with sand back.

Sudou : "What a childish thing to say. Pick up your garbage."

Ryuuen : "Picking up garbage suits well with defectives."

Unlike Sudou who was radiating intimidation, Ryuuen didn't show signs of caring about anything.

Hirata : "Calm down, Sudou-kun. I'll throw the garbage away."

When Hirata hurriedly picked up the garbage, Sudou clicked his tongue and kicked the sand. Ryuuen tediously moved away his gaze. He had dirt all over his upper body and his pants and jersey were also full of dirt. I didn't think he had given up on his efforts.

Hirata : "You didn't retire huh, Ryuuen-kun?"

Ryuuen : "Who are you? And where is Suzune? I thought of sweetly grabbing her ass."

The second time he said 'Suzune', having associated it with an insult again, Sudou approached Ryuuen while kicking the sandy beach and grasped his collar.

Ryuuen : "What are you doing?"

With zero agitation, Ryuuen accepted Sudou's intense gaze straightforwardly.

Sudou : "Next time you say a stupid thing, I'll kill you."

Ryuuen : "Huh? What is it punk? getting excited all by yourself."

Karuizawa : "Wait! Stop it fool! That's his intention!"

Hirata : "Horikita-san retired yesterday. She's not here."

Kiyone : "Wait, Hirata-kun..."

Ryuuen : "... Retired? Suzune? She doesn't seem like a girl that would retire"

Hirata : "That's..."

The squeaky sound of the speaker's switch-on enveloped the beach and Mashima-sensei appears. The first years hurried to form a line, but Mashima-sensei stopped them with a sign of his hands.

Mashima : "You may relax, now. The exam has already finished. Now, this part is our summer vacation. It is alright to act more freely."

Even so, the students were still naturally tense and their chatter disappeared instantly.

Mashima : "This past week, We, the teachers were able to keep an eye on your efforts in the special examination. There were students who took this exam directly up front and those who used their scheming abilities into this exam. Various things happened, but I think that the test results were splendid, overall. We appreciate your hard work."

The students felt kind of relieved hearing the praise from Mashima-sensei. Finally, we were starting to feel like we had finished this one week exam.

Mashima : "Well then, without further ado. I would like to announce the final result of the special exam."

Perhaps no one including our homeroom teacher, had seen through the results of this test.

Mashima : "We will not accept any questions or inquiries about the test results. You should accept the outcome of the exam and then we would like you to analyze them and use them to help you for the next exam."

Ryuuen : "It is what it is. Do not lose your temper. Accept the reality, properly, alright?"

Sudou : "It is you guys from Class C that should be worried, you used all your points, right? Ridiculous!"

Sudou made fun of the well-known recklessness of Class C.

Hirata : "We are left with 125 points, including the bonus points that we accumulated. I think that we are going to be fine."

Hirata may have felt a little irritated by Ryuuen's unreasonable provocation. So he answered with a sense of pride. Ryuuen on the other way, acted disgusted towards Hirata's immature words and made a gesture like vomiting.

Ryuuen : *bleh* "I envy the nerve of the small fry, when they are satisfied with such a small amount of points."

Kiyone : "It does not matter what you say, Class C still gets 0 points."

Ryuuen : "Oh, my little Kiyone. You are not to decide on your own. Certainly, we have used up all our 300 points. However, have you forgotten the additional rules of this exam?"

Kiyone : "You are saying that you are going to expose our class leader, that's what it is."

Ryuuen : "That's right. I wrote it on the paper, didn't I? The name of the leader of your Class D!"

Me and also Hirata tried not to show any emotion on our faces, but Sudou and Karuizawa felt the shock of these words in his face.

Ryuuen : "And I did the same thing to our colleagues from Class A and Class B. Do you understand what that means?"

Karuizawa : "H-Hirata..."

Sudou : "Wait a minute. What do you mean? Hey!? If this is true..."

Ryuuen : "Your false assumption against Class D, along with your other wrong guesses will result in a penalty and you will lose 100 points in total."

That moment, I heard Mashima-sensei's voice from the loudspeaker.

Mashima : "Well, now we will announce the ranking of the special exam."

Everyone feeling tense while waiting about the result

Mashima : "The lowest is Class C with 0 points."

Sudou : "Bwahahaha.. Look! I told you! No points at all! Laughable!"

As soon as he heard the results, Sudou laughed heartily holding his belly, ridiculing Ryuuen.

Ryuuen : "0 points?"

Ryuuen didn't seem to understand the situation, he was rather in shock. Mashima-sensei continued with the announcement of the results without hesitation.

Mashima : "Subsequently, in the 3rd place is Class A with 120 points. Second place is Class B with 140 points."

A commotion broke out. They were rankings and points that no one had expected.

I wondered if it was because they couldn't hide their embarrassment about their mistake on the numbers they calculated.

Mashima : "And Class D..."

Instantly, Mashima-sensei's movements stiffened. However, his speech soon resumed.

Mashima : "... Got first place with 225 points. This concludes the announcement of the test results."

Summary...

Class A 120 points

Class B 140 points

Class C 0 points

Class D 225 points

The students of Class D, except for Hirata, were the most confused by this situation. Even Hirata, just smiled excitedly. Not being able to believe it either, even if he was the only person who was aware of the situation beforehand.

Yahiko : "What is the meaning of this, Katsuragi-san?"

Katsuragi : "Something is wrong... What do they mean with these results?"

From the other side of the rest area, voices echoed, as the students of Class A encircled Katsuragi.

Kushida : "F-First place?!"

As if in disbelief she look at me and I only respond her with nod to tell her that this isn't a dream

Sudou : "Yahoooooooo! We did it! This serves you right!"

Along with Sudou's screams, all students of Class D gathered together, at once.

Ike : "Hey.. Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!.. Hey!"

Ike was full with excitement along with confusion, so he leaned towards Hirata, asking for an explanation.

Hirata : "I will explain everything, over there. Well then Ryuuen-kun, we will excuse ourselves from here."

Leaving these suggestive words behind, Hirata set out on his way to the boat along with Ike and Sudou. Sudou held up his middle finger while sticking out his tongue. Ryuuen had no choice but to watch in silence.

The exam was over and the first year students scattered around. Two hours later, when the ship seemed ready to depart, we still played in the sea. We took our time to get on board feeling relaxed. I also began to walk, boarding the ship.

Koenji : "Yo! Ladies and gentlemen. How was your week on the deserted island?"

On the deck of the ship, with a drink in one hand, Koenji greeted Class D.

Sudou : "Koenji, you jerk! Because of you we lost 30 points, you know what am I talking about right?!"

Koenji : "Calm down. I was sick in bed in bad condition. I had no other choice, right?

Shiny and glossy, I could tell that he tanned his skin spending the whole week on the ship. Also, saying these things while looking perfectly fine, its not gave you even a fragment of persuasive power. Well, I do understand that everyone blaming him

I decide to walk away to go to quiet place but...

A footstep?

??? : "Is there anything you wanted to say to me?"

I look toward the source of the voice

Kiyone : "Look like you already fine, Horikita-san"

Horikita : "Enough with that, get to the point. What happened?"

Kiyone : "You're not the leader, Horikita-san. Its simple as it is."

Horikita : "W-What?! B-But..."

Without further act I grab the card from my pocket and show it to her. A card written with my name 'Ayanokoji Kiyone'

Kiyone : "Does this convince you?"

Horikita : "The leader...is you...but how...?"

Kiyone : "That's it. The result coming from Katsuragi-kun and Ryuuen-kun who guessed our class leader name wrong."

Horikita : "Did you planning this ahead?"

Kiyone : "That's right"

I raised my right hand and wave it.

Horikita : "Huh?"

Horikita who seems confused with my gesture suddenly realized that there is several footstep coming toward us

Hirata : "That's her, Horikita-san!"

??? : "Horikita-san!"

Karuizawa : "So here you are!"

??? : "We were looking for you all along"

Our classmates immediately come rushed toward her

Karuizawa : "How are you? Feeling better?"

Mii-chan : "We heard you are the one who make class D won!"

Horikita : "Huh?"

Karuizawa : "Hirata-kun tell us that you figured out the leader's identity on class A and class C!"

Onodera : "Because of that we got so many points!"

Satou : "You are great! You are truly genius!"

Horikita : "Um..."

Shinohara : "The culprit was Ibuki right?"

Karuizawa : "Ibuki-san is the culprit of an arson, she tried to run away but you were chasing after her right?"

Horikita : "Um...about that..."

Matsushira : "That even more amazing that you were do that when you were ill!"

Mori : "You are so cool! That's amazing!"

Horikita : "W-What exactly happened...?"

She look at me as if she ask an explanation however I don't want to get attention. So, I leave her to solve this occasion by herself.

Kiyone : "Ganbatte..."

Horikita : "Wait! We were not done-!"

But when she about to chase after me, she already entrapped in the crowd since our classmate think that she was the MVP.

Third Person POV

In ANHS's library

A petite teenage girl with lilac colored hair and violet eyes wearing the standard female school uniform, enjoying her own time playing chess alone. She talk with someone on her phone

??? : "Fufufu~ Everything happened more or less as I thought. Katsuragi's faction soon will lose their influences."

On certain place. A boywith long blonde hair that is tied in a ponytail and blue eyes also talking with his phone. It does seems that the caller was the girl on the library before.

??? : "Yeah, like you said. So if we somehow could united on 2nd semester, class A will unbeatable. I'll trust your jud- Oh..."

The boy suddenly halt his talk after he saw a commotion.

A commotion between class A happened right on his sight

??? : "Katsuragi here. I better end the call"

??? : "Yeah, thanks for your hard work"

The boy ended his call and decide to walk toward the commotion.

On the hallway. Bunch of sounds of complain can be heard along the way.

??? : "How will you take responsibility for this matter, Katsuragi?!"

??? : "That deal was truly disaster!"

??? : "Yeah! It was such big mistake!"

??? : "And here I trust that you could take a better choice! I'm disappointed!"

Yahiko : "You guys blame him? Ridiculous! Katsuragi-san already ask you guys about your concern toward this proposal yet all of you agree with it, and when everything didn't goes as its planned. You took all the blame to him! Don't you had a shame!"

Then the boy finally arrived at commotion and he immediately give an unpleasant greeting toward Katsuragi

??? : "Ah, that's too bad right, Katsuragi?"

Yahiko : "Tch! You! Hashimoto bastard!"

Yeah, the blonde boy with ponytail hairstyle name was Hashimoto. Precisely Masayoshi Hashimoto, he is also one of class A student

Hashimoto : "Man, already badmouthing me just for simply greeting huh? Quite sad isn't it?"

Yahiko : "If its not because of an unreliable person like you, Katsuragi-san can't move the rest of our classmates freely. Also because of that, Katsuragi-san had-"

Suddenly the boy named Katsuragi touch Yahiko shoulder as a sign to stop his argument. With calm and collected act, he walk approach Hashimoto.

Katsuragi : "Hashimoto, you are also make the deal with Ryuuen, right?

But the boy Hashimoto still silent while showing his grin smile as if he challenged Katsuragi to prove his own accusation toward him

Katsuragi continue

Katsuragi : "...You give him the information about our class leader name toward him, no?"

Hashimoto : "Hehe~ Who knows"

He just walk away while his other classmate just stared at him with the same doubt about Katsuragi's accusation toward him.

In certain place inside Speranza.

On cafetaria

A boy walk approach the girl who currently playing with her phone.

Kanzaki : "Second place huh?"

Ichinose : "Oh! Kanzaki-kun. Sorry, we were still lose. Ahaha...It does seems that class D is the sole winner on this time."

The boy Kanzaki, instead showing his usual look. This time he is smiling, indicates that he didn't blame Ichinose or anyone else at all for their results.

Ichinose : "Hey, do you remember what Hoshinomiya-sensei said during first time on school?"

Kanzaki : "Which one? Are you asking about this points system?"

Ichinose : "Yeah, she said that there is nothing we can't purchase in this school using points."

Kanzaki : "Oh, that's ridiculous statements of hers at that time huh? I do remember someone asking that can't we use that points to replace our homeroom teacher, or when Hamaguchi asking that can't he using that points to buy the rights to modify some of this school rules, an example about changing this school policy or something like that."

Ichinose : "Ahahaha...She was truly bewildered about that question"

Kanzaki : "...And yet she immediately explained what does she mean exactly with 'avaible purchase' on the next day. I guess there is something which we can't buy after all" *sigh* "Seriously, she should better watch she said when it come with the talk about freedom since everyone had different wish and goal."

Ichinose : "You're right. But you see, its a bit expensive but you could still able to purchase it. You know..."

Kanzaki immediately frown when she held her words

Ichinose : "...The rights about joining the class which you wanted to be. Exciting isn't it?"

She said while smiling

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Finally I could get some time to be alone-

??? : "You've done it huh?"

Or maybe not

Kiyone : "Kushida-san?"

Kushida : "I though you were already gone crazy when you asked me to put Karuizawa-san's underwear on your bag and also when you ask me to burn the manual. But this time we truly won this exam right? Just like what you're promised on our deal"

Kiyone : "Then, why are you look like unhappy about it?"

Kushida : "Horikita-san surely become populer huh? Even though we were the one who working behind the scene. You see..."

After long silence

Kushida : "...As expected I don't like her at all. I really hate her because either its good or bad, she never hide it. She is truly an opposite existence like us."

Kiyone : "Honestly I do think that people like us are the common one in society. People like Horikita-san...err...just treat her like special case then..."

Kushida : "Ne~ Aya-chan. If one day you should decide between me or Horikita-san. Which one did you choose?"

Kiyone : "I don't know, if it possible I do think that could I get rid both of you at the same time?...I wonder..."

She suddenly laughing

Kushida : "Ahahahaha! Seriously?! You must be kidding right? You are even more evil than I thought. Ahahaha!"

Kiyone : *sigh* "Are you done laughing?"

Kushida : "Sorry sorry..." *inhale* "Well, you know. Although that you are one of the people on my 'get rid' list, I do admit that I started liking you. Perhaps if our circumstance kinda different, I do think that we could get along well. What do you think?"

Kiyone : "Who knows. I never had a friend- No, I never had a figure that I could call friend for the long time...I..."

I stopped in the middle

Kushida : "Well, I guess you are truly wary of me about digging your past and secret huh? Anyway, I'm kinda tired now. Thanks for your hard work. Good night"

She finally leave me

Speaking about friends

Friends huh?

Does those 2 even count? What did they feel toward me now?

If I had a chance, honestly I wanted to meet them again. And also, I want to give her proper answer from the last time we meet.

Do I still had a chance to fix it? I wonder...

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Hahahaha

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 3 : Epilogue

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

When I got inside the ship, I headed immediately back to my room. A tired Sakura was laying, sleeping in the room. I come to charge my phone in the room

When I turned on the mobile phone, the electronic tone repeatedly ringed and the incoming call history was filled up. For the time being I would just answer the emails and then I waited in the deck while taking a break.

She won't be satisfied unless I explained everything to her sooner or later. I waiting her while watching the beautiful sunset from quiet side on the deck of Speranza

Then a few minutes later, an angry Horikita joined me, we stared each other until she broke the silence.

Horikita : "What is the meaning of this? What on earth is going on?"

She didn't even do some greeting or any pleasantry huh?

Kiyone : "I though that you already guessed this more or less yet you got an expression like you do not have the slightest idea"

Horikita : "Yeah, I cannot comprehend it. No, I cannot comprehend it at all! There are a lot of things I want to ask you, you better tell me right now!"

I walk approaching her

Kiyone : "I'll tell you everything. However, the minimum condition is that you stay silent on this matter. I won't compromise otherwise. Do you understand, Horikita-san?"

I anticipated that it would come to this situation, since Horikita-san didn't want to retire on her own will. It was a story that should be kept secret or rather, Horikita-san would be the only suitable one to obtaining these information.

She nod her head

Kiyone : "Where do you want to begin with?"

Horikita : "What were you doing on this test? Tell me about it"

Kiyone : "Sure"

It was a much better question than I expected. In brief, she wanted to know everything at once.

Kiyone : "When this special examination was announced, I didn't pay attention to anything but the additional rules. How to manage 300 points was pretty much a simple task and not something that you could manipulate personally."

Horikita : "But the additional rules were very difficult to follow. Even if you followed them religiously, you still wouldn't be able to identify the leaders. Right?"

Kiyone : "Indeed. So first of all, I raised my hand and volunteered to search for a base camp. I planned to search spot by spot so I could get ahead of everyone else and have the freedom to act when needed."

Horikita : "To put it simply, so that no one else could have known the position of the spots"

Kiyone : "That's not the case. You didn't understand because you were feeling sick already, but the school already gave you clues about possible spots while the ship was still sailing"

Katsuragi was also aware of this, but when he told her that the ship was circling the island at an unnatural high-speed, Horikita silenced him. It was nearly three times faster than a usual cruise ship. Moreover, if it was just for sightseeing, it was quite unusual to talk about 'An important scenery' in the announcement.

At that time I didn't fully understand what I was looking at, but Koenji had already noticed that hint.

Well, it was a waste of time thinking about Koenji, now.

Kiyone : "When, I reached the cave I thought that it was the best base with the most important location"

Horikita : "The cave as the best base? Don't you think that rivers and water wells would have been more convenient, though?

Kiyone : "It's not the spot itself that matters. But where it is located"

There were no spots close to the water well or the river. On the contrary, there were two spots prepared connected to the cave, a cabin and a tower. In other words, it was a great place to use as headquarters. Horikita seemed to show a certain level of understanding while I was explaining it.

Horikita : "But what is the advantage that you've got in the cave, when you don't have the key-card?"

Kiyone : "Well, I intended to explore various things, but it turned out that I find out the true identity of the leader"

Horikita : "I guess that Katsuragi was so careless which he made you realized that he is the leader"

That's not the case, not really.

Kiyone : "There was a boy called Yahiko-kun, right? The boy who always follows Katsuragi-kun. That guy was the leader. I saw Katsuragi-kun and Yahiko-kun close to the cave but I didn't see them clearly in that moment to confirm that they were indeed the ones that occupied it. I was sure they were occupying the cave after they left."

Although the actual truth about the situation of that time. The moment I saw them, Katsuragi, was standing at the entrance, carrying the key-card. Yahiko, who came out of the cave, joined him and they left together. And by a chance slight mistake I could see clearly Yahiko name was written on there

Horikita : "So, by looking at this sight, wouldn't be natural to mistake Katsuragi as the leader?"

Kiyone : "Really? Do you think that a leader would show the key-card in such a careless way? especially in public?"

Because Horikita was the leader, I could understand how foolish she was and that she wouldn't be able to carry out that role.

Horikita : "But why?... Why bother to have the card in his hand?"

Kiyone : "Because he had to do so. Katsuragi-kun is a calm, composed and extremely cautious boy as far as I examined. There is no reason he didn't understand the high risk of occupying such a spot as soon as they found it. In other words, the one who occupied it was the one who was caught in the act of immediate greed."

Horikita : "That... Requires the presence of another person"

Kiyone : "So it seems. When he found the cave, Katsuragi-kun didn't intend to occupy it but he kept it all to himself, which may have been due to the fact that Yahiko had taken possession of it beforehand by a mistake. He was thinking that nobody was watching, yet he insured himself just in case. By standing around holding the key-card in his hands, he thought that he could mislead any possible witnesses that he was the leader"

Horikita : "So, you make use of their mistake on that small amount of time to gamble with your analyzing skill. Impressive"

Kiyone : "Class A had two spots except for their base, but I didn't know exactly how many spots they occupied in the end of the test. If I just guessed their leader, all their points could be invalidated"

Well, it was a waste of time to devote myself to it when I already found the answer

Horikita : "I'm not quite convinced. If he had marked such a spot at an early stage, wouldn't it be easy to avoid such trouble if he used help from his classmates? It would have been a sufficient claim on his right of possession that it would have allowed him to keep a watchful eye upon the cave. Why occupy it, exclusively..."

Kiyone : "For someone who willing to fight against class A you don't even had the slightest idea about that class. That's the current disadvantage of class A"

Their overall score for the test is high and they haven't received a negative assessment in overall class attitude like class D. However, their class is divided internally. In other words, that's why he couldn't use help from a large group of people.

That's why I pierced through class A so easily this time. Well, it was just luck. A kind of score that was obtained by exploiting a mistake. It's like A class had no way of beating an unguarded raid over their head.

Horikita : "Tell me about that part"

Kiyone : "Their class which looks perfect on the surface, currently has a big hole in it. I'll tell about this next time, I'm not on mood to explain it or maybe you can ask Kushida-san instead if you can't wait for that answer"

Horikita : "Tch! Forget it. So, what's next?"

Kiyone : "At this stage, I excluded class A and I turned my attention to class C's movements. Katsuragi-kun was surprisingly an easy-to-understand type, but there was quite an unknown quality about Ryuuen-kun. In fact, he was gathering more information than I was, and he saw through the leaders of all the classes"

Horikita : "Wai-Wait! He was able to see through all the classes. Not only our class. He knew class B and class A leaders too. But that's odd. Aside from receiving a penalty, we were ranked first by a large margin. How are you going to explain this?"

Kiyone : "Although this story is a little hard to explain, the answer to that question is the reason I made you retire"

Horikita : "Then, explain it how you ended up being our leader there"

I took out the card once again and the letters engraved on the card which written 'Ayanokouji Kiyone'. That's what she mean by it

Kiyone : "The trial must be fair. That's why all the rules are created fair"

That's quite natural. It's something that can be seen clearly in the additional rules. Only one leader can be chosen. The leader can't change. In other words, the leader is the only one who has the right of exclusive possession.

Kiyone : "What do you think would happen if the leader retired because sick?"

Horikita : "That's...The leader will be absent. So the right of exclusive possession will also disappear"

Kiyone : "You're wrong. In the manual, it was written like this: 'The leader cannot be changed without a legitimate reason'. Don't you think that 'retirement' is a valid enough reason?"

The only way through which additional rules could be broken is if the leader is in a poor physical condition or if he or she has been injured. I could predict the we would need to find a new leader.

I was able to discover this by looking and analyzing the other rules. For example, it's established that a base camp cannot be changed without a justifiable reason, but even here the reason was valid enough.

For example, when we were occupying the river side we were unprepared for something like another class taking our spot, and so this applied for a 'justifiable reason' to occupy. You won't be able to stay at the base camp itself, so if there's no arrangement and no plan to find a new base camp, you will collapse.

Horikita : "Then, you...toward me..."

A leader named Horikita Suzune retired and at her place I found myself in her place. Of course, the leader guessed at the end of the exam should have been me. There's only one leader.

Kiyone : "That's also the reason class C knew that and we didn't receive any damage"

Horikita : "But wait. Even though Ibuki stole my card, if I had thoroughly protected it..."

Horikita recalled what happened on the day of the accident.

Horikita : "Did you drop the card on purpose in that occasion? Well, maybe also Yamauchi-kun's action gave way for Ibuki to prepare an opportunity to steal the key-card-"

I was holding the muddy-Kita and I had no choice but to give up the key-card.

Kiyone : "At that time, I couldn't do anything. Yamauchi-kun is the one who make the choice and me as a girl just let him choose. Well, not knowing what was Ibuki-san aiming at from the start..."

Right. I mean a girl named Ibuki was suddenly found and picked up by class D.

Firstly, it was necessary for us to know such a thing would be strange.

However, I was almost convinced when I heard a story about a boy called Kaneda who has been helped in the same way by class B. He was a spy sent in by Ryuuen. It wasn't pleasant to hear that two people were helped by two different classes, all by chance. And it wasn't pleasant to know that they were believed to be genuine.

Kiyone : "Furthermore, Ibuki-san is quite unique person. She has the habit of looking in a person's eyes when speaking and lying"

The bigger the lie, the more strikingly obvious this habit became.

Horikita : "When you tell a lie, you look in the eyes of a person...Isn't that normal?"

Wait, how could she conclude that?

Kiyone : "Ano sa~ Generally speaking, when you have a guilty conscience, you will avoid eye contact. But she's the other way round. I think she talks with eye contact because she wants you to think that the lie is actually the truth. So maybe the person talking with her wouldn't have noticed anything"

Even when the story of the underwear thief came out, she kept talking looking at me in the eyes.

Kiyone : "Perhaps, she only had the goal of searching high and low for a key-card, and after that her goal changed to simply disturb class D"

What happened to Karuizawa and what was in Ike's bag should only be seen as a mere coincidences.

Horikita : "But I wonder why Ibuki specifically steal my key-card. If it was only to confirm my name, she still didn't understand anything"

Kiyone : "At first, she was supposed to. But an unforeseen trouble happened"

Then that has triggered to founding out class C leader.

Kiyone : "Ibuki-san had prepared a digital camera in her bag. Probably because she was supposed to took a shoot the key-card"

Horikita : "To shoot? With a digital camera? Why has she gone to such extent?"

Kiyone : "If there was a picture, maybe the existence of the leader would have been clear for everyone to see? She reached a conviction that for the first time she would get profit. Well, anyway I don't know her situation precisely. Maybe Ryuuen-kun simply didn't trust Ibuki-san?"

Horikita : "That's not it. If this kind of talk only got around in class C, then there would be no need to shoot with a digital camera or to steal it right?...Wait! Could it be...?!"

In other words, Ibuki is a person who doesn't trust easily what other people say, so she wanted a reliable evidence. And she applied that to how the other treat her as well.

Kiyone : "There's no evidence of that though. I'm just thinking that my prediction derived from the result of the trial. At the end of this test, I predicted that class A at least had 270 points. I don't even think that we could've been won ahead of them"

In other words, that meant that they didn't even use 1 point during the exam.

Kiyone : "Class C and class A were both connected and in contact behind the scenes and class C sacrificed their points to buy what was necessary for class A. In addition, by transferring to class A all the tools used by class C, Class A was able to spend a week here without using points. That's what I thought"

Horikita : "But what kind of deal he made to make Ryuuen agree with him?"

Kiyone : "I dunno, don't ask me. Ask that either to Ryuuen-kun or Katsuragi-kun themselves"

An extension of this connection was that Ibuki obtained the evidence and spilled the information to someone in class A.

Kiyone : "By the way, I got the realization that class C' leader came after half of the students had retired. It was certain that someone who remained on the island from the students will become a leader, right?"

Horikita : "Even so, we weren't supposed to know who remained in the morning."

Kiyone : "Nah, I was about 100% sure Ryuuen stayed on the island"

I realized this when I came across Ibuki hiding a transceiver that was buried in the ground. It was used so that Ryuuen could stay in contact with Ibuki. Retired students couldn't be using a transceiver. It became a proof that someone must have certainly stayed on the island in order to use it.

Actually, the transceiver was carelessly laid on the table while he was enjoying the vacation. No one else was controlling it but he himself. It was his mistake that he hadn't trusted anyone.

Horikita : "Really... I have no words. So, you've already figured about that when we were scouting at their camp. So, the way you act suddenly like an idiot because you intend to lower their guard and you could observe their camp around without nobody put suspicion on you huh?"

Horikita answered, facing the truth. However what should I do? Actually about the last part is kinda far away from the truth because I'm genuinely interested on ice creams itself, nothing more nothing less. I guess something would be better left unsaid

Anyway, based on my observation class A didn't function well due to internal division in addition to their first mistake that ended up haunting them until the end.

Class B carried out a thorough defense-oriented trial that did neither harm nor good. That's right. But the sole mistake was that they were unaware the existence of Kaneda in a group since there were a lot of credulous and gullible people. Then, about my theory. I'm not sure how it was carried out, but Kaneda told Ryuuen he acquired the proof, even though he couldn't get any physical evidence like Ibuki did. Maybe, because some of class B student keep watch on him so he can't find a moment to even do anything suspicious on their eyes

Then, class C. With me becoming the leader we managed to avoid damage at last but, besides feeding the spies and pulling off the stunt of realizing all classes' leaders, we were supposed to obtain an advantage with class A due to negotiation of some kind. One person we should have been on guard the most was probably Ryuuen.

Sigh, I know he is troublesome people but to think that he also troublesome in different matters as well. I guess he isn't just your usual delinquent student after all.

Horikita : "I'm not happy. You used me as a foal in a terrible way"

Kiyone : "I can't deny that. However I'm surprised that you still wanted to come looking for me"

I was self-conscious about that.

Horikita : "I want my answer and I know you have it"

Kiyone : "Now that we're done. I'm going back to inside. I need rest"

But surprisingly, she spread her arms to block my way

Horikita : "We didn't finished talking here"

Kiyone : "What do you want this time?"

Horikita : "Once you explain to me everything. We still have things to discuss"

Ugh, I could smell more additional trouble here

Horikita : "The reason of you challenging this special trial. Was it to compete alone or use me? It's okay if you tell now. I want to know the reason of you, who wouldn't rock a boat, joining this trial. Since this side of you kinda unusual"

Maybe the explanation until now wasn't so important for Horikita. She just wanted to know why I decide to taking action huh?

Horikita : "You were great at realizing things quickly without suspicion at this occasion. Since you lend your hand to us, aiming at class A became fully realistic. However, what was the principle of your action? Why did you do that?"

Because I only did it to pull out of the promise from Chabashira sensei. However, what should I said to cover the truth?

Kiyone : "It's because I was impressed by you. You were trying to fight to the bitter end alone in a bad condition."

Horikita : "Stop lying Ayanokoji-san!"

Kiyone : "I'm in no mood for explaining"

When I'm about to leave she hold my hand urged me to give my answer

Horikita : "We are not done yet!"

Kiyone : "I don't mind if to help you advancing to class A. But there's one condition, do not investigate me. If you promise not to pry me under any terms next time, I'll help you out if necessary"

Then Horikita getting closer embraced me

Horikita : "If you don't want to tell me that's fine. There's no reason to refuse a lend hand without prying. I have no interest digging up something that's peacefully lying in the past."

Horikita with her sharp eyes extend her right hand

Horikita : "It maybe a bit late to ask this but...err...you know...m-maybe I could accept you as a friend now. That's why, I wouldn't deny you this time. You better be grateful to me now. Once again I'm asking you. Would you willing to help me-!"

Horikira-san show her hand as a sign of sincerity cooperation but I decide to walk away ignored her

She seems shocked. She disbelief about the situation right in front of her eyes now

Honestly, deep down inside my heart I won't lie about this.

I have never thought of you as a friend or an ally. I've never cared about you as a classmate. In this world, winning is everything. The process to do so, does not matter. I do not care what the cost is. I am totally fine as long as in the end, I have my victory.

Moreover, since that day. You said by yourself that can't be friend and I had no intention to become one with you either, Horikita.

Ryuuen Kakeru POV

Currently I'm sitting on a certain hall room. I check several notes laid on the tables. I ask Albert to stand guard and inform me when someone come to looking for me

I still wonder about that exam, where did I mistaken here?

During first day, I made a deal contract with class A. Especially with Katsuragi and his dogs with this terms :

1) Class C will accomodate class A needs with our points.

2) We cooperate to reveal the leader from class B and class D. If I managed it, I must share this information with him

But, as expected. Katsuragi is cautious person, he also add 1 rule on this term. He wanted physical evidence like a photo or if it possible. He wanted to see the card itself. Ridiculous request but I still comply with him.

Next, I intentionally harm Kaneda and Ibuki on purpose. They understood my intention although Ibuki somehow still holding grudge but who cares. Its better if she could act naturally to fool them. With this, I sent both of them as spy toward class B and class D

On the second day.

To fooled them, we used our points to enjoying ourselves during this exam. There is no rule which said we can't request more stuff even though our points already 0. So I used it without care as well.

On the fourth day

I made the other retreat except Ibuki and Kaneda. Of course, myself included. I stayed on island. I used this to make the other think that we already gave up on this exam.

For the next day and on. I camp while hiding from the other except from class A since we need to do communication at least. Of course, I keep moving and changing my location to avoid being detected. Especially by class B and class D.

But something unexpected happened

flashback

When I camp alone. One of student from class A come to me

Ryuuen : "You must be truly hate Katsuragi, huh?"

I met with one of the Sakayanagi's faction member. He is intentionally misuse spot to decrease his class points. This guy totally scumbag, though I can't hate him for that

Hashimoto : "My...my...Don't just go assumed everything by yourself Ryuuen. I actually didn't hate him, you see. I would simply ignored or fighting him directly if I truly hate him, no?"

Ryuuen : "Stop the crap. Tell me what do you want?"

Without further ado, I cut the case immediately

He immediately showing a big grin.

Hashimoto : "Well, you see. Either you believe it or not it doesn't matters. But I just wanted to pass this to you"

He show something to me. It was...

Ryuuen : "Kukukuhaha~ How did you managed to do this? Did he let his guard down or something?"

Hashimoto : "That's why I told you. It's up to you, will you believe it or not?"

Ryuuen : "Every offer also had some exchange. It would be suspicious if you won't ask anything for this. What do you wanted exactly?"

Hashimoto : "Katsuragi's downfall"

This guy doesn't beat around the bush, huh?

Ryuuen : "That's fine with me, Kukuku~"

Hashimoto : "Huup! Alright"

He immediately get up

Hashimoto : "I'll take my leave here. Bye"

He immediately leave without confirming about my decision or even asking me regardess about this as well. But still, he gave me the information about his own class leader without asking a reward eh? That little girl truly act like a madman although I don't hate it at all

flashback end

On the 6th day

I didn't though that Ibuki's camera broken so she don't had a choice except steal the card itself. Kinda impressive I think that she managed to do it.

I met her on designated place. But somehow, Suzune are there as well. She somehow fainted, I guess Ibuki didn't had a choice except to resort this ways under her watch

Moreover when she passed me the card. I saw the name engraved on the card

Horikita Suzune

I laughed at that time. I didn't expect she could do that, especially stealing the card from Suzune. At that time I'm glad but also disappointed. Aren't this defect are too easily to defeat?

If she though that she can't win against her. Isn't that better she send her dog, Kiyone? She could have been won if she somehow encircled her with 2 vs 1 but I guess she make wrong choices. Well, that's defect for you. They are unable to create a proper plan

Not waiting for too long, Katsuragi come. Just like we planned, Ibuki immediately inform Katsuragi and me as soon as she got the card.

I immediately give him the card at to him at that time. After he checking it with caution. He believed that it was the real deal.

At that time as well, I offered him class B's leader name. But he refused since we can't get any physical evidence about it.

Although Kaneda failed to get authentic evidence about it but somehow I believe his rational deduction after he finally explained to me about his observation. Well, I can't blame him since it was class B. I would be disappointed actually if they were so careless like these defect in class D.

With that, our contract fullfilled and I could get what I demanded from them based on contract

And on the 7th day which is also on the last day

Sakagami using his tracker device come to find me in the middle of this forest

And just like that when I submitted the form. He also inform me that we need to regroup first.

Just as I expected. These fools surprised when I finally show myself on them. When I observed these students around. I come to find her dog, Kiyone.

She didn't even show any different reaction huh? I do think that at least I could saw her surprised expression. Man, I can't wait one day that I could broke expressionless face of her after I broke her master, Suzune. Kukuku~

That's what I though until the teacher began to announce the results

0 huh?

And here currently I'm try to solve this puzzle. After analyzing the situation I finally found the cause of it.

So, its like these huh?

Ryuuen : "Kukukuhahaha~ So, this is what you mean that I would still got 0 point huh, Kiyone?"

Albert become confused when I suddenly burst out of laugh although I don't care at all.

TAP! TAP! TAP!

In this such quiet hall, a footstep could be heard clearly. Suddenly someone come approach us

Ibuki came with her head down. Unlike her fierce behavior before. She look meek this time.

Ibuki : "Sorry...Ryuuen...I'm so sorry..."

Albert and I keep watching her. She is somehow ready to accept any punishment I would give toward her based on her behavior however I do understand that this results isn't her fault at all.

Then I decide to broke this silence

Ryuuen : *sigh* "Raise your head Ibuki. This time, its my fault"

She is surprised. I could see her a mixture between surprise and confused on her face

Ibuki : "E-Eh...W-What...?"

Ryuuen : "Take it easy. I'll explain it to you"

She fixed her posture immediately

Ryuuen : "The reason behind this result. How could class D ended up being the sole winner? How our class ended up with 0 point? That's because we didn't guessed their leader correctly, especially class D leader."

Ibuki : "T-Then, isn't that completely my fault? B-Because...could it be I steal the wrong card or-"

Ryuuen : "The card which you stole is the authentic one"

Ibuki : "B-But...how...Wait, did the school perhaps caught me when I hit her? So that's why-"

Ryuuen : "That's not it either"

Ibuki : "Huh?"

Ryuuen : "Class D probably change their leader on the last minute"

Ibuki : "Huh? W-What was that? That's cheating isn't it?!"

Ryuuen : "You may noticed or not that on the manual. It written that the leader could be possible to change under a certain situation. I don't know what the cause of Suzune get retreated from the exam. However, because of that somehow the school allowed them to change their leader on the last minute. The time maybe not long after we shared the information with class A. That's why, even though we guessed the leader name from class A and class B correctly. This 100 points nulfilled because class D guessed our class leader correctly and at the same time I guessed their leader incorrectly."

After listening to my explanation. Both Albert and Ibuki look like lost at word...

Long silence until Ibuki began to ask another question

Ibuki : "T-Then...how do you know that it was class D who guessed our leader?"

Ryuuen : "Didn't you examinated the results carefully? Their points, isn't that's too odd. That's why they got that much points from guessing our class leader identity and somehow they could also guessed class A leader identity as well."

Ibuki : "J-Just who is this person? I-I mean, I couldn't find anyone who could probably do that between that defect except..."

She held her words...

Ibuki : "It maybe sounds absurd but there is only several handful people between class D and I can't even think which one of them who did it? I mean, I can't think of someone else who could do this kind of maneuver aside of that girl called Horikita...That's why...I..."

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ Isn't this starting got interesting? I don't care whoever one behind the scene who did this to help class D. Just you wait class D, I'll gonna find this person and destroyed that existence. When I managed it. It just about time class D will totally got destroyed without their guardian angel anymore..."

Ibuki suddenly muttered

Ibuki : "But still, we got nothing in the end..."

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ That's not true at all"

I come approach her and show her the contract I made with class A

Ibuki : "This! You will got the points from them until you graduate?!"

The reward I get from class A from this contract written as

3) When class C fulfilled the 1st and 2nd terms. Every class A students will give their private points toward Ryuuen Kakeru. 20.000 points every months

4) This signature here show the deal on this contract.

Well the 4th term normally should be signed by everyone in class A. But only several handful person who didn't wanted to willing to do this. I could understand about Sakayanagi but there is also several name who didn't wanted to signed it. About 8 person.

Since he worried that I would change my mind later. Because of this, it seems Katsuragi will promised with compensating by making change the 3rd term. He promised to make everyone who signed in paying 22.500 points to fulfilled the quota.

Ryuuen : "That's my actual goal all along Ibuki. The points from this exam, it just 2nd matters. But like I stated earlier. I hate someone who dare to ruining my plans. Kukuku~"

As expected, I finally found my first obstacle on this school. Whoever you are? You better be prepared!

Well, for now. Let's just call this annoying existence as 'X'

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Its kinda unpleasant, why should I meet her again.

Yeah, about 10 minutes before. After I took a bath, I got a message from Chabashira-sensei.

I left my blazer, the only uniform set which I didn't wear right now.

We meet again on the theater

Chabashira : "As expected of you. First, I want to congratulate you for your first achievement. I'm genuinely impressed."

Kiyone : "Satisfied?"

Chabashira : "Cold as always huh?"

Kiyone : "Tell me, is it true that person wanted me to get expelled? I won't take any order from you anymore if you can't even prove it."

Chabashira : "I know everything about you. Isn't that enough?"

Kiyone : "If you truly knew. You should've leave me peacefully"

Ignoring my remark she continue to talk nonsense

Chabashira : "Icaruz wings. Icaruz fly to get his freedom. But because his father, Daedalus ordered him to create wings and fly. He didn't fly because of his own will. Isn't that sounds like you?"

Kiyone : "So?"

She get up and walk passed me while saying

Chabashira : "That person, your father said this : 'One day, Kiyone will decide to drop out on her own will'. You will made your wings get burned under the sun..."

Then she stopped when she back to back with me

Chabashira : "...Then fell down to the bottom of the sea, and then die."

Kiyone : "I'm not gonna die and it had nothing to do with me"

Chabashira : "Oh, poor Icaruz. What's your next move?"

Kiyone : "You already knew the answer, Chabashira-sensei. This Icaruz will ignored Daedalus warning."

Chabashira : "Fufufu~ What a lovely fool..."

She leave me and here I am. In theater watching my fate just like this boring stage.

Hello guys!

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Also about the illustration. I won't deny it that I draw this based on COTE Vol 6 illustration when Horikita tried to ask Kushida collaboration but she simply ignored her.

Anyway, with this Volume 3 finished

So, lets wait another 500 years for the next volume hahaha

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Random Idea Plot (Sorry not part of chapter) Again? Pt1

Could be spoiler or not (Since some scenario here might be used or might be not). This scenario might be illustrated if I'm not lazy Hahaha. So, what do you think of this random scenario here

Note : I need motivation and ideas to continue the story hahaha

Volume 5

Scavenger Hunt Competition

The bell rang and the latter half of the sports festival began. It's now time for the Recommended Only Participation events. It's expected that for the remaining four contests, elites chosen from within the ranks of the class will be the ones participating.

Kushida : "Speaking of which, Aya-chan will be participating in the scavenger hunt right?"

Kiyone : "If possible I'd rather not though...".

It can't be helped though since I happened to win at rock-paper-scissors. Six from each class will be participating in the scavenger hunt contest. It's a contest set up such that a single person from each class will be running in it, causing four people to form one group for that race.

As a result, the obtainable points are set higher than they were during the individual contests.

Hirata : "The problem is the absentee, Sudou-kun...".

Since Sudou, who would have participated in all contests, happens to be absent, he'll be treated as an absentee at the rate this is going. Whether to prepare a substitute or not. That is the question. Hirata approaching me

Hirata : "If you don't mind, I'd like to hear your opinion Ayanokouji-san. I'd like to ask Horikita-san for her opinion but that doesn't seem to be an option".

That's right. Horikita has yet to return to our camp. I had thought in the worst case scenario, she'd be back alone by the time the afternoon half started but this is unexpected.

That leaves the possibility that things may be proceeding swimmingly intact.

Kiyone : "If it's Hirata-kun, you'll be able to make the right call even without relying on me, right?".

Hirata : "...I wonder. But, as for my personal opinion, I think a substitute will be necessary. When it comes to individual contests, our class is probably the worst. That's why in order to win in overall points, we have to win here".

Kiyone : "Then, the question is who to use as a substitute".

Hirata : "100,000 points are required for a substitution after all. I'll do something about the points. The substitutes we can use that I think would be fine are Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun".

Kiyone : "Because if they take 1st place, they'll be able to acquire points for their tests?".

Hirata : "Yeah. I think it's a good idea to make use of that merit".

It can indeed be said that in the scavenger hunt, where luck is a significant factor, this would be a good plan.

Ultimately, Ike and Yamauchi had a rock-paper-scissors duel and Ike, who won, triumphantly joined the participating group.

Ike : "Alright! I'll try my hardest for Sudou's sake too! Let's do our best Ayanokoji-chan".

I nodded

His fighting spirit alone doesn't seem like it'd lose to Sudou's. Prior to the contest, the referees provide an explanation.

Referee : "There are items marked as being difficult to obtain in this scavenger hunt. It is possible to draw again but there will be a 30 second window before you'll be able to do so. You will need to inform the referee present when you draw lots of your desired course of action. In addition, the contest will end as soon as 3 contestants clear it. That will be all".

After that supplementary explanation was given, I prepared to join in on the second round of the scavenger hunt I'm scheduled to participate in.

Ryuuen : "Yo, losers!"

The man beside me called out, especially he mean that toward residents of class D. I don't even need to look, it's Ryuuen from Class C.

Ryuuen : "So that muscle head won't be participating in the scavenger hunt? I figured he'd participate for sure. Also, I can't see Suzune anywhere. Surely they aren't fucking each other at the backstage right?".

Kiyone : "No idea. It has nothing to do with me. I also don't know the internal affairs of my class very well"

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ Don't be so boring like that Kiyone. How about we enjoyed our time when they were gone? Only you and me"

Kiyone : "In your dream"

Receiving glare from my classmates. He decide to leave me alone

Ryuuen : "Well well, this might be not the right time to do so. See you later Kiyone"

It appears he finally lost interest in me, as Ryuuen walked away. But still, it seems like he'll be a part of the same second race too. Not too long after, the first race began.

It seems the other classes have assembled their athletic students properly as Ike was overtaken from the start.

However, what's crucial here are the contents of the items scavenged. Coming in at last place, and finally reaching the box, Ike drew his lot and checked it.

The lead contestants are already going this way and that, leaving the grounds in search of their designated items to scavenge.

Ike : "Uooooooooooh!".

Loudly striking a guts pose, Ike suddenly turned and ran back towards the starting area.

Ike : "Haruki! Please lend me your left foot. Your left foot!".

Yamauchi : "L-Left foot?".

Ike : "Shoes, I meant your shoes! That's my item!".

What he showed him was a note with 'Classmate's Left Foot (Shoes)' written on it.

Yamauchi : "Wait a minute, here-".

Ike : "Alright! I'll gonna win this!".

He came running back to field

However, it appears the other students are also having a hard time with the scavenger hunt since I still couldn't see anyone heading towards the goal.

Ultimately, through luck of the draw, Ike stumbled upon a way to prevail and in the tumultuous opening act, he seized 1st place.

/

Kiyone : "This is no trifling matter...".

Then after a minute, Class A came in followed by Class B and then Class C at last place.

And with its end, the signal came for us to start with the second race.

Ryuuen : "Good luck out there little puppy, Kukuku~"

It seems he tried to annoy me.

Soon the race began

I then also headed towards the area where the lots are drawn, following slightly behind the faster ones who dashed forward.

I inserted my hand into the box that's placed in front of me.Now then, what exactly going to be written down. Inside, there seems to be quite a bit of paper. Taking care to not drawn multiple pieces of paper, I snatched one out.

I unfolded the paper that had been folded into fourths.

'Bring along 10 friends'

Kiyone : "...You've got to be kidding right?"

Ryuuen tried to take a peek mine and...

Ryuuen : "W-Wait, looking at how you wouldn't react immediately. Don't tell me that you don't had any of it. Hahahaha!!! "

Ishizaki : "Ryuuen-san!"

Ibuki : "Oi! Ryuuen!"

He immediately leave after being reminded by his classmate

The moment I skimmed across the paper, I could feel my field of vision darkening.

Even a single friend would already be a difficult hurdle for me but 10? They've got to be kidding right? W-Well it might be not actually a friend but someone that both party could consider as one. Then...

Sakura, Karuizawa, Kushida, Hirata...

Wait, who else?!

Even as I mulled it over in my head, I failed to think of 10 people.

Ike : "What are you spacing out for! Hurry it up, Ayanokouji!"

Ike shouted out to me like that but there's nothing I can do about it.

Kiyone : "I-I'd like to request a change...".

I requested to change my lot in accordance with the rules. Already, the other students are running off in pursuit of their items and surprisingly, Ryuuen already coming back with his items. I stood by for 30 seconds and drew my second lot.

Finally I could draw another lot. This time I'll gonna do this

'The person you love'

What the...?

Ryuuen : "Pfftt- Hahahaha! Seriously? Hahahaha!"

It does seem he take a peek on mine again. Wait, he still here

And what the hell is up with the contents of these lots. I can't help but to think they're screwing around with me on purpose. I shoot a glare on the referee however he seems confused like wondering about 'Did I perhaps make that girl mad somehow?' something like that

Ryuuen : "Hey hey, if you like it. I don't mind being yours Kiyone but in exchange I demand an appropriate rewards for it. After all, I'm quite expensive you know. Kukuku~"

Ignoring his mockery I decide to change my lot again.

Kiyone : "C-Chaaaange!!!"

I shouted my voice

I could sense the confusion coming from the Class D students who were watching me but what can't be helped just can't be helped. If someone else were to draw something like this, I wonder what they'd do.

If I showed this paper to someone of the opposite sex, it might as well count as a confession. Even if I ask them to just play along, it's already considerably embarrassing.

Before deciding on the item to scavenge, I ended up shouldering a minute of handicap.

'Get the signature from your favorite teacher'

I can't even think that I had one on this school. The closest one to that category would be Chabashira-sensei but I doubt she would help me without string attached

Even on the third attempt, my luck seems didn't appear at all

While the other participants already coming back with their items. It could be said that this round already over

Being frustrated. I immediately kneel with both palm of my hand touching ground while my gaze locked at the ground

Kiyone : "...I-I'm so sorry...Everyone...I'm sorry..."

Abandoned by fortune, I was unable to produce any results and came in at last place. It's not about holding back or not holding back, this is just a contest where I simply can't do anything about it

It does seems everyone around quite shocked watching me suddenly like this and only Ryuuen who laughing at my pathetic defeat

1200 meter relay competition

The last event of the second half, the 1200 meter relay that would bring the sports festival to a close is about to begin. Tensions are running high for everyone other than Class D.

Hirata : "So this is the final event, even for this one we'll have to prepare a substitute—".

Sudou : *pant* *pant* "Sorry, kept you waiting! What's going on?".

A breathless Sudou came back, with Horikita arriving soon after.

Hirata : "Sudou-kun, you came back".

Sudou : "...Sorry, it took me some time to take a dump".

He had a bright and cheerful look on his face. However, quite a lot of students turned to look at Sudou coldly. Sudou took their stares head-on.

Sudou : "Sorry. All because I snapped, I ended up hitting Hirata and caused morale to plummet. It's also my fault that Class D is in such dire straits".

Before anyone could blame him, Sudou said that and gave a deep bow. If Sudou had been the way he was just a while ago, he wouldn't have done such a thing even as an act.

I feel like something must have definitely happened.

Hirata, after a brief moment of surprise, laughed happily.

His cheek, which had swollen up a bit, looked painful. But he doesn't even seem to care about that.

Ike : "What's up with you, Ken? This is unlike you".

Ike unexpectedly cut in after seeing that.

Sudou : "I have to admit I'm in the wrong if I have done something wrong. Please let me apologize to you too, Kanji".

Ike : "It's not like it's your fault I lost or anything. I'm not good at sports, I'm sorry I wasn't of any use".

One apology led to another. The students who were glaring at Sudou too, have been unable to produce results the way Sudou had.

Sudou : "If you haven't decided on the substitute for the relay then please let me run".

Hirata : "There isn't a single student other than Sudou-kun we could leave it to. Right, everyone?".

The rules for the final event, the 1200 meter relay, requires that boys and girls be mixed. From each class, the runners must be evenly balanced between male and female.

Three boys and three girls each must run 200 meters.

Suzune : "May I ask for a substitute runner...? I won't be able to produce satisfactory results with this leg".

After Sudou's case wrapped up, younger Horikita requested that with an apologetic look on her face.

Sudou : "Are you fine with that, Horikita? You tried so hard to be in this relay, right?".

Suzune : "This...it can't be helped. In this state, I'm not even sure I can win against Ike-kun. Sorry".

In this somber and grim meeting, after Sudou had done so, younger Horikita also gave a deep bow.

I wonder if she's ever been this honest up until now.

Both Horikita's heart and body have been thoroughly demolished by Ryuuen. The role of anchor she holds onto tightly, on this day at this time, is all because she had pictured herself by her brother's side.

Her hands trembling in frustration, she fought desperately against the dream that couldn't possibly come true.

If she forced the matter and participated in the contest anyways, then without a doubt, Class D would lose. Having heard that, Hirata nodded and decided that Kushida would be participating in her stead.

Then, with Sudou as the first one on the list, there's Hirata, Miyake, Mori, Onodera. The five of them with Kushida as Horikita's replacement took on the challenge with that lineup.

It's because there aren't any other sprinters in Class D aside from them capable of participating. The members were confirmed and as I made eye contact with him, Hirata simultaneously opened his mouth.

Hirata : "Umm...sorry about the suddenness, but the truth is I—".

But as though cutting him off, yet another female student started to speak.

Mori : "Please wait, I apologize but would you let me withdraw too Hirata-kun?"

The one who said so was Nene Mori, one of the girls slated to participate. She seemed to be clutch her left thight a bit.

Mori : "Actually, I were got injured during chavalry battle...because that class C fellows...I thought it'd get better with some rest but it's still hurting".

Apparently even here we've got students who've sustained injuries.

Hirata : "In that case, looks like we'll need another replacement".

Having said that, Hirata closed his mouth and looked around.

However, for this final contest, no student would want to participate unless they were absolutely confident in their speed. After a brief wait, there were no volunteers and so I decided to make an offer.

Kiyone : "Then would it be fine if I ran? Of course, I'll pay the points for the substitution".

Karuizawa : "Eh! You will, Ayanokouji? Speaking of which, err...are you fast?"

Of course, no one would have the impression that I'm a fast runner.

Hirata : "I'm all for it. I do believe Ayanokoji-san would do and I think she's the kind of person who'll make sure she produces results".

A word from Hirata was enough to shut down anything resembling an objection. This is the weight behind the words of the man who earns trust on a daily basis. It left everyone incapable of objecting.

Hirata : "Also, we can't say that Class D has its best members. That's why our strategy should be seizing the initiative and securing our lead. How about that, Sudou-kun? Considering the rules too, I think we'd secure predominance if we can run ahead. If we can get the start right and if it's Sudou-kun, who runs fast, doing the overtaking then we may be able to gain some distance in one stroke. I'll maintain that lead and hand it over to the next student".

The ultimate relay where 12, including senior students as well, would have to start simultaneously.

The rule here is that you may take the inner lane from an opponent you have overtaken. In other words, the most crucial thing here is our initial positioning. If you can pull off a starting dash then you won't have to get caught up in a free-for-all.

Sudou : *sigh* "...Well, no helping it. There's no other way if we want to win".

Sudou will go first. Hirata, whose speed is assured, will be going second.

After that, the three girls, including Kushida, will have their turn and in the end, it'll be my turn. We'll be going in this order. It appears even I have been given a higher evaluation compared to the other girls since I was entrusted with the role of anchor.

As for the reason, they probably wanted to sandwich me in between the slower students. It saves me the trouble.

From across all school years and from across all classes, the chosen elites gather at the center of the grounds and amongst them the figures of the older Horikita as well as Nagumo of the 2nd years could be seen.

Hirata : "I'll leave it to you, Sudou-kun!".

Hirata shouts and in the same vein, Kushida and the other runners also send shrill cheers flying Sudou's way. Sudou, looking determined, enters the course. It seems the 1st years have it good to a certain extent, since Class D is on the innermost lane. It's set up such that Class A of the 3rd years is on the outermost lane.

Since there are three girls when it comes to the 3rd years, it can be said that we'll have an overwhelming starting advantage.

As excitement peaked, the last relay finally began.

Of course, Class D no longer has any chance of winning the sports festival but if we can obtain victory here, it may alter future events drastically. They must have had such a premonition.

Cheering voices came from our camp as well.

Suzune : "That was close. A bit longer and I would have withdrawn".

Kiyone : "I suppose so"

From the start, the plan was for me to replace Hirata and participate in the last relay instead. Of course, no one other than Hirata knew of that.

Suzune : "This is fine, right? Ayanokouji-san?".

Kiyone : "Yeah. Sorry about having you go around laying the groundwork".

Suzune : "It's the natural thing for me to do. I'd rather not let us keep getting beaten by Ryuuen-kun too. It's alright if I assume he'll be slightly surprised by you running as the anchor, right?"

Kiyone : "I'll do my best to not let you down. More importantly, for now let's cheer Sudou-kun on".

Sudou made a good start the moment the starting signal rang out without so much as a hint of nervousness.

A dash that had the best timing that I've seen so far. From the very first step, he had enough force to overtake 11 people. Wah! I could hear such cheers fly along with the sprinting students.

Shibata : "Amazing, so fast!".

Even Shibata, spectating from beside me, gave his praise. Sudou ran at an overwhelming pace.

The 2nd year and 3rd year boys too, were supposed to have been fast, but they got caught up in a free-for-all and were left struggling to position themselves.

Having overtaken them via that opening, Sudou maintained a lead of over 15 meters and came back.

Sudou : "I'll leave it to you, Hirata!".

Class D is in an uproar over that lead. The baton passes to the next runner, Hirata.

The hybrid type man who excelled at both studies and sports. He shone brilliantly even here.

One after another, the other students followed in tow but the gap that had formed could not be bridged and our planned lead was maintained all the way up to Miyake, who would be running third.

If there's a problem then it would be from this point. For a girl, Onodera is fast. However, the boys following her from behind were closing in on her. That lead will certainly be lost.

By the time it passed to Onodera, who's running fourth, the lead was overtaken by a boy from Class A of the 2nd years. One after another, new students began to run.

We participated whilst aiming for 1st place but as expected, the senior students are formidable. Furthermore, Onodera had been overtaken by someone from Class A of the 3rd years and one after another, they closed in on her. One from Class A of the 3rd years and one from Class A of the 2nd years each passed by her.

As expected of the competition, huh?

However, such happenings are an inherent part of the sports festival. A girl from Class A of the 3rd years who was fourth to be handed the baton, stumbled and fell about 50 meters before the next runner.

She panicked and got back up but someone from Class A of the 2nd years immediately took top spot via that opening and a severe gap formed.

By the time the baton passed to Kushida, fifth to run, Class D had already been overtaken by Class A of the same year and had fallen down to 7th place. As suspected, when it comes to overall capability, the other classes hold the advantage.

I thought we'd at least aim for the winners' podium but the fight appears to have become a difficult one.

In a situation where 1st years were unable to even compete, Class B of the 1st years alone managed to hold onto 3rd place with effort.

The ace of Class B who could gather attention to himself in a single stroke, Shibata, seems to be acting the role of the anchor and just like me, he took up his position and awaited his turn.

As the fourth runner from Class A of the 3rd years fell, the situation between the men lined up beside one another as anchors changed entirely.

Nagumo : "Looks like we win this fight, Horikita-senpai. If possible, I'd have liked to run against you".

Glancing at the approaching top runner, a student from Class A of the 2nd years, Nagumo laughed.

There's about a 30 meter gap from the 3rd year's Class A student running in 2nd place. A distance at which those equal to one another in ability can never win.

Nagumo : "Even in overall points, we're likely to win. Looks like the dawn of a new era".

Manabu : "Are you serious about changing it? The school, I mean".

Nagumo : "Up until now, there's been a lack of fun when it comes to the student council. It stubbornly stuck to protecting tradition. Even though you speak such harsh things you've never forgotten to leave behind a safety net. Soft rules that ensured expulsions won't occur. Such things are already unnecessary, aren't they? That's why all I'll be doing is creating new rules. For the ultimate meritocratic school system, that is".

Nagumo said so as he slowly started to walk forward. He started on an approach run to receive the baton closing in. Well, whatever it is. As 1st years student, I don't want get tangled by their feud

The baton finally passed onto the representative of the 2nd year's Class A: Nagumo Miyabi.

Nagumo : "Alright, see you later Horikita-senpai"

Not too long after, Shibata also received his baton under the ideal condition of being in 2nd place.

Shibata : "Alright, nice! Leave the rest to me!".

Shibata, with fiery eyes, started running as though chasing after Nagumo.

Due to the students between us leaving, for just a moment, I made eye contact with the older Horikita.

There's not much to be gleaned from a brief conversation but this man is fighting once again.

Manabu : "Unexpected. You're become the anchor huh?".

Kiyone : "I'm just replacing an injured member. Originally, your sister was slated to be in this position"

Manabu : "I see. She's struggling in her own way then".

Even if it's only for this moment alone, younger Horikita has dreamed of standing alongside Horikita Manabu.

Even if she couldn't exchange words with him, she had probably intended on conveying her own feelings to him.

Manabu : "I've been watching your class and up until a while ago I thought of you guys as a hopeless class. But in this final relay, I don't feel any of that from you guys. What happened?".

Kiyone : "You sure are keeping an eye on us. Class D of the 1st years isn't really something you ought to be paying attention to, right?".

Manabu : "I keep an eye on all classes. No exceptions".

Kiyone : "If something has changed then...probably it'd be your sister".

Manabu : "...I see".

No surprise. He only replied briefly with that usual, composed expression of his.

Manabu : "I'll ask you this. What about you? I can't feel any passion from you".

Kiyone : "I have no interest towards this sports festival. I can already tell the outcome, what's the point doing your best on this situation?"

The class's feelings.

Sudou's feelings.

Horikita's feelings.

I have no strong interest in any of that.

Manabu : "In the end, a defect still a defect huh?"

Kiyone : "I'm not that pessimistic. You won't be able to see it after you graduate but our class will become stronger".

Manabu : "I have no interest in such an assumed future"

Kiyone : "Well, its up to you to believe it or not either"

As the older Horikita glanced at his approaching teammate, he said something to me.

Manabu : "Then in that case, would you happened to show me at least your determination on that believe of yours? At least prove me that it wasn't an empty words"

Kiyone : "What?"

Manabu : "Show me what you got"

Kiyone : "W-What do you mean senpai?"

Manabu : "I challenge you, show to me that determination of yours"

Kiyone : "I don't want to stand out. Also I do aware the different physique between us as male and female. No matter what I do, I can't defeat you. Is that enough?"

Manabu : "I guess that you're a dissappointment as well"

Kiyone : "Sorry about that senpai"

Finally his teammate already passed the baton on him however he still stopped on the spot. It cause a confused to all the spectator including me and his teammate

Manabu : "You did well".

??? : "Ah! eh? uh..."

Replying briefly as such, he no longer made any move. The one most bewildered by this would have to be the fifth runner for Class A of the 3rd years. He had done his best to carry the baton to hand over yet the he received the baton while standing still.

The 3rd year whose name I didn't know left while in shock at the attitude of the older Horikita who had received the baton. In all likelihood, this is an unprecedented baton relay.

Naturally the spectators who had realized this bizarre situation turned their eyes towards the older Horikita.

??? : "H-Huh, Horikita-san...?"

Kiyone : "What does it mean Horikita-senpai?"

Manabu : "Say that, I'm going easy on you. I'll let you run first. I'll show you the difference between reality and nonsense. The thing you believed, I'm gonna crush it right in front of your eyes,"

Kiyone : "Are you mocking me?"

Manabu : "You could intrepet that whatever you like, after all...You just all talk"

I don't know what happened to me? But, something within me get awaken by his provocation.

Class A of the 3rd years, once 3rd place, was overtaken one after another and at last, Class D's Kushida approached me.

Kushida too, realized this bizarre situation but she ran over at full speed. A distance covered in a few more seconds.

Kiyone : "No need to go easy on me"

Manabu : "What?"

Kiyone : "I'll just say this before the race"

He frowned at me

Kiyone : "Run with everything you've got".

Older Horikita smiled at my words. Although I didn't know either it was smile of mockery or respect

At this very moment, the baton passed over to me.

Kushida : "Aya-chan!"

I accepted the baton Kushida handed over as the opening act, both of us dashed forth at full throttle. For just an instant, I felt that the older Horikita, who had disappeared behind my field of vision, laughed.

In my whole life up until this moment, I've never once ran seriously in this wide, sprawling world.

The situation is completely different compared to when I had continued running indifferently in that cold, inhuman room.

It's still the start of October. The cool season is still far off.

I basked in the cold wind.

I don't care about catching up to and overtaking the runner in front.

In this moment, all that matters is the race against the man running next to me. Even though I do aware that there is a line between male and female, I don't care. All I want to do, I just want to compete with him

As though cutting through the wind, at full speed, we closed the distance between us and the runner in front.

/

Horikita Suzune POV

This is...unexpected...

??? : "You've got to be kidding right?".

One of the runner shout as they began to overtaken him. As he was overtaken by both of them, the student gave a dumbfounded shout but he was left in the dust.

It should be my place yet somehow I'm relieved to entrust my position on her.

Onodera : "Seriously?!"

Hirata : "W-Wow..."

Sudou : "That damn girl! Is she perhaps an alien or something? Hahaha"

Cheers could be heard from class D as well. Even Koenji who mostly ignore this event, took an interest on that race

Karuizawa : "Come on Ayanokoji!"

Mii-chan : "Fight on!"

Sakura : "Ayanokoji-chan! Ganbatte!"

Mori : "You can do it!"

That's what normally the others said however...

Yukimura : "That's not normal, how could a girl could toe on toe with boy and he is not just anybody. It was with Student Council President himself..."

Satou : "Wow that's so cool! But too bad...if only she were a boy, I would date Ayanokoji after this"

Matsushita : "Hey hey, you won't swing that way just because she could overtaken some boys right?"

Satou : "W-What?! Of course not!"

Truly...

But when I saw both of them like that, deep inside my heart. I do feel that what I could do was nowhere around them. They are too dazzling, I too wanted to be on the same place like them one day...

Nagumo : "W-What?! No way!"

And here several meters before finish line however the distance between Ayanokoji and my brother widened more.

During the race, the distance gradually widened but Ayanokoji still trying her best to keep up with him. Started from a palm of hand...an arms...1/2 meter...1 meter...

I could feel the tension

And now...

CHEERS!!!

The crowd getting more noisy

But the winner already predicted, yes. My brother is the winner this time

Ayanokoji who keep straight running until passed the finish line struggling to stopped her pace and she eventually fell to the ground. Her glasses thrown as well.

Without thinking much I immediately rushed toward her but...

When I'm about offering hand to her. I stopped my hand in the middle and retracted it back. I hold that hand thinking about did I deserve to help her? Did I really could be any help toward her?

Before I realized, the other classmate already arrived behind me

Karuizawa immediately offering her hand to help her stand up and Sakura securing her glasses. The others seems cheer her up although I don't think she need it since she didn't seems to be depressed at all.

Kiyone : "Sorry, we lose...that was the best I can do. That was my limit..."

Karuizawa : "Stop whining like that!"

Karuizawa give double cheek slap on her while holding her head

Karuizawa : "That's already great dummy. Getting 2nd place against such opponents, you are not bad at all"

Satou : "That's right! You are so cool! Why you never told this to us before?!"

Sudou : "Impressive Ayanokoji! Aren't you a fast one! Have you been holding back until now!?"

Kushida : "Don't mind it to much Aya-chan. That was great, nobody blame you"

Looking at the crowd around her, I smiled. I retracted myself leaving them alone on their own euphoria

Soon the result from this event finally announced

Volume 6

The small group

The four of us stood outside the convenience store enjoying some ice cream that we had bought.

Hasebe : "Eating ice cream while it's a bit chilly is delicious."

Hasebe says so while carrying a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a thin wooden spoon up to her mouth.

Yukimura, on the other hand, doesn't appear to eat ice cream very often, as he was still reading the ingredients.

Yukimura : "This is just a list of preservatives and food colorings."

Hasebe : "Wow, how are you able to eat anything if you're concerned about that sort of thing?"

Yukimura : "I'd like to pay attention to the food I eat. I started thinking about it after what happened to my physical condition during the uninhabited island exam. Now I get my food from the organic section of the supermarket at Keyaki Mall."

Hasebe : "You're a really serious guy."

Apparently, Yukimura recently became a health-conscious individual.

Yukimura : "In the first place, items at the convenience store cost a lot. If you're willing to make a small trip over to the mall, you can get the same thing at a much better price. Why not buy your groceries a bit more efficiently?"

He pointed it out by looking at Hasebe who had also bought a lot of groceries along with the ice cream.

Hasebe : "Yukimū, are you by any chance one of those weird penny-pinchers?"

Yukimura : "I've always cared about it. And what do you mean by Yukimū?"

Hasebe : "You're Yukimura-kun, so Yukimū. When I want to make friends, I start with nicknames. Miyatchi, Yukimū, and Ayanon. Hmm, although Ayanon doesn't flow that well."

Before I knew it, I had been given 'Ayanon' as a nickname.

Kiyone : "A-Ayanon?"

Yukimura : "Don't call me Yukimū, it's embarrassing."

Hasebe : "You don't like it?"

Yukimura : "...I didn't say that, I told you it's embarrassing."

Hasebe : "So what?"

Yukimura : "But in the presence of others, Yu-Yukimū is a little..."

Yukimura stopped talking. Hasebe responds to him with a straight face.

Hasebe : "I came to this conclusion after I realized that our relationship might not be that bad."

Yukimura : "A relationship worthy of a nickname?"

Hasebe : "Jeez, we're all, like, the type of people who stick to themselves, right?"

Hasebe : "Well...That's true. I can't deny that."

Hasebe : "Should I say that once I tried this group thing out, I was unexpectedly comfortable with the results? And Yukimū and Ayanon also have very few friends. The second semester is more than halfway over, so I decided that I really want to establish a new friend group through these study sessions. Therefore, I'm not trying to make up for lost time, but in order to get close to you guys as quickly as possible, I want to call you guys by either a nickname or your first name. What do you two think?"

She asked us. After it was clear that Yukimura and I were unable to answer her, Miyake responded:

Miyake : "Yeah. I'm surprised myself since it isn't bad at all. I feel like I fit in. I don't get along with Sudou and his group, and Hirata feels like an entirely different existence, always surrounded by girls."

Hasebe : "I know, right? What about you two?"

Both Hasebe and Miyake were positive about the four of us forming a group together. Would Yukimura still refuse?

Yukimura : "I was only with you guys to oversee your studying. When the finals are over, the group will have served its purpose, but...I guess these finals won't be the last time. Of course, there will be the third semester, and it also goes without saying that there will be further exams until graduation. So...I don't mind forming something it for the sake of efficiency."

Hasebe : "What you're saying is confusing, but thanks nonetheless."

Yukimura : "Hmm, well. This is only to keep you guys from dropping out and lower the class's ratings any further."

Hasebe : "Then there's only Ayanon left, ah, but is it difficult because you're already in a group with Horikita-san? Plus you're sometimes also doing things with Kushida-san and Karuizawa-san"

Kiyone : "I can't say if it's for better or worse, but at least I know that those two are pretty different from the type of person I am, as they have many aspects that I'm just not compatible with. Should I say that I don't have to force myself when I'm around you guys? To be honest, I feel relaxed. Horikita-san and I just sit next to each other. We interact a lot, but I'm not particularly in a group with her."

These were my true feelings.

Hasebe : "Is that so? In that case, it's decided. We will be the Ayano-"

Kiyone : "Yukimura group"

Hasebe : "What?"

Kiyone : "Looking at how you always act so randomly, for once I disagree that you named our group using my name"

Hasebe : "Aww, Ayanon being so petty"

She pout

Kiyone : "Why is it named after me?"

Miyake : "You're the one who brought all of us together. Are you not okay with it?"

Miyake also agreed with Hasebe's opinion.

Kiyone : "Not at all, that was embarassing"

What about Yukimura?

Yukimura : "I-I have objections. Just like Ayanokoji, I would be troubled if we chose to call ourselves the Yukimura group. But..."

He hesitated at first then after I tried to convince him with my eyes

Kiyone : "Then, did you had any objection with my suggestion Yukimura-kun?"

Yukimura : "W-Well..." *sigh* "Fine, it just a group's name right?"

Hasebe : "I see. In that case, it's decided. We will be the Yukimura Group from now on. Please treat us well."

Good, I'm glad this group didn't come after my name

Hasebe : "One last thing before we inaugurate the group. Let's ban the use of formal surnames from now on."

Yukimura : "It's up to you to ban them, but I won't say Mi-Miyatchi or... A-Ayanon or anything like that. It's embarrassing. I'd look like an idiot."

It would definitely feel out of place for Yukimura and me to say 'Miyatchi'.

It was really helpful that he ended up denying it for me.

Hasebe : "Well, at least use the first name. By the way, my name is Haruka. You can call me whatever you want. What your first name, Miyatchi?"

Miyake : "Akito."

If that's the case, that's what we should call you then? Hasebe had a proud expression.

Yukimura : "Akito huh. Well, that's manageable. Ayanokōji's is Kiyone, right?"

I nodded

I don't know but somehow I'm glad he remembered mine.

Kiyone : "And I believe Yukimura-kun's first name is Teruhiko. Am I right?"

I also thought back to the exam on the ship. Yukimura's expression suddenly became cloudy for some reason after I had said this.

Yukimura : "...You remembered?"

Instead of being impressed, Yukimura looked troubled.

Hasebe : "Oh, so Yukimū's first name is Teruhiko. Should I think of another nickname?"

Yukimura : "Stop it!"

He responded with a strong tone, and Hasebe shrunk back a little bit.

Kiyone : "Is something wrong?"

When I asked Yukimura about his sudden change in attitude, he gave an unexpected response.

Yukimura : "I'm fine with calling you guys by your given names, but could you stop calling me Teruhiko?"

He actually made such a proposal.

Hasebe : "That is, it's alright for you to use our first names, but it's not alright for us to do it to you!?"

Yukimura : "It's not that I don't like any of you guys. It's just that I hate my given name. I usually don't mind because nobody had ever used my given name before, but this situation makes things different."

Miyake : "It's not a particularly unique baby name nowadays, isn't it pretty common?"

Miyake understandably finds it strange.

The name Teruhiko is definitely one of the more standard, usual names.

I don't think the name is the type that I'd end up hating.

Kiyone : "Is there any special reason?"

Yukimura : "Well...Teruhiko was the name chosen for me by my mother, a cowardly woman who abandoned me and my father when I was little. This is why I can't possibly accept it."

Hasebe and Miyake's faces tightened after they learned that there was a heavier reason for it than they had expected.

Mother huh? My intuition told me that there's no way my father is the one who gave me a name.I do wonder, if I met my own mother one day. Also, I wanted to know the reason why she gave me name 'Kiyone'

Yukimura noticed this and immediately decided to end the conversation.

Yukimura : "Sorry, I said something unnecessary."

Hasebe : "Nope, that was my bad. I went ahead and used your first name without your permission."

Yukimura : "It's not something you need to apologize for. It's only to be expected since you didn't understand the situation. Plus it's not typical for someone to dislike their given name. If possible, I don't want to ruin the atmosphere of the group. If none of you mind, I'd like it if you'd call me Keisei moving forward. It's the name I've been using since I was a child."

Hasebe : "Keisei? Does that mean Yukimū has two given names? This is pretty complicated."

Yukimura : "Keisei isn't my naturally given name. It's the name my father wanted me to have. Since the day my mother left home, I've made it my own. If you find it unacceptable, I hope you'll call me Yukimura just like you've been doing."

If this is what Yukimura wanted, we wouldn't be able to pursue it any further.

Besides, it isn't surprising for someone to use more than one name.

It isn't only celebrities who do it, but even people of the general public.

Yukimura : "It wasn't my intention to use such an insensitive name, but that's not what matters, is it?"

Hasebe : "Yeah true. In which case, my best regards, Keisei."

As Hasebe said, we all chose to call him by the name that he wanted us to use.

Yukimura : "Sorry for my selfishness... Kiyone, Akito, Haruka."

Yukimura addressed everyone by their given name again.

Miyake : "It's fine, it's fine. More or less, people have their own circumstances."

Exactly. Just like how I have a past that I don't want to be exposed or for people to know about, Yukimura... no, Keisei also has a past that he carries.

I attempted to say their names out loud in the same way Keisei did.

Kiyone : "Haruka-san...umm...Akito-kun and Keisei-kun. Right? I've also remembered them."

It's more stressful to call a girl by her first name than to do it for a boy.

Hasebe : "What's with that classical mannerism?"

Kiyone : "Uh...Sorry...I'll try again. Haruka...errr...Akito and Keisei"

Hasebe : "Good. Anyways, Kiyone huh?"

Haruka seems to have gotten caught up with my nickname again.

Hasebe : "Not Ayanon, but how about Kiyopon? Yeah, this one flows much better, so I think it's an easy decision. Yukimū, do you want to call her that too?"

Wow, I feel like I've been given a more shameful nickname than Ayanon.

Thinking of being called this in front of the general public from now on gives me goosebumps.

Yukimura : "I won't call her that, it's too embarrassing. I've already decided to call her Kiyone."

Embarrassment aside, we ultimately decided to use our first names for each other.

At first, we weren't able to find the right way to say it, but the flow of things had started to seem much more natural and there weren't any more problems with that.

I looked behind me. It felt like the conversation was at a good place for me to discreetly check on the presence in the background.

Are you just going to stay there and listen in silence, Sakura?

Every time that we've gathered for a study session, Sakura has followed behind us.

Same with the café today. Moreover, she was also currently watching us from a distance now.

She can't hear everything that we're saying, but she should just barely be able to hear enough to understand.

Right now, while our group is being formed is her last chance.

If she doesn't insert into the conversation here...

Hasebe : "Well! Now we've all learned each other's names. So, the four of us will group u-"

BANG!

Sakura : "F-For-forgive me!"

The trash can nearby made a loud sound. At the same time, a single student stood up.

Of course, it goes without saying that it was Sakura. She rigidly stepped out and nervously walked up to us with robotic movement.

Kiyone, Yukimura, Hasebe, Miyake : "Sakura-san?"

All of us said her name at almost the same time.

Sakura : "I-I-I also want to join the group!"

Unable to show her face for the longest time, Sakura amassed every ounce of her courage and then uttered the words.

Her face was visibly flushed with nervousness. Since she wasn't paying attention, she hadn't noticed that her fake glasses were sitting crooked in an amusing position.

Yukimura : "Do you want to join the group because you're afraid that you'll fail the exam? Given Sakura's scores and partner, it's not unreasonable for you to be uneasy about it."

Keisei calmly endeavored to analyze Sakura's arrival, and then came to a conclusion.

Yukimura : "Based on how I see it, I think you should join Horikita's group. I'm not capable enough to teach very many people. Besides, your situation is different from theirs, so the content that you'll need to be taught would be different as well."

Sakura mustered the courage to say something, but was unfortunately dismissed by Keisei's collected response.

Sakura : "I-It's not like that! I genuinely want to join Yukimura's group!"

When you travel, you don't care about losing face. A train that has started will not stop. Sakura's resolve wouldn't falter from just this. She expressed her feelings once again.

Miyake : "Isn't it fine? Sakura can join us. After all, she seems to fit in."

Akito spoke, welcoming the unexpected visitor.

Yukimura : "Is it okay? Letting someone join so easily."

Miyake : "Does adding one person make any difference? Besides, there are no qualifications required to join our group. We're all loners anyways, so I think it's fine."

Yukimura : "We're all loners? I suppose so."

It's well-known that Sakura is also often alone in Class D.

Kiyone : "Keisei, do you had any objection?"

Yukimura : "I have no reason to object, but I don't want it to increase more than this. Sakura makes it easy, but if someone else who noisy joins, I'm leaving."

Sakura : "Th-Thank you, Miyake-kun... Yukimura-kun..."

Despite there being some conditions attached, Keisei agreed. The rest was up to Haruka.

Haruka usually gives the impression of being the most receptive, but this time there was no smile on her face.

Hasebe : "Sorry, Sakura-san, but that isn't going to convince me."

Sakura : "Ah, well, uh... I-I can't...?"

Haruka maintains her stern expression and confronts Sakura as if to pour cold water on her long-awaited reception.

Hasebe : "In my case, should I say that I'm really looking forward being a part of the group? I feel like I'm going to get along really well with everyone for a while. So-"

She pointed her index finger straight upwards and held it before Sakura's eyes.

Hasebe : "Since you want to participate in our group, there's an obligation for us to call each other by either a nickname or their given name. This means that Sakura-san will have to be called... Err... What's her name again?"

Kiyone : "Airi."

I added quickly.

Hasebe : "We'll call you Airi, and you'll have to call everyone by their names as well. Are you okay with that?"

Everyone more or less understood that Sakura wasn't very good with interpersonal relationships, which is why she was given this advice:

'Can you tolerate such a situation?' She confirmed the answer.

Sakura : "Eh, well..."

I decided to try my best at helping the confused Sakura. If Haruka decided to require nicknames here, the things would become more difficult.

Kiyone : "Keisei, Akito, and Haruka."

I elaborated the first names of Yukimura, Miyake, and Hasebe in order.

Sakura : "...Ke-Keisei-kun, Akito-kun, and Haruka-san..." *phew*

She desperately squeezed out the names in a faint voice.

Miyake : "There's no need to use an honorific, is there?"

Hasebe : "Yeah. It's fine as long as it's the first name. Now, there's only Kiyopon left."

Sakura looked at me in a daze. I understood how she was feeling, having to suddenly call three people by their first names. The only thing left for her is to address me.

Sakura : "Pfft-!"

A mysterious sound escaped out of Sakura's mouth.

Hasebe : "Huh?"

Sakura : "Ahahahaha! Hp-"

Realizing she let out a loud laugh, she immediately close her mouth

Hasebe : "I know you will like it, that does sounds cute right? Now try to called her like that"

Haruka spoke, looking to pursue after her and attack. She was just like an examiner.

Kiyone : "Please, just call me Kiyone."

It's much too embarassing being called Kiyopon anyway. It's embarrassing even when said internally.

Sakura : "K-Kiyo, Kiyo- Pfft-!"

Everyone's eyes were on Sakura, even like that. She tried to called thus embarrassing nickname of mine there

Sakura : "Kiyopon! Pftt- Ahahaha!"

This damn girl. I immediately pinch her cheek for it

Sakura : "Ittai~! Ittai~! Stop it!"

It was a problem that spiraled further and further out of control as more time passed by.

Kiyone : "Well, anyway. Welcome to this small group Airi"

I spoke gently in order to welcomed her. She nodded while touch her cheek

Sakura : "Y-Yeah...Kiyone-chan. Please be kind to me from now on. Aughh~"

I nodded

Hasebe : "Yep, you passed! I also agree with having Airi join us."

Thus, Sakura's inclusion was unanimously approved.

Hasebe : "Well, let's do it once more. The five of us are the Yukimura's Group, so please lets treat each other well."

Keisei name being selected as the namesake of the group doesn't seem to change no matter who ends up joining it. Glad that it wasn't mine.

Volume 7

The Birth of Books Buddy

The library at the start of the lunch break is surprisingly empty. Since food is prohibited inside the library, we can't use it as a place to have our meals. Right now, it appears only a few people are present so it looks like I'll be able to go through the process of returning the book smoothly.

Kiyone : "I'm already here so I might as well borrow another book...".

Whether I borrow one book or two books, the trouble of returning them will be the same either way after all. Before I return the book, I suppose I'll look for a book I'm interested in reading.

While holding 'Farewell, My Lovely' in one hand, I went over to the Mystery corner.

Since it's going to be this way, I might as well borrow one or two detective themed books.

It would best if I could borrow another one of Raymond Chandler's. Upon arriving at the Mystery corner, I spotted a lone female student. Struggling to reach out with her arms to retrieve a book that's placed higher on the bookshelf than her height. The book is located at this strange height where one moment it seems like she'd be able to reach it yet being unable to reach it the next moment.

Since it appeared as though she'd be able to reach it, she seems reluctant to use the step stool provided.

I suppose it's like this whether you're a boy or a girl.

The book she's trying to grab hold of is 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte.

It's a novel written by the Bronte sisters and is well-known in the literary world. No, while the synopsis alone may make it seem like a mystery, the actual genre of it would have to be romance, wouldn't it?

When she finally touched it. The book get dragged and she fallen backward. I then grab the book 'Wuthering Heights', which the girl was also trying to pick while shouldering her so she won't fallen down

Kiyone : "Sorry, I may have done something unnecessary but...".

At that moment, I realized that I recognized the female student in front of me.

Kiyone : "You're Class C's...".

Shiina Hiyori.

She was a student who appeared together with Ryuuen before us a while ago. After quietly looking at my face, it seems she also similarly recognized me.

Hiyori : "If I recall you're...Ayanokouji-san, was it?"

She asked. It seems she's remembered my name. Considering the strange manner of contact we've made with each other I suppose it was inevitable.

Kiyone : "Yeah. For now here...".

I handed her the book.

Hiyori : "Thank you very much"

Kiyone : "Etto...Do you like it? Bronte"

Hiyori : "Personally, I neither like nor dislike anything. But the book was in the wrong place, genre wise, so I just thought to return it to its proper position"

She replied

Kiyone : "I see"

It seems she was trying to do the same thing I was

Hiyori : "By the way, the book you have with you...is 'Farewell, My Lovely' right? That's a masterpiece"

She told me. And with that, it seemed something lit up in Shiina's eyes

Kiyone : "I managed to borrow it from a friend today"

Hiyori : "You're certainly in luck then, it seems Raymond Chandler is very popular amongst the 2nd-year students and there's been a battle over this book for a while. I've been wanting to read it for a while now, but I wasn't able to find it here today either"

Kiyone : "S-Sorry...I seem to have done something bad by unintentionally monopolizing it"

Hiyori : "I don't mind. I've read it before after all. And besides, while looking for that book, I was blessed to run into another one. It seems the library in this school has a large collection of books. I might graduate before I could read them all"

She said while holding the Bronte book in her hands and slightly smiling

Kiyone : "I-I see, that might be so..."

There is indeed a large amount of books stored here. Even if you don't read one particular book, you can easily kill time in here.

Kiyone : "Anyway. Sorry for disturbing you"

This is a valuable lunch break. She came here instead of eating lunch, she's surely unwilling to let a student from another class bother her during this time. And so I decide to leave.

Hiyori : "Umm...are you looking for another book to borrow by any chance? If it's only about looking for a book to borrow, I would be glad to lend a hand. Since you're already here, wouldn't you rather borrow another book?"

Shiina asks me as she stops me from leaving.

Kiyone : "I thought I'd leave it for another time— Gwagh!- W-What are you doing?"

I asked her. Shiina had already taken her eyes off me and was looking around in the mystery corner of the library.

Hiyori : "Have you already read the Dorothy L. Sayers series?"

She asks me with beaming eyes. What is it? What is this kind of pressure?

Kiyone : "N-No. I've read Christie, but not Dorothy yet"

Hiyori : "If so... Ah! How about 'Whose Body?' I recommend it. Also the Lord Peter series, if you read one of it you'll surely want to complete the series too".

Saying that, she pulled the books off the shelves and presented them to me.

Kiyone : "Umm...Ano..."

The sudden development left me bewildered. I was left uncertain of how to respond to her.

Hiyori : "I'm sorry for speaking out like this, did I annoy you?"

Realizing my gesture. She asks me. I was not particularly interested, but I also was not going to refuse her here. And besides, borrowing a book is free anyways so I suppose I'll go along.

Kiyone : "S-Sorry. I was a bit surprised right now. But since I'm already here I'll borrow them I guess"

Hiyori : "I'm glad if you'd like"

I don't know what she meant by this, but Shiina faced me with a happy expression and asked.

Hiyori : "I don't think it's lunchtime just yet. If you're ok with me...would you like to eat together with me"

She suddenly asks me.

Kiyone : "Eh?"

From recommending books, to a development I did not expect. Rather than a chance encounter, I should assume she received instructions to do this from Ryuuen. Whether I refuse or accept her invitation, the impression Shiina would gain of me is the same. Whatever path I choose, I would inevitably be marked as gray by her.

Hiyori : "You see, there's no one in Class C who likes reading novels, so I have no one I could talk to".

Perhaps she just could not stand by silence, but Shiina said that to me.

Kiyone : "This won't be a problem? Right now Class C is in an uproar looking for someone from Class D right? I think I'm being counted as one of the suspects here".

Shiina probably heard I'm the one behind Karuizawa and Horikita and is likely trying to confirm it. If not, the chances of running into me here are infinitely low. It's extremely likely she was sent to make contact with me here. In a sense, she's an even creepier existence than Ryuuen. Because to me, Shiina Hiyori is a completely unknown quantity. I haven't even noticed her in the previous exams.

I'm sure I could dig up some information on her by using Karuizawa, but now that she's being targeted by Ryuuen that option is off the table. Since I only have a small community of people I can use, I don't possess the means to investigate Shiina at the moment. Keisei and Haruka, of course, are not useful for gathering information on other classes. I could use Hirata, but he's more or less neutral. And since I still don't know how Hirata feels about me, or how he views me, I don't want to rely on him for this. At least not with this timing.

Hiyori : "Please don't worry. I was only making a move formally for Ryuuen-kun. From the start, I was never interested in things like conflict anyways. Or is it a problem for you to talk to me?"

After a brief silence. I decide to talk

Kiyone : "No. If there's no problem on your end, I have none either".

Hiyori : "That's a relief, I would hate for classes to fight each other over such trivial things like that. I believe making friends is the most important thing".

It can't be helped. The school system was set up like this from the beginning. And besides, most of the students still interact with each other as usual. Since Hirata and Kushida seem to be especially popular, they will simply break through your personal walls to make 'friends'.

Hiyori : "Shall we leave then? It seems time is passing us by".

I then glanced at the clock in the library.

Kiyone : "Please let me finish borrowing this book first".

Who would have expected that I would have this kind of development in the library?

/

The two of us headed over to the cafeteria. As 20 minutes have already passed since the start of the lunch break, it's already crowded with a lot of students. But a lot of the students there appear to have finished their meals as there weren't many of them lining up at the ticket machine.

I chose the daily special but here's the problem. Shiina appears to be unable to choose, her fingers waving about in front of the buttons.

Hiyori : "Please wait...".

I waited patiently for about two minutes after being told that. Looks like she finally made up her mind and chose the same meal I did.

Hiyori : "I got a bit indecisive there".

Kiyone : "It's fine, it's not like there's anyone lining up behind us".

Right afterwards, two set meals were placed on the counter. Shiina seems to be having trouble holding the tray with the meal on it since she brought her schoolbag along with her to the cafeteria.

Kiyone : "Isn't the bag getting in the way? I'll carry it".

Hiyori : "No, I can't possibly ask you to do something that troublesome...".

Kiyone : "It's ok, tripping while holding that tray would be far more troublesome".

Hiyori : "S-Sorry...".

As she apologetically handed the bag over to me, I took it in hand and actually found it rather heavy. I wonder if it's got textbooks in it.

Hiyori : "Not only fast but you were surely strong huh?"

Avoiding the crowds as much as possible, we found empty seats and sat down facing one another. And we then belatedly began eating our lunch slowly.

Kiyone : "Do you usually eat here at the cafeteria?".

Hiyori : "No. I normally buy my lunch at the convenience store in the morning and I usually eat in the classroom. Do you come here often, Ayanokoji-san?".

Kiyone : "Convenience store food isn't very delicious. I suppose nothing beats food fresh out of the oven".

It saves you the trouble plus it's worth the effort too. Shiina then picked up the food with her chopsticks and brought it to her mouth in a very dignified manner.

I observed her movements in admiration. The way she handles her chopsticks is exceedingly elegant.

Hiyori : "Hmm, I see...the school cafeteria's food is certainly delicious. I'll make sure to keep it in mind".

Kiyone : "Could it be that this is your first time eating here?".

Hiyori : "I suppose the cat's out of the bag?".

Kiyone : "I've been thinking that since we were at the ticket machine, that perhaps you haven't"

We're already at the end of our second semester and students who haven't made use of the cafeteria are a rare breed.

Hiyori : "I've been curious about it for a while now but once you lose that initial trigger to go then you just end up procrastinating, don't you? I thought this is as good a chance as any so I mustered up my courage to come".

Somehow, I do understand her feelings. You do need a fair bit of courage to show up at a place you normally don't go to. You don't know how you're supposed to act there so you end up hesitating. Your own feelings of not wanting to show the people who go there regularly how out of your depth you are would end up stopping you. I also had my reservations about buying drip coffee from the convenience store at first.

Because I wasn't sure I would be able to smoothly make coffee from a coffee cup with nothing but ice in it. But in the majority of cases, you'll find that it's nothing that difficult once you try it out.

Kiyone : "Then that means this could be the trigger for you to come here from now on".

Hiyori : "Yes".

Afterwards, we talked a bit while finishing our lunch. Since we are the latecomers here, most of the students eating lunch here have already finished up and left. Of course, there are students here and there who have stayed behind to have a chat or to take their time eating.

Hiyori : "Since it become like this, let's call each other first name then"

Kiyone : "I-Is this alright?"

Hiyori : "Un~!"

I could tell from her eyes that she wanted me to call her first name so badly

Kiyone : "W-Well then Hi..yori...err...is that alright?"

Hiyori : "Of course! I'm glad, don't you think so Kii-chan?!"

Kiyone : "K-Kii-chan...?"

Somehow she gave me a cute nicknames. Well, somehow I can't goes against her pure charm. I do hope that she's not someone like Kushida. That's all

Hiyori : "I'd like to continue where we left off at the library. If it's not a bother, would you please read this?".

Saying that, Shiina places something on the table.

POMP!

A heavy sound you wouldn't have expected from it at first glance resounded.

Hiyori : "Have you read any of these books before, Kii-chan?".

She just took four books out of her bag. No wonder it's so heavy.

'William Irish' and 'Ellery Quee'n as well as 'Lawrence Block' and 'Isaac Asimov'.

Kiyone : "Y-You've got good taste...".

These are all mystery novels, masterpieces of old.

Hiyori : "You can tell?".

Kiyone : "I'm also a fan of the mystery genre".

Hiyori : "Ehehe...I see".

Shiina happily laughs while bringing her hands together. And that's when I realized something was off about the books.

Kiyone : "These aren't from the library, are they?".

Hiyori : "They're all mine. I'm carrying them around in case I meet someone who shares my interest in them one day so I can lend it to them. It was only a book at first but before I found someone like that, they just kept piling up".

Kiyone : "Eh?"

This girl's got a few screws loose.

Hiyori : "Please don't hold back, take whichever one you like".

Kiyone : "T-Then...I suppose I'll go with Ellery Queen since I haven't read that one yet".

Hiyori : "Please do".

If this is her putting up an act, then it's one hell of an act but I don't really feel that from her. I can only imagine these actions of hers to be because she genuinely loves books.

But I've made a strange connection in a strange place. Of course, I should be on my guard if this is a trap that Class C is setting up but I think it's safe to say this matter is a complete coincidence.

I promised to return it to her at a later date just as the bell signaling the end of our lunch break rang.

Honestly I do think that if this feud were over, I hope I could spend more time like this with her again

What do you think about this plot idea?

Random Idea Plot (Sorry not part of chapter) Pt2

Volume 7

One day, unexpected event occured

Karuizawa and her group suddenly coming storming on one of their classmate seat. Of course their action caught the other attention inside class

She approached a certain girl

Karuizawa : "Hey, got a second? Come with me!"

Of course, if you saw from another perspective. Her action look like she was messing with her on purpose although the truth sometimes totally different than it looks

Horikita : "Wait a minute! What happening here?!"

Horikita tried to intervene their bussiness

Karuizawa : "Just shut up Horikita! This has nothing to do with you!"

Horikita : "Wha-?!"

Being taken aback by her. Horikita immediately took her stance

Horikita : "Whatever your reason. I had the very right to discern about the situation between classmates here. We can't let this small banter torn us apart like before-"

Karuizawa : "Why are you so annoying! I told you to shut up! And you come here with me!"

Without letting Horikita to answer. She immediately hold her arm and dragged her out. However, a boy immediately blocked their path to exit.

Karuizawa : "Move!"

Keisei : "I'm not gonna move until you explain your absurd behavior. We had the very right to know what's going on here, so-"

Karuizawa : "I don't care what's your damn opinion nerd! Don't get in my way!"

Karuizawa body' began trembling. But Ayanokoji decide to taken an action. Unexpected action occured

Kiyone : "It's alright Keisei"

Keisei : "W-What?"

Kiyone : "I'm sorry. This is kinda personal so I implore you to stop butting on between us"

Keisei : "B-But..."

Kiyone : "Its alright, I'll gonna make it clear soon. Don't worry"

After that. He lost at word and Karuizawa continue dragged her body out from the class in silence. Horikita who tried to follow them immediately got blocked by Shinohara and the other girls on her group

Horikita : "W-What?"

Shinohara : "You've hear them right? None of us had nothing to do with them. Don't interfere"

Horikita : "Do you had any idea what's going on here?"

Shinohara : "Not at all"

Horikita : "W-What? Then why do you stopped me?"

Satou : "Because Karuizawa said so"

Horikita : "What? Just because she ordered you like this. You guys obeyed her without even a doubt? That's was wrong! This is absurd!"

Matsushita : "Say whatever you wanted Horikita-san. We won't let any of you interfere with their bussiness"

With thier stance like that, no one inside the class could even ask what's going on? Moreover, the situation without Hirata inside the class truly chaotic

/

This kinda quiet place that I doubt anyone would hear us out

Suddenly she push me and I was being backed on the wall. She put her hand like a kabedon however the situation are more serious than it seems

Karuizawa : "Hey, what do you mean by that?"

Kiyone : "It is what it is."

Karuizawa : "I don't understand! I'm not smart, don't say otherway around. Explain to me properly Ayanokoji!"

Kiyone : "Should I said this once more? Since before I had my own reasons, I was helping Class D climb to the top. But that reason has just disappeared".

Karuizawa : "I don't care about that part or your absurd reason to help class D. All I wanted to know, what do you mean by this is the last time we making 'contact' there? Explain it properly four eyes!"

Kiyone : "I'm going to leave it to Horikita-san and Hirata-kun to carry the class. I don't want to get involved with Ryuuen-kun and get exposed. You were a great help to me at the karaoke and a lot of other things. Sorry, I've caused you a lot of trouble"

Karuizawa : "So we're finally going to stop doing this and you'll set me free?"

Kiyone : "Yeah. That's how it is"

Until now Karuizawa has served me without hesitation beyond my imagination, that's why I can now cut her off without hesitation too.

Kiyone : "Our partnership already over"

I clearly said that to her.

Karuizawa : "Hey...Did I perhaps somehow I make a mistake? Did you discard me because I can't meet your expectation?"

Kiyone : "No, you didn't make any mistake at all. Your works are great but it's the natural course of action since there's nothing I need to ask you to do anymore. I mean, no one knows you and I are connected in the first place, Karuizawa-san. If we continue to make contact meaninglessly, it would just seem suspicious".

Karuizawa : "Then, are you going to betrayed me?"

Kiyone : "No, I will still protect you. That promise I intend to keep to the end. If you have an emergency situation, I will give you the address to contact me at. But everything other than emergencies, please delete all our chats until now so as to not leave evidence. I've already deleted all your messages and contact number on my end".

Karuizawa : "Hey, that's too cold you know...even for you...What do you think the other peoples are for you? Your tools?! Answer me!"

Her face getting closer

Kiyone : "About that part you can intrepet it whatever you wanted. There's no cold or anything about it, that's just the extent of our relationship".

I protected her from Manabe and her group and if not for that we would never have even known each other like this. The difference between a gloomy student and a popular girl is like that of the heavens and the earth. I continued...

Kiyone : "You also hated being used by me, right? Isn't this good chance to gain your freedom?"

Karuizawa : "That's true, but...".

Karuizawa kept stumbling on her words. And what's more, her silences grew longer.I shouldn't drag this out. I pressed the confused Karuizawa to say something

Kiyone : "I've said all I wanted to say. Do you have anything you'd like to say to me-"

SLAP!

I stumbled fell down due her sudden slap on my face

I looked at her but she is currently crying

Karuizawa : "I though that...I could at least trust you...I was so stupid..." *sob* *sob* "I was wrong...after all...you just like the others..."

Kiyone : "Karuizawa-san, the problem isn't lie on me but you. How long you'll gonna life like that? If you never change then-"

Karuizawa : "Shut up! I know myself better than you! I knew it all along!" *sob* *sob*

I averted my eyes from her

Karuizawa : "I hate you...I truly hate you...You are the worst..." *sob* *sob*

She walk away leave me alone in daze.

Karuizawa must have felt at peace being with me like a parasite. And if I were to suddenly go away, her heart will be strongly shaken. Anxiety and loneliness will gradually build up inside her day to day. And if Ryuuen were to target her while she's at her weakest. I'm sure Karuizawa Kei's heart will collapse completely.

I no longer care about Horikita, Karuizawa, Ryuuen or Sakayanagi. I will no longer actively participate in exams anymore too. If there's a problem, it's not mine. But if there are problems, 'cooperators' are still necessary.

But if one thing that I could say, losing Karuizawa probably the price of my selfishness

Volume 8

Out of all the 1st years, there are 80 girls. 20 in each class.

Horikita : "Hey, got a minute?"

Kiyone : "What is it, Horikita-san?"

Horikita : "I wanted you to join a group with Sakayanagi-san"

Huh? What? Did I perhaps hear something wrong?

Kiyone : "Excuse me Horikita-san, I don't quite understand. Do you had any reason for me to do so?"

Horikita : "Well, lately I just realized something. Like you said in the past, we were truly lacking at understanding about class A situation. I heard since the recent rumor about Katsuragi began losing his influence. There is probability about their internal situation as well"

Kiyone : "So, does this had anything to do with us? It just merely about shifting leadership right? Beside class A basically are bunch of students who are even strong individually. Even we strike them out here, it would be utter fail for us"

Horikita : "That's not it. I just wanted you to gathering more information about them. At least could you observe them individually?"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Horikita : "Like I said, we need to watch out unexpected menace hiding on that class. The mission I gave for you is to gathering about every individual on class A. Especially the one who close supporter from Sakayanagi"

Kiyone : "Huh? W-Why?"

Horikita : "If you asking me 'why'...Well, I couldn't explain it well however I do believe that Sakayanagi would become the sole ruler of class A soon. That's why, I intend to use this period to knew more about them before they got totally united and become invicible"

Kiyone : "I see..."

Well, joining with Sakayanagi Arisu huh? I wonder is it either good or bad.

A group with Sakayanagi consist of 9 class A students including herself, 3 class C students, and 3 class D students including me. From class D, the other two who accompanied me are Shinohara and Inogashira

But, I had a hunch that Horikita purpose doesn't seems to win this exam. She probably used this chance for information gathering. Honestly, her timing isn't bad at all

Caution, beware with your imagination! Its contained ecchi stuff

Inside the room

Currently, I was with Kinoshita and Inogashira. Suddenly, Kamuro come and she walk aproached me

Kamuro : "Sakayanagi calling for you?"

Kiyone : "E-Etto...is something wrong?"

Kamuro : "So annoying! I dunno, don't ask me! Ask her by herself. She is waiting for you at the hall"

Kiyone : "O-Okay..."

I immeidately get up and walked toward the location which Kamuro told to me

There, Sakayanagi waiting for me with smile. I don't know but whenever she smile I feel a bit shrudder. I can't even tell either its genuine one or the wicked one

Kiyone : "S-Sorry...Did you perhaps waited so long?"

Sakayanagi : "Fufufu~ Even I told you I've been here for a long time, I won't mad at you for something petty like that Ayanokoji-chan"

Kiyone : "C-Chan...?"

Sakayanagi : "What's wrong?"

Kiyone : "N-Nothing..."

Since when she though she is close to me to the point she used 'chan' on me I wonder

Sakayanagi : "Ne~ Would you like to accompanied me to the bath? We could wash each others."

Since I don't see any malice from her. I guess its safe to assumed we spending time together

Kiyone : "Sure"

/

On this large bath house

Only 2 of us here. Well, probably because either we were too early or too late I don't know. As long as its opened then its fine I guess

We put off our towels

Sakayanagi : "Wow, that's surely huge then I think when it comes like this"

Kiyone : "O-Oh...yeah...kinda unexpected I guess..."

Sakayanagi : "Yeah, ad that thing does look soft as well"

Soft? Where? Which thing around the bath house that look like soft here

Sakayanagi : "Big, plump, neat, and such firm one. Umu~ No wonder they boast about being had the best facility on Japan"

I don't quite follow her words. When she said big, plump, neat, and firm. Which thing did she means by it? A soap? Probably no.

Then I look toward Sakayanagi but she keep staring at me

Kiyone : "What's wrong Sakayanagi-san?"

Sakayanagi : "Oh, nothing. It just that, its kinda tempting. Your breast I mean"

Wait, what?

Kiyone : "Wait! So, you're talking about my breast all along"

Sakayanagi : "Of course, what else?"

That's quite unexpected to hear her honest answer.

Sakayanagi : "Fufufu~ Don't worry. I just simply admire your amazing figure. Does that place did manufacturing DNA as well?"

Does she means about Whiteroom

Kiyone : "Not in my memories. I never heard such a thing there"

Sakayanagi : "So, this one is natural heh?"

Honestly I do feel uncomfortable when she examine my body like some kind of experiment subject here

Kiyone : "S-Sakayanagi-san, how about we stop this now. I'm not comfortable being stared like that"

Sakayanagi : "Well, I guess nobody comfortable being treated like that"

With that she stopped and with her cane. She walk carefully and sit down on the small chair. I bring the soap and shampoo along

With that, after wear shampoo hat. I immediately put a shampoo on her hair.

From behind I could she her petite figure. Her body looks frail but when you faced her, somehow it feels like I'm encounter a dangerous person. I once playing chess with her during free time on occasion but we mostly ended up draw. Its like she learning all of my trick. When I won on the first round, she would win the second round. That's keep happening until the 20th games which she won in the end. So we ended draw 10 - 10. I guess she wasn't just all talk when she said that she's eager to bury me.

Sakayanagi : "...Uh...Uhm...This is so comfortable Ayanokoji-chan."

Kiyone : "Okay, I'm going to wash your back now"

Sakayanagi : "Yes, please do"

I washed her frail body gently. After that I rinse her body carefully.

Sakayanagi : "Pwah! That's kinda refreshing!"

After that I tried to cleanse myself however...

Sakayanagi : "Ayanokoji-chan, let me do it"

Kiyone : "Uh...err...you know, its alright. I can do this myself"

Sakayanagi : "Please, I insist"

Looking at her determination like this. I let her wash mine

Her nimble small hand feel like a tickle around my body.

When she wash my back she suddenly opening conversation

Sakayanagi : "Hey, Ayanokoji-chan. What do you think about our current relationship now?"

Kiyone : "Err...I dunno. Since you are class A and I was class D. Technically we are enemy"

Sakayanagi : "Say..."

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Sakayanagi : "Let's dump away all this silly class battle away. Is it possible if we could become friend?"

Kiyone : "...I...Honestly, I would say its impossible since I can't trust someone easily due my upbringing. Moreover you know about that place, that's make me worry and feel uneasy whenever we were together"

Sakayanagi : "In other words...you can't trust me?"

I nodded

After that, her hand stopped. Long silence happened around us

Sakayanagi : "A long time ago...through a sturdy mirror, I saw a little girl with expresionless face having a showdown on chess. At that time my father said, 'Look at them, Arisu. These are the children who may one day carry the future of Japan'...You know, I can't take off my eyes from that kid since that day..."

Kiyone : "What are you try to tell? Your first experience coming to whiteroom?"

Sakayanagi : "Like I said, I'm not interested on that place. I'm interested on that little girl"

Even though I am aware who's does she mean by that 'little girl' on her story. I let her keep talking. Honestly I'm not interested but maybe it would be her genuine attempt to convey something to me

Sakayanagi : "Back then, my father said that there are a lot of problems with those experiment. There are many humanitarian concerns to those experiments also it's likely to be criticized from all sides."

I already aware of that part along time ago

Sakayanagi : "I don't believe it's possible to artificially create a genius. Even if someone emerges from this facility, can we really say that it is the result of experimentation? I totally doubt it"

She's somehow deny thus experiments results due her believe although I don't think that what she believed isn't completely wrong

Sakayanagi : "Your father, Ayanokoji Atsuomi.He didn't graduate from a great university nor was he an outstanding athlete, his wife was an average person, and neither of his grandparents were gifted, but he was more ambitious than anyone else, and he had an indomitable fighting spirit. That's how my father describe him. So much so that at one point, everyone think he's a dangerous threat. But somehow I don't see that kind of spirits or ambitions he had on you. Did you perhaps an atavism from your lineage?"

Atavism huh? Maybe I guess. If what Sakayanagi told to me true. My father actually quite impressive by himself. Isn't he supposed to be the best one candidate who should be experienced thus kind of torturing curriculum rather than me?

Sakayanagi : "Then, I asked the identity of that little girl. He said she's been in that institution since the moment she was born. The first thing she saw was not her mother or father, but that institution's white ceiling. The children aren't there to showcase their talents when they grow up, but to live for the children of the future. Survivors and dropouts are all just a sampling. Such cruel method isn't it? Sacrifice the other happiness for greater good. What kind of nonsense is this? And you see, among of these speculation is my father afraid that this kind of experiment ended up as norm one day when it considered succesful"

Now I understand more or less Chairman Sakayanagi thought about Whiteroom. No wonder he even dare to go against him without hesitation. They might be once friend or partner in the past however the different ideal and ideology are the cause of their rift

At this rate I can't tell which one is true? I mean, both side produced significant result. Which is Sakayanagi Arisu and Ayanokoji Kiyone

Sakayanagi : "That place was supposed to creating genius however I always believe that everything derived from their DNA just like your beauty. It such a bless being born in perfect physique right?"

She continued

I turn my head down

Sakayanagi : "Please, don't misunderstand. I'm not shunned anyone. However it would be lie if I could say that I'm not jealous against thus healthy kids. I was born with congenital heart disease. That's why it does affect my looks like this..."

Kiyone : "B-But...I do think that you're still quite beautiful."

Sakayanagi : "Fufufu~ Well thanks..."

Kiyone : "Did you hate yourself being born imperfect?"

Sakayanagi : "Me? Ahahaha, of course not. In several case, some of them didn't even had a chance to stay alive"

Kiyone : "T-That's true..."

Sakayanagi : "I never hate for being born in this world"

She suddenly hug me from behind

Sakayanagi : "Ne~ Do you even hate yourself for being born?"

Kiyone : "Me?"

Honestly, sometimes that kind of thing once crossed on my mind...

I'm always questioning this whenever I'm about to go sleep.

Why can't I choose my own parent?

Why am I being raised on that place?

Why I don't had such a normal family?

Why should my fate already predetermined before even I could said any words?

Why should I even born? And what for?

Without even realizing it. A tear comes out from my eyes.

Kiyone : "...I...I just wanted to had a place belong to be..."

Sakayanagi : "Then, worry not. I'm gonna destroyed your shackles one day. If you had no place to turned on to, you can come at me. How about it?"

I wipe my tears and answered her with confidence

Kiyone : "Fine, I'll be yours but if only you could defeat me. I won't hold back however I'm cheering for you to defeat me. That's quite absurd right?"

Sakayanagi : "Not at all. Anyway, can't we start properly as friend now?"

Kiyone : "I guess so Sakayanagi-san"

Sakayanagi : "Well, honestly its a bit uncomfortable when we called each other by our surename."

Kiyone : "It can't be helped right. We just barely know each other"

Sakayanagi : "That's not what I mean. I mean its kinda uncomfortable when the other thinks that our battle just continuation from our fathers dispute right?"

Kiyone : "So? Since you don't like it being connected like that you prefer another way"

Sakayanagi : "That's right. This is our fight, this isn't bound by anyone. Only you and me. That's why, you don't mind it right, Kiyone?"

Kiyone : "I understand. Arisu"

She smiled and she continue to wash my back again

Not long after we rinse ourselves together. We finally enjoying hotspring while trying to knew each other as friend

Volume 9

February 13th, on evening

Valentine day huh?

I read on articles on internet that giving chocolate to opposite gender. That doesn't mean the giver side actually had a feel toward the receiver. Some of them could be intrepet as a thank you chocolate, a grattitude, or a friendship chocolate.

I already give one to Satonaka-kun since I guessed a popular boy like him kinda hard to approach during that day. That's why I give it to him before the date, although I kinda uncomfortable when the stalker classmate of him keep following me this afternoon

Currently in my room right now. Kei and me tried to making our own chocolate following the recipe from internet

PING

But...

Kei : "W-What the hell this disgusting thingy...?"

Kiyone : "Don't ask me. That's your own byproduct, no?"

Kei : "Mou~! That's not fair! We both followed the instruction step by step yet the results clearly different! That's cheating! I can't accept!"

Bla bla bla

She throwing tantrum like usual

Then I took a bite of her chocolate. Surprisingly, the taste quite decent. No, its delicious. It just the appearance that look messy however the taste still the same like mine

Kiyone : "This is delicious Kei. This is great"

Then she took her own chocolate as well

Kei : "Stop lying Kiyone, there's no way that-!"

Like she suddenly got lightning struck. When she put her chocolate on her mouth. She realized that my compliment isn't lie

Kei : "Hey, could it be that I was secretly talented yet I just haven't realized it yet?"

Kiyone : "P-Probably..."

Why do I thought that what she say were true...

She might be more talented than I was thought before

On the next day

When we walked toward classroom. From outside the class. Its already seen

I could see the cruelty of social hierarchy right before my eyes...

The popular boy like Hirata already swarmed with so many harem in the morning meanwhile the other boys didn't get equal attention. Some case like Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudou even being abandoned on this day

Kiyone : "Your ex-boyfriend truly something eh?"

Kei : "Not gonna lie, since he is probably the most decent guy in the class. No wonder every girls here like him"

Kiyone : "I doubt about that part. Some girl like Horikita-san didn't had any trust like that toward him thought"

Kei : "Don't put that 'alien' on normal girl society. She is kinda like different species than the rest of us"

Kiyone : "Indeed, Horikita-san kinda special on her own ways"

But suddenly

??? : "Ahem! Well, sorry that this alien kinda weird compared to the other girls"

We both immediately look behind

Kei, Kiyone : "?!!!"

We both alarmed

Horikita : "Why both of you goes silent? Go on, continue your talks about this 'alien'. Since I do think that this alien story kinda interesting after all."

Well, she might be said that but her tone and the intonation clearly does sounds like warning

Kei, Kiyone : "W-We're sorry!"

Ignoring our apologize, she just walk passed us to the classroom. Sudou who noticed Horikita presence immediately greet her

Sudou : "G-Good morning Horikita, how are you today?"

He seems hesitated, it probably he is wishing to get the chocolate from her however...

Horikita : "I'm fine, thanks for asking Sudou-kun."

Sudou : "W-Well...you see-"

Horikita : "I don't make or bring any chocolate today and honestly I do think that this is kinda troublesome. However if you come to me for another reason, sorry for jumping in conclusion like that. So, what do you want to talk with me Sudou-kun?

Horikita cut off his ways cruelly. She doesn't even give him a chance to talk huh

Sudou : "...Ah...uh...err...you see...this is about the upcoming exam..."

Horikita immediately change her stance

Horikita : "Oh! About that huh? Sorry, you must be feeling anxious about the upcoming exam. Did you come to see me to ask about assisting your study?"

Sudou nodded fiercely

Kei : "...I see, Sudou is kinda 'try hard' type-boys huh? Well, he probably happy that he still got a significant results although this action was out of his own plan"

I don't understand what Kei means by that

Then we walk enter the class and move toward our respected seat. However Kei immediately come to my seat

Kei : "Hey, anyway. Did you also make one for Yosuke?"

Kiyone : "Huh? Of course I do. I already prepared the chocolates for all the boys in the class."

Kei : "Then, could I see them?"

Kiyone : "Sure. They are all the same after all"

After that I took out the chocolate and Kei seems tried to checked it one by one carefully although I don't quite understand her intention at all

Kei : "Hei, why all of them are look like identically same?"

Kiyone : "I've already told you. What were you expecting?"

Kei : "Don't you at least make it one special for someone?"

Kiyone : "Huh? Why should I? I treat every boys equally"

Suddenly unexpected person come approached us

Hirata : "Oh, hi. Good morning Kei and...uhh...Ayanokoji-san"

Kiyone : "Good morning Hirata-kun"

Kei : "Morning Yosuke! Here!"

She gave her chocolate without hesitation huh?

Hirata : "Oh! Thanks Kei"

Kei : "Don't mind it"

A bit hesitated I give mine to him

Kiyone : "I-If you don't mind..."

I said while showing the chocolate to him. I just hope that he immediately take it

I'm a bit struggling to convey what I mean. I mean its kinda more embarassing than I think. Giving something to Hirata kinda different like giving a thing toward Ike, Yamauchi, Sudou, Miyake, Yukimura, or any other boy because he is such wallflower-type student on this class

Kei : "Yosuke?"

Hirata : "Ah! Sorry, I was kinda a bit blank out there. Anyway, is this for me Ayanokoji-san?"

I nodded

Hirata : "Thanks. Thank you very much"

Kiyone : "N-No, I should be the one who giving thanks to you. You helped me a lot. That's why, I'm glad having a friend like you. Hirata-kun"

Hirata : "F-Friend?!"

Huh

Kei : "Pfft-!"

Hirata : "Ahem! I mean...sure. If you need a help, you can rely on me anytime"

Kiyone : "Thanks a lot Hirata-kun"

He immediately walking back to his seat before the class started

Kei : "Aww, poor Yosuke~"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Kei : "Nothing~"

She also leave me dumbfounded here. I wonder, why Kei pitying Hirata. I mean, he didn't get any misfortune today right?

Its after school but some I didn't finished to give all 20 chocolates to other classmate boy.

Let see, only 3 left. And this is for Ike, Sudou, and Yamauchi.

This is kinda troublesome because somehow they didn't hang out together today.

Oh here one of them

Kiyone : "Ike-kun, do you had a time?"

Ike : "Oh sure"

Without wasting my time. I immediately give the chocolate to him

Kiyone : "Happy valentine day. Thanks for helping me for all these time-"

Ike : "Uuuoohhh!!!"

Kiyone : "Eh?"

Why his eyes leaking a tears?

Ike : *sob* *sob* "Sorry for startled you like that, you see. Since Junior High School. I never receive any chocolate from girls. The one who giving me chocolate always my family..." *sob* *sob* "That's why, I'm so happy. Not only one, but 2, from you and Kushida-chan" *sob* *sob* "There's no way I didn't cries on happiness. I got thing from Kushida-chan you know? Even a friendship chocolate" *sob* *sob*

Kiyone : "I-I see, t-then I'll take my leave here"

Ike : "Sure"

I walk to another target

On the way I saw Shinohara walking in hurry with bringing chocolate but why would she hide it on her back. Could it be...because that chocolate was supposed to be special chocolate just like Kei told to me before...

Well anyway, whoever she gave the chocolate to. I pray for your happiness

Just as expected, Sudou was on library today

Kiyone : "Sudou-kun"

Sudou : "Oh, Ayanokoji. What brings you here?"

I grab one from my bag and give it to him

Sudou : "Chocolate? Oh, thanks"

Kiyone : "I guess, Horikita-san about to coming here. So, I take my leave here. See you later"

Sudou : "Oh, see you later"

I don't want to disturb him study so I decide to leave immediately.

/

I can't find Yamauchi-kun at all...

I decide to go home but on my way...

I met Yamauchi kneel and crying. I decide to approach him

Kiyone : "Yamauchi-kun? Etto... are you alright?"

He slowly raise his head. Realizing that someone called him. He immedaitely wiped out his tears and fixing his posture like nothing happened

Yamauchi : "Oh, Ayanokoji-chan. What bring you here to seeking this handsome existence? Are you gonna give me a chocolate like Kushida-chan did before?"

He truly spot on. However during this time I only realizing it...

Kushida and I are probably the only girls who give our classmate boys all the chocolate. Since I notice that not all of them receiving one, not even friendship chocolate

Kiyone : "Bingo! Here"

I give it to him. But before Yamauchi-kun reach it. This chocolate got snatched away even before he touch it.

Then we look at the thief

Kiyone : "Ryuuen-kun?"

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ Thanks Kiyone. To think that you put some effort to even make it one for me"

Kiyone : "That's wasn't yours"

Yamauchi : "That's right! Damn you Ryuuen! Give it back! That's supposed to be mine!"

Ryuuen : "Hoo~ Do you think that I would give away something I possessed easily? If you want it, come. I could take you anytime loser"

He taunted Yamauchi

Yamauchi : "Its your doing right?"

Ryuuen : "Huh?"

Yamauchi : "You are the one who ordered your peers, Ishizaki and the others to take my chocolate from Kushida-chan right?!"

Eh? Then I looked at Ryuuen face however judging from his expression. Even he had no idea what Yamauchi talking about. I mean, his expression as if he said, 'what the hell this insect talking about?'

Ryuuen : "Then, what if I said that if this was my doing? Gonna cry?"

It does seems Yamauchi can't answer his question at the same time. Resorting violence is the only way but Yamauchi aware that this situation itself no matter how outcome done. He is on the losing side

Yamauchi : "W-Well...For a pathetic boy like you who never got a chocolate from a girl. I let this go this time. Come, you better grateful to me"

He said that however I could see that his leg trembling so badly. I wonder, did he had another plan by provoking Ryuuen back with his attitude. Because I could see a vein popped out from his head.

Kiyone : "Ryuuen-kun, please don't do it"

Ryuuen : "Tch! Why should I care with small fry challenges? Well whatever, see you later Kiyone. Kukuku~"

Hearing my plead. He immediately lost interest toward us while he keep the chocolate for himself

After he leave, Yamauchi fall on his knee. Probably because he can't held the tension

Kiyone : "Are you alright Yamauchi-kun?"

Yamauchi : "O-Oh...this...don't worry Ayanokoji-chan. It just my past injury during Junior High School come back bite me, you see its about my hamstring injury. Yeah, that's it"

Shouldn't you held your thight if you got hamstring. He still bad at lying like usual

Yamauchi : "Fufufu~ Don't worry Ayanokoji-chan. That losers Ryuuen won't dare to disturb you anymore. He probably afraid when I'm about began to taken him seriously. Such coward!"

He slowly stand up

Yamauchi : "Ahem! So, anyway...did you still had another chocolate on you?"

In the end he wanted a chocolate from a girl so badly huh

Kiyone : "Sorry Yamauchi-kun, that's the last one."

I said while bowing

Yamauchi : "No way!!! Damn it all!!! Curse you Ryuuen!!!"

He throwing tantrum and put all the blame to Ryuuen

Opening Ichinose Heart (Not in Yuri's ways)

The same thing happened on Wednesday. The exposition is no longer necessary.

If this wasn't because Kanzaki's request and older Horikita's quest. I won't even bother with it

After confirming that Ichinose was absent yet again, I went to her room.

She wouldn't be able to hate one of her own classmates, but I was a student in another class. I had nothing to lose, even if she broke off all relations with me. This was the primary reason behind why I was being so aggressive.

There wasn't much time left before the end-of-year exam.

In this situation, it was possible that these absences would continue even on the day of the exam.

No, even if she showed up on the day of the exam, her classmates would already be suffering from a great deal of stress. It was entirely possible that their scores would suffer from it.

In which case, even if nobody ended up having to drop out, it would still have a large impact on their class points.

It was necessary to have Ichinose come to school on before the exam to bring some peace of mind to the rest of Class B.

Thinking about it this way, the time limit was tomorrow.

In the end, the time limit crept closer. In the blink of an eye, today was already Wednesday.

I gripped a can of coffee I had bought from the convenience store in my hand. It was so cold that I could see my breath in the air.

And today, yet again, I wouldn't be pressing the matter any further.

It was because Ichinose herself already knew that this was the last day she would be able to stay cooped-up in her room.

She would definitely take action.

I was certain of it.

And like usual I talk to her through the door

Kiyone : "February is ending soon. After we overcome next month's special exam, we'll officially become second-years. There's a proverb 'when the heat has passed, you forget about the shade of trees', but is that really true?"

The Deserted Island Special Test. The Cruise Ship Special Test. Paper Shuffle. The school had been repeatedly having us undergo peculiar exams one after another.

Kiyone : "When we become second-years, I wonder if the special exams will become even stranger than they are now?"

Ichinose : "...Hey... Can I ask you something...?"

For the first time in a while, Ichinose spoke up, albeit with a quiet voice, as though she was talking to herself.

Kiyone : "Sure. As long as you're alright with asking through the door, you can ask anything."

I welcomed her question with open arms, but Ichinose didn't ask anything right away.

It might have been the first time she's said anything in the past few days.

Ichinose : "Why haven't you been saying anything to me, or asking me anything?"

Kiyone : "Meaning?"

Ichinose : "My classmates... My friends in the other classes... Everyone's been trying to convince me to return to school, telling me: If you have something troubling you, please come and talk to us about it. And yet, Ayanokōji-san, you've never asked me anything like that, all while coming by to visit me every single day...Why?"

It didn't seem like she wanted the other students to worry about her.

She couldn't understand why I was skipping my classes or wasting my lunch break to come and see her every day.

Kiyone : "How do I explain...Compared to someone like me, students who are far more worried about you have already tried to convince you many times now. My human relations are so shallow that if I tried to appeal to you with my emotions, I don't think it would resonate with you very well."

I could hear the faint sound of footsteps from within the room.

I had the feeling that she sat back to back with me, the door the only thing between us.

Kiyone : "Maybe, I've been coming here every day because I've been waiting for you to tell me everything."

Ichinose : "Waiting for me... to tell you...?"

I decided to step into her personal life for the first time.

Kiyone : "I already know about the crime you've committed."

Ichinose : "...!"

Of course she is being alarmed

Kiyone : "That being said, I'm still unaware of the bigger picture. Only the part from when Arisu started everything until you took time off school. I already understand how much pressure you've been putting on yourself, Ichinose-san. Though, it's useless for me to be saying these things now."

Ichinose : "Why... do you know?"

Kiyone : "That isn't very important right now. I have no intention of going into the details."

If Ichinose didn't want to talk about it, I would simply end the conversation there.

Kiyone : "You're probably not very good at confiding your troubles in others. You save others, but you can't save yourself. That's why I though you need someone here."

The feelings I had wanted to convey should've gradually made their way to Ichinose.

There was a brief silence.

When you want to pour out your feelings, it's painful when there isn't anyone you can talk with.

I had seen countless children suffering from this very problem in the White Room.

They eventually broke down and disappeared. A group of people beyond hope of recovery.

Kiyone : "Now, I'm not Ayanokoji Kiyone. Just your usual plain door. You can't see my face, and you can't touch me. Remember, I'm just a door. You can let out your weakness to me without anyone laughing at you."

There was a clunk as I set my can of coffee down on the ground beside me.

Kiyone : "What will you do Ichinose-san? This is your moment."

Ichinose Honami's close friends are modest, quiet people. It's not hard to imagine that they've been trying to offer Ichinose a constant barrage of kindhearted, well-meaning support.

However, that wasn't going to work. It may be the correct way to go about it for a person trying to support Ichinose, but it was a mistake for someone trying to fix the problem. You had to pressure her to yield with force.

Ichinose : "Even though I'm so pathetic... Is it really okay?"

Kiyone : "Who has the right to deny you of it?"

Ichinose : "A criminal like me... Can I truly be forgiven..."

Kiyone : "Everyone has the right to be forgiven."

I had reached out to her heart.

The only thing left was to see whether or not Ichinose would respond.

From the other side of the door, Ichinose slowly began to speak.

Ichinose : "I... was a shoplifter. It got difficult during my third year of middle school, and I stopped going to school for half of it. I never consulted with anyone about it. I just blamed myself and shut myself up in my room, just like I'm doing now..."

Ichinose uncovered her wounded heart that she had been frantically trying to keep hidden as she began to say it all.

About what she had done. About the weakness she had been holding within.

How she had only shared all of this with Nagumo. How Arisu had approached her, informing her about the existence of another shoplifter. This was no coincidence. It was clear that Nagumo had told Arisu about her past. Without the chance to even lie about it, she had no choice but to confess to everything.

She had been acting tough, unable to show any sign of weakness.

Confessing your sins. Do you know how terribly difficult of a thing that is?

Many youths, still immature of heart, have shoplifted... no, have sinned in one way or another at least once. However, if this was brought before a large number of people, they would most likely deny any involvement whatsoever.

This is natural. After all, it's terribly difficult to admit to your sins and confess them to the public. Many people persecute sinners in the name of justice. And in return, the sinners know the tragic fate that would befall them, so they hide, continuously holding onto their sins without ever speaking of them. They perpetually play the role of a 'good person' as they move on with their lives.

Driven by her guilty conscience, Ichinose spent half a year completely alone.

And after great pains, she was released from her shackles... no, she managed to break free from them.

But it would still follow her for the rest of her life. Haunting her until the very end.

In fact, her conscience was once again standing in her way of moving forward, relentlessly attacking her spirit.

So, she had no choice but to stand up and face it head on.

By the time I had finished hearing everything she had to say, it didn't matter whether or not lunch break had already ended.

Even when afternoon classes had already begun, I just continued to sit there and listen to her speak.

Listening without any attempt to console, nor reprimand her.

Ichinose sobbed quietly on the other side of the door.

I didn't offer her a single word of comfort.

Because that would've been meaningless to offer her at this point.

Her opponent in all of this had been clear from the very beginning.

Herself.

It was all about whether or not she would be able to come to terms with herself.

There aren't many people who can stand up and face their sins in a true sense.

However, when the time comes that someone can... they're then able to take the next step toward the future.

This was the entire exchange held between Ichinose and I that took place before she completely opened her heart to her colleagues.

Haruka, now fully informed on the specifics of the situation, spoke words of support for Ichinose.

Keisei : "In any case, the whole ordeal is over with this. We can put all these rumors aside and concentrate on the exam."

Haruka : "Isn't that great Kiyopon?"

Kiyone : "Well... I guess."

And then, my cellphone rang.

Haruka : "Who's calling?"

Kiyone : "A number that I don't have registered."

I showed my screen to Haruka and the others. It was a different number from the one that had called me in the dead of night a little while ago.

I got up from my seat, took some distance from everyone else, and answered the call.

Kiyone : "Hello?"

??? : "How do you do Kiyone-chan?"

I recognized the owner of the voice immediately. It was Arisu

Kiyone : "I do remember I never gave my number to you. How do you know my number- Well, sorry for asking something obvious. It's not too hard to figure out."

Arisu : "Yeah. As there are still about ten minutes left before lunch ends, would you mind coming out to meet me for a moment?"

It would've been easy to decline, but it also would've been troublesome to make time to meet up with her later.

Kiyone : "Where do you want me to go?"

I walked out into the hallway.

Arisu : "Well, how about in front of the first-floor entryway?"

Kiyone : "Okay."

I ended the call and headed to the entryway.

/

I thought that Stalker-kun, Kitou, and Kamuro might have come along with her, but Arisu was alone when I arrived there.

Arisu : "Do rest assured, there's no one else with me right now. I must say, you've really outdone yourself this time, Kiyone"

Kiyone : *sigh* "Right back at you"

Arisu : "Fufufu~ It seems as though, without me noticing, you've gone and made your move behind the scenes. There are still a few unsolved mysteries left, but I'm not interested in talking about what happened back there. That said, there's one thing that I've been curious about. Why did you decide to protect her?"

With that, Arisu stared at me, waiting for my answer.

Kiyone : "Why don't you guessed it?"

Arisu : "Simply because you saved her, she became defiant... no, she was able to stand back up on her own two feet again. I can't imagine any other reason for what happened. Perhaps it's possible that this wasn't the first time she's confessed to everything. Perhaps she already told everything to someone beforehand?"

Kiyone : "And you think that someone is me?"

Arisu : "Precisely."

It was a completely natural conclusion for her to arrive at.

Kiyone : "Alright, tell me one thing as well. Didn't you use Kamuro-san to force me to take action?"

Arisu : "Masumi-chan?"

Kiyone : "Before Ichinose-san's past as a shoplifter was revealed, she told me everything."

Arisu : "That was something she did of her own accord. Fufufu~"

Kiyone : "Do you think I would believe it?"

Arisu : "What makes you so sure?"

It seemed like, for some reason, she wanted to see what information I already had.

Kiyone : "She presented me with a can of alcohol as proof of her shoplifting. But, she hadn't stolen it that day. Kamuro-san had stolen it when she first enrolled here."

Arisu : "And what's the basis for that?"

Kiyone : "The sell-by date. After I saw the sell-by date on the beer that Kamuro-san showed me, I went to the convenience store and compared it with the beer there. The sell-by date of the cans on sale in the convenience store and the can she gave me differed by more than four months. It's difficult to imagine that the can of beer she grabbed just so happened to be four months older than the rest of them. Kamuro-san said that you had received the can of beer she had stolen in the past, telling her that you would dispose of it. If that's true, she either gave me a can that the two of you had prepared for me ahead of time, or she got in touch with you after she left my room and got the can from you directly."

Back then, Kamuro getting in touch with me and speaking about Ichinose's past was all within my assumptions.

Arisu : "Why would I go about things in such an indirect manner?"

Kiyone : "To lure me out, right? You just wanted me to partake into your game" *sigh*

Arisu : "Fufufu~ Perhaps an 'as expected of Kiyone' is in order here."

Kiyone : "In this case, it would've been easy for me to sit back and do nothing. Rather, that's what I had wanted to do in the beginning."

The one that prevented me from doing so ironically was none other than Arisu herself.

She had brought Ichinose down with her own hands, and then went and offered her a hand of support immediately after.

Of course, she had utilized a very roundabout means of doing so.

Arisu : "It was all for the sake of getting you involved, Kiyone"

Cane in hand, Arisu slowly walked forward, shortening the distance between the two of us.

Arisu : "It didn't matter to me if Ichinose-san broke down along the way, but if there was even a slight chance that you may decide to intervene, I was hoping that you would seize the opportunity to do so. The odds were only about fifty-fifty, but... I got the outcome that I was hoping for in the end."

In other words, for Arisu, Ichinose's existence didn't matter at all.

Arisu : "Let's have a competition, Kiyone"

Kiyone : "Is this truly the right moments to do? What if I say no?"

Arisu : "While you may claim that it wouldn't cause much damage, I'd expose you as the mastermind leading Class C from the shadows. You should be able to understand that if I did something like that, you wouldn't be able to resolve everything with a couple of rumors."

Even though the school had officially placed a restriction on spreading rumors, Arisu would probably still spread that information without hesitation.

Arisu : "So how about it? Not willing to accept?"

Kiyone : "What would we compete over? You're in Class A, I'm in Class C. The difference between us is obvious. At least give me more time"

Arisu : "I don't know anything about what the next exam may entail, but how about we compete over the rankings? Should you win, I'll promise not to divulge your past to anyone moving forward."

While that condition wasn't too bad, there was no guarantee that she would keep to her word. After all, in order to defeat me. She would use resort any method to do so. I didn't have any intention of signing an agreement or vocally recording my consent on the matter either.

Arisu : "You don't believe me, do you? But it doesn't seem like you have any other choice but to trust what I'm saying. If you don't, your past will be exposed under broad daylight. It would become difficult for you to live an ordinary life."

Kiyone : "Do whatever you want. Just know that if that happens, you'll never be able to have your face off against me if you do that."

Arisu : "...Fufufu~ That's right, isn't it? That's exactly what I'd expect you to say."

Arisu herself should know that I wouldn't easily agree to face off against her.

Which was why, so far, Arisu had yet to talk to anybody about my past.

Arisu : "So what if I wager that I would drop out of school myself? Furthermore, you can have my father, the chairman of the school, act as a guarantor for our contest."

Arisu gave off an air of absolute confidence. I'm surprised about her statement just now

Arisu : "Of course, even if you should lose to me, I wouldn't require for you to drop out as well. I don't intend to ask for anything special either. I would, however announce to the school that you're the mastermind behind Class C. If I don't have you risk at least that much, you might just withdraw from the contest altogether."

Note : At that time class D finally make it ascended become class C

She looked at me with an expecting expression. She got me out the box

Kiyone : *sigh* "If you're really alright with those conditions, I'll agree to it."

Arisu : "Thank you very much, Kiyone. With this, at last, my boring school life will come to an end."

She is about started to leave but I stopped her

Kiyone : "Wait a minute Arisu. I had a question...The rumor about me? You are the one who spreading it right?"

Arisu : "Heh~ What are you talking about?"

Kiyone : "Can't we skip this part. Since anyone could post any content using anonymous account on the forum and also about the rumor of me being expelled during Junior High School. Why would you do that?"

Arisu : "I wonder why is it? Fufufu~"

Kiyone : "It explained that we were once both attended on the same school during Junior High School however due something happened. I ended up harmed you and the school decide to get me expelled for it. Even though its total lie, what if the other started to dive on it to investigate our relationship?"

Arisu : "Why huh? Let say that my peers started being annoying. They always wondering why I wanted to crushed you so badly but when we were together, we aren't fighting at all. Of course, you don't need to worry about it. I made it as vague as I could to confuse them and let them take a conclusion by themselves. Beside, none of the 1st years students on this school attend the same junior school like me. Rest assured"

Kiyone : "So...it was like that...but still...I find its kinda hard to had a roleplay with this lie. Especially against someone who clingy to uncover my past"

Arisu : "Kushida Kikyo right? Should I taken care that pest as well?"

Kiyone : "No, please don't. I would be grateful if you stopped putting me on this entire weird situation altogether" *sigh*

Arisu : "Fufufu~ Then, if you had nothing to ask. I'll take my leave here. Until next time, Kiyone"

With a content smile, Arisu took her leave.

I decided to make a call to the central figure behind this entire incident.

Not Kei, not Horikita, and not her older brother either.

RING!

??? : "...I was just thinking it was about time for you to get in contact with me. Good evening, Aya-chan..."

Volume 10

Back within Class C, the sound of Yamauchi restlessly tapping his foot was extremely distracting.

Ike : "Sh-Shh! Haruki... Try and quiet down a bit."

Ike quietly whispered a warning to him.

Yamauchi : "S-Shut up. I know."

Koenji : "Fufufu. At any rate, it seems your defeat is close at hand, wouldn't you say?"

Yamauchi : "Huh? What are you getting at, Kōenji? I'm not gonna be expelled, considering the other options."

Yamauchi turned and looked at Kōenji with an eerie smile on his face.

Yamauchi : "I think it's fair to say that, out of everyone in the class, a considerable number of students have voted against you."

Ike and Sudō sat quietly, unable to help Yamauchi as Kōenji fanned the flames. Hirata, however, interjected.

Hirata : "That's not how this will turn out! The one being expelled will be me!"

Koenji : *sigh* "You're still going on about that? You aren't aware of it yet, are you?"

Hirata : "...What are you talking about?"

Kōenji took out his cell phone with a fearless smile on his face.

Koenji : "This message was sent to me by one of the girls in our class. It reads: 'I believe Hirata-kun intends to sacrifice himself and volunteer to be expelled tomorrow. He might end up saying something hurtful about everyone or make himself out to be a bad guy, but those won't be his true feelings. Please, have faith in him and don't vote against him for it.' It seems to me like it was sent to everyone other than you and this loser."

Hirata approached Kōenji and read the message on the phone for himself.

Koenji : "Most students would sympathize with you Hirata-boy. After seeing a message like this. It's true that you've spent this past year taking action for the sake of the class. Wouldn't it make more sense for you to get more praise votes because of this, instead?"

Hirata : "N-No way..."

Hirata's plan to get the most censure votes had failed.

Of course, this negatively affected the students most at risk of being expelled.

Horikita quietly turned to me and spoke.

Horikita : "Psstt! You're awfully composed. It's almost as if you've already foreseen what will happen."

Kiyone : "You probably know what will happen too."

Horikita : "Even if I did, I wouldn't sit back and watch so complacently. As long as there's room for uncertainty, there's still reason to worry."

Kōenji cut in, as if responding to Horikita.

Koenji : "What are you ladies talking about? The only one who should be worried is him."

Almost everyone in the class shifted their gaze toward Yamauchi, wondering how he would respond after hearing something like that.

Yamauchi slowly stood up and turned around to look at Kōenji.

His expression was one of confidence, one that said he was certain of his chances of coming out on top.

Yamauchi : "...Hahahaha."

Yamauchi laughed at Kōenji contemptuously.

Yamauchi : "You are truly a fool Koenji. Go ahead, say whatever you want! The person getting expelled isn't gonna be me!"

Koenji : "Oh? And will you tell us why?"

Yamauchi : "Fine. I will."

It seemed Yamauchi couldn't stand to let Kōenji say whatever he wanted any longer.

Yamauchi : "How many of you voted against me? Twenty of you? Thirty? I didn't specifically betray any of you, yet you guys treat me like this? It's unreasonable! But that's fine. I'll forgive you."

With a thoughtless smile, Yamauchi approached Ike and patted his hand on his shoulder.

Yamauchi : "Sorry Kanji. For making you worry about me so much."

Ike : "Y-Yeah."

Completely unaware of what his friend was getting at, Ike could do nothing but nod.

Yamauchi : "There are several people here who might get expelled other than me, right? There's Kanji, Sudō, Kōenji, and Ayanokōji, but I wonder how many praise votes they'll get? I'm just so worried!" *tch* *tch* *tch*

Koenji : "From what you're saying, it sounds as if you're expecting to get a large number of praise votes."

Yamauchi : "Yep, that's right. I will."

Koenji : "Even if your friends felt sorry enough to vote for you, you'd only get around four or five votes, at best. Are you saying that's enough to put you in the safe zone?"

Yamauchi : "That's fine. That much would be plenty. Hahaha... Yes, no matter who you voted for, it's all pointless! Hahahaha!"

Yamauchi showily raised his arms up into the air.

Yamauchi : "Sakayanagi-chan promised that she would give me twenty praise votes! In other words, even if most of the class voted against me, I still won't be the one who gets expelled!"

Having realized that there was no point in hiding it any longer, Yamauchi decided to show his cards.

Yamauchi : "That's why it doesn't matter how many of you voted against me... I'm protected by Class A!"

The votes had already been cast.

It was probably true that Yamauchi had made a promise like that with Arisu

Assuming he got five praise votes from Class C and twenty votes from Class A, even in the worst-case scenario, he would only end up with a maximum of nine censure votes.

If he was telling the truth, he could hardly be considered at risk of expulsion.

The danger would then shift toward Kōenji and I. Even Ike and Sudō could be in trouble.

Koenji : "If that's the case, then why do you look so anxious?"

Yamauchi didn't seem calm at all. He was trembling nonstop.

It was proof that, mentally, he was under an incredible amount of stress.

Yamauchi : "That's-"

Koenji : "Since you made a promise with the enemy, you made sure to sign a contract, yes? It's one of the basic fundamentals of doing negotiations."

Yamauchi : "N-No, but that's..."

Koenji : "A simple verbal promise doesn't count for anything. Miss little girl isn't that merciful."

Yamauchi : "Of course I know that! It's fine!"

Kōenji's words simply weren't able to make it through to him. Yamauchi could only believe that Arisu wouldn't go back on her word. There was nothing else he could do. He must have reached out to Arisu many times last night to ensure everything would still go as he expected it to.

Koenji : "My my, you must be so reassured, then. It seems that the censure vote I cast for you was meaningless."

Yamauchi : "That's right, it was meaningless! Meaningless!"

Chabashira : "Be quiet, Yamauchi. I could hear your shouting from out in the hallway."

Just then, Chabashira-sensei arrived.

Chabashira : "I've kept all of you waiting. I'll get along with announcing the results for Class C. Please find your seats."

The time of judgment had finally come.

Very soon, one student would be expelled from this class.

Would it be Yamauchi, who was telling himself that everything would be okay?

Would it be Sudou or Ike, one of the secondary candidates for expulsion?

Would it be Hirata, who was patiently waiting for the results to be announced?

Would it be Kōenji, who was as inattentive as always?

Would it be Horikita or me, as we quietly watched over the classroom?

Or, would it end up being someone else entirely?

Chabashira : "To start out, I'll announce the three of you who ended up with the most praise votes. In third place is... Kushida Kikyō."

Kushida sighed with relief when she heard her name being called.

Even though Yamauchi had targeted her yesterday, she ended up earning quite a lot of praise votes.

If you take into account the fact that she's adored by her classmates, an outcome like this makes sense.

Chabashira : "Next, in second place..."

Chabashira-sensei began reading a little slower.

Even I couldn't fully predict whose name she would say.

Chabashira : "It's you, Hirata Yōsuke."

Hirata : "!"

The moment his name was called, Hirata shut his eyes and looked up toward the sky.

The disgraceful behavior he showed yesterday hadn't had any significant consequences.

Hirata worked hard this past year, going through thick and thin for the sake of the class.

He had earned a tremendous amount of trust, especially from the girls in the class.

Even if I hadn't arranged for Kei to spread that text message around yesterday, his ranking would've hardly changed.

Okitani : "B-But, if Hirata placed second... who placed first?"

Since the beginning, everyone had expected for Hirata and Kushida to get most of the praise votes.

It wasn't unreasonable for them to place second and third, it was just that this outcome meant there was somebody who had surpassed them both.

Chabashira : "...As for first place..."

Chabashira-sensei let show a slight smile before she read the name.

I shut my eyes.

Chabashira : "Ayanokōji Kiyone"

Everything turned out as I expected.

Yamauchi : "W-What!?"

Yamauchi, the one I was supposed to be competing with for last place, was the first to react.

Yamauchi : "Aren't you mistaking her with first place for the censure vote!? Sensei!?"

Chabashira : "No. There's no doubt about it. She took first place with a splendid total of 42 votes."

That's too much Arisu

My classmates all seemed to be surprised. After all, I had gotten more praise votes than there were students in our class.

Horikita : "You. What did you do?"

Horikita also couldn't hide her surprise.

Kiyone : "Like I said, I didn't do anything."

Arisu had done all of this by herself. Such troublesome person...

Yamauchi : "This doesn't make a sense! Don't you guys already know. She is that wicked witch! She got expelled from harming Sakayanagi-chan during Junior High School. There is no way she got the 1st place right? She must be colluded with someone else!"

Kei : "So what? Do you think you're much better than her"

Kei suddenly stand up.

Yamauchi : "Of course I do"

Kei : "Then did everyone here think like you?"

Yamauchi : "What?"

Kei : "It's simply as is it. Even someone who isn't smart like me truly understand her worth than you"

Yamauchi : "What the hell you said?"

Kei : "Say, even though all the rumor about her true. Does this even change anyone opinion about her in this class? She's along with Horikita-san already bring so many achievement to this class. Moreover, did she even do something against you?"

Yamauchi : "T-That's..."

Yamauchi even can deny my contribution for class and he also realized that I never cross a path with him either

Kei : "See? The one who supposed to be questioned here was you. How could you trust your enemies more than your own classmates. Also, who knew that's the reason she got expelled because Sakayanagi herself who entrapped her? Everyone here know how cunning that 'little girl' can be. Like Horikita said yesterday, you are the fool who used by enemies to bring down their own allies. Think about it, if we lose her. Do you even could fill the role she left behind? Do you had anything else to say?"

Yamauchi become speechless

I already told her do to nothing but... well whatever

Chabashira : "Ahem! And finally, the student who ended up with the most censure votes, with a grand total of 33 votes. I'm sorry to say that it's you, Yamauchi Haruki."

Now, Yamauchi took yet another heavy blow.

Before he could even make sense of the situation, he was being told he had to leave the school.

Yamauchi : "33 votes!?"

He look around the class only to find that most of his classmate giving a glare on him

It pretty much confirmed that he hadn't gotten any praise votes from Class A.

Second to last was Sudou with 21 votes. And coming in right behind him was Ike with 20 votes.

It was clear that his friends were by no means in the safe zone either.

Yamauchi : "No! Why!? Why do I have to be expelled!?"

Chabashira-sensei approached Yamauchi and put her arm on his shoulder, but he shook it off.

Ike : "...Haruki..."

As his friends, Ike and Sudō could only look away.

They had been hoping that, somehow, Yamauchi would make it through the exam, but the only thing they could do is wait for the results.

And now that the results had come out, they probably realized the sad truth behind all of this.

If Yamauchi hadn't placed last, what would have happened to them?

Yamauchi : "Why why why! Why me!! This is such a stupid exam! A complete joke!"

I do agree with him on that part

Chabashira : "While you're free to think whatever you want, the decision has already been made, Yamauchi"

Yamauchi : "Shut up!!!"

Yamauchi shouted with every ounce of his being.

He howled, unable to accept the reality of his situation.

Yamauchi : "That's right. Sakayanagi, go ask Sakayanagi! She said she'd have Class A use their praise votes on me! She didn't keep her promise! Is she just gonna be allowed to get away with that!?"

Chabashira : "Do you have something that clearly proves that she made such a promise?"

Chabashira-sensei asked.

Yamauchi : "She promised! At the karaoke parlor! I heard her!!!"

Chabashira : "While I want to believe you, words alone aren't enough to prove anything."

Yamauchi : "Guh-! Oh my god, why is this happening...!?"

Chabashira : "It's time to leave the classroom, Yamauchi."

Despite her instructions, Yamauchi didn't move an inch. I could see that he hold resentment toward this entire class students

However Koenji do something unexpected

Koenji : "Get out of here quickly. Its already decided. Your ugly existence here has already been deleted."

Yamauchi : "I haven't accepted it yet!"

Koenji : "So you plan to be irredeemably defective, pitiable, and ugly until the very end?"

Yamauchi : "What did you said?"

After Kōenji's persistent provocations, Yamauchi finally snapped. He picked up the chair to his desk and charged at Kōenji.

Yamauchi : "Grahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

He then lifted the chair up into the air and swung it down, aiming at Kōenji's head.

If the attack had hit him directly, the resulting injury would've been inexcusable, however, Kōenji wasn't naive enough to be hit by such a sloppy attack.

Kōenji casually grabbed the leg of the chair as it swung down at him and forcibly pulled the chair out of Yamauchi's hands.

Koenji : "My my, a mere insect like you intended to kill me. To kill a perfect-existence like myself? You won't have any complaints if I give you farewell gift in exchange, yes?"

Yamauchi's face stiffened immediately. Actually not only Yamauchi. I could say that everyone here on the classroom get stiffened, shrunked, or etc. because they didn't expected that Koenji has this kind of side as well. Truly different than the Koenji who's everyone here knew

It was indeed such scary murderous aura. I could tell that Koenji probably wouldn't hesitate to cripple him or worse killed him on the spot

Chabashira : "That's enough!"

Chabashira-sensei intervened, having sensed the danger behind Kōenji's words.

Following her instructions, Kōenji promptly let go of the chair.

Chabashira : "Don't do any more than this, Yamauchi. For your own sake."

From around the room, Yamauchi noticed the heartbreaking gazes of his classmates, their gazes filled with pity.

And within him, something broke.

Yamauchi : "U-uwaaaahhhh!" *sob* "Uuuugg...!"

Crumbling on the spot, he raised his voice and began to bawl.

Chabashira : "Please leave."

Hearing Chabashira-sensei's words for a second time, Yamauchi lost his will to resist.

What do you think of this ideas plot? Do you had any objection or even a suggestion?

Random Idea Plot (Sorry not part of chapter) Pt3

Volume 7.5

Winter huh? Something that could be expected from northern part of earth to have this season during December

Honestly, this is the first time I feel this breeze cold sensation by myself however I can't enjoy it due my injuries I had when I had a fight against Ryuuen.

With bandage on my head, I come to visit clinic today

However something unexpected happened

Kiyone : "Eh?"

??? : "!?"

Yes,a tall black male that above average height. He is very muscular in stature, which made anyone who is stranger to him would be shrunk in fear. He is none other than Albert, one of Ryuuen goons

Kiyone : "S-Sorry...p-please go ahead- huh?"

But he opened the door for me. Is this alright? I look at him with confused face

Albert : "Ladies first"

NOTE : Italic means he talking with different language, not Japanese. That's sounds stupid! I do aware of it however how could I told the difference if I wrote this fic itself using english LOL

Kiyone : "T-Thank you..."

I entered first and he followed from behind. However I could see that he seems to struggling to walk. Now I do feel bad for making him like that although it was definitely self-defense at that time

Then, we following procedure like what the other patients coming here for

I pick a number ticket and sat on the waiting seat. Since most of seat packed, he decide to sat beside me. I wonder, does people often got sick during winter?

I wait patiently in silence, but suddenly...

Albert : *cough* "Did...your...injuries...still hurt?"

He suddenly opening conversation with Japanese language. I though that he can't talk Japanese however his pronunciation and accent isn't good and it does sounds very weird. Well, it can't be helped I think since Albert didn't look like a local after all

Kiyone : "It does still trembling a lot. But I do think its fine thought"

He seems surprised that I reply him on his own native language. Then he began to talk

Albert : "You see, about Ryuuen. Sorry for make you ended up like that. Honestly I'm not fancy myself to hit a girl. But I can't do anything since I was ordered to do so"

Kiyone : "Did you mean by the time when you throw Ibuki and when you fought against me?"

He nodded

Long silence

Kiyone : "...It can't be helped right. I got in your ways so its natural think to do to stop me"

Albert : "But I don't fancy a method using violence. I don't like harming the other for petty reason like that. Why? Because if I taken someone into the fight. I do afraid I can't hold back, its like e...somewhat within me awaken my adrenalin. Sorry, I can't explain it well"

Kiyone : "Its quite surprising that you don't fancy that way. I guess that I could won against you because you go easy on me. Once again, sorry for attacking your knee back then."

Albert : "Its alright Ayanokoji. If I was on your shoes. I would do the same thing, without hesitation at all. Beside, look..."

He pull up his pant legs. I could see a bandage and gyps on his legs. I guess I truly make his ligament teared up somehow.

Albert : "Its almost healed, so you don't need to feel bad at all"

Kiyone : "No, its clearly serious issue. If you are an athlete that's definitely put your career on gamble..."

Albert : "Hahahaha"

He laughing?

Albert : "Don't worry, I never planned or dreaming to become an athlete at all. This injury won't get in my ways to achieved my goal. Moreover, how about yourself? Looking at how Ryuuen even hit you with iron pipe. I do afraid that you got brain damage or some of your nerve system got distorted because of it"

Kiyone : "...Hmm...I don't know, that's why I came to clinic today. Since it keep throbbing so much since yesterday. I need to consult with doctor about it"

After hear my reason for coming to clinic today. My answer somehow made Albert silent. I guess he couldn't even said any words anymore to me. He is somehow feel guilty although if someone should be blame for it suppose to be Ryuuen

Receptionist : "Next queue please"

Well, its my turn. I immediately get up however some of unknown boy and girl who does seems to be upperclassman cut my queue. Of course, in case they aren't aware that it was my turn I decide to remind them

Kiyone : "E-Excuse me senpai, ano...its my turn so-"

??? : "What, you got problem with it?"

Wow, such unfriendly respond. Especially coming from the girl

Kiyone : "No, I mean it should be my turn based on my queue. So-"

??? : "Shut up! So what if we cut your queue here? Know yourself! You just a mere first year. Should you bow down to respect your senior on this situation?"

Kiyone : "That's not it but still, you should follow the rules because-"

??? : "Arghh! So annoying!"

Now its the boy who talking

??? : "You just need to wait for several minutes right? Why can't you do that? We were in hurry so we don't had a choice to do this. Or what, you will gonna call your men, your classmate boys to chased us out because of this petty reason?"

Well, although its still wrong but his suggestion still acceptable I think. Its not like I'm in hurry or something.

When I'm about to backed away. Albert put his hand on my shoulder. I look at him and he only reply me with his grin. Truly unexpected expression from him since I never saw him to be able to grinning as well

Of course, Albert presence are enough to make both of them shrink

Albert decide to step up while cracking his knuckle

The boy immediately put himself in front of the girl and try to reasoning wit him albeit his body tremble in fear

??? : "W-Wait a second? You see, w-we were sorry. we don't know that she is your girl. C-Come on don't be like that- Ah! Did you not understand Japanese? Okay, so- wait a minute friend. We didn't try to chase her anymore Ok? Please spared us"

But Albert didn't seems to stop and he moving forward

??? : "Y-You are useless! Your English probably wrong so he don't understand!"

??? : "What, so you were telling me that yours are better when I always tutored you?"

??? : "N-No, this is not about that beside do something about it. It was you the one who intimidate her so he mistaken your action as bullying right?"

??? :"Uughh! W-Well, listen. Please calm your men. W-We are sorry so-"

Kiyone : "N-No, actually-"

Albert : "Gonna cry?"

With one intimidating sentence. They immediately flee

??? : "Hiiee!!! W-We're sorry!"

They left huh? What about the part that you need to visit clinic today

Of course, our action would create commotion as well

But, instead of being warned. We are being praised. I and Albert look each other in confusion

One of them step up to explain

??? : "Thanks. Sometimes that thus bunch of prick need to get reprimanded about their wrongdoing properly"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

??? : "Well...thus couple are one of famous troublemaker around 2nd years. Just because they are Nagumo's classmates. They do whatever they want. Glad that someone else, especially like both of you first years put them on their damn place. Hahaha"

Why do I think that I just get caught onto another trouble without realizing it

Volume 11.5

Matsushita Chiaki POV

They were too absorbed into the conversation and didn't notice.

Chiaki : "Ah, sorry. Can I go make a call?"

After asking for their permission, they both agreed cheerfully.

Chikai : "It might take quite long, so contact me if anything happens."

After saying this, I pretended to make a call, while walking away.

Not long after, I saw Ayanokoji's figure.

As they say, strike while the iron was hot.

While still in Satou-san and Shinohara-san's line of sight, I couldn't act hurriedly, so I followed Ayanokoji while pretending to be on my phone.

I felt a bit of unease about whether I would be able to follow someone while remaining unnoticed.

How much space needed to be between us for it to be considered safe, or unsafe.

If I was caught following her, she would definitely be alert, so I wanted to pretend that it was a coincidence.

If I miss the opportunity this spring break, I probably wouldn't see her until we start school as second-year students.

If I was able to get in touch with her early, of course, I would seize that opportunity.

Fortunately, there was no one around Ayanokoji.

Just as I was about to greet Ayanokoji...

I immediately hid because I saw someone approaching her.

Chiaki : "That person seems to be... Eh! Seriously? The new director!"

After that they enter the café just across from my initial point

For some reason, that person seemed to be conversing with Ayanokoji for real.

This can't be true! This is totally wrong!

Wait a sec, the girls once asking her what kind type-of ideal man for her. At that time, she said that it was a man who could understand her although its kinda vague. How deep the meaning of understanding here

However the fact before me appeared.

Did Ayanokoji perhaps like someone like The new director? Isn't he probably on the same age around my father?

Chiaki : "Wawawawawa...What should I do? This is indeed against norm but what if they actually like each other. No no no! Its impossible! Perhaps the new director actually her acquaintance or something. Yes, it must be something like that"

I try to stay positive as possible

Chiaki : "Her conversation with the new director is taking a while..."

It has already been 10 minutes. If they were just exchanging pleasantries, this would be considered too long.

They seemed to be close, but Ayanokoji was expressionless as usual.

Chiaki : "I don't understand and I don't wanted to understand!"

Be positive! Maybe they were acquainted, but it also seemed like this was the first time they met, talking about many things.

Just from their movements, there didn't seem to be any history between them.

If I were to move a little closer, I should be able to hear the contents of their conversation. But that would be quite dangerous.

Although I could just pretend to be a passerby, that would leave me no way to hide myself, so it seems the best choice was just to stay here.

After observing them for a while... their long conversation abruptly came to an end.

Yabai! I should hide immediately

Kiyone : "Thanks for the treat Tsukishiro-san"

She said while bowing. Wait, -san? And she just simply called his name like that.

Tsukishiro : "Don't worry about that. Let's meet up again later princess if I'm not busy"

Moreover the most weirdest part is he called her 'princess'. Just what's going on here?

I hold my head with both of my hand in confusion

She began to move...

I'll follow her for a little longer, and if I don't find anything, then I'll return to where Shinohara-san and Satou-san was.

While catching up to Ayanokoji who'd just turned the corner, I started thinking about my next move. Should I support or console her for their affair? Or maybe should I talk something else and pretend to not saw that at all?

Y2 Volume 1

In which case, what was he after? What in the world was Hosen getting out of forcing a fight like this?

Hosen : "Aight, seems that your trusty bodyguard's eatin' the dirt. Who's next?"

Such confidence words after he defeat Sudou. Hosen began to approach, alternating his gaze between Horikita and me as he did.

Despite the fact that he had only just been fighting Sudou, his breathing wasn't labored in the slightest.

Horikita : "D-Do you really think we will submit to violence?"

Hosen : "If not, then I'mma beat the sh!t outta you, get you to cry a bit and have you write out a couple of them binding agreements. And if you say no to that, then I'mma keep coming back, chasing you fvckheads down 'til you're dead on the floor."

No matter how tolerant the student council may be when it comes to fighting, there would still be problems if it went too far. Besides, if he forced her to sign some sort of written agreement under these circumstances, there was no way that it would hold up later on. It was also possible for us to pretend to obey him in order to get out of this, but Horikita probably wouldn't do that. After all, yielding to Hosen's way of doing things simply wasn't an option.

Horikita : "...So be it. I'll be the one to stop you then."

Horikita steeled her resolve and took up a fighting stance.

Hosen : "Oh, interesting. If you wanna throw down, then I'd be glad to take ya up on that."

He probably didn't expect Horikita to have any fighting or martial arts experience whatsoever.

But he wasn't an opponent who would fall for a cheap trick like this either, something that Horikita still hadn't managed to understand just yet.

All of a sudden, without any prior warning, he lurched out his arm.

Horikita nimbly slipped past his reach and proceeded to go for a knockout blow with a strike aimed at his jaw.

She had bet everything on settling this with a single, instantaneous strike.

Kiyone : "Oh?"

However, before the strike could make contact, Hosen grabbed hold of her delicate wrist without so much as batting an eye.

Hosen : "Damn bitch, that was a pretty good move there. But"

He lifted his other hand high up into the air and swung down hard, slapping Horikita across the face.

Horikita tried what she could to dodge or protect herself, but in the face of Hosen's overwhelming speed and power, there was simply nothing she could do but take a direct hit. Her body was blown away as if she had been struck with a fist instead. She tumbled over onto the ground, cushioning herself as she fell.

Sudou : "S-Suzune!"

Sudou cried out as he tried his best to get back on his feet, his teeth clenched in pain.

But his legs wouldn't move how he wanted, so he couldn't stand up properly.

Hosen : "Yo Horikita. Let's make a fuckin' deal already."

Horikita looked up at Hosen from where she was on the ground as the first-year student closed in on her, voicing his demands.

Hosen : "5 million points. That much, and all your problems will go away. How about it?"

The asking price had skyrocketed even further. So high, in fact, that we couldn't afford to pay it even if we wanted to.

Horikita : "W-What kind of sick joke is this...? Ayanokōji-san... C-Call someone, call the teachers!"

Adult intervention was probably the only way left to contain the situation at this point.

Alternatively, if a large number of people were to gather, even Hosen would have no choice but to rein in his fist.

Hosen : "So this is what you've been reduced to...? Well, I guess it makes sense. But are you sure you wanna nark on me? Even though none of you did jack sh!t, what do you fuckers plan on doing about the fact that you two tried throwing punches as well? You really wanna get suspended along with me?"

Even if we appealed that we had only acted out of self-defense, we would inevitably face some kind of repercussions as well.

That being said, we'd still be much better off having a third party intervene than we would letting things continue going like this.

Sudou : "You son of a bitch!!"

Back up on his feet, Sudou threw himself at Hosen once again

Hosen : "Stay down retard!"

Sudou : "Gwuack-!!"

Only to be mercilessly kicked back down to the ground. After which, the first-year finally set his sights on me.

Hosen : "How long you plan on watchin' there fucker?"

Horikita : "R-Run away... Ayanokōji-san..."

Hosen : "Run away? Don't even think about it. You pussy out here, and I'll see to it that these two doormats are in for a whole new world of pain!"

Even now, I kept thinking. What exactly did he want out of this?

Was he really trying to force us to meet demands that had no chance of ever being accepted?

No, that was just far too unrealistic.

Hosen : "Horikita. I'll give ya one last chance."

Horikita : "...Last?"

Hosen : "If you submit to me right here, right now, and fork over the points. I'll let Ayanokōji live."

With that, he stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled something out. It had gotten fairly dark outside, so for a moment it was hard to tell what exactly it was, but once he unveiled its pointed edge, a silver shine glimmered in the moonlight.

Sudou : "W-What are you, that...!?"

Hosen : "Something wrong with your eyes? It's a knife, plain and simple!"

From the way the blade sparkled, it was clearly different from one of those retractable toy blades that were often used for party tricks and the like.

Horikita : "If you turn me down again, I'll stab Ayanokōji with this."

Horikita : "Stop fooling around!"

Hosen : "I ain't fuckin' with you, tho? I'll gladly stab this chick if it means getting my hands on the points."

Wielding the knife in his right hand, he slowly turned to face me.

Hosen : "Still, even after all this I still can't wrap my damn head around it. What makes a punk like you so fucking special?"

With his eyes locked on mine, he spoke, his voice laced with exasperation.

Hosen : "Fuck it, maybe I didn't even need to go ad' do all this risky sh!t in the first place!"

From the way he was talking, it seemed like the ridiculous chain of events that he had orchestrated so far had all been done because he was wary of something. Expecting something.

He drew closer to me, one step at a time.

However, Nanase, his very own classmate, jammed herself in between the two of us, stopping him in his tracks.

Nanase : "Please don't go any further! I can't approve of your methods after all... I can't!"

She spread out her arms in an attempt to block his path.

Hosen : "Outta the way, Nanase. Your ass is only here to keep them from escaping, so know your fucking place."

Nanase : "I made the decision to lend you my strength until the very end, telling myself that it was for the good of the class. No matter how deplorable your strategy was, I thought I'd be willing to accept it. But I see now that I was mistaken."

With her feet firmly planted between Hosen and I, she shifted her gaze over to Horikita.

Nanase : "Horikita-senpai, working together with Hōsen-kun has been impossible from the very beginning. You were inspired to cooperate with us after hearing him mention Class 2-D back when we came to meet with you in front of the second-year classrooms, but... That was just a ploy to get things to progress to this point. Even if you pay the outrageous fee he's been asking of you, you'd still be subjected to this same fate."

Naturally, Horikita's distress compiled even further upon hearing Nanase lay out such a shocking revelation.

No matter how hard she tried to negotiate, he never would've accepted anyway. And this wasn't her fault either. None of us could've predicted that things would turn out like this.

All things considered, this incomprehensible series of events probably came down to an imbalance of information. Hosen and Nanase had been given intel that we hadn't. That being the case, there was no way we could've had a proper negotiation in the first place.

Hosen : "All your yammering is pissing me off. You're the one who asked me to deal with this sh!t to begin with. Our class'll rake in sh!tloads of money if we take out this Ayanokōji-girl. Just think of the advantage it'd give us."

Nanase : "That is true. However, I just can't figure out the reason why we need to target her like this."

Hosen : "That sh!t ain't got nothing to do with me. If you're gonna get in my way, then you can fuck off as well!"

He readied a wide swing and swept Nanase aside with the palm of his hand, just as he had done to Horikita earlier.

As I stood alone, watching this scene play out in front of me, I arrived at one, single conclusion. And with it, everything fit into place.

Hosen : "Now, prepare yourself Ayanokōji-senpai~"

With his intimidating gesture. He came at me, lethal weapon in hand. Naturally, everybody present was fully expecting him to try and stab me with it.

Laughing, he raised the knife up above his head.

I could feel my mind begin to clear as I lowered my stance.

Horikita : "Ayanokōji-san!"

While most people would've tried to escape, I rushed at him instead.

And as I did, everyone watching must've thought that I'd gone mad.

After all, running head-first into an opponent with a knife wasn't really a mark of sanity.

Especially when said opponent was somebody as formidable as him. Hosen's smile widened even further as I did so. He probably thought that I was a fool for jumping at him.

But I wasn't trying to prevent myself from being stabbed at all.

As I drew closer, he swung his arm, bringing the knife down, slicing through the air.

The target of that knife, what its blade sought was not my body.

It was his very own.

I used my left hand to stop the descending blade from reaching its desired target.

I wasn't trying to grab his hand or avoid it, but instead let the blade pierce through my palm.

Hosen : "Wha!?"

This was clearly not what he had expected of me. It would've been nearly impossible to predict my actions beforehand.

After all, who would've thought that someone would deliberately let themselves be stabbed?

The arm driving the blade froze to a halt, and with it, his smile vanished as well.

Sudou : "You... Ayanokōji!"

He was confused. Anyone in their right mind would've been after seeing what I had done to myself.

In most cases, my actions here would be seen as hazardous, self-destructive even.

Fresh, bright blood soon began spurting out from the wound on my palm.

Kiyone : "That knife, or to be more accurate, that petty knife, it's the one I bought, isn't it?"

Hosen : "T-The fuck are you on about...?"

Kiyone : "You were going to stab yourself in the thigh with my own knife. After that, you'd raise a fuss to the school about your injury, and use that as evidence to get me expelled. That was your plan, wasn't it? Honestly that's kinda sloppy one"

From the way he gripped the knife in his hand, it was obvious that it wasn't meant to stab an opponent. He had faced the blade upward to make it look like someone else had stabbed him. Furthermore, he had taken hold of the handle in reverse, so as to allow himself to drive the blade into his leg more effectively.

Hosen : "Ha! So even though you managed to piece it all together, you still came and got stabbed yourself? You outta your mind?"

Hōsen looked a bit shaken

Kiyone : "This was the best way to completely shut you down, Hosen-kun. Besides, I don't think we're that different. After all, you came here fully prepared to sustain a major wound as well."

Even if they knew that it was the correct course of action, most people wouldn't be willing to follow through with such a dangerous act of self-harm like this. This was the primary reason why he would've been able to stab himself and frame me for it.

Kiyone : "It seems like there's some sort of pseudo-special exam in effect that was only given to a limited number of you first-years. And based on your conversation with Nanase-san, it sounds like the premise of that exam is to have me expelled. So to that end, you began to spin up a plan. It'd start with you luring us out here and forcing us into a fight. Then, after smacking Sudou-kun and Horikita-san around a bit, you'd say that I pulled out a knife that I carried with me in case of an emergency and stabbed you with it in a fit of rage, eventually leading to my expulsion. That's the absurd narrative you were trying to build this time, right?"

Even if the student council was going to be more tolerant, wielding a knife in a fight wouldn't be excused with just a suspension.

It would warrant an expulsion, or it could even end up resulting in criminal charges.

Hosen : "I'd heard you were hot shot, but you seemed pretty fucking crazy to me, so I didn't really think all that much of ya. To think you'd come and let yourself get stabbed. How'd you know the knife was yours?"

Kiyone : "I've done some investigating of my own. As of yesterday, I was still the only one to have bought that model of Petty knife. So it's only natural that I'd put the pieces together upon seeing you pull out the exact same one."

I could've easily slipped past the knife and grabbed hold of his arm. But doing that wouldn't have solved the fundamental issue at hand here. All he would've had to do is create some distance and start his plan all over again. In order to prevent him from doing that, I had no other choice but to get stabbed myself.

He tried to let go of the knife, but I used my own hand to lock his fist in place.

Hosen : "...T-The hell...? Who the fuck are you...? Let me go!"

Having witnessed my strength firsthand, the composure he had maintained so far was completely blown away.

Kiyone : "Now then, what's next? Even though I'm the owner of the knife, you're the one who stabbed me with it. Moreover, an investigation will reveal that you tried to buy the same model of knife before. If you can't find a way to talk your way out of this, you'll be expelled Kouhai-kun."

While my fingerprints were on the knife's handle, Hosen's were as well. And the fact that the knife was now pierced through my palm wasn't something that could be explained away very easily. His very own strategy had ended up backfiring on him.

Hosen : "No way! So you thought this far ahead...!?"

After glowering at me for a moment, He released his grip and took his distance, leaving the knife pierced through my palm.

And with that, the tables had completely turned on him.

Meanwhile, Horikita and Sudou had slowly gotten back on their feet and were now recovering their strength.

Horikita : "A-Are you okay, Ayanokōji-san?"

Sudou : "I-I'm so sorry Ayanokōji, I-"

Kiyone : "Don't worry about me."

It wasn't unreasonable for them to be concerned about my condition, but this wasn't the time to be worrying about that.

The most important thing now was to make sure that he wasn't given another opening.

Hosen : "How much info do you bastards even have...? Wait, Nanase, did you fucking nark to them?"

Nanase : "N-No! I didn't tell them anything."

Kiyone : "I first felt like something was out of place back when Amasawa-san and I went shopping at the Keyaki Mall together."

Surprised to hear me drop Amasawa's name, Horikita spoke up herself.

Horikita : "Amasawa-san? Are you saying that she's mixed up in all this...?"

Kiyone : "Yeah. According to the store clerk, just as Hosen-kun was about to finish paying for the knife, she reached out and stopped him from going through with the purchase."

After responding to Horikita, I turned back to Hōsen.

Kiyone : "You're the one who came up with this ridiculous strategy, but Amasawa-san is the one who helped refine it to perfection. After all, if you stabbed yourself with your own knife, it would naturally lead to problems once the school investigated what happened. However, if you could somehow get me to buy the knife instead, then that would have the potential to change everything."

The reason why Amasawa and Hōsen had chosen to use this expensive Petty knife because it was the only one that came bundled together with a sheath, making it the most convenient option available.

Of course, while there were a variety of other ways to conceal a naked blade, it would've been faster and easier to just buy one with a sheath given the added portability.

Back when I went shopping with Amasawa, she had managed to locate and pick out this exact knife without searching for it at all, even though that should've been the first time she had been in that store. And this was only the first thing that stuck with me. On Friday, she had shown up at my room saying that she had lost her hair tie, but that had been nothing more than an excuse to recover the knife. It's natural to assume that she had planted it there beforehand or simply lied about leaving it there at all. Furthermore, since there was a possibility that I might notice that it was missing if she recovered it too soon, she waited, delaying her move until the last possible moment. After that, she just needed to get the knife out of my room without getting any fingerprints on it and hand it over to him.

If she hadn't been able to retrieve the knife, then they probably would've chosen to postpone the plan.

Hosen : "Tch! I never should've trusted that random chick in the first place."

Kiyone : "No, you should thanks to Amasawa-san that this plan took shape at all. Without her help, everything would've fallen apart."

Hosen : "Whatever. Seems to me like you've got the upper hand now. Ain't that right Senpai? So what now?"

On top of everything else that had happened, the blood from my hand had stained his clothes. There was no way he could talk his way out of this now.

Even if he took back the knife and stabbed himself in the thigh, it simply wasn't possible for him to come out on top anymore.

Of course, even if he tried to do that, I'd just use my full strength to stop him.

Chances were that he had already discerned that for himself as well.

The important part is what would happen next.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, Sudou-kun, and I can promise to keep quiet about what happened tonight. How's that?"

Hosen : "Hahahaha! What are you saying? You really gonna throw away your chance to get me kicked outta here?"

Kiyone : "Now now, don't be hasty. In exchange for not doing that, I have two conditions."

Hosen : "T-Two?"

He probably knew the first without me even having to say it.

Kiyone : "The first is that you agree to form an equal, cooperative relationship between our two classes."

Hosen : "Well it ain't like I got much of a choice between that and expulsion. So what's the second?"

Kiyone : "I want you to partner up with me for this special exam."

Hosen : "Eh?"

From the time I first laid eyes on Hōsen, I found myself thinking that if I was in any position to select whoever I wanted, then he'd be my first choice by far. While there were several reasons for this, the biggest was that he didn't care about attracting attention due to his problematic behavior. If I were in Tsukishiro's shoes, I probably would've instructed my enforcer to avoid standing out as much as possible. I had been considering the option of privately reaching out to him to discuss the idea of working together if Horikita's discussion ended up falling through. So in that sense, this series of events had turned out to be quite convenient for me.

Hosen : "...Are you serious?"

Kiyone : "You've only just enrolled here, so I'm sure there are plenty of things you haven't gotten a chance to do yet. If you get expelled now, it'll all be over before you can enjoy doing any of them kouhai-kun. I don't know how things went back when you were in middle school, but the rumors saying that you're an equal match for Ryuuen-kun will end up staying that way. And that's all anybody will remember you for. At least, from what I've seen of Ryuuen-kun over the past year he's been here, you can't even really compare to him as you are right now."

Hosen : "You motherfvcker! What do you know about me?!"

Obviously, the young man known as Hosen Kazuomi had an unshakable sense of pride.

It came from an egotistical, habitual belief that he was one of the strongest people around.

Even though he was probably a step above Ryuuen in terms of physical strength, the fact that I had said that Ryuuen was better was unacceptable for him.

But most of all, there was no way he'd manage to tolerate the fact that I had outsmarted him.

He had a B Academic Ability rating, so if he were to hold back and flunk the exam, he would definitely get expelled.

That said, it didn't seem reasonable to think that he'd choose to sacrifice himself to take revenge on me. In that respect, no matter how much I tried, I wouldn't be able to clear him from all suspicion. However, after what happened here tonight, things were different. Even if Hōsen held back on the exam, the fact that I had been stabbed would still remain.

As long as I made it painfully clear that something unusual had gone on behind the scenes, even Tsukishiro wouldn't be able to force my expulsion immediately.

The school would set up an investigation to find out exactly what had happened, and Hōsen's decision to take a zero on the exam would be put up for deliberation.

Whatever tricks Tsukishiro might try to pull, I'd stay firm as a rock until expulsion was no longer on the table.

Hosen : "You bitch! Don't you think that you can controlled me forever! I'll get revenge on you when I can. Just you wait!"

Kiyone : "Oh, sure. You can come at me anytime kouhai-kun"

I said while licking the excessive dripping blood coming from my hand

Eh? He is shrunk back. Is this just my imagination or he seems to be hesitating so much. I could see his sweat keep dripping nonstop

Nanase : "I will remain here. There's something I feel I should explain to Ayanokōji-senpai."

Hosen : "H-Huh? What're you gonna to tell them, Nanase?"

Nanase : "Something that I've decided will be useful to Class 1-D as a whole. Ayanokōji-senpai and Horikita-senpai are already very wary of us. That being the case, wouldn't it be better if we had them stay vigilant of the other classes as well?"

Hosen : "Suit yourself."

While the details of what she was saying were unclear, he accepted Nanase's proposal.

In the end, he was the first person to leave and head back to the dormitory.

It was now just the three of us and the first-year Nanase.

While there were a couple of things to discuss given what had happened, one matter took precedence over any of that.

And that was calming down Horikita, who had lost her cool upon seeing the knife pierced through my left hand.

Horikita : "W-What should we do...? Should we, uhm, p-pull the knife out?"

The usually level-headed Horikita had probably never been in a situation like this one before.

Kiyone : "No. I know it isn't exactly pleasant to look at, but it's better to leave the knife where it is for now."

If the knife wasn't pulled out properly, I'd run a very real risk of hemorrhaging blood.

Kiyone : "More importantly, are you two okay?"

Horikita : "Compared to you, I'm practically unscathed..."

Sudou came closer to get a better look and grimaced upon seeing the grotesque state of my hand.

Sudou : "How can you stay so calm with your hand like that?"

Kiyone : "Hmm, I don't know. Is it a big deal?"

I was just doing things as I usually did, there wasn't really anything special to it.

Sudou : "But, seriously... I didn't know you were like, how should I said...crazy...?"

Kiyone : "I just tried what I could to block the knife."

Sudou : "...That's not what it looked like to me though."

He voiced his honest impression of my confrontation with Hosen earlier.

Sudou had braved his way through a fair number of fights in his time, so it didn't seem like I'd be able to deceive him, or Horikita as well for that matter.

With my right hand, I took out my cell phone and called Chabashira-sensei.

Kiyone : "Sensei, something's happened that I need a bit of help with. Could you quickly come meet me behind the first-year dorms?...Alone, of course...Also, please bring a bath towel with you...Thank you very much"

Although Chabashira-sensei seemed confused by my sudden call, she managed to sense the urgency of the situation and promised to head over immediately. In the meantime, it was for the best that we stay put and wait for her to arrive.

It would be dangerous if other students saw the state of my hand while we changed locations.

At any rate... even after seeing the aftermath up close, Nanase didn't seem phased in the slightest.

Despite the fact that there was a knife pierced through my palm and blood scattered around, she was perfectly calm and composed.

The visually intense, graphic nature of the scene didn't affect her at all.

Horikita : "Could you explain what happened here for us, Nanase-san?"

Nanase : *sigh* "If I don't, then it seems that Class 1-D will be placed in quite a tough position, so I will."

Kiyone : "You were aware that the negotiations were going to turn out like this... Is that correct?"

Nanase : "Correct. The plan was to have Hōsen-kun stab himself in the thigh to get Ayanokōji-senpai expelled."

She spoke without reserve, explaining their plan in the same polite tone as always.

Horikita : "Are you saying that the kindness you've shown us was all just part of an act meant to fulfill that goal?"

Nanase : "No, nothing of the sort, Horikita-senpai. I truly did want to join hands with you and establish a supportive relationship between our two classes. It's just... targeting Ayanokōji-senpai had been our top priority, that's all."

The reason why both Hosen and Nanase had been so fixated on Class 2-D was simply because I was a member of it.

Horikita : "Why was that your goal? I don't remember pardoning you for what happened here tonight, those were Ayanokōji-san's words, not mine. Depending on your explanation, I might just end up reporting this to the school straight away."

Horikita pressed Nanase for answers, unable to fathom why I was getting targeted.

Nanase : "While I do agree that there was a problem with our method, the school actually condones the notion of taking action to get Ayanokōji-senpai expelled. Only a select few first-year students currently know about this, but it's possible to receive a tremendous number of private points just for forcing his expulsion."

At last, the reason why Hōsen had gone after me had finally come to light.

Nanase : "We were told that the student who manages to expel Ayanokōji Kiyone of Class 2-D will receive a bulk sum of 20 million private points. That's the special exam that was given to us."

Horikita : "I don't understand what you're saying. That doesn't make any sense. Who on earth would come up with such an outrageous, stupid special exam?"

Nanase held her tongue, unwilling to respond to Horikita's inquiry. I had a guess but its better left unsaid for now

Nanase : "...For now, I've said everything I needed to say. With this, you should realize just how cautious you need to be of the other first-year classes, right Ayanokōji-senpai?"

Kiyone : "That's cute. Are they taunting me right now, Nanase-san?"

She send a glare to me. She didn't go into it very deeply, revealing only the bare minimum required to convey the idea. Needless to say, if Hōsen and Nanase knew about this 'special exam', then Amasawa probably did as well. Extending that logic, it only made sense that students in Classes 1-B and 1-C were also in on it.

Horikita : "You don't really expect me to accept such an answer, do you? The fact of the matter is that Ayanokōji-san received a grievous injur"

Horikita began hounding Nanase with questions for my sake, so I cut in to stop her.

Kiyone : "It's alright Horikita-san. A general understanding of the situation is more than enough. I appreciate the help, Nanase-san."

Nanase : "For the sake of my class, of Class 1-D, I chose to cooperate with Hōsen-kun knowing full well just how awful his methods truly were. Because, if the 20 million point bounty were to fall into the hands of another class, it would bring about serious ramifications for us moving forward."

With 20 million points, you would only have enough to buy a single ticket to Class A.

But given the utility during special exams such as this one, the more financial clout your class had, the better off you'd be.

Nanase : "However, that was not the only reason why I cooperated with Hōsen-kun."

Nanase's tone was soft and calm, and yet there was something about the way she looked at me, a sharp but subtle glint in her eyes.

Nanase : "...I simply didn't believe a person like you would be suitable for this school, Ayanokōji-senpai."

This was the first time that Nanase had ever directed these apparent feelings of murderous aura toward me.

Yet, I couldn't figure out why.

Shortly thereafter, Nanase bowed her head and left this place behind.

Y2 Volume 4

This is a sign that he will not follow Tsubaki from now on.

He takes out his own tablet and performs a GPS search to do the final fill. He checks on the GPS Ayanokouji Kiyone in front of him, about 300 meters away. He's closer than any of the other rookies. Just a few more minutes.

Hosen was already chewing on the joy of being able to participate in a serious fight. He is personally have a grudge against her. For the first time he was humiliated by a girl. He even already had such fantasy about humiliate her back after beating her in fist fight

But... As if to block Hosen's route, a single response from the GPS blocked his view.

Thinking it was a mere coincidence, Hosen didn't even try to see who it belonged to. He managed to catch Ayanokoji out of the corner of his eye.

Hosen : "I found you, Ayanokoji-senpai!"

Ayanokoji noticed that Hosen was screaming excitedly and turned around.

Kiyone : "Oh, kouhai-kun. Did you need something from me?"

Ayanokoji calmly looked at Hosen and stopped walking.

Hosen : "I've been waiting for this moment!"

Kiyone : "Uh-huh"

Hosen : "You are much calmer than I thought. Did you always like this senpai?"

Kiyone : "Yes"

Hosen : "I knew it was a tactic that I didn't like, but it worked for me. I decided to use it to my advantage. Its time to made you know your own place b!tch"

Housen screamed as his left and right fists clenched and slammed into each other. He had no doubt that in less than ten seconds a real fist fight would begin.

??? : "It's a difficult task isn't it, loser?"

Hosen : "Huh?"

In this place where a one-to-one place was supposed to be expected, a man was standing without a shadow.

The man pat Ayanokoji's head then he said

??? : "Good job, Kiyone"

The man waited as if he had anticipated Hosen's appearance. Ayanokoji made light eye contact with the man and disappeared deep into the forest. Housen wanted to go after her immediately, but the man in front of him was hard to ignore.

Hosen : "Why are you here? Ryuuen!"

Ryuuen : "That's my line, Hosen. You have nothing to do here, do you? Or stalking a girl now currently your new hobby. As expected that you're disgusting in every ways. Kukuku~"

With that comment from Ryuuen, Hosen immediately understood what was going on.

Hosen : "Eh? ... Ha, so apparently what I'm thinking comes from somewhere else."

Hosen, who immediately understood the situation, smiled in amusement.

Hosen : "So it was not a coincidence that the other first years were retained by the second years."

The boys who had been sent to Tsubaki to hunt Ayanokoji did not move from their site so that they would overlap by the GPS with the second years. Everything showed that, just as Tsubaki controlled the first year, there was someone in the second year who also controlled the grade.

Hosen : "Is it you? No, it is not like that. "

If Ryuuen is in command, tablets and walkie-talkies are essential.

However, from what he could see, Ryuuen didn't appear to be carrying a backpack. Also, it would be difficult for someone fighting on the front lines to lead more than one group.

Ryuuen : "Have you already understood everything?"

Hosen : "Do not care. It is none of your business what I do. "

He understood what was happening, but he didn't understand why Ryuuen was part of the effort to stop Ayanokoji from leaving school.

Ryuuen : "I'm afraid I have something to do with it."

With a thin smile, Ryuuen began to walk slowly towards Hosen.

Ryuuen : "I have a lot to do and my pockets are empty. If necessary, I will act as a mercenary soldier."

Hosen : "You mean money. But what makes you think you can stop me? "

Ryuuen : "Aren't you getting too cocky just because we never saw each other for a year?"

Short distance. The two of them smile hauntingly at each other's fingertips. It was Ryuuen who made the first move. Without taking his gaze off Hosen, he aimed his clenched left fist at Housen. The difference in power and stamina due to the difference in physique is obvious, so aim for the chin.

Hosen : "Whoa! That's a pretty daring left hand you have there."

Although he had taken the initiative, Hosen, already in combat position, did not lower his guard. He lightly caught Ryuuen's left fist in front of his chest and opened his mouth to smile.

Ryuuen : "Ugh! Don't give me that stinky breath, gorilla."

Hosen : "You're a good talker. Show me your pride and skill as a sophomore, will you? Hey!"

As soon as he released his left fist, he immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Hosen then slams his own forehead against Ryuuen's.

Ryuuen : "!"

Ryuuen staggered violently at the unexpected blow that violently shook his brain. Not that Ryuuen hasn't been through much. In fact, he has a history of always being up front in fights and fighting a lot more than the average criminal.

However, the Hosen number, on the other hand, is several times higher.

Hosen : "Oraa!"

Unable to maintain his evasive stance, Ryuuen was hit by Housen's front kick to the abdomen. He fell to the ground with great force and showed a large gap, but Hosen smiled widely and did not move from the spot.

Hosen : "You've been barking and howling for less than ten seconds, haven't you? To think that you're become weaker than last time we met. Don't make me laugh."

Ryuuen : "Ha ... you're a hard stone head fucking. Aren't you made of a real stone there? Damn gorilla."

Immediately after getting up, Ryuuen said something that provoked Hosen again.

Hearing this, Hosen lightly scratched the back of his neck, as if somewhat surprised.

Hosen : *sigh* "I guess I was expecting too much. You're not that good to me after all."

Ryuuen : "I don't think you will find anyone with whom you are happy."

Hosen : "I know you are here, because of Ayanokoji who was walking carefree behind you. Let me take care of it."

Ryuuen : "Pardon?"

Hearing Housen's words, Ryuuen's smile, which had been on his face all this time, disappeared.

Ryuuen : "What, do you also know something, Hosen?"

Hosen : "Know what? So you're really trying to act like nothing's wrong?"

Ryuuen : "Well well, this is getting annoying isn't it?"

They spoke conversational, trying to convince each other in a Series of monologues.

Ryuuen : "For the first time, I keep a watch on you. When and where did you fight? And what was the result?"

Hosen : "So you're obsessed with a woman now huh, Ryuuen?"

Even though there is a bit misunderstanding between them. The main reason Ryuuen is still in this school is to get revenge on Ayanokoji. As long as he had that, he would not allow Ayanokoji to lose, no matter if it was a fight or not.

Although the Hosen in front of him is a brawler who does not fit in the frame of a high school student. Housen sniffed at the heat mixed with a hint of killing intent.

Hosen : "So what? Don't worry. I haven't finished with her, or should I say I haven't even started."

He shook his head left and right, his bones creaking as he approached Ryuuen.

Hosen : "I have never been humiliated so badly, also I have never seen anyone stop my fist calmly. First of all, I don't think I'll ever see anyone who doesn't seem to be in pain while being stabbed with a knife."

The words 'knife' and 'stabbed' immediately triggered a memory in Ryuuen's mind.

'That Ayanokoji had bandaged her hand for a while, and that she had a scar.'

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ Hey hey, it looks like you've been having a lot of fun without me."

Ryuuen was hit by two fists, but the color of his eyes didn't change at all as he looked at Hosen. Not wanting to raise his guard in the face of such an eerie situation, Hosen kept pressing. He has always been in a fighting stance, without any pride or carelessness in the fight.

He is always ready for a fight, especially if the enemy in front of him is Ryuuen, who was notorious at school. He kicked the ground and, with a speed not expected of a man of his stature, approached him. He turned around Ryuuen's guard, who was preparing to defend his face, and twisted his fist in his face.

The arm swung so hard that the nose would have been broken had it not been for the arm guard. As soon as he got up, Ryuuen crashed back to the ground.

Anyone would be convinced that from the coup they just saw, the difference between Ryuuen and Hosen is obvious.

Ryuuen immediately raised his upper body, but as if he was aiming for that moment, he was surprised by a powerful kick to the face and fell backwards with great force.

Hosen : "You've been busy falling asleep and getting up right?"

Less than a minute into the fight, it seemed obvious to everyone who was going to be the winner.

Hosen : "Hahaha! That's what I thought, Ryuuen! That's all you are!"

Housen screamed with joy, but at the same time he was forced to scream. There is an irreversible difference in the ability to fight right from the start. And, despite this, Ryuuen's will to fight showed no sign of breaking, he just watching him silently. Eighty percent of the people Hosen fought broke his spirits after a single hit. The remaining 10% would make a show of bravery. And the remaining 10% would despair as soon as the second or third hit was struck.

However, the Ryuuen in front of him was damaged, but no change in the color of his eyes could be seen. In that mental exchange, Ryuuen was one step ahead of Hosen.

Ryuuen : "It seems like you're never change at all, do you think you've already won?"

There is no sign of pain, Ryuuen raised his upper body again without losing his smile.

Hosen : "Don't make me laugh. Do you think you are at my level?"

Hosen, who is under his eyes, grabs Ryuen's chest and lifts it up.

Hosen : "At the end of the day, you are a man who can only get ahead with the help of the little ones."

Ryuuen : "Winning one-on-one isn't everything today, is it? In fact, in high school, the public's opinion of you and me was the same. Somewhat that was kinda disgusting to be compared with you"

Facing the facts, Ryuuen tries to convince Hosen.

Ryuuen : "It seems that you have been sneaking around and avoiding direct confrontation. It is an effort that makes you cry. "

This time, Hosen's fist quickly struck Ryuuen on the right side of his face. A jab-type hit that focuses on speed rather than power. He shot him alternately, this time on the left side and then the right. He attacked like a boxer repeatedly hitting his fists on a punching bag.

Hosen : "Are you satisfied to die innocently? Hey!? I am going to kill you! Hahahaha!"

Before the guard arm goes up, he repeatedly hits his right fist on Ryuuen's abdomen.

Hosen : "There is no one who can beat me in a fight!"

When the seventh fist goes through, an alert sounds from Ryuuen's watch.

Hosen : "Hahaha! Pretending to be calm, but yelling because your body is on edge? It seems that the wristwatch is more direct than you!"

A wristwatch that detects an abnormality, such as a heart rhythm, issues an alert.

Ryuuen : "Seriously gorilla ... I'll just admit I'm proud of the fight ..."

Hosen, who saw the compliment as a surrender, loosed his bangs with a triumphant smile. The alert resounds throughout the forest. But Ryuuen still on sitting position in the ground.

Hosen : "Isn't the emergency alert sounding? Is it about time you approached your limits? Is it okay to be honest without hiding it?"

Ryuuen : "Let's put the joke aside. Isn't the clock broken?"

Ryuuen looks at his wristwatch and laughs, but it is evident to everyone that the damage is great. Seeing that awkward appearance, Hosen spits on his feet in a bored manner.

Hosen : "So Ryuuen. I feel like I didn't enjoy this at all"

Ryuuen : "You think you've won?"

Hosen : "Huh?"

Ryuuen : "Did I say that I lost to you even once?"

It was Hosen who went through the words, but squeezed his mind once. Although he was in a state of one-sided intimidation, Ryuuen's eyes weren't dead as he said.

Hosen : "I'll admit that will power, but you can't keep it forever!"

Humans are vulnerable to pain. Even if it is strong, it will be equally painful if it is hit with a powerful force like Hosen's fist.

It's just a matter of how many hits it can take.

Even if you bear it, the overwhelming difference is impossible to override.

Even if the second alert sounds, he won't lose his composure and inflict pain on Ryuuen with precision.

After being attacked by Housen many times, Ryuuen's wristwatch finally turns into an emergency alert. If left like this for 5 minutes or more, staff and medical equipment will come to the scene.

Hosen : "Your body is sincere. It has had enough with this desperate situation."

Ryuuen : "Oh ... This pleasantly numbing pain, its already long time I feel it since that time..."

Hosen : "Huh?"

However, he got up with a strange laugh without looking at his wristwatch at all. For the first time, Hosen knew that Ryuuen's untamed spirit power was genuine.

Hosen : "What the hell is wrong with you? You can't even stand a chance against me, why are you so persistent? There is not a single advantage to being dumb here!"

He wears his watch to his ear so he can use it as an alarm clock for a strong emergency alert.

Ryuuen : "Are you holding on to that huh? The idea itself is wrong."

At that moment, Hosen thought that Ryuuen would immediately turn off the emergency alert.

But in the end, without turning off the emergency alert, Ryuuen lowered his arm and put his hands in both pockets.

Ryuuen : "The game is not over yet."

Hosen : "Are you sane? ... The teachers will come here, will you retire?"

Ryuuen : "Let see who will the one who retire?"

If the school sees this situation, Ryuuen asked how to judge it. Hosen received a light kick to the chin, but his evidence was almost nil. The probability that the school interprets that unilateral violence has occurred cannot be ignored.

Hosen : "You're going to play the victim just because you can't compete with your enemy, you're very pathetic. You're so pathetic, Ryuuen."

Depending on the conditions, it can be said that it has been reversed, but Hosen will not be scared by that degree. As long as he has decided to succumb to Ayanokoji with violence in the first place, that point has passed.

Ryuuen : "If you are afraid that I am the victim, why don't you get out from here?"

Hosen : "Get me out of here?"

Judging that Ryuuen's strategy is not to turn off the emergency alert, Hosen advances again.

Hosen : "My GPS is already off. There is nothing wrong with killing you before the teachers hurry up."

Even if the school side rushes to this place, it will last 30 minutes lightly.

Ryuuen : "Kuku, I'll have to do that"

Ryuuen greets Housen, who is not intimidated by the threat and does not even try to remove his hand from his pocket.

Hosen : "If you don't feel like protecting yourself, you can go to your eternal slumber!"

Hosen clenched his right fist, not wanting to waste any more time. Ryuen takes both hands out of his pocket, but both hands are clenched too.

Hosen : "I don't think the tricks will work for me!"

Hosen knew instinctively that Ryuen was holding something, but he never stopped. To break the spirit, he sent a full-body right straight to Ryuuen. Seeing that, Ryuuen catches him from the front without opening the two fists he was holding. Hosen's arm tries to break the guard, but immediately after that.

??? : "Whoaahh!"

Two shadows emerged from the blind spot in the trees and stood behind the Housen.

Hosen : "What !?"

No wonder Hosen was surprised by the unexpected signal. When he did a GPS search a few minutes ago, there was no other reaction than Ayanokoji and Ryuuen around him. Even if immediately after the battle begins, they could never reach there even if they pointed to this place in a straight line.

Despite this, two men grab Hosen's left and right arms. His existence was like that of a ghost.

Not only Ishizaki, but also Albert, who has a body as strong as Hosen, even the mighty Hosen couldn't stay on the ground. Albert holds his right arm, which is his dominant arm, and Ishizaki holds his left arm on the other side.

Hosen : "Shit!! You are coward!"

He flailed desperately, but it wasn't easy to shake off both of them, even if Housen had a great physique

The next moment, Hosen burned Ryuen, who unprotected himself and laughed eerily.

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ It's a simple story. If you break your watch, the GPS won't recognize it."

At an early stage, he disabled Ishizaki and Albert's GPS function and they accompanied Ryuuen. When he assumed it was one-on-one, Hosen discovered that Ryuuen's strategy had set him up.

Hosen : "Are you going to do it 3 vs 1? Huh!?"

Ryuuen : "Don't bark so loud, gorilla. Your execution is about to begin."

Suddenly Ishizaki and Albert released him

Hosen : "Huh? What the hell are you doing?"

Ryuuen : "Its simply as it is. This is your execution and I already planned to cut off your retreat. I'll show you your own place gorilla"

Suddenly without prior notice. Ryuuen dashed off quickly and repeatedly thrown punch at Housen's face without hesitation. That one attack succeded landed on his eyes making his sight become a bit blurry

Hosen : "You bastard!"

Ryuuen : "Come! The game just began started"

Ryuuen keep aiming Hosen's body which unprotected like if he put a defense on his face he will attack his leg. And when he stand ground with intention to evade Ryuuen will use grappling attack.

Hosen : "S-Since when you are like this!"

As he turns Hosen's face from right to left, he repeats endlessly and next he clap and attacked both of his ear. This make him losing his balance until his knees touch the ground.

Hosen continued to bark as he supported his shaking knees, but Ryuuen without mercy continued to hit him without loosening either of his hands.

Due to the accumulated damage, Hosen's knee broke and he falls to the ground. When Housen's head was lowered into the correct position, Ryuuen held Housen's head with both hands and kicked his knees towards his nose.

Hosen : "Gut ...!"

With an inaudible voice, Housen fell to the ground on his back for the first time. Ryuuen made a sign with his eyes to both of them and made each of them grab his arms

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ Gorillas must always be handcuffed. Well, you've done a lot of good, haven't you, Hosen? "

While brushing his hair, Ryuuen straddles Housen.

Hosen : "D-Don't think that I'll succumbed to you piece of shit!"

Ryuuen : "Tch! You are too noisy. How do I make him shut up?"

With that said, Ryuen laughed and raised his fist. And without hesitation, he slams Hosen's cheeks violently.

Ryuuen : "Oh yeah, don't worry, Housen. I won't ask you to cry. Even if you apologize, nothing will change."

Despite being hit without protection, Hosen was not weak enough to sink. Rather, he gets angry and wreaks havoc. Albert and Ishizaki worked hard to control him.

Hosen : "Shit! Stand back, you little bastards! "

Ryuuen : "Don't get out of control. We're just starting out, right? I'm going to beat you up and you're going to enjoy it."

He moves his fist down over and over again, but Housen continues to bark instead of whimpering.

Ryuuen : "You get it now little sh!t? This is what I mean by execution. I'll gonna destroy you and I won't even give you a chance to runaway"

In a battle, an impromptable decision can decide the outcome. Like a blow, a fall can make the difference between light and dark. With a moment of carelessness and pride, the position is reversed. After that, Ryuuen's one-sided lynchings were repeated, and even the mighty Hosen lost the strength of his body.

Ryuuen : "How difficult. My arm is starting to hurt."

He exhales into the red fist while laughing.

After being hit dozens of times, no matter how many times Hosen was hit, he would reach his limit. Even if there was no longer an existence that held the left and right hands, it would not be easy to defeat Ryuuen.

Hosen : *cough* *cough* "R-Remember...e-even if you win here...the next time I see you...I will kill you immediately..."

SLAP!

Ryuuen slapped his head

Ryuuen : "My my you are surely noisy huh? I am not going to swallow your revenge gorilla, just little advice from me, if you are going to do it, do it well It is not as simple as winning. Winning is not as simple as it seems. If you go ahead, but you end up being expelled, you will you lose."

Hosen : "W-What...!"

POW!

Ryuuen's direct blow hits Hosen's cheek and ripped his consciousness away. Hosen's consciousness flew and resolved, and Ryuen slowly rose to his feet.

Ryuuen : *sigh* "So boring..."

While spilling blood from his fist, Ryuuen looks up at the sky and exhales wearily with a sigh.

Ishizaki : "They must be exaggarating about his notorius reputation, I really thought he was a monster."

Ryuuen : "You would be a fool if you faced him."

Ishizaki : "W-What?"

Albert agreed with those words and nodded.

Neither Ishizaki nor Albert had major external injuries.

It was that Ryuuen had decided that he had to avoid involving them too much in this battle. If the number of suspicious people increases, this dispute will not end up as a simple brawl.

Ryuuen : "You should get moving. The teachers could arrive at any moment."

It has been a certain amount of time since the emergency alert on Ryuuen's wristwatch sounded.

Ishizaki : "What about you Ryuuen-san ...?"

Ryuuen : "Well, I'm in this state. Even if I wanted to continue, they wouldn't let me do it easily."

Ishizaki : "But still, why are you letting him to injured you so badly at first? You can just take him off from start right?"

Ryuuen : "Don't think too much. This is just part of my plan"

Along with Hosen, the injuries inflicted on Ryuuen are quite serious.

Ryuuen : "I'm going to retire together with this gorilla"

Ishizaki : "A-Are you sure with that?"

Ryuuen : "I have left everything they need in the hands of Katsuragi. Although the first three groups have become more difficult to win"

If he left Hosen here, there was a possibility that he would head towards Ayanokoji. But if Ryuuen, the one who hurt him, disappears, that will be a problem. Here, Ryuuen and Hosen had a one-on-one fight and retired together.

From the beginning its decided that this was the only and most beautiful way to do it.

Ishizaki : "...Ryuuen-san..."

The Ryuuen and Katsuragi Group, who ranked 5th yesterday, had a slim chance to move on to the next spot. Ishizaki regretted it.

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ That is not the case."

Ryuuen laughs lightly as if he remembers something. Not knowing why, Ishizaki and Albert looked at each other.

Ryuuen : "I'll tell you soon. Go anyway now."

To ensure that both Ishizaki and Albert survive as a group, they must avoid abandonment. To do this, they must exchange watches and join the group as soon as possible.

After they both ran towards the starting point, Ryuuen sat down to use Hosen's unconscious body as a bench.

Ryuuen : "Tch! Why I do this kind of troublesome things since that day?"

He reminisce the moment he got beaten by a girl. At that time, his pride totally got crushed to the point that he lose his reasoning to compete again. But a sudden event occured, surprisingly the girl plead to him that he stay on the school. After that he goes secretly train his body and waiting for the chance to fighting the girl again.

When he ready about having a rematch. The girl simply refused and somewhat acknowledge that he would without a doubt would won against herself. She said that this time she can't win against him and as a girl she clearly aware of her own limit. In another words, she is surrender without a fight. That's why, competing with her using pure violence wouldn't work but she still accept another form of challenges as long as it wasn't about fighting

This entire situation kinda make him pissed off. That's why, he vented all of his frustation to the boy who's currently his body become his bench to sit

What do you think about this plot ideas this time?

Random Idea Plot (Sorry not part of chapter) Pt4. Wait? Part 4??

Y2 Volume 3

Figuring it wasn't too late to confirm its identity, Ichinose quietly headed in the direction of the sound.

Eventually, what came into view was Deputy Chairman Tsukishiro, together with Shiba Katsunori, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-D. When Ichinose saw them, she was relieved from the bottom of her heart. Now she could ask for the location of the port.

But... it was a naïve idea. Ichinose immediately dissuaded herself from asking them. No matter how much trouble she was in, a special exam was still going on. She shouldn't be asking for help just because she got lost and expected to get a straight answer. Her watch was broken, sure but an internal malfunction was different from breaking it through external means. If she couldn't take responsibility for her own problems, then she would never be able to find salvation. So she wondered, how should she use this thread of fate in front of her?

Wouldn't it be wiser to just follow them? It would be optimal for her if they were heading back to the starting point, or if they're travelling to set up an assignment, since sooner or later other students will gather around them. Either way, she'll be able to use this advantage to get through the thick of things. She decided to follow them without being noticed. The two of them were walking around while having some kind of conversation, so Ichinose shouldn't be easily noticed. Besides, she figured that if she was to be found, it wouldn't be a problem if she kept a straight face.

In the quiet forest, two voices could be heard.

Shiba : "I asked you to confirm you could move with a bit of flexibility. So what came of it?

Tsukishiro : "It's not very easy. There have been movements from the other teachers hinting that some of them are watching us. I've noticed that Mashima is particularly wary of us."

Ichinose, who wasn't interested in the content of their conversation, listened to only half of their words in order to concentrate on trailing them.

Tsukishiro : "And there's another one as well. Chabashira of Class 2-D is checking through everyone's background.

Shiba : "Drawing help from the teachers is one of the few useful tricks she can use, after all. I'm sure that both Ms. Chabashira and Mr. Mashima are connected to Ayanokouji-kun in some way. If Ayanokouji-kun was the one who brought them together, then I wouldn't be surprised if they've found out the truth."

However, the situation changed when an unexpected name was mentioned. Ayanokouji.

To Ichinose, she is kinda like an important existence for her. She is her 'door'. The one that she could trust and a dear friend that helping her from behind against Nagumo.

Ichinose took all of her power just to suppress her gasp when she heard her name, which oddly excited her. Perhaps it was because of the name, but the two stopped walking and continued their conversation from a stand still.

Shiba : "I've modified my backgrounds here, so I don't think I will be traced back to you."

Tsukishiro : "You have my gratitude. But it's possible they're still getting some clues. If that's the case, we'll have to teach her some lesson. We have no choice but to corner her now."

Shiba : "But is it really that easy to expel her from this school? She is from the White Room, after all."

Tsukishiro : "People are confused by their titles. It's just that—"

She keeping her distance carefully. But, their voice was drowned out by a sudden gust of wind.

Ichinose : "White Room? What kind of place is that?"

Ichinose listened closely, but she couldn't make it out very clearly. 'Ayanokouji's name' and the keyword 'expulsion' reverberated strongly in her head and wouldn't leave.

Ichinose : "To think that 'Doa-chan' herself kinda mysterious despite her clueless looking face huh?"

(NOTE : Doa = Door)

Why were the Deputy Chairman and a homeroom teacher discussing such things? Ichinose subconsciously lost sight of the distance she needed to maintain in order to hear a little more of what was being said. Gradually, she closed the distance between them due to her curiosity.

Shiba : "If she can survive until the last day, then we'll have to abduct her in I2 and fabricate the incident just as planned."

Ichinose moved closer to hear what they were saying more clearly, but—

She didn't mean to make a sound, but the Deputy Chairman's sharp ears caught it and turned his gaze backwards.

'Not good!'

With such an intuition pounding at her whole body, Ichinose immediately turned on her heels and make her retreat.

However, the weight of the backpack behind her back slowed her down and she couldn't accelerate fast enough.

She was certain they couldn't see her face for the moment. However, they were definitely aware that someone was listening to them. That fact was the most certain to her. Those words were something that she should never have heard.

She kept moving away while feeling a strong premonition. She tried her best to leave undetected that's why she move carefully without making any noise

'They won't find me as long as I moving away.'

'Yes, I'm sure I'll be fine'

'I'm sure'

'I'm definitely sure'

From behind, swift footsteps stepping on twigs and leaves could be heard, as if they were running catching up to her. Ichinose was not confident in her athleticism, but at least she was proud on this thick forest she isn't easily could be found.

There was no right or left path.

Ichinose continued to selflessly move through the forest, completely lost in a frantic hurry. When she heard something that she wasn't intended to hear, her senses tingled strangely. Such was the intuition she had.

Ichinose : "..?!"

A big hand grabbed Ichinose's left shoulder from behind. Ichinose was so surprised that her heart skipped a beat, and while she couldn't move, she feel her situation kinda like in horror movie.

??? : "...Honami Ichinose from Class 2-C, I believe."

Ichinose's eyes immediately look at the figure behind her, she is surprised that Shiba found her.

Ichinose : "O-Oh, yes... that's me sensei..."

Ichinose could not escape from his eyes. Shiba looked at Ichinose with unreadable eyes.

Shiba : "Why are you here?"

She tried to act calm and natural as possible

Ichinose : "You see, my watch broke and I was going to ask any nearby teacher or staff to take a look at it..."

Shiba : "Oh, I see. No wonder there weren't any GPS signals in the area."

Ichinose : "Right, sensei? So-"

But suddenly, Shiba choke lifting her with his hand

Ichinose : "Ack-!"

Shiba : "...But that does not excuse you from hearing something you shouldn't. It doesn't really matter how far you've heard the story. If you've stepped into this matter, even in 1% of it... There's no other way but to do something about it. Quite the bad luck, it seems."

With struggle she respond

Ichinose : "G-Get your hand off from me...d-do you think that your action can be excused like this sensei...?"

Shiba : "Too bad Ichinose Honami-kun. School rules don't apply here. The lightest consequent I'll have you expelled immediately. But if you keep persistence like this, this might be the fastest answer for you..."

Ichinose : "Ack-! kugh-!"

He strengthen his choke on her and Ichinose almost passed out while her eyes slowly rolling back

Tsukishiro : "Stop it! It's a little quick for you to be so rough, Shiba-sensei."

Tsukishiro, who caught up with them a bit later addressed Shiba. As if like an instruction to stop. He immediately release his choke on her

Ichinose fall on the ground and her eyes gouged some tears, she touching her neck while hardly to breath

Ichinose : *cough* *cough* *cough*

Shiba : "I apologize."

Deputy Chairman Tsukishiro approached and beamed an eerie smile at Ichinose.

Tsukishiro : "I'm asking you now formally. How much have you heard?"

Ichinose : *cough* *cough* "I had no idea what are you talking about?" *cough* *cough*

Of course, that was a lie. In fragments, Ichinose heard a disturbing conversation between the two. Even if Ichinose said she didn't hear anything, they wouldn't believe even a single millimeter of it.

Tsukishiro : "I'm not an idiot to believe those words. Adults always have to expect the worst of everything. I'll be assuming that you've heard everything we've said, from start to finish."

With a piercing look to his eyes, Tsukishiro stood ominously in front of Ichinose. Then he crouched down, his eyes meeting Ichinose's gaze.

Tsukishiro : "You accidentally overheard the whole thing. That's not including the fact that what we've been conversing about is something you should never have heard."

This time, Ichinose truly understand who's the most scariest between them. It just a simply word but Ichinose sweat a lot under such unexplainable pressure from him. Shiba who watched the situation unfurl on the sidelines, seemingly afraid as he looked at Tsukishiro.

Tsukishiro : "If what we just said leaks out to the public, both Shiba-sensei and I will be in hot waters."

Ichinose : "P-Please, I-I don't know anything! I-I didn't heard anything at all...!"

Tsukishiro : "That's just not the case. I'm speaking on the assumption that you have heard everything."

With that said, Ichinose could do nothing but gulp nervously.

Tsukishiro : "Would you like me to harm you so you can retire? Perhaps to the brink of you losing your memory of this very conversation? Hmm, Ichinose-kun?"

Ichinose gapping opened and closing her mouth unable to make a voice and her body keep trembling

Looking at the cowering Ichinose, Tsukishiro stood up with a triumphant smirk on his face.

Tsukishiro : "As a person who protects this school, I can't possibly do such a thing. That's right... I don't want to act rough at all. So here's a suggestion for you. If you let your mouth run, I'll personally force a group from Class 2-C to retire. What do you think?"

Hearing this, the fear that she showed before turned 180 degree

Ichinose : "W-What?!"

Tsukishiro showing an amusing smile, the girl who cowering on fear before suddenly look back at him with an angry glared eyes

Tsukishiro : "Fufufu~ Of course, I'll be targeting those that don't have enough private points to save themselves"

That would mean an immediate expulsion for the unlucky group.

Tsukishiro : "You don't think that's possible? Faking alibis for unjust actions to expel a group... that is precisely something a person who administers the rules can do. That's especially so on this uninhabited island, faraway from the surveillance of anyone else. Why, anything can happen here! Hahahaha"

Ichinose narrowed her eyes.

Shiba : "Deputy Chairman Tsukishiro, don't you think you should exercise some more of your authority, instead of taking such a lenient approach? Neither Ms. Chabashira nor Mr. Mashima will care if Ichinose disappears. The only thing those two care about is what happens to Ayanokouji-kun."

Tsukishiro : "You do have a point. Please, tell me, what do you think should be the appropriate course of action here, Shiba-sensei?"

Without taking time to ponder, Shiba took out a pair of rubber gloves from his pants.

Shiba : "I'll handle it myself, if you can leave it to me."

While the two discussed away at her punishment, Ichinose thinking so hard to make an opening to run away. She could not imagine what he was going to do with those rubber gloves. Tsukishiro smiled gently at the sight of this.

Shiba drag Ichinose's collar. With spur moment Ichinose sprayed insect repellant on Shiba eyes

Shiba : "Argh-! Damn!"

Using this momentum Ichinose quickly detached herself from him and run into deep forest.

When Shiba about to chase her, Tsukishiro suddenly grab his shoulder

Tsukishiro : "Well, it wouldn't be a good idea to spend any more time on this matter."

Shiba : "What?"

Tsukishiro : "It's fine. We can leave it alone, for now."

Shiba : "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Shiba implied that there might be more trouble if they didn't completely dispose of the girl.

Shiba : "If she tells that girl, it will interfere with our plans."

Tsukishiro : "Spontaneous developments happen all the time. We'll just move along with it as we go."

Shiba couldn't make out Tsukishiro's true intentions, and he feared for what was to come.

Tsukishiro : "Worried? I believe I've already put a nail in the coffin on this situation. It'll work out in its own way, I suppose."

Shiba : "I...I don't understand..."

Tsukishiro : "No matter what the relationship between her and the princess is, Class C wouldn't have been able to make her, a powerful enemy disappear. Ichinose-san will have to face that in due time. Let us refrain from panicking, for we shall see what will happen soon enough."

A single drop of rain fell on Tsukishiro's cheek.

Tsukishiro : "I am 99% sure Nanase-san will fail this time around, but it seems she's started to move in anticipation of those losses. If everything goes in order, it'll be about time princess's emergency alert goes off."

Tsukishiro was so calm that panicking now seemed illogical. That was only possible due to his unchanging beliefs.

Back to Ichinose who running to deep forest

She keep running ignoring to checking her position. Suddenly she stumbled upon the tree branch and her face bruised because she collided with the ground.

Looking behind her she realized that Shiba already lost her or might be he didn't chase after her. Somewhat make her relieved for a bit however...

??? : "Well well, what's the hurry Ichinose-chan?"

She immediately look toward the source of the voice

She realized that she is 3rd years. Which means, she could be an enemy since all of 3rd years already tamed under Nagumo. Also, she happened to know that Nagumo is somehow linked with the rumor about 20 million bounty for 1st years on Ayanokoji expulsion as well.

??? : "Why don't we stop and chat a bit for a while dear kouhai"

Ichinose : "Ngg-!"

She tried to stand up but her legs give it off, it caused her ankle a bit sprained somehow

??? : "Look, I got some first aid kit here. Let's have a talk shall we. Since that situation here somewhat boring during this week. Hey, tell me some interesting rumor please. Fufufu~"

She drag Ichinose hand to move closer toward her

Ichinose : "Just..."

??? : "Huh?"

Ichinose : "J-Just what do you wanted from me..."

Ichinose asked the woman in front of her with hesitating voice

Ichinose : "...Kiryuin-senpai?!"

The girl smiled as a respond with Ichinose question

Y2 Volume 3

Nanase Tsubasa POV

Data shows that men have better stamina than women. But here another women had monstrous stamina equal to men or maybe even greater

As far as I know, there isn't that big of a difference between me and Ayanokouji senpai.

That belief stems from the confidence and conviction gained from training ever since I was small. But I now clearly understand that it was far too naïve of me.

Ayanokouji-senpai hasn't been the least tired these recent days. She's always at about 50-60 percent and clears every obstacle like nothing.

She's easily surpassing me, climbing the towering cliffs. If this goes on, I won't manage to follow her. I have to avoid falling too far back no matter what. Fearing that everything would end, I forcibly made up my mind.

Kiyone : "What are you doing?"

Nanase : "Don't... mind me. I will, catch up to you, at my own pace...!"

If I stopped climbing and fell down from here, that would mean I amounted to just that. I fervently stretched my arm and grabbed onto the rocky surface. While my mind was brimming with willpower, my hands were screaming at their limits.

Kiyone : "Retiring will be the least of your worries if you fall from here."

Whether I retired or not wasn't that important to me. It was whether I could catch up to her or not. Everything depended on that. I focused on my arms and legs when suddenly she came back to me.

Kiyone : "Watched out!"

Seeing how desperate I was, she immediately grab my hand before I lost my strength

Nanase : "N-No, I won't have it. Since one of the conditions for following you was that you wouldn't help me... Don't mind me and go on, please."

Even though climbing here was so dangerous, she went down to me without a worry. She's always collected and there are so many things I don't know about it. As expected, this person isn't normal. From what she brazenly did during the fight with Hosen to this.

Kiyone : "It would leave a bad aftertaste if I went ahead and you hurt yourself. It would be one thing if you asked me for it, but I'm offering this kindness of my own accord. So don't mind it."

Nanase : "But...!"

Without speaking any word she began to lift me

I no longer had any places I could escape to. The more I resisted, the more I realized how much I wasted her precious time.

Nanase : "...T-Thank you..."

I couldn't hide my frustration as I took her hand.

Nanase : "Senpai... have you ever climbed before?"

Kiyone : "No, this is the first time I'm moving up like this."

Nanase : "Is that so...?"

She raised me along with my heavy backpack up. This person really possesses unfathomable abilities after all. I wonder if I'm even able to cross blades with her...

No, that's not important. She's definitely...definitely a person I have to defeat.

And then I must drag out that person.

That's why I came to this school in the first place.

It's the only goal I have.

After fight Kiyone vs Tsubasa (or maybe not since all Kiyone do just dodging her LOL)

The rain was starting to get much heavier.

With her mind finally starting to cool down, Nanase opened her mouth, straining to move her heavy jaws, as if she had difficulty in swallowing her own feelings.

Nanase : "I've lost... to you, Ayanokouji-senpai."

Kiyone : "Are we done here?"

Nanase : "Yes. It seems that no matter what I try, I just can't beat Ayanokouji-senpai."

I've managed to see through everything, and thus she gave up willingly, her whole body now drained of its energy. It seemed my strategy of dodging had paid off.

Kiyone : "There is something I don't understand and I'd like to hear all the details of your motives, if you don't mind me asking. Why did you come after me? If your reasons aren't clear, then we're going to have a lot of problems."

Nanase : "Well, senpai has the right to know—no! I want you to know!"

She said that as she sat down, as if she had no strength to even standup anymore. Nanase's movements were not simple, but it was still hard to believe she was from the White Room. Indeed, Nanase's strength was quite impressive. She could even outdo Horikita or Ibuki I think.

But if she were from the White Room, then her actions were too poorly carried out. Plus, it was awfully strange that a White Room student could mention Matsuo's name. In order to find out the answer to that question, I waited for Nanase to explain.

Nanase : "I... I came to this school because I wanted to avenge the death of my childhood friend."

Kiyone : "Childhood friend?"

Nanase : "Yes. It's Matsuo Eiichirou"

I can't hide my surprise to hear that name. No doubt that was the name of Matsuo's son. Matsuo himself was the butler that cared for me.

Nanase : "I myself was able to understand it well after entering this school. If you're completely cut off from the outside world, then there's no way to know the details, is there?"

What Nanase said was correct. But in contrast, I actually do have a bit of information regarding Matsuo.

That man, who showed up here in order to bring me back to the White Room, told it straight to my face.

After that, Nanase told me everything in a calm tone.

About how my father's persistence got him chased out of his highschool, which caused Eiichirou to drop out.

The same thing happened to him at a new high school he escaped to, and he gave up on the idea of continuing on with his education after realizing he couldn't escape.

There was also the time when Eiichirou Matsuo's father burned himself to a crisp in response to his son's news. After that, he had to work part-time jobs for a living.

I've already heard all these things from that man, but I respectfully remained silent.

Nanase : "From kindergarten until graduation from junior high, I had always been with Eiichirou, who was just one year older than me. We studied, played, and learned together... He was always better than me at everything... and he was the person I aspired to be."

Nanase's tone, which had been calm up to this point, gradually changed to a much heavier one.

Nanase : "Even after being forced to leave, Eiichirou-kun said he wouldn't give up no matter what, and started working part-time. We didn't have many chances to meet up with each other, but I knew our relationship would remain the same."

Nanase continued to speak without stopping as she reminded both me and herself of the past.

Nanase : "Even when he had to give up on higher education, and the fact that he lost his father... he never gave up, trying to move forward no matter where he was."

Nanase's voice wavered as she tightened her hands into fists.

Nanase : "Then, on the evening of February 14th, when I visited Eiichirou-kun's apartment. I was hoping that Eiichirou-kun, who was trying his absolute best, would be feeling a little better, but..."

I didn't need to hear the end of it to know what exactly happened. Matsuo Eiichirou tried his hardest, yet it wasn't enough. He gave upon clinging to life.

Eiichirou-kun...

If only that you could hold it longer...

Kiyone : "...You won't be able to express your feelings to him ever again if you couldn't see each other anymore..."

I remembered what Nanase said as encouragement to Ike. No matter how much she regretted it, it's already too late. Even if she were to shout her lungs out in front of a corpse, her voice wouldn't be heard.

Nanase : "I didn't know much about Ayanokouji-senpai, nor did I know much about your father. I had already submitted my application to another high school when... when that man appeared to me."

Kiyone : "Tsukishiro-san?"

Nanase : "Yes. Deputy Chairman Tsukishiro explained to me why Eiichirou's life had been twisted, and he arranged for me to be admitted into the Advanced Nurturing High School. He told me that it was all due to someone named Ayanokouji Kiyone, who ran away from a facility called the White Room and entered this school."

All that just to avenge the death of a childhood friend.

Nanase : "I was promised that if I was able to expel Ayanokouji-senpai, I would be allowed to meet with your father. I was actually planning to ask your father to bow in apology to Eiichirou-kun..."

Even if she were able to expel me, that man would never have bowed down. Nanase would never get what she wanted. A lot of things connected here, but there's still a lot more I didn't understand.

Kiyone : "I see but there is something that I would like to tell you. That man...my father would never have bow down to you no matter what happened. Worst that he could even do the same thing to you as well like he did to Eiichiro-kun. You see..."

Nanase : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "Matsuo, his father was a butler who working for my father. During that time, he always bragging a lot about his son and he told me a lot of story about him as well. Honestly, I even though that I would like to see him one day as well however that day never come in the end..."

Nanase : "...senpai...?"

Kiyone : "I will tell you the truth behind my arrival on this school for you next time. Anyway, Tsukishiro-san said he sent a White Room student here, but do you think it was a bluff?"

Nanase : "W-What do you mean by that? I don't know what a 'White Room' is..."

It didn't seem like Nanase was lying about it. If so, there could be two possibilities. One is that the assassin sent to expel me was not Nanase, but someone else who was a subject from the White Room, or perhaps someone who had a role in the White Room. The other possibility could just be Tsukishiro bluffing, intentionally making me think Nanase was the White Room student.

If it was the latter, then there would be nobody else coming after me. However, that would be unlikely. Nanase's abilities were excellent in their own way, but as the culprit who'll send me barreling out of this school, she lacked the necessary skills to do so. And it's not as if Tsukishiro couldn't see this coming.

Nanase : "I know my reasons for doing all this isn't Ayanokouji-senpai's fault. But I-I desperately wanted to take out my frustration on someone, the anger that I-I couldn't handle. I wanted to let it all out on someone else!"

Her tears began to fall

Kiyone : "So, since you think that my father was too powerful for you. You can't do anything toward him. That's why you think that its easier to vented it out on me?"

She slowly nodded

Looking closely at the sequence of events, they were all connected to many things. Nanase's behavior was one particularly odd case. There were several times when she was pushing to make me dropout of school, but she also wanted to help me out.

Nanase herself didn't think she was doing the right thing, and that's why a contradiction was born. She made Matsuo Eiichirou a part of herself, residing deeply in her own heart. And today, she finally let it all out. Perhaps it was because we were on top of a mountain, but the ground was cool from the rain and a thick fog began rolling in.

Nanase : *sob* *sob* "I didn't treat senpai very well...what I did was surely ungrateful act toward your kindness... I'm really sorry..."

She hid her face in her hands as if ashamed of herself, unable to return my gaze. I didn't say anything, instead quietly waiting for her to calm down.

Kiyone : "Don't apologize. It's perfectly reasonable for you to be angry."

True, that man did commit grave crimes just to bring me back. After all, he was a cold-hearted person who didn't consider what being human means. But ironically, that trait was reflected in me as well.

Nanase : "Since I failed to carry out Deputy Chairman Tsukishiro's instructions, there's no point in me staying here anymore."

Kiyone : "You're withdrawing?"

Nanase : "It's the least I can do to make amends."

In a sense, I'm exactly the same as that man. As long as I can protect myself, I don't care what happens to other people. But even if we were similar in essence, we still had our differences in some respects.

I believe that it's not best to show that essence to others. In short, should you dispose of the ants that got in your way? Or should you reach out your hand to them? To me, I would do the latter. But to that man, he would never reach out to a lesser being. And that was the crucial difference between us.

I approach her and crouching in front of her slowly

SLAP!

I slapped her face

Nanase : "S-Senpai...?!"

Kiyone : "If you truly feel bad about all those things you've done to me, then take back what you said."

Nanase : "W-What do you mean...?!"

Kiyone : "You have nothing to be ashamed of. You tried to use everything you could to get revenge on me. But I have my own reasons why I can't lose. You see, by continuing to stay here, that is the only way I can deal a blow to that my father."

I stand up and reach out Nanase

Nanase didn't immediately look up, instead slowly raising her head to look at my outstretched palm.

Kiyone : I'm not sure if I'm being selfish, but I want to keep staying in this school. Please help me in doing that. I'm sure Tsukishiro-san still has more plans to expel me from the school, and once he succeeds, he'll bring me as a little souvenir to my father. If such a situation comes true, I would have betrayed Matsuo's intentions, who made me disobey my orders and sent me to enter this school."

Nanase : "W-What?!"

Kiyone : "Oops, I did say that I'll tell about it next time. Well..."

Nanase : "So what I should've done this whole time was the opposite...!"

Kiyone : "Well...err...can you help me with that?"

A thin, yet smooth hand grasped mine, squeezing it softly.

Nanase : "Thank you...thank you...I-I promise to help you."

The palm of my hand was cold from the rain, but it now had a warm, fuzzy heat radiating with it. Nanase, who was lying with her face looking down for so long, finally looked into my eyes. Whether or not she will prove to be useful was irrelevant at the moment. The important thing was to make sure I could use her in a way that proves to be convenient, even if it meant having to get rid of her.

Kiyone : "You're completely drenched. It wouldn't be good if you fall sick. Shall we go?"

Nanase : "...Yes"

Y2 Volume 4

The pouring rain had gotten stronger and the fog, thicker.

It was hard to hear or see anything due to the weather, but I could feel an ominous presence approaching us from behind.

There was a deliberate, almost exaggerated sound of mud being trampled underfoot and strewn into the air.

It seemed that Nanase had immediately noticed it as well.

Looking over my shoulder, I caught sight of a student who had come to an abrupt stop behind me, her red hair swaying in the wind.

Amasawa : "Seems it's gonna really start coming down, huh Sen~pai?"

It was none other than Class 1-A's Amasawa Ichika, standing there in the rain.

While it had long-since been established that she had the same table as Nanase and I, this was by no means a mere coincidence.

There weren't any other students nearby, and she didn't have a backpack or tablet either.

This begged the question: How exactly did she make it all the way up here?

One possibility was that she had simply hidden her things somewhere nearby before approaching us.

Alternatively, she could've been tailing us for an extended period of time, empty-handed from the start.

I suppose it was also possible that someone had been tracking us with the GPS and relaying our position to her via walkie-talkie.

Nonetheless, it was probably fine to rule this out as simple coincidence.

No matter the method, her arrival was not a welcome one as far as I was concerned.

Besides, it wasn't like Amasawa was completely empty-handed either. Clasped in her left hand was a knife: one that was more than capable of being used as a weapon to stab someone.

Was she trying to take us by surprise, only for Nanase and I to unexpectedly notice before she could do so?

But, in such bad weather, she could've been far quieter with her approach if she truly planned on attacking us.

Nanase : "Please get behind me, Senpai!"

As I thought about the reason behind Amasawa's sudden appearance, Nanase, despite still being exhausted from earlier, inserted herself in front of me.

From the brief look I had of her profile, her gaze was firm with a blatant sense of distrust written all over her face.

Amasawa : "Oh? Nanase-chan, shouldn't you be happy to see me? How aw~fully cold you are to a dear companion from your very own group. Wait, are you perhaps nervous about this little stick friend of mine~?"

She casually twirl knife in her hand then she put back the knife to its scabbard.

Even so, Nanase didn't relax her guard whatsoever.

Nanase : "You, cannot be trusted."

Amasawa : "How me~an. How could you say something like that? I'm super-duper cute~!"

I didn't think that being cute had anything to do with whether or not you were trustworthy, but that didn't really matter at the moment.

There was certainly something about Amasawa that made it hard to tell what she was truly thinking.

It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that she had extraordinary acting skills and the uncanny ability to put plans into action.

So while it was natural to be cautious of her, it's not like I wasn't already doing that at this point.

But that was no explanation for the excessive distrust and caution Nanase was showing her.

Of course, Amasawa clearly had a reason for showing up here.

One could assume that Nanase was just overreacting now that she had become my ally, but...

Amasawa : "Jeez. I'm not some bad guy, right Ayanokōji-senpai~? I just wanna chat for a bit, kay?"

Nanase : "Please don't listen to her, she's dangerous."

Though Amasawa wasn't showing any hostility, Nanase remained merciless and firm, refusing to budge an inch.

Despite voicing complaints only moments earlier, Amasawa didn't appear to be bothered by Nanase's seemingly unwarranted accusation.

Nanase : "Senpai... There's something I've been silent about for a while now... Back when Shinohara-senpai's group was attacked and Komiya-senpai and Kinoshita-senpai retired from the exam, do you remember how you left to climb the slope with Ike-senpai?"

She was referring to the fourth day of the exam, when Ike heard a sound coming from the top of the slope and took off in a panic, thinking that Shinohara might be there.

Having decided that it was too dangerous for him to go alone, I had followed after him.

Nanase : "While you were gone, I noticed that someone had been watching us from nearby, so I tried chasing after them."

Kiyone : "Is that why you weren't with Sudou and the others when we were making our way back after finding Shinohara?"

She gave a slight nod.

Kiyone : "So what happened?"

Nanase : "They ran from me. And while I wasn't able to catch up with them... I did manage to get a good look at their hair."

With that, Nanase slowly lifted her right arm into the air and pointed at Amasawa.

Nanase : "Back then, the one watching us from the shadows was you, wasn't it Amasawa-san?"

Amasawa : "Ahaha, so I was seen after all."

Rather than try to deny it, Amasawa laughed, admitting to it immediately.

She didn't seem remotely surprised about having been caught red-handed, her attitude the same as ever.

As such, it was probably safe to conclude that the presence I had sensed back then really had been Amasawa.

Nanase : "You also hurt Komiya-senpai and Kinoshita-senpai, didn't you?"

Amasawa : "Eh? Aren't you just, like, jumping to conclusions? Maybe I just happened to be in the neighborhood."

I frowned upon her statement. There is a chance that she actually isn't culprit and just covering for someone else action

Nanase : "Then you didn't need to run away from me, did you?"

Amasawa : "If a girl came running at you with a scary look on her face, who wouldn't run away? Plus, I didn't wanna be suspected."

Nanase : "I don't believe you. Not at all."

Amasawa : "So in other words, Nanase-chan, you've just up and decided that I pushed those two senpais down the slope, is that right?"

Amasawa started to walk approach us calmly

Nanase : "I'm sure of it. It's almost impossible that I'm wrong."

Amasawa : "You're soooo sure, and yet you felt the need to throw in an 'almost', huh? Wouldn't it, like, make more sense to say you've actually got no idea?"

The two girls, fellow group members, exchanged words back and forth, keeping one another in check.

Nanase : "Then, can you swear to me that you weren't the one who hurt them?"

Amasawa : "I can swear it, sure, but it doesn't really matter whether I keep my word or not, right?"

Amasawa was basically saying that, at the end of the day, a verbal promise didn't mean anything.

Amasawa : "Lemme just ask: If it really was me, what would you do? What then?"

Rather than try to escape from Nanase's incessant questioning, Amasawa instead dove in head-first of her own accord.

Nanase was probably feeling a little overwhelmed at this point, but she pressed on nonetheless, determined to find out the truth.

But suddenly without any prior warning she rushed with intention to attack Nanase. With swift feet I move in front of her and a block her attack

Amasawa : "Impressive, then let's play with me a bit. Shall we, senpai~?"

THUD!

Responding to her taunt, I put down my bag

Nanase : "W-Wait! Amasawa-san! Ayananokoji-senpai!"

Then both of us dashed to fight

-Skip fighting progress Ichika vs Kiyone-

With scissor kick I managed to put her down for good. It can't be denied that she were indeed from that place

Nanase : "S-Senpai...are you alright?"

She ask me with frightened voice. Its quite understandable that she look like that since she just saw a duel between monster.

She probably had mixed feeling about us, however I do understand that she was worried with the wound which I had on the neck. The fresh blood still dripping out. Its quite deep enough that probably left a scar when its healed, although this isn't fatal as long as it got treated properly

Kiyone : "I'm fine, but in this cold and humid weather, we should move Amasawa-san from there"

Nanase : "You still worried about her?!"

Well, there is something that I wanted to ask to Amasawa. That's why I decide to take care of her.

Crouching down I lift her unconscious body

Kiyone : "Nanase-san, please..."

Nanase : "O-Ok..."

Currently we are inside the tent. I gave Amasawa lap pillow and also being close like this are easier for me to stop her when she's going to attack me or run away

She slowly opened her eyes

Amasawa : "Nnngg-!"

As a reflex her hand automatically attacking me but I stopped her easily with hold her hand which she used to attacked me and giving her counter by choke her neck

Amasawa : "Ack-! O-Oh~ Senpai!"

Kiyone : "Good morning, Amasawa-san"

She replied with her bright smile

With that we put both our guards down

She already conscious. That's quite fast, its only 15 minutes and she already recovered

Amasawa : "I do aware that you had several question for me.Now then, where oh where should I start~?"

She put her hand on her chin, a grandiose motion meant to signify that she was thinking over how exactly to go about explaining herself.

In any case, the fact that she came here in the first place really didn't make any sense to me.

For the past several months, the White Room student had been lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance to get me expelled.

And yet, Amasawa had appeared in front of me and revealed her true identity without so much as a single trick up her sleeve.

Furthermore, the fact that she was of two minds over what to say at this point was strange to begin with.

It seemed fairly obvious that she was intentionally drawing this out and stalling for time.

Just as I began to contemplate whether or not to press her about that, Amasawa opened her mouth.

Amasawa : "Senpai, the curriculum you took back when you were 10 years old included Systems' Theory based on Project 5. And at the age of 11 it was the Theory of Relativity based on Project 7. I took part in both myself, so I remember them well."

She began mentioning specific pieces of information about the White Room to prove that we had come from the same place.

Amasawa : "The classrooms, the corridors, our assigned living chambers... everything was a world of pure white."

At the very least, it seemed Amasawa knew a lot more about the White Room than Nanase did.

And it was too hard for me to imagine that she had heard about it from Tsukishiro.

He would never talk about the inner workings of the White Room with someone unrelated – an outsider.

As such, it was probably safe to conclude Amasawa's guilt.

From the things she knew to the way she conducted herself, she fit the image of a White Room student to a T.

Kiyone : "Why would you go through the trouble of making yourself seem like a normal person only to reveal your identity to me like this?"

Amasawa : "Sure sure, I figured you'd be curious about that. It's cuz I wanted to tell you that I'm not your enemy, Senpai."

Kiyone : "but you tried to cut my neck before"

Amasawa : "And you tried to plummeted my cute face, mou~"

She pout

Kiyone : "You started first..."

Amasawa : "That's because you don't take me on seriously"

Kiyone : "I tried to gauge your capability first"

Amasawa : "What with that kind of excuses? You should have guessed it from a glance, no?"

I guess, I can't lie against someone from the same place

Kiyone : "Fine, I admit that was my fault. Are you happy now?"

Amasawa : "Un~"

Kiyone : "But still, that doesn't add up. The White Room student was sent here in order to force my expulsion. To say that you're not my enemy in light of that doesn't make much sense."

Completely unconcerned with the fact the weather outside, Amasawa continued to speak.

Amasawa : "You wouldn't know this as part of the fourth generation, Ayanokōji-senpai. But the later generations harbor immense feelings of jealousy when it comes to you. The higher-ups probably thought that they could select someone promising and manipulate this jealousy to force your expulsion. However, they chose the wrong person. They didn't predict that I was but a young maiden who secretly idolized you."

I see, that's how they played the game. However, Amasawa herself quite smart. That's means, she also giving a way how to exploit the other weakness aside of her. Thanks to her information I now had rough plan to exposed them one by one

Kiyone : "So, that's why you revealed yourself?"

Amasawa : "Mhm"

Kiyone : "Then, wouldn't it have been better for you to do this back when you first enrolled here? You even managed to step foot in my dorm room on more than one occasion, so you should've had plenty of chances to tell me."

Amasawa : "Well, no matter how much you might idolize someone, that's just like, all in your head, you know? You've gotta talk with them and meet face-to-face before your admiration starts to feel justified. That takes time."

In other words, if I hadn't turned out to be someone Amasawa deemed worthy of idolizing, then it's possible that she would've moved to eliminate me. And based on the flow of our conversation thus far, that seemed fairly reasonable. I guess that fight were just her last test for me

Amasawa : "Do you get it now senpai? But still, I wonder should I happy or mad when I got hit by my idol"

Kiyone : "I'm sorry about that part Amasawa-san"

Wait, she's also try to cut me off as well

Amasawa : "As expected of my idol! I love you senpai~"

Kiyone : *sigh* "I guess. Only someone who's been at the White Room would be able to say so much about it."

Amasawa : "There we go~. It feels kinda strange, doesn't it? To pass the days at school as an ordinary high schooler."

Before, I had been the only one to experience the strange, peculiar sensation she was talking about. But knowing that another White Room student was now going through the same thing had filled me with genuine curiosity.

Kiyone : "If you feel the same as I do, then surely you've also noticed how interesting this school is, right?"

Amasawa : "I know exactly what you mean, Senpai. I too have thought about how nice it'd be if I could just enjoy being a student like this up until graduation. I've thought about it several times, actually. I suck at making friends though, so I just don't have very many people to talk to."

In a way, she was quite similar to me.

Although I could talk to people like Horikita and Ike, it had always felt like there was some sort of distance between us.

Thinking back on it, for quite a while, it felt as though I couldn't honestly call anyone a friend.

-Skip Whiteroom comparison gen 4 and gen 5 Kinoshita Komiya incident-

Saying that, she turned her back to me, content with simply being recognized as the White Room student.

Kiyone : "I just wonder, are you perhaps hate me now, Amasawa-san?"

Amasawa : "Jeez~ Didn't I tell you already~? I admire you, Ayanokōji-senpai. That's how I show my love to you. That's all."

I wonder since when doing prank and tease someone else can be considered love?

She keep poking my cheek.

Amasawa : "So please, don't go and get yourself crushed without my permission, okay?"

And with that, she pulled back her hand and walked away, headed off from the tent to who knows where.

She said 'don't go and get yourself crushed'... but by whom? Tsukishiro? The first-years who had their sights set on the twenty million private point bounty? Or perhaps...

Nanase : "Ayanokōji-senpai, are you alright? She didn't do anything to you right?"

Having noticed Amasawa's departure, Nanase rushed back over to me, worried.

Kiyone : "Well...I do alright physically but somehow my mental health got drained so much..."

Nanase tilted her head after she heard my statement

I wanted to take some time to process everything, but there were other things that took priority at the moment.

In this short time, I had found out about Nanase's past and identified Amasawa as the White Room student.

The second destination they showed me today was I2, the northeast corner of the uninhabited island.

Now that we've managed to stop the penalty, I can head there with some ease.

After 3:00 pm when the exam ends, you basically walk back to the starting point, but in some cases there seems to be a plan to pick up students at any time in a patrol boat.

Looks like a patrol boat will arrive at J6 at 5pm if it's close.

Kiyone : "It's the end of the day, and they have put designated areas in the most absurd places. Are there any showdown over there?"

The test environment remains the same, with problems concentrated on the south side of the island, but the designated area is the most northeast. I am convinced to regret the fact that it is obviously a trap; it will be of no use.

It would be easier if it could be distributed that way, but I was starting to feel somewhat unsettling here. Since this morning, none of the other students have crossed paths or seen each other first. Although the island is large, there are many opportunities to see or hear someone's voice whenever you are on the move.

Of course, I couldn't get to the final designated area yesterday, so I'm not sure I can't meet the students in the same square as me.

The test environment remains the same, with problems concentrated on the south side of the island, but the designated area is the most northeast. It may be a good idea to step on I2 and then ignore the designated end zone to get to the challenges.

H3 has a narrow river that divides the area.

This river cannot be used as a shortcut, so it is a troublesome place where you are forced to take a detour.

The advantage is that you can walk along the river and do not have to worry about getting lost. Don't be in a hurry, go down the river to the southwest, get to the point where you can cross the river, and go northeast. You can walk along the river until you reach the mountains. That's when I got to the other side of the river, near the center of H3.

??? : "Wait, Ayanokouji!!!"

I was walking while listening to the sound of flowing water when a male voice calling my name came from a distance. The direction of the voice was the north side of the river I had just gone around.

Over there a male looking at me, gasping. I do remember that he was from class B.

Kiyone : "Etto...How do you know my name? Also, if I'm not wrong you're Ichinose-san classmates right?"

According to Sakayanagi, Ichinose's messenger should have been in E3 now.

Now that the time was after 10 A.M if the sun started to rise at 5:30 A.M, he probably had to move continuously for 4 and a half hours to get here. Despite that, it was relatively quick as well.

??? : "That's right, this will be easier since you already know me. My name is Shibata Sho from Ichinose's class. Stay there, I'll come over to your side now!"

Saying that, he ran staggeringly along the river.

It took about 5 minutes to meet up with him along the river, and then walk to a place where we could congregate.

Kiyone : "What's going on, Shibata-kun?"

He looked up at me and immediately send a handwriting message to me on folded paper

Shibata : "This is message from Ichinose for you"

Kiyone : "Oh, thank you"

Without further ado I read her message

-Skip Ichinose letter content-

It's because she herself had been so troubled that she understood. Taking a lighter I immediately burn the message

Kiyone : "Thanks for sending that message to me Shibata-kun. Also, tell Ichinose-san that I appreciated her concern however please tell her next time to ignored it for her own safety"

Since Ichinose contacted me and told me about it, it wasn't hard to imagine that Tsukishiro would also know.

When I'm about to leave he suddenly called me again

Shibata : "Wait, Ayanokoji! Are you still going to I2?"

I halt my step and without saying anything I decide to keep moving.

Shibata : "Seriously? Hey! That's clearly trap you know!"

I halt my step

Kiyone : "Reading the message that you supposed to deliver isn't appropriate act. This is my problem not your class. So, please leave me alone."

Unable to do anything, he understood very well.

Shibata : "Sorry if we can't help be any help so...Please be careful!"

I nodded and moving forwardheaded to I2.

However, it's necessary for me to tell Tsukishiro, that it wasn't the end of the road for me. Rather, it'd be akin to coming back from the dead.

There was a rock field next to the border of I2 and I3, with knee high bushes nearby.

Kiyone : "So it's somewhere here?"

I was carrying a heavy backpack.

As long as I didn't know what awaits me, carrying the backpack would only get in my way. I decided to put everything, including the tablet, into the backpack. If I walked along the coastline, I wouldn't get lost and would be able to get back to this rock field.

Ichinose said that this was the place where Tsukishiro prepared to bury me.

Groups that had the same schedule as I was probably assigned a completely different designated area. I would have liked to confirm this, but I also wanted to avoid losing one point from using the GPS search.

Since I knew that Ichinose was involved in the matter, I had to go. If I decided not to, Tsukishiro would mercilessly destroy her class as warning. Not to mention, Shibata read that message as well which make the situation getting complicated. I couldn't imagine what kind of punishment he would inflict on her classes.

After those preparations, I began to walk towards I2.

Nagumo : "Kiyone, what a coincidence."

Nagumo, holding the tablet, looked over with interest.

Given my situation, it was unnatural for anyone to be in the area.

Was this guy also involved with Tsukishiro apart from the matter of the bounty?

No, the title of the student council probably didn't mean much to Tsukishiro.

It didn't seem necessary to connect his appearance here with the matter, but I still kept wary.

Kiyone : "Nagumo-senpai, why are you here?"

I looked around slightly but didn't see any of Nagumo's group members.

Nagumo : "Don't worry. We are the only ones here."

Maybe he had used GPS search, as he wanted to remove the wariness within me.

Kiyone : "There aren't any events nearby. Why are you here?"

Nagumo approached from the southeast direction.

Nagumo : "I was having fun on the beach at I4. Life on this uninhabited island is coming to an end, after all."

On the last day, while almost all the students focused on collecting points, he was playing on the beach.

Kiyone : "You are surely something huh senpai? Is this the so-called calmness of a king?"

Nagumo laughed and did not answer the question.

Nagumo : "I'll ask you the same thing, Kiyone. This place is not a designated area and doesn't have an event, so why did you come here?"

Kiyone : "Is there a problem with that?"

Nagumo : "Of course. You are here by yourself, so it means you have a different objective. What's there at I2?"

I didn't know that he is clearly know nothing about it or he just pretend to not know since he is collaborating with Tsukishiro to cornered me.

I decided to ignore the question. Nagumo changed the topic and continued.

Nagumo : "Come on, don't be so cold like that. The uninhabited island exam is coming to an end, right? I just wanted to talk to you once, as there aren't many situations at school where you and I, the student council president can talk to each other."

I was just an inconspicuous student. He is the current student council president. This was not an appropriate match up.

However, I didn't think he had come all the way over here just to engage in small talk.

Kiyone : "Are you going to talk about the attack on me by the 1st years?"

Nagumo : "I guess you already know the situation. Your critical thinking ain't bad Kiyone"

It was about the bounty. The person who got me expelled would be awarded 20 million points.

Although Tsukishiro was the one in control, it was true that Nagumo was also involved.

If it were a man like Nagumo, it was not surprising for him to observe my situation through GPS at any time.

From looking at the movements of the first years and me, it was obvious that I had been attacked.

Nagumo saw the big picture of this special exam on the same level as I did. No, even more so than me.

It was also because he had a grasp of my movements that he was able to show himself so easily here.

Nagumo : "Don't show me that kind of face Kiyone. Don't blame me for the bounty. It wasn't my proposal in the first place."

Kiyone : "I know it was Acting Director Tsukishiro's however the fact that you get involved with it didn't change at all."

Nagumo : "I'll be blunt. The money's all from the Acting Director. I just lent the name of the Student Council president to him. You do understand my position right, Kiyone?"

It didn't matter whether he wanted it or not; as long as it was an order from the Acting Director, Nagumo couldn't disobey.

Kiyone : "It's an order from the Acting Director, so you had to accept it. But if it's a certain former Student Council President I know, I think he would have refused such a proposal, right?"

Nagumo : "Because you are special. If it's about the matter of the bounty, I wouldn't have accepted it, if it were a student other than you. But the one which he named was none other but you, the girl that Horikita-senpai trusted."

So Nagumo did indeed see me as one of Horikita Manabu's people.

Kiyone : "Why are you obsessed with me so much? With your current power, I was just insignificant student that couldn't even do anything to you and your power, no?"

Nagumo : "Then, why don't you just become mine and we can make this school become interesting place together?"

Kiyone : "I can't...I just...simply doesn't like your policy at all"

Nagumo : "See, this is why I would keep doing this until you kneel to me"

Kiyone : "You just probably bored right, senpai? To think that you keep annoy me just to amused yourself."

He show his smirk on me. Should I hit his face for real?

Nagumo : "Answer me, Kiyone. What do you plan to do next?"

'Don't concern yourself with such an insignificant existence like me' It would be easy to say this.

But Nagumo wouldn't take that for an answer.

Since I didn't know what awaited me ahead, it's all the more important to cherish the time I had now.

Kiyone : "This has nothing to do with you, Nagumo-senpai. Shouldn't you be concentrating on the end of the exam? The score difference between you and Koenji-kun should be small. If you don't go back, you won't get the arrival points, you won't be able to participate in some events, and that situation will stay the same."

That was, he left open the possibility of him being overtaken.

Nagumo : "Don't worry about it. On this last day, I have completely overwhelmed Koenji."

Saying this, Nagumo took out a transceiver from his back pocket.

Even if he was separated from his group, it would be enough to give instructions.

Nagumo : "Although I do care what you're going to do, if you won't answer, then I'll change my question. Let me see if you, who hold the expectations of Horikita-senpai, have the strength worthy of my expectations, which of course means that you'll have to get serious."

So this kind of game again?

Kiyone : "I don't want to fight with you but if using brawl could stopped you. I'll hit you for sure"

Nagumo : "I don't hate brawling, but I prefer a serious fight. Even if this uninhabited island exam is over, there'll still be a lot of inter-year battles afterwards, and I want you to be my opponent."

The student council president directly called me out.

Kiyone : "Isn't the winner between us already decided from this uninhabited island exam?"

Nagumo had steadily maintained 1st or 2nd place in the exam up to now.

Although the fierce Koenji still had a chance of reversing it, this was undoubtedly a tough battle.

Nagumo : "You are one person, and I've got 7 people. It's a strange way to have a match like this, right? Come on, a bunch of sophomore ganging up a junior girl shouldn't be pleasant to be heard"

Kiyone : "If you aware of it. Wouldn't Koenji-kun be a better fit? Although he's a weirdo, he's a powerhouse. On the other hand, I haven't been in the top ten even once."

If you wanted a strong opponent, go to Koenji. I urged him like this.

Nagumo : "Well, he certainly exceeded my expectations, as he was the only one who made me take an offensive move in the exam. "

Admitting that about Kouenji, he shrugged his shoulders as if he was amazed.

This offensive move was referring to the transceiver he's using right now.

Kiyone : *sigh* "Managing the entire third year to take all the arrival bonus points and the events. This is something only the student council president can do."

Unlike the first-years and second-years, almost all the third-years were under Nagumo's control.

If he wanted to completely block off Kouenji, he would surely be able to do so by mobilizing all the third-years.

No matter how much physical strength he had, it was useless if he couldn't complete events over a long period of time.

All the other years that show off by being in the top 3 ranks will be erased.

As a result, Kouenji could only get arrival points.

Meanwhile, Nagumo's groups will widen the point gap by continuously gaining points.

Nagumo : "So you indeed see through this much. As expected of you"

Kiyone : "I've felt suspicious ever since the beach flags event. The vacant space Vice President Kiriyama left intentionally open was reserved for you."

However, since I arrived first, they had to register with a vacant space.

Nagumo was playing leisurely while waiting for Kiriyama and others to finish the event.

Kiyone : "I thought you and Vice President Kiriyama were rivals, but it seems different."

Nagumo : "That guy teamed up with me, even though he hates me, just to get into Class A. That guy just truly boring and spineless unlike you. No wonder Horikita-senpai didn't put trust on him at all"

Kiyone : "Okay. Let's put aside Koenji-kun, who's a special case for now. I wouldn't want to do anything to your average student."

Upon hearing my response, Nagumo seemed to think something was funny and laughed.

Nagumo : "Did you really just call me that? You don't think I am strong at all."

Kiyone : "That's not—"

I wanted to deny it, but Nagumo interrupted.

Nagumo : "Maybe you thought I won by just mobilizing all the third-years, but that's not the case. I will show you my superpower now."

Kiyone : "Superpower? Are you talking about teleport, psychic, or etc?"

Nagumo : "Hahahaha, take it whatever you wanted. Let me guess your group's ranking at the end of the 12th day."

Only the rankings of the top 10 and bottom 10 groups were public. Excluding those 20 groups from the 157 groups in total, there were 137 groups. Of course, I was the only one who knew my exact ranking.

At the final moment before the date changed, I was ranked 16th.

Nagumo : "You're ranked...11th, right?"

Nagumo said so confidently, but he was slightly off.

However, I couldn't just point that out with a smile. On Day 12th, as a response to the attacks of the 1st years, I repeatedly used GPS search. It was plausible that I would be 11th without using those points.

But it was part of the rules. He couldn't know the rankings of all the groups.

Essentially, there's a basis for what Nagumo said.

Nagumo : "A little off? Then you're ranked around 15th or 16th right?"

Kiyone : "Yeah. Truly admirable of you. I guess you had psychic power after all"

I admitted this straightforwardly with sarcasm, Nagumo just calmly accept it with small laugh.

Nagumo : "I joked around with that superpower stuff. I assuming that you really have hidden your strength."

It seems like this man Nagumo was much better than I thought.

Nagumo : "In order not to attract attention, your ranking is a bit lower than 10th, but still, you've maintained an upper-ranking position. If I lose the battle against Koenji, then you'd have a chance to make a comeback.

In order not to attract attention, I would lurk around this rank before Day 12.

As fatigue settled in for everyone, the upper ranks would lose momentum. Depending on the circumstances, you could build up your points, and in a flash, aim for the top 3.

Unfortunately, I had planned to stay at my current ranking.

Nagumo : "Have you noticed? From the very start, this wasn't possible."

The strategy we developed was rendered useless by Nagumo from the very start.

Nagumo : "Kurona from third-year has been keeping the 10th place, right? I had him maintain that rank to block those who had been secretly saving points and aiming to make a comeback."

Although there was quite a point gap between the 9th and 10th place, it became harder for me to aim for the top places day by day.

This was all according to Nagumo's plan.

Forcefully eliminating those invisible enemies, he limited his gaze to those visible to his eyes.

Nagumo : "I've always doubted whether you were awesome girl, but now I understand. You've been granted the right to be tamed by me, so rejoice."

Kiyone : "Was it part of your plan? Your command of the attack on Koenji-kun on the last day?"

Nagumo : "If I want to earn points, whether that's 400 or 500 points, I can earn them. However, that's not interesting, right? Now there's hope that he might beat the second and first-years. Besides, if he lost in the battle with me, we might be able to see his regretful expression."

Kiyone : "Honestly I doubt that you could even make him sad at all"

Nagumo : "Now now Kiyone. You're truly make me jealous on purpose aren't you?"

Kiyone : "I just somehow put all my 'chips' on this bet for Koenji-kun to won this exam"

Nagumo : "That's what am I talking about clueless girl" *sigh*

Nagumo, as part of the strongest group, went through the two weeks of battle totally relaxed.

Then, on the last day, he would defeat Kouenji, becoming the first placed existence.

If Nagumo became serious, he would know the points of particular groups. From GPS searches and Nagumo's partners' eyewitnesses, he would be able to know whether arrival points were gained and the results of the events. Even today, when the exact points of the rankings was unknown, there's no doubt that Nagumo had an accurate grasp of Koenji's points.

In other words, it was possible for him to direct a dramatic victory of winning by just one point.

Nagumo : "Anyway, Koenji's matter is whatever. The last thing I will do at this school is to tamed you, Kiyone."

Nagumo, who had been chasing after Horikita Manabu, wanted to see his shadow on me.

He wanted to completely beat him, to decide the winner and loser, no matter the format of the battle.

Kiyone : "Unfortunately, the leader of Class 2-D is Horikita-san. Even if there's a special exam that competes with the third-years, I won't fight you."

Nagumo : "Then I would have to force you to appear on the front stage, should I put higher bounty on you?"

In other words, he wouldn't hesitate to say expose my situation.

Kiyone : "I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry. Let's continue with this topic next time senpai"

Nagumo : "You think you can escape this easily? I won't let you go before you agree to my demand"

Nagumo seemed to want to follow me and caught up from behind.

If something awaited me ahead, Nagumo would be affected. Since the opponent was Tsukishiro, in the worst-case scenario, Nagumo could lose everything he had built up and be expelled under his name.

If I tried to persuade him with my words here, Nagumo wouldn't accept it no matter what.

Of course, I couldn't get away with a lie either.

I stopped walking and looked back.

Kiyone : "A first-year?!"

Nagumo : "What? Urbg-!!"

Using a distraction lie to create this chance to put down his guard. I immediately gave him a flash kick on his face.

Nagumo probably didn't expect a kouhai like me attacking him out of the blue and ripped his consciousness

The tablet he was holding and the transceiver in his pocket fell to the ground.

Right then, the transceiver that fell on the ground next to Nagumo received something.

??? : "Nagumo, I've gotten in the way of Koenji's event three times in a row. Please give me your next instructions."

The cheerful voice of a certain 3rd-year student could be heard.

Their strategy to obstruct Koenji seemed to be going well.

Nagumo didn't react to that voice at all since he was unconscious

??? : "Hey, Nagumo, if you don't give instructions, your subordinates can't act. In order to drop Koenji down to 2nd, isn't it necessary to continue with the attack until the end?"

I silently picked up the receiver and then switched the power off.

Since he didn't listen to my clumsy advice, this would be the only way to deal with it on this occasion.

Nagumo's watch probably detected his abnormal status, and sounded the warning alarm, which rang for 5 seconds.

It shouldn't be long until he woke up.

20 or 30 minutes.

No matter what, Nagumo wouldn't get involved with what came after this. Of course, other problems would inevitably arise after this uninhabited island exam was over. But right now, this was but a trivial matter.

If I didn't solve the issue of Tsukishiro, I wouldn't be able to open a path to the road of the future.

Horikita Suzune POV

I was hurriedly rushing to I2.

Probably thinking I was running away, Ibuki followed closely behind.

Horikita : "Do you have a designated area in the north? Or are you just chasing me?"

Ibuki : "What I want to know now is your score. If I know that, I will go back to my designated area too."

She was dead set on following me. Being trapped here like this was honestly pretty bad. I was already being led by the nose by a piece of paper, and I didn't want to waste time.

Horikita : "...I lost to you."

Ibuki : "Ah, admit it? You finally admit to losing?"

Horikita : "No, I mean I lost to your persistence. My score is 145 points. It's a pity that even though you came here in person, I still win."

Bringing that out into the open, that information that was supposed to be hidden. That's the reason I declared it my loss.

Ibuki : "You won against me? If you won, give me proof, proof."

Of course it would turn into this.

But I was not going to stop.

To confirm his safety, I wanted to go to I2 as soon as possible.

Horikita : "I know."

This should be the most efficient... No, I don't think it was the right choice.

Even if I let Ibuki know my score on the last day of the exam, it wouldn't make much of a difference, right? But every minute was precious now.

Putting down my backpack, I reached for the tablet that was placed in an accessible area inside. Ibuki was waiting with a serious face to see my score.

Just as I took out the tablet and was about to press the power button, Ibuki and I raised our heads almost at the same time as we felt the unmasked intensity of the scent in front of us.

??? : "Found you."

It was an innocent voice, like a child meeting their playmate.

??? : "Hello, Horikita-senpai!"

Seeing the female student who appeared at some point, Ibuki unabashedly expressed her displeasure.

Ibuki : "...Who are you?"

Amasawa : "Class 1-A's Amasawa Ichika."

Although it was possible that she appeared here by chance, it was strange. Keeping my guard up, holding my tablet, I gave Amasawa a look.

Considering the matter of the bounty for the 1st years and what was written on the paper— could it be her?

Amasawa : "You guys don't need to mind me, just continue doing your own thing, okay~~?"

Horikita : "That's not okay, we're talking about something personal."

I wanted to tell Amasawa about my reluctance to reveal the score to her, and Ibuki understood it fully. If I showed my score on my tablet here, Ibuki would also understand that this wasn't the time to decide who the winner and loser was, right?

I wanted to politely urge her to leave, but Amasawa didn't budge. Perhaps impatient from watching, Ibuki said something.

Ibuki : "You're a nuisance."

Amasawa : "Is Sudou-senpai okay? Horikita-senpai."

Ibuki : "Hey! How dare you ignoring me?!"

There was no way Amasawa didn't hear Ibuki's question, but she ignored her.

She put her backpack down and twisted her shoulders around, as if she wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

Amasawa : "...Well, thanks for saving him, I'm grateful."

She smiled faintly, with no intention of apologizing at all. Did she feel there was no need to apologize to me for the way she treated Ayanokouji-san, and the things she did? Or was it a general premise that she didn't feel bad for what she did?

Ibuki : "Didn't I say that you're a nuisance? I have business with her, so get out of here."

Amasawa : "Business? Didn't Ibuki-senpai run over here without permission?"

It was almost as if she had heard of our conversation from a while back. Maybe that was true.

Amasawa : "Even if that's the case, it's still fine."

Ibuki : "Nuisance, go away!".

Ibuki's tone hardened.

If this continued, Ibuki might make a move. Even after being threatened like that, Amasawa just laughed, amused.

Horikita : "What's your purpose, Amasawa-san?"

I temporarily let my attention off Ibuki, and turned it to Amasawa. Although I didn't want to waste any more time, this couldn't be helped.

Ibuki : "Tch! Fine."

Although Ibuki was impatient, she waited for me anyway.

Amasawa : "I want to ask you a question. Where are you going, Horikita-senpai?"

Horikita : "Right now, I'm standing and chatting with Ibuki-san, so when I finish with her, I'll immediately rush to F3."

That's a lie. I was going to give up on going to my designated area. However, it wouldn't do any good to tell Amasawa that. She was colluding with the other 1st years, discussing a plan to get him expelled in order to get the bounty for it. It's best not to say anything unnecessary about Ayanokouji-san.

Although that was what I thought, I soon realized that it wouldn't work.

Amasawa : "It's not good to lie, Horikita-senpai! Your designated area isn't in this direction right?"

Horikita : "What do you mean? Are you trying to make me fall into a trap using strange methods?"

Amasawa : "Misleading is useless though. The designated area you were supposed to go to is I7, isn't it?"

The designated area that Amasawa immediately responded with was undoubtedly the correct answer. This wouldn't make sense if it were a mere coincidence. Judging from her expression, I can only assume that she was trying to find me from the start.

Horikita : "We 2nd years have a way of fighting as 2nd years, and so not everything can be told as it is."

Saying that, I continued.

Horikita : "Isn't it a given to be wary of the people trying to frame Ayanokouji-san?"

It was necessary to switch the subject smoothly here. Since the 1st years were enemies, there was no need to act timid.

Amasawa : "Oh, so that's it. Perhaps?"

Saying that, I didn't actually feel as if my words had reached her ears. At this time, her attitude made it seem like she had already reached a conclusion.

Amasawa : "Where are you planning to go, Horikita-senpai? It's not I2, is it?"

It seems, that this was going in a bad direction, I thought.

Horikita : "You've seen through a lot, huh. But I decided to go to I2 because of what happened this morning. You're really observant, aren't you?"

Even if she used GPS search to accurately observe my location, it would be impossible to get a head start like this. If that's the case, the piece of paper I got today should be related to Amasawa. I hesitated to ask a question about this, as Ibuki walked away

Ibuki : "Are you guys ever going to stop talking?"

I felt a similar kind of anxious feeling.

If this continued, the time spent replying to Amasawa will make me even more impatient than Ibuki.

Horikita : "Ibuki-san."

I mentally prepared myself to divulge the information, opening the tablet and showing Ibuki my score. In any case, it's possible to see the score and the 3 boxes to add members, but I wasn't going to end up using it anymore, so there was no real harm.

To her, it didn't matter what the maximum number of members of the group was. The moment she saw the score, Ibuki clicked her tongue. Scratching her head, she translated her fretful mood into words.

Ibuki : "Ah, seriously? Well that sucks."

It was a brutal response to her efforts over the last two weeks. Although, I thought that Ibuki had worked hard. It was an admirable result for her, with a low learning ability, to compete with me.

Horikita : "If you're satisfied now, go along to your designated area. On the last day, the score you'll get is twice as high, so you still have a chance to bounce back."

Ibuki : "Yeah, but... What do you mean by abandoning the designated area?"

Perhaps a little concerned with what Amasawa had said, she asked.

Horikita : "Ibuki, this is a great opportunity. I'm in a state where I can't score right now."

From the start, I didn't need to explain it for her to understand. I told her using my eyes.

IHorikita : "Indeed, the winner and loser will be decided at the end of this uninhabited island exam. If you say you're going to stop now, I won't hesitate to make a comeback for good."

Ibuki froze up for a second, and then seemed to accept it, turning away. Me and Ibuki separated then. As I put my tablet back into the backpack, I thought of how I would respond to Amasawa.

Horikita : "I'm going to I2 now, what are you going to do?"

Amasawa : "Why are you going to such an irrelevant area as I2? There's not even an event there. Is this something you should be doing during a special exam?"

Horikita : "Don't tell me you don't know why?"

Amasawa : "What do you mean?"

Horikita : "Don't play dumb, what's the purpose in throwing this piece of paper in the tent when I was asleep?"

I held the small piece of folded paper between the thumb and the forefinger of my left hand, and handed it to her.

Amasawa : "...Paper? Is that for me?"

Acting like this is some sort of monkey show. The paper was no longer useful anyway. I handed it to her, the one who I thought was the original owner. Amasawa took the letter, and opened it up to confirm the contents.

Amasawa : "It's a string of irregularly arranged words... 'Noon', 'K.A', 'Expelled', 'I2' hmm..."

Reading it once more, then closing her eyes.

Amasawa : "I really hate... how you like to play games, even to this extent..."

Horikita : "Games? What are you planning to involve me and Ayanokouji-san in?"

Amasawa : "This, I don't know. Because I'm just one of the bystanders, just like you."

Horikita : "Don't misunderstand. You appearing in front of me is the best proof that you wrote this."

Amasawa flashed a difficult smile, and tore the paper to bits. Tearing it 7 or 8 times, shredding it, throwing it away.

Horikita : "Looking at those 4 words, what kind of bad feeling are you experiencing?"

Amasawa : "Ayanokouji-senpai may be get expelled. It's not hard to understand it like that."

Horikita : "Well-"

Her tone seemed to be clearer than mine.

Anyway, playing word games with her again was a waste of time. I put my backpack on, and walked towards her.

Amasawa : *sigh* "What a bummer. You obviously don't know anything about Ayanokouji-senpai. You're just acting like her partner because you're in the same class."

When I reached her, Amasawa uttered that.

Amasawa : "About Ayanokouji-senpai's situation. You don't know anything about that, right, Horikita-senpai?"

I stopped in my tracks, as I cared about what was just said.

Horikita : "So, are you saying that you know her better than I do?"

I looked over at her. She stiffened up and met my eyes for a moment, smiling smugly.

Amasawa : "That's right. I know Ayanokouji-senpai very well. Why is she's so pretty, so smart... and so much stronger than she look. Right?"

I didn't think a 1st year who just started school would know Ayanokouji well. So, did my hunch was correct all along about them?

Just like how Kushida and I were in the same middle school?

Amasawa continued, unconcerned.

Amasawa : "Then, what do you know Horikita-senpai?"

What did I know?

In this school, she...Ayanokouji was my first...friend.

That's right, she could be considered a friend.

We talked a lot because our seats were right next to each other...

At first, I thought she was just an average student, but she was actually much smarter than I thought.

She was recognized by my brother early on, and her fighting ability was good.

But she usually always hid that part of herself, wanting to live a quiet life on campus.

Very few people knew about her strength, but other than that, there's no much difference in the information that others had on her.

Horikita : "Yeah, it's true. I probably know nothing about her. I can't deny that."

Thinking about Ayanokouji-san again, it was natural that I came to that conclusion.

Maybe Amasawa was well aware of that.

Hearing those words that could be interpreted as a declaration of defeat, Amasawa smiled happily.

Horikita : "But..."

Amasawa : "But?"

That wasn't the point. I thought that it didn't matter how much I knew about her right now.

Horikita : "from now until graduation, I want to continue understanding her better, as my classmate... As a friend, more than you are now."

That was my wish now, free of lies.

I have been helped by her more than once.

She was an indispensable person to the class, an important comrade who we can't do without.

If she was in a dangerous situation right now, it would be impossible for me not to run to her side now.

That was the reason why I was going to give up on my designated area, and run there.

Now, I realized once again what I had to do.

There was nothing wrong with this choice.

It would have been better if it were just me worrying about nothing.

Amasawa : "Do you think you can help? Horikita-senpai."

Horikita : "Maybe I'm not strong enough right now, but I intend to help her when she's in trouble."

After all, my school life had just taken a turn for the worse.

This conversation, which at first I considered a waste of my time, might have a great meaning within.

I must thank her for making me realize this.

I was about to walk away when Amasawa stretched her right hand out and blocked me.

Seeing her face again, her smile had disappeared, and she looked at me with an intense killing intent.

Horikita : "There's something I got out of our conversation. Something's gonna happen at I2.

Otherwise, you wouldn't try so hard to stop me here."

I couldn't waste any more time here.

Amasawa : "Where are you going?"

Horikita : "Don't you understand? I'm going to I2 to help Ayanokouji-san."

This was the first step for me to become an existence that could help her when she was in trouble, as I said earlier.

Amasawa : "Pfftt- how could Ayanokouji-senpai need your help?"

She said this, as if to correct what I said.

Horikita : "That's true, at least for now."

Amasawa : "So you're saying that it'll be different in the future?"

I nodded, and gave her a look.

Horikita : "One more thing, I learned that you genuinely don't want me to go to I2, which means you're not the one who wrote that."

I tried to walk past her right hand, avoiding it, but once again, Amasawa got in the way.

Amasawa : "Sorry. I can't let you go over there, Horikita-senpai."

Horikita : "The more you try to stop me, the more I must go to I2. From your tone of voice, shouldn't she be having a hard time now?"

This has nothing to do with how much I knew about the situation. It was obvious that something was happening around Ayanokouji-san right now, of that I can be sure.

Amasawa : "Do you think you get past me?"

Horikita : "Yes, I do think I can get past you."

Even if I had to forcefully clear the obstacle in front of me now.

Amasawa : "Well~ Your determination has been conveyed to me. I'll only wait until you put your backpack down."

In other words, she was going to overpower me with force.

I didn't think this was just a verbal threat.

I accepted that, honestly, and slowly put my backpack down by my feet.

Horikita : "Let me tell you something first. I have experience with martial arts."

Amasawa : "So?"

Horikita : "...I take it that you do aware of me as well"

Not just about Ayanokouji, but she also understood me.

Amasawa : "Let me also say right now that I'm super cute and powerful, so you better keep that in mind senpai~"

From the moment she unleashed her taunt on me, I could tell firsthand that she was no ordinary student.

That must not have been a lie. The fatigue from the uninhabited island exam has accumulated. Even the Amasawa in front of me is the same.

There didn't seem to be anything wrong with her body, so as far as physical state, it can be said that I'm the one who had advantages here. I don't know what happened but its clear that she got injured

In that case, I won't be defeated against her.

I slowly got into my stance, watching Amasawa's movement in front of me. She didn't go into a particular stance, instead opting for a strange expression.

Amasawa : "Since you said you're going to meet up with Ayanokouji-senpai, I'll play with you for a bit."

Amasawa's left foot left the ground.

Horikita : "Huh?!"

I was obviously on guard, but I felt the danger immediately, and jumped backwards. Her extended arm didn't have any force behind it, maybe she wanted to grab me.

I needed to avoid the first blow, that was what I thought. But the moment I returned to my senses, she had already grabbed my shirt near my chest.

Horikita : "Impossible..."

As I muttered those words, I felt my vision turning around in a circle.

It was only after feeling the pain in my back that I had realized that I had been hit with a body throw, landing on my back

Amasawa : "What's impossible, huh?"

Horikita : "Kgh-!"

It hurt so much that I couldn't breathe, as I spit out the air within me.

Amasawa : "Oh no, you can't take this lightly. Okay, I'll give you some time to recover, stand up."

Amasawa looked down at me with an evil grin on her face. I didn't need to elaborate on how humiliating this was.

Horikita : "Don't you dare to look down on me!"

-Skip part about Horikita got beaten by Amasawa although she didn't lose yet-

Boom! The sound of a fist rang in my ears.

But there was no pain. A figure appeared in front of me, blocking my view.

Horikita " "You, why...?"

A student grabbed the fist in front of me, and said, without turning around. The short figure's back belonged to Ibuki, who was supposed to have left.

Ibuki : "... Do you call that fighting?"

Amasawa : "Good catch~ You startled me, with that slightly unexpected entrance."

I hadn't understood the situation yet, my body still couldn't move, and Ibuki, who turned around, glared at me.

Ibuki : "The one who beat you is me, and so I don't want you losing to some first year I don't know in front of me."

She said, releasing a tightly clenched fist. Once away, Amasawa pulled away.

Amasawa : "I'm Amasawa Ichika. Please remember my name, Ibuki-senpai."

Ibuki : "I've got a bad memory. If you want me to remember, you'd better impress me a little, yeah?"

Amasawa : "Ahaha, that seems a little interesting."

Ibuki : "I'll have fun with her, so you go where you want to go."

Amasawa : "What are you talking about? You worked hard in this special exam just to beat me, right?"

Ibuki : "Aren't you going to give up on the designated area as well? In that case, even if I comeback and get the W, there's no point in it.

'Is that the sort of thing you came back for?' I swallowed those words back.

Horikita : "S-She's incredibly powerful. You might regret it later, is that okay?"

Ibuki : "What? Are you saying that I'll lose?"

Horikita : "She's a formidable opponent."

Amasawa : "I don't see me losing to Ibuki-senpai at all."

Ibuki : "...Huh, isn't that great?"

My clumsy warning seemed to backfire, instead igniting Ibuki's emotions.

Horikita : "Even if you defeat Amasawa, if you go too far, or raise an emergency alarm, you'll likely be withdrawn from the exam. You might even be expelled by yourself."

Ibuki : "You're the same, right?"

Horikita : "Ah? Well, yeah."

Ibuki : "I have faith that I'm stronger."

Saying this, she waved her hand at me, indicating that I should leave quickly.

Amasawa : "Who's going to fight? Hurry up and decide~~"

Horikita : "I will fight her."

Ibuki : "You really saying that? The person who just almost lost? You're going to be a hindrance, back off."

Horikita : "This is my fight. It's none of your business."

Ibuki : "Talking about how strong your opponent is and now you're messing around like this? Did you bang your head or something?"

Horikita : "That's—"

No, there was no way to stop Ibuki with such a half-hearted statement. But I can't just leave this to her now. I grabbed Ibuki's shoulder, and forced her to back up.

Ibuki : "What the hell!"

Horikita : "I've thought about it, and if you ask me, you can't win against her."

Ibuki : "Stop joking around. Don't decide before it even happens."

Horikita : "That's the truth. I couldn't do anything, so there's no way you can win against her."

Amasawa : *yawn*

Since she was already angry, I'll just ignite the flames of her rage till the very end.

Ibuki : "Then prove it, right here in front of me..."

I stretched my left hand out to Ibuki.

Ibuki : "What for?"

Horikita : "If you don't want to lose, if you want to break this stalemate, show me your resolve.

Form a group with me. If something happens to one of us and have to withdraw, the group will still survive. That's the only way to effectively prevent the withdrawal."

Ibuki : "Are you kidding me? Why would I form a group with someone like you?"

Horikita : "Didn't I just say? I need you to come to an understanding. If you haven't yet, then don't join this fight."

Amasawa : *yawn*

Ibuki : "So annoying..."

Horikita : "It's alright if you don't like it, but I'd like to rely on you if you're going to join the fight."

Ibuki : "This sucks. But it wouldn't be much fun if you'll be forced to drop out because of some 1st years."

Although we both knew that our minds were completely incompatible with each other. But, each of our watches were crossed in an overlapping position. 10 seconds was needed to complete the formation of the group.

Amasawa would be able to stop it if she wanted to, but she showed no sign of taking action. Instead she look down on us with her sleepy gesture or maybe she's being sleepy for real?

Amasawa : *yawn* "Huh? Done already? Let see...Hmm...It's not a bad strategy. If separate students form a group, it's true that if something happens to one of them, they can still avoid being expelled."

Amasawa already could take a conclusion, she quietly keeping her distance.

This 2 vs 1 situation didn't make her feel any sense of danger. After moving some distance away, she stopped, looking back our way.

Amasawa : "Oh, I just remember something! There's just one thing you thought incorrectly, Horikita-senpai."

Horikita : "Incorrect? What exactly do you mean?"

Amasawa : "It's alright for one person to withdraw, which means, it's okay for me to break one of you."

She showed a smile I had never seen before, a smile of pure evil.

Ibuki : "Made you angry, huh? Isn't that great?"

Ibuki had directly felt the opponent's power, but acted happy.

At that moment, the signal of the end of group formation sounded.

Amasawa : "So which one should I destroy first—?"

The expression of Amasawa, who ran up to us in one breath, was excited.

She didn't make any sort of stance, just coming our way, with her hand outstretched.

Amasawa : "Ahahahah! Hahahahhahaha!!"

A high-spirited smile emerged on her face, looking too distorted to be human.

Was it me? Or Ibuki?

Although from her perspective, I was the problematic presence, I couldn't assume that it was me who was being targeted.

Horikita : "Let's go, Ibuki! You go to the left!"

Ibuki : "Don't order me around!"

Ibuki said, while moving to the left. I moved to the right, in order to confirm who Amasawa's target was. Amasawa, who was running straight towards us, had no intention of playing any tricks.

Not going to let me make a judgement at the last second?

Even then, I could slowly see it clearly.

-Skip Horikita & Ibuki vs Amasawa-

We attacked her on the spot which her injuries stay still. This time she held her wound and kneeled in pain

Horikita : *pant* *pant* "...Heh, Amasawa... I'll admit that you're strong, but it seems like your stamina isn't infinite."

I caught her out on this surprising weakness and finally turned the tide.

However...

Ibuki & Horikita : "W-What?!"

Amasawa : "Ahhhhh, have I been exposed? My physique is actually unexpectedly weak then. Teehee~"

She just stand up again as if our attack were nothing to her, I wonder does she keep her persistence until she's get destroyed by her recklessness for sure? Despite the situation now having been reversed, she stuck her tongue out, smiling.

As I absentmindedly stared at her, I couldn't believe my eyes. She take off her jacket and used it to rendering some pain on her body

Her skin was faintly exposed from underneath her outfit.

Horikita : "What is this...?!"

Ibuki : "Seriously...?"

It was a mark like a bad bruise. You could tell that she had been hit several times already. And also there is a wound which almost spread equally around her body

It was a completely different kind of damage from the one clean hit that I managed to land.

It was an injury that had been sustained before the fight had begun.

Amasawa : "Oh, about this? Don't mind it, it just simply scrathes I got before I fought you senpais."

Normally, in such a situation, her expression would have been distorted in pain, and her walking would have been affected. And yet, she was still stronger than the two of us in this near crippled state.

She was not without stamina. From the beginning, she fought, on the verge of collapse. She was fighting in a condition where she needed more recovery than I did.

So after all, we just fighting a wounded beast and yet we couldn't even won at all

This fact made me feel lightheaded. Someone who faced Amasawa in perfect condition and was able to injure her so much. Even if I considered the boys, I could only think of Hosen-kun.

Amasawa : "Do you want to know who caused it? Could it be Hosen-kun—?"

There was no doubt that Hosen-kun was strong. He would be able to gain an advantage even against Amasawa who had unrealistic strength. However, her personality was easy to understand if you just put a little thought to it. She wouldn't answer honestly.

In the end, she only offered me one convincing answer that I would accept. If that's the case, there's someone else that could beat Amasawa?

Even if we considered every student in the school, I couldn't think of someone. If it was Yamada... No, he wouldn't gain anything from this. I doubt he even move without Ryuuen order

Horikita : "Sorry, but I can't believe you. Who is it?"

Amasawa : "That's not something I can answer... Ah!"

Seeing that I was careless because of the shock, she didn't let this moment pass.

Ibuki : "Oi, what are you doing!"

Horikita : "...Yeah, I was too careless."

It was clear that this was our only chance, and yet I let Amasawa escape.

Ibuki : "Nice going, we're both back to square one now."

Although our opponent had already taken a lot of damage, the situation has now been reversed again. Could I overpower her again... Honestly, I wasn't confident.

But that was the only thing I could do. And now, not knowing what she was thinking, she walked to her backpack and took out her tablet.

Amasawa : "It seems like it's over. It's a bit interesting, but it's going to be a while again."

Ibuki : "What are you talking about?"

Amasawa : "That's that. If you guys want to pass, feel free~~"

Saying that, Amasawa opened up the path that she herself had strongly defended not letting us pass. Was this some kind of trap? Before I could grasp the situation, Amasawas was already getting ready to leave.

Horikita : "Where are you going?"

Amasawa : "Where? Well, to the designated area i guess. After all, there's still a special exam going on."

In any case, if she was hear to buy time, I should go and confirm Ayanokouji-san's status—

Amasawa : "Ah, by the way, I don't think you need to go after Ayanokouji-senpai anymore."

Horikita : "...Why?"

Amasawa : "It's all over. If you think I'm lying, go ahead and see for yourself."

Horikita : "—What about Ayanokouji-san?"

Hearing that question, Amasawa closed her eyes slightly.

Amasawa : "Why don't you go and confirm it yourself? But it might be too late for you to regret it by then, though."

It seemed like Amasawa really was planning to walk back, passing us.

Could it be that she had been injured by someone? That Ayanokoji-san?

Ibuki : "What are you going to do? You going to go after Ayanokouji? That's why you fought with Amasawa, right?"

Horikita : "Yeah, I'll go."

Having already come to this place, it was even more impossible to go back without confirming the situation now.

Ibuki : "Then I'll go too."

Horikita : "Why?"

Ibuki : "Let say that I had a grudge with your dog. I can't wait to mock her when she's on her lowest point"

Horikita : "You really are a bad person."

We hurriedly put on our backpacks and ran towards I2.

I had crossed the border to I2, but there was no sign on my watch that I had arrived.

Normally, I would have suspected it was a GPS error, but this time it was unlikely.

So I had to move as close to the center of the zone as possible to compensate for the error of my watch.

Of course I had not experienced such a situation in the last two weeks, and it was probably an unavoidable factor, including the fact that the tip of Island I2 was close to the center. It was designed so that even if Ichinose hadn't warned me, I would have gone to the place.

I walk slowly along the path that does not allow me to escape.

After less than ten minutes of walking, the deep forest gradually began to absorb the light, and I could see the blue sea and blue sky stretching beyond my vision.

Although I had made it this far, my watch was showing no sign. Instead, there were two adults standing on the small beach in front of me, staring at me.

One is a man I know well, Tsukishiro, the Acting Director. He was wearing a sweater, which made him look somewhat out of place. And the other one is Shiba-sensei, the teacher from the freshman class D.

It's a strange combination, but apparently it is.

Kiyone : "You have decided to take a very strong approach, Tsukishiro-san."

I said as I walked to the beach

Tsukishiro : "I can't seem to do anything about it. This is the best option I can do. Please don't make this old man work hard like this once again princess"

I look back and saw the last 14 days of this special test. It became clear that Tsukishiro's final trap was luring me to I2. But it is not without its drawbacks.

Since there are no designated or assigned zones around this northeast zone, there would be no other students coming here. But at the same time, there must have been a future where he left the designated area and would have gone for the task. Or a future where he was working with Nanase or someone else in the same box.

It's just a matter of luck, and there's no way Tsukishiro has prepared this final event. It means that long before, my arrival here was already a 'predestined' future.

Nanase's defeat to me and going our separate ways. He wanted to act just to make a plan to hide around 11th place targeting higher ranks. The timing and details of the first year's attack I think it's safe to say that the whole thing was planned by Tsukishiro's side from the beginning.

Kiyone : "So what will happen to me after this?"

The small boat in the corner of my field of vision is anchored, rocked by the waves with the engine running.

This means we were ready to go at any time.

Shiba : "If possible, we would like you to follow our instructions and come on board with us. It would be a way to declare a voluntary withdrawal of Ayanokouji Kiyone, it would fit perfectly."

Tsukishiro : "I'm sure you'll be glad to hear it"

Kiyone : "Do you think I would choose to go voluntarily to the ship, sensei?"

Certainly. If you're honest, they didn't have to come to an uninhabited island. Not that he had any particular connection to Shiba-sensei at school, but it means that he was on the side of Acting Headmaster Tsukishiro.

Due to the fact that he had no contact with us, perhaps he was an Amasawa watchdog. Now that that need is gone, it seems like he no longer intends to hide. I'm sure it's a bit suspicious being in the northeast where there is no one, but Ichinose and Nagumo could also be seen around here. In that sense, it works well as a camouflage.

No, either way, it's safe to assume that the people who are monitoring us are on Tsukishiro's side. But he doesn't appear to be wearing anything visibly dangerous.

Tsukishiro : "If I used a weapon or something like that, it would be easy to take control here, but unfortunately, you are a valuable commodity. It is my duty to bring you back safe and sound, so I have decided that what I need is only my fists. Sorry that this wasn't a treatment supposed to received for a princess. Fufufu~"

Standing on the sandy beach, Tsukishiro smiles fearlessly and spreads his hands slightly. So, to resist until the last moment in this place, I have to fight with Tsukishiro.

Unlike what happened with Nanase, I don't think my method of evading attacks is going to work.

Kiyone : "So the only way to avoid expulsion is to take it."

Tsukishiro : "That is what is going to happen"

Kiyone : "I'm not saying that violence is a bad way to solve a problem, but I am a student at this school. By normal rules, this is a 'foul'. That's cheating Tsukishiro-san"

Tsukishiro : "Adults love playing dirty. However princess, you are a successful example who has accomplished something special in the White Room. Even if you fight within the limited rules, you will have no enemies. Don't you think it's silly to compete with others in this school? Or have you come to take pleasure in being the queen of the mountain? "

Kiyone : "If so, is it an evolution ... or a regression that would disappoint my father? "

Tsukishiro : "No, no, it's not like that, is it? The desire of the White Room is to take over Japan and, by extension, the world. If you, the successful body, feel that way, then the growing body will eventually take over the world and enjoy it. "

From a small Japanese institute, the story stretches to take control of the world. If someone heard of such a fantasy, they would most likely laugh. Probably Tsukishiro himself, who is in front of me, must be very incredulous about how realistic it is. Just trying to do his duty faithfully and without hesitation.

Kiyone : "Well, to tell the truth, I didn't think this school was much."

Tsukishiro : "I guess so. Because for you, this school level is a path that you went through in your childhood".

Kiyone : "It is only limited to the curriculum. I finally start to have an idea of where I want to be and what I want to do in this school. I know I'm going to have a lot of fun until I graduate, and there are a lot of good people outside of the White Room. "

In fact, I'd say it's a pool of talent that the White Room could never produce.

Tsukishiro : "I do not intend to denigrate the students of Advanced Nurturing High School. As you say, there are always talented people around the world. Sometimes you are outperformed in sports, sometimes in studies. But the important thing is not that part, but the people who can excel in all situations and lead others. "

Acting Director Tsukishiro gives Shiba a light look.

Shiba : "What happened to Nagumo-kun and Ichinose-kun?"

Kiyone : "Nagumo-senpai has stopped moving, and Ichinose-san has already moved away, so there is nothing to worry about."

I'm sure he must have calculated that I would stop Nagumo and Ichinose.

Shiba : "So, regarding unplanned actions, Amasawa seems to be blocking the movement."

Unplanned actions? There are no designated zones or problems around this zone. Was someone other than Ichinose and Nagumo getting closer?

If an unrelated student showed up here, it would be a nuisance to Tsukishiro. It seems that Amasawa is the one delaying that irregular existence.

Tsukishiro : "She has been educated in her own way, hasn't she?"

Kiyone : "It did not seem that Amasawa-san allyng with you"

Tsukishiro : *sigh* "She is, simply, 'a traitor' She was the one chosen to bring you back, but she never intended to bring you back."

As if to say that the useless talk is over, Tsukishiro takes a step forward.

He didn't want to waste time with others. He was reducing the distance between us little by little. But we were still five or six meters apart from each other.

Shiba-sensei slowly walks behind me to make sure I don't run away.

Tsukishiro : "You wouldn't call it unfair a two against one, right? After all, you are the best in the White Room. I'm even a little nervous about this. "

That said, there was an overwhelming amount of space for Tsukishiro.

I can sense that he was convinced that he could compete well in a one-on-one, and that he had chosen to have me fight alone against the two of them.

There is no pride in it. It's a rock solid position. I shifted my gaze to the ship waiting on the shore.

From what I can see, the only member of the crew is the pilot. Which means that if they are launched, I will only have to eliminate a maximum of three enemies.

Tsukishiro : "Do not worry. It's only Shiba and I who will fight against you. "

I'm not the type of person who would take your word for it. He may be carrying a concealed weapon, though he's empty-handed from the way he just spoke.

As I face two adults with unknown abilities, both at agent level, I will have to fight in a cautious manner for the presence of weapons, reinforcements, and other uncertain factors.

Normally doing multiple actions at once would burn my brain, but I don't have to be mentally upset. Fighting in absurd and disadvantageous situations has been instilled in me repeatedly since I was a child. It is the same as the process of unconscious breathing that is essential for human life.

Tsukishiro : "You have a look that says you don't think for a minute that you're going to lose."

Kiyone : "Eh? Did you think I have that look?"

There were no visible results of my face anywhere. The only way to open the future is for me to take it here.

I had a situation where I had them in front and back, and waiting to see what will happen.

Normally, I would be inclined to take the first step, but it is not a good idea.

They are not students, the people in front of and behind me are from the school.

If I am the only one raising my hand, I will be at a disadvantage in situations other than fighting.

Tsukishiro : "Although I know that I will have an advantage, I cannot start it myself. As well as you"

Tsukishiro, who has a detailed knowledge of education policy regarding the White Room, discusses it.

Tsukishiro : "So, let's start at once, Shiba-sensei"

As soon as he said his name, the two adults started walking towards me at the same time. Both were not in a hurry and calmly approach closing the distance as if they were advancing the Shōgi pieces.

NOTE : Shōgi : Japanese chess

Shiba's presence and footsteps disappeared at the same time as I turned backwards. The distance between Tsukishiro and me, who is walking in front of me, is 7 steps, 6 steps, 5 steps, 4 steps ...

Shiba's two hands came to grab my face from behind, and I ducked a little to avoid them. The first thing he will do is come from behind.

In the middle of the evasive movement, Tsukishiro extends his arm and comes to grab me like Shiba did. I evaded it while rolling down the beach, and made the effort to get up and run at the same time to escape the chase.

The dust danced in the sea breeze. The two adults did not rush to chase me and look at me silently, I am aware of them, as they are of me.

They are trying to measure my ability through concrete movements, from the data that they could not count.

My feet sink into the sand. I guess I should have taken my shoes off earlier if this was going to happen.

Under the hot sun, the two of them go out to close the distance they had parted again.

Observing the face and body of the two, I keep a distance backing up at the same pace.

With my back to the sea, I am going to move away from the soft sand and secure myself towards a foothold, while avoiding being turned over.

Shiba : "It's a good idea, but I'm not sure it's the correct solution Ayanokouji-kun."

They won't be able to take my back, but they will narrow my escape route.

If I go lower, the waves will hit my legs, and that's where Tsukishiro and Shiba will come in.

The outstretched arm keeps trying to grab my body. They still don't mean to hurt me with their blows.

Tsukishiro : "You're good at running away princess"

They both move very fast, and the space to avoid them is suddenly taken from me. After dropping to the very edge of the water, I couldn't take it anymore and ran away.

Tsukishiro : "Oh? Have you given up on the sea protecting your back?"

It's easier to provoke your opponent to make mistakes if he's in a hurry. While I was thinking about it, Shiba and Tsukishiro were kicking the sand and heading towards me.

Now that it's two against one, and if any of them catch me, then it's game over.

Four arms are extended in each other's place, and if you show the slightest gap, the situation will end. I started running and trying to distance myself, but they weren't going to let me go and started chasing me.

Running in a place like this will only continue to drain my stamina.

It is clear that they intend to take away the resistance with the heat and the bad points of support.

I had to make a choice. I abandoned my flight movement in the middle of the day, and making the most of my body's spring, I stepped forward with my left foot, stepped on the sand, and turned to attack Shiba, who was right behind me.

Shiba : "Mwah !?

Shiba's movement stiffened slightly due to my movement, which showed an unexpected trajectory.

I feinted with the left fist aiming for the chest on the right, but sensing the danger, Shiba didn't panic and kept his distance.

It's a sign that he's more concerned with avoiding me rather than catching me.

Tsukishiro : "Well ... you've been doing an excellent job facing the two of us, princess."

He tried to defend me, dodging attacks from both sides, but I can't get a clean hit.

Tsukishiro : "But human strength is limited. Isn't it time you started to catch your breath?"

Kiyone : "Tsukishiro-san is a difficult opponent to fight."

Tsukishiro : "My job is to take the initiative and do what people don't want to do."

There is nothing clean or dirty, just a fighting style that aims to capture me and take me home.

But he wasn't wasting stamina for nothing, either. What I have won so far. There seems to be a slight combat ability between Tsukishiro and Shiba.

Tsukishiro is said to have a score of 4 while Shiba has a score of 6, and I have learned that Shiba has better movement. My intuition tells me that Tsukishiro is above.

Anyway, the balance to be attentive is slightly changed from 5 to 5

(It refers to the score of 10 put as half and half).

He had always thought that he left his back at least capable, that is, Shiba, but it was the other way around. This is their way of fighting.

It's tempting to start with the least capable, Tsukishiro, but even so, his ability is far from the truth.

It is in a higher dimension, it is not easy to end it. In fact, if he realizes that I have completed my analysis, there is a possibility that Tsukishiro will become aware of his defenses.

I'll take down Shiba in one hit, without letting him realize that I have noticed the difference in his abilities.

In simple terms, a shot is fired in one shot with the intention of hitting the other. The other side hasn't thought of hitting me yet, so now is my chance.

If I am lucky it will be the only thing that can inflict one-sided damage.

And after neutralizing Shiba, I'll quickly deal with Tsukishiro in a one-on-one I have a second to think. While they both attack me at the same speed.

But the fist that looked like it was going to grab him clenched and turned into a blow. It was read.

The aim of the damage exchange is to be read, if I keep shooting like this, they will both eat me. Even so, I'm going to have to get over them.

I tried to turn my consciousness to trade damage with Shiba behind me, but something unexpected happened. I felt a cold mark on my neck and was forced to interrupt the counterattack.

I don't know how many times I've had to take evasive action to get away from Tsukishiro The sound of Shiba's fist, balanced with a slight delay, reaches my ears dryly. If I wasn't good at damage exchange, it could have stopped me in my tracks. Shiba's strike definitely has better power as than mine.

It is not more than that...

I looked at Tsukishiro's movements, which should be inferior to Shiba's, but they were both faster than I had expected.

Kiyone : "...So, it was like this huh? Tsukishiro-san always make everything hard for me"

Tsukishiro : "Wait, in my defense I just doing my job but you're the one who forced this old man taking this approach princess"

I avoided it just in time, and for the first time in years, I break out in a cold sweat in a fight.

If I hadn't trusted my instincts, I don't know what I would have done.

Not only would I have been hit by Shiba's blow, but I could have been left unprotected by Tsukishiro's attack.

Tsukishiro's reading that it is 4, and Shiba 6 is itself false information created by the other party.

They intentionally save their abilities and then attack above your alert level.

Perhaps, it is convenient not to rule out that possibility.

It is not natural that the Tsukishiro in front of me is inferior in skill to Shiba. I'd say that was the only thing that helped raise my guard to the limit.

They are both cautious and do not risk as much as they can, but they do not hesitate to take risks if they think it will be to their advantage.

I guess the situation is a bit disadvantageous for me.

Even if you try to crush one of them first, it's going to cover at the perfect time, making it difficult for me to hit them with a proper attack. It's hard to believe that they got together overnight.

Tsukishiro : "How is your analysis going, princess?"

The fight has only lasted a little over two minutes. I have already tried several different patterns, but none of them are convincing.

Tsukishiro : "It would have been easier if it was like a children's fight, purely fighting and fighting only with our strength and power. But we adults do not hesitate to take the best measures not to lose, even if it is something dirty, and it is not something well seen. "

Tsukishiro has also read 99% of my thoughts. It is a very accurate way to fight without hesitation, but at the same time, it does not allow you to read your own thoughts.

I'm sure you'll agree that it's a great idea. Anyway, in the current situation, a decisive blow is missing. It seems that I will also have to risk a lot if I want to stay in the game.

Shiba : "Acting Director Tsukishiro"

The one who broke the silence was Shiba, who had kept his mouth shut until that moment. Immediately after his name was spoken, Tsukishiro seemed to have noticed a strange change.

It was something that no one here had expected.

??? : "I wonder what the Acting Director and the classroom teacher do with a student in such a deserted place. What are they doing? I would love to hear about it".

She was an unwelcome visitor.

Kiyone : "Ugh...From all of the people...why it should be you..."

Shiba : "She is Kiryuuin Fuka from Third year group B ".

Why the hell was she here? I thought I was the only one that had this I2 designated as a designated zone.

Tsukishiro : "You don't look like a lost kitten. What can I do for you?"

After abandoning his fighting stance, Tsukishiro asks in his usual tone.

Kiryuuin : "Actually, I've been watching you from behind the big tree for a while, but I couldn't take the two-on-one situation. That is why I have appeared here. "

Of course, it was impossible that Tsukishiro and Shiba hadn't seen the GPS signal.

Kiryuuin : "Could this be the cause? It seems that an accident caused my watch to fail."

Kiryuuin laughs and shows a watch that has been smashed on the surface.

Kiryuuin : "Let me ask you this, since we have people from the school in front of us, there is nothing wrong with it, right? Even if my watch breaks, only the scoring function will be disabled. I am free to go wherever I want ".

Tsukishiro : "No problem, Anyway, it is a test in which the clocks are constantly breaking."

Tsukishiro doesn't seem to be bothered by the irregular existence in this place. Normally you should withdraw if a student sees you in these kinds of situations. However, Tsukishiro understands that this is the last place he can do it, so he won't back down.

Kiryuuin was likely listed for elimination.

She immediately hugging me

Kiryuuin : "Kouhai-chan, are you alright? These two perverted old man didn't do anything to you right? Let's called cops when this matters are over, understand?"

Tsukishiro : "Wait, I can tolerated the other matters but not that last one Kiryuuin-kun! That's clearly slandering my reputation!"

If you have seen the distorted battle between teachers and a student, there is no point in repairing it.

I prefer to make the most of this accident that has occurred.

Kiyone : "Lemme go senpai"

Kiryuuin : "Aww, you are so cold as usual. Tell me how do I make you opened your heart to me?"

Kiyone : "Well, let leave that matter aside. Am I correct in assuming that you will give me a hand, senpai? "

Kiryuuin : "Of course. As your senpai, shouldn't it be normal for me to protect my cute kouhai?"

She said that and stood next to me, and laughed.

Kiyone : "But how did you get here?"

Kiryuuin : "With power of love you know. Well, just kidding, I just wonder why my invisible kouhai suddenly get so much attention. There is no way I wouldn't try to figure this out right?"

Kiyone : "So you went to the trouble of breaking your watch so we wouldn't know you were coming."

Kiryuuin : "I am glad that you understand me. For this reason, I have been invited to a very interesting development."

Well, it is not a development that would normally be possible.

Kiyone : "Senpai, can you take care of Shiba-sensei?"

Kiryuuin : "From what I see, the abilities of the Acting Director and Shiba-sensei are at a ridiculous level. I don't know how much I can help, but I would like to help my cute kouhai as best as I could"

Kiryuuin happily held her fist at my side.

Kiyone : "If you can attract them for 1 second or 2 seconds, you are welcome."

Kiryuuin : "I'll tell you. I'll hold them for a minute or two at least. But kouhai-chan, can't you show me more?"

Kiyone : "Show me more?"

Kiryuuin : "You don't look very good with that scruffy expression on your face. Keep your fists up and try to create an atmosphere of tension. "

I never thought I'd hear you say that in a place like this.

But under Kiryuuin's strange pressure, I had no choice but to strike a pose that looked like it. It's like something you would see in a fight scene in a drama.

Tsukishiro : "What the hell are they doing?"

Kiyone : "I-Is this alright?"

Kiryuuin : "Huh, you're that clumsy. Oh well, let's say you've met the minimum standard. "

Smiling, Kiryuuin also struck a fighting pose once more.

Kiyone : "Senpai, how many boys you've already hit?"

Kiryuuin : "That's mean kouhai-chan. I am a lady. What do you think? "

Kiyone : "... Are you serious? I though that you like to jump into trouble"

Kiryuuin : "I will spanking your butt if you keep asking about barbaric rumor toward me..."

Kiyone : "O-Okay..."

We keep a distance from each other and move into a clearing one against one.

Kiyone : "Let's solve this, Tsukishiro-san."

Tsukishiro : "So you have decided that I am the only one who can beat you? "

With his usual smile on his face Tsukishiro prepares himself, showing no concern.

Tsukishiro : "Let me warn you princess. I won't hold back. Beside I want to know what you are capable of one against one "

The opponent in front of me I receive it as an equal enemy. If I don't, I'll be the one who gets a surprise. But it will still be decided in less than 1 minute. I'm going to get it before Kiryuuin is held back by Shiba.

-Skip fighting scene, too confusing to explain the action movement LOL-

I managed to snatch his stun gun

Kiyone : "Are you looking for this?"

I stabbed the ground sand with the stun gun to neutralized it

At this point, Tsukishiro raises his hand and sends a signal somewhere.

Then the pilot of the small anchored boat started trying to land with something in hand, clearly the last trump card in case they are defeated. But it is the same in this case.

Kiyone : "I'm afraid your time is up, Tsukishiro-san"

Suddenly, the pilot stopped preparing to land, and the little boat revved its engines and took off quickly, leaving the acting director behind.

The reason may be that he saw another small boat coming from the sea.

Tsukishiro : "... I'm surprised. What did you call the boat? I have been preparing the ground naturally. So you wouldn't ask the school for help if you needed it. And I knew you wouldn't want the school to know either. "

Kiyone : "It is a simple matter. You just have to take a good look at the smaller boats to realize it."

If you look closely at the end of the small boat, you could see Mashima-sensei and Chabashira-sensei. And that's how Tsukishiro found out.

Kiyone : "What would happen if someone reports that a student from class A and class D in the 2nd year has collapsed in I2 and they are in danger? It is not something that can be hidden very easily. I have already confirmed that a classroom teacher was included in the selection of people who came to help the victim in an incident that occurred some time ago".

This was simply a rule that the school had decided that class teachers were the best at identifying them at a glance.

When you find out that it is the 2nd A class and the 2nd D class, you have no choice but to bring your class teacher, even if you don't want to.

If it is an emergency, there is no time to check the GPS one by one. If it contains information that the watch appears to be broken, they will definitely check it, even if there is no response from the GPS.

Kiyone : "If they had checked all the students by GPS, would the rescue have arrived and changed the situation? Now, from the map, you can see that a student from class A and another from class D from the second year have lost the GPS response of their watches. I think it was more of a question of trust. "

Tsukishiro : "You were going to buy time from the beginning and let this unfold. That's why you focused on escaping in the beginning, knowing the downside. "

Kiyone : "It was a mistake to threaten Ichinose-san halfway. If you were going to do this you should have handled it thoroughly."

As a result, Tsukishiro gave me the opportunity to ask Sakayanagi for help before coming here.

Tsukishiro : "Even so, my position is still that of a priest, you know? I can't do such a disturbing thing."

I'm not sure if that's true or a lie, but Tsukishiro laughed when he said it.

Shiba immediately withdrew his hand from Kiryuuin as he saw that Tsukishiro had already resigned.

Kiryuuin : "Kouhai-chan! Are you alright?"

Then she comes toward my direction

I was watching the fight between Shiba and her, although it was out of the corner of my eye and she could hold out well, even if she only defended herself.

It's great that he recognized the obvious superiority of the team and tried to entertain her without putting too much pressure on her.

If even Shiba had participated in the battle alongside the flawless Tsukishiro, we wouldn't know how it would have turned out. In the end, the boat landed and Mashima-sensei and Chabashira-sensei got off.

The walkie-talkie that Sakayanagi lent me was useful to the end.

Kiyone : "I won, so I wonder if you will accept it"

Tsukishiro : "I guess I can't help but admit it for the moment."

As things stand, there shouldn't be enough cards in hand to deliver Tsukishiro from here.

Even the fact that he changed the designated area just for me is sure to come to light if investigated.

Tsukishiro : "Your score is quite complicated, but I think you're fine. As for me, now that you're out in the open, I can't help but protest if you're in the bottom five.

Kiyone : "Don't worry. I think I can see that I'm at the safe limit"

Tsukishiro : "It was an unnecessary worry. Well then, I'll leave it like that for now."

Kiyone : "For the moment. I hope I don't have to do more of these power tricks using unnecessary violence. At least I don't think it goes against the philosophy of this school. Of course, if it is a test of strength according to the regulations, it is a welcome thing."

With a smile on his face, Acting Director Tsukishiro looks at Mashima-sensei and Chabashira getting out of the boat.

Kiyone : "Let me ask you one last thing, Tsukishiro-san. Did you really try to expel me? It is true that there were strong restrictions, but if I were in your place instead, I would have prepared a more reliable method and carried it out."

I don't think the man in front of me is foolish enough not to think about it.

Tsukishiro : "I'm flattered that you are overestimating me princess. I did everything in my power to get you out of school according to the instructions of my superiors. But it turned out that I could not do it, and I fell before you like that."

One thing I found out is that the man named Tsukishiro hasn't shown everything he has yet. I don't know if there was any lie or falsehood in what you just said, but I'll have to assume that it had other goals.

Tsukishiro : "May I ask you to give a message to Amasawa-san"

I nodded

Tsukishiro : "Amasawa Ichika, you are disqualified for disobeying your orders. There will be no more places to return to. You can stay or leave this school as you see fit. "

Is it true? Or will it be false? I can't see that from Tsukishiro. Even after admitting defeat, that doesn't smell like he wavered at all. If Amasawa really did leave the White Room, I don't think it's the end of the story.

One thing is for sure. I just don't think this is the end of the whole White Room thing.

There is still something. And, it makes me think.

Tsukishiro : "Let's see how you fight to the end."

When he slowly gets up, Tsukishiro raises both hands as if he has an idea and walks over to Mashima-sensei and the others.

Tsukishiro : "Nothing has occurred here. Pri- I mean, Ayanokouji-kun and I just had a chat."

Mashima : "You think that's enough."

Tsukishiro : "There is nothing to do, it is already decided. The teachers cannot do anything about it. In fact, you should be grateful that I do not resist."

I looked at Mashima-sensei and nodded and said it was okay.

Mashima : "Then let's go. The students haven't finished their special exams yet."

After confirming that the adults are heading to the ship, I look towards Kiryuuin.

Perhaps she was exhausted from dealing with Shiba, she sat on the beach and got on her knees looking out to sea. I following her by sit beside her

A headpat

Kiryuuin : "Well done, kouhai-chan."

Kiyone : "No, Kiryuuin-senpai you were also amazing against Shiba-sensei."

Kiryuuin : "I can't even take that as a compliment after seeing you in action. Don't worry; I'm not going to tell anyone about you. But I'd like to hear what you have to say. "

I didn't expect them to see me, but somewhat I'm glad it was Kiryuuin although...Yeah she is a bit...

Kiyone : "I-I have a somewhat complicated family situation. That's all."

Kiryuuin : "A complicated family situation. That doesn't seem like an easy thing to deal with. "

Getting up and lightly brushing the sand off his butt, Kiryuuin starts walking towards the forest. When I left I2 with Kiryyuin and went back to I3, Miyabi Nagumo was no longer there. But instead, I ran into some unexpected students.

As soon as they saw me they looked at me and were surprised.

Kiyone : "Horikita-san and Ibuki-san?"

Horikita : "Are you okay? You are not hurt right? Did the wound in your neck opened?"

Kiyone : "W-What?"

Horikita : "W-Well, no. I thought you might be having a little problem with someone."

This time, Kiryuuin and I looked at each other and denied it at almost the same time.

Kiyone & Kiryuuin : "No. There is no one in the way."

Horikita : "So what were you doing here?"

Kiyone : "It has been a very exhausting two weeks. I was resting on a secluded beach, looking at the sea and that's how I met her. That's all"

Horikita : "You have a lot of free time. You probably got the minimum score. "

Why Kiryuuin-senpai? As she sent a look.

Kiryuuin : "I found a student who was slacking off and I brought her back. I told her to be diligent to the end. She should be grateful that's she's cute, if not I'll plummeted without mercy a slacker like that"

With that said, Kiryuuin-senpai tapped my back and started walking.

Kiryuuin : "Then I'll see you on the boat after the exam, kouhai-chan"

Horikita stands by my side and confirms it again by whispering to me

Horikita : "Are you sure you were okay ...?

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Horikita : "The thing is... I just heard some of that. On a small piece of paper "

Kiyone : "Paper?"

Horikita : "No, it's nothing, don't worry. There are still a lot of things I don't understand, so I'll do some research on my own and then we'll talk. "

I was curious, but I don't know what she was talking about, but I didn't want to prolong the conversation about what happened in I2. I can't tell her about Tsukishiro.

Kiyone : "Why are you and Ibuki-san here? There is no homework around, right? "

Ibuki was going to say something, but Horikita stopped her.

Horikita : "Ibuki had challenged me to a match and that's why we were checking each other's scores .. Your GPS was in a strange place, so I thought I'd check it out. I'll call it a tie."

Ibuki : "How can that be, clearly I won, right?"

Horikita : "Aren't you mistaken something?"

Ibuki : "Even if it is not a mistake or a mistake, if I beat you with 1 point I will win"

I'm not sure, but through this exam Horikita and Ibuki have become friends ...?

And soon after, the test of the uninhabited island comes to an end.

What do you think about this plot ideas this time?

X : What the hell dude, this is too long!

Y : Boring, can we just start Volume 4 already?

Z : I'm disappointed. This long draft didn't contain any lemon at all

Random Idea Plot (Sorry not part of chapter) Pt5

Y2 Volume 5

In the mudslinger fight. I keep pressed Horikita to expel Kushida.

But, she keep insisted that Kushida would be useful for class.

Now, its about time to vote and it happen to be my turn

'Ayanokoji Kiyone' to be expelled from the school.

29 in favour

9 against

Not quiet good result for me either.

Haruka : "Wait, are you guys crazy?! Do you wanted to expel her so badly?!"

This situation kinda chaotic

Kushida : "Ahahahaha! So, what will you do? Do you wanted to keep me but in exchange you lost your trustworthy dog here?"

Horikita silent like she can't expect that the number of favor against me keep raising.

Their rationality slowly eaten away by the times.

Horikita then go to podium and started talk

Horikita : "Please listen to me. The option of gaining class points by expelling someone. The expulsion part is often seen as a negative, but if certain conditions are met, it can be a positive, as in the case of the traitor who voted in favour of the expulsion and was supported by many. If the class points gained are worth more than the student being expelled, then it is a decision well worth choosing. In other words, the only people who should be expelled are those who are currently unwanted in the class. So what is the criteria for this? It is the sum of all their parts. Someone who has academic ability, physical ability, or any ability that doesn't fall into those two categories. To put it simply, students who have the ability to gathering information, such as Ayanokoji-san and Kushida-san, or the ability to organize a group, such as Hirata-kun and Karuizawa-san. Those are the ones you can exclude. Of course, if you think I'm being patronizing, you're free to argue."

As the time is about to expire, the classmates were silent, not wanting to interfere.

Horikita : "And this story should not include the future, or their prospects. It is difficult and speculative to objectively assess who will actually grow and by how much. In the final analysis, the OAA is the impartial arbiter. That's why..."

It is the school's quantification of the student's ability, without the student's emotions.

As of September 1st, the lowest score in this class was 36 points overall. Many students check their rank and score, but not many know who is at the bottom each time.

Horikita : "...The student in this class who currently has the lowest OAA is... yes, its you. Sakura Airi-san."

She talk not looking at Airi in particular, but looking around at the whole scene.

Haruka : "W-What are you talking about?! Don't joke around at a time like this."

Haruka stood up and glared at her with a furious glare.

Horikita : "I'm just giving an objective opinion. It's up to the class to decide if they agree or not."

She seems not going to listen to personal opinions and continue talking.

Haruka : "Objective? What's objective? The OAA rankings are what? Does that make it okay to expel Airi? Kiyopon, say something to her!"

Kiyone : "Then who do you think should be expelled?"

Haruka : "Well, that's...!"

Horikita : "People who are not prepared to say names directly have no right or entitlement to choose who to expel."

Haruka : "Oh, Ike-kun! He's not that different from Airi in terms of academic and physical ability!"

It is true that on the OAA, he was once tied for last place with Airi. But now he has added one point to his tally to 37. He's one step ahead.

Horikita : "Then let's simply ask here. All those opposed to Sakura-san leaving the school, please raise your hands."

Haruka immediately raised her hand. Almost at the same time. Akito and Keisei also raise their hands. Of course, this would be natural for the Yukimura Group.

Haruka who look at me didn't raise my hand immediately questioned me

Haruka : "K-Kiyopon, what does it mean? Don't you support Airi?"

Kiyone : "Horikita-san said to decide it objectively."

Horikita : "Three, huh? Next, which students are opposed to Ike-kun leaving school?"

A number of boys, including Sudou, and girls, including me, Shinohara and Mori, who owed a debt of gratitude to Shinohara and Ike, put their hands up, and there were 12 clear objections.

Haruka : "Wait! Kiyopon, why are you...?"

Kiyone : "I won't deny Ike-kun contribution for this class. That's why I also against it about his expulsion..."

Haruka : "But Airi..."

Kiyone : "Building friendships is also a fine skill. I must say that Airi is inferior to Ike-kun in that respect."

Haruka : "Can you look Airi in the eye and say that?"

Kiyone : "Okay"

I shift my gaze on her

Kiyone : "Airi, do you hate me for not stood for you?"

Sakura : "...I...I don't know..."

Haruka : "Stop it! What's wrong with you?!"

When I was look into Airi's frightened eyes, Haruka stopped me.

Horikita : "We can have hand-raise votes for Hondou-kun, Okitani-kun, or another student, but it will not be less than three votes for Sakura-san."

Haruka : "What is that... you're seriously kidding. We don't have many friends, that's for sure. But that doesn't mean you can expel Airi in this way!"

I already aware that this kind of thing will be used as parameter and I already tried my best to make sure anyone on Yukimura's group manage to gain better overall. But we're past that stage now.

Keisei : "If we're being... honest... losing 300 class points is critical."

One of the Yukimura Group, Keisei quietly lets that slip.

Haruka : "Yukimu, you can't be serious! Don't tell me you agree with Airi's expulsion too!?"

Keisei : "No, no! I'm not in favour of it yet!"

Haruka : "Not yet? You mean you're going to agree to it? Huh? You've got to be kidding me!"

Keisei : "Well, no but...!"

As if realising everything, Haruka bit her lip and made a decision.

Haruka : "It's disgusting. It can't be. What is this... I thought we were friends?"

The cold voice is directed at me, and also at Keisei, whose true feelings have leaked out.

Haruka : "And so are the others. No one wants to protect her? That's right, you guys don't care what happens to Airi, or who you don't get along with, as long as you save yourselves. You put Kushida-chan first just because you have a little use for her? You're going to abandon a girl who's trying her best to keep up with the class and not cause trouble? Oh yeah, oh yeah, this is the best class ever."

Keisei's unintentional comment proved to be an offence to Haruka. No one wanted to make eye contact and they delegitimised themselves so as not to get involved.

Haruka : "Enough. I'm not going to expel Airi. If you want, you can vote for me. I'll happily be expelled from the school."

Haruka tries to protect Airi by bringing up her voluntary withdrawal from school. In fact, that statement only strangles itself in other word it caused backfire on Airi herself.

Sakura : "Wait, wait, Haruka-chan! I can't expel Haruka-chan either!"

Haruka : "It's okay, Airi. You have to stay in this school. I didn't like this class in the first place. But after I got to know you, and Kiyopon, Yukimu and Miyacchi, every day was fun. Even though Yamauchi-kun left the school, I thought that it wouldn't happen again, and I thought that I can do well with everyone here..."

Staring at Chabashira-sensei, Haruka makes a formal statement.

Haruka : "I'm the candidate for expulsion. It's almost time, isn't it?"

As I predicted, the declaration would take precedence, and Haruka would step up to the guillotine.

Haruka : "OK? Airi, you must definitely vote in favour. The others don't have any problem with it, right? You can protect yourselves, so there's no reason to vote against it."

Sakura : "That's not... I can't vote in favour of that..!"

Airi shouts that she can't vote in favour of Haruka's expulsion.

Haruka : "It's okay, I have nothing to regret if I have to leave school to protect you."

Sakura : "But...!"

Chabashira : "That's enough discussion. We will now start the voting."

On the basis of Haruka's strong will, a vote is taken in favour and against. The results are shown on the monitor...

'Hasebe Haruka' to be expelled from the school.

35 in favour

3 opposed

Almost all the students voted in favour of the proposal, but three voted against it. The three of them must have been an easy guess for Haruka.

Haruka : "Airi!"

Of course, it is clear from the vote that Airi definitely voted against.

Sakura : "I can't do it, I can't! I can't let Haruka be expelled!"

Haruka : "I said I was trying to protect you! And don't even get me started on Miyacchi and Yukimū!"

Haruka was ready to be expelled from the school, but it turns out that some students don't want her to be expelled.

Miyake : "I don't want you to be expelled from school... I can't vote yes."

While showing a bitter and agonizing expression, Akito and I look each other in the eye and answer clearly.

Haruka : "Then why Airi?"

Miyake : "I wouldn't say that... but if you're asking me to take one or the other I'm-"

Keisei : "I'm so sorry!"

Suddenly, Keisei shouted and interrupted the two boys. He stood up and bowed his head.

Keisei : "I voted in favour of... and if we don't, the class won't be able to reach Class A..."

He answered, confessing the whereabouts of a vote that would not be revealed if he'd kept quiet.

Haruka : "What? Then who is the other one? The one who put the other against in this situation!"

Kiyone : "That vote was mine."

Haruka : "Ah! Kiyopon, what's wrong with you?! You don't have to defend me!"

Kiyone : "I told you. I put my choice objectively, I'm not going to change this policy, no matter what new students come forward. I can't change it."

If we take a step back here, there will be no unanimity in favour.

Kiyone : "It is a fact that Airi is the lowest ranked in OAA, and cutting the students who have not contributed much to the class is...you know...? Meanwhile cutting off the one who had more contribution than Airi, I don't think that a wise choice either"

I am prepared to take the risk of speaking out in this situation and I will give my opinion.

Haruka : "Don't be silly. Think about it in your own surroundings. If one of your dearest friends were to drop out of school, would you be able to laugh about it afterwards? I wouldn't. I would never!"

Kiyone : "It is Airi who should be expelled given the situation here. There is no other choice anymore."

Haruka : "No no, Kiyopon! Aren't we supposed to be on Airi's side!"

I know. And because I know that, I'm going to speak.

Kiyone : "I'm not going to change my mind. If Haruka continues to disagree with Airi's expulsion, then this class will have to end here."

Haruka : "Then why don't you do what you want? I will continue to oppose Airi's expulsion from school until the very end!"

Kiyone : "I think you are the one who doesn't understand anything here. We only voiced our opinion but did you even give a chance for Airi to spoken for herself about this situation?"

Only one. If you continue to oppose us until the end, she will not be expelled. That law is absolute. The most efficient way to break that law is to...

Then both of us look toward Airi

Sakura : "Thank you, Haruka...Thank you, Kiyone...It's all right now."

In a trembling voice, Airi laughs as if she has realised everything.

Haruka : "Ai...ri...?"

Sakura : "If there is one student in the class who deserve it... maybe it's me. There's nothing wrong with what Kiyone is saying, Haruka."

Haruka : "Airi! No! This is not right!"

Sakura : "Kiyone right about everything. If someone has to drop out, then I, the biggest drag on the class, should disappear. Sorry Kiyone, even though you already tried your best. I'm still like this..."

Haruka look at me as if she don't understand what Airi saying

Sakura : "You see, since OAA app already applied. Kiyone already aware of my situation here and she tried her best to help me either during study or she usually pick me up for exercise in the morning. But... I guess that it wasn't good enough right..."

Haruka : "...You..."

Sakura : "That's why Haruka, please don't blame her."

Haruka finally realized that when Sakura in trouble I'm the one who helped her but when she had fun, she always together with her. That's why its normal that Haruka isn't aware what Airi struggling about...

Haruka : "Why...why nobody tell me..."

Directly stop the person who is voting against it using the person who's going to be expelled from the school.

Haruka : "I can't! I would never let Airi be expelled from school! Never!!! I don't care if this class doesn't move up to Class A, I'm going to make sure that we all graduate together with Airi!"

Sakura : "No, you can't. Even if I do, I'm sure I'll regret it a lot. I'm sure I'll regret it for a long, long time, that it was my fault we didn't make it to Class A."

Haruka : "It's all right! There's nothing wrong with you! I'm just protecting you because I'm selfish!"

Sakura : "Thank you... But there's no way I can put that kind of responsibility on Haruka-chan."

Haruka : "What, what's that... There's no such thing as..!"

Preventing students from dropping out is not always in their best interests. If this happens, a vote against will only make Airi suffer.

Kiyone : "Haruka, at this rate you'll only hurt her. Self-sacrifice sounds good. I'm sure the people in our class are deeply relieved to have someone like Haruka in their lives. If the class is really running smoothly, it might be a good choice to make. So, Sudou-kun are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of the class?"

Sudou : "No, no... I'm that-"

Kiyone : "Satou-san, what about you?"

Satou : "What? Don't involved me!"

Kiyone : "How about you, Onodera-san?"

Onodera : "Probably can't-"

Kiyone : "If you ask anyone else any more, the answer would be the same. Basically, no one wants to sacrifice themselves."

Haruka : "I'd really like to be expelled. Then you wouldn't have any problems."

Kiyone : "We rely on students who are willing to sacrifice themselves. Once they learn that easy way, when they are put in a similar situation in the future, they will repeatedly ask for volunteers voluntarily. It's too late to try to make a fair decision."

Haruka : "Shut up Kiyone! I don't know... I don't understand that logic! I want to protect Airi! That's all I want!"

Kiyone : "Even if Haruka defended her by expelling herself from school, Airi could get expelled the very next day."

Haruka : "Don't talk to me in terms of an indeterminate future."

Kiyone : "There is no definite future anywhere. So, you have to make the best of it."

No matter how many words I put in front of her, she doesn't seem to be able to hear me. But Airi's ears have definitely heard. That's the important thing.

Haruka : "It's okay, it's okay, Airi. I'll keep voting against. No matter who else votes in favour...!"

Kiyone : "And what? We lose 350 points and Airi will be burdened heart would be burdened even further?"

Suddenly I feel somebody grab my hand.

When I look at the person who did that. It was Airi, she also doing the same with her other hand to Haruka

Sakura : "Haruka, Kiyone, stop fighting alright."

Haruka & Kiyone : "Airi...?"

Sakura : "Everyone! Please vote for me..."

With straight confidence voice, Airi said. Haruka grabbed both of Airi's arms and resisted desperately.

Haruka : "No, don't say that. Please take it back! I hate it. Absolutely not... I had such, such a good time yesterday... This morning was just like any other morning. I met up with Airi before coming to school. We chatted and chatted and chatted about the cultural festival and talked about... Even today, we are going to hangout with Kiyopon after school. This is unfair!"

There are less than ten minutes left. This means that this is practically the last vote. Whoever is going to leave the school, there is no one who can easily vote against it. That is the weight of the final vote.

Shaking her head from side to side, Airi does not accept the helping hand extended by Haruka.

Haruka : "I don't like it, I don't like it, I don't like it!"

Like a child, she refused, denied and screamed. Each time, Airi expresses her gratitude to Haruka, but still persuades her to accept it. It can no longer be changed. Realising everything, Haruka sat there as if collapsing.

Horikita : "A person with no ability has accepted it and stepped forward. We owe it to them to respond. It's easy for you to vote against on the next and final round. Like Ayanokoji-san said, even if you vote against, Sakura-san will not be able to stay in this school. She will leave the school with a strong sense of responsibility for what she has done to her classmates and will not be able to look forward. The only way to save her is for you to vote in favour of her expulsion."

Haruka : "I-I... agree..."

Airi embraced Haruka from the front as she was collapsing.

Sakura : "Thank you, Haruka... Thank you for all the help you've given me. I couldn't give anything back to you, but... listen to my last selfish request."

Haruka : "I don't like it, Airi... this kind of..."

Sakura : "Vote in favour of me."

She thanked her, gently stroked the hair of a weeping Haruka, and raised her voice towards Chabashira-sensei.

Sakura : "I'm volunteering as candidate. Please vote for me. "

She asked Haruka to stand up and take a seat, and Airi returned to her seat to take it all in. But even after the vote has been declared, voting time is not over. Voting continued past 60 seconds and past 70 seconds.

The students have 90 seconds. In the next 70 seconds or so, Haruka will be expelled from the school.

'If my best friend Airi disappears, I will disappear too'

It's not hard to see why this thought crossed her mind. If you choose to make that weak choice here, so be it. As the 100 second mark ticked by, the clock was ticking down to 40 seconds. She just kept crying and showed no sign of reaching for her tablet.

Sakura : "Haruka-chan!!!"

It was anger from Airi like I had never heard before. The loudest voice I had ever heard.

As if slapped in the face, she looked up in surprise, and at Haruka's crying face, Airi smiled and nodded.

If we don't make a decision and vote here, it will be a denial of everything Airi is.

Chabashira : "The voting is now closed. I will announce the results..."

'Sakura Airi' to be expelled from the school.

38 in favour

0 against

Long silence

Chabashira-sensei, who had been watching the fierce exchange, forgot to report the end of the exam and just looked at Airi and Haruka.

After being expelled from school, Airi stared straight ahead, as if she had accepted everything. On the other hand, Haruka, who couldn't protect her, tried her best to hold back her sobs, but she couldn't hide them from the speechless class.

Invigilator : "Ah, Chabashira-sensei. Please proceed."

The invigilator, who had so far been silent and calm, except for the minimum of cautions and warnings, seemed to have forgotten to remind us about the signal for the end of the special examination.

Chabashura : "With regard to the expulsion of Sakura Airi from the school by a unanimous vote in favour, the last task is completed. The choice is accepted and 100 class points will be awarded. Just to be clear, there is only one way to undo this expulsion. Only if you have 20 million private points at this moment and use them-"

It was Chabashira-sensei who tried to continue the explanation, as obligated, but stopped halfway.

Chabashira : "I don't think I need to explain any further."

Even if we collected all the private points of all the students in our class, we would never reach 20 million points.

Chabashira : "The other three classes have already finished their special exams, but I'm going to ask you to go home right away today. As for Sakura, you will have to come with me to the staff room afterwards, so stay in the classroom."

Sakura : "Yes."

Airi replies to Chabashira-sensei in a quiet voice, but without hesitation.

Chabashira : "That's all. Everyone please leave your seats. Follow the instructions and leave the room."

/

We were informed and we all left our seats, although at different times. Airi was told to stay where she was. And Haruka, who can't even stand up, tried her best to stand on her trembling knees, but she couldn't seem to get her legs up. Her breathing had become ragged and she was beginning to experience symptoms similar to hyperventilation.

Unable to see this, I rushed over to her and forced her to stand up. Haruka used my body to balanced her stance.

After that, without saying anything she decide to leave as fast as possible. Akito reassured me and he said that he would handle this from here so I leave her on his care

Because nothing good will come from leaving it here. As soon as we stepped into the corridor, our phones were returned to us.

And Keisei followed soon after.

Keisei : "You're something else, aren't you? I'm not going to tell you that you did anything wrong. It's just that I'm still not sure if I can say you did the right thing. No, there's no point in talking about this. Just... forget it."

While having a desire to spit it out, Keisei turned his back on me and started walking down the corridor.

It would be pointless to wait here for Haruka or Akito. Legitimacy is irrelevant. It's not like I don't think about the fact that I've taken the initiative to cut off an important member of my group.

Kei approached me. I noticed that she was upset, but I stopped her with my eyes. For today, it is better to let Kei be quiet, as if she is also in mourning. There is no need to buy hate with unnecessary things.

As I recall, Chabashira-sensei wanted to meet me after the special examination was over. When I looked at my phone I saw that I had received a message and the meeting was at 6pm.

I've got some time.

Deciding that it was best not to stay, I decided to leave. If I headed straight for the front door, I would bump into Keisei and the other students.

I've got an appointment with Chabashira-sensei, so I think I'll just wander around the school, where there's not a lot of people around.

Horikita : "Ayanokoji-san."

I knew she was following me, and when I couldn't see anyone anymore, she called out to me.

Kiyone : "What's the matter? Didn't you had to say something to Kushida-san?"

Horikita : "No. She's not going to answer any questions now. I just warned her not to get desperate."

She had many friends around her, but at the end of the exam no one said anything to her. Immediately after showing her true nature, it is understandable that she is difficult to get close to.

Horikita : "Sorry."

As her hair, which was a little longer than before, swayed, Horikita bowed deeply.

Horikita : "Because... I was not good enough...I've caused you-"

Kiyone : "Not enough? You did the best you could, didn't you? This was a much tougher competition than last year's Class Poll exam."

Horikita : "No matter how tough the fight was, I put a big shackle on you... and you had to take all the responsibility that should have been spread out."

It was inevitable that a student would be expelled. That's why Horikita wanted to show her intentions.

Kiyone : "I don't see anything wrong with it. So are we good?"

Horikita : "It's not good. It's left a big scar on your precious group. It doesn't seem very... like it can be repaired in the future."

Kiyone : "It's okay. I get used to it. Farewell isn't something rare for me..."

If she had been involved more, the blame could certainly have been divided equally between the two of us. But that's not what I wanted.

Horikita : "Ayanokoji-san?"

Kiyone : "Don't worry about it, it's a small thing."

Of course, I don't think I'll be able to change my mind and convince myself of that any time soon, but I don't want this special exam to be the way I carry on next time.

Kiyone : "Look on the bright side. We've gained 100 valuable class points to move closer to Class A. These points are not to be scoffed at."

Horikita : "But we've lost... Sakura-san."

Kiyone : "As a result, the class average was raised to a higher level, which is a positive thing. It's a perfect end point."

Horikita : "You don't have to force yourself to act so ruthless."

Kiyone : "Am I?"

After pondering for a while...

Kiyone : "Yes, you're right. Maybe I'm just trying to push away the painful feelings."

I decide to walk away leaving Horikita to alone to collecting her mind.

??? : "Kiyone!"

From the end of the corridor came a familiar, gentle voice.

Kiyone : "Airi?"

The physically weak Airi walked towards me, out of breath.

Without saying anything she approach me calmly, and then...

A hug

I may couldn't see her face but I know that she's crying

No one said a thing so I break the silence

Kiyone : "I won't apologize or something. This is just the way I am"

Sakura : "I already know what kind of person you are."

Airi already aware of my behavior might be since the first time we began to be friend. However, even if I said that. we hugged each other tighter

Sakura : "I won't say goodbye because I wanted to see you again"

Kiyone : "Fine, suit yourself"

Sakura : "...Ehehe..."

We hugged for several minute but somehow the times move slower.

None of us could utter words anymore

After we though this already long enough. We break away

Then Airi taken off her glasses and dressed up her hair, smiles wryly.

Sakura : "Until next time, Kiyone"

Kiyone : "See you again, Airi"

She walk passed me

She smiled the biggest smile I've ever seen on her face. She started to walk, but then her steps slowed down and she almost stopped. Still, she put her best foot forward and never looked back. I can hear her voice in the empty corridor. Sniffling noises and stifled crying.

Such a scene reminds me of one I used to see myself. The losers always look back on their inability, and regret it when it is far too late.

Whether it's in the White Room or this school, that fact remains the same.

Y2 Volume 6

When two girls eventually arrived at the cafe, the three members of Yukimura Group were seated and waiting for them.

There was no sign of chit-chat, and three drinks were placed on the table. As long as you're using a restaurant, it's common courtesy to at least order one drink.

Hasebe : "Sit down."

As soon as they arrived, Hasebe said and urged them to sit on the two empty seats. They individually chose our drinks at random and then started to take our seats.

Hasebe : "It seems like you wanted to talk to me a few times while I was resting, so I thought I'd ask you about it."

Hasebe cut to the chase nonchalantly without looking at either Horikita or Ayanokoji. It seems like it was both of them who she asked the question to, but right now it is definitely Horikita who is the subject.

Hasebe : "What did you want to talk about?"

Horikita : "The problem has been solved in a way, it was because you've been absent from school for several days."

Hasebe : "You mean you were worried that I would start bringing down the class for being absent for too long."

Horikita : "Of course it's not just that. You have had good reason to be absent for a week. Right?"

Hasebe : "I'm not feeling well. That's what I told the school, so there shouldn't be a problem, right? Akito told me that there might be a penalty if I miss another week, so that's why I came to school today."

When she stopped calling the other with cute name. It means that she is being serious

Without showing any joy, anger, or sorrow, Hasebe answers calmly.

Horikita : "Indeed. But the reason you were absent wasn't because you were just sick, right?"

Hasebe : "How can you be so sure it was? It could have just been purely physical."

Without denying it, Hasebe took a sip from her cup.

Whether the absence was due to health problems or not, that was just the first stage of the problem.

No matter how Horikita answered, Hasebe would never be satisfied.

Hasebe : "I know you're doubting me, but it's true that I've been sick. It wasn't sickness. I just had a hard time mentally, I couldn't sleep, and because I was so stressed and tired I just couldn't find the strength to come to school."

Miyake and Yukimura seemed to be listening calmly, but that was not the case. They understand that although they are suffering as well, their suffering is far from Hasebe's.

So they can only listen in silence.

Horikita : "Why don't you stop playing with lame words and say what you want to say?"

Rather than taking a backhanded approach, Horikita takes a strong stance.

That attitude usually has the opposite effect, but Hasebe is unfazed. It's as if she has kept his emotions bottled up deep inside. That's the impression I get from her.

By her side, Horikita felt the same thing, which is probably why she used excessive expressions.

Hasebe : "Are you satisfied with the fact that you got more class points from the special exam?"

Hasebe coldly asked Horikita.

Horikita : "I'm not satisfied, no. There's still over five hundred points separating us from Class A. Besides, if possible, it would have been ideal to aim for Class A without missing anyone, which was the goal. But there's no point in talking about it now, is there?"

No one wants to see anyone drop out of school. But there is no point in talking about it now. That fact has already been stated.

Hasebe : "My best friend was a victim of your selfish decision. Are you aware of that?"

For the first time today, the words that Hasebe wanted to say come spilling out.

Horikita : "Yes."

It's been more than a week since the special exam ended, and Horikita has been fighting against her own judgment. You don't have to ask her that directly, but you can tell by watching her every day.

But such things have nothing to do with Hasebe. She wont forgive her because she is working hard or if she gets results.

Hasebe : "You're a great leader. You don't care what it takes to get your class to win."

Horikita : "I'm not there yet."

Hasebe : "You fool, I am being sarcastic."

Horikita : "Of course, I know."

Hasebe : "Where's your promise to cut off the students who were the traitors?"

Horikita : "I'm afraid I didn't look far enough ahead on that one. But since we can't pretend that the special exam the other day didn't happen, we'll just have to make use of it next time."

Hasebe : "There are some mistakes that can't be forgiven."

Horikita : "I won't deny that either. You're right."

Hasebe : "Kiyone... do you think it was the right decision to leave Kushida in the school?"

Ayanokoji : "I already said that I trust Horikita-san judgement. I don't regret to put my bet on it either"

Hasebe : "I see, same like yesterday right?"

Horikita didn't show any change in her composure, and her speech intensified slightly.

Horikita : "I'm not going to make a lame apology. No matter how much you argue with me, the fact is that I changed my mind and decided that Kushida-san should stay. It's natural for you to hold a grudge, and I may suffer a painful reprisal someday. But I decided that the person who could be a more valuable asset to the class was Kushida-san. I'm slowly becoming more and more convinced of that."

Hasebe : "Even if Kushida-san was brilliant, there were others who were incompetent. It didn't have to be... her."

Suddenly Horikita shifting her gaze to the other spectator

Horikita : "Can you leave us alone? I guess there is something that it would be better to convey when we are alone"

Without saying anything. Ayanokoji, Yukimura, Miyake leave the cafe and waiting outside

Horikita : "So, lets continue from the last part. No matter what situation conclude to be. Someone like Sakura-san would be get expelled sooner or later. Compared with Kushida-san contribution, she basically almost do nothing for the class."

There were other people to choose from. With Horikita in front of her, who couldn't come to such a conclusion, Hasebe continued.

Hasebe : "I don't approve. No matter how many people recognize Horikita-san in the future, I will never recognize you."

Saving her emotions as much as she can, Hasebe shows no signs of trying to forgive.

Horikita : "I guess I'll just have to try harder to get you to admit it like it or not."

Hasebe : "I told you I won't approve."

Horikita : "I'm responsible for Sakura-san's expulsion. I can't deny it and I won't deny it. But that doesn't mean I should go about reprimanding it to everyone who's affected. Are you now asking me to expel from school or something to make you feel better?"

It's not like that would bring Sakura back. The 100 class points she had sacrificed for the class would be wiped out by that act.

Horikita : "...Or do you want me to get down on my knees? Would that make you feel better?"

A brave spirit. That's what it looks like, but it's not. Horikita is suffering, but she's facing Hasebe with an air of insolence.

Horikita : "If you really want to get rid of me, are you ready to face Ayanokoji-san? Like it or not she will going to get in your way and I do admit that she is quite hard to handle even for myself."

Hasebe gritted her teeth

Hasebe : "Give me back Airi!"

Horikita : "Don't ask something stupid. I can't meet your demands if you ask me to do something which I can't do."

Hasebe : "That's all I want. I don't care about class, I really don't care."

She grabbed a few strands of her own hair and tore them out as hard as she could.

Hasebe : "As expected! I made the wrong decision back then..."

Horikita : "If you were unhappy, maybe you should have fought."

Immediately after those almost provocative words were released, Horikita followed up with more.

Horikita : "But it's useless. Even if you had fought, there would have been nothing you could have done to resist."

Hasebe : "That's true. You're right, there's nothing I could have done."

Aside from that fact. Even she is about to do something. She is aware that Ayanokoji will protect Horikita. Just like she did to Kushida

A brief silence

Hasebe : "Hey, Is Kushida-san really worth to be saved. Is she going to act for the class's sake? She will betray us. Aren't you going to regret your dumb decision?"

Horikita : "I'm sure I'll regret it if Kushida-san drags the class down in the future."

Indeed, Kushida wasn't necessarily guaranteed to be useful to the class.

If Horikita made a mistake in steering the ship in the future, there might come a day when she would regret her choice to cut Sakura.

Horikita : "But even if I were to go back in time with my current memories, I'm sure what I would do would not change much. I'd repeat my decision to bail out Kushida-san and choose Sakura-san as the sacrifice. The only difference is that I won't make anymore wild promises."

She repeats that she will not change her conclusion.

Hasebe : "Why not. What did even Airi ever do to you...?"

Horikita answered her

Horikita : "It's a matter of perspective. This incident has been a strong stimulus for the students whose names are in the lower ranks of the OAA. If they continue to stay low, they might be the next one to be expelled. I think it's a good thing because they now have a strong sense of such danger."

Because of that she didn't hesitate to named Sakura

Hasebe : "W-What is it? This sounds just like Ryuuen's class. If you're not good enough, you'll be cut down?"

Horikita : "Yes. I don't know what kind of policy Ryuuen is following now, but it's almost like fear and work. Until now, the class policy has been too vague and loose. It kind of reminds me of when I first started school. It's just like when we were selfish and had no cohesion whatsoever."

She may believe it's similiar but it's not the same thing.

Horikita : "You may don't like it. The situation is different from that time. Preventing damage that doesn't need to be released is a necessity, but minimizing the damage that needs to be released is what we did this time."

Basically, there is no such thing as a definite future. They can only imagine and act to grasp the future we see. People are not all-powerful

Hasebe : "But Airi is gone, I've noticed the class is back to its usual routine. Did she mean nothing for the class all along?! This kind of difference even worst when compared with Yamauchi situation!"

Horikita : "I understand your frustration, but did you feel the same way about Yamauchi-kun?"

Hasebe : "That guy got what he deserved. This is a different case."

Horikita : "It's the same. You're just angry at your friends sacrifice."

Hasebe : "What's wrong with that?"

There was no clear goal to this discussion. Strictly speaking, there is no solution other than for Hasebe to snap.

Hasebe : "I can't accept such a reality. I can't!"

And if Hasebe doesn't break, then there's a big problem waiting for her.

Hasebe : "Kushida-san may indeed have been a threat. Even if she's reformed one day and is going to act for the good of the class from there. Do you think I'm going to take that seriously and cooperate?"

Horikita : "Yeah, when you took a week off, I felt it was going to be a longer lasting problem than anyone else."

Horikita said that while Kushida needed to be dealt with quickly, she was prepared for the long drag with Hasebe.

Having lost Sakura in the exam, Hasebe was not afraid now.

Horikita : "But you came to school. If you just wanted to talk to me, you can do it even if you're still not going to school. Isn't that right?"

There was grateful for the faint hope that Hasebe had submitted herself to come to school.

However, the world is not so naive.

Hasebe : "I just came here because I don't have an answer yet."

Horikita : "Answer?"

Hasebe : "I came to school to look for the answer that I couldn't see when I was locked in my room."

This time Horikita frown at her word

Hasebe : "I'm looking for the answer to how I can get back at you?"

Hasebe said coldly, the coldest she had ever said.

The words that escaped from her slightly dry lips were different in nature from any kind of threat or bluff.

Horikita : "You're serious, aren't you?"

Horikita was also reminded of the weight of those words.

Hasebe : "Because that's what I wanted to tell you today. I hate you for using Kiyone as a shield against me. And lastly, I'm going to make sure you regret for expelling Airi."

Without even touching her own drink, Hasebe left her seat. Horikita keep looking the way direction where Hasebe going out. Reaching outside, immediately Miyake followed behind her.

Meanwhile in the outside

Yukimura : "I don't think Horikita or Haruka are wrong. It's a sly way to put it, but that's what I really feel. At the end of the day, I'm fundamentally of the mindset that as long as I can save myself, that's all that matters."

Yukimura comes to reveal the truth without covering it, as though he is embarrassed of himself.

Ayanokoji : "It's the same for everyone. It's not strange that you want to save yourself."

Yukimura : "That's why I can't understand what Haruka is feeling right now. But that doesn't mean I think I have the right to tell her to stop. Even if it's to prevent trouble for the class."

He look at Ayanokoji who stand beside him

Yukimura : "So Kiyone, are you going to protect Horikita like you stated in front of Haruka?"

Ayanokoji nodded

Yukimura : "I see"

He averted his gaze from her

Yukimura : *sigh* "This group is already break apart. Still, I'll be useful to the class as I am. As long as I can't play an active role in the sports festival, I'll study harder and contribute to the class. If I don't do that, there's a... virtually no chance that I'll be expelled."

Even though he is good at studying, Keisei is lagging behind in terms of athleticism and social contribution.

It's evident that he's at a disadvantage when it comes to the quantity of friends he has.

Y2 Volume 7

The maid cafe going well for now

Well...for now...

Kiyone : "Wel-"

??? : "Yo Kiyone, it seems you guys handle it quite good."

This voice?

FLASH!

Ugh... Did someone take my picture?

??? : "Fufufu~ That's look good on you Kiyone"

Sigh

Kiyone : "Nagumo-senpai? Didn't student council had something busy to do?"

Nagumo : "Of course we did, but that kind of petty work could be left to the other to handle no? What the use of being leader if he didn't make a use of his own people?"

Well, he isn't wrong but the way he talk it just like he dumped unnecessary thing to another member of student council

Nagumo : "Since I already here, how about you give a special service to me? Fufufu~"

Such bothersome

Satou whispered at me

Satou : "I didn't know what kind of dispute you had with good looking man like him but if he requested for you, its better for you to not denying it. If you still hate it that much just think that you do that for class sake"

Well...

Kiyone : "I understand"

Then I walk approach me

Kiyone : "Welcome okyaku-sama"

Nagumo : "Hey, at least show me your smile Kiyone"

I decide to ignored his remark

Kiyone : "Please enter, let me show you to your seat"

Then we entered the cafe

Nagumo : *whistle* "Not bad"

Then I show him to his place. Satou face become stiffened and pale after look at us

Kiyone : "Here your seat okyaku-sama"

Nagumo : "Kiyone, I don't understand"

Kiyone : "Did I perhaps make a mistake okyaku-sama?"

Nagumo : "Is this some kind of play? What do you mean by showing me the exit door"

Kiyone : "It exactly like it"

Suddenly Horikita from behind tweak my ear

Kiyone : "...?!"

Horikita : "Stop joking, serve him properly"

Kiyone : "..."

Horikita : "Stop whining"

Kiyone : "I understand"

Since it become like this. Either I like it or not, I forced to serve him properly

After show him a vacant seat. He immediately seat with smirk.

Nagumo : "That's surely suitable role for you right, Kiyone? How about you become my personal maid after this?"

Kiyone : "Just hurry up and pick your order already"

I slipped up

Nagumo : "What?"

Kiyone : "Do you need any help okyaku-sama"

Nagumo : "Hmm, let see..."

He examine the menu, I think he took it too long

Nagumo : "Then...I'll choose this Darjeeling tea"

Kiyone : "Understood, please wait okyaku-sama"

I immediately run behind to inform the cook about the order

Not long enough the dish is ready and I serve it to Nagumo

Kiyone : "Here the tea, drink and go away after this"

Nagumo : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "Here your order okyaku-sama. Please enjoy to your fullest"

Nagumo : "Come on you need to be more sincere to me"

Kiyone : "Why should I bothered to give such treatment like that to you"

Nagumo : "Because I'm customer"

A simple word that got me checkmate. I could see his smug smile after winning small argument with me

Nagumo : "Now, repeat again Kiyone"

Kiyone : "Here your tea okyaku-sama. Do you need me to spill it for you?"

I said while shaking my hand with the intention to spill it for real

Nagumo : "Wait! What's wrong with you Kiyone? Just serve me properly"

Kiyone : "Do you want to add sugar and milk spilled into tea?"

I said while showing excessive amount of sugar and milk which about ready to spill on the tea

Nagumo : "Stop it! Why would you like so much to spill something on my drink?!"

Horikita send a glare to me

Nagumo : "Leave the tea alone in front of me"

Kiyone : "Such bothersome"

Nagumo : "Just do your job properly and stop to try spill anything!"

Kiyone : "Tch!"

Nagumo : "Stop complaining, just do your job"

Kiyone : "I'm truly sorry for my behavior okyaku-sama. I'm still clumsy and not used to it yet with my job"

Nagumo : "I'm pretty sure you just wanted to get me out from here"

Kiyone : "Exactly"

Nagumo : "What?"

Kiyone : "Nothing. So, may I get back now?"

Nagumo : "Serve the tea first!"

Kiyone : "Wow, its quite rare sight. Did you truly interested with our tea?"

Nagumo : "Oh please. Its not like I wanted to drink your tea or something. I don't care with the tea, I just wanted to see you to serve me. The tea means nothing. You know, this like an extra when you order something. So do it properly Kiyone"

With his smug smile he state it like that in front of me.

Huh?

Suddenly someone tap my shoulder

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Mii-chan : "Aya-chan, please. J-Just give him the tea. I'm not sure my heart could handle it anymore"

I don't quite understand what does the correlation between this and that. Its true that this Darjeeling tea was made by the recipe from Wang.

I reluctantly let him do as he please

Kiyone : "Here your order, okyaku-sama"

Nagumo : "You should've do that earlier Kiyone. Fufufu~"

I leave him alone on his seat while he is busy looking at his phone. Its probably thus photos about me with this maid uniform.

Horikita Suzune POV

I am dreaming.

A strange little dream. Nii-san, I and Ayanokouji-san were in the same class and were competing for class A. On my dream, Ayanokoji-san smile a lot and more cheerful. This is just like what Amasawa-san once described about her in the past. I wonder if this were truth or not

Kiyone : "What's wrong, do you had any problem?"

Horikita : "Ayanokoji...-san...?

Kiyone : "What's with that distant way to calling me? Just call me Kiyone like we usually did Suzune"

Horikita : "Just like we usually did...?"

Kiyone : "That's right, just tell me what's on your mind"

She ask with reassuring smile. Truly an expression that I can't imagine from her but Ayanokoji-san in my dream feels so real. This kind of warmth feeling that truly different from the reality we had

We all laughed together, ate together, played and faced each special exam. It was a dream so far from reality that I am sure It will hard to forget after waking up.

But it was comforting above anything. I wish I could dream on forever.

In my dream, Nii-san was especially talented and was leading our class. And I was beside him, supporting him. Ayanokouji-san looked like she did nothing, but she was supporting us both from the shadows like she usually do.

Before I knew it, several classmates started appearing. Sudou-kun, Hirata-kun, Kushida-san, Karuizawa-san. Before long, each of my classmates had become important to me. I am ashamed over remembering I once thought of them as hindrances.

And Yamada-kun? Ishizaki-kun? Ryuuen-kun? Sakayanagi-san? Ichinose-san? and the other were somehow also in our class...?

Well, lets just simply accept it for now

??? : "Thanks Horikita-san"

??? : "Hahaha, as expected of you Horikita"

Huh?

When I look behind toward the voice...

Horikita : "Sakura-san...? Yamauchi-kun...? You guys still here...?"

But it can't be helped since it's only a dream.

Horikita : "Nnn..."

I wanted to continue dreaming, but a cold wind from somewhere far away was trying to stop me.

Horikita : "No, don't..."

I shall graduate as class A. Even in my dream, this was still true.

I, together with Ayanokouji-san, Nii-san, my classmates...

Just a bit more, I want to see the rest of this dream...

My wish seems isn't granted, the prickling cold against my skin make me awake.

I slowly opened my eyes...

But my sight still blurry

No, that's not it...

Tears?

So I was crying in my dream?

Horikita : *sob* *sob*

I take the handkerchief from my pocket and wipe my tears

To prevent another tragedy like Sakura-san from ever happening again...

I have to move forward.

I will take another decisive step forward.

That's the only thing I can do after all.

Horikita : "... How long I have fallen asleep?"

I tried to forgot about the dream and pulled the chair back, standing up.

Horikita : "I thought I left the window open... perhaps just my imagination?"

The sun would soon set.

Let's go to sleep a bit earlier than usual, I thought and left the classroom.

Y2 Volume 8

The morning of the day of the school trip. Four buses in total gathered, and all the Second Year students in their personal clothes lined up.

The temperature was below 5 degrees this morning, and the cold wind was almost prickling my skin from time to time.

However, in Hokkaido, where we're headed now, the temperature will drop further.

Because of that, the school made sure that the students did not forget things such as gloves or coats.

The final checks of the luggage including clothing, and necessary items such as cell phones are finished.

Mashima : "First of all, I'm relieved that everyone made it to the school trip in good health."

Mashima-sensei, the teacher in charge of Second Year Class A spoke out thusly before we got onto the buses.

The homeroom class teachers in charge of the Second Year students boarded each of the four buses, with Mashima-sensei in number 1 and Chabashira-sensei in number 2. Sakagami-sensei with number 3, and Hoshinomiya-sensei with number 4.

Basically, it was in order from A Class to D Class.

Inside the bus. Everyone seems enthusiatic with this trip.

In the meantime, I checked the schedule on my phone.

The bus will head for Haneda Airport, and we'll disembark from a plane in Shinchitose Airport.

From then on, we'll get on the buses on location, and head for the ski place for the first day.

I quietly browsed the listing page of the groups. I can see the names of the eight people in my group, with group number six written there.

Suddenly Satou and Matsushita calling me over

Satou : "Hey yo~ Ayanokoji"

Matsushita : "Ayanokoji, did you even go to Hokkaido before?"

I shake my head

Matsushita : "I see"

Satou : "Well, isn't that great to come to the place which none of us gone there before. How about you Ayanokoji?"

Kiyone : "I want to go home"

Satou : "What?! Why?"

I showed them what I just saw on my phone. Its exactly about my group

Kitou Hayato and Yamamura Miki from Class A.

Ayanokoji Kiyone and Koenji Rokusuke from Class B.

Ryuuen Kakeru and Nishino Takeko from Class C.

Watanabe Norihito and Amikura Mako from Class D.

...

Nobody said anything

Suddenly they pat my back

Satou : "...Err...you know...k-keep spirit okay?"

Matsushita : "Don't worry Ayanokoji-san, if you feel lonely we will come to visit you"

Satou : "That's right, we can hang out together if you don't feel so good"

Well, thanks for their concern however I wonder if we were allowed to go outside aside from the task I wonder...

Second day

Yamamura, who had been slowly eating here finished her meal, and Nishino followed along with her, taking her tray.

Nishino : "I'll... go put my tray away."

The two of them came from the same stall, so they seemed to be going back together.

Huh? Where is Koenji? I'm pretty sure he was sat beside me before.

I put my hand on my forehead thinking that this probably the hardest group to handle with this boys being put together

Watanabe : "Ayanokoji, if you had some troubles don't hesitate to talk to me."

Kitou muttered so with a deep look in his eyes, perhaps thinking that Watanabe's way of asking was too naive. I wish he had said these words since the first day.

When Ryuen returned before long, Kitou took his gaze off of me.

Kitou : "You ran away from me, and switched to intimidating people from other classes?"

Ryuuen : "Huh? Heh, don't worry, Kitou. I'm going to make sure to bring you bastards and the Class A down too. I'll show you that, after all, Sakayanagi is just a passing point for me, and nothing else."

Kitou : "You can't defeat the Class A, you bastard."

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ We'll see."

Ryuen looked calm, or rather he was putting on a performance to look that way. He may be saying that he really believes he can win, but in truth there is nothing to back that up.

Of course, he might have information that I don't know, but, simply comparing abilities, Arisu is superior.

Kitou : "Don't say and wait till the end of the school year test, come at us any time."

Ryuuen : "Kitou, you bastard... you don't have the authority to do that, do you? You're just the loyal dog, so it's your master who'll get in trouble if you make careless remarks, you know?"

After being called a dog, Kitou stood up with his large hands on the table.

Kitou : "In the first place, I can defeat you alone by myself."

Ryuuen : "Oh? So scary~ So should we do it for a third time? Kukuku~"

Watanabe told me that they had pillows fight last night. And now this dispute still continued.

Watanabe : "Come on you two, get along. It's already been rumored that our group is quite dangerous."

Some of the normal customers in the vicinity were watching Ryuuen and Kitou in a strange way. It is only a matter of time before the faculty hears about the flashy things that continue to happen.

Watanabe : "Anyway, aren't Nishino-san and Yamamura-san being too slow?"

Kiyone : "Now that you say it..."

It shouldn't take more than a minute to get the tray back, but there's no sign of them coming back.

Noticing that Nishino and Yamamura did not return, Amikura decide to searches for them.

Mako : "Ah, there they are. But it looks like they're tangled with some boys I don't know."

In the crowded food court, Mako pointed in the direction of Nishino and Yamamura, surrounded by five men of student-like age.

They all look stern.

Mako : "H-Hey, that Nishino, is she in some trouble? Let's go help."

Kiyone : "We better not move with a lot of people. Things might get worse."

I had just issued such a warning, but they were already up from their seats.

The two, who would never listen to advice, went to Nishino and the others without even communicating their intent.

Kiyone : "I'll go there to see what happening"

I gave instructions not to move to Amikura and Watanabe. I caught up with Ryuuen and Kitou, who were heading to the scene with strong footsteps.

??? : "You won't even apologize for bumping my shoulder? I'm saying this ramen juice got my clothes dirty!"

Apparently, it was not Nishino who started the quarrel, but Yamamura, who was thought to have hit a man.

Nishino : "You didn't notice that Yamamura-san was walking here, so isn't it your fault?"

The men laughed teasingly at them

??? : "Oh, no, this woman is like a ghost, so I couldn't see her. Right?"

Yamamura : "...I'm really...sorry."

Yamamura apologized with a quiet voice. I'm sure this isn't her first or second apology.

But the men kept on standing and behaving as if they didn't hear.

??? : "We're here on a school trip from Gifu, you know, let's hang out. I'll forgive you then."

While Nishino was standing in front of Yamamura to protect her, the man forcibly grabbed her arm.

Nishino : "Huh? Are you kidding? Who would hang out with you guys?"

When she forcibly swung her arm, Nishino's palm lightly hit the man's cheek.

??? : "Ouch!"

The expression of the men who were laughing vulgarly all the time suddenly changed.

Shortly thereafter, one of the five men flew.

??? : "What the hell, you bastard!"

Ryuuen : "That's my line, dumbass. Do you have some business with my party?"

It was Ryuen who slammed a lavish kick into the man's back. Then, he immediately grabbed another man's chest and pulled him up.

Ryuuen : "Don't chirp like a damn bird in front of a woman."

??? : "What... I'll fucking kill you!"

Ryuuen : "Come on, try it. Shall I give you a shot? You want a souvenir from the school trip, don't you?"

Saying so, he tapped his own left cheek with his index finger.

??? : "Oh, then I won't refrain from hitting you!"

As he was told to, he swung his arm with force.

Kiyone : "Ah, that's..."

Don't think he'll actually let you hit him.

I can't give him that advice in time.

Seeing the vain movement of his opponent, Ryuuen grabbed the man's shoulders and slammed an intense knee kick into his abdomen.

Some students from the other school are on the ground, fainted from fear.

Ryuuen : "Looks like some interesting events happen even in a boring school trip like this."

When he said that. A group of several boys coming toward us

??? : "Did you bastard doing this to my friend?!"

Ryuen began to find joy in the situation that was meant to occur. To think that my first contact event in my life with another school, would turn out to be a disturbingly violent affair...

Kiyone : "W-Wait, th-this is misunderstanding. I-I mean we-"

But it seems the boys ignoring me

One of the men swung with a left and right punch with a strong grip.

There was no intention of a one on one fight, and the other side seemed to be trying to win with numbers.

Then, Kitou showed himself.

The other men were flustered by his expression and sense of intimidation, which were clearly not that of a high school student.

Amikura and Watanabe coming here as well to rescue Nishino and Yamamura to avoid this stupid fight

Nishino : "He's... he's going to help us, huh?"

While grabbing Yamamura's shoulders and protecting her, Nishino walked over and muttered so.

Watanabe : "Yamamura is Kitou's classmate. When he noticed her in a pinch, it's only natural he won't just ignore her."

Fortunately, they seemed to understand that it wasn't a good idea to keep fighting in the food court, so Ryuen and the others all walked outdoors.

Watanabe : "Shouldn't we call an adult?"

Mako : "No one can stop them now. So, it's better to avoid strangers' eyes and just engage with each other."

We were outnumbered, but the guys from the other side didn't look though much for them.

Suddenly there is another boys from their group who attempt to attack Watanabe from behind

Kiyone : "Watch out!"

I immediately run and give him jumping kick on his back to protect Watanabe

??? : "Ack-!"

The man who had fallen before immediately get up and set a dead lock on me

??? : "Damn you bitch! How dare you- Ack-!"

Suddenly behind him Koenji give him sleeper hold which make him fainted

Kiyone : "Koenji-kun?"

Watanabe : "Where the hell you've been Koenji?"

He simply ignoring our question and set interest to the fight between the boys from another school vs Ryuuen and Kitou

Koenji : "Well well, why nobody tell me that we had interesting game here?"

Kiyone : "Wait, Koenji-kun..."

Yes, without saying anything Koenji rush to join the fight

If those three team up, it shouldn't take long to finish them off.

It took about less than 10 minutes for them to return.

Ryuuen : "Is this over? Is this truly all of them?"

Kitou : "It seems so"

Suddenly thus two set a glare on Koenji. Even I can't understand what's going on here

Ryuuen : "Oi Koenji. Why the hell you got into our game?"

Koenji : "What are you talking about Dragon-boy? I just simply doing a little exercise here"

Ryuuen : "You steal my target bastard!"

Koenji : "Oh please, I'm sorry for that. Since I saw some of them being idle so I guess I'm going to take them down than let them just standing and watch the fight. Fufufu~"

Ryuuen : "Tch!"

Well, I'm not sure I understand. Both Ryuuen and Kitou take down 7 of them meanwhile Koenji beat 15 of them alone leave both Ryuuen and Kitou less people to take down.

While pulling the main guy who become the reason their fight broke behind them.

After that, Ryuen and Kitou made the initial 5 mens at first of conflict, sit down before Yamamura and Nishino. Under those boys intimidation, they beg for forgiveness.

It seems that Ryuen and Kitou thoroughly inflicted pain until their rebellious hearts broke...

This is a problem when seen in this way, but it may also be necessary for Yamamura and Nishino.

??? : "W-We were truly sorry! Please forgive us!"

The mens promised not to show themselves before the two again, and were set free.

Mako : *whistle* "This group's definitely not boring, huh?"

Watanabe : "Please don't said that"

I agree with Watanabe on this case

It was on evening

In the lobby suddenly Hirata calling me

Hirata : "Good evening Ayanokoji-san"

Kiyone : "Good evening Hirata-kun. Did you need something from me?"

His body seems hesitated a lot until he set firm and fixing his posture

Hirata : "There something I wanted to talk. Would you like to come together with me?"

Is this about that? Satonaka said that Hirata probably talk about 'that' but he might be wrong

/

This place isn't far from the inn and also none of people seems to passed this way

Kiyone : "What's the matter?"

I looked at him, wondering.

Hirata : "Ayanokoji-san...I...I..."

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Hirata : "Ahem! Well...where should I started..."

Kiyone : "Did it truly that important which is needed this kind of spot to talk?"

After that he become relaxed

Hirata : "Ahaha, I should've known what kind of person you are. Alright I'll get to the point..."

He took a deep breath

Hirata : "Ayanokoji-san. I love you, please go out with me"

Eh? Eh?

Wait, but how...?

Why? No- Moreover how could Satonaka prediction spot on

That's not it. I'm not ready at all!

This is...

So confusing...

Hirata : "Ayanokoji-san...?"

Kiyone : "Sorry, give me a minute to sorted out my mind..."

Hirata : "S-Sure..."

Then I look straight toward Hirata's face and he immediately averted his eyes and blushed

Kiyone : "You are...seriously love someone like me?"

He slowly nodded

I grab one of his hand. He seems bewildered when I touch him.

I grab his right hand with both of my hand. Then I lean my head toward his chest. Of course he surprised but he stand still without questioning me or try to move me away

I tried to detect his impulse, heartbeat or anything else to figure out that he had no other meaning and it was his pure intension without any hidden meaning behind this

After that I release myself from him

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun...what do you saw on me? Why are you choosing me from all the girl you know?"

Hirata : "That's..."

He tried to utter his answer however...

Hirata : "I don't know...I guess it just happened...yeah...just like that. Like why are you liking ice cream so much maybe..."

Kiyone : "I see...it something that can't be described easily with word huh?"

...

Long silence

The question is what I saw from Hirata. Honestly...I don't know. At first I though that he is just another tools which I could use to make the class keep in control however lately the trust I had on him keep piling up...

Of course I didn't tell about myself or my past to anybody here aside the one who already know me like Amasawa and Arisu

Kiyone : "You know...its first time I get confessed like this...I know that this could be easily answered by yes or no...but still..."

Hirata : "I'm sorry, does this action of mine burdened you so much...?"

I nodded

Kiyone : "I don't want you to get the wrong idea of it. Your courage and feeling, I already grasped it but the question itself lie on me. Am I truly worthy to be loved by someone else especially someone like you?"

Hirata : "Ayanokoji-san, what are you talking about?"

Kiyone : "I'm pretty sure you already grasped more or less about myself. I'm cold, selfish, and probably someone who complete opposite of you. I can't even think that I had the right being loved. I'm worst person, you'll only find so much sorrow if you love me since I doubt that I could bring happiness to you...I..."

Hirata : "Ayanokoji-san"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Hirata : "If you tell one of your bad side. I could tell twice your good side. If you tell 5 bad side of yours, I'll tell 10 goodness of you. Please, don't undermines yourself. Everyone had the right to be loved. And you are no exception as well"

Kiyone : "Is that so...? So basically you like me just the way I am"

He nodded

Since it come to like this

Kiyone : "I see...then..."

This time I give my honest answer

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun. Thank you for loving someone like me."

I expressed my gratitude.

Kiyone : "But, I'm sorry. I... I cannot answer your feelings."

That was the conclusion that I came up with.

Hirata : "Oh, I see... if it's okay... could you tell me the reason?"

Kiyone : "The reason... yes...This current situation isn't suitable for it. I had several problem which I didn't like to let unrelated person got involved..."

This one isn't lie. Whiteroom, my father, my future...

Everything so vague which is why I can't drag him to get involved with me.

I don't want him to be my weakness and also I don't want me to be his weakness

Long silence

Hirata : "I see...Well, I won't pry if you don't want to talk about it..."

After hearing it, I began to leave

But suddenly I wanted to convey it. Thinking that I had no chance to tell him about it again.I halt my step and he look at me with confused expression

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun! I'm sorry I can't tell you anything about this. But if your feeling for me stay still for 15 years- no, for 10-years later still same as today, I will probably accept it..."

He's blushing

Kiyone : "I can't give a promised to you and you also had the very right to abandoned me and my feeling. I won't complain at all about it. That's why until that day come...My answer still same for now...Good night Hirata-kun..."

I bow to him and walked away leaving him in daze

What do you think about this plot ideas this time?

X : ZZZZzzzzz

Y : Can we just start Volume 4 already?

Sorry, this will be last time. Next post will be volume 4

Volume 4 : Prologue

??? POV

In the end, even after I entered this school. Nothing had changed.

No, perhaps it was that I had no intention of changing anything from the start. For better or for worse, it was the same as that time. The reason for that was very simple. I understand myself more than anyone else does. Both my strengths and my weaknesses, I know them all. I know none of the boys and none of the girls like me. Even though I understood that clearly I didn't think to change. But it doesn't matter. Because I had long since stopped perceiving it as hurtful. Because I myself wanted this.

As I got out of the shower attached to the student rooms, I looked at myself in the mirror while water droplets accumulated on my skin. How many, just how many times, have I wanted to smash this mirror into pieces? Every time I see wounds of the past in it, I'm reminded of my horrid past.

Suddenly feeling dizzy and nauseated, I quickly put my hands on the sink and vomit into it.

??? : "Blergh-!"

Why?

Why am I looked at with such eyes?

Why?

Why do I have to suffer like this?

Why?

Why?

Why?

I repeated the same question to myself countless times. Words that no longer carried any meaning. The past is immutable. I cannot change anyone or anything from the past anymore.

God has been very cruel to me. My very personality was destroyed by the nightmare of that time, I had also lost my youth, my friends and myself to it.

I need to correct that mistake now.

No matter how much they hate me, it's still better than suffering that again.

Yes. I don't need 'youth'.

I don't need 'friends'.

The most important thing is that I protect myself.

I will do whatever I must to ensure that.

I am...a parasite. A weak creature incapable of surviving on its own.

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Three days have passed since the the test on the uninhabited island.

On the luxurious cruise ship our school provided us with, nothing of note was happening and there a peaceful lull had set in. For students still in the primetime of their youth, having to undergo survival on an island like that, most would lose their rational judgment.

Right now I'm talking with an acquintance of mine

Kiyone : "I see, so there is a mole inside your class huh?"

Satonaka : "That's it. Well, for Katsuragi who supposed to be cautious. Making deal with Ryuuen is totally a blunder for him. I wonder, does he desperate so much that he even though about making deal with him?"

Kiyone : "To think that he got betrayed from both side. Somehow I kinda pity him..."

Satonaka : "Anyway, its impressive that your class managed to get 1st position. How you guys do that- No, how you guys deceived Ryuuen?"

I take sip

Kiyone : *slurp* "I'm not quite understand myself. It was all Horikita-san doing. Honestly I don't even understand how it ended up like this. I just simply following her order"

Satonaka : "Hee~ Is she truly that awesome like you said?

Long silence...

Satonaka : "Well, I guess since you won't talk about that to me. I won't pry about it anymore" *glup*

Kiyone : "Oh!"

Satonaka : "Huh? What's wrong?"

I pointed on bunch of girls who seems looking for someone

Satonaka : "Oh crap! Just gimme a break please..."

GLUP! GLUP! GLUP!

He hurried to finish his drink in one gulp

Satonaka : "Heh~! Then, lets talk again when we had a chance. See you later Ayanokoji"

Kiyone : "Take care"

He immediately move to avoid being detected by the girls

Now, once again I'm alone

Yamauchi : "Look Kanji, there's paradise straight in front of us!"

Ike : "Yeah Haruki, lets enjoy our youth together"

Several class D boys : "Yeah!!!"

Following behind Ike and Yamauchi lead, the other boys followed them behind

At the end of the day, the boys are still little more than beasts and sexually active carnivores. As they watched the girls who were dilly-dallying their time away, the boys collectively began to expect a destined experience with the girls. This is still a luxurious cruise ship where you can lose yourself in a dreamlike world and forget about everything bad. Even if people were to fall in love here it wouldn't be strange at all.

Besides, I've already heard quite a few stories of students hooking up with each other on this cruise and new couples being born every other day. Unfortunately, that sort of encounter is unlikely to happen around me and I continue to spend this time alone in solitude. My situation is the same as it was before the island test.

Perhaps the environment around me did change? Even though it was against my will, I was still forced to change my original trajectory after entering this school. Initially, I chose to enter this school for a very specific reason.

'Contact with the outside until graduation is forbidden'

That one school rule was the reason I entered. Right now, 'a certain mysterious man' is attempting to contact me from the outside. Chabashira-sensei was the one who informed me of this. Furthermore, she's blackmailed me into helping her take the class to A Class by threatening to forcibly expel me if I did not comply. It would've been a stupid story otherwise, but lacking the power to refuse, I was forced to go along with it. I have no way of ascertaining the truth of her claims, so I decided to play it safe by assuming it to be true.

But I will not be blackmailed by her forever. For now, I will gather the necessary information and depending on the circumstances I will have to make the first move. A sweet devil whispers this into the back of my head.

'Get them before they get you'

That's all I need to do. But that sort of violent thought was only for a moment, I soon return to my normally pacifistic way of thinking.

'If only I had the power to punch the Earth's axis out of balance'

I thought. If I could only do that, there'd be no need to worry about such trivial things. Saying that, I daydreamed about living in the world based on certain novel I read.

The students were uneasy at first after the test ended thinking something more would come. But nothing happened. The cruise was serene, peaceful and enjoyable. Almost as if summer vacations were already upon us. Naturally, the students switched into a festive mood. During this two-week trip it seems the latter week would be nothing but a continuous, luxurious vacation for the students.

The students were especially relaxed since the island test had just ended. And it's not exactly a bad thing. The fact that students were able to stay calm during the test itself is the reason we were able to get good results.

??? : "Ah here you are Ayanokoji-chan!"

Kiyone : "Sakura-san?"

She is one of student who is my fellow room mate

Sakura : "I though you were enjoying yourself with the other"

Kiyone : *sigh* "I don't like crowd, I don't like attracted attention as well. I'm already happy living as background character which nobody care about"

Sakura : "Pfftt- You always like being so inconspicuous huh?"

Kiyone : "Is it wrong if I like to live that way?"

Sakura : "N-Not at all...It just...well, unlike you. I'm shy and not very good when interact with the other who I considered as stranger. You know, even I wanted to be like Kushida-san..."

Please don't, even being angel could be tiring. Source? Trust me, I ask the so called person by myself

Kiyone : "I don't understand"

Sakura : "Well, I already expected that kind of answer for you. We are both a loner in the class, the difference is you choose to be incognito while I'm having a hard time to communicate with the other. Whenever I meet stranger I immediately feel anxiety and it even worse if they are male..."

Kiyone : "Well...honestly I can't give any advice to you. Simply put, I don't understand your situation or how is it to imaginated myself as you..."

This one isn't lie though. I mean why would she decide to become gravure idol if she didn't wanted to get male attention and also why would she wanted to become someone like Kushida if she's not good at dealing with stranger?

Sakura : "Then I though that you are also strange person as well"

Kiyone : "Am I?"

She nodded

Sakura : "Ayanokoji-chan behavior can be categorized as cold person however for someone who interacted less with the other you're somehow more perceptive and understood the other easily than someone else I once meet. Ayanokoji-chan...is it true that you had nobody that you could called friend in the past?"

While pondering for a while...

Well it would be better if I didn't gave her any clue about my past, that man, or that place

Kiyone : "That's right"

Sakura : "I see..."

Long silence

Sakura : "A-Ano..."

Kiyone : "Hmm?"

Sakura : "...Etto...from Ayanokoji-chan perspective, what is the definition about friend?"

Kiyone : "Friend? Isn't that obvious? Let see, friend isa person known well to another and regarded with liking, affection, and loyalty...Err...an intimate person...an acquaintance or associate. Something like that..."

Now, why do I feel confused as well to answer such simple question as well

Sakura : "Is that so? Then, doesn't that mean I'm not your friend?"

Kiyone : "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Sakura : "I mean, isn't that me who thought one sided about it? I mean, Ayanokoji-chan never relied on me as if that you don't actually need me or saw me as worthy person either..."

Kiyone : "Wait, is that how you saw me all along?"

Sakura : "...W-Well...its not like I wanted you to relied on me or something, it just that I hope that you could opened yourself more to me..."

Kiyone : "Impossible"

Sakura : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "S-Sorry...it just...I don't like to talk about my past to anyone, no matter how close we are one day.Sorry, I hope you understand about this..."

Sakura : "N-No, it was me who should apologize for make you feel uncomfortable..."

Long silence

Sakura : "...You know...I will still try to understand you even if you won't talk about your past to anyone else. I don't know if you also feel the same way to me...but I think that Ayanokoji-chan is someone precious to me as well..."

She immediately stand up

Sakura : "I'm sorry for talking something weird out of sudden...I... I'm going to rest in the room, excuse me..."

She immediately leave

I look at her from behind while also pondering something...

Am I cold person?

I mean, because Sakura personality were like that. I do believe her honesty when she told me about that, however why would she tried to get closer toward someone that she described herself as 'cold person' ?

Noon

And my activity doesn't seems much diverse for what I did on yesterday

(Ayanokoji casual outfit)

I'm sitting here on the deck on second floor. From my position, I could see the students does seems enjoy this summer on pool meanwhile I'm alone while observing them like usual

Kiyone : *slurp* "This coconut drink seems sweeter than I thought..."

The students were especially relaxed since the island test had just ended. And it's not exactly a bad thing. The fact that students were able to stay calm during the test itself is the reason we were able to get good results.

??? : "Ayanokoji-san? Have you been here this whole time?".

From behind, my fellow classmate, Hirata Yousuke, was the one who called out to me.

Kiyone : "Yes...Did you need something from me?"

Hirata : "I'm planning to go out with Karuizawa-san at 12:30 to have lunch together. Would you like to tag along with us. I'm sure it'll be fun to have you with us"

No no no! How could I ruin your date!

Kiyone : "I don't think it'll be fun. Isn't that the reason why Karuizawa asked you to have lunch with her so you could enjoy your time only you and her together?"

Hirata : "Not exactly, there are 3 other girls that will be with us. Are you still won't join with us?"

I wonder how could Karuizawa-san allowed the other to get closer with him as well. I mean during the exam on the deserted island she's truly glaring and keep an eyes on me whenever I and Hirata together.

But still, if I have to admit the truth. I've been wanting to talk a bit with Karuizawa for a while now as one of the major girls leader groups in the class.

But...there's no need to hurry. Besides with other who tagging along with us make it hard to initiate a conversation with her and I definitely won't be able to liven up the lunch.

Kiyone : "I'll have to pass. I don't think I'll get along with Karuizawa-san's group after all"

With the completion of our 1st semester, the relationships between classmates have already been set in stone. There's no way I can build a new relationship with someone else at this point. I can already imagine Karuizawa-san's and her group would be dislike me.

Hirata suddenly sat down the vacant seat near me, having realized that I did not want to initiate new relationships with people.

I look on my phone screen and it indicate 12:19 now

Hirata : "I can understood what you would be reluctant, but I want you to depend on me"

Hirata was ready to help anytime and anywhere with that pleasant face. I thankfully decline his offer with a shake of my head.

Kiyone : "10 minutes to go before your promised lunch, I think you should leave me now"

Hirata : "There's no need to hurry, besides I think it's fun being with you like this now"

Hirata quickly replies. At first glance you may think I'm simply trying to sound strong or making excuses, but I'm actually quite satisfied with my current situation. Of course, when I first came here, I was thinking I'd be able to make 100 friends and went in with that kind of determination. But that momentum quickly died down.

Although I was able to make several connection with the other classmate. All in all, my social school life isn't doing so bad, I can be convinced of that. But the guy named Hirata was unable to leave a classmate wallow in loneliness like this. I even wonder why he suddenly being pushy like this

Hirata : "Then how about we have lunch just the two of us together, will you be happy with that?"

This time I look at him with frown

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun, you need to consider more about Karuizawa-san's feelings"

Hirata : "Its ok, I can eat with Karuizawa-san whenever I want. But Ayanokouji-san, I have limited opportunities to interact with you"

Kiyone : "I don't know what's wrong with you but don't make Karuizawa-san to hate me later on"

I tell him in an attempt to politely decline his invitation. It seems it managed to work by appealing to Hirata's conscience.

Hirata : "Its ok, Karuizawa-san isn't the type to be angry at you for something like that"

No, no. Karuizawa's definitely that type of girl I thought. Even if she pretends to be docile in front of Hirata, she's definitely the dominant type when dealing with the other girls. Perhaps she hasn't revealed that side of her to Hirata? I thought.

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun, a gyaru-like girl like her isn't kind enough to let go off me once I crossed path with her. Please just leave me alone if you only want to talk nonsense like that to me"

Hirata : "I think I'll cancel the lunch with Karuizawa-san after all"

He quickly pulls out his mobile and calls Karuizawa.

I tried to stop him while holding his hand.

Karuizawa : "Moshi-moshi? Hirata? Hello? Are you there?"

Because I hold his hand that he left the call hanging on like that.

I guess it about time to force him to tell his intention

Kiyone : "Can you just stop beating around the bush? Just tell me what do you wanted"

Hirata : "Alright"

He then tried to tell to Karuizawa

Hirata : "Karuizawa-san? Sorry I was hanging the call"

Karuizawa : "Its alright, so what happened? Why did you suddenly calling me? Wait, could it be we were going to cancel our lunch together?"

Hirata : "Ahahaha, don't worry. Nothing like that. I might be a bit late to come so you could just wait for me on the restaurant. I'll go there once I'm done with my bussiness."

Karuizawa : "Okay, please don't make me wait too long Hirata. I'll gonna miss you a lot"

Hirata : "That's too much exaggarating isn't it, Karuizawa-san? Don't worry, I'll be there for you my love"

Karuizawa : "Okay Hirata. I love you too"

Is that how couple flirting but why does his expression isn't look so sincere? As if it just lip service from him...

I guess to leave him alone then, its not good to pry each other relationship without their permission

Hirata : "Ahem! So, where are we?"

Kiyone : "I want you to tell your actual reason to bother me here"

Hirata : "Oh, that's right. Thank you for your cooperating during the island test I cannot thank you enough, Ayanokouji-san. You even helped me look for the culprit"

Kiyone : "I already told the credit belongs to Horikita-san. She's the one who found the culprit that stole the underwear. I just simply following her instructions"

I quickly tell him in response.

Hirata : "Of course that is true, but I still want to thank Ayanokouji-san who cooperated with me without reservation"

Speaking of underwear, there's still something I want to ask him. I looked around to see if there were any people around.

Kiyone : "Did you return Karuizawa-san's underwear to her yourself?"

Hirata : "Yeah, after all Ibuki-san was the culprit so she was able to accept it smoothly"

The underwear I was talking about was the theft incident during the island test where the underwear of Karuizawa Kei, was stolen and things quickly became turbulent. Especially since the underwear case lead the suspicion toward boys, the relationship between the boys and the girls became strained after that.

But Hirata managed to resolve it by returning the underwear and figuring out the culprit. In either case, all turned out well. It was a delicate situation so was I worried about what could've happened.

I was worried that even if it's Hirata, returning a girl's stolen underwear could've turned out badly. The fact that he was able to smoothly return a girl's underwear to her might mean that he's already climbed the steps to adulthood. I guess a smooth talker boy who surrounded by his harem at least could resolved this kind of thing with his own experience

From the elevator in the cruise ship to the deck, students seemed to be enjoying their summer vacation in their favourite dresses.

There was also an on-board pool nearby both male and female students were boldly wearing swimsuits and swimming in the pool. Since the tension of the test had come undone, this was inevitable. It might have been that the pent-up rebellious desire of the students that was suppressed during the island test finally came free to result in this situation.

This was compounded by the fact that you do not need to pay any points for use of the facilities provided by the cruise including food and drinks. Regardless of your points, the above things are all free. Of course, you'd still need to pay to loan swimsuits and other swimming equipment but aside from that, everything else is free.

Kiyone : "Well, sorry for asking something obvious like that so can you tell me the reason now?"

Hirata : "Okay. To be honest...I have something I'd like to talk to you about"

Hirata's voice apologetically asked me that.

Kiyone : "What is it? I may not be the best listener but...do you have the short version of it?"

Is this some kind of hard request? Well, depend on circumtance I'll gonna help him or not. I'm neither a good speaker nor a good listener so that's the reason I asked for the condensed version of it.

Hirata : "I would like you to be the bridge between me and Horikita-san, I think Horikita-san will be an indispensable person for our class in the future and I would like very much to work together with her"

Then I changed my posture since he is actually talk about serious topic here

Hirata kept talking while apologizing to me

Hirata : "Even the other day, it was thanks to Horikita-san's efforts that our class won an unexpected victory. The morale of the class is soaring. I think the number of students who like Horikita-san has also gone up which is a huge change from before"

Kiyone : "Well, that's good I guess"

She's supposed to be a solitary person with no friends at all. The only skill she has is the ability to be a honors student in the academic sense. But her weakness, in exchange, is that she is bad at interpersonal skills and often has a demanding attititude which causes difficulties when socializing. People who don't know her well might have wrong idea about her... Or maybe not

Hirata : "Right now, I feel like if me, her, and everyone else working together. Climb up to higher class isn't a pipe dream"

If I'd heard this story from anyone else I'd have brushed it aside as a convenient story. But Hirata once brought up the matter of Horikita from the start of the semester. From the start, he must have sensed the potential that Horikita had.

I don't sense any ill will from Hirata. I don't mind helping him out in this regard, the task itself is relatively simple. But even if I can bring Hirata and Horikita together. But that alone won't solve the problem.

Kiyone : "But even if you I bridge the gap between you and Horikita-san, it won't go over that easily, Horikita-san's just that type of person. She is somewhat quite stubborn and I always feel exhausted whenever I do following her demands"

Even if I try to mend the relationship between Horikita and Hirata it will only appear to her as unnecessary interference. If she feels that way, she might actually widen the gap between her and the rest of the class in response. Her interactions with Kushida at the start of the first semester is proof of that fact.

Hirata : "Of course I do understand that fact, Horikita-san will not open herself up to anyone but Ayanokouji-san. I don't intend on forcing this issue, that is why I would like you to be the bridge that connects my existence to Horikita-san's"

I'm supposed to tell this to Horikita is what he's saying. That means vice versa, I will also need to relay Horikita's feelings on the matter back to Hirata.

Indeed, if I act as Hirata's medium, Horikita won't have to work together with the rest of the class and we can build an invisible bridge of cooperative relationships.

Kiyone : "It's easier said than done, She's often ignore my words, so I doubt that it would gonna works on first try but do you perhaps had better idea to crushed her superiority complex."

Hirata : "Hmm, right now I don't have any better ideas. Even if I were to talk to Horikita-san about this right now, I don't have the confidence that I'd be able to convince her to work together with us. This is my last resort, although it seems that Ayanokoji-san herself also had such hard time with her as well"

Kiyone : "Isn't it a bit premature to be resorting to last resorts at this point?"

I certainly understand now his desire to work together with Horikita. But if so, he has no choice but to directly approach Horikita on the matter. I do understand that doing this might be difficult for him, but working together with others as a team is also equally difficult.

Hirata should have been able to realize something as obvious as this. He's the one who cares about this class and thinks about it and cherishes the bonds of friendship among it the most. But there's still one question left regarding him.

Back on the island, he seemed almost to be afraid of something and losing sight of himself. I still remember the strange behavior Hirata had back on the island. When the unity of our Class was compromised by the incident, he seemed to have almost been 'empty'. That is not normal behavior.

Long silence...

Since he said nothing I took a glance on the lower floor below

Students were swimming in the pool on the deck while others were eating while still in their swimsuits. The mood amongst the students seemed to be a festive one. If Ike and Yamauchi were here, they'd be drooling more at the girls' swimsuits

Hirata : "Yeah, like Ayanokouji-san said, my plan may have been a poorly thought-out one"

He finally broke the silence

He's also honest to a fault and able to recognize his own mistakes in rational judgments quickly. That is one of Hirata's strengths. But it seemed his desire to cooperate with Horikita was stronger after all since he didn't show any signs of giving up on persuading me.

Hirata : "It seems I'll have to rethink my approach, Horikita-san is a very serious type of person. How did you manage to befriend with her Ayanokouji-san?"

In order to strengthen his relationship with Horikita, it seems like Hirata wants to befriend her first by asking me for advice. I think that's the right attitude to take and if there's something I can do I'd like to lend him a hand.

Kiyone : "I already told you right? It's not like I'm getting along with Horikita-san well or anything too, she doesn't even recognize me as a friend"

Hirata : "But it seems like Horikita-san mostly talk with you, Ayanokouji-san".

So that makes me special because I'm the only one able to talk properly with that one person. Or perhaps that's something a boy who's easily able to befriend 40 people says. Because of the frustration he feels from not being able to befriend this one particular person. I just afraid that Hirata probably are the same kind like Kushida inside

Kiyone : "Don't be so impatient, we've just finished the first semester you know?"

The cohesion of the class is directly correlated to the time spent together. Or in some cases, when they're pitted suddenly in harsh conditions like during the island test. Of course you can force cohesion in the class by acting towards your fellow classmates but that sort of cohesion is very fragile and easily crumbles away.

Kiyone : "I should also add that Horikita-san is not the type who wanted to make friends"

I said it simply so that Hirata could understand that the fastest.

Hirata : "...that might be true"

Perhaps he might have been impatient on that regard but Hirata's face showed a reaction.

Hirata : "I admit I wasn't thinking of her feelings but rather only my own desire for cooperation"

Hirata told me with a smile while nodding. I'm sure he understands now.

Hirata : "I'm sorry, I made you listen to my selfish request"

Kiyone : "Its alright, anyway its 12:41 now. She'll going mad if you make her wait more longer"

Hirata : "I guess so"

He stand up

Hirata : "Thanks for your time Ayanokoji-san. Until next time"

He walk away

I guess that's one of the downsides of making too many friends. You lose the time you could spend on yourself by having to spend it on others. Even if Hirata has any personal problems he needs to consult someone on, I'm sure he cannot ask Karuizawa for advice so he'll have to keep them shut up inside.

I just hope that he wouldn't be turned out like Kushida. Or even if he does, I just hope I won't saw that kind of side from him as well. Yup just like they said, ignorance is bliss

Hello guys! I'm back!

With this we started The 4th Volume

Honestly I do think that this volume somehow kinda short /

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Some story to share here LOL

X : You can use AI to generated an art. All you need to do just put a prompt on it and poof you got the illustration you wanted to. Come on, its easy to use

Me :
Ok

Also me tried to figured out what AI described about my artwork :

The f*ck man! How am I supposed to generate the picture which am I wishing for?!

Volume 4 : A Sudden Special Exam and Special Exam Rules

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Right now I'm having a lunch with Kushida

Honestly I just about to go alone but we met on the way so she decide to tagged along with me. Well, its not like I had any reason to deny or accept her. I just let her choose what she wanted to

Kushida : "I guess that this is truly first class of service. But, did you perhaps used to eat this kind of dish?"

Kiyone : "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Kushida : "You can't deceived me you know. The way you ate with your table manners truly indicated that you are indeed from rich family. Does you always had this kind of moments before"

Kiyone : "No comment here. I don't want to caused unnecessary rumor. Right now just treat me as Ayanokoji Kiyone from class D."

Kushida : "Fine then, 4-eyes freak from class D."

I just wonder that is she perhaps hate me or not? It was truly an attempt to insult me but her gesture to natural just like we had a normal girls talk.

Then, we finished our lunch

Kushida : "Then, since I'm full I'll be off. See you later Aya-chan~ -Huh?!"

Just as she said that, both Kushida's and my phones vibrated at the same time. Even in silent mode the tone still rang out clearly, this must be important instructions sent by the school to all students.

Kushida : "What is this?"

Despite the various instructions we've received after starting school, this is the first time we were contacted in such a manner. This summer vacation is the first time receiving instructions like this. At the same time, an announcement started over the ship's speakers.

??? : "This is an announcement to all students, you will have received a mail to your phones earlier. Check the contents of the mail and follow those instructions closely. If you have not received the mail, please contact your nearest available faculty member. This is a very important announcement so please make sure to not miss it. I repeat—"

The voice repeated the message.

Kiyone : "...It is about the mail we received just now?"

Kushida : "Probably".

The message from the school arrived to both our phones simultaneously after all. The following was written on the mail in my phone:

Unknown :

A special examination will be starting soon. Gather at the designated time in the designated rooms. Students who are more than 10 minutes late for the meeting will receive a penalty. Go to room 204 on the second floor by 18:00 today. Since there is only 20 minutes left until then, please wash your hands and keep your phone in silent mode or turn it off entirely.

So it's going to be a 'special test'. This is not going to be like the paper examinations we received nor a physical fitness test. Just like the island test, this is something normal schools wouldn't do. Only our school would test us in such a way.

Nothing else about the exam was written. Is it something we can infer from the mail or is the exam itself still unknown. Either way, there's only one way to find out. The gathering point seems to be room 204 at 18:00. There's only 20 minutes in between.

Kushida : "Hey, Let me see your mail?"

I show it to her. She shows me her message too, but despite the basic structure being the same, the gathering point for her was two rooms down from mine and the gathering time was 20:40 instead of 18:00 like mine

Kushida : "I wonder why they'd give us such strange instructions? Do you had any ideas?"

Kiyone : "...No clue".

The only certain thing in my mind was a bad feeling I had about this.

Kushida : "Well, since we still had a time before the meeting. Would you like to hangout with me for a while?"

Kiyone : "Sorry, I refuse. I just want to take a rest on my room"

Kushida : "Is that so? Well, until next time"

She leave

I never expected our cruise to have this sort of exam set up, but it seems to be reality indeed. Giving us free reign to pursue movie theaters, party venues and buffet restaurants all of our own volition. I tried looking back on all that to attempt to guess the contents of this mysterious examination, unfortunately, I was unable to gather any clue.

Huh? I got another message

From Horikita?

Hmm, I truly aware that I reject her cooperation offer but...

Horikita :

Did you receive a mail from the school just now?

Kiyone :

I did.

So?

Horikita :

I need your cooperation

Please

This is important

Kiyone :

Don't you understand that I don't like to do what you told me to do anymore?

Horikita :

I'm aware of it

I do understand that you had trust issue with me

Especially after my huge mistake at that time

I won't ask you to abide toward my demands

Some information exchange this time would be enough

Kiyone :

Okay

So, what do you wanted to know?

I was appointed to meet at 18:00

Horikita :

Mine's at 20:40.

It looks like our gathering times are assigned differently

Kiyone : "I see. At 20:40 huh?"

The same meeting time as Kushida. I briefly wondered if they were going to split up the boys and the girls. But that can't be, I was told in my mail that the exam starts at 18:00.

Horikita :

I'm curious about this difference in starting times

This could give rise to a feeling of unfairness between the students of different groups

Kiyone :

I can't say for sure at this point

Horikita :

There are things I'd like to discuss further but there's no time it seems.

Since your gathering time is earlier.

Please make sure to report back to me

Kiyone :

I understand

I replied to her. I then shut my cell phone off.

Its about time

I received a mail from the school giving me the designated meeting point and location. 5 minutes before the designated time I arrived at my destination. Room 204 on the second floor. Students in the corridor were all shuffling into their respectively assigned rooms. I could not identify each and every one of them, but students passed by me back and forth and went into their assigned rooms.

Kiyone : "Students from other classes, huh?"

I thought of waiting outside the room at first but thinking again, I thought the meeting might have already started inside without me and so I hurried towards the room. I gave a knock and received a quick reply.

??? : "Enter"

Apparently I'd been given permission to enter, I then stepped into the room. There I saw the homeroom teacher for Class A Mashima-sensei sitting on a chair. There were two male students sitting before Mashima-sensei as well. Both were from Class D and people I recognized.

Sotomura : "Ah~ So one of the remaining 2 from our group is Ayanokoji-dono. Kopo~!"

The student that let out this declaration ending with this strange onomatopoeia was none other than Sotomura. A geek-type boy from our class who is as otaku as he looks like. A person familiar with machinery and history as well as other bits and pieces of trivia although he unexpectedly is bad at communication.

Yukimura : "Isn't this strange, Ayanokoji?"

The one who asked me that question was the one sitting next to Sotomura. Sotomura and Yukimura. I never really noticed the relationship between them. Looking back I wondered how their particular friendship started.

Mashima : "What are you doing? Have a seat"

Kiyone : "S-Sorry..."

I was instructed to sit by Mashima-sensei. As such, I sat silently on vacant seat in front of Yukimura who himself sat beside Sotomura. The strange thing that slightly worried me was that there was another chair right beside me that was still empty. It seems to be that we were being put into groups of four students from the same class with one teacher supervising us.

Mashima : "There's one more person who will be joining us, we will quietly wait for this student to arrive first"

Mashima-sensei told us. Judging from the tone he told us this with, this person being late is not much of a problem even if we have to wait. Of course, to ensure fairness for all students, it makes sense to give us the explanation for the exam when all members of the group are gathered.

Regardless of whether it is a written exam or surviving on an uninhabited island this remains the same. However, this exam seems as though it will be taking place in this small room. What is the meaning of this, I wondered. Or perhaps I'm just worrying too much about this. In either case, I'll be getting my answers as soon as the last member of our group arrives.

Sitting down in the chair, I thought there was no need for further conversation until then. Waiting for our last member, a heavy silence fell upon us. The scheduled time is already here so personally I'd like for our last member to show up as quickly as possible. The ticking of the clock was the only sound that filled the room.

Soon the clock hand struck 18:00 and Mashima-sensei looked at the clock only once before a knock was heard on the door. Like in my case, the teacher told the person to enter.

??? : "Excuse me"

A voice was heard as the last member of our group joined us at last.

It was Karuizawa Kei who came into the room and sat down in the chair next to me.

Karuizawa : "Eeeh...why are Yukimura-kun and the others here?"

That's what I'd like to know too. I was feeling slightly embarrassed at this point. Sotomura wasn't thinking about the situation at all but Yukimura seemed slightly strange.

Mashima : "I thought the mail told the students to all be punctual, you're late"

Mashima-sensei reprimanded Karuizawa.

Karuizawa : "Sorry"

Karuizawa seemed to be dissatisfied by Mashima-sensei's words and our existence in general. My eyes met Karuizawa's for a moment and she quickly lifted her chair and placed some distance between us.

Karuizawa : "Tch!"

Even if it's just 1cm of increased distance between us, I felt slightly depressed she hated the idea of being close to me.

Mashima : "Sotomura, Yukimura, Ayanokoji and Karuizawa. I will now explain the contents of the special exam"

Mashima-sensei told us. I was able to somewhat guess this would be the case from the mail we received, but I was slightly curious as to what the exam itself would be.

But the team makeup of 4 students and 1 teacher was still confounding me. I had a troublesome feeling regarding this exam.

Karuizawa : "Ok, wait a minute. I don't understand what the meaning of this is, what do you mean by explaining the exam? The exam's already over right? And what are these people doing here? Isn't this strange?"

Karuizawa immediately shot off a barrage of questions towards Mashima-sensei. I wondered if she can't just keep quiet for a while. I thought to myself if she even bothered to read the mail properly before coming here.

Mashima : "I'm not going to be answering any more questions at this stage, so listen quietly"

Mashima-sensei instantly responded to Karuizawa like that while glaring at her sternly.

Obviously, the faculty teachers had no intention of answering such questions at this point. Mashima-sensei is seen as being a cold and strict teacher by the students, it seems this is also true of him now. Chabashira-sensei was the lenient type of teacher who taught with calmness. On the other hand, it seems like Mashima-sensei is always decisive and flat in his tone.

Mashima : "In this special exam, all the 1st year students will be divided up into groups based on their zodiac signs and the entirety of the examination will be conducted in groups of students sharing the same zodiac sign like the four of you here. The purpose of the test is to assess your 'thinking ability'."

Mashima-sensei explained to us. So according to the zodiac signs, huh? So 12 groups will be formed of all the 1st year students. So Class D itself will be split and added to the mix of the other classes to form the required 12 groups for each zodiac sign? I thought that.

And what did they mean by 'thinking ability'? If I interpret it literally it would mean it would be testing our ability to think.

Karuizawa : "What do you mean by 'thinking ability'?"

Karuizawa who was just asked to stay quiet started asking questions again. It must have been on reflex but it looks like she won't listen to Mashima-sensei's words.

Mashima : "I've already told you I won't be answering questions"

Mashima-sensei sternly told her again. Even Karuizawa seemed to now understand the gravity of the situation as she fell quiet. Of course I gazed at her and she seemed to have a dissatisfied expression on her face. But I choose to keep quiet and listen. Yukimura and Sotomura must also be taking the situation quite seriously as they were also listening to Mashima-sensei intently.

Mashima : "There are three required attributes that people who function well in society are required to master : Action, Thinking, and Teamwork. These skills are necessary for you all to become successful adults. The last test on the island emphasized teamwork quite heavily, however, this one will emphasize your thinking. The ability to critically think, analyze the situation at hand and resolve the problem given will be tested in this exam. The ability to work creatively with imagination and work determinedly towards resolving the problem, such traits will become vital for this task."

Mashima-sensei explained the overall gist of the exam to us. Of course, I still had several questions regarding this exam I'd like to ask him. Many aspects of the exam are still unexplained and unclear to me.

Mashima : "Therefore this exam will be conducted with 12 groups split up according to their zodiac signs and the exam will occur under those conditions. Are there any questions?"

Karuizawa : "I don't understand at all sensei, please explain it in a clearer way. I get the fact that we're split up into 12 groups but why the hell am I with these guys? Where's Hirata? Where are the other girls? I still don't get the exam anyways"

She at least refrained from addressing Mashima-sensei bluntly and added the honorifics in at the end, no matter how half-heartedly. However, I believe Karuizawa's complaints have some merit to them.

The contents of the exam are still largely a mystery and a lot of the information we were given is mostly ambiguous and can be interpreted in multiple different ways.

Perhaps it's because of the size of this room and there are more groups than just 12? I wondered silently. No. There should have been rooms in this ship large enough to contain that many students, but this small room was chosen in particular. That means even though we were divided according to our zodiac signs, there must be more groups than just 12?

Mashima : "Firstly, the four people here will henceforth be considered part of the same group for the remainder of the exam. There are other rooms with other students too, receiving the same explanation you are receiving now. Some of them might later also become part of your team"

Mashima-sensei continued explaining. Students that could later be on the same team as us? There are only four of us in this room right now. Perhaps the remaining members are divided into several other rooms much like this one and...the purpose of the exam is to form allies between different groups of students? I wondered while Mashima-sensei continued the explanation.

Karuizawa : "If that's the case, why don't you gather all the members here and explain it all at once. Also, why are these three in the same team as me? Why do I have to team up with these two disgusting boys and this plain girl? Honestly I really dislike the whole situation. I would much prefer to be with Hirata"

Karuizawa went on describing her selfish desires but it seems Yukimura's patience with her has run out.

Yukimura : "Shut up for a while and listen will you?! It seems the exam has already started. If you say selfish things like this and our team receives a negative evaluation, will you take responsibility for it? Even back on the island, you were the weak link in the chain holding the class back. Don't hold back the class anymore than this"

Yukimura coldly lectured Karuizawa on this.

Karuizawa : "Huh? When the hell did I hold the class back, huh? You don't even do something noteworthy either. You're really pissing me off"

Karuizawa retorted to Yukimura. The sight of the two of them arguing overwhelmed me and Sotomura both fell quiet.

Kiyone : "Both of you please calm down. Firstly Yukimura-kun, your concerns are unfounded. The exam has not yet started in earnest and as such, nothing negative will happen to our team. Besides, this exam is not concerned with your attitude in the first place so you won't be scored in that aspect"

I intervened quickly.

Karuizawa : "See? Now you understand, don't you?"

Karuizawa looked at Yukimura proudly as if it was her victory. On the other hand, Yukimura looks at me with disappointment for choosing Karuizawa's side. But Yukimura, I had no choice but to intervene you know, I thought silently.

Yukimura : "Tch! You girls are just the same"

Kiyone : "Ahem! However Karuizawa-san, you also need to change your attitude towards Mashima-sensei, you know? If you keep this up, it could be a stain on your academic records and you do understand that's not a good thing right?"

I gently chide Karuizawa. Karuizawa pouted. This time Yukimura picks his nose while laughing at Karuizawa. Mashima-sensei was staring at us like we were a bunch of elementary school children arguing with each other.

Mashima : "Look here, the fact that the 4 of you are in a group cannot be rescinded no matter what. So if you want to get good results for yourselves, make sure to get along here"

Mashima-sensei scolds us.

Karuizawa : "Ahh~ This sucks. I can't deal with these three. I wanted Hirata!"

Karuizawa complains again.

Sotomura : "Heh, but if the three of us work together and combine our wits we might be able to become just as good as Hirata-dono and form an ideal team for you"

Karuizawa : "Huh? Disgusting. Even if there are 100 or 200 copies of you guys you all still won't be as good as one hair from Hirata"

Karuizawa sharply retorts.

I don't particularly care what Karuizawa thinks about us but saying something like that in front of me is still hurtful thought. But since Karuizawa is also sticking with Hirata I guess it can't be helped once she's separated from him like this.

Karuizawa : "I'll just call Hirata-kun and talk to him for now"

Karuizawa gave us a glance while sighing in disgust. I thought to myself that she was going to be a troublesome partner. Most likely Yukimura must have thought the same thing as me.

Mashima : "If there are no more questions I will continue with my explanation"

Mashima-sensei asserted

Karuizawa : "Yeah, yeah. I understand that. But why are the four of us the only ones getting this explanation? You said there will be more members later on, why not just give the explanation then? If this is some sort of trick or harassment of students then I seriously want you to stop it"

Kiyone : "...K-Karuizawa-san..."

Mashima : "You don't need to be concerned about the small number of our group if that's what you're worried about, this is neither a trick nor harassment. It's not just one class divided up into groups but 3 to 5 people from each class being divided up into groups. We run the risk of confusing the students if the exam itself is not explained like this in advance"

Mashima-sensei explained. So that's the reason this small number was gathered in this room, I thought.

The other three don't seem to have understood Mashima-sensei's explanation and were mulling it over in silence. Naturally, it's not like I could understand it instantly either. The ticking sound of the clock once again filled the now-silent room.

Karuizawa : "W-Wait a minute! What do you mean we might be teaming up with groups from other classes? This is getting harder and harder to understand. Aren't other classes supposed to be the enemy?"

Karuizawa asked in confusion.

Yukimura : "I agree with Karuizawa, sensei. So far we've only been competing against the other classes. It's hard to accept that we're supposed to abandon all that and team up with them all of a sudden"

I can understand Karuizawa and the others concerns but it's not like we students have the right to choose, the rules are determined by the school after all.

Mashima : "Don't think that way, your high school life has just started. Don't always think about competing and be more thoughtful of the future"

Mashima-sensei chided Yukimura who said that.

Yukimura : "I-I'm sorry"

Mashima : "Right now you don't need to think about 'understanding' but simply to 'think'. The group you are assigned to is the zodiac sign (Rabbit). Here's the list of all the members assigned to this zodiac. You will be required to return the list when you leave the room so feel free to memorize the list if you wish"

The postcard sized piece of paper was passed around between the four of us. The name of the group (Rabbit) was written as well as the names of all 14 students assigned to this zodiac. And just like Mashima-sensei said, aside from the four of us, the remaining students of this zodiac group belonged to classes A, B and C. The list was as followed:

Class A : Takemoto Shigeru, Machida Koji, Morishige Takuro

Class B : Ichinose Honami, Hamaguchi Tetsuya, Beppu Ryouta

Class C : Ibuki Mio, Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, Yamashita Saki

Class D : Ayanokouji Kiyone, Karuizawa Kei, Sotomura Hideo, Yukimura Teruhiko

In our group there were several names I recognized from other classes. Ichinose from Class B and Ibuki from Class C. It seems we've all been assigned to the (Rabbit) zodiac group. Of course I cannot imagine what the exam will instruct us to do next, but I do somewhat share Karuizawa and Yukimura's concerns that we will not be able to work together after all that time spent competing.

I peeked at Karuizawa who was sitting next to me and saw that she was also just as confused. Perhaps she was feeling misfortunate that she ended up in the same group as Ibuki.

Mashima : "Don't worry, all those questions you're probably having right now, I will answer them now. I believe you will be able to understand once I have explained all that. Most likely"

Most likely huh? Perhaps he had doubts about Karuizawa's ability to understand after all the complaints she'd fired at him. But he dutifully explains the reasons for this unusual grouping anyways.

Mashima : "In this exam we will be completely ignoring any differences between classes A to D from the start. If you can do so too it will definitely be an easier path to clearing this exam."

Karuizawa : "Ignore any differences...what do you mean?"

Yukimura : "Just shut up for a moment Karuizawa, I can't concentrate on the explanation with you blabbering like that"

Mashima : "From this point onwards, you guys no longer belong to Class D but rather to the (Rabbit) group. Whether you pass or fail no longer matter on your class but on the entire 'group' as a whole now."

I think I'm starting to understand what this is about although I'm not certain about the bigger picture yet.

Mashima : "There are four outcomes in this exam, no more and no less. Explanations regarding this have also been printed onto paper for your perusual, however, you may not take them out of this room nor photograph them. So memorize them here if you wish to"

A slightly crumpled paper was paraded before us, it seems other students have already seen this paper before us as we looked through the paper. The basic rules of the exam were as follows:

Explanation of the Special Examination of Different Groups

In this test, the cornerstone will be a "VIP" student that is chosen from each group. By using your critical thinking skills, you will achieve one of the four possible outcomes by the end of the exam.

Here the points :

-8:00 am on the day the exam starts, you will need to mail the other groups of the fact that you have chosen a 'VIP' student from amongst you.

-The exam itself will mostly take place between 4pm and 9pm tomorrow (students will be free to act as they wish during the day).

-For one hour each day, twice, you will need to gather together with your assigned groups and talk.

-Content of the talk will be left up to the discretion of each group.

-At the end of the exam, you will need to identify the 'VIP' students of other groups. This will be done between 9:30 and 22:00. Only one answer can be submitted from each group.

-The answers must be sent to faculty members through a certain address that will be provided to your mobile phones.

-The 'VIP' student cannot be the one to send the answers.

-You must only answer the identity of the 'VIP' student of the group you are assigned. Any other answer will be marked as invalid.

-Details of the results of the exam will be mailed to students by 23:00 pm of the same day.

Of course those were the basic rules we would need to follow for this exam. There are more detailed rules and explanations provided on the paper as well as prohibited items being listed. There seemed to be more rules and regulations than the ones we were given for the uninhabited island test.

And the following are the four possible results we could get:

-Result 1 : If the answers of the 'VIP' student as well as the other group members are all correct, they will all receive private points (including members other than the 'VIP' student themselves).

-Result 2 : If there are incorrect answers or unanswered questions by people other than the 'VIP' student, only the 'VIP' student will receive 500,000 private points.

-Result 3 : In the case that someone other than the 'VIP' answers the question before waiting for the allocated time and answers correctly, the class the answerer belongs to will receive 50 points each and the answerer themselves will receive 500,000 points for themselves. On the other hand, classes whose 'VIP' have been identified will receive a penalty of -50 points for their whole class. Once this has been achieved, the test will be over for the group. However, if a member that belongs to the class of the 'VIP' answers correctly, the previous result will be made invalid and the examination for that group will continue.

-Result 4 : In the case that someone other than the 'VIP' answers the question before waiting for the allocated time and answers incorrectly, the class the answerer belongs to will receive a penalty of -50 points each but the 'VIP' will still receive 50,000 private points. At the same time, the class which the VIP belongs also obtains 50 class points. If the answer is given incorrectly, the group's exam will end. However, if a member belonging to the class of the 'VIP' is the one who answered incorrectly, the answer will be considered invalid and will not be accepted.

I see, so the remaining outcomes paint a more detailed picture of the exam. If only outcomes 1 and 2 were possible, the 'VIP's' will share their answers with everyone in the group and there would be nothing to do but cooperate.

However, by adding the option to 'betray' one's own group, the dynamics of the exam were changed in a single stroke.

If the 'VIP' were to reveal his identity to everyone in their group, they will inevitably be preyed upon by 'traitors' instantly. Since there are now more outcomes than the first one available, no one will wait that long.

The traitors will immediately aim to secure points only for themselves. And the 'VIP' themselves, in an attempt to sabotage the other classes' chances for points and increase their own class's chances, will deliberately hide their identity and try to pass off others as the 'VIP' student. Of course, that means everybody gets less points for not 'cooperating' but in return, they will gain the chance to have the other classes penalized.

I noticed Karuizawa and Sotomura nodding their heads as if they've understood the contents of the exam. And Mashima-sensei who stood watching all this continued the explanation with a flat, unchanging tone.

Mashima : "For instance, let's just say Yukimura, you were chosen as the 'VIP' student of this group. That means you must be the 'VIP' student only since only one 'VIP' is allowed for this exam. Now, supposing Yukimura is chosen as the 'VIP' that means the (Rabbit) group's 'VIP' name will be written down as Yukimura. Once the choosing is complete, simply share this with the other members of your assigned group. And between 9:30 and 22:00 of the end of the exam everyone in the group simply needs to mail the answer 'Yukimura' to the faculty. If this is done, the first outcome condition will be satisfied and everyone in the group will receive 500,000 private points as compensation. In addition, the 'VIP' student will receive 1 million private points for successfully guiding the group to this outcome."

Mashima-sensei continued his explanation.

Karuizawa : "1-1 million? Woah...".

Sotomura : "D-does that mean everyone gets 500,000 points and if you're chosen as the 'VIP' you get even more...".

This amount of points is something anyone in any class would want for themselves. Since the 'VIP' student in this case will be receiving twice as much in compensation as points, they will suddenly shoot up to the top of the class in points.

Mashima : "Now for the 2nd possible outcome. In the case that the identity of (Rabbit) group's 'VIP' were to be uncovered incorrectly by the end of the exam and the faculty were to be notified of this. Only the 'VIP' will be receiving the points of 500,000 while the rest will go without points."

It's strange that the exam was structured this way, the way they put it, there is not much difference between outcome 1 and outcome 2. In either case, the 'VIP' will still be receiving a tremendous amount of points. There's no reason why anyone would deliberately sabotage their group and go for outcome 2 unless they wish to deny points to other classes and secure the points for their own class.

Karuizawa : "The position of 'VIP' certainly is an enviable one. I'd say it's even unfair to the other members. No matter the outcome we get, they'll still have points and in the first one they even get a million points!"

It seems Karuizawa wants to be chosen as the 'VIP' student for a chance to get more points.

Of course I don't blame her. It's only natural to want to be the 'VIP' given its privileged status. But it's too early to say yet, there are still 2 other possible outcomes yet to be revealed and there must be some trick hidden in those outcomes for such points to be awarded to the 'VIP'

Yukimura : "Sensei, what are the 3rd and 4th possible outcomes. You still haven't explained it to us"

Mashima : "Did you understand the first two outcomes? If so, I can proceed to explain the remaining outcomes"

Yukimura : "Yes...I've got it. Please tell us the remaining outcomes"

Mashima : "The remaining outcomes are printed on the back of the paper, but be sure to wait before turning the paper over"

My hands froze just before we turned the paper to the other side. Mashima-sensei simply stared at us with his sharp eyes as we gradually started to understand the rules of this exam. It seems from the moment we read the instructions, the exam had already begun.

Karuizawa : "W-Wait a minute, I'm not following"

Although Mashima-sensei did make the rules clear to us, it seems Karuizawa is still unable to understand the instructions. Her academic abilities were not as bad as Sudou and Ike but since Karuizawa doesn't put much effort into it, it seems her ability to process information is exceptionally bad.

Mashima : "Very well, I shall explain slightly more. Have you ever played the the Jinrou game before?"

Yukimura : "Jinrou game? It was trendy for a little while so I have played it before. It's pretty interesting"

I was slightly puzzled when he first mentioned the name to us.

Karuizawa : "Wait doll-face, d-don't tell me. You've never heard of the Jinrou game before? Unbelievable"

I shake my head in response of her question

Even if you think like that it can't be helped, in the first place, the very concept of 'games' was not something I was familiar with, neither was the concept of 'playing with others'. I'm not...

However, Karuizawa also seemingly realized this and instead just looked me with confused face

Karuizawa : *sigh* "Fine, listen carefully. I'll explained this shortly to you"

Karuizawa offered to explain the Jinrou game to me.

Karuizawa : "Friends gather together and are split up into two categories: villagers and wolves. And the last survivor's group is the one that wins the game. Did you follow?"

No! I'm not following at all, I think internally. I'm sure I'd be a god if I could understand it from that brief explanation.

I shake my head

Mashima-sensei then began to explain in more detail. It goes like this:

Mashima : "It was an American who first invented this game called the Jinrou game. No restrictions on the number of players in the game although there is a restriction on the minimum amount of players required for the game itself. The game itself has players divided into two roles: villagers and wolves and each player must play one of these roles. There may be additional roles added but the gist of the game is that the last survivor's group wins whether it's the villagers or the wolves. Wolves mix in with the villagers and pretend to be one of them. The game itself takes around roughly two hours and in that time, the villagers need to identify which one of them is a disguised wolf and execute the suspect. On the other hand, at 'night', the disguised wolf can 'devour' the villager. By doing this, each side can reduce the number of players on the other side. When the last survivor is the only one remaining, victory and defeat will be decided."

But I was wondering why this exam would be compared to such a game. With the currently established rules, 'wolves' and 'villagers' are being forced to cooperate with each other instead to aim for the most desirable first outcome. To put it simply, there is still a trick hidden in this exam that neither 'wolf' nor 'villager' knows of yet.

Mashima : "Of course, you already know there can only be one 'VIP' in the group. Once the identity of the 'VIP' is revealed the third and fourth outcomes become possible for the group"

Karuizawa : "And that...is what's written on the other side of this paper...is it ok to turn it over now?"

Mashima-sensei simply nods when Karuizawa asks that and together, we turn the paper over to the other side. The remaining two possible outcomes were written there. For these two remaining outcomes, the answer will be accepted by the faculty at any time during the exam period in the 24 hours. We will also still be accepting answers for these remaining outcomes 30 minutes after the end of the exam. But if there is still a mistake in the answer during these periods a penalty will apply.

Mashima : "Naturally, the school will take into consideration issues of privacy and even at the end of the exam, we will only release the results for each group and each student. The names of the 'VIP' and the person who uncovers their identity will not be disclosed. It is possible to issue you a temporary ID if you wish. However, there need not be fear about having one's identity revealed after the exam. Of course, if you do not wish to hide your name, you can proudly display the received points too"

I understand now, there is also the possibility that the 'VIP' can just keep silent about their identity without revealing it to anyone else in the group and secure a lot of points that way, or share their identity with the rest of the group and aim for the best outcome.

For instance, even if Yukimura were the 'VIP', I could theoretically pass off Sotomura or Karuizawa as the 'VIP' to the members from the other classes and mislead them that way. That means the outcome will depend on the amount of 'goodwill' between the members. Quite a bit of investigating and misdirection will be required.

It makes sense now to compare this to the Jinrou game. But the advantage of the 'wolves' cannot be said as absolute. After all, the 'villagers' also have the option to mercilessly slay their targets. In fact, there is even the possibility of infighting breaking out between the 'villagers' in this case. I go over the rules again in my head silently.

The school has established 12 groups based on the number of zodiac signs, allocating all the 1st year students to their respective groups consisting of a certain number of people. And each group contains a mixture of students from all classes being forced to cooperate as 'friends'. The number of people might vary slightly depending on the group but roughly 12-15 peoples are placed into each group it seems. And in each group, there will only be one student marked as the 'VIP' and said 'VIP' will be informed that they are the target and they are the answer.

So in other words, even if the 'VIP' does not actively participate at all in the game their profit from this is also guaranteed. Therefore, if the rest of the members are unable to correctly identify the 'VIP', they are the ones who will be unable to answer correctly. In other words, that is the basic gist of the exam we are currently undergoing.

The four options available to the group now are:

-Share the identity of the 'VIP' and clear the exam together as one.

-Answer incorrectly and the group loses but the 'VIP' still receives points.

-A traitor uncovers the identity of the 'VIP'.

-The traitor disregards the judgment of the 'VIP'.

The only difference in those options are the amount of points awarded to each member of the group.

The best outcome would be for the identity of the 'VIP' to be shared with all and wait until the end of the exam to answer correctly to receive 500,000 points each with the 'VIP' receiving 1 million points. But the difficulty of aiming for such an outcome is extremely high. There is a possibility of being betrayed from within.

Since the members will naturally want points in reward for undertaking this examination, they will betray before they get betrayed themselves.

Then if someone else answers incorrectly only the 'VIP' will win in that case hence the other members will also priorities finding the 'VIP' in their own group firstly. Most of the students will likely wish to avoid taking risks by cooperating and if they cannot be convinced to work together, will most likely turn traitor within their group.

Besides, it will be very difficult to aim for the first outcome if the 'VIP' themselves simply stays silent and avoids having their identity revealed. In either case, the 'VIP' will be receiving 500,000 points almost with a guarantee so it might as well be considered a ticket to heaven.

However, there are also downsides to being given this position. Once you have been chosen as the 'VIP' it is up to you to keep silent on this matter or share this information with others. Depending on the circumstances, there may be harassment or jealousy targeted at you from other classes or even your own class due to the preferential treatment given to the 'VIP'.

There is also the danger of a traitor uncovering the identity of the 'VIP' in which case they will no longer have to wait until the end of the exam to mail their answer to the faculty. That way, the test for the group ends immediately and the traitor gets 50 points for their own class while getting private points for themselves too. That means while sabotaging another class, one can act to contribute to both themselves and their own class. An ideal result for most students.

Of course that is the most disadvantageous position for the group as a whole to be in. In this test, the ability to 'think' is certainly a critical factor but it is understandable considering the risks associated with this exam.

There are 12 groups for which 12 different outcomes will be decided. Depending on what happens during this test, a massive difference in points which cannot be bridged can easily occur. In other words, it's possible for Class A to fall down to D and for Class D to rise to A in one stroke if all goes well in this exam.

I doubt this will happen here, but the very notion that it is possible in this exam amazed me. This must also be why the rules for this exam are much stricter than the uninhabited island test.

Mashima : "The prohibited items and actions are also listed here thoroughly so look through them too"

The forbidden actions are, for instance, stealing the mobiles of other students and use of intimidation to coerce the reveal of information such as the identity of the 'VIP' students. Mailing the answers to the faculty by using another student's mobile without permission will result in the greatest punishment for the student known as 'expulsion'. These are all strict conditions not present in the uninhabited island test.

Furthermore, in the case any suspicious activity is uncovered, a thorough investigation into the matter will be launched by the school to ensure no violations of the rules occur. Naturally, in the case you lie about the forbidden actions you've taken, the possibility of 'expulsion' is always there.

It seems everything will be monitored by the school behind the scenes. Once the exam starts, communication between students of different groups will also be forbidden for a certain period of time. To break this rule will be to risk 'expulsion'. The severity of these rules causes them to be embedded deep in my mind as I memorize them.

Mashima : "You will be meeting at 13:00 and 20:00 tomorrow for your group discussions. The room you will be meeting in has your group name written on a plate in front of it. Once you have entered that room, you will not be able to leave until the required time for discussion has passed. If an emergency occurs in that time period, contact your homeroom teacher immediately. Make sure you've used the toilet before the meeting time as well."

Karuizawa : "What do you mean we'll have to stay in the room? How long will we be in there?"

Mashima : "As is written in the explanation, the time for discussion will be 1 hour each twice a day. Other than your self-introduction to other members of your group, you may use that time however you like. Once one hour has passed, you may choose to remain in the room or leave at your discretion"

Does that mean all the contents of the discussion will be left up to the students to decide?

Karuizawa : "It's an annoying thing but I do understand it at least..." *sigh* "I'd much prefer a fun test than this one"

Mashima : "Once the 'VIP' has been decided, the school will not accept any request for changes to this. In addition, any actions such as copying, deletion, transferring or alteration of mails to the faculty are strictly forbidden so keep this in mind"

In other words, altering the mail of one group for the benefit of another is absolutely forbidden. If you reverse this, then it means that the mail sent to the faculty is 100% certified to have been from the actual group.

Yukimura : "Ayanokouji. You've been silent throughout the whole thing, are you sure you've understood it properly?"

It was Yukimura who asked me that with an ambiguously worried voice

Kiyone : "Yeah...I got it mostly. If I have any questions I'll make sure to ask you afterwards"

Yukimura : *sigh* "Why is my group filled with such airheads?"

Yukimura grumbles

Once that is done our group was told to leave and we stand up to leave the room at the same time.

As we exit the room, the next batch of students immediately entered the room.

Yukimura : "Reluctantly as it may be, we are already united as one group so it is essential we deepen our unity as a team. The 'VIP' will be announced tomorrow but why don't we stay and have a chat just the four of us?"

Yukimura suggests to us. However, Karuizawa completely ignored his words as she took out her phone and started walking away from us. She seems to called someone

Yukimura : "Oi, Karuizawa. Are You listening to me?"

Yukimura asks the departing Karuizawa. I was impressed she was able to ignore him like that, either she has a mind of steel or she has completely disregarded our existence.

Karuizawa : "Ah! Hirata? There's something I'd like to ask you..."

It seems Karuizawa wants to complain to Hirata about us. She simply walks away from us and soon disappeared.

Yukimura : "Damn, that woman!"

Yukimura grumbles again.

Kiyone : "...Err...so...what should we do...?"

Sotomura : "This is a very troublesome thing indeed, to be teamed up with such a bitch"

Sotomura starts spewing venom at Karuizawa once she left. Since Sotomura was in love with the 2D world and considers the girls in there perfect, a real dimentional girls like me and Karuizawa would definitely a big no for him

Yukimura : "I have to agree with you though to be honest, it seems like she'll be pulling our legs the whole way"

Yukimura says as Sotomura replies

Sotomura : "She truly is the bitch among bitches"

It seems our enjoyable cruise has ended and the second round of testing has begun.

Yukimura : "In the case that one of us is announced as the 'VIP' tomorrow morning, let's not tell each other straight away. There's no telling who's listening where. The walls have ears. Let's report to each other in a secure location"

I agreed with that plan as well. It is indeed a large ship but there's really no telling who has ears where.

Yukimura : "Although Karuizawa is gone, I'd still like to discuss the plans for tomorrow with just the three of us. Please stay with me a little longer"

Yukimura pleads with us.

Sotomura : "I must decline since I will be unable to respond to your expectations. You see, from now on, I have to go back to my room to watch the new episode from this season best anime. Adios!"

Sotomura says as he instantly disappears from us.

Yukimura : "So, its only you and me now? Honestly, what could we do with the rest of this morons..." *sigh*

Yukimura dejectedly shakes his head and sighs as if he's given up on us.

Now that this is over, I'd better report this to Horikita. I'd like to know if her group received the same instructions as our (Rabbit) group and send her the details in our chat if necessary.

Once I receive more information from Horikita, I can then begin to form a strategy.

Hello guys! How are you?

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 4 : A Vast Array of Thoughts

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Once I had returned to my room, I struggled to sleep.

I noticed a noise and looked up although I did not see my roommates Onodera and Sakura.

??? : "Sorry, did I wake you up?"

It was Wang who said that as she organized her luggage neatly while looking at me apologetically.

Kiyone : "No need for apologies, I wasn't sleeping anyways. I was about to go out for a drink anyways since I'm thirsty now"

Of course, I did not mention this to her, but I was on my way to check on Horikita's state.

Wang : "May I accompany you? We received the mail from the school and it's almost time anyways"

The time was close to 20:30 the same time that Horikita's mail instructed her to gather for the meeting.

Wang : "It seems a rather unusual exam is about to begin, I feel a little anxious"

It seems she already knows what the exam will be about after hearing it from a previous student who received the explanation before her I guess

Wang : "It's Inogashira-chan. She told me in the cafeteria earlier. About her group and how everyone was receiving explanations one after the other"

Either way, if you know the contents of the exam before the explanation it will be easier to gather hints from the explanation itself. In this case, by cooperating with a classmate can be advantageous to you.

Wang : "Oh, that's right! If there's anything you've figured out, Aya-chan, please do share it with me"

Kiyone : "That's fine by me however unlike Horikita-san, Hirata-kun or Yukimura-kun I'm not particularly smart so I haven't been able to figure out about this exam at all...in particular"

Of course, there was no way I would tell her any more than necessary.

Wang : "I was wondering why they would go to all the trouble of separating us into groups to explain the same thing to us separately"

Indeed as she says, it would be far more efficient and less time-consuming to explain to all members of a group gathered at once then separately. The school is using an obviously inefficient method, but it's most likely not just on a whim. There is more likely than not a reason behind this method. Perhaps the 'thinking ability' assessed in this exam is part of that.

Wang : "Well, I'm planning to ask sensei about it later on though"

I wonder if the other classmate could cooperate with another class for this exam.

The place where Wang's meeting would be taking place was not as crowded as when my meeting had occurred.

Still there were a few students, some were sitting on the stairs near the elevator, some were playing around with their phones and some were still speculating about the explanation they were due to receive.

Wang : "Is these peoples going to be part of my group?"

Even a cursory inspection showed that there were more than 12 people gathered here. They all glanced at each other while playing with their phones sometimes. Unfortunately, I was not acquainted with students from other classes and could not identify most of them.

Suddenly from behind of us

??? : "Well well, is this perhaps a coincidence?"

We look behind. Wang seems confused about this person who suddenly talk to us

Kiyone : "Oh, are you perhaps belong to this group Satonaka-kun?"

Wang seems surprised that I know him

Satonaka : "You bet, to think that we'll be in the same group here"

Kiyone : "Ah, about that...actually I'm not part of this group. My group already had a meeting at 18:00. I just coming here accompanied my classmate."

Satonaka : "I see, thought its quite unfortunate but if it was possible. I wanted to be at least once being one group with you so- Auww!!!"

Suddenly someone hit his head from behind

??? : "You playboy bastard! Where have you been?!"

A male student look like very mad at him

Satonaka : "Ah, about that you see... Nishikawa suddenly need some help from me, so I-"

??? : "Stop your damn excuse! We already late and here you still dare to flirt with another girls now?!"

Satonaka : "W-Wait, I just greeted them. Its not like I- W-Wait! I said wait!"

He look like pissed off and dragging Satonaka to entered the room

The door closed right now

Wang : "W-Wow..."

Kiyone : "Is this perhaps the part about he often misunderstood by the other boys when he was together with another girls on sight?"

Wang : "Did both of you perhaps know each other"

I nodded

Kiyone : "He's the one who helped me to figured out about why does our scope material for midterm exam exactly different with the other class at that time. After that I told this to Hirata-kun and Kushida-san as well. And you already know the rest of the story from there right?"

Wang : "I see... so I guess class D truly indebted with him about that"

Suddenly one of these bystander uttered word loudly

Ishizaki : "Tch! Is this group perhaps consist of bunch of these retarded 'ikemen'?"

He said that while looking at the certain direction. On that way, we know what he is referring to

Wang : "Eh? Koenji-kun"

Koenji : "Fufufu~ What's up? Why did you peoples staring at me? Did you finally understand my perfect look. I do understand that I myself quite stunning. It can't be helped right?"

As narcissistic as always. Ignoring the glare from surrounding he walk approached us

Koenji : "Well ladies. Are you belong to this group as well?"

Wang : "W-Well its only me though. Aya-chan belong to another group already."

Koenji : "Hmm, is that so? That's fine I guess this is better than without having a lady at all"

Could it be the reason he approaching us because he does not pay attention to any boys and we happen just the only girls between this vicinity.

Kiyone : "Oh, I need to go now. Until next time Wang-san, Koenji-kun. Excuse me"

I finally parted away with them and go to meet with Horikita

The place somehow not crowded that much. Around 10 person already here

Finally I meet her

Horikita : "You came?"

Kiyone : "Huh? Is something wrong?"

Horikita : "No, it just... Ahem! Nothing. Thanks for coming here, I appreciate you a lot for responding my call-"

Suddenly someone interupted us

??? : "If I'm not wrong, are you also from the 20:40 group?"

The one who asked that with a low voice was Katsuragi of Class A. A calm person with a mature attitude that is hard to believe is actually a 1st year student in high school. His physique is pretty good as well. First impressions of him might be more in the range of a college student. There are still quite a few people who favour him as leader of Class A.

Horikita : "If so, does this have something to do with you?"

She answered his inquiry without any hesitation or fear.

Katsuragi : "No. But I just wanted to talk to you all since starting from tomorrow we'll be cooperating together as part of the same group"

It seems Horikita will be in the same group as Katsuragi.

Horikita : "You want to talk now? That's funny. The other day you brushed us aside when we came to talk"

Horikita spat back at him. On the uninhabited island test, Horikita and Katsuragi met each other just once. At the time, Katsuragi showed little to no interest in Horikita. It seemed to be different now.

There were three other students from Class A with Katsuragi, and listening from a distance without approaching were two girls who seemed to either be from Class B or Class C.

Katsuragi : "Honestly I've never paid any attention to Class D before. But after the results of the previous exam, it's hard to stay inconspicuous, isn't it?"

It seemed Katsuragi's attention has been directed towards our class. Indeed after the uninhabited island test, our class's total points had risen tremendously along with Horikita's popularity with the girls of the class.

Also the number of friendship flags raised between Horikita and the other classmates have also increased along with the distrust towards Horikita decreasing at the same time. It seemed the class misunderstood Horikita's cold attitude for her silently supporting the class. Through this misunderstanding, the class began to interpret Horikita's refusal to interact with them in a different way.

Also, from the perspective of the other classes Horikita started to look no longer as a student who's merely good at academics but also as a mastermind who acts to support her class while playing the other classes from behind the scenes and it seems thanks to that she's received a fair bit of attention from the other classes as well.

Katsuragi : "If one day you rise from Class D to Class C, remember that Class A will show no mercy before crushing you into pieces"

Horikita : "That's a very petty thing to say after all. Between A and the other classes, the point gap is far too wide to bridge"

Katsuragi : "Naturally but caution is required every time a class can potentially rise to a higher position. I would say the same thing to Class B or Class C".

It almost sounded like Katsuragi was declaring war against Class D. But it couldn't be helped, after the last test, we would obviously be recognized as a threat. Almost as if in sync, the students around Katsuragi all gathered together to glare at Horikita in an intimidating manner.

An ordinary girl would burst out crying after being glared at like that, but Horikita barely showed any reaction at all to this intimidation. Suddenly, the face of the girls around us turned into expressions of adoration as a man silently passed by us.

It was a student from Class B named Kanzaki. Although his hair was rather long for a male student, he does have a straightforward personality and does not engage much in frivolous activities. I don't know much else about Kanzaki in detail but the leader of Class B, Ichinose, seems to trust him.

Having met during the island test, Kanzaki seems to be aware of Horikita's intellect and moved towards Katsuragi as if to protect Horikita from him.

Kanzaki : "You don't need to talk with Katsuragi, after all the situation is what it is"

Kanzaki said to Horikita.

Horikita : "Don't worry, I'm used to people looking down on Class D"

Horikita counters his offer to help.

Kanzaki : "Well, I guess there is no need for me to be involved with your feud here"

At least he intend to help us due our cooperation contract here

Katsuragi : "I see, someone from a class like D must be used to getting this treatment, I must admit I shared the same view towards your class as well. But the incident that happened on the island made me revise my view towards your class"

Katsuragi made that remark while swiping some dust off his clothes.

Katsuragi : "But just because you got lucky and won once, I'd like you to not get arrogant and think we're equals now"

Katsuragi follows up.

Horikita : "...Does this look like an arrogant act to you?"

Katsuragi : "What I'm trying to say is that there is a time in everyone's lives when they get lucky once and manage to close the gap a bit. But don't get in over your head just because of this one lucky incident. The difference between our class points is still a tremendous one"

It seems he's saying the results of one test won't affect the standing of the classes all that much. Of course, Horikita surely knows that as well. Since none of this was her accomplishment in the first place, Horikita was neither happy nor dismayed by his words. But it is vital that the credit goes to her in order to continue hiding my existence.

Kanzaki : "We've just started our high school life, the difference may be large, but do not forget that it is the school that arbitrarily decided who went to which class and we were distributed to those classes accordingly"

Kanzaki interjected in a dignified manner.

Hirata : "It looks like I'll be part of a rather troublesome group. I guess it was inevitable the moment we were grouped with Katsuragi-kun and Kanzaki-kun. Hi there Horikita-san, Ayanokoji-san"

Hirata who just arrived suddenly decide to chimned in

Horikita responded with nod

Kiyone : "Are you part of this group as well Hirata-kun?"

Hirata : "Yeah, are you perhaps also on this group?"

Kiyone : "No, I just come here because Horikita-san told me to do so"

Hirata : "I see, rather unfortunate I guess"

Huh? Why did he said that?

??? : "Kukuku~ It looks like there are quite a lot of weaklings gathered here, let me have some fun here"

Anyone could guessed who's this guy who suddenly intervened this conversation

Katsuragi : "Ryuuen, huh?"

Katsuragi lost his previously calm expression and even Kanzaki's expression changed to an alert one.

Kanzaki : "Have you also been allocated to this room? Or did you just happen to be walking by?"

Ryuuen : "Unfortunately I'm with you"

Ryuuen instantly replies to that question while three other students obediently walk behind him.

He almost resembled Katsuragi in that regard but the context was different. It almost seemed like a situation with a king and his servants. The students behind Ryuuen had terrified expressions on their faces and moved quietly with obedient movements.

Ryuuen : "How about you put on a show for me? Beauty and the Beast could be the title. Kukuku~"

Ryuuen said as he looked at Horikita and Katsuragi respectively. Now having realized the obvious provocation, Katsuragi returns to his normal, calm self.

Katsuragi : "I originally thought our group would have students with high academic ability but after seeing you and your lackeys I can see this clearly isn't going to be the case"

Katsuragi fires back.

Ryuuen : Academic ability? What a bunch of nonsense, having academic ability won't mean anything"

Katsuragi : "Hearing that from you is a shame, academic ability is the most important factor determining your future success in life and your ability to impact the future. It is even said that Japan is built on a society of academics"

Katsuragi chides Ryuuen for his earlier remark but it doesn't seem to have fazed Ryuuen at all. I thought to myself that saying something like that to an idiot like Ryuuen would be ineffective. Behind him, his three lackeys obediently nod their heads at their leader's words.

Katsuragi : "I won't forget this insult".

Ryuuen : "Huh? Insult? I don't recall having done anything like that, care to refresh my memory?"

Ryuuen mocks Katsuragi on purpose

Katsuragi : "It doesn't matter, since we're in the same group we should have the opportunity to talk at length later"

Katsuragi ends the conversation seeing how the explanation for their group was almost about to begin.

Kushida : "Hmm? Hirata-kun? Horikita-san? And even Aya-chan? What are you guys doing here?"

It was Kushida who called out to us as she approached the group with a strange expression on her face.

Hirata : "Could it be that Kushida-san is also in the 20:40 group?"

Kushida : "Yeah. I don't understand what's going on but I was told to come here at this hour in the mail...and wow...it seems like an amazing group of people have gathered here"

Kushida says as she walked around greeting the gathered students here individually

Kiyone : "Are you ok, Hirata-kun? It looks like it's shaping up to be a hard one"

Hirata : "Its ok, I don't mind, no matter who's in my group I'll just have to do my best"

Hirata as usual answered in a very positive way. Kushida may not know the circumstances but Hirata is a smart guy. Since I had already received the explanation for this exam earlier, looking at the group of people gathered here I could more or less understand what will be happening

Kushida : "Ummm...in any case it looks like something difficult's about to start?"

Kiyone : "Yeah it seems like it, you'd better prepare yourself for it"

Kushida : "Ahaha...like Hirata-kun said, I'll just also have to do my best here. Also, I never got the chance to talk much with Katsuragi-kun or Ryuuen-kun, I'd like to be friends with the two of them too"

Kushida says towards Katsuragi and Ryuuen.

Horikita : "I'm not going to stay here for this stupid conversation, I'll be going ahead. It's almost time"

Horikita simply shook her head and turned her back to us but not before looking coldly at Ryuuen and his group. I'd like to praise Horikita on this. People with a weak will tend to lower their heads and ingratiate themselves into the group and treat themselves as the lower one in the hierarchy. Horikita, on the other hand, without missing a beat, coldly rejected them all and remained the way she always has been.

Kiyone : "It looks like I shouldn't have even bothered worrying"

Of course, I'm not sure how long she can keep up that attitude with the members in her group but it shouldn't be long. That's my intuition.

Kiyone : "Good luck then"

I threw a sympathetic good luck wish in their direction and decided to leave the scene.

Breakfast time.

I made sure to avoid the buffet popular with the students and turned back towards the deck of the ship. On the deck there is a cafe called 'Blue Ocean' where there are hardly any students. I chose to sit there in an empty table in the shade and called for the waitress. The current time is 07:55 . One minute just before the designated meeting time the person I was waiting for appeared before me with an empty expression.

Horikita : "You're here early"

She sits next to me and one of the few people who had close associate with me in this school. And she also happens to be a very problematic existence who knows a little about my true capabilities. She sat down in the seat in front of me.

Kiyone : "I was waiting for an hour"

I complain to her. Of course I was only trying to tease her a bit.

Horikita : "I'm sorry, should we promised to meet on 07:00"

Ok. I suppose I can't tease her like this, it'll only end up hurting me.

Kiyone : "...You don't want to order anything?"

Horikita : "No. There's no need for that. Let's continue our chat from yesterday"

Horikita, who does not like idle chitchat, wanted to go down to business and seemed to want to report her situation from yesterday to me. The only thing she told me beforehand was the location of this meeting.

Kiyone : "So? Did the students called by the school form a group?"

Horikita : "Yes. Just as you said, 12 groups with 4 possible outcomes and the 'VIP' being announced to us today by mail at 8:00 in the morning. If there are any small differences, I suppose you could chalk it up to the difference in teachers"

Kiyone : "Who are your group members and how many are there?"

I quickly ask her. I knew some of the students from yesterday but I didn't bother telling her that.

Horikita : "It was quite amazing actually, almost as if it was on purpose and not just coincidence"

After telling me that, Horikita hands me a slip of paper. It seems she memorized the names of her group members and wrote it on a separate piece of paper to show me. The name of her group is (Dragon) and below were the names of her group members.

Class A: Katsuragi Kohei, Nishikawa Ryouko, Shita Shinji, Koharu Yano

Class B: Ando Sayo, Kanzaki Ryuuji, Tsukabe Hitomi

Class C: Oda Takumi, Suzuki Hidetoshi, Sonoda Masashi, Ryuuen Kakeru

Class D: Kushida Kikyou, Hirata Yousuke, Horikita Suzune

First of all, it seems Hirata and Kushida were the ones chosen from Class D for this group. Two honors students to represent our class. Leaving aside the usually solitary Horikita, putting these two together on the same team would most likely form the strongest combination that Class D currently has to offer.

I had expected another person to be in their group like it was with mine but seemed to not be the case. Kouenji has an overwhelming power but even if he were to be added to the group, I doubt he would be useful. Honestly I'm not sure what group he was put into or whether he even cared enough to go for the meeting.

Kiyone : "I see...looking back I suppose this combination was inevitable"

Even if I list the names I currently know it'd be Katsuragi from Class A, Kanzaki from Class B and Ryuuen from Class C. These are big names representing their classes. It's almost like a dream team in football terms.

Kiyone : "But there's also something unnatural here"

If the intention is to gather the big names in one group, I felt it was unnatural that Ichinose was in our (Rabbit) group and not in the (Dragon) group

Horikita : "You're worried about Ichinose-san in your group, right? Right now, only her class knows just how excellent she truly is. It's not always that the face of the class is the leader"

Kiyone : "Are you referring to yourself?"

But I do feel Horikita has a point. We still don't know what Ichinose is truly capable of yet. It may also be that her academic ability is surprisingly low.

Horikita : "From this I can somewhat understand how they've divided us up into 12 groups. Ayanokouji-san and Karuizawa-san are very similar right? In terms of grades. Perhaps they are grouping us in terms of our current points. But the only flaw in this theory is that Yukimura-kun is also in the top grades and the same goes for Koenji-kun..."

Horikita trailed off. It seems Horikita was trying to come up with a hypothesis for the grouping by going over our mid-semester and final exam results to find a reason for the specific division of students.

Kiyone : "But you do have a point, me and Sotomura-kun have similar grades as well...then there's you and Hirata-kun"

On the other hand, if we were grouped purely based on our grades Koenji should be at the very top. Naturally, I have no doubt grades are taken into consideration, although there must be some unknown factor playing a part in the grouping as well. If possible, I would like to see the other group lists to ascertain this for myself.

Horikita : "In any case this is a problem, to effectively lead this group and clear the exam"

Of course it was inevitable the moment all these people with excellent abilities gather in one group. And then there's the fact that Horikita's compatibility with Ryuuen is like fire and water. Horikita probably won't accept it even if I tell her this so I chose to keep quiet.

However, on the contrary, I do believe Horikita will be able to work efficiently with a straightforward type of person like Katsuragi. Their way of thinking, down to the smarter person takes all, means their compatibility is high after all.

Horikita : "It's about time, I wonder if the mail really will come"

Once the clock hit 08:00 both our phones vibrated at once without even being a second apart. Immediately we both confirm the arrival of the mail. The moment I finished reading the contents of my mail, Horikita pushed her phone and the mail displayed on it towards me and I do the same to check the details of the mail while comparing it to the other's. It said the following:

Unknown :

After a period of thorough consideration, you have not been chosen as the 'VIP'. Please act together as one and challenge the exam in that manner. The exam itself shall begin from 1:00 PM today onwards. The exam will be held for three days from this point onwards. If you belong to the (Dragon) group please come up to the room marked as such on the second floor immediately.

The mail sent to me and Horikita were 'almost the same'. Except for the difference in the names of the groups the other words in the mail all line up perfectly.

Kiyone : "I suppose if we were chosen as the 'VIP' the mail would be slightly different informing us of this fact"

Horikita : "It seems neither of us have been chosen as the 'VIP' for our groups. I don't know whether to be overjoyed at this or sad".

Kiyone : "If you're the 'VIP', depending on your personal choices, you would be able to lead your group to any one of the four possible outcomes"

In other words, being the 'VIP' student in this exam gives said student an overwhelming advantage. If you can keep up a good poker face you would easily be able to obtain at the very least 500,000 private points.

Horikita : "I still don't like it though. It's almost as if they're telling me I don't qualify as the 'VIP' student"

Even after being placed in a dream team lineup like her group, Horikita still thinks she's the best. I suppose that's expected of her though.

Horikita : "In this exam, there is a massive difference between the student selected as the 'VIP' and the ones not selected. Since all the other students must by default struggle to uncover the identity of the 'VIP' and there is always the possibility that the point gap between classes may be closed after the exam"

That's right. Of course even if Class D fails, our points will not dip into the negative. But the slight lead we gained after the uninhabited island test may shrink or disappear entirely depending on our performance here. I also begin to internally form a strategy to approach this exam. Considering the members of my group and the mechanism by which the exam operates, the goal I must aim for becomes clear.

Kiyone : "I don't know how the students whose names I don't even know will act, I'll need to interact directly with them for that. But I have thought of a way to get rid of them if necessary"

I admit to Horikita. But it's obviously not a strategy that can be executed on the spot. It needs to first be set up and the timing needs to be perfect. But it is possible.

Horikita : "I'll be looking forward to your results"

Kiyone : "Me too. I'm looking forward to seeing what direction you will lead your group in"

Still, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling I had. The selection of the 'VIP' is not random, Mashima-sensei's words yesterday only strengthened my resolve of that. There is a certain difference between the ones that would be selected and the ones that would not be selected.

Horikita : "In either case I'll ask you this now, but who in our group are the most suspicious pne right now? Judging from the flow most of the other classes should have already gotten the same information we have"

Horikita has been acting strangely ever since receiving this information, but considering who her group members are, it can't be helped I suppose.

Kiyone : "Ryuuen-kun"

I admit to her.

Horikita : "What a quick answer"

Kiyone : "Because there's no one as suspicious as him"

Horikita : "What about Katsuragi-kun? It's only because of him that Class A was able to secure the most desirable spot in the island test. That's also something notable. Wouldn't you say we should be suspicious of him?"

Kiyone : "Of course that is an excellent accomplishment for a 1st year student. So if you're asking me who's the most excellent student in the group I'd say Katsuragi-kun. On the other hand, the most suspicious one would undoubtedly have to be Ryuuen-kun"

During the island test, beyond the shadow of a doubt, Class D won. However, Ryuuen also managed to secure a slight victory in a sense. But Ryuuen, because of that fact, made himself easy to read for me. But thinking in reverse, that also means Ryuuen might now be wary of Class D as well. At any cost I would like to avoid revealing myself. He cannot know that it was thanks to me that Horikita achieved all those successes on the island test.

Horikita : "While the identity of the 'VIP' is something to be worried about after reading the mail just now I was thinking about something. Isn't something strange about the mail sent to us from the school? And the strict-"

Before Horikita could finish the sentence I quickly silenced her by putting my index finger in front of her lips and making a hush gesture at her. She is surprised but she immediately understand. Speak of the devil, a shadow appeared before us.

Ryuuen : "Nice weather isn't it, Suzune, Kiyone? What are you having for breakfast?"

Two people approached us while grinning. It was Ryuuen of Class C and there was also another person with him

Horikita : "Don't call my first name so casually, Ryuuen-kun. And you, it's quite amazing you'd dare to show your face in front of us again after what you did, Ibuki-san"

Horikita fires away at both Ryuuen and the girl beside him, Ibuki Mio who also happens to be in my (Rabbit) group.

Ibuki seemed to be slightly provoked by this but simply tightened her lower lip without saying anything. Ryuuen, on the other hand, was grinning as if he was enjoying the whole situation. In the uninhabited island test, Ibuki infiltrated our class as a spy.

Eventually, Horikita discovered her and they had a fight in which Horikita received a direct hit. Horikita insisted that she lost only because she was sick during the test, although I couldn't care less which one of them was stronger. Besides, Ryuuen was already ordering Ibuki to remain silent anyways while glancing at us with a condescending look.

Ryuuen : "I believe the mail has already arrived, so how was it? Did you become the 'VIP'?"

Horikita : "There's no way I'd tell you, or perhaps you're going to tell us"

Ryuuen : "If that's what you wish"

Ryuuen said as he sat down on a vacant seat nearby.

Ryuuen : "But before that please do tell me, how did you manage to achieve that result in the island test?"

Horikita : "I have nothing to tell you"

Horikita sharply retorts.

Horikita was completely calm in her response, I could not even detect a quiver in her voice. Indeed, she possess a tremendous amount of acting skill. But Ryuuen did not seem to be provoked by her response at all.

Ryuuen : "I don't care either way, but according to her report, you didn't do anything much during the island test to allow your class to achieve those results"

Ryuuen says while pointing at Ibuki.

Horikita : "I'm not such an idiot that someone like her would be able to figure me out. I was just saving my strength back then thanks to my fever"

In response to that provocation, Ibuki immediately stood up and declared

Ibuki : "It seems like you wanted to get some beating again huh?! Then let's have a rematch right here and right now, let's fight!"

Horikita did not rise to that challenge however, and simply said

Horikita : "I'll have to decline, unfortunately, since violent will be a violation of the school's rules for this exam. If you do happen to use violence on me, I will report this to the school. Please do as you wish then"

Ibuki angrily stepped towards Horikita after that, but stopped just shy of actually laying a hand on her. Using violence here will undoubtedly result in penalties laid upon you by the school. And most importantly, Ibuki, as one of Ryuuen's subordinates, had no right to her personal desires here. The talented Ibuki who hates Ryuuen. That was the very reason she was chosen by Ryuuen as the one to be sent to Class D as a spy in the previous test.

Kiyone : "...Etto...Since we're all here, let's have some coffee. It seems to be a good time as any to drink"

Horikita surprisingly held herself together and ordered the waitress for her morning coffee. However, Ryuuen seemed to show no signs of leaving and instead seemed to want to continue the conversation while silently observing Horikita.

Ryuuen : "From the looks of it yesterday, Katsuragi was acting quite cautious of you"

Horikita : "Unsurprising. After all, he never would've thought that someone from Class D like me would be capable of such feats after all. Isn't it the same for you and Ibuki being here now? You're all on your guard against me aren't you?"

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ I'm not going to even deny it. I am indeed here to confirm your capability for myself"

Ryuuen says while Horikita takes a sip of her coffee

Ryuuen : "But you should also know that my methods are different from that Katsuragi's, besides a serious-chan type girl like yourself would definitely not be capable of formulating a strategy like the one on the island test"

Horikita : "I don't care either way, but how would you know what my strategy during the island test was? All that was announced were the results after all"

Horikita tells him. Against a calm Horikita, Ryuuen only grinned at her. He seemed to be saying

Ryuuen : "Katsuragi doesn't know the method you used"

Which might as well be him saying he knows how the results of the island test were achieved by our class.

Horikita : "I wonder if you can explain how we did it then?"

Ryuuen simply laughed before saying

Ryuuen : "At the end of the exam when the leader names were to be written, the only reason why we answered wrong was because the leader had been changed to someone else previously before the exam's end and was no longer you"

Horikita : "That's nothing impressive, anyone could figure something as simple as that out with a bit of thinking, even the Katsuragi you just made fun of"

Horikita retorts.

Ryuuen : "No, no. He thinks you were the one that planned it all. But from my perspective, even you shouldn't have been able to predict you'd be the leader or that you'd have to retire before the end of the exam"

Horikita : "It's just insurance to prepare for the most basic of obstacles. I took everything into account the moment Ibuki-san infiltrated our class. There's nothing groundbreaking in what you just said"

Ryuuen : "Anyways, the important thing is that the new leader of the island test, the one who switched with you at the very end. They are the one pulling your strings from behind the scenes"

Ryuuen said that while looking straight at Horikita and also quietly observing me as I was sit right beside Horikita. I don't know how serious he was about that statement, but if he figures me out here he'll most definitely attack me at once.

Horikita : "I don't know what you're talking about, I barely have any friends to scheme with anyways. The only one I can consider somewhat close to me would be Ayanokoji-san here but she's just been holding me back and not being much of a cooperator anyways".

By drawing attention to my presence, Horikita was actually able to make me out as someone irrelevant to the grand scheme of things.

Horikita : "Who knows. Perhaps she's the one pulling my strings"

Ryuuen : "I see".

Ryuuen gently looks at me once before averting his eyes.

It seems the act we put up worked and Ryuuen no longer paid any attention to me. Believing he has understood my standing in regards to academic ability, physical ability and communication skills from Horikita's act.

After all, such parameters can easily be used to assess someone's threat level in most cases without any misunderstandings. Apparently things did not go according to plan in this meeting but Ryuuen still smiled at us without any shame or anger in his expressions.

Ryuuen : "It's a shame, when I thought I'd finally found someone who schemes just the way I like it. But it's too bad the one pulling Suzune's strings made their move a bit too early. The trump card they used in the island test should have been saved for this exam but they've ended up showing their hand too early into the game. Suzune, if you meet the one pulling your strings later, please pass this message onto that person for me"

Horikita : "Thanks for the advice"

Horikita coldly told Ryuuen.

Ryuuen : "No need for thanks"

Horikita : "You really think someone's pulling my strings don't you"

Ryuuen did not answer her question. He must have no doubts about his conviction even though there was no proof or confirmation from Horikita's side. After all, the man named Ryuuen believes in himself above all else and does not look like the type to accept someone else's advice. He seemed to have taken this failure in stride and just seemed to find fun in chatting with Horikita.

Suddenly, Ryuuen whipped out his phone without warning and before anyone could react, quickly snapped a photo of Horikita without her permission.

CHEESE!

Horikita : "Don't take my photo!"

Ryuuen : "Don't say things like that, I'll tell you something good"

Ryuuen says while looking at the photo of Horikita he'd snapped in his phone.

Ryuuen : "There is someone else in Class D who's scheming other than you"

Ryuuen gives Horikita a hint. Did he perhaps said there is another party in our class who make undercover plan like we did?

Horikita : "That's a good thing, instead of asking me for everything they should be able to make their own decisions"

Horikita fires back.

Ryuuen : "In any case, I'm glad I got to talk to you, Suzune. Remember, this is a game. I'll definitely find the one sneaking around in the shadows. Everything is a target for me"

Horikita : "Let me just ask one last thing. I understand being cautious of me, but why obsess over me so much? Aren't there others you care about? Like Ichinose-san in Class B or Katsuragi-kun in Class A and then there's the person known as Sakayanagi-san according to the rumors. There should be guys above Class C you'd normally worry about. You said you'd tell me something good so answer me that much at least"

Horikita asks Ryuuen the reason why he focused so much on Class D

Ryuuen : "It's because I already know more or less their capabilities and none of them are capable enough to be my enemies. If I wanted to crush them, I could crush any of them whenever I want"

Ibuki : "How about the rumored Sakayanagi?"

The person who asked that question was not Horikita but rather Ibuki. It looks like Ibuki herself wanted to confirm this fact with Ryuuen. And Ryuuen, who spoke ever so smoothly until now, waited for a while before replying.

Ryuuen : "I'm saving that woman last for dessert. It'll be a waste for me to eat Sakayanagi now"

Ryuuen then stood up and together with Ibuki, left our table.

Kiyone : "Are you perhaps dissatisfied?"

I ask Horikita once Ryuuen had left.

Horikita " "No. I have no such sentiments. I simply disliked the way you handled the situation. In the first place, on our path to Class A, I was the one supposed to be drawing the attention and not you"

Kiyone : "That may be the case, but this guy Ryuuen. He's an unpredictable one"

I thought to myself despite what he showed us earlier, Ryuuen already suspected me somewhat in his mind. Of that there is almost no doubt. I, of course, don't know what Ryuuen is thinking. But the timing with which he appeared here was nothing short of dangerous

Kiyone : "It could've been he was spying on us from the start, but the timing with which he appeared was too good"

Perhaps Ibuki is involved in this. The very fact that Ryuuen brought her to the meeting with us should mean we need to assume she would attempt to gather information on us in our group as well.

Horikita : "I doubt anybody actually suspects you're the one working behind the scenes. The reputation you've built up throughout the semester as an 'ordinary' person will be very hard to shake"

I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult but it is true that no matter how much one investigates me, they are bound to find nothing special. Normally no sane person would deliberately lower themselves to such mediocrity the way I have so I should be more or less safe from Ryuuen's scrutiny.

However, the very fact that I'm close to Horikita should put me on a to-watch list of his. Also, the fact that Ibuki is in the same group as I am means I'll be under some measure of surveillance. Once I saw students starting to come out onto the deck I got up from my seat.

Kiyone : "The discussion's over for now, right? In that case, I'm going to back to my room to rest"

Horikita : "Yes, for now there's nothing left to discuss. All we have left to do is proceed in our own groups. Good work for today. Do make sure to report if anything comes up"

Horikita tells me as I leave. At least I've seen that when faced with adversity, Horikita has shown a willingness to fight back. But regardless of personal compatibility, Hirata and Kushida should be able to rein her in. I suppose I'll go back to my room and sleep until afternoon. Despite the fact that the exam has officially begun, there's nothing to do until then anyways.

Hello guys! How are you?

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 4 : The Rabbit Group

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

In certain corridor

Sotomura : "Sorry to keep you waiting. Geppu, geppu~ If you eat three heavy meals for lunch you'd naturally be full. I thought of going on a diet but it seems like a failure"

Sotomura came up to me while rubbing his belly that had swollen up from all the food he'd eaten earlier. It conveyed a completely different image from someone who claimed to want to go on a diet. He came to the location me and Yukimura were waiting in front of

Yukimura : "It is troublesome that the exam has started, I've barely eaten"

Sotomura : "Is that a 'I'm currently unable to use my full strength' flag?"

Yukimura : "...I've been wanting to say it for a while now, but can't you cut it out with that weird way of speaking?"

Yukimura retorts to Sotomura.

Of course, from the perspective of someone who doesn't quite understand Sotomura, his words may seem almost like witchcraft. But you just have to get used to it, I guess. On the contrary, sometimes talking in an unusual manner like that can be interesting. But if I speak out now, I might incur Yukimura's wrath and so I let him continue on with his tirade.

Sotomura : "Pofu~ Did you not like my way of speech? What would suit you then, Yukimura-dono?"

Yukimura : "Just speak normally damn it"

Sotomura : "Ok, from this point onwards I'll be the weakest, strongest protagonist. I'll normally have no motivation to do anything but the truth is, I have a power capable of destroying the world worthy of naming me Cheat-kun. As is the current trend"

Yukimura, having given up on convincing Sotomura, simply starts walking ahead of us. Since we were slightly late, we started walking in a hurry towards our destination

Sotomura : "Ayanokoji-dono, there's something I wish to ask you, answer me"

He's speaking in a tone befitting a protagonist type character.

Kiyone : "Umm...what would you like to ask?"

Sotomura : "I was wondering what your favorite type of dialect is? Since I'd surely be happy if there is a cute heroine were to speak in such dialect"

The way he said it itself sounded cool, but the content of the dialogue was always the same with him

Kiyone : "Hmm...there's no particular dialect I like"

Since I was born and raised in Tokyo, there's no way I would know about such dialects.

Sotomura : "Have you not yet had the chance to experience the dialect of 'moe'?"

Just how many students in this school does he think possesses the attribute of such a dialect? I could just shut him off now but until we reach our designated meeting room I suppose I could kill some time by talking with him.

Kiyone : "Then how about you? Do you have a favorite dialect?"

Sotomura : "Of course, I'll tell you via my own ranking system for dialects. In third place would have to be the Kansai dialect. It gives off a strict yet rough impression. Second place would be the dialect of the beauty in the snow, the Hokkaido dialect. The use of the dialect in the 2D world is also widespread so it's a surekill moe dialect."

I did say I wanted to kill time by talking with him, but none of this made any sense to me. But before I could reply in any manner, Sotomura started whistling a strange onomatopoeia sounding like 'dorurururururu'.

Sotomura : "...The number one in my dialect ranking would have to be the dialect that lolis to Onee-sans all use in a versatile manner, the Hakata dialect. It's said to be the ultimate dialect with a wide variety of slangs. These three dialects are my best 3"

Sotomura continues on. Unfortunately, I couldn't understand what he wanted to tell me although I did realize he was quite passionate about the subject. But it seemed it at least succeeded in killing time since by the time we finished the conversation we had arrived in front of the designated meeting room with the name of our group (Rabbit) written on a plate in front of it on the second floor. Since the exam was already underway, students crowded the corridor and gave me a sense of claustrophobia.

Yukimura : "Playtime ended yesterday. From here on out, I expect you to fight for yourself and for the sake of your class"

Yukimura mainly directed those words at Sotomura, but I also nodded at him in acknowledgment.

??? : "Haaa...no matter how many times I look at it this is a sorry team I have"

That statement came from one of the girls who entered the room, looked at us and sighed. It was one of the pretty girls of Class D, although a bit gaudy. Karuizawa Kei. Including her, 11 people were currently in our room sitting in chairs arranged in a circular formation. Given the number of chairs still left empty, I thought we were probably the last ones to arrive.

I wouldn't be able to identify them from the list alone besides Ichinose and Ibuki in the room that I recognized. I don't recognize most of the other male and female students in the room. It seems like we, who were rivals just yesterday, were going to be forced to cooperate in this exam.

Naturally, it's not only our class but the other classes that were also feeling confused and awkward from this sudden arrangement. We opted to sit in the chairs since standing would just make us stand out even more. Students almost instinctively sat in groups based on classes, but Karuizawa and Ibuki both sat further out from the circle of students almost as if they were both isolated from the group.

Sotomura : "...What's wrong?"

Yukimura : "Did you notice something, Ayanokoji?"

Kiyone : "...No. It's nothing"

I had thought Karuizawa would confront Ibuki the moment she saw her. After all, it was Ibuki Mio in front of us who was responsible for stealing her underwear back on the island test. I thought she'd go for revenge immediately, but perhaps Karuizawa is more mature than I expected, or was it that she'd finished with her revenge already.

In either case, the fact that Karuizawa did not even seem upset was unnatural. But before I could voice those questions, an announcement came from the onboard speakers installed in the rooms of the ship

??? : "From this point onwards, we will begin with the first group discussion"

Just that. A short announcement, but since no one in the group from different classes know each other well, there was no one willing to take the initiative in starting the discussion.

As such, an awkward air came over the room. Then, the girl named Ichinose Honami stepped up with a glowing smile and after confirming that no one else would be taking the initiative. Spoke.

Ichinose : "I do know most of the people here, but I suppose in accordance with the school's instructions, we should introduce ourselves firstly. Since there are also people who might not know each other yet"

It's definitely not easy being the leader of a group like this, one must be able to inspire students, some of whom might even be from opposing classes, and bring them all together as one to clear the exam. But Ichinose didn't seem to dislike it, in fact, she seemed to be having fun leading the group. Some students from Class A could not hide their surprise at her unexpectedly taking the lead.

??? : "I don't think there's any need for that. The school's just saying it as a formality. Only the ones who want to introduce themselves should do it"

A boy from class A said that to Ichinose.

Ichinose : "If Machida-kun doesn't wish to do it, then I certainly can't force you to. But there may be a recorder hidden somewhere in this room. If we blatantly disobey the instructions from the school, it may not just be you but the whole group that gets punished, you know?"

Ichinose quickly replies to him. So his name is Machida huh? Basically, being selfish here may cost the entire group. Putting it like that, she made it so even the guy named Machida from Class A cannot help but accept her reasoning.

She then started the self-introductions by introducing herself. I think back to the first day of high school and how I messed up my self-introduction back then. But when my turn to introduce myself to the group came, it ended up being the same, dull and monotonous introduction as that day. I'm surely pathetic on this kind of thing

Ichinose : "Yahoo~ Ayanokoji-san. It seems we're in the same group. Let's get along"

Ichinose called out to me with a friendly and consoling voice as I get back to my seat. Once everyone's self-introductions were over and done with, Ichinose once again stepped up to speak.

Ichinose : "So, we've done as the school instructed. How would you guys like to proceed from now on? If any of you object to me being the leader, would you please tell me so?"

Ichinose spoke in a tone as if asking if anyone would like to take the leadership position from her. Of course, saying it in a way like that ensured that no one would ever wrest the leadership spot from her. There may be students among us who are not satisfied with the way Ichinose does things, but fearing the possibility that the responsibility of leadership would be thrust on them, none would speak up now.

Ichinose : "Since no one would like to take the leader spot, can I proceed? Firstly, I believe we should discuss aspects of the exam some don't quite understand yet, or any other questions and concerns you might have regarding it. Otherwise, this ambiguous situation will continue on as it is"

Ichinose said as she proposed the first topic of discussion. There was no resistance from the group to her suggestion and there were no hands or voices raised against her. Things like that can often happen when strangers gather together as a group and the fact that one can act without fear of such opposition is the mark of a true leader. Ichinose then put her hands on her hips and smiled resolutely

Ichinose : "I'd like to ask everyone here something and I'm going to ask everyone assuming that no one here is the 'VIP'. I'd like to ask if everyone here would like to work together to clear this exam through outcome 1. I'd like to ask you if you all think this is the best course of action or not?"

Karuizawa : "Huh? What do you mean? Isn't that obvious?"

Karuizawa was the one who replied to her question. She acted like she understood yet more likely than not she didn't, but in a situation like this, the first one who speaks their mind can decide their place in the group hierarchy, whether it be superior or inferior.

Yukimura, and a girl from Class C named Manabe also seemed to realize this, replying in the same manner as if to be in sync with Karuizawa. Obviously, if at all possible, it makes sense everyone here would want to aim for the first possible outcome.

As if to agree with Ichinose's statement, one of the male students from Class B raised his hands. If I recall, the name he gave during his self-introduction was Hamaguchi Tetsuya.

Hamaguchi : "I agree with her, of course, cooperating with each other as a group is the obvious course of action here"

It wasn't a bad question to start the discussion out with, I must admit. It seems quite a few of the students haven't noticed it yet, but by asking a seemingly casual and obvious question like this, it may be possible to discern who is not the 'VIP' while fostering a positive attitude amongst the members of the group.

If one plays it right, they may even be able to narrow down the list of suspects for the 'VIP' at this stage. It might still be difficult to decide black or white for certain with this one question. Ichinose, the one who asked the question. Karuizawa, who first answered her. Then Yukimura and Manabe who followed up on Karuizawa's answer. And Hamaguchi of Class B. It wouldn't be surprising if the 'VIP' were among them and boldly answered the question without missing a beat.

I went along with them so as to not ruin the atmosphere they had right now

Kiyone : "We're a group after all, and our private points are all low right now anyways, I'd like to cooperate if possible. How about Sotomura-kun?"

Sotomura, whose stomach seems to now be in pain from eating too much, was rubbing his belly when I called out to him all of a sudden, causing his shoulders to jump in surprise

Sotomura : "Of course, I'll also cooperate since I get points from doing so too"

It seems Sotomura is still trying to keep up his cool, mysterious character act. And observing all of us, were the students of Class A who only consisted of male students.

They seem to be calmly observing us to see what direction the group's discussion will take.

Machida : "Ichinose, that question is unfair isn't it? If you're not the 'VIP' by saying that, you manage to gather the entire group up as one against the 'VIP', and there's no one who would blatantly disagree with you and declare themselves as a traitor after your statement. It's almost like you're painting the 'VIP' as the bad one for not speaking out, I believe this is a very inappropriate question you've asked us"

Machida told to Ichinose in a stern tone of voice.

He seems to be clearly different from the students of Class D and Class C who simply went along with the flow and agreed with Ichinose. It almost seemed as if this were an interrogation and he was watching and criticizing Ichinose's words. Hamaguchi, having heard Machida's complaint, replied to him calmly

Hamaguchi : "Isn't this a reasonable question for this sort of exam? Ichinose-san did not use any sort of threat to force us to cooperate or divulge information, if you don't want to all you have to do is stay silent"

Hamaguchi quickly puts a stop to Class A's criticism of Ichinose. It seems civil war is breaking out amongst the group already, Machida was not surprised at all by Hamaguchi's retaliation, almost as if he'd already expected this would happen

Machida : "Indeed, we have the right to remain silent. And as such, that is what me and the rest of Class A will be doing, keep our silence"

Machida bluntly rejected Ichinose's offer to cooperate. And the remaining Class A students follow his lead. And following their lead in turn, the remaining students who have not yet answered also chose to keep silent

Ichinose : "Perhaps I came on too strong with that question?"

In response to this unexpected rejection, Ichinose smiled bitterly.

Hamaguchi : "No, Ichinose-san. Your question was perfectly reasonable. But I suppose their wariness was slightly stronger than we expected. Tell me then, Machida. What questions here would you consider appropriate? We could talk about our favourite foods and hobbies, but I doubt the exam will cover anything of the sort. That would mean you have nothing to offer the group except your silence"

Machida : "Nothing else to offer? No such thing"

Machida tries to respond

Hamaguchi : "I myself do not know what Ichinose-san intended with that question, but in this exam, I know that discussion between students is vital. In the case that you still refuse to keep your silence, we will have no other choice but to continue our discussion without Class A in it. At the very least, you could help us decide what topic we should start the discussion on"

Hamaguchi retorts to Machida.

Hamaguchi is right, exactly as he said, just by keeping silent you won't get any closer to finding the 'VIP' or clearing the exam. Machida should know this as well, despite him crossing his arms and keeping silent. Seeing the situation as a castle gate closed shut, Ichinose tries to break through.

Ichinose : "In that case, although reluctant, I guess we'll have to decide the leader with a majority vote. There will undoubtedly be suspicion directed at the ones who refuse to answer the question and we can name the 'VIP' later. Would everyone be ok with that?"

Ichinose broke through the castle known as Class A with those words. Horikita also thinks similarly to Ichinose, but the difference between them is that Ichinose is easily able to rally the people around her to her side. To fight a battle while receiving the approval of the people around you makes her a very powerful presence in this situation.

Frankly, Ichinose already holds the majority vote in her hands the moment she took the initiative in the discussion. As far as I could tell, no one else in the school is capable of doing the same thing she does. Katsuragi and Ryuuen would not be able to do what she did. Hirata and Kushida would not be able to do it either.

Machida : "...Are you threatening me?"

Ichinose : "Don't get me wrong, we just want to discuss things with you all. You're free to decide for yourself what you wish to discuss and what you wish to not discuss. But I would like people to participate in the discussion at this stage, since it is a required condition in this exam"

Machida seems to not comprehend her words

Machida : "This exam, can it really be resolved just by talking? Do you really think we'll figure out the 'VIP' just by talking with each other? Or are you going to lower your head and beg them to reveal themselves?"

Machida finally tells Ichinose. I see, it looks like Class A's approach to this exam has already been decided, but this approach doesn't seem to be Machida's. I think I'm starting to see the man acting behind Machida.

Ichinose : "So, is there another way?"

Ichinose asks Machida, having full confidence in her approach. But of course, this is something Class A already expected her to ask.

Takemoto : "...Yes. There is a way to easily and definitively clear this exam"

One of the students from Class A suddenly spoke up. Both Ichinose and Hamaguchi could not conceal their surprise at this.

Ichinose : "...Could you explain your strategy to us?"

Takemoto : "Sure. We are a 'group' after all so it's natural to share such information"

Takemoto, no, the whole of Class A came up with an extremely simple strategy

Takemoto : "The strategy we came up with is...to not talk at all from the start of the exam until its finish"

He said it loud enough for us, sitting on the sidelines of the discussion, to hear as well. It seemed both Karuizawa and Sotomura also understood what he meant to say.

Hamaguchi : "Now that's a pretty unique proposition, but how do you propose to clear the exam without any discussion at all. Or are you suggesting we let the identity of the 'VIP' remain completely hidden to the end?"

Instead of Ichinose, it was Hamaguchi who cut in and spoke out. On the class A side, instead of Takemoto. Machida come to explain his reasoning

Machida : "Indeed, as you see the real shortcut to clearing this exam as efficiently as possible is to do so without talking to each other at all."

Hamaguchi : "I can't believe this. This is starting to make us think that the 'VIP' student is among the students of Class A and this action is being taken to help protect their identity while sharing information amongst your classmates only."

Naturally, if the 'VIP' is already in your class, there's no need to talk to anyone else nor participate in any discussion. It can't be helped that Hamaguchi would be suspicious of them after that. Not only Hamaguchi, but it can't be helped if everyone else suspects them after that.

Takemoto : "No. It doesn't matter what class the 'VIP' is in, it won't affect the outcome. If we simply do not talk to each other we can win, that is the strategy that Katsuragi-san devised for us"

Ichinose : "Katsuragi-kun?...I see"

Ichinose seemed to understand too the moment she heard Katsuragi's name being mentioned. Machida then turned towards Yukimura, who did not seem to understand his explanation, and began to explain his strategy

Machida : "There can only be four possible outcomes in this exam. I believe you have already been briefed on them all."

Machida suddenly turns towards Karuizawa and asks her the question.

Machida : "What do you think is the outcome we should all aim to avoid in this exam?"

Karuizawa : "E-Eh?!...The outcome where someone figures out the 'VIP''s identity and betrays the group?"

Machida : "Exactly, the moment a traitor emerges we lose as a group. Whether the traitor answers correctly or incorrectly, both paths lead to a loss. But, thinking in reverse, what about the other possible outcomes?"

Machida looks towards Yukimura for an answer.

Yukimura : "The other possible outcomes? An outcome where a negative result does not occur?"

Machida : "Indeed, there are no demerits in either of the remaining two possible outcomes. The class points will neither rise nor fall drastically, and in addition we gain a tremendous amount of private points as well. The only loser in this scenario would be the faculty. There is no need to find the 'VIP' student. By discussing amongst ourselves, we will only end up suspecting each other of hiding the 'VIP' and end up slipping up somewhere and make a mistake".

Hamaguchi : "We do recognize the soundness of this strategy to a certain extent, however, as long as we don't know which class the 'VIP' belongs to, there is always the possibility that the point gap between the classes may widen further. If the 'VIP' belongs to a certain class and ends up favouring that class, said class may gain millions of points in the form of private points. Although the class point itself will not be affected, I'm sure everybody understands the impact a difference in private points can make for a class."

Hamaguchi counters Machida's points.

Hamaguchi is right, private points are also extremely useful. One can buy test scores, for instance, or even change classes depending on how one chooses to use them. Hamaguchi is correct in assuming that the 'VIP' may choose to favor their class to use those private points in such a manner. But this argument won't work against Class A, after all, Katsuragi must have already realized the 'trick' hidden in this exam. They would not have boldly proposed this strategy to us otherwise

Machida : "Think about it carefully, the school would definitely not give any class an unfair advantage in an exam like this. To the point they emphasized their impartiality before the exam's start during the briefing. Of course there's no denying the fact that there is only one 'VIP' in each group but that is not important. The important thing is that every class has an 'equal' opportunity to have the 'VIP'. There's no denying the fact that in this exam, both Class A and Class D would start equally at the same starting line"

For those advocating Katsuragi's strategy, they would naturally insist that there would be no discussion and allow points to be equally distributed amongst the classes regardless of which class the 'VIP' belongs to.

But Hamaguchi responded to Class A's unexpected proposal promptly.

Hamaguchi : "I admit the school made sure every class starts out equally in fairness. And if you take their word for it, certainly you're train of thought is not wrong. But, we cannot be certain of that fact yet"

It was the hard truth, but Hamaguchi did his best to voice it anyways. The school would certainly try to avoid bias by not assigning the 'VIP' student to specific classes. That much would be easy to guess for anybody.

Machida : "I believe you understand as well, but by talking amongst each other now, we will only create suspicion and doubt and could cause a breakdown in our group relationships. There is indeed the possibility that you will find the 'VIP' this way, but you also run the risk of a traitor emerging and causing the group to suffer for their own sake."

Ichinose : "You're right, it's not a bad thing if we all profit while having the school lose out in the process..."

Ichinose says as she accepts the strategy Katsuragi devised for the exam. Machida was looking at us with a face that seemed to be saying he was the one who proposed the logical course of action, but it doesn't seem like Ichinose is willing to meekly accept their strategy.

Ichinose : "...But to execute that strategy will be difficult, perhaps even more difficult than if we simply talked with each other. I will not talk, I will not doubt and I will not betray. Unless every student here can abide by that, that strategy is pointless. Since the school already guarantees anonymity for the students, trust between each other also becomes an issue. It would be great if the points can be equally distributed between all of us at the end, but couldn't there also be a risk of someone breaking that trust and taking the points for themselves?"

In that case, one student in one class would get the points for themselves while hiding it from the rest of the class. It would indeed bring about an awkward atmosphere.

It seems like Katsuragi's plan is to stick to defense, almost as if building a barrier for the group. That is his strategy. Getting cooperation from everyone in the group would surely be difficult, but the strategy itself only requires one to not talk at all, a simple tactic that everyone can easily abide by. It can almost be said to be a strategy that overturns the school's plans and renders the exam moot in the first place.

Sotomura : "Isn't this fine? I don't see any problems in this. Once the exam is over, we can simply talk amongst each other in our classes and share the points from the exam"

Sotomura's sentiment seems to be shared by students from Class C as well, since the girl named Manabe also agreed with him.

Yukimura : "I agree too, as long as we can share our points after the exam is over that's fine. Better that than to run the risk of a traitor emerging and sabotaging the group, it's not realistic too to try and figure out the 'VIP' simply by talking to each other"

Yukimura seemed to be deep in thought as he said that, but even he raised no objections against the strategy. Sensing that the opposition has died down, Machida slightly laughed

Ichinose : "I see, indeed as Machida-kun says, the problem can be resolved after the exam in each class, hmm?"

Ichinose says with her arms crossed as she looks at her own class, then at Class D and Class C.

Ichinose : "I'd like to get a consensus from the group, would that be ok? If you agree with the strategy, please raise your hands"

Yukimura and Sotomura from Class D as well as some students from Class C wavered at that, but after a while, although scattered, they raised their hands

Ichinose : "Ibuki-san, how about you? May we hear your opinion too?"

Ibuki : "I don't have any opinion in particular, there's nothing happening now anyways so continue as you want"

It doesn't seem like Ibuki wants to give anything away at this stage. She's clearly different from the other three students from Class C.

Since Manabe and the others didn't seem surprised by it, this seems to be Ibuki's usual attitude.

Ichinose : "I see, that's your idea then...how about Karuizawa-san?"

Karuizawa : "Really...I'm irked by this whole thing. Whether we get points, or I get points is a different matter. It's not like we're guaranteed to get points by talking to each other right?...I'd just like this exam to be over quickly so I can go back to having fun"

Despite Karuizawa just speaking her thoughts, it seems her words resonated with quite a few other students as well.

Ichinose : "Then what about Hamaguchi-kun?"

Hamaguchi : "We will leave our decision to Ichinose-san"

It seems the trust towards Ichinose from her class is unshakeable as the other two students from Class B also nodded in agreement

Ichinose : "Thank you, then lastly, what about Ayanokouji-san?"

Ichinose then turns to ask me, the last one who hasn't given their opinion yet.

Kiyone : "I think the strategy's just fine, besides the majority have already agreed with it and I'm the type who's bad at talking anyways"

I said that in favor of Katsuragi's strategy. But...it doesn't seem like Ichinose will simply accept Katsuragi's proposed strategy obediently.

Or rather, if they simply bow down and accept the flow of things here, Class B's future would be a dark one indeed. Because in Katsuragi's strategy, there is an element of it that's hard to agree with.

Machida : "It's decided then"

Ichinose : "Wait! Machida-kun's...no Katsuragi-kun's strategy is certainly not a bad one, there'd be no need to doubt anyone, hunt anyone or hurt anyone. I can understand why everyone would want to follow this strategy. It's hard to see any demerits in this strategy, but if you think about it carefully, isn't it because you're from Class A that you are able to propose such a strategy? There is a demerit that we cannot see hidden in this strategy"

Ichinose made a comeback that almost seemed like a sunken submarine suddenly emerging from the sea with a splash

Yukimura : "A hidden demerit? What would that be?"

Yukimura asks Ichinose with a voice that sounded like he hadn't thought of it that far.

Ichinose : "Indeed, assuming every class has an equal chance of having the 'VIP' assigned to it, not talking to each other is the best way to obtain a large amount of points for all of us. There are only advantages to this strategy in that case. However, it would be unfair to the lower classes to let this one chance go to waste"

Yukimura : "T-That's!..."

Ichinose : "We still don't know how many special exams will occur before graduation. And the current difference Class A has from the other classes is remarkable. The strategy of working together with other classes was brought up during the island test as well. In other words, every time there is an exam, Class A will keep on using this strategy causing the final position of the classes to be unchanged at graduation..."

Yukimura's face immediately tightened at that explanation, as if wondering how he did not notice such a simple thing. Machida had worded his proposition so cleverly that everyone's attention was focused only on avoiding a 'loss' that they did not consider anything else. That was why even Yukimura was quick to accept it without considering the long term result of it.

Ichinose : "...Even if we can surely gain points this way, I cannot overlook such a valuable chance"

Hamaguchi : "Looks like Ichinose-san's made her decision, we will follow her lead"

Machida : "Wait a minute, Ichinose. I know what you're trying to say, but if we act according to your proposal instead, there's only one possible outcome. But even if we all cooperate together, all classes will get the same amount of points. The outcome you wish for will not occur. Or are you trying to figure out the 'VIP' through discussion and Class B will betray us to get all the points in one stroke? You deliberately asked everyone if they desire the first outcome just now. But I don't think you're trustworthy"

Ichinose : "You say the gap between the classes won't change either way. But that's wrong. Look at the number of students from each class. 4 from Class D and C. 3 from A and B. Either way the amount of points each class will receive will change and the gap can change too, right?"

Machida : "Indeed, but will you and Class B with fewer numbers accept this outcome? Are you saintly enough to sacrifice your class's standing to help the lower classes rise?"

Ichinose : "If not, Class A will certainly stand to benefit from the current strategy. It would be especially troublesome if the 'VIP' happened to be in Class A after all."

Of course, if the 'VIP' is not in Class A then there would be no need for Ichinose to be this aggressive. However, as long as that possibility exists, she would insist on the necessity for dialogue.

Hamaguchi : "I agree with Ichinose-san too, we cannot allow Class A to gain the lead with this strategy"

I was impressed the first time I heard the Katsuragi faction's strategy but now that Ichinose and Hamaguchi have pointed it out, it now sounds more like a bluff than anything else. Something that was planned the moment they were briefed on the nature of the exam.

I suppose it's only because she knows Class A's methods that she was able to counter their arguments like this. Even the students that once stood in favor of their strategy would probably now be neutral or perhaps even stand on Ichinose's side. The battlefield has now turned into Class B led by Ichinose and Class A led by Machida while D and C are the classes being fought over by them and could be swayed to either side. And now the tide will turn in favor of Class B.

Machida : "I see, then you've made your decision too. Just remember we of Class A have already made our choice. For whatever reason it may be, we will not talk to you henceforth. You all are free to discuss whatever you wish amongst yourselves"

Machida finally says and with that the three students of Class A moved over to the corner of the room in silence.

It appears they'll be spending the rest of the allocated time like that.

I'm sure the other Class A students are doing the same thing in the other groups right about now as well. By doing this, if the 'VIP' happened to be from Class A, it would be exceedingly difficult to find them.

Ichinose : "Now, what should we do?"

Ichinose faces the remaining three classes and asks.

Ichinose : "I hate to be the one excluding you guys, but if that's your class's decision it can't be helped. If you wish to join our discussion, please say so anytime"

Ichinose directs those words at Class A.

Ichinose did her best to call out to Class A like that, but it seems they've already made up their mind. Class A remained silent and did not reply at all.

Yukimura : "Isn't it impossible to find the 'VIP' without the cooperation of Class A?"

Yukimura who asked that question as if in complaint to Ichinose. His attitude was now completely different to only a while ago when he was ready to go along with the more convenient strategy of Class A, but I suppose Yukimura wants to keep Class D as an active participant in the discussions.

Ichinose : "Yes, if the 'VIP' is in Class A it would be rather difficult to pinpoint them. But I would say probability is in our favour in a 3 to 1 ratio. Even if we don't know the 'who' if we know 'where' it will be easier on us at least, wouldn't you say?"

Ichinose doesn't seem to want to find out exactly 'who' the 'VIP' is as much as she wants to know which 'class' they belong to, especially if they are in Class A.

Ichinose : "You see, it can't be helped that they refuse to talk. If the 'VIP' is in one of the remaining three classes, I will have treated them horribly. But if the 'VIP' is in Class A, I'd like to discuss what we should do after that"

Ichinose struck back boldly against Katsuragi's strategy by forming an alliance between the three remaining classes.

Yukimura : "...I still can't trust you"

It was Yukimura who spoke out against Ichinose now. Manabe from Class C also seems to agree with Yukimura.

Yukimura : "Even if the 'VIP' is in Class A, wouldn't it be hard to identify them?"

Ichinose : "I don't think we need to think ahead that far just yet, right now, narrowing down the class to which the 'VIP' belongs should be enough, isn't it?"

If you look at it from the perspective of the 'VIP', the idea of three classes joining hands to locate them would be terrifying.

Ichinose : "This is just my proposition at the start of the discussion. If we continue our dialogue, surely better ideas will appear. I mean, the exam's just begun. We can take our time deciding whose ideas to use or not"

To begin with, no one could've argued against either Machida's idea or Ichinose's idea since no one has anything else to offer. As Hamaguchi said, it wouldn't be fair to them to reject their proposal without having a better one to offer. For now, I shouldn't rush things without first ascertaining how the others will act. After all, people with a low communication ability tend to get dragged with the flow in situations like this.

1 hour had passed and an announcement by the school was made allowing the students to leave their designated meeting rooms.

The Class A students were the first ones to leave.

Takemoto : "You're free to do as you please"

With that, they left the room, throwing the room back into silence. Even though Ichinose had rejected Katsuragi's strategy, in the end, there was no discussion between us. Is she still hiding something? Or did she really not think about anything beyond that?

Ichinose : "Well, there will be 5 more discussions like this after all, so let's end this session here shall we?"

Ichinose says with a refreshing voice. Basically, it seems the consensus we've reached is to spend time on our own than to discuss for now. Having processed quite a bit of information, Class D and probably Class C as well are bound to be exhausted. Perhaps it's not such a bad idea to disband the group for now.

Karuizawa : "I'm going back"

Karuizawa promptly said that as she stood to leave

In the end the meeting ended up in our group without any conclusion until time up

Yukimura : "Its quite hard to making choice here"

Sotomura : "Indeed, in the end it ended up with nobody vote between those option yet"

Yukimura : "What's your opinion about this Ayanokoji?"

Kiyone : "...Mmm...I think-"

Suddenly there is commotion not far from our spot

Manabe : "You're Karuizawa-san, right? There's something I want to ask you"

The girl from Class C called out to Karuizawa. Karuizawa herself didn't seem to be expecting her name to be called out here, and she quickly turned away from her phone.

Karuizawa : "What?"

Manabe : "Perhaps it's just my misunderstanding, but over the summer holiday, did you have a quarrel with Rika?"

Karuizawa : "Huh? What's that supposed to mean? Who's Rika?"

Manabe : "She's from our class. The one wearing glasses? She wears her hair like a dango? You don't recall her?"

Karuizawa : "I don't. You've got the wrong person"

Karuizawa brushes them off as if they had nothing to do with her and glanced back towards her phone. But Manabe's next words caused a change in Karuizawa's expression

Manabe : "Isn't it strange, then? We heard a different story. That Class D's Karuizawa bullied our Rika. That she was waiting in line at the cafe and you pushed her out of it"

Karuizawa : "...I don't know what you're talking about. Do you have a problem with me?"

Manabe : "Not really, just checking. If that's true, I want you to go apologize to Rika. Rika's the type to keep quiet over matters like this, so it's our job as her classmates to stand up for her"

It looks like it's not just our class, Karuizawa seems has a reputation as a troublemaker in other classes as well. I turn my eyes away from them. After all, even Class C can be a pain to deal with. Karuizawa also tries to ignore them but it seems to have made Manabe angry.

Manabe then takes out her phone and points the camera towards Karuizawa.

Manabe : "Then you won't mind if I check again with Rika, will you? If you didn't do anything, then you surely won't have a problem with that right?"

And at that moment, Karuizawa suddenly stood up and grabbed the phone from Manabe's hands. She used quite a bit of force as the phone flew through the air and fell down to the floor with a thud.

Manabe : "W-What the hell are you doing?!"

Karuizawa : "That's my line, don't take photos of me without my permission, I already told you I didn't do it!"

Both sides were denying the other's claims, and as their argument heated up, Ichinose and her classmate stared at them as if trying to discern who's in the right and who's in the wrong.

Manabe : "What're you going to do if my phone breaks?!"

Karuizawa : "What? Just tell the school and get yourself a new one!"

Karuizawa sharply replies to Manabu

Manabe : "...There were some precious photos in that phone"

Manabu tells her as she picks up the phone and stares at Karuizawa with eyes harboring a grudge. Two other students from Class C backed up Manabe by standing in front of Karuizawa as if to intimidate her.

Karuizawa : "What? Are you trying to say I'm the bad one here?"

Manabe : "If you really are innocent, why are you so defensive? Let me take your photo"

Karuizawa : "I...don't want to"

I expected Karuizawa to respond with even more force, but she sounds surprisingly weak. Or more precisely, despite her trying to sound tough I could hear the fear in her voice. Perhaps that's just my imagination

Manabe : "Aren't you just trying to hide your acts?"

Manabe locks the camera onto Karuizawa as if forcibly trying to take a picture of her. The other girls from Class C watch this unfold curiously as if enjoying it. Only the last Class C student Ibuki, took a different attitude and did not join in. She looked at Manabe as if in disgust but did not stop her.

Ibuki : *sigh* "This is stupid"

Manabe : "Stupid? What's that supposed to mean? This has nothing to do with you, Ibuki-san. You're not even Rika's friend"

Ibuki : "That's right, I have no stake in this. So I'm just observing"

Ibuki said with her arms crossed as she looked away from the scene. Manabe did not seem to like the attitude Ibuki took with her, but instead of confronting Ibuki, she started to raise her voice against Karuizawa instead. That might be because there is a definitively established hierarchy in Class C in which Ibuki ranks above Manabe.

Manabe : "In any case, I'm taking that photo"

Karuizawa : "No!...please say something to stop her"

Karuizawa looked towards Machida from Class A and pleaded with him for help.

Machida : "Manabe, if Karuizawa is objecting to it, then stop"

Machida then speaks out

Manabe : "T-This has nothing to do with you, Machida-kun".

Machida : "It doesn't matter, from what I've heard it seems like you're in the wrong Manabe. If Karuizawa refuses to let her photo be taken, it's wrong to forcibly do so against her will. It would be much better if you talked with your friend yourself to confirm your story"

Of course Machida is in the right if what she says is true. Taking photos of someone against their will is a violation of manners. Manabe also recognizes this fact as she withdraws when confronted with that argument although it does not seem like she was satisfied stopping here.

Karuizawa : "P-Please stop with the strange accusations. Really? And also thank you, Machida-kun"

Karuizawa looked at Machida respectfully and thanked him. Even though he was from Class A, it didn't seem like he was completely heartless. Takemoto and the other students didn't seem to be interested at all though.

Machida : "...I-Its nothing. I only did the right thing..."

Machida replies to Karuizawa with a slight blush.

Sotomura : "Tch! The sluttiest line in the book. Poor Hirata, even if she already had boyfriend. How could this bitch easily ensnared the other boy like that? She is truly one kind of bitch"

Yukimura : *sigh* "I don't care, not my problem either"

Perhaps this is the beginning of a new love for Machida and Karuizawa? Although Karuizawa already has a boyfriend so there's a slight problem there. But it seems like the conflict between Class C and Karuizawa will be a problem going forward.

Hurried to leave, Karuizawa accidentally stepped on Manabe's feet.

Manabe : "Ittai!"

Manabe screamed in pain

Karuizawa : "Oh...sorry. I didn't mean to"

Karuizawa half heartedly apologized while sticking out her tongue and leave without any care.

Manabe : "What...What the hell!?"

She seemed to be angry both from the pain and Karuizawa's attitude.

Then look at us as her classmate. I quickly avert my eyes to avoid getting involved and we decide to escape.

Yukimura : "Let's go too, I'd like to hear about this exam from Hirata as well"

Since the other classes were already making their moves, it seems Yukimura wants to come up with a strategy for our class too. Sotomura following him in response to Yukimura's statement.

Sotomura : "I'm hungry again, do you think there's a lunch buffet going on?"

What kind of body do you have to be able to digest all that food you ate in one hour. Normally, you'd get fat if you eat that much. But I doubt my sincere advice will reach his heart.

Sotomura : "What's wrong Ayanokoji-dono?"

Kiyone : "Uh...nothing"

We followed behind Yukimura

Hello guys! How are you?

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 4 : Doubt

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

We walked together in hall way

Kiyone : "Nee~ Yukimura-kun, did you notice Karuizawa-san was acting strange?"

Yukimura only made a strange face towards me in return.

Yukimura : "What are you talking about? She's always strange"

A straightforward response, but that's not what I wanted to hear, it's just my intuition but there was something definitely off about Karuizawa's behaviour. Sotomura didn't seem like he noticed a thing. I switched on my phone which I had turned off when entering the room and there were messages from Sakura. I checked the contents and it seems she wants to meet me if I have time.

Kiyone : "Ano...I've made some promised with my friend so I can't accompanied you. Sorry Yukimura-kun, Sotomura-kun"

Yukimura : "That's fine, at this early stage I can't even find a way to make any plans yet either"

I bowed to them before leave

On the way

I was just thinking about contacting Hirata and Horikita to ask how their meetings went, but I might be able to gather more information from Sakura as well.

Kiyone : "Hmm...Where should we meet?"

I think for now, the same meeting place as yesterday should do fine

When I mailed that to Sakura, I instantly received a reply.

Immediately I saw at the direction which written on the mail

Kiyone : "You should have told me if you already here"

Sakura : "It just small prank anyway. Fufufu~"

There will certainly be crowds of students at this moment but if we ignore them they surely won't pay any attention to us as well. Since the first group discussion had just ended, a furious crowd of students awaited me at the elevator.

Since only ten people can ride the elevator at one time, it would be more time efficient to use the stairs, I thought.

Sakura : "It's getting a little crowded, let's head towards the ship's bow"

Kiyone : "Ah...Okay. It looks like you can't handle a crowd".

Then we changed directions and started heading towards the bow. It is a ship filled with all sorts of facilities built for luxury, but the bow gives a wide view of the sea from the deck. As such, at the current time, there were few students there. In fact, it seems there's nobody there right now giving me monopoly over the whole area.

Kiyone : "So? Do you noted it?"

Sakura : "Of course, here"

She then pushed a piece of paper towards me, and when I took it from her and looked it over it contained a list of names.

Class A: Sawada Yasumi, Shimizu Naoki, Nishi Haruka, Yoshida Kenta

Class B: Kobayashi Yume, Ninomiya Yui, Watanabe Kihito

Class C: Yuuki Yuuya, Nomura Yuuji, Yajima Mariko

Class D: Ike Kanji, Sakura Airi, Sudou Ken, Matsushita Chiaki

It seems Sakura belongs to the (Cow) group. It seems things are also intense in this group. The males in the group are Sudou and Ike, men who wouldn't sympathize with Sakura's plight. And in this exam, one is forced to spend time with fellow group members from the same class no matter what. If I'm in the same group as her, I could help her out but as it stands, there's not much I can do right now.

Once it's time for the group to fight as one, they cannot afford to be scattered or hesitant. I could help her by secretly contacting her via phone during the middle of the exam, but if I adopt this unnatural behaviour in the middle of the exam, I would suddenly draw attention to myself. And in an exam like this, an action like that might as well mean the difference between life and death.

Kiyone : "I thought it'd be great if there was somebody you knew from the other classes, but I suppose you wouldn't"

I thought about it, but if I wanted to help her, Ichinose and Kanzaki are the only ones I can ask help from. But since Ichinose is already in my group, it'll be hard for her to help too. I don't trust Sudou and Ike with Sakura, after all.

Kiyone : "Sorry...I don't have any friends that I can't rely at either"

Sakura : "Oh, please don't apologize, I have no friends at all too. I keep quiet during the discussion just same as Matsushita-san who keep playing with her phone and only talk when its necessary, also Sudou-kun and Ike-kun doesn't seems to making any plan at all."

Sakura tells me. This is just sad, we're like two people competing against each other to see who can be more pathetic.

So instead of being proud of my lack of friends, I switched over to a different topic.

Kiyone : "By the way, I also wanted to ask you something, Sakura-san"

Sakura : "Mmm, what is it?"

Kiyone : "I was wondering if Yamauchi-kun contacted you in any way since the discussion period ended"

Sakura : "Yamauchi-kun? No he hasn't. Is something wrong?"

Kiyone : "I see"

Back on the island, in order to make use of Horikita, I was forced to use Sakura first. To manipulate Yamauchi, I promised to give him Sakura's address in exchange for his cooperation. Of course, I have no intention of giving the address to Yamauchi without Sakura's consent but I haven't told Yamauchi of this yet.

I was worried he might have approached Sakura but it seems like I was worried for nothing.

Kiyone : "In the meantime, if there's something on your mind you can contact me"

Sakura : "Y-Yeah...?"

Sakura tilted her head, she seems confused with my unnatural behavior

Although only a few days have passed since the island test. Sakura has grown considerably strangely enough. Since it was a crazy and taxing test, it seemed to have impacted a growing high school girl like Sakura. She didn't change completely, but even in a tough situation like this, she's learned to keep herself positive.

On the certain hall way

??? : "Ayanokoji!!!"

As soon as I went back inside the ship, a shadow fell upon me. With his hands flailing above his neck, he came in a hurry and seemed to be panicking. It seemed like a serious situation. That was what I saw when I turned back around, I saw the figure of Yamauchi Haruki, my classmate who had now taken the form of a demonic Asura.

Kiyone : "W-What's wrong Yamauchi-kun?"

Of course, I already knew what the reason was but I asked him as a matter of formality.

Yamauchi : "What are you asking that for? You promised to tell me Sakura's address, what the hell happened to that?"

Unfortunately I had run into Yamauchi now of all times. I should think of something

Yamauchi : "Are you perhaps playing with my gentleman heart just now. You better explain yourself Ayanokoji!"

Kiyone : "I see, since I never try to contacted her. I guess the mail she gave to me were fake as well. In the end Sakura-san doesn't trust me either..."

I tried my hand at explaining it to him and tried to make it sound sincere so he would understand.

Yamauchi : "Could it be?...You were trying to ask Sakura her address...as well?"

When I nodded, Yamauchi's face broke down into an expression of shock and he crumbled onto the floor on both knees.

Yamauchi : "Then that means...you didn't know her address...and you still used me?"

Kiyone : "Y-Yes...Sorry Yamauchi-kun"

Yamauchi : "Sorry. What do you mean sorry? I'm not asking for an apology right? I'm asking for her address"

An emotionless reply like that reflected Yamauchi's disappointment in me.

Yamauchi : "How dare you...How dare you lie to me!!!"

Yamauchi yells at me. I do think I've done a bad thing by using him like that, but I still cannot give him Sakura's address like that without her consent.

Even if he asks her directly, she should reject him straight up bluntly.

Kiyone : "Would you give me some more time?"

Yamauchi : "What time? A liar is the start of a thief"

Out of everyone in Class D, I never imagined the first one to call me a liar would be Yamauchi. I'm shocked.

Kiyone : "Then are you going to forcibly ask Sakura-san?"

Yamauchi : "Yeah, I'm going to do that"

He seems to be blinded by anger and is not thinking straight, he's seemingly intending on getting Sakura's address by force if need be.

Kiyone : "Sakura-san said she hates men who are only talk"

Yamauchi : "That's just you making it up, Ayanokouji"

Kiyone : "Yes. It can't be helped if you dislike me now, but it should also be obvious why I'm not giving you her address. And trying to ask her the address forcibly is pointless"

Yamauchi : "...Is just an excuse? You never knew her address in the first place right?"

Yamauchi lowers his head while averting his eyes from me

Kiyone : "But you know Sakura-san likes digital cameras, right? The truth is, I heard her current one is an outdated model but she doesn't have enough points to buy a new one, see? If Yamauchi-kun buy her a new digital camera, it would be a great present for her, wouldn't you agree?"

Yamauchi : "O-Oh! I think that's great but...I don't have any points either"

He finally admits.

Kiyone : "You see, in this exam, by hiding the 'VIP', becoming a traitor, or guiding your group together to victory you can easily gain enough points to buy her a digital camera, am I wrong?"

Yamauchi : "S-So, if I work hard, there's still a chance I can get close to Sakura?"

Now I've ensured that there's only one conclusion Yamauchi will reach.

Kiyone : "Right now, you, Yamauchi Haruki-kun, need to work hard to show your masculinity. That's the only way you can get close to your goal, Sakura-san"

I encourage him. There is a possibility that by stimulating him like this, he would work to his fullest potential and achieve better results in this exam.

Yamauchi : "I'll do it! I'll do it! I'll do it! I'm going to work hard and get Sakura for myself! Hahahaha!"

Yamauchi excitedly says.

Kiyone "Yeah Yamauchi-kun, you can do it. If it's you, you'll definitely succeed"

I encourage him.

Yamauchi : "Ooooooohhhhhhh! I'm definitely going to win in this exam!"

Somehow it seems like I managed to make him to do an experiment. Maybe his anger towards me will return when the exam is over but for now I seem to have avoided the problem. If there's one scary problem here it'd be the fact that Yamauchi would be too fired up and aim for the 'VIP' directly instead.

Kiyone : "I'll tell you this just in case but..."

I decide to tell him this for his own sake.

Yamauchi : "What?"

Kiyone : "Nothing. But if you find the 'VIP' in your group, don't let the other classes beat you to the punch"

Yamauchi : "Of course I won't. Don't worry about it Ayanokoji-chan"

It'd be best if Yamauchi doesn't find the 'VIP'. Long term benefits over short term benefits and all that.

Second discussion period

Since it is a fact that only Class A is guaranteed 'any choice of further education or employment' after graduation, it is certainly difficult for other classes to cooperate with them. Class B and Class D hold hands to defeat Class C and Class A. That also means, in reverse, Class C and Class A can form an alliance to defeat Class B and Class D. Keeping that in mind, when all these classes are forced into one group, what would happen? It's almost like trapping carnivores and herbivores in one cage. There is no feasible way to organize such a group.

However, by pure chance, it is possible for unity between even classes like that to occur. As long as its people with strong personalities like Hirata or Ichinose who take the lead. But even that is still a difficult task.

Class A did not participate in the second discussion period. But since Class A was deliberately keeping quiet, it was also impossible for the other classes to have an earnest discussion and time slowly passed in silence. I started to observe how the students from each class would react. It's not like everyone there had bad intentions, but most students were keeping to themselves in an attempt to stay on the safe side.

Ichinose : "So for now, since it's the second gathering for us like this, I think we should get down to business as soon as possible since the number of times we gather like this is limited"

Ichinose once again took the initiative. As expected of the peaceful Class B. Hamaguchi and the other Class B student were exactly the same too. Always attempting to start a joint alliance without hesitation.

It's almost like looking at Hirata. However, unlike Hirata, Ichinose and her group would definitely emphasize the victory of Class B in this exam. And since the other students were still on their guard, a heavy air fell upon us. Everyone was becoming increasingly suspicious, increasingly wary. However, the three students of Class A were freed from all worries since they were casually tapping away at their phones. There was no rule saying you couldn't contact the other groups after all.

Rich is rich and poor is poor, there's nothing else to it. Class A can afford to be lax since they were overwhelming dominating the competition after all.

I imagined their loss during the island test would cause a change in their behaviour but it seems Katsuragi is attempting to portray a 'calm' image of his class to the other classes. And thinking about it carefully, it is indeed a very effective strategy.

And especially for a man who works alone like me, I cannot break through the wall that Class A had erected.

Yukimura : "I don't particularly think we need a breakthrough now, but I do agree with the need for discussion. Class A may be trying to break away from all this, but I believe in the necessity of finding the 'VIP' myself"

Yukimura said that as if in agreement with Ichinose.

Indeed, if the 'VIP' is in the other classes, this is an opportunity that cannot be wasted. Or perhaps this attitude is an attempt to camouflage the fact that Yukimura is the one who's the 'VIP'.

Karuizawa : "But can you really find them just by talking? I don't think so. The 'VIP''s hard to find, or rather the exam itself is hard"

Ichinose : "I understand your worries, Karuizawa-san. But isn't this just a matter of perspective? Both the island test and this current exam, it's meant to come as a 'surprise' to the students wouldn't you agree?".

Karuizawa : "Surprise?"

Sotomura : "If it's sunrise then you can leave it to me. That's my specialty. Mo-e-a-g-a-r-e!!!"

Sotomura suddenly shouts. It seems he's made a misunderstanding. It's not sunrise, they said surprise.

Ichinose : "Living on a ship like this is fun isn't it? You can talk or play with your phone however you like, even if you're forced to attend discussion for two hours a day. You're still free to do as you wish"

Kiyone : "Well...yeah...is it fun?"

Ichinose : "Exactly right? That's why we need to talk more comfortably, like a group of friends. You'll just suffer if you hole yourself up in a shell like Machida-kun there"

Ichinose tries to convince me and Karuizawa.

Certainly if you consider it not as an 'exam' but as a 'vacation' it becomes easier to discuss amongst your group. It's just a matter of perspective like Ichinose said, but the more positive thinking you are, it'll be easier to clear the exam. But after hearing what Ichinose had to say, Machida just began to laugh.

Machida : "You guys are free to do whatever you want, but you're very unlikely to find the 'VIP' this way. I don't know where the 'VIP' is but if they are not already cooperating with their classmates, they will surely make the decision to keep themselves hidden to gain points that way. And perhaps the 'VIP' is actually within Class B. That is possible too. Can you really trust them?"

He spoke those words as if intending to shake the hearts of the students gathered there.

Ichinose : "The same could be said for you too, Machida-kun"

Machida : "...Of course"

For a moment, Machida broke eye contact with Ichinose. To be more precise, his eyes wandered to a student named Morishige sitting beside him. But then he quickly returned eye contact and once again radiated the 'calm' image of Class A to the group.

Machida : "We're not particularly hung up on who the 'VIP' is, we get 100,000 points allocated to us monthly, there's no one in our class who'd be interested in the 500,000 point reward for this exam"

Ichinose : "Really? So you're telling me you don't want even 1 extra point? It's not like the school imposes a limit on the amount of points you can have"

Machida : "That's stupid. You can be delusional all you want, but don't accuse us unnecessarily like that"

Machida retorts to her. Ichinose, who just kept smiling at Machida throughout the argument, gave off the impression to me of being a tough opponent.

Even though Machida claimed he would not participate in the discussions, he had still been baited by Ichinose into answering. And as long as he talks, information will inevitably leak out of him. By using Karuizawa and Yukimura to provoke Machida, Ichinose had been steadily collecting information from Class A the entire time. I wonder whether Machida has noticed it yet.

Meanwhile, Karuizawa just kept sighing and fiddling with her phone. There are no rules stating one cannot use their phone during the exam's discussion period but it is bad manners for her to do that while the consensus was to find the 'VIP'.

Or Karuizawa actually part of the agents and relaying information to Hirata via phone? If she is, I'd respect her a lot...but I doubt it. Of course Karuizawa never puts much effort into anything so this behaviour should be normal, but ever since the exam started, I've noticed something is off with Karuizawa. Karuizawa acting differently, and the reunion with Ibuki and her argument with Manabe's group.

And I realized something. None of her actions then were the 'usual' Karuizawa. In Class D, whether her reputation is good or not, there is no denying that she, along with Hirata, brought the class together as one. She normally would bring us together as one to clear this exam, whether we had the capacity for it or not, but she never showed any sign of it.

Hirata is Hirata no matter where he is, and Kushida is also always Kushida. But Karuizawa has definitely changed. Or perhaps she's feeling inferior to Manabe and her group, who rank above her in terms of the school's caste system. What we need right now for Class D to rise through the ranks is not just gathering more points. Compared to classes like A and B, Class D is still severely lacking in cohesiveness.

Karuizawa Kei, who will be indispensable for that cohesiveness, is an existence who controls the girls of Class D. That's my current assessment. That's why I'm worried about her right now. I need to determine whether she will be a useful existence or a useless existence to me. I cannot afford to take my time in this case considering that the exam period itself is short. Depending on the circumstances, I might need to use force with her.

Immediately once 1 hour had passed, Class A leaves the room. It seems they intend to keep their stance of keeping their silence to the end. Ichinose sighs and says

Ichinose : "Well...I suppose this is going to be a tough exam. How about you, Ayanokouji-san? Is this tough on you?"

The one who called out to me like that surprisingly, was the the girl who rules Class B.

She's always calm, smart and collected. She seems to have noticed I have not yet given any opinions in particular about the exam and called out to me. If I happened to be in the same class as her, I couldn't avoid her. She is just too shining for me. Not just Class B, boys from other classes must have definitely fallen for her as well. In popularity rankings, Ichinose and Kushida would be direct rivals.

Kiyone : "Honestly, I'm the type to sit back and relax in an exam like this"

Ichinose : "Come on! It's still too early to give up, let's work together to point this in a positive direction!"

Ichinose encourages me. It seems Ichinose is determined to fight hard now

Ichinose : "Even if we continue the dialogues, I doubt the 'VIP' will simply give their identity up like that. The merits of hiding their identity outweighs the demerits of revealing it after all. If something goes wrong, Class A's worst case scenario prediction would come true"

Despite saying a negative remark like that, Ichinose's eyes did not lose their confidence. Amongst the various thoughts I had about her, I could not figure out how she was able to maintain this attitude through adversity.

Ichinose : "Either way, it's the end for today's discussion. Good work, class D"

Kiyone : "No such thing. We didn't do anything much"

Ichinose switches over to her classmates instantly after that. I have observed her for today, but I was unable to ascertain what Ichinose's real aims are yet. But at least our group is still producing results this way. She might be concocting a strategy she cannot let anyone else know about for all I know.

When Manabe of Class C and her friends stood up to leave the room, I chased after them. Once they reached the elevator, I casually called out to Manabe.

Kiyone : "Do you have some time?"

Once she noticed me, she quickly went back on her guard since she most likely was not expecting me to call out to her.

Kiyone : "I overheard your argument with Karuizawa-san. Something about pushing over someone in a cafe or something."

Manabe : "...And what's wrong with that?"

She retorts. Normally they would not show any interest in me, but when I brought that topic up, all three girls focused their attention to me.

Kiyone : "I'm not 100% sure, but I think I saw Karuizawa-san push over your friend at the cafe"

Manabe : "R-Really?"

Manabe asked me stiffly. I nod.

Kiyone : "Yeah. I didn't like how she acted back then, so I thought I'd give you a heads up"

I admit to them. I ignited the fires of argument between Karuizawa and the Class C girls deliberately. Truthfully, I didn't see Karuizawa do anything like that, but I lied to create this situation.

Now, Manabe and the others are sure to take action against Karuizawa. I'm very excited to see how Karuizawa will respond to that, and how she will change...

After I already told what I needed to say. They began to left

Kiyone : "Now, what will you do Karuizawa-san?"

Once I got back to my room, it was already late and I collapsed on the bed without talking with anyone.

Once it was close to 00:00, I thought I'd go to sleep but then I heard a noise.

CRASH!

Well, I wouldn't called it noise anymore it was loud crash instead

Sakura : "Eh?! W-What?"

It seems too loud that even make Sakura wake up

Dragging my heavy body. I walk toward switch and I turn the light on

I see, so it was Onodera doing

Onodera : "S-Sorry..."

Kiyone : "What are you doing?"

Onodera : "...Etto...I tried to find my stuff but I accidentally bumped this and then 'thud' and 'crash'. That's what happened...Once again I'm sorry..."

She whimpered while answering it

Kiyone : *sigh* "You could just turned on the light right?"

Suddenly one person wake up as well

Wang : *yawn* "Ngg... What happened?"

She asking us while rubbing her eyes. To think that our commotion wake her up as well

Onodera : "Sorry sorry, this was my doing so-"

PING!

Suddenly all of our phone ringing and the same time

We immediately oepened our phone

Unknown :

The (Monkey) group's test has ended. Students from the (Monkey) group are no longer required to participate. Please be careful not to disturb the other students

Wang, Onodera, Sakura : "Eh?!"

After long silence

Onodera : "Nee~ What happened? Who's our classmate who belong to that group?"

Wang seems didn't responded at Onodera question. I guess she didn't even understand what's going on either

Wang : "W-Why? Just what happened here...?"

Not long after that I got another message.

I immediately open it

Yukimura :

That's Koenji doing

A simple short message from Yukimura already told me about this. Such classic Koenji. As expected that it was his doing.

Although Kouenji's actions have ended one group's exam, I cannot keep on dwelling on this forever. Honestly, my actions would be limited in this exam. Even if I plan it out, it would be difficult to guide all the remaining groups to victory for Class D. You could even call it an impossible task. If all the students worked together hand-in-hand it would be possible, but that is not happening.

And I cannot interfere with another group's answer using my own phone. There are other methods but there's no time and the stakes are high. If I had information that could completely overturn the tables that's another matter. The ones holding the key to that are Class D's Hirata and Kushida.

Kiyone : "I guess this is just impossible after all"

Sakura : "What impossible?"

Kiyone : "Uh...n-nothing..."

I didn't expect she heard me muttered to myself

There are three more days including the holidays. What's impossible is impossible after all.

Even if I gain both of their absolute cooperation, I still don't have enough eyes and ears on my side. I cannot know what is happening in the discussions of every group there is. Of course, including Horikita and Sakura, there might still be a possibility left. As expected, I need more eyes and ears on my side for this exam.

On the deck

A sky full of stars spread out before me. I had stumbled onto the deck of the ship at night trying to find a place.

Kiyone : "This is amazing...No wonder you were longing to saw something like this back then Shiro..."

It was an order of magnitude above what we usually see in books and pictures. It was a beautiful sight. This is the sort of night view you won't be able to see in large cities.

And there were a few male and female students looking up at the starry sky while holding hands and rubbing shoulders. I felt a bit lonely watching that. Since it was dark out with little light I could not see their faces. And I don't care much for romantic outings like that anyways.

But among the students looking up at the night sky there was one girl who was walking approaching me in a silhouette. The girl noticed me

??? : "Ara~ What are you doing here Aya-chan?"

Kiyone : "Kushida-san?"

Kushida emerged out of the shadows looking at me.

Kushida : "Are you alone?"

Kiyone : "Yeah. Something happened and I can't sleep right now"

Kushida : "Oh, I see. I guess we're just in same situation after all"

So she's not here for a night view date with boys or such after all. It seems Kushida just got out of the bath, there was a very comforting scent coming from Kushida who was wearing a jersey. It seems it's the same scent as the shampoo given to us in our rooms.

Kiyone : "Are you not cold?"

Kushida : "I'm ok. More importantly, are you also alone here Aya-chan?"

When I nodded, Kushida laughed happily.

Kushida : "So we're both alone then? This somehow convenience for us I guess"

Kushida must hate the situation though, deep down inside.

Kiyone : "It seems you don't like me being here. In any case, I'll be taking my leave"

Kushida : "You're leaving already?"

Kiyone : "Yeah, what's wrong with it?"

Somehow she is surprised and followed with disappointed expression. I wonder did I perhaps guessed her wrong?

Kushida : "I see"

Kiyone : "Good night, Kushida-san"

After exchanging farewells with her, I turn my back to leave.

Kushida : "Wait!!!"

Kushida hold my arm

Kiyone : "What are you doing?"

Of course, in this unexpected situation, it was beyond my understanding. But Kushida did not answer me immediately.

Then, in a small, squeaking voice.

Kushida : "Sorry...suddenly I...felt a bit lonely being alone by myself"

She whispered that to me. Those words were like a boxer's punch to me and my brain went blank for a moment. She released my arm and took her distance.

Kushida : "Sorry. I just wonder something. Did you perhaps will discard me as well like the others do toward me one day?"

I can't comprehend what does she mean by her question. I couldn't see Kushida's face very well in the dark, but I had a feeling she was look at me with empty eyes.

Kiyone : "Who knows. Depend on the situation, if you keep intend to expel me I wouldn't hesitate to fight back in retaliation"

And without saying anything, Kushida leaving me to stand there. Holding my chest I'm quite confused about her intention, I didn't know but I though that I just said something hurtful toward her

Thanks to this, I won't be able to sleep anymore tonight. I can't return to my room like this. So I decided to walk around the ship for a while.

Kiyone : *sigh* "...That surprised me"

I say to myself.

There should be a few vending machines on the first floor and so I decided to head there before returning to my room. But then near the vending machine, I found a strange group of three people.

There was Chabashira-sensei, and Class B's Hoshinomiya-sensei and Class A's Mashima-sensei. They were sitting on the sofa and quietly spending their time. This area is technically not off-limits to the students, but since there is a bar here that none of the students could enter, students usually avoid coming here.

I came here for a change, but it seems like I've stumbled onto the chance to gain some information. I erased my presence and slowly and quietly approached them.

Hoshinomiya : "You know, it's been a while. Since the three of us got together like this"

Mashima : "It's fate, in the end we all chose the path of the teacher"

Chabashira : "Stop it. There's no point in talking about that"

Hoshinomiya : "Oh yeah, speaking of which, I saw you on a date. New girlfriend? Mashima-kun, you're surprisingly motivated on that front".

Chabashira : "Chie, how about you? What happened to your former man?"

Hoshinomiya : "Hahaha, I broke up with him after two weeks. You see, I'm the type of girl that does it with a man and breaks it off before the relationship gets serious"

Mashima : "That's usually the man's line, you know"

Hoshinomiya : "Ahh, but I'm not doing it with Mashima-kun. You're my best friend after all, I'd hate to ruin our friendship"

Mashima : "Relax. It's not about that"

Hoshinomiya : "Uwaaa...that's a shock all on its own"

Hoshinomiya-sensei pours whiskey into an empty glass and drank it all in one, large gulp. Compared to that, Chabashira-sensei was slowly sipping on sake as if it were a cocktail.

Chabashira : "More importantly, what are you going to do Chie?"

Hoshinomiya : "What're you talking about so suddenly?".

Chabashira : "Generally, the policy here is to put all the representatives of each class in the (Dragon) group"

Hoshinomiya : "I'm not intending on messing around here. Indeed as far as attitude and grades go, Ichinose-chan is the top of my class, but the probability of success in society cannot be measured by numerical parameters only. I decided there is a hurdle she must overcome before that. Besides putting her in (Rabbit) group is fitting. A rabbit is cute right? Going pyon-pyon~, just like Ichinose-chan"

Chabashira : "I hope you're right"

Mashima : "Hoshinomiya's words are indeed reasonable, is there some hidden meaning behind them?"

Chabashira : "I just don't want you to make judgments based on personal grudges"

Hoshinomiya : "Are you still talking about what happened 10 years ago? I thought we got over that...".

Chabashira : "I wonder, you're the type to run their mouth as soon as I'm not immediately in front of you. You're the type that's not satisfied unless you're one step ahead. That's why you put Ichinose in (Rabbit) group right?"

Mashima : "What do you mean? Explain, Hoshinomiya".

Hoshinomiya : "I genuinely thought Ichinose-chan needed to learn a lesson so I had her removed from (Dragon) group. Speaking of which, Sae-chan was also focusing quite a bit on certain student like she is actually your own child, who was her name again? That's it, Ayanokoji-chan. It's just a coincidence right? Coincidence, coincidence. When the island test ended, you seemed glad Ayanokoji-chan turned out to be the leader?"

Chabashira : "That's unrelated"

But Mashima-sensei nodded as if he were convinced. Then he spoke to Hoshinomiya-sensei in a strict tone.

Mashima : "There's no specific rule for it but I want to protect our morals. I'd like to avoid reporting on a colleague's failure"

Hoshinomiya : "Hey, you might not trust me. But don't just blame me, Sakagami-sensei is also a problem right? Class C already has a bad reputation since another person should've been in (Dragon) group but Ryuuen-kun was sent in instead."

Mashima : "Indeed, the students this year seem to all be special"

I have gotten quite a bit of information on the exam already so I decided to go back. If I stayed, I'd only get wrapped up in further trouble. I already know now that Ichinose was sent to scout me. It seems my movements are already been noticed and restricted.

Morning with blue sky. It surely clear weather today

But...

Horikita : "...Are you kidding me?!"

Horikita greeted me with a surprising tone of voice.

Kiyone : "Unfortunately it is true. It was his doing. Koenji-kun just suddenly decide ended the exam for his group"

Horikita : "That selfish guy! Why nobody stop him from making reckless decision like that? What are the other boys doing around him? Why can't they stopped him?"

Kiyone : "Now now, there's no use crying over spilt milk you know"

The brute force method that Koenji had used to end his group's exam had been circulating around the students causing the class to be in an uproar. That's why in yesterday's chat, Horikita had wanted to meet me directly. It seems she's still unconvinced as she was shaking her head from side to side.

Horikita : "I'll scold him for it next time I see him, I'd like to avoid such incidents again in the future"

Kiyone : "You should know that's pointless, words won't reach him. You'll just get dragged into his pace. For now, let's concentrate on our own groups"

Horikita : "Indeed my group is full of troublesome enemies, but I won't fall behind them"

Her attitude is as strong as ever, and I suppose I'll have to leave it to her in this case. On my end, too, I'm having a bit of trouble dealing with Ichinose, who Hoshinomiya-sensei sent to scout me out.

Kiyone : "Speaking of which, I'm about to making my move from here"

Horikita : "Huh? Why did you suddenly told me this"

Kiyone : "I asked your permission though"

Long silence

Horikita : "I don't understand..."

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Horikita : "You acknowledge me as leader yet you pushed me away when I tried to understand you. I mean, why would you acknowledge someone who you didn't trust at all? Didn't you treat me as not your friend?"

Kiyone : "You said by yourself. There is no way we can be a friend with each other and I slowly began to understand about that part. Like you said as well, an ally doesn't always needed to had friendly relationship. We work together because we just happened on the same side..."

She turned her head down and bit her lip

Horikita : *inhale* "...I understand. And as your leader, I asked you to explain your plan to me. Is this some kind of relationship that you wanted to be?"

I nodded

Horikita : "I see"

Then I began to explain my intention to her

Kiyone : "I would like information about Karuizawa-san. As I'm planning to make contact with her, I need information on her."

Horikita : "So in another words you'd like to consult me on the matter of Karuizawa?"

I nod.

Kiyone : "I'd like to keep track of my group members, but I'm finding it a bit hard. I should be able to deal with Sotomura-kun and Yukimura-kun, but Karuizawa-san's a problem. After the island test ended, you once got invited to lunch by Karuizawa-san right?"

Horikita : "You should know I already rejected her, I'm not interested in Karuizawa at all. If you want information on her that badly, why don't you go ask Hirata-kun? If it's him he'll surely be able to set you up"

Kiyone : "And here we will going to hit 2 bird in one stone. Lets use this chance as well to begin cooperate with him. We need cohesion in our class and their role truly needed if you wanted to make everyone in the class coordinated well."

After she pondering for a while she suddenly ask question

Horikita : "Are you worried that she might be the 'VIP' or something of the sort?"

Kiyone : "That's part of it. But right now, it's impossible for me to understand Karuizawa-san's behaviour"

Horikita : "Its my advice, I think it's a waste of time, her behaviour has no reason behind it. If you care about her, it'll just be a waste of your time"

Kiyone : "Horikita-san, I don't think it's a good thing to say that about others"

Horikita : "Say that about others? What do you mean?"

Kiyone : "Of course you've only seen the selfish and irritating side of Karuizawa-san so far. But you do know she probably does have a good side too?"

Horikita : "Is there really a good side? I can't imagine it. Isn't she just full of flaws?"

Of course, currently as far as cooperativeness goes I have to admit Horikita is equal to or better than her.

Horikita : "When you first meet someone, the first instinct is to judge them on their appearances right? Whether they're cool or cute or the such. Then you'd judge them via dialogue to see their inner self. Whether they're social or aggressive or passive and such"

Having said that, Horikita crosses her arms and waits for my next words.

Kiyone : "But even that's just still the outside. Their real mindset will not be immediately visible from just that. Take Kushida, or Ibuki or even me for instance. The 'front' personality and the 'back' personality are well divided"

Horikita : "Does Karuizawa have such a divide too?"

Kiyone : "It's something most people have, even if they are not aware of it. Horikita-san, you have it too"

Because whenever she is in front of her brother, she always exposes her true, fragile nature.

Horikita : "I'm still not entirely convinced, but I can understand that you'll know her better through direct contact"

Of course that is easier said than done, because if I hadn't decided to put in the effort, I would never be able to know Karuizawa's true nature in the first place.

Horikita : "And? Is there a good use for Karuizawa?"

Kiyone : "I can't put it clearly in words yet, but if I had to say it would be the 'ability to rule'. She has initiative and there's no denying that her status in Class D is unshakeable"

However, in our (Rabbit) group, I have not seen that side of her yet. This is why I thought to ascertain the true nature of Karuizawa as quickly as possible.

Horikita : "Assuming she has such a capability, what will you do? Will you bring Karuizawa into our group too?"

Kiyone : "I wonder about that-"

While I was wondering about my answer, that boy from yesterday came back to us.

Ryuuen : "Yo, you two. Are you having a little fun in the shade? Lemme join and I'll satisfy both of you. Kukuku~"

He wasn't with Ibuki today, but rather approaching us with a creepy smile on his face.

Horikita : "You're pretty free yourself, even if you corner me like this, there's nothing you stand to gain"

Ryuuen : "I'm the one who gets to decide on that. So, have you decided to try and find the 'VIP'?"

And again Ryuuen sits down on a chair nearby without permission.

Horikita : "Whatever my plans are, I'm not telling you"

Ryuuen : "That's a shame, I thought to discuss it with you. But it looks like you haven't made any progress with your search yet"

Horikita : "That's interesting, are you saying you know who the 'VIP' is then?"

But looking at her with a strange expression, Ryuuen answers her as if he had expected her to ask him that from the start.

Ryuuen : "I've already discovered who the 'VIP' is, would you believe me if I said that?"

Horikita : "No I don't. You're not someone like Ichinose-san or Katsuragi-kun with allies on your side. You only have enemies. Nobody would gather that sort of information for you"

Ryuuen : "That's not true. Indeed, I'm not in the 'making friends' club like them. But making friends and gathering information are two completely different things"

He spoke to Horikita with an attitude almost resembling a teacher being disappointed in their student for not getting the right answer

Ryuuen : "Unfortunately, I've already dipped my hands into this exam. Depending on the circumstances, Class C might just be the one to win"

Horikita : "You're bluffing"

No, what he says might just be the truth.

The school always makes exams based on very specific criteria. The midterms were the same, the finals were the same and the island test was also the same. If you understand the 'rules' behind the exam, it is possible to achieve a high score and produce good results. If that is true, this exam is no different. If it's him, he must already understand that fact.

Ryuuen : "It's very simple, you just have to find the 'VIP' is all. Disassemble the structure of the group and analyze it until you find the answer"

Horikita : "Indeed, anyone would've thought that. But will they answer honestly? Since the school guarantees anonymity, one can just remain silent and gain 500,000 points that way."

But Ryuuen answers calmly in response to Horikita's doubt.

Ryuuen : "I just have to make sure it's a situation where they would answer honestly without lies"

Horikita : "A situation to make them answer honestly without lies?"

Ryuuen : "Since I asked everyone for their contacts, I can simply ask them one by one without the school ever knowing."

Horikita : "Are you insane? This is prohibited by the school. If discovered, you'd be expelled"

Horikita asks him in shock.

Ryuuen : "It's not a problem. I'm standing here right now because it's not a problem. You understand the meaning of that right?"

It was a brute force method Ryuuen could only use because he has the stature of an absolute tyrant. If he forcibly looks at the phone of another class's student, no doubt Ryuuen would be reported and expelled. But Ryuuen is dominant in Class C. Whatever he does, no one would utter a complaint. And if there is no complaint, there is no problem.

It means Ryuuen's actions are still within the safe limits of the school's rules. That must be Ryuuen's strategy. The strategy to forcibly strip all secrets from Class C. And if that is true, Ryuuen could have the identities up to three 'VIPs'. That would be a massive hint for him in this exam.

To put in an easy to understand manner, it would be like writing the question and answer on different sides of a panel. Normally you wouldn't know the answer unless you turn the panel around. But if the panel is folded like a paper, it may be possible to get a hint of the answer on the other side. Basically, Ryuuen may already know the names of all the 'VIPs' in this exam.

Ryuuen : "It seems like both of you finally understand the situation"

Horikita : "...Yes. But if you already know the answer, shouldn't you have already mailed it over to the school?"

Ryuuen : "Maybe I'm just fooling around"

Horikita : "You don't know when someone else will arrive at the answer, you shouldn't be so off-guard if you said so"

There's no proof, but I have a feeling Horikita's assumption is correct. If he already knows the answer, there's no point in delaying it. He should have ended it when he could.

Ryuuen : "So, I'm finally at the last stage from this farce game. Kukuku~"

To test his statement. I decide to ask him

Kiyone : "Ryuuen-kun, by the way can I ask you something? Yesterday the (Monkey) group's exam ended. What do you think about that?"

Ryuuen : "Nothing in particular, I don't care about what the weaklings are doing. Kukuku~"

Kiyone : "Huh?"

Ryuuen simply left those words behind as he walked away

Horikita : "I don't know how much of what he said is true"

Horikita had a perplexed expression on her face while staring at the back of Ryuuen who was walking away. And then with confidence, I looked beneath Horikita's chair and there I found a single phone with its recording mode activated.

On that phone, one chat. Just one chat. Was sent to it. It had neither a ringer nor vibration activated. And did not see the full contents of the chat but for a moment, I saw the words ' Sorry about yesterday' sent by someone to Ryuuen on it.

Perhaps there's something wrong with his class? I didn't want to dig any deeper into that and returned to my normal posture on my chair. Horikita quickly grasped the situation too, and quickly took out her own phone.

Horikita : "If that phone is indeed his, better not to talk carelessly"

What she said is indeed true

Kiyone: "Do you think what Ryuuen said was true? What he said about pinning down the 'VIPs' from every class?"

Horikita looked at me in surprise for a moment but then she quickly understood the meaning behind my words

Horikita : "I wonder. I can't say for sure with 100% certainty, there's not much time for this exam after all"

Kiyone : "You have it rough too".

Horikita : "I'm going to work you to the bone, we also need to find the 'VIPs' as quickly as possible"

Kiyone : "Easier said than done, there's no way I can do that"

Horikita : "I'm not expecting much from you too, but I just wanted information on the (Rabbit) group from you"

By having this conversation, I was able to highlight Horikita's talent and my own incompetence. In doing so, suspicion would be diverted off me to a certain degree. After all, Ryuuen did try to eavesdrop using his own phone.

Kiyone : "If there's no particular expectation on me, I'll give it a shot"

Then without saying anything else, Horikita pressed a button on the elevator and left. Now, should I go back to my room and sleep? Or come up with a strategy for the exam?

In any case, I decided to leave Ryuuen's phone as it is.

And with that, I decided to head back to my own room

On my way I met Yukimura. He was sitting on the couch with a stern expression on his face.

Kiyone : "Ano...Yukimura-kun. Is something wrong?"

My curiousity make me can't ignore him, and Yukimura also realized I was there since he sighed quietly and muttered at me

Yukimura : "It's about our group. Why do we have to be with Karuizawa and Sotomura?"

Kiyone : "What's wrong with you all of a sudden?"

Yukimura : "Haven't you heard? It seems there's a pattern to how the groups are assigned. The (Dragon) group has the most excellent students assigned to it. That makes it worse"

I see now. That's why he was feeling anxious. Indeed, the (Dragon) group to which Horikita belongs has the best ones.

There's no doubt about that judging by the conversation of the teachers yesterday and Ryuuen's own assessment. If we go by academic ability only, however, Yukimura is up there with Hirata and Horikita too.

Of course he would not be satisfied by being placed in the (Rabbit) group instead. Yukimura did avoid using her name directly but he was looking at me intently. There's nothing I can do even if you say that.

I decided to sit on the same couch beside him. But Yukimura was looking at me with suspicious eyes the whole way.

Yukimura : "Ayanokouji. I just want to check with you to be sure. But you're not the 'VIP' right?"

Kiyone : "I'm going to deny it, but is there even meaning in checking?"

Yukimura : "Of course, in this exam 'cooperation' is of the essence. In other words, if you cooperate we won't lose"

Kiyone : "That's true. Unfortunately, I really am not the 'VIP' here"

Yukimura : "That's true right? You better not be trying to hog points for yourself"

Since it seems to be his personal policy to doubt others, that was unsurprisingly Yukimura's response to me

Kiyone : "I'm not the 'VIP', so can I believe you're not as well, Yukimura-kun?"

Yukimura : "Of course I'm not. By the way Sotomura is also not the 'VIP', you know"

This was a confirmation between friends, almost like a code word saying 'do not betray each other'.

Yukimura : "I also asked Karuizawa and she denied being the 'VIP' too but believing in her words is a different matter"

It seems Yukimura, who dislikes Karuizawa, is inclined to disbelieve her words. Of course, to know for sure, he could have simply checked her phone but given the relationship between them, that seems difficult to do.

It seems Yukimura was satisfied for now since he didn't ask any further. Even Yukimura has started to acknowledge me as a friend. I get up from the couch

Kiyone : "Then, I'm going back to my room. See you later Yukimura-kun"

He respond with nod

Hello guys! How are you?

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 4 : Double Question Pt 1

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

In the afternoon, I once again went to the discussion room of the (Rabbit) group.

But even in the same place and the same space, depending on who you're with the atmosphere will also inevitably change. I arrived in the room ten minutes before the start of the discussion and the one who arrived right after me was Karuizawa.

When she saw me, she immediately averted her eyes away from me. She then sat in the corner furthest away from me and started fiddling with her phone. It's not like we had a fight or anything, or that we don't get along. I'm just simply put, hated by her. But that's the worst type of relationship to have.

If there is a reason behind the hate, there is room for reconciliation. However if there is only an ambiguous dislike of me, I cannot make any breakthrough with her. Currently, my standing with her is quite bad. I could have left the room and spent time out in the hallway until Ichinose and the others arrive. But I can't just leave because the atmosphere is getting awkward in here.

I quickly corrected my stance in a manner befitting a dignified person. In any case, this type of exam is particularly bad for me. Especially since it revolves around the concept of 'dialogue' which is a weakness for me. After spending the entire semester as a loner, it's not like I can suddenly start cultivating a chatty image. But Karuizawa seems to have no intention of keeping quiet since she placed the phone near her ear and started speaking.

Karuizawa : "Hey"

Kiyone : "H-Huh? M-Me?"

She suddenly called but I wonder if she perhaps talk to me. I mean she didn't even look at me

Karuizawa : "Of course dwimmit. Who else do you think I'd called for on this empty room?"

Kiyone : "O-Oh...What is it Karuizawa-san?"

Karuizawa : "I don't think that Yukimura or that pig were the 'VIP'. So, are you perhaps the 'VIP' here?"

Kiyone : "Unfortunately, I'm not"

Karuizawa : "Is that so?"

She's simply ignoring me

Karuizawa : "Ah, moshi-moshi?...How're things over there?...Here?...Things are awful here...Right now only me and doll-face here?...Who?...The girl who mostly unnoticed who tagging along with Horikita...Uh...Sure...Ahahaha that's interesting..."

She spoke to her friend through the phone.

Since we were the only people in the room, naturally I could hear every bit of her conversation. The worst part is that once she ends her call, an awkward silence descended upon the room.

I wonder about something. Unlike Yukimura, she didn't ask again to confirm.

I decide this moments to ask since she already done talking with her friend on phone

Kiyone : "Ano...Karuizawa-san..."

Karuizawa : "Huh?"

Kiyone : "Do you trust me? About the 'VIP' I mean..."

Karuizawa : "Hah? You said you're not the 'VIP' right?"

I was surprised that she would so easily trust in my words. It's not like we ever got along or anything. But I suppose there's no real need to confirm that anyways, because what I'm really aiming for in this exam aren't the points. What I want to confirm is whether this person known as 'Karuizawa Kei' is truly a useful existence or not.

Ichinose : "You're both early huh"

It seems the three students from Class B have arrived at the same time

Ichinose : "Let's get along today as well"

Ichinose also called out to Karuizawa with those words but Karuizawa ignored her and continued fiddling with her phone.

And as it was yesterday, the members gathered together prior to the discussion. It seems the situation still hasn't changed at all from the previous discussions.

Class A quickly took its distance and only the remaining three classes gathered to form a circle. Seeing that, Karuizawa stood up and went over to join Class A and sat down next to Machida of Class A. That action was probably taken as a defensive measure against Manabe.

Machida did not actively take part in the discussions, but his 'presence' was still very strong and his voice was still influential in the group. And there is still the difference in strength between a male and a female student which leaves Manabe and the Class C girls unable to do anything to Karuizawa with Machida around.

If Karuizawa had decided to depend on the unreliable Yukimura or Sotomura instead, Manabe and her group would not have hesitated to attack her. Thinking that way, Karuizawa's decision to choose Machida is correct.

Machida : "It's ok, if anything happens, I'll definitely save you"

Machida promises Karuizawa.

Karuizawa : "Thank you, Machida-kun"

It seems that by being relied on, Machida has become overly conscious of Karuizawa. Since she is a cute girl on the outside, it can't be helped even if feelings to protect her are born inside Machida.

Sotomura : "What a shame, for someone who supposed to be class A. He easily got hooked with a bitchy girl like her. Perhaps he's not that smart as I though before. Hmm hmm~"

Yukimura : "Well, as long as she won't create trouble for us. I had no comment for her behavior"

Sotomura : "Ayanokoji-dono. What do you think about her?"

Kiyone : "Eh! Me? ...Err... I dunno but I do think that Machida-kun somehow realiable..."

Sotomura : "W-What is this? Are you perhaps fallen for someone like him too? Piggyah~"

I decide to ignore his remark

Leaving aside this new love story, the real problem right now is the exam. Just like us, the other classes probably understand as well. They must have already talked about it like we have, and must know whether the 'VIP' is in their class or not.

Ichinose : "Now, I've been thinking about it since last night. But, I think we should now discuss with each other a way to find out who the 'VIP' is"

Takemoto : "That again? I've already told you there are people you cannot negotiate with. And without us participating, there's no way you can discover the 'VIP' right?"

Words that mock Ichinose like that came from Class A.

Ichinose : "I don't think so, I think it's a matter of trust here. And that's why today, we will be playing cards with everyone. Of course I won't make it compulsory so only willing people should join"

Ichinose then continues while taking out a deck of cards with a smile.

Takemoto : "Hahahahaha, building trust with a card game? That's stupid"

Class A continues their mockery

Ichinose : "You may think that, but if you try it it's surprisingly fun. It's going to be a long hour to be spending alone in silence. It's fine if you won't feel bored though"

As usual, Class B all voices their consent to Ichinose

Sotomura : "I shall also participate. I'm free anyways"

But of course it seems nobody else is willing to consent to Ichinose's plan so I raise my hand lightly and offer my consent to her.

Ichinose : "So it's the five of us then. For now I'm thinking of playing Daifugo. Is there anyone who doesn't understand the rules here?"

Of course, to a certain extent, I do understand the rules of card games too. Daifugo included. There seemed to be no problems with everyone else too and so the game smoothly started. The others not involved in the game are either disinterested in us or sending us glances from time to time.

Ichinose then proceeded to shuffle the cards which were evenly divided up between the five of us. I have a Joker, 2 and 3 of Clubs. It seems a pretty intense hand has formed. My hand would currently overwhelm most other players but in Daifugo, you can't say for sure the stronger hand always wins. A revolution can occur and weaken your hand and send you spiraling into a loss.

But there's no denying the fact my hand currently gives me an advantage. I should come up with a solid strategy to utilize this hand. I have to admit, playing cards is a much deeper experience than I ever imagined. Not to mention each player's personality is highlighted in the game.

Ichinose, for instance, is not fighting with her own hand only but also carefully analyzing the other players and using their pace to her advantage. Hamaguchi is betting everything on the endgame. It seems their strategies each reflect their personalities.

Sotomura : "One more time!"

Sotomura, who is usually very knowledgeable with otaku related topics, I had expected to exhibit a much calmer personality. But it seems he's the time to get angry when he starts losing. But he also seems to be the type to quickly cool off since he returned to normal once the game ended.

I think this is probably what Ichinose was hoping for. To scout out the personalities and characteristics of the players. Of course it only helped a bit, and the dialogue with the rest of the group is still not occurring. But that would mean not only Sotomura, but she could have also been scouting my behaviour.

From Ichinose's perspective, I wonder how I would be seen. From an objective standpoint...I'm sure as a truly dull girl. Active with a good hand yet passive with a bad one. I must seem like a very common sort of girl.

This approach is better than adapting to the game and throwing Ichinose's observations into disarray. And so we continued to play cards, starting from Daifugo and by the end we had even played Old Maid. And by the time we finished, an hour had already passed. Neither Class A nor Class C joined in, and by the end of it all, only the five of us had participated in the games from start to finish.

Sotomura : *phew* "That was fun, sometimes it is good to play it the old-fashioned way"

H seemingly more happy from playing cards than having to sit through an hour of discussion.

But just by repeating these games like some sort of psychological warfare tactic, I still cannot see what Class B's true aims are here. I'm sure that's something only Ichinose knows.

Machida : "Then...We'll be taking our leave here"

Beppu : "Where are you going?"

Hamaguchi : "Wait, I can't allow Class A to get away like this after all"

Ichinose : "So you're heading off to go see Katsuragi-kun?"

It looks like Ichinose is planning on making direct contact with the man who planned Class A's closed fortress strategy. Even though normally I'm not the social type of person, I should take advantage of this flow.

Kiyone : "If it's ok with you, can I tag along with you?"

Ichinose : "Of course I'm completely fine with it, perhaps Ayanokoji-san is also interested in Katsuragi-kun?"

It's not like she was being cautious of me, but genuinely curious as she tilted her head while asking me.

Kiyone : "That's not the case, it's just Horikita-san is also in the same group as Katsuragi"

Ichinose : "I see. Then let's go together, shall we? See you later, Hamaguchi-kun, Beppu-kun"

Ichinose said goodbye as she left with me, nodding as if convinced of my reasoning.

In my opinion. Despite seeing Ichinose as their leader, it seems Hamaguchi is also capable of taking individual action. This is very different from the king-subject relationship Katsuragi and Ryuuen take with their class.

As long as the discussions are ongoing at the same time, the time of dissolution should also be the same. Ichinose quickened her pace through the corridor to arrive before the (Dragon) group dissolved their meeting.

Ichinose : "Let's hurry, ok?"

And with that declaration, Ichinose quickly walks to the destination in a slight hurry. Since the rooms are all located on the same floor, it is possible to quickly traverse the distance between one group's room to another. It is only one or two minutes since the discussion period ended, and the students on the floor are still sparse.

And soon we arrived in front of the (Dragon) group's room.

Of course we could not hear the voices of the people inside, but we could still feel their presence and so we stopped in front of the room.

Perhaps the fact that no one is coming out means that there is a lengthy discussion ongoing in there. I did send her a chat, but it was still not marked as 'read' by Horikita.

Ichinose : "It looks like they're taking their time"

Kiyone : "Hard to imagine Ryuuen-kun and Katsuragi-kun holding a discussion with each other. Or perhaps this is Class B's power showing itself?"

Ichinose : "I wonder, Kanzaki-kun isn't the type to take the spotlight like that though...and speaking of which Horikita-san and the others are Class D right? It seems Class D also has a considerably remarkable lineup there"

It's not only Horikita, there's Kushida, I thought. And about 10 minutes after the allocated time, the door of the (Dragon) group's room finally opened. The first person who came out of the room was the one Ichinose was looking for, Katsuragi. Several students from Class A followed behind him. Having noticed Ichinose, Katsuragi turned to face her.

Katsuragi : "Ichinose, what are you doing here? This isn't a coincidence right?"

Ichinose : "There's something I'd like to discuss with Katsuragi-kun. Do you have some time?"

Katsuragi : "The exam's interval is a long one. There's nothing for me to do anyways so there's more than enough time"

As expected, he did not ignore Ichinose, Class B's leader, and was responsive to her questions. Having understood Katsuragi's intent, the students at his back went ahead and left without him.

Katsuragi : "There's no problem if only I stay behind right?"

Nodding, Ichinose and I quickly moves aside towards the walls so as to not disturb the passerbys. Having managed to join into the conversation by Ichinose's side. And from Katsuragi's perspective, having just me as the sole observer seemed to be acceptable and he did not say anything.

Ichinose : "Judging from our discussions, I can more or less understand Katsuragi-kun's strategy. You forbade all the Class A students in the groups from talking, right? If so, would you reconsider that decision of yours? This current exam revolves around dialogue, doesn't it?"

Three times now in our discussions, Class A stubbornly kept their silence. And that sort of fortress isn't something Ichinose can break apart in one stroke. To Ichinose, this must be an opportunity to break down that defense. Now, let's see Katsuragi's response.

Katsuragi : "A reasonable request. But that's something I've tired many times over since yesterday, to the point I think you're late in asking me this, Ichinose"

It seems Katsuragi's strategy has received far more attention than expected

Ichinose : "I had my own circumstances to consider, in any case Katsuragi-kun, would you reconsider your strategy of keeping silent?"

Katsuragi seemed to be considering the complaints raised against him by the other three classes.

Katsuragi : "The answer's the same no matter who asks, this is a strategy I made to win. And there is a reasoning behind it as well. You say this exam revolves around dialogue. But if there's something I disagree with, it's that. This exam tests 'thinking'. It would be problematic if you misunderstood that aspect of the exam. That's why considering the exam, I decided to prohibit discussion. There's no problem there"

Ichinose : "But Katsuragi-kun, that's like saying you reject the exam itself"

Katsuragi : "My words may be blunt, but they're not wrong. Not just this exam, but the ones to come as well. I'll be looking for ways to achieve results without doing anything. I'll be playing for keeps for Class A's current position. I believe there's nothing wrong with that"

Ichinose : "Yes if this were a direct competition between classes, Katsuragi-kun has the right idea but in a mixed class exam like this, is this really the right way to do things?"

Ichinose contacted Katsuragi to attempt to change his opinion but this time it seems Katsuragi has made the right call. There are only four possible outcomes to this exam. Students can opt to clear the exam through any one of those outcomes. Not interested in the struggle between classes, Katsuragi seems to be focusing only on leading Class A through this exam.

Katsuragi : "Further discussion is pointless, Ichinose. You should know I'm not changing my decision"

Ichinose : "To break a mountain without moving an inch, is that it?"

Ichinose remarked with a bitter smile. Having seen no sign of him giving up, it seems she has understood Katsuragi won't be on board with our idea. I did expect this sort of outcome from the start somewhat.

Katsuragi : "Are you still going to struggle?"

Ichinose : "Of course, that's the point of this exam"

Ichinose and Katsuragi. Two powerful elites clashing with each other directly.

Katsuragi : "I'm sorry but I can already see the results of this exam. As long as we of Class A refuse to cooperate, your actions will be severely limited. There will be no chance of you winning"

Indeed, even with three classes perfectly united, this exam is not an easy thing to clear. As soon as the identity of the 'VIP' is revealed, somebody is bound to turn traitor. As long as the traitor stands to gain something from it, cooperation will be difficult to maintain to the end.

If the reward is not evenly and fairly distributed, there would also be no point in cooperating as well after all.

Katsuragi : "Tell me something. If you were the leader of Class A, wouldn't you have used the same strategy as I did?"

Ichinose : "I wonder, I still haven't seen things from the perspective of Class A after all. If you're in a position to be hunted like that, shouldn't it be after you've had lots of experience being hunted? Running from the start's a difficult thing".

As if hearing nonsense, Katsuragi closed his eyes and crossed his arms and then finally crossed eyes with Ichinose once again.

Katsuragi : "This is just my personal image, but I think if we were in the same position, you too would have foregone dialogue and chose the same strategy I did. If it's to protect my class, I do no mind receiving criticism from other classes at all"

Katsuragi says with the assumption Ichinose shares the same conviction as him.

And Ichinose simply smiles softly in response to his assessment of her.

Ichinose : "Sorry for taking up your time, I think I understand now. Your feelings and your way of thinking"

Katsuragi : "Good to hear. Excuse me"

Ichinose did not move an inch as she saw off Katsuragi

Ichinose : "...This exam, it's really easy when you play defense, huh? I shouldn't have done something unnecessary..."

On that front, only the classes in desperate need of points would have to desperately uncover hints. But even then there is a huge risk. Removing the 'VIP' could cause trouble to the class as well.

Ichinose : "...Even so, Kanzaki-kun and the others aren't coming out yet"

Even though Katsuragi and Class A left first, the others aside from them have yet to show themselves. 1 hour was the minimum amoount of time required for discussion, but discussion beyond that point is not prohibited after all.

Kiyone : "Are you going to wait for Kanzaki-kun?"

Ichinose : "Ayanokoji-san's also waiting for Horikita-san, right? I'd like to hear what they have to say too, let's wait together"

She can talk to Kanzaki whenever she wants, but my opportunity to talk with Horikita is limited. Since Katsuragi brushed her off, she might also want to hear the opinions of the other classes too. But from the start, I don't think there is a way to break through Katsuragi's strategy in the first place.

And from that point onwards, we waited for around 30 minutes and the door to the (Dragon) group's room finally opened. The ones that came out where the students of Class C except for Ryuuen, there was also Kushida and Hirata.

Kushida : "Hmm? Aya-chan, what are you doing here? Are you waiting for Horikita-san?"

Having seen me, Kushida approached me strangely. The memory of what happened with her yesterday came up in my mind. But it seems Kushida is still the same as usual and hasn't shown any signs of change.

Ichinose : "Hello, Kushida-san".

Kushida : "Uwaa~, it's Ichinose-san. Hello. This was unexpected, and a strange combination".

It seems like Kushida doesn't know we were acquainted and couldn't quite hide her surprise.

Ichinose : "I'm waiting for Horikita-san and Kanzaki-kun but are they still talking inside?"

Kushida : "Those two are still talking with Ryuuen-kun it seems like. You could enter"

Kushida gestures towards the door as if inviting us in

Ichinose : "It's ok, it's ok. I can wait if they're still in the middle of discussion"

Kushida : "Isn't it fine? The exam's limit is only 1 hour. Anything beyond that you're free to enter and leave as you please. Besides, you don't know if they're still taking about the exam or not"

And with a slightly pushy attitude, Kushida opens the door and forces us in. Since I was forced in and with no reason to refuse, I entered together with Ichinose. My eyes met Hirata's for a moment.

And in the room, three people were sitting slightly apart from each other. It almost seemed like a three states situation. But it was not a tense atmosphere I felt but a more relaxed one. The moment we intruders set foot in the room, their gazes immediately turned towards us. Horikita and Kanzaki did not show much of a change in their expressions, but Ryuuen seemed to have found something funny as he laughed. And then he raises his hand and called us

Ryuuen : "Yo. Did you come all the way here for some reconnaissance? Don't be shy, have a seat".

Ichinose : "This is certainly an interesting combination. I'm very intereseted to hear what you've been talking about after the required hour"

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ Of course. Originally, you must've thought you'd be in Kanzaki's place. But the fact of it is, you belong to a different group. And a small team with the bare essentials at that. Or perhaps that's just the sort of person you are"

Ichinose : "Come on, Ryuuen-kun. The placements were decided by the school, how could I have known? We're just fighting based on the information and the situation we've been given. The way you're saying it sounds like it's reversed and the school intentionally grouped us?".

Ichinose acts as if she hasn't realized or noticed anything, but Ryuuen isn't the type of man to believe in something like that. While laughing, he quickly moves and closes the distance between himself and Ichinose.

Ryuuen : "If you haven't realized it yet then I'll tell you. In this exam, those bunch of teachers intentionally decided on the groups. That much is obvious. That also means that there is a reason you were excluded from this group despite being the leader of B"

Ichinose : "Hmm. So it's not random but predetermined grouping huh? I knew Ryuuen-kun's group was made up entirely of extremely gifted people, but it seems other groups are also decided like that. Thanks for your information. But, is it ok? Giving me information like that?"

Ichinose's reply like that should have been expected, but I did not miss the change in Ryuuen's facial expression. Normally, upon hearing facts one should not have known about, there would be surprise, anxiety or doubt. But without missing a beat, Ichinose had thanked him for his information.

That was not a natural response. Of course, looking at it from the perspective of the other party, Ichinose's reaction must have made it seem as though she had known this truth all along but was merely hiding the fact. Even if he does not know this for a fact, the possibility that he's gleamed this information off her by instinct alone is also high. It was only a brief conversation, but both parties seemed to have gleamed quite a bit of information off each other.

In this case, whether Ichinose noticed the intentional groupings by the school's side is unimportant. What's important is 'why', if she realized, she decided to keep silent on the matter. That's what a struggle to read each other's moves means.

Ryuuen : "But even so..."

And with an exasperated face, Ryuuen finally turned to face me

Ryuuen : "Kiyone, you are truly unloyal dog. To think that you easily got hooked with new master. Did she perhaps give you something that Suzune can't do so you are wagging your tail to her now? Kukuku~"

Of course that was not my intention

Kiyone : "We just happen to be in the same group, nothing more nothing less"

It's not like Ryuuen's being particularly interested in me, since he doesn't say anything more after that. Then he take his interest back to Ichinose

Ryuuen : "You've come at a good time, Ichinose. I have an interesting proposal to make to you"

Ichinose : "Proposal? In any case I'll hear you out. But what is it?"

Horikita : *sigh* "It's pointless talk. A waste of time to even lend him your ear"

Seemingly having already heard that proposal, Horikita quickly cut in as if to prevent it

Ryuuen : "It's a proposal to work together and crush Class A together. But it seems Suzune and Kanzaki have rejected me"

Ichinose : "What do you mean?"

Ryuuen : "I've told Suzune about it earlier, but I already know the identities of all the Class C 'VIPs' you see"

And just like how Katsuragi had Katsuragi's own strategy. Now it seems to be Ryuuen's turn to speak of his own strategy.

It seems we've evolved beyond the stage we were at in the morning already.

Ryuuen : "Three classes will combine forces and share information, that includes the identities of all the 'VIPs' as well and bypass the school's rules for this exam"

So that's what the three classes alliance would mean

Ichinose : "That's quite a bold idea. But how realistic it is is a completely different matter. In the first place, how can we trust that Ryuuen-kun already knows the 'VIPs' for Class C?"

Ryuuen : "You can't trust me and that's only natural. Then we don't we make a contract in this case? A pledge to share the 'VIP' identities between us and gang up on A. That way, leaving A aside, three classes would have effectively formed a siege against it"

But this is a strategy that seems likely to collapse if Class A refuses to play along.

Horikita : "Even if we write up a contract, without knowing who's going to betray you, it's still meaningless. It's all over if Class C betrays us"

Horikita's statement like that was the natural follow up to such a proposal. From the information I've gathered myself, it seems Ryuuen's already formed an alliance with Class A for quite some time. And during the island test, Ryuuen has shown his propensity for betrayal. The fact that Katsuragi did not raise a single complaint against it shows how well this guy does his job.

The strategy itself is not such a bad one, however, the fact that Ryuuen is the one who proposed it is the problem

Ichinose : "What Horikita-san says is reasonable, but unless we also know the identities of the 'VIPs' like Ryuuen-kun, this is a meaningless proposal"

Ryuuen : "No point in playing dumb, there's no way you haven't been analyzing the classes as well"

Both of them had smiles on their faces, but the atmosphere between them had changed slightly like needles pricking your skin all over.

Ichinose : "You're overestimating me. I've done no such thing, and besides, this proposal is very high-risk low-return. I'm afraid I cannot accept it"

Ryuuen : "There's a time for secrets, and there's a time for actions"

Horikita : "It may be so from your point of view, but now that you're gathering information so aggressively. Is it not your dream to rise up to Class B that way?"

Ichinose : "Horikita-san from Class D also opposes it. From the start, there was no way this proposal would be accepted"

Ryuuen : "That can't be helped, Suzune has a reason to decline the proposal after all".

Kushida : "What's that supposed to mean"

Ryuuen : "You understand, don't you? For this strategy to work, you'd need to perfectly understand your own class firstly. And for Class D which has no teamwork at all, that's an impossible task. Right? And it's also impossible for Class A which is currently split into two factions"

The atmosphere changes once again, and now it feels like a cloudy atmosphere had descended upon the room.

Ryuuen : "But for me, who rules the class and the incredibly popular Ichinose, this strategy is possible. Right now I proposed a three class alliance, but even if it's just two classes it's still possible. The probability of seeing through the rules of the exam may decrease slightly, but if it's me I can certainly pull it off. If I can do it, both A and D might as well be stripped nude. Kukuku~"

To discover the 'VIPs' of Class A and Class D by working together as two classes. That was Ryuuen's proposal.

The fact that Ryuuen boldly proposed this strategy to Class B asking for their cooperation in front of Horikita, me, Kushida and Class D itself is incomprehensible and disturbing. Even if this strategy is not perfect, it seems Ryuuen would be able to gain something by knowing the identities of the class's 'VIPs' and would reach that point in just a step further. If so, this will be a vital moment for Class D.

Kiyone : "This might be unnecessary words, but doesn't that mean your strategy is still imperfect?"

I had thought she would simply observe here but right now Horikita's stance seems to be one marking him as an enemy. Even if Ichinose decides to ally with Class D instead, we still don't know how far we can trust her.

And considering that, it would be an extremely fatal mistake to allow Ichinose to form a connection with Ryuuen here.

Ryuuen : "Do you understand the situation now, Kiyone?"

Ryuuen laughs at me as if attempting to mock me, but I decided against keeping quiet and replied with my honest opinion.

Kiyone : "If Class B and C form an alliance here, naturally this time Class A and D would form an alliance too, wouldn't you say? I admit Class D is fractured right now, but once the possibility of losing becomes a reality, I believe it'll come together. It's the same for Class A too"

Ryuuen : "It's not like I'm allying with Ichinose at this moment anyways. So unless you can ascertain the fact that such an alliance has formed, I doubt Katsuragi would cooperate with you"

Ryuuen replies to me. Admittedly, Katsuragi is a cautious man who will not accept such ambiguous negotiations. However, since he had also suffered at the hands of Ryuuen, there is still room to reason with him. After what I said, it seems Horikita has also realized that this proposal would not work.

Horikita : "There's no point in this dialogue. We'll eventually be at each other's throats anyways"

Ryuuen : "What might you mean by that, Suzune?"

Horikita : "All I mean is that she has a point. If you intend on continuing this discussion like a strategy meeting. I'll have to assume 'this is reality' and act accordingly as well"

Ryuuen : "As you wish, I'm anxious to see whether you manage to form a cooperative relationship or not, eh?"

Ryuuen says that as he randomly spouts hostility towards his enemies while at the same time, brazenly extending an offer of cooperation towards them as well.

Horikita responds with a determination to fight in response to that. This is certainly a deterrence aimed towards Ichinose. If she betrays Class D now, she will be viewed as a traitor by all the other classes as well. A person who betrays even her allies at the drop of a hat for the sake of points. If such a reputation were to be stuck to Ichinose now, it will pull her leg for the rest of her long high school life.

Ichinose : "I'm sorry Ryuuen-kun, but there were also people in Class B who were hurt by your actions. Even if it's for the sake of gaining points, I cannot cooperate that easily with you"

Ryuuen : "I see, that's unfortunate"

But his face shows he expected this outcome from the start and was not disappointed in the least. Ryuuen then stood to leave the room and passed by us.

As he left, Ryuuen turned around just once to look at me. Perhaps he did it unconsciously, but his gaze landed on my face.

Ryuuen : "...It can't be...Heh...What am I thinking about..."

He whispered and left. I, of course, did not react to those words of his.

As Ryuuen shook his head and left, Kushida also spoke up.

Kushida : "I have to leave now too, my friend is calling me"

Apologizing like that, Kushida quickly left the room after Ryuuen

Ichinose : "It looks like he saw through us there" *sigh*

Kanzaki : "This is going to be troublesome, being targeted by someone like that"

Ichinose : "Even though he has the kanji for dragon in his name, he's a snake through and through. Once he's set his sights on his prey, he'll go to any lengths to devour said prey. But rather than me right now, it's Horikita-san he's set his sights on. Right now Ryuuen is most wary of Class A, and he should be aware of the fact that Class B would also be his enemies one day too"

That is true, Class D had only risen up from the depths it had sunk into after the recent island test. Perhaps it is a result of that, but none of the other classes are seeing Class D as that severe of a threat yet.

Kiyone : "It should be fine, Horikita-san is not the type to crumble under pressure"

Ichinose : "Of course you will supported her as your classmate right?"

I did say that, but there is still the possibility that Horikita may yet evolve from the pressure put on her here. This much I am certain of. Whether it's now or ten years from now, if you are going to evolve as a person, generally you need to be broken down first.

Ichinose : "Horikita-san, Ayanokouji-san. Since people now know about the alliance between our classes so I'll ask just in case, but do you believe in this exam, an alliance that transcends classes can truly be formed?"

Horikita : "There's no real need for hostility here, but asking for cooperation might just be a bit difficult. The exam itself is set up so that two classes cooperating perfectly would be impossible. That's why absolute, unwavering cooperation between Class B and Class D is a necessity. I don't think such an alliance could be formed"

Ichinose : "Umm. As expected of Horikita-san. You understand the exam perfectly it seems. Ryuuen-kun's idea was infeasible from the start. It was a good move allying with you"

Ichinose tells Horikita, seemingly happy that their ideas seem to have matched perfectly.

Ichinose : "Ryuuen-kun's strategy maybe end in failure. There's no need to even worry about that. The problem is the strategy set up by Katsuragi-kun. Having spoken to him yourself, what do you think?"

Ichinose asks Kanzaki and Horikita regarding Katsuragi.

Kanzaki : "As I reported to you yesterday, there's no room for the other groups to talk to them. He doesn't respond to us and refuses to participate in discussions as well. I don't believe he'll change his stance before the exam ends. Is the stance the same even without Katsuragi present?"

Ichinose : "Yeah. It's hopeless on my end as well. Looks like we'll have to compromise in this situation with a different approach"

The number of discussion periods left is three. And after that each group will have to submit their answers individually.

That's when we'll have to make a choice. For the class or for the group? Or perhaps only for yourself?

Horikita : "I'll be returning to my room then"

Since everyone from the (Dragon) group had left the room, Horikita also moves to return to her room. At that moment, Ichinose met up with Hamaguchi who seemed to have been waiting outside for her. Ichinose glanced briefly at the departing back of Horikita, and then turned back to look at me.

Ichinose : "If it's ok with you, would you accompany me for a bit?"

Kiyone : "Sure. That's fine"

Right now it's not just Ichinose but also two other students from Class B with me so it felt slightly cramped.

Then upon parting ways with Kanzaki and arriving on the deck, we were suddenly greeted with the figures of students who had already switched into a fun mood.

Ichinose : "Horikita-san may have said that, but I still believe we can all work together and there's still room for cooperation"

Kiyone : "Room for cooperation?"

Ichinose : "Yes, Class A suddenly took that stance and I was surprised but there's still room for cooperation. That's why we need to expose everything, don't you agree?"

Kiyone : "W-What are you going to do?"

Ichinose : "At the end of the day, this exam is mainly about finding the 'VIP'. So that means all we'd have to do is figure out as many non-'VIPs' as possible to narrow down the possibility. That's why I'll tell you...I'm not the 'VIP'. But I will find them, and I'll bring our 'group' to victory"

Ichinose clearly tells me while looking deep into my eyes. And added this.

Ichinose : "If you still doubt that I'm the 'VIP' and I'm simply hiding, even if you ask me that my response to that is simple...I'm doing everything I can for Class B"

Those words pierced me with a mysterious aura I couldn't seem to quite figure out.

Having observed Ichinose's behaviour so far, there's only one thing left to question her about. If she truly wanted to ask my cooperation here and now and wish to gain absolute trust from me she should have gone one step further. That is to say, reveal the contents of her phone to me to ascertain that she is not the 'VIP'

But Ichinose is showing no signs of doing so, I didn't even notice any signs of her attempting to take out her phone. So should I take her statement as the ramblings of a mentally ill woman? Or as a story that still has a hidden side to it? That was the reason for the mysterious aura. It may yet be the wise decision to honestly accept her offer here now.

Ichinose : "...Is it absurd?"

Ichinose anxiously asks me after receiving only silence from me.

Kiyone : "No, sorry. It's not that absurd of a proposition. I was just surprised that you would be so honest with me. Normally, one would not attempt to bring the entire 'group' to victory if they truly were the 'VIP' after all"

Ichinose : "I won't use lies in a place like this. I would have if I needed to during the exam, but as much as I can, I try to be honest..."

She continue

Ichinose : "...Everything I've told you so far, I intend to do to allow my class to win fair-and-square. I just thought to find the 'VIP' to see if they share the same idea. You don't need to answer if you don't want to. I just wanted to let you know my feelings. I thought it would be easier if we were on the same page"

Kiyone : "I see. Although perfect cooperative relationships might be impossible, it's still a good idea to maintain good relations. If I don't answer you honestly here, this relationship might crumble down the line"

Ichinose : "No, no. No such thing"

She tried to stop me from answering her in a panic, but this isn't something I should conceal here though. Why would she tried to stop me?

What Ichinose says may undoubtedly true, the price she gains from betraying me here is small. There's no point in deceiving Class D which had already sunken to the bottom and is barely rising again now.

Of course, I cannot say for certain she is being 100% honest just like how one cannot be 100% certain they won't get hit by an asteroid and die. But I think I can afford to be honest with her here too.

Kiyone : "I'm not the 'VIP'. Neither is Yukimura-kun. I'm certain about Yukimura-kun. But I don't know about Karuizawa-san and Sotomura-kun. Personally, I agree with you Ichinose-san. No objections"

I did hear from Yukimura that neither Sotomura and Karuizawa seem to be the 'VIP' as well, but I'd best leave such uncertain statements out of this conversation. I still cannot say they are not 'VIPs' with confidence.

And judging from his attitude and his behaviour, what Yukimura confided in me is certainly true. Yukimura is not the 'VIP'.

Ichinose : "Sorry. I seem to have forced you to talk"

Ichinose then lowers her head before me as if overcome by guilt. But there's no need to apologize. Because one day, it's 'I' who should be apologizing to her for what I'm about to do.

Ichinose : "Hamaguchi-kun, could you come here for a moment?".

Hamaguchi : "What's the matter, Ichinose-san?"

When Hamaguchi approached, Ichinose began informing him of the current situation. After listening to her, he seemed surprised that Ichinose managed to build a cooperative relationship with Class D. I thought Ichinose's personality alone would've gotten her the approval of the class

Hamaguchi : *sigh* "If she's confirmed it herself too, there's no reason for me to refuse it. I'm also not the 'VIP'. It's ok to trust me as well Ayanokoji"

Hamaguchi tells me. And considering his relationship with Ichinose, his credibility is also pretty high. There's very little merit in lying here because it could ruin her relationship with Horikita if exposed after all.

Kiyone : "So you haven't checked your class yet"

If it's the Ichinose who's burning with popularity, she could have gotten the information from her class even without using a reign of terror like Ryuuen did.

Ichinose : "I try to let my classmates take individual action. That sort of thing. There are those that just want points for themselves. It's not like I can just decide the 'VIP' amongst them of my own accord anyways"

Then, after she pondering for a while

Ichinose : "It might be hard but I'll check the remaining one. If they answer honestly, I'll let you know of it afterwards"

Kiyone : "I'm grateful for that. But it's not like I'll tell you everything about Class D. We still can't say we've established a positive relationship just yet and there's still no guarantee that what you've just told me is the truth"

Ichinose : "That's fine. As long as Ayanokouji-san alone cooperates with me I'll be satisfied with just that".

And with this, the four of us discussed the exam from a neutral standpoint and cooperation within the (Rabbit) group has suddenly become a possibility.

Me, Ichinose, Beppu, Hamaguchi and Yukimura. The five of us are certainly not the 'VIP'. I can be sure of Yukimura at least by observing his behaviour and attitude. That leaves 10 other people aside from us. The 'VIP' is undoubtedly hiding amongst the rest of students.

In any case it's bound to be a more difficult task than finding the leader during the island test. That is precisely why this is an exam. The 'VIP' will also feel the pressure on them and as long as they avoid taking open action, they can keep themselves concealed. It seemed unfair at first but the school did make sure to balance out the exam.

Beppu : "So? How do we intend to find the 'VIP' from here on out? Even if we ask directly, I doubt they would name themselves honestly. It's not like they can be persuaded with words alone like us"

Hamaguchi : "The point of this exam is to do something about that, right?"

Exactly, this is an exam of the highest caliber. To extract information from a person desperately attempting to keep it hidden. Now with Ichinose making her move, a change in the current situation will inevitably occur.

Hello guys! How are you?

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 4 : Double Question Pt 2

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

Unless one is an esper capable of reading minds, finding the 'VIP' won't be an easy task.

People are all born liars and are mostly used to lying. If a person that has never lied even once in their lives exists, that existence itself would be a lie. For humans, lies are an inseparable part of ourselves. At the very least, among the people gathered in this room, one of them is the 'VIP'. There is still time until the discussion proper starts, however, the reason I came early like last time was to observe the behavior of everyone in the group. And the first ones who arrived for the night's discussion were the girls of Class C. They came in while gleefully chatting away with each other. Upon seeing me, they instantly lowered their voices in a disgusted manner and quickly distanced themselves from me.

Next was Yukimura, who entered the room with a sharp-looking face. Casually greeting me with a glance, he soon sat down near me. He didn't seem to be any different from usual. Then next came the Class A group. Machida and Takemoto. Followed after then Morishige. As usual, since they have decided to keep their silence, they decided to sit at the far end of the room. Close to where the Class C girls were sitting.

Yabu : "Hey Machida-kun, today after this is over, do you want to come play with us? The three of us girls are planning on having fun after this, but haven't found someone yet"

Machida : "Let's see..."

Machida usually does not participate in the discussion, but his 'presence' is still strong. Leaving aside Ichinose and Ibuki, it seems all the other girls in the group are interested in him. It's not like I'm interested of him or anything...but I may be slightly interested of him.

Either Class C had half given up on finding the 'VIP' or perhaps this is still a part of their plan, but with those words they had invited Machida out to play with them. Is this how men and women deepen their relationships? It seems Machida is also satisfied with that as he looked happy while considering their invitation. Then Sotomura and Karuizawa entered the room. But rather than together, it seemed like they just happened to arrive in the room at the same time, as Karuizawa had a displeased look on her face. As soon as they entered the room, she quickly put some distance between them and moved towards the back of the room.

Karuizawa : "Hey, that's my seat!".

Despite having arrived later, Karuizawa tells that to the Class C girls while glaring at them even though they arrived earlier. After seeing the other girls flirting openly with Machida, it seems Karuizawa became even more angry at them.

Manabe : "Don't know what you're on about, but what's your seat? Just find somewhere else to sit"

Karuizawa : "I said that's my seat. Move!"

Manabe : "Huh? Can't you see I'm talking to Machida-kun right now? We're going to be playing tonight"

Karuizawa : "Machida-kun, please tell her yourself. That you want me sitting next to you"

Looking slightly embarrassed, Machida seemed to be torn on who to choose. But Karuizawa soon understood the situation, and quickly got in between Manabe and Machida, and held Machida's hand.

Karuizawa : "This time, let's play together. Just the two of us. Or have you chosen that girl? I hate womanizers, so if you're going to play with that girl I won't go out with you"

I was honestly surprised she would say something like that so boldly while going out with Hirata. In fact, Machida seemed to be attracted to the words 'just the two of us' and had already decided which girl to choose.

After pondering for a while he make his decision

Machida : *cough* "Could you please move? That's where Karuizawa sits. Even this afternoon too"

Yabu : "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

Manabe : "Tch! Annoying..."

Saying those words with face that said likewise, the Class C girls moved away from Machida. And so Karuizawa quickly moved into that empty space and sat down. In fact, she sat down so close it was almost as if she were glued to Machida. Honestly, their bodies were already connected at this point.

Perhaps the only reason people did not think those actions were frivolous was because people already knew what Karuizawa was like. Perhaps he doesn't know she is going out with Hirata, or perhaps he does, but it seems Machida has begun to open up his heart to Karuizawa, or has already fallen in love with her.

If we're only talking about appearances, Karuizawa is indeed cute, and if you look at her from the perspective of liking her, it is also possible that protective feelings would be born inside of him. The interesting thing is, the group that was just formed yesterday, had already begun to develop its own hierarchy of power and ecosystem just today. A loner is a loner while a popular person will remain popular even so.

The partitioning of the students into hierarchies is already complete. But this partitioning is not done the usual way. For instance, if two people happen to share the same status in the group, inevitably one would rise and the other would fall in status. It could even be described as a 'survival of the fittest' environment. And the one that loses in said competition would be demoted to a lower rank amongst their peers. Perhaps even to the bottom of the ladder. To the point where their existence would not matter one point even if they weren't there.

For example, someone like me in this case. The interesting thing about this exam is that it forces people who had competed against each other earlier to join hands. Even Ichinose, who is extremely popular amongst her class, has trouble influencing her enemies in this class. If it were Hirata, perhaps he might have been able to organize this into a more proper group?

Ichinose : "Let's get along today too!"

Ichinose herself arrived and brought life back into the dispirited room. I also immediately realized the atmosphere in the room is especially thick today and choose to not speak carelessly. But even so, Karuizawa's actions seemed too forceful and incomprehensible to me.

If she wanted to get closer to Machida, she did not need to antagonize the Class C girls to do so. I just felt...that this event and the exam itself had no direct connection. As someone who had been watching Karuizawa since the start of the first semester, I can tell after observing her personality and her actions. That Karuizawa wants to stand at the top. Of course, she's not such a talented person that she can rise to the top of the girls group like that. She lacks the talent of Ichinose and something like that would normally be impossible for her.

But there is such a thing as 'human relationships' that come into play here. It is a fact that Karuizawa with a strong personality became the leader of Class D's girls. Furthermore, she became the girlfriend of Hirata, the guiding force of the class and gained influence with the boys as well.

If one applies Karuizawa's behaviour then to this instance, the truth becomes clearer. She attaches herself to the strongest man she can find such as Machida and gains influence in the group that way. It works, in fact the Class C girls who were unable to overpower Machida's influence were already reluctantly going back to their own seats. Karuizawa accepts the risk of being hated in exchange for absolute domination.

For a sense of superiority?

For self-satisfaction?

Or just craving the spotlight?

I still cannot see the root cause of this behavior, but evidently something along those lines was responsible for her actions.

Sotomura : "Gnununu! That ikemen bastard! Did he think that getting girl just like collecting gacha card?!"

Yukimura : "Calm down Sotomura, you'll annoy the others if you keep act like that"

Even his own classmate got pissed off as well

Takemoto : "Damn you Machida! Why it always you?"

Machida : "C-Calm down dude! Its not like I do this on purpose..."

Morishige : "Pfft- I doubt about that"

Ichinose began to taken control of discussion again today

Ichinose : "Let's see let's see. Class A isn't going to join in the discussions as usual. Right?"

Morishige : "Of course. Please feel free to continue the discussion without us. Our stance has not changed"

The student sitting next to Machida who made that statement that had been concealing his emotions the entire time was Morishige. I've seen him before this exam. According to what I have heard, Class A currently is divided up between two factions. The Katsuragi Faction and the Sakayanagi Faction.

Morishige was one of those who betrayed Katsuragi during the island test. While he would not normally listen to Katsuragi's orders obediently like this, Sakayanagi is absent from this cruise due to ill health and without someone to give him orders directly, he had no choice but to follow Katsuragi's orders it seems.

I expected Katsuragi to instantly lose influence in the class after his failure during the island test but it seems he won't go down that easily. Since he too had been keeping his silence for two days now, it seems even Morishige believes he has no choice but to endure Katsuragi's orders.

Ichinose : "Since it'll be a waste to spend an hour like this, shall we play cards again?"

Ichinose says as though she had grown used to this as she proposed a game of cards after the initial confirmation. In this exam, there are different approaches that can be taken, but Ichinose seems to want to find the 'VIP' through dialogue while Katsuragi took the opposite approach by preventing all dialogue.

On the other hand, Ryuuen's strategy is turn everyone into an enemy while taking absolute control of his own class. But I can't be sure those are their individual strategies until the curtain falls. After all, it would be impossible to talk about that while playing cards for one whole hour. Yukimura seemed to be desperately scanning the surroundings but he doesn't seem to have a grasp on who the 'VIP' could be.

I'm sure it's the same for the other students as well and that is surely the conclusion they have all reached. Even if dialogue were to be successful, it is unlikely the 'VIP' would name themselves. Once the hour had passed, I observe the order in which the students leave the room.

The students of Class C who were always one of the first out the door do not seem to be leaving yet while Class A, always the first to leave, did so as usual. However, it seems Machida and Karuizawa are busy exchanging their contact numbers with each other and making arrangements to contact each other. Then Yukimura and Sotomura got up to leave.

Yukimura : "Let's go back, Ayanokoji you're leaving too right?"

I nodded

And at the same time, Karuizawa also stands to leave while talking to someone on the phone, seemingly chatting about something interesting. And as she leaves, the three girls from Class C also pass through us to follow her.

Yukimura : "Those three girls. Don't they seem a bit strange to you?"

Yukimura seemed to have noticed something unusual about them and looked at me with a worried face

Sotomura : "Do you believe so? I have not noticed anything"

Sotomura replies to him in a crazy tone of voice. Leaving aside Sotomura's opinion, Yukimura's intuition is correct. It seems the Class C girls are storing up quite a bit of anger in them as well. Yukimura, Sotomura, and I slightly peak out of the room into the corridor outside. And we saw the three girls chasing Karuizawa swiftly in the corridor. I would rather not follow them alone. And Ibuki, who also seem to be disinterested in Karuizawa, is not there.

Yukimura : "Might be a personal quarrel between them?"

Yukimura looked at me as if to ask what to do.

Kiyone : "Let's follow them. I had bad feeling about it. It might not end up in violence but it might cause a bit of uproar if we don't stop it when its gone escalated"

Sotomura : "Damn that Karuizawa, always doing things that makes people hate her...even though I wanted to find the 'VIP' myself"

We quickly followed the four girls quietly.

As we reached a corner, we heard the sound of a door slamming shut and saw the entrance to the emergency stairs closing. But there was no reason to use the emergency stairs unless the elevators were broken, which meant something else is happening here.

Karuizawa : "Hey, what're you doing bringing me to a place like this?"

I quietly opened the door to the emergency staircase and heard a voice from inside.

Manabe : "Don't play dumb with us, you pushed Rika right? Start talking!"

Karuizawa : "...W-W-Why are you accusing me? I told you you've got the wrong person didn't I?"

The three girls then closed in on Karuizawa and drove her back to the wall as if to prevent her from escaping. But even in a situation like that, Karuizawa continued to deny the accusations without apologizing. Is it really not her then?.

Karuizawa : "I have something to do now, would you mind moving aside?".

Manabe : "Then let me confirm it now. I'm going to call Rika now. If it's really not you, then I'll forgive you"

Karuizawa : "I don't know what you're talking about, I'll call the teachers"

Yamashita : "What are you going to tell the teachers? It's not like we're using violence on you right now. If you tell them, we could also tell them you pushed Rika and make it a problem for you too"

It seems like they have no intention of backing down as they grabbed Karuizawa's arms as she tried to escape and pushed her back towards the wall.

One of the girls then began using her phone to contact the girl named Rika.

Karuizawa : "W-Wait a minute..."

Once she realized the situation was that serious, Karuizawa tried to stop them from making the call.

Yabu : "Why are you in such a hurry?"

Karuizawa : "...I just remembered. I accidentally bumped into that girl"

Karuizawa quickly tells them.

Manabe : "You filthy liar, you remembered her from the start didn't you? I don't care either way, but you're going grovel asking apologize to Rika?"

Karuizawa : "No! She's the one in the wrong! She's an airheaded girl!"

Yamashita : "So what?! It wasn't a reason for you to humiliated her in public like that!"

Yabu : "Is it that hard for you just for apologize to her genuinely?!"

I thought Karuizawa would accept responsibility for it, but it seems she's as headstrong as ever. Despite knowing she would rile the Class C girls up even more she still said those words.

Manabe : "Tch! She's really pissing me off. I was even thinking about forgiving her for her actions earlier if she apologized to Rika. Never mind, I'm not forgiving her now"

And with that, she pushed Karuizawa's shoulder with the palm of her hand

Yamashita : "You weren't going to forgive her anymore after this...right?"

Yabu : "Shiho-chan, I can't hold back anymore. I really won't forgive Karuizawa"

Manabe : "I know right? I'm sure Rika shares the same feelings as you guys. Let's seriously put her into her own place".

This time, with more force, she hit Karuizawa's shoulder with her palm again. Yukimura tried to open the door quickly, but I grabbed his arm and stopped him. Even if we stopped this now, Karuizawa will inevitably be assaulted again in the future.

But allowing them to use violence to their heart's content right now will serve as a deterrent for them in the future. And depending on the degree of violence, it might even be possible to threaten them with contacting the school. And most importantly, right now Karuizawa Kei's existence is about to change.

Karuizawa : *pant* *pant* *pant*

Karuizawa seemed to be having trouble breathing. Or perhaps she seems to be in pain. But she grabbed her head with both hands. But the sight of her suffering, instead of evoking empathy, brought forth more anger from Manabe and the other girls.

Yabu : "What now?!"

Manabe : "Even if you suddenly act all feminine like that I still won't forgive you, not a chance!"

She then grabbed Karuizawa's hair and forcefully raised her head.

Manabe : "Hey guys, I always hated Karuizawa's face. But even so, not only her appearance but her behavior just the same as her looks, don't you think she's really ugly?"

Yamashita : "I know right? Do you want to cut up that face of hers?"

Karuizawa : "...S-S-Stop..."

Manabe : "...S-Stop, she's saying?"

Manabe imitating her words with mockery

Manabe : "What happened to that determination you had a while ago?"

It would seem the more you hate your enemy, the more you seek to attack their advantages. If we're only talking about beauty, there's no doubt that Karuizawa is the better one. But it seems Manabe, Yamashita and Yabu won't be satisfied until they deny Karuizawa's appearance like that. After shaking silently, Karuizawa became unable to move. There was no longer any trace of the usual her to be seen right now. The true nature of a person always comes out in a dilemma like this. A little more of this and soon I'll be able to see and know more of Karuizawa Kei.

But it seems Yukimura's sense of justice had kicked in, as he seems to be unable to hold it anymore. He then quickly opened the door with force and surprised the three girls inside. On the other hand, as though she had been saved, Karuizawa looked at Yukimura with a face of relief.

Yukimura : "Stop it! What are you doing?"

Manabe : "W-W-W-W-What? I was just talking with Karuizawa-san, right?"

Manabe looked at Karuizawa with a threatening expression as if daring her to say a word, but Karuizawa isn't the sort of person to be intimidated by just that.

Karuizawa : "Hey Yukimura-kun, do something! They abducted me violently out of the blue and started pushing me around! They're the worst right? They were annoying so I told them to leave me alone but-"

Normally Karuizawa would never care about Yukimura, but she's probably grateful to him now that he's appeared here to save her. Her face seemed to convey her relief. But Class C seemed to be hatefully glaring at Yukimura. Almost like saying this has nothing to do with Yukimura.

Manabe : "I'm just helping Rika with her Karuizawa problem. Since you came here you must have also heard the story right"

Yukimura : "...I think you should let it go. If they just accidentally bumped into each other, it's not like Karuizawa's at fault you know"

Yukimura had no choice but to answer like that.

Manabe : "Oh shut up please. This has nothing to do with you right?"

Yabu : "Yeah, just shut up!"

Yukimura : "..."

Since he got told to shut up by the Class C girls, this time Yukimura had no choice but to obediently shut up. Karuizawa then started to look at Yukimura as if looking at a pathetic man while I slowly took out my phone quietly.

Karuizawa : "Just leave me alone already! Otherwise I'll call for someone!"

Manabe : "Call? Who? Hirata-kun? Machida-kun? Or perhaps a prostitute like you can call as many men as you like"

It is said that a fight between women is dirty, and cannot be resolved easily through violence like a man's conflict. As someone who had gotten myself involved in this, I found it painful to both watch and hear.

Its not the right time. I guess I'll end this drama for now

Kiyone : "You there, you can continue if you like but there was a teacher that passed by earlier, I think it's best for you to left"

I stepped in and said those words to break the fight up. I'm sure Class C also does not wish to cause a scene here.

Manabe : "Tch! I'm absolutely going to make you bow your head down before Rika"

It was a threat to Karuizawa by the other side saying they would use any means necessary for that. Karuizawa desperately tried to act strong but it's obvious she's no longer capable of that. It seems the other girls have also sensed Karuizawa's weakness as they looked at Karuizawa from above with condescending looks.

Yukimura : "Are you ok?"

Unable to leave Karuizawa, who seemed to be hyperventilating, Yukimura asked her that while giving her a hand

SLAP!

Karuizawa : "Leave me alone!"

Karuizawa quickly slapped Yukimura's hand away as he moved in to help her

Yukimura : "What the hell? I came to help you because I was worried!"

Karuizawa : "Shut up! Nobody asked you to do it! You pathetic!"

Karuizawa said while getting her breath back. Yukimura took a step back as if overwhelmed by her words.

Before leaving, Karuizawa stared at me intensely with an angry expression before opening the door of the emergency staircase with force. Then slamming it shut behind her.

Yukimura : "W-What the hell is her problem? Always causing trouble for us".

I do understand Yukimura's feelings of resent towards her. A 'troublemaker' is a nice way to describe Karuizawa.

Sotomura : "This is why I told you to leave her be Yukimura-dono. You just wasting your time"

Yukimura : *sigh* "Never in my life I once regret for helping peoples"

Yukimura did not say anything more and left from the emergency staircase door as well followed by Sotomura. Now alone on the emergency stairs, I thought about Karuizawa. And the vulnerable side the leader of the Class D girls had shown then.

The terrified appearance Karuizawa had just now was not only because she was being threatened at the time but due to something else.

Midnight after the second day had ended.

The pool that was crowded during daytime was now silent. I was there to wait for a call to confirm a certain thing. Since the phones we were assigned after enrollment already had the contact numbers of the teachers added to them, it was an extremely simple task for me to contact Chabashira-sensei. Even though we were in the middle of summer, we're sailing right above the ocean's surface so the night wind was rather cold.

Chabashira : "...Sorry to keep you waiting, Ayanokouji"

Kiyone : "I don't mind it. More importantly, sorry for calling you out this late sensei"

Chabashira : "It's a consultation from a student, as a teacher I have an obligation to respond. It's nothing strange. For better or for worse, this is your first time calling me out here alone. Did you perhaps runs into troubles?"

Chabashira-sensei who does not handle Class D with love, is not very well-liked by the students even in flattery. Even if the students have a problem, they are unlikely to ask her for a consultation.

Kiyone : "There's something I'd like to ask sensei...err...your face is looking quite pale"

I didn't notice at first in the dark. But Chabashira-sensei had a deathly pale face.

Chabashira : "...Don't worry about it. It's just adult things.

Kiyone : "A-Adult thing?"

Chabashira : "Forget it. So what's the matter?"

I could more or less understand the situation since I could smell the alcohol coming from her breath.

Kiyone : "In this school, you told me there's nothing that cannot be 'bought' with points. But there are exceptions correct?"

Chabashira : "I suppose so, exceptions naturally exist. For example, if you try to buy the lives of teachers and students with points we cannot allow that to happen"

Kiyone : "Then the most expensive thing ever bought with points in the past—"

But before I finish my question, I quickly sensed the presence of an eavesdropper.

Hoshinomiya : "Ya-hoo~ Sae-chan! You feeling good?"

Was it just a coincidence? No, the probability of that is infinitely low. It would have been impossible for her to stumble onto this place without having tailed Chabashira-sensei.

Chabashira : "...Aren't you drunk?"

Hoshinomiya : "Hmm? No of course not, there's no way I could be drunk. Are you perhaps playing dumb with me?" *hic*

Chabashira : "Really...impressive. I praised you for your capability to hold your liquor really well as usual. Both yesterday and today as well"

That doesn't sounds like compliment. It was more look like a mockery

Hoshinomiya-sensei kept her pace up and continued speaking.

Hoshinomiya : "Hello Ayanokouji-chan. Are you feeling well?"

Acting overly familiar with me, she approached me, and acting overly familiar again, she puts her hands around my shoulders so close I could feel the alcohol coming from her breath.

Of course someone underage like me wouldn't know, but is alcohol that good to drink? Just by smelling it, I already feel like not drinking it.

Kiyone : "I'm fine. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't"

I answered it while shoving her arm

Hoshinomiya : "A really impressive cute answer. So does Ayanokouji-chan coming here to asking an advice about dating boys? Don't worry I had more experience than Sae-chan" *hic*

She said while poking my face

Chabashira : "Keep your dignity in front of students. It will interfere with our professional conduct"

Thankfully, Chabashira-sensei grabbed Hoshinomiya-sensei by the nape and dragged her off me. I recall the conversation between teachers I heard yesterday. Even the teachers are wary of each other, competing with each other and deceiving each other to get to the top class.

I don't know whether that competition is meant to raise one's salary as a teacher, or if it's something carried over between Chabashira-sensei and Hoshinomiya-sensei from their student days. I'm sure the school and the teachers do attempt to make the system a fair one. If information were to unfairly be leaked, that in itself would be a severe problem. The teachers cannot avoid taking the responsibility for that.

Considering that, it is very probable that Ichinose was assigned to (Rabbit) group without being told anything in particular. She possesses sharp insight and observation abilities after all. Sooner or later she will begin to suspect something is up.

About 'why' should was assigned to (Rabbit) group in particular. It would be fine if she writes it off as a coincidence. But Hoshinomiya-sensei is bad at hiding her emotions so she would inevitably find out that she was sent to scout out me

If that happens, I need to consider a counterattack. And just by thinking on it, I have already begun solidifying my defenses.

Hoshinomiya : "So what are the two of you talking about this late at night? Isn't this by itself a big problem?"

Chabashira : "Big problem? As a teacher, isn't it obvious for me to respond to my student's anxieties and consult them on it"

Hoshinomiya : "But if that's true, couldn't you do it in a more open place? There's no need to be sneaky with her" *hic*

As Hoshinomiya-sensei tries to figure her out, Chabashira-sensei maintains her sense of rationality and calm.

Chabashira : "It's what Ayanokouji himself requested. She wanted to consult me in private without anyone knowing"

Hoshinomiya : "Hmm...well it's not like I have any complaints towards this"

Chabashira : "I see, if you understand then go back to the bar. I'll join you shortly"

Hoshinomiya : "Ok, Ok! Take your time, but remember if you want dating boys. I could recommend some handsome boys from class B for you Ayanokoji-chan..." *hic*

Leaving behind such an unnecessary advice, Hoshinomiya-sensei went back into the ship. It seems she's capable of concealing her presence very easily.

Kiyone : "Sorry. For being selfish like this sensei"

Chabashira : "No such thing"

Chabashira-sensei did not say anything about me being scouted out. I don't know what's going on between the two of them, but honestly this has nothing to do with me.

Kiyone : "Anyways, continuing where we left off. The biggest thing bought with points in the past. What is it?"

Chabashira-sensei looked thoughtfully at me

Chabashira : "If I have to say, it would be 'to change the rules of the school'. Of course you can only change it realistically. For instance, you could change the regulations to allow you to arrive at school a minute later than usual and such"

Chabashira-sensei choose to use an example to explain rather than a fact.

Kiyone : "So only an example?"

Chabashira : "Dissatisfied?"

Kiyone : "No, it's ok. With this I can more or less understand the school system and the uses of points better"

That means depending on how you use your points, even if it's for a trivial reason, one can challenge the school system itself. It seems private points are an extremely vital asset.

Chabashira : "You could've asked that through mail. You didn't need to call me out for that"

Kiyone : "Because sending a mail to you leaves a record. I'd like to avoid that"

I decided to leave it at that and headed for an exit other than the one Hoshinomiya-sensei just used. While there are quite a lot of things I would like to confirm with her, I suppose this is enough for now.

Kiyone : "Sensei, I will be asking you for a favor soon"

When I turned to leave, Chabashira-sensei for a moment, looked at me uncertainly.

Chabashira : "W-What are you going to do?"

I step forward and began to tell my intention to her

Hello guys! How are you?

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 4 : Unforgotten Scar

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

I'm currently walk at a certain corridor

Kiyone : *yawn*

Suddenly

??? : "...That's why I want you to protect me!"

This voice... Karuizawa?

Then I took a peek on the source of voice.

There I could see Karuizawa talking with Hirata

Hirata : "I already read your message. This isn't the usual you. You're not the type to try and fight violence with violence, I do believe that you-"

Karuizawa : "Your girlfriend is in trouble you know! As my boyfriend isn't that given you will gonna save me?"

Hirata : "I know but-"

Karuizawa : "...They won't give up. I dunno what will they do to me next time."

Hirata :"Karuizawa-san. Let's think about it together then, how to make up with Manabe-san and her group"

Karuizawa :"That's impossible. I was onesidedly attacked by them. Please understand..."

Hirata :"Onesided? Wasn't it because you bullied Morofuji-san first, Karuizawa-san?"

Karuizawa :"But t-that's...I had no other choice...Shinohara-san and the others were watching me"

Hirata : *sigh* "Let me think for a while..."

Hirata held his forehead with his right hand. It does seems he is thinking so hard to find a way to solve this problem

Karuizawa :"I beg you, please save me...Hirata, you'll protect me right?"

Hirata :"Of course I intend to protect you, but you know I won't do anything to Manabe-san and the others as well. I'll try and find a way for you to talk with each other and get along together"

Karuizawa : "I'm telling you that's impossible! If things were that easy I wouldn't even ask you to help me in the first place, please Hirata do something..."

It seems a bit extreme, but I can understand Karuizawa's feelings. The position she's in right now is far more dangerous than expected. I wouldn't be surprised if this escalated into a serious incidence of violence.

There are things that rules cannot prevent all the time. Bullying is one of them. Hirata seemed to be worried about Karuizawa, but at the same time, he was also worried about Manabe. It seems Hirata is intent on resolving this by pacifying both sides peacefully.

Unexpectedly, Hirata did not seem to be thinking of her as a lover but just as another normal friend. No I do feel a slighty bad for Karuizawa

Hirata :"It doesn't matter what the reason is, I cannot do what you expect me to do. For me, Karuizawa-san is indeed a precious classmate. If there's something troubling you I'll protect you. But whatever the reason, I won't hurt someone else either. Even if it's a student of Class C. Please understand my standing as well-"

Karuizawa :"You liar! You told me you'd protect me!"

Hirata :"Liar? I told you from the beginning I would take this stance"

But suddenly, the next one Hirata said those things that anyone in Class D would find hard to believe

Hirata :"I told you from the start, didn't I? That we are not boyfriend and girlfriend for real. I don't mind pretending to date you, but I won't help you like this and you won't be able to depend on me"

Karuizawa : "...W-Why are you telling me this now?"

Hirata just realized what he said and averting his eyes from Karuizawa

Long silence

Hirata :"...I'm not abandoning you. Even now I thought to save you, but I required new approach to solve this... That's why..."

It's not like he's completely abandoned Karuizawa, he is really trying to save her in his own way. He then approached Karuizawa, who seemed to have lost her composure, but he did not attempt to touch her fragile and delicate shoulder of hers.

Karuizawa : "Are you saying...I need to use violence myself?"

Hirata : "Please listen to me. I didn't say that. I will do my best to save you. In the morning, I intend to have a chat with Manabe-san and the others. To ask her to stop bothering Karuizawa-san. You might not like it, but I intend to tell them you wanted to apologize to them"

Karuizawa :"That's not what I want!"

She shout while twist a can of drink in her hand

Indeed, it seemed Karuizawa was asking Hirata to retaliate against Manabe and the others for bullying her. Taking that into consideration, this seems to be Karuizawa's real essence. Her real personality. More than anything, it seems Karuizawa has something she fears the most.

Hirata :"If that's the case then there's nothing I can do for you. Sorry about that"

Karuizawa : "No need! If you're not going to listen to my request, then I don't need someone like you!"

Karuizawa shouted that while throwing a can of drink she held before. The juice inside was scattered all over the floor and the sound of the can resounded through the corridor.

Karuizawa : "If you don't want to follow my request, our relationship ends here today. It's over!"

Karuizawa declared that towards Hirata while leaving with crying eyes.

Rather than the truth of their relationship being revealed, Hirata seemed annoyed at himself for being unable to help her. Despite Karuizawa running away, Hirata did not show any signs of chasing after her.

Karuizawa already left and Hirata stay still dumbfounded

At this moment I decide to show myself.

Hearing my footstep he immediately look at me

Hirata : "...Ayanokoji-san?!"

I pick the can which Karuizawa thrown and intended to put it on trash can.

Hirata : "Have you been here since earlier?"

I nodded

Kiyone : "...Ano...I'm sorry...It's not like I eavesdropping it on purpose. It just that I happen to had something to talk with Hirata-kun so I decide to wait...that's..."

Hirata : "Its alright, since you already heard what can I do to deny this."

Kiyone : "You know, actually not only me but some of classmates already found this kinda weird as well about your relationship with her.It's been almost four months since you started going out with Karuizawa-san. But I haven't seen any signs of your relationship having progressed since then. Of course, you could consider the option that you are maintaining a pure and platonic relationship with her. But you've always been keeping your distance from her, like somehow you're still calling each other by your last names. Is there perhaps any reason for it?"

Hirata :"That's right. We weren't really dating. We only went out with each other because we felt it was necessary. Do you figure out the contradiction there?"

Kiyone :"The rumors started roughly three weeks after the start of semester, and from that point onwards Karuizawa-san's popularity soared. Even the most popular boy in our years couldn't do it"

Well, at least that's the conclusion I got after listening to Satonaka's opinion

This phenomenon can be observed in our group as well. By attaching herself to Machida, Karuizawa was able to assert herself more aggressively than before and her influence in the group also grew proportionately. In other words, that was how Karuizawa became the mistletoe for Hirata.

Hirata : "Is this popular boy perhaps your acquintance?"

I nodded

Kiyone : "He tell me that kind of relationship isn't normal unless they bound under certain contract"

Hirata : "I see..."

Kiyone :"So you pretended to be Karuizawa-san's boyfriend to help raise her status"

I thought this is the full truth for a moment but I realized the pieces did not fit in yet. Perhaps she used Hirata and Machida to stand at the top of the caste system of the school? No, that alone still doesn't explain the situation.

If she wanted to dominate the class all she needed was to ask Hirata to go out with her and Hirata would probably agree. Her request was now was too tall an order. Karuizawa's daily attitude is a very strong one, and she sometimes plays the part of the aggressor in a bullying situation too. But why accept that without questioning her?

Did Karuizawa really use Hirata and the others to increase her status in the class. That's also a questionable matter. In this case, you can't say that she used Machida only to increase her influence in the group. If anything, she showed no interest in the group's proceedings and remained silent most of the time. If so, there was no need to use Machida from the start.

So what exactly was the trigger that caused her to approach Machida?

Kiyone : "...So, that's how is it..."

Now I finally feel like I understand the girl named Karuizawa Kei. 'To protect herself' huh? By process of elimination the only answer that's left is the truth. There's no mistaking it.

Hirata : "You understand now don't you? To be honest when I heard this respond from you, I had goosebumps"

Kiyone : "N-No, I just heard it from Horikita-san that's all. She wonder that Karuizawa-san has her own reasons for using Hirata and the others. Something like that"

I tried to deceive him that way, but Hirata's not such a simple man that he would fall for something like this.

Hirata : "Ayanokoji-san if I had to tell you honestly...it might sound rude but I find you creepy. Like an ominous existence. If I've offended you I apologize"

Kiyone : "Although its not only you who say something like that to me. At least I would like to know the reason. Why do you think of that?"

Hirata : "I've been looking at you ever since the school year started. But Ayanokouji-san then and the Ayanokouji-san now are like different people. The presence you emit, and the words you use. Almost like you're a different person than usual"

Hirata has the ability to discern the actions and behaviors of the people around him and never overlook that. It couldn't be helped that he would notice the difference in me.

Kiyone : "I already told you right? It's only thanks to Horikita-san's deduction. Anyway, I told Horikita-san everything about my group and I just obey the orders she gives to me, that's all. The incident on the island test was the same too. Horikita-san made the right judgments and guided Class D to victory. The class gained a lot of points as a direct result. In other words there's a merit in doing this for me too. She's not quite good at communication as you know, so I just relay what you said to her and receive orders from her"

I spend a lot of time with Horikita, and Hirata who knows me this well surely won't doubt those words I said.

Hirata : "If it's Horikita-san, she must have surely judged that saving Karuizawa-san would lead to the class gaining an advantage"

Kiyone : "Well, probably. She ask me to tried at least"

Hirata : "But I do think you're still amazing, Ayanokouji-san. You're different from the other girls as well"

Kiyone : "I do think that I'm included as part of lower caste in our class"

Hirata : "Don't undermines yourself. Even if you're only following Horikita-san's orders, it's still you who's talking to me right now. It's not like the conversation will include only the details of her order. To adapt to the flow of the conversation takes clear logic. It's not something you can simply think up overnight"

Kiyone : "..."

He got me. It seems Hirata's better than I expected. Despite his desire to save her too, he is still able to maintain his normal high abilities.

Hirata : "It's something you said but, the reason I accepted Karuizawa-san's request to be her boyfriend was to help her 'protect herself'. That's what she requested. That she wants me to save her. It might be hard for you to believe but, throughout her elementary and middle school years, for 9 whole years. She received a horrifying amount of bullying"

Kiyone : "That's...terrible...are you sure she isn't lying or might be it just hyperbole? I mean this story is real isn't it?"

I ask for confirmation

It seems Karuizawa's hyperventilation earlier in the day was triggered by her past. Since I myself saw it, I cannot help but believe the trauma of her past.

Hirata : "Of course I only met Karuizawa-san after she entered this school, but I do understand. I know the look and smell and presence of a person who's been a victim of bullying. That's why I agreed to go out with her. By using her position as my girlfriend, Karuizawa-san would be able to escape her past of being bullied. I think right now, the attitude she has isn't the real Karuizawa-san. She's desperately trying to act tough isn't she?"

I think normally, she's not able to control her feelings that well. Victims of bullying have personalities like a sakura flower usually. Plain, obedient and weak. Also on the flip side, people with a strong personality like Karuizawa are also prone to being bullied. But in short, Karuizawa's current personality is a fake. That's why she needs someone like Hirata or Machida at her back. Someone who can rule the field for her. In doing so, she was able to regain her influence that way.

Kiyone : "I can understand that now more or less, but what are the benefits of doing this for you?"

This may be a common saying, but love is a part of youth for students. Hirata is very popular amongst the girls. Then by pretending to date Karuizawa, he would be giving up on real love.

Hirata : "Benefit? That would be Karuizawa-san living her high school life without being bullied. That's all"

He just said that

It's not hypocrisy nor love, and not for himself as well.

Hirata : "Won't you believe me? If that's my only reason"

Kiyone : "It's not that I distrust you, but there's a deeper meaning behind that isn't there? Sorry if I made you offended. Because your reasoning just now look like a nonsense to me Hirata-kun"

Hirata will not hesitate if it's to save a friend, but he also recognizes Manabe and the others as friends. The way he cares about others can almost be described as a disease.

Since he's told me this much about it, no doubt Hirata also feels it necessary to tell me about this.

Hirata : "Well, would you like to sit down and listen to me?"

He buys some canned drinks from the vending machine and give one to me. I gratefully accepted it.

Kiyone : "T-Thank you"

Hirata : "Until my second year of middle school, if I have to honestly say I was an average guy who didn't stand out much"

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun was...I can't really imagine that"

The image was too different from the man who always showed excellent leadership.

Hirata : "I didn't stand out too much, but I also wasn't invisible. My friend was also like that. I was really normal. I had a friend I got along with really well ever since I was a kid named Sugimura-kun. A boy. For six years in elementary school we were together in the same class. And because we were neighbors as well we always went to and back from school together"

Hirata said with a voice filled with nostalgia. Hirata recalls his past.

Hirata : "When we entered middle school, for the first time, we were separated into different classes. But even so, at first we still went to school and back home together. But the days we did that started declining gradually and I began playing with boys from my new class. It's a normal story you could've heard anywhere"

It's normal that in a new environment, one would inevitably make new friends. There was nothing unusual in that itself.

Hirata : "But you see...even though I was busy playing with my friends. In the back, Sugimura-kun was actually being bullied"

Hirata continued to say while strongly gripping his can of juice. Even an outsider would know what's happening.

Hirata : "Sugimura-kun sent me an SOS many, many times. Many times he showed up with his face injured and injury marks all over him. But instead I prioritized playing with my new friends and never took him seriously. Sugimura-kun, who originally had a headstrong personality, always was quick to pick a fight so I never deeply thought about his situation. But when we both became 2nd year students, we reunited with each other. By that time, Sugimura-kun's had become heartbroken. His bright, cheerful image was no longer there and marks left by punches and kicks only remained. He was not even allowed to go to the toilet and forced to leak in the middle of class. That sort of thing became routine..."

Kiyone : "So you saw it but do nothing?"

Hirata : "Yeah. I think you understand too. I didn't do anything. I couldn't do anything. I was too afraid that I would become the new target. I was afraid that my enjoyable life then would be destroyed...and towards Sugimura-kun who'd always been together with me, I continued to pretend to not see him. I believed that one day the bullies would get bored of him. That one day Sugimura-kun will stop coming to school and the bullying would stop. Or that somebody else would step in and save him. I just kept on thinking self-serving things like that"

Kiyone : "So, what happened to Sugimura-kun?"

Hirata : "Even now the memory of that day is burned into my head. After morning soccer practice, I returned to my classroom. There I saw Sugimura-kun and decided to wait until going in. Honestly, at the time, I felt uncomfortable. Even though he was a friend I played together with since I was a child, at the time he almost felt like a stranger to me. I could not help but think cruel thoughts like I would be bullied along with him. Perhaps Sugimura-kun also saw my ugly heart, but he didn't say anything. But almost like a plea for help...that day in the middle of class, he jumped out the window"

Kiyone : "Jumped out?! Is he dead?!"

Hirata : "It seems he was declared brain dead. But even now, his parents are still waiting for Sugimura-kun's recovery and believe in it. But whether he's still alive or dead now, I don't know. The events of that day were still so surreal, I still wonder if it was merely a dream or a hallucination. It was that unbelievable. Because the moment Sugimura-kun jumped, I became acutely aware. By treasuring myself, I pushed my precious friend to his death"

So that was the birth of the current Hirata Yosuke.

Hirata : "I don't think this will result in Sugimura-kun's salvation, but at the very least I want to repent. To do that, I thought the only way was to save someone else like him"

Kiyone : "It's not like I don't know how you feel but the world isn't that simple is it? Even right now, someone somewhere is getting bullied. Like that Sugimura-kun, they're trying to take their own lives. You cannot stop those people can you?"

Hirata : "Of course I understand that. I'm not a hero of justice. But, I'd like to save the people in front of me. I have to save them. That is the responsibility of the me who bears the sin"

Kiyone : "Then how will you decide on this case? You want to save both Karuizawa and Manabe. But that is an impossible task"

Hirata : "I know it's a contradictory task, that's why you're here right now"

I see, it seems he himself notices his own abnormality.

Kiyone : "Oh.."

In any case, it seems he cannot help but want to save people he knows.

Hirata : "I never expected the day would come that I'd tell this story to someone else. Nobody knows about this, that is part of why I chose this school"

Then after finishing the juice, he threw it into the trashbin.

Hirata : "Can I entrust this to you and Horikita-san?"

Kiyone : "If you can promise not to talk halfway, I will do something about this"

Hirata : "Then I will choose to believe in the two of you. Because that is also my ideal"

It seems for now Hirata won't be participating in the matter of Karuizawa. Most likely from now on, whenever Hirata is in trouble, he'll probably rely on me. But that would also mean I have succeeded in securing Hirata's cooperation. That would be a major power I've gained on my side. It's natural that he got his own reward too.

Kiyone : "Hirata-kun, I'd like to ask you for a favour. Can you hear me out?"

With that said, I handed Hirata a piece of paper. And after reading it, Hirata accepted my request without so much as making an unpleasant face.

Hirata : "Alright Ayanokouji-san. There is still one thing I need to tell you. I know who's the last 'VIP' amongst the Class D students..."

On the day of the exam's interval, I chose to take a certain course of action but I was unexpectedly called by Sakura and so I instead decided to hear her out.

Kiyone : "It seems the (Cow) group's exam ended"

Sakura : "Yeah..."

I checked the mail on my phone that was sent to Sakura too along with all the other students by the school side. It simply said

Unknown

The test for the (Cow) group has ended. Members of the (Cow) group are no longer required to participate in the exam. Please make sure to not disturb the other students

It was the same sort of text sent after the (Monkey) group's exam ended. Sakura looked at me with uneasy eyes.

Sakura : "Have I...done something wrong?"

Kiyone : "No that's not it. It just means that someone in the (Cow) group reported the 'VIP' to the school"

Leaving aside the case that occurred thanks to Kuenji's rampage, perhaps betrayal is becoming more prevalent in this exam.

Either it was 'betrayal with certainty' or 'betrayal from being in a rush'.

Kiyone : "By the way Sakura-san, were you the 'VIP' of your group or was it someone else?"

When I asked her, Sakura shook her head from side to side to deny it.

Sakura : "N-No. I'm not the 'VIP'. But, I'm not sure about Sudou-kun and the others..."

For Sakura, who'd been a part of the (Cow) group for only two days, it seems like she has no idea what to make of the situation.

Kiyone : "Don't overthink it, even I still don't know's the 'VIP' of my group after all"

Sakura : "...Y-Yeah..."

Kiyone : "How was the situation with Class A? From the rumors it seems like they didn't participate in the discussions"

Sakura : "Yeah. Just like the others have been saying. They didn't talk at all"

It seems Katsuragi's been thoroughly carrying out his strategy in all the groups. That would mean the party that caused this event would have to be Class C. But in that case a question would arise.

Ryuuen had foregone the rules set by the school. But since the school does not actively announce the details of the exam it is impossible to ascertain whether I'm correct or not at the moment. That is precisely why it's difficult to figure out rule behind this exam.

If I misread it, I would just end up self-destructing and receiving massive damage that way.

Other than the (Cow) group, the fact that the other groups have not yet ended their exams must mean that even Ryuuen has not figured out the answer yet too.

After the end of a mysterious exam like this, no doubt many students are also feeling lost.

Kiyone : "Oh, its about time. See you later Sakura-san"

Sakura : "See you later too Ayanokoji-chan"

Having bid farewell to Sakura who left while swinging her little hands from side to side, I now headed down towards the basement. Then I descended into the lower levels of the ship where people don't usually go.

Although the area was prohibited for students, it was still unlocked to allow the crew access to it. The area where the switchboard room is located, although easy to access, is not a popular spot for people to be in at all.

If one shouts with a loud voice, echoes will form, since this place is practically automated no one will normally come to such a place.

There are only two entrances and exits to this place including the regular one. The other one is a door that leads to the emergency staircase and even the crew usually do not use it. From the dust that had accumulated on that door I could tell that much. That means I can monitor the situation just by keeping an eye on the one access that's normally used.

Furthermore, more conveniently for me it seems that phones do not have reception down here. Occasionally there is sometimes reception down here but most of the time it is extremely difficult to send a mail or chat from down here much less make a call.

Kiyone : "All the pieces are in place"

All that's left is to execute the plan step by step so I won't make a mistake.

First I'll have to contact Hirata, then have him call Karuizawa to this place. To make sure there's enough time for everything, I'd have to call Karuizawa here at least an hour early. For that I ascended back up to the upper floors to make the call.

I'm sure she'll be cautious after the events of last night's conversation, but if Hirata calls her out again to speak alone with her Karuizawa will surely respond to that. She did say she would break up with Hirata, but if she really does break up with him, she's the only one who will suffer from that. As long as Manabe and her group are targeting her, for Karuizawa, the existence of Hirata is necessary for her to continue her life in school.

Hirata :

I've already asked Karuizawa-san to be there at 16:00.

I'll send you Manabe-san's address to you now

But I cannot help you any more than this

Don't make Karuizawa-san sad please

I received such a mail from Hirata. As expected, he's listened to my request excellently and has succeeded in calling her out here. As a bonus, Hirata even knew the contact address of Manabe from another class. If he didn't, I would have had to run the risk of asking Kushida so it saves me the trouble.

Anyway he doesn't want her to be sad, huh? If he knew what I'm really about to do to Karuizawa, I'm sure Hirata would be furious with me. But as long as I don't run into a problem now that's fine. As such, even if she breaks here now, as long as he doesn't notice after the event there would be no problem. To use an extreme example even if you commit murder, as long as there's insufficient evidence, you're a free man.

I then quickly skip through the text I wrote earlier and sent it. The contents were

Me :

Hey, do you have a moment?

As a general rule, the chat application I'm using only allows one account per phone. But there is a slight loophole in that rule, by creating a new major SNS account you can create another account for yourself.

Of course, normally there are no students who divide themselves between a main and a sub account. Because there's not much merit in switching between these accounts. But by doing so, I can contact a third party without having my own identity be revealed as well.

I have to proceed delicately from here on. As long as I don't make a mistake in the process it should go perfectly.

Despite the message having come from an anonymous sender, Manabe quickly replied to it.

Manabe :

Who are you?

Me :

Is there anyone around you right now?

Manabe :

No. I'm alone

Who are you?

Me :

Don't show this chat to anyone. This is for your sake

Manabe :

Like I said, who are you?

Me :

I'm the same as you

We hate the same person

Let's just leave it at that

Although the 'read' sign appeared immediately, Manabe took her time to reply. Perhaps she still doesn't understand the implication of that sentence.

Manabe :

Have you mistaken me for someone?

Me :

I'm not making a mistake, Manabe

I'm contacting you to inform you about the Karuizawa you hate so much

I thought I could consult you on the situation, Manabe

Manabe :

I don't know what you're talking about

Please stop sending me messages

It seems she's on guard, not knowing whether I'm an enemy or not. Men or women. Such natural reaction. I need to resolve this misunderstanding firstly.

Me :

The truth is, as her fellow classmate

I've been harboring a grudge against Karuizawa for a while now.

That's why I thought we could cooperate and have our revenge on her.

Since I'm her classmate it's hard for me to exact my vengeance on Karuizawa directly

but that's why I would like to cooperate with you

Manabe :

I don't know what you're talking about

I'm going to ignore you then

Even though she was wary of me, the fact that she still hasn't cut off contact with me is a testament to how much she hates Karuizawa it seems. It surely stems from her desire to avenge her friend Rika and her own hate towards Karuizawa. I could easily deduce that from the fact that Manabe used force to bring Karuizawa into the emergency staircase.

Me :

Rika is still scared of Karuizawa

Don't you want to help her as a friend?

Your face has revenge written all over it you know?

But the truth is, you can't do it even if you want to

Since after yesterday's events, Karuizawa is on her guard

I'm sure she won't leave Hirata or Machida's side for a while

And she'll always be together with her female friends

So she won't be alone either

Manabe :

I don't need your help

I just need to bring Rika into contact with Karuizawa-san

The truth will be out then

Me :

I wonder if it'll be that easy. I don't think she would easily admit to her wrongdoing

On the contrary, it would just trouble Rika

If Karuizawa uses heartless words she'll only just end up wounding Rika further

No, that's not all

If she harbors a grudge, she might even bully Rika further

Manabe :

Then what should I do?

Are you saying ther's a way?

Manabe's desire to settle this with the next confrontation becomes clear.

Me :

There is. You and me

We can cooperate to make sure we can exact our revenge on her in a secure location

Manabe :

And the guarantee?

It looks like you're just planning on selling me out to the school

This smells like a sub account anyways

Me :

If I am indeed selling you out, please feel free to show this chat log to the teachers, Manabe

This account has been registered with the school's phone

In other words, I'm risking my identity to take revenge on Karuizawa

That way, I'm the one bearing the most responsibility. Isn't that right?

I'm sure Manabe also understands this well. Even if this is a sub account, once you analyze it thoroughly, the identity of the person behind it can be revealed. If it comes to that, I, as the one who masterminded this plan for revenge, would bear the most responsibility and undoubtedly be punished harshly.

Manabe :

Then if I show this chat to the school now what would you do

it's over for you

Me :

Because I believe Manabe is not the type of person to do that

I must trust in order to be trusted after all

Manabe :

I understand what you're trying to say, more or less

I'll hear you out at least

After that I repeat a similar story to her multiple times over. About how much I hated Karuizawa. About how I wanted revenge on her yet couldn't as someone in a weaker position than Hirata. And about how I overheard how Manabe and her friends were quarreling with Karuizawa. I thoroughly made sure to play the victim.

Me :

Once we return to land, contact with Karuizawa would surely become difficult

Since the school dorms are littered with surveillance cameras

even if you tried to bring her into a private area

there would be eyes watching you

This place, a battlefield with no escape

would be the perfect place for you

This would make sure Manabe and the others realize this place, only on this ship, can they get their revenge.

Manabe :

So, what are you proposing you can do?

Manabe, who seems to have finally caught up with my plan, finally starts asking questions.

Me :

I can call Karuizawa

After that, you can take your time talking with her and settling the problem

And with that, through the chat, I sent her a map of the lower levels of the ship.

Me :

Since phones don't get reception down there

She can't call for help either

No one normally goes down there anyways

Manabe :

I see

so you can call Karuizawa-san down there as a classmate?

Me :

I would like you to decide now whether to cooperate with my plan or not

After I call her, you can decide whether or not you'd like to have your revenge

There would be no problems that way, no?

After that, for the longest time, despite the 'read' sign having appeared. No reply came from Manabe. Then. Once the reply came, I became sure I would succeed. If my plan to convince her via chat failed, I had another plan prepared where I would have to appear before Manabe myself via direct contact

Of course that was dangerous. Since I had taken several pictures of her threatening Karuizawa in the emergency staircase, I could have blackmailed her into following my plan. But the risk is also massive, since I would like to avoid my existence standing out.

Kiyone : "Now. Let me see what you can do, Manabe-san?"

Karuizawa Kei POV

A message from Hirata

He wanted me to meet him. But why would he calling me to this kind of place

I keep walking

Karuizawa : "Huh? What happened? broken network?"

I look at my phone and it didn't catch any signal at all in this place

Karuizawa : *sigh* "Why would Hirata need to call me at this kind of place?"

Suddenly I heard a footstep

It must be him. I turn myself to look toward the sound

Karuizawa : "Hirata-"

W-Why? Why Manabe and her group here?! And also why that girl here as well?

TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP!

Karuizawa : "W-W-Why?"

I don't understand. How could they are here? I keep step back as they keep began to approach me.

Without I realized it, I'm already backed off with wall

Manabe : "...How have you been Karuizawa?"

Yabu : "How do you do Karuizawa-chan? Hahahaha"

No way! No way! No way!

Manabe : "Lets get started. A video shoot session of Karuizawa prostrating."

Yamashita begin to recording me with her phone

Manabe : "Record it properly Yamashita"

Yamashita : "Okay"

Where is him? How could be? Hirata? Where are you?

I'm scared

Karuizawa : "P-Please stop, I didn't do anything!"

Yabu : "Your voice is trembling you know"

Yamashita : "She's probably afraid"

Manabe : "Isn't this kinda pathetic? Even your legs shaking as well"

They began move even closer

Manabe : "What's wrong Karuizawa?"

Yamashita : "Gonna cry? Are you truly going to cry?"

Karuizawa : "W-Who?"

Then one of them began to blurt it out something that I supposed to be buried behind

Manabe : "Hey, you were...often being bullied, right?"

She ask with an eerie smile

I can't think clearly, not even could breath properly

How? Just how did she figure out about me?

I began hyperventilating

Karuizawa : *pant* *pant* *pant*

I can't control my body. Cold sweat keep down pouring from me

My stomach hurt. I want to puke.

Manabe : "Well well look it that. I guess that was spot on"

They began to laugh at me

Yabu : "Come on, prostate yourself here"

Manabe : "Just do it quickly already"

They began to chant 'prostate' repeatedly to break me even further

Unable to hold the pressure I decide to running away but Manabe grab my hair

Manabe : "Where are you going?"

Karuizawa : "Please, let me go!"

SLAM

She throwed me back on the wall

Manabe : "I ordered you to prostate yourself no?"

Unable to do anything tears began to flow from my eyes

Karuizawa : *sob* *sob* *sob*

SLAP!

Manabe slapped me

I though that it enough but she continued again

SLAP!

SLAP! SLAP!

4 times

I turned my head down. I can't look on their eyes

Yabu : *whistle* "She's going to do it huh?"

Manabe : "Come on Rika, this is your chance. You had the very right to revenge on her"

Morofuji : "N-No, I don't need it. I-I think its already enough"

Suddenly she began to shout at Morofuji

Manabe : "What are you take me for?! We were doing this all for you! Are you take me for a fool?"

Morofuji : "B-But..."

Manabe : "Just do it!"

Manabe ignored her plea on pushed her in front of me

Being forced by Manabe, she had no choice but to comply

She look like to slap but she only touch my cheek. Morofuji seems couldn't bring herself to harm me. But here I was wrong as well

Manabe : "Not enough. Look at me. Do it like this"

SLAP!

A hard hit on my face

Manabe : "Quick! Do like that!"

Morofuji : "I'm sorry"

She began to slap

Manabe : "Not enough, don't show any mercy at her. Don't you loathe her so much?"

Then another slap again

Manabe : "Not enough"

It keep repeating and all I can do just accept her slap which slowly become harder and harder

The other 3 behind laughing at me

Manabe : "Your face quite cute now Karuizawa"

Yabu : "Is it about time?"

Manabe : "Sure, lets begin her punishment"

They began to drag me.

Karuizawa : "S-Stop! Please forgive me!"

They kicking me, pulled my hair, slap my face. Any other harm and all I could do just lay down defending myself from any attack who aimed on my vital part.

Anyone

Anyone

Please help me...

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

After I made sure Manabe's gang has left, I re-entered the room. Karuizawa probably heard the door opening, but she continued to squat on the floor and cried. Perhaps her overwhelming sense of fear had prevented her from noticing me.

So this is the true face of the egotistic and unyielding class' girls' leader?

Thanks to the suggest I gave to Manabe, Karuizawa's uniform and exposed skins were more or less intact. If her uniform was ripped or someone cut her hair, it would be difficult to fool others. While bullying is common, this school's uniqueness makes bullying much harder to contain.

If one has to find something to be concerned of, it'd be that her face was a bit reddened due to the physical abuse; By tomorrow it should subside.

Kiyone : "Karuizawa-san"

I called her name. She lifted her head and finally noticed me.

Karuizawa : "Wha- h-how...?!"

She never thought of being seen here, had seen the thing she does not want anyone to see. She started to panic.

But the experience was too traumatic for her to stop crying at once and pretend everything is fine.

She would probably think something.

I will eventually stop crying.

I will eventually calm down.

As long as she leaves before that- this small and futile wish of her will not come to pass.

I silently waited.

After a while, Karuizawa sobbing gradually turned to quiet subdues.

If you put 2 people alone in this dark and isolated environment, they can't help but mentally feel closer. This works even if the 2 people normally hated each others. This is what humans do.

Kiyone : "Calmed down yet?"

Karuizawa : "...More or less..."

Karuizawa used her sleeves to wiped her swollen eyes. She is still paralyzed and couldn't get back up.

Karuizawa : "Where is Hirata?"

Kiyone : "Even though you two were supposed to meet here, but I believe the teacher called him. He asking me to come here, so I came in place of him."

This explanation should be sufficient in explaining how everything ended like this.

For now I don't need to let her know the truth. First item on the to do list is to make her let her guard down and fill the cracks in her psychic.

Kiyone : "So, why are you crying?"

Karuizawa : "It's Manabe and her gang...I will not let them get away with this."

Looks like she is remembering what just happened to her. Her body started to shook. Even if she doesn't want to show me this humiliating side of her, but the fear that tainted her body is not so easily removed.

Karuizawa : "Do not tell anyone that I cried. Don't you dare to do that. If you do I will not forgive you! I will destroy your standing in the class!"

Karuizawa's weakness is that she cannot report what happened to her to the school. If Manabe and co's physical assault on Karuizawa is known, then the school would want to find out the reason behind it. To protect her social status, she cannot let this happen. Which is why she is now planning to use Hirata to get back at the girls.

Karuizawa : "That's right! I heard you usually interact with the boys. So could you ask some them to do a favor for me to get revenge on them. Come on, even someone like you can do it! They are just girls after all"

I loss at words. She totally lost it

Kiyone : "That's...What an unreasonable request"

Karuizawa : "Are you afraid that they will payback?"

Kiyone : "Think it clearly Karuizawa-san. It is apparent from Sudou's-kun incident that a simple 'payback' is not going to solve anything. An eye for an eye would only escalate the conflict. It would also brings the school in and start an investigation. This is not what you wish, right?"

Karuizawa : "So you are telling me to suck it up?"

I know how to answer her, but I choose to remain silent.

Karuizawa : "Like they would, no, for sure they would continue to do all kinds of things to me..."

Karuizawa's body continued to shake. True, there is no guarantee that Manabe would stop at this. There are more escape points once we return to the school campus, but Karuizawa can not continue to play hide and seek for the rest of her time here. At the same time, our classmates would start to notice Karuizawa's changes. As both sides close in, Karuizawa will have nowhere to run to.

Karuizawa realizes this and is now extremely anxious at stopping this. And this anxiety is what I have been aiming for all along.

Kiyone : "So, this is the real face of class D girls leader huh? Its truly pathetic"

Unable to hide her displeasure from what I said. She glared at me

Karuizawa : "What do you mean?"

Karuizawa is trying to see judge how much I know. I saw that Manabe's gang was bullying her, but I shouldn't know of her past. If I truly don't know, then her past is something that she must hide from me.

Kiyone : "Exactly what the sentence mean. Against all odds you escaped to this isolated ward, and even claimed the throne of the class D leader. But the fact that you are a victim of bullying has not changed. Kinda pathetic isn't it?"

Karuizawa : "W-Who did you say is a victim of bullying!"

I grabbed Karuizawa's wrist and dragged her to stand up

Kiyone : "I mean you, Karuizawa-san"

Karuizawa : "What are you do-!"

I pinned Karuizawa onto the wall and forced her face towards me.

Kiyone : "You were being tormented by Manabe-san's group, weren't you? They dragged your hair. They slapped your face. They kicked your breasts, you waist, and your stomach. And that's how you ended up on the ground, miserable, humiliated, pitifully sobbing."

Karuizawa : "H-How!?"

Even though she did not want to face to face with me, but she cannot get away. As if we are getting suck into them, we stared at each other's eyes. What we shared here is darkness itself.

Kiyone : "Ever since you were little, you were a victim. Grade school, middle school, the bullying was non-stop. Isn't this why you want to put a stop to it?"

Karuizawa : "D-Did you hear from...Hirata?"

Kiyone : "I don't know if I should tell you this or not. Hirata-kun fancies himself as everyone's trusted companion. He will help you, and he will help others. Even if you did secure your place in class D by pretending to be his girlfriend. He is useless to you in situations like this. In other word, as a parasite, he is not a good host. Well, in the first place I couldn't find any fault on this case aside yourself"

Karuizawa is much smarter than her appearance. She understands that Hirata-kun neutral alignment, so initially she didn't do anything stupid in the Rabbit group. Too bad for her, to show her social status, she picked a fight with Rika and by extension her gang. This leds to her downfall. She couldn't possibly show this weak side of her to the rest of class D girls.

Karuizawa : "Why you...What gives you the right to pretentiously lecture me?!!"

Kiyone : "My right? You haven't realize it yet? You should know your place. Do you know who is in front of you? It's not Hirata-kun. It's me. I know your checkered past. I know about the fake relationship between you and Hirata-kun. I know that Manabe-san and her gang just physically assailed you and all you could do was haplessly cried. I know all these pathetic side of you."

Everything Karuizawa Kei doesn't want others to know. I, an outsider, now knows all of them.

Kiyone : "In other word? If you become too much of a handful, I can at any time release these information."

How terrifying would it be? Karuizawa should know it very well.

Karuizawa : "D-Don't joke around! Who do you think you are! Do you think they would believed you!"

Kiyone : "The truth doesn't matter since it can be investigated later on. As someone who knows the truth. Isn't this all you care about? I wonder what would you do now?"

As I closed in on her, Karuizawa turned her face away to avoid looking at me. She seems look like defeated.

SLAP!

I slap her cheeks and forced her face back towards me. She desperately wants to avoid my gaze, our difference on strength is too much for her to resist. She closed her eyes in a furtile attempt to escape.

Karuizawa : "What! What do you want from me! Are you happy now that Karuizawa Kei got humiliated by 4-eyes doll-face girl like yourself!"

Kiyone : "Humiliated huh? That might not be a bad idea."

Then I stared deep on her eyes

Karuizawa : "You are being creepy! Stop! I-I'm sorry! Please...I beg you...!"

She desperately tried to get away from me. I strengthened my hold on her cheeks and made her look into my eyes. She begin to crying in fear

Kiyone : "Do not resist. If you do then I will release everything about you to the school."

This line, like a curse, had cursed her body into a constrained stiffness.

Anger, horrified, fear, despair. Yes, how much emotion has Karuizawa been carrying? She should notice that right now I am completely different from the persona I projected in everyday lives.

Kiyone : "Strip"

Karuizawa : "H-Huh?"

Kiyone : "Strip yourself. Now!"

I ordered. Karuizawa's tears began to dropped as she slowly spread them. Even if she knows she will be violated here, she will wants to protect the place she has right now. The pain from her bullying has taken control, and this is the proof.

I placed my hand on my phone and intentionally I let her know that I'm gonna humiliated her by recording her naked body. Even then, Karuizawa did not run away. She is trying desperately to accept this new reality. She looked at me with hollowed eyes, and muttered to herself.

I stand correct. Karuizawa Kei is a usable tool.

My goal is not to humiliated her. I am threatening her to see how far she would go to protect what she has. It is a risky gamble for me to reveal my true nature. If Karuizawa runs away and reports on me, then our positions would be completely reverse. But this girl can not do it. I decide to release my grab on her

She is afraid of her past more than anything else. Afraid that she will lose the place she has. To protect this she is even willing to be humiliated. That is how much this place means to her.

Karuizawa : "I will not bow down to you...I am not being bullied by you...You merely got hold of my weakness and used me! You asshole just do whatever you want and violate me! Just you wait you...errr...4-eyes prick! I'll get you on this one!"

Karuizawa howled, as if she is exposing her raw anger to the world. But still, I though that she would cursed my name but is it just me or perhaps she didn't even remember my name?

If it was the truth than it would make me sad to be honest.

She began to strip. She undress her uniform, her blouse and her skirt.

Karuizawa : "Ahahaha...You know...it's fine. This is not the first time I've succumbed to forces..."

She mockingly laughed. Karuizawa turned and looked at me in the eyes. I could see her lingerie. Then I noticed some scar on her skin, even I got surprised with that. On her beautiful skin laid an ugly scar. A scar that can only be caused by a sharp blade slicing deeply though it.

Kiyone : "T-That's..."

She hugged herself. With a hollowed and dulled smile, she gave me a faraway stare.

Karuizawa : "I give up. Yes, I was preyed on and devoured. I was reduced to mechanically reacting to stimulus. I couldn't even muster the courage to resist. I couldn't do anything else. All I can do is receive them."

I take several step closer and she is walking backward avoiding me until she had nowhere to run since it was against wall.

Kiyone : "What did you received? Where were the pains that tormented you?"

Karuizawa : "What...Oh...Of course everything I had. My shoes were tacks put in. My table drawer was filled with dead animal carcasses. When I go to washrooms I get splashed on with dirty water. My uniforms were written with words like 'prostitue'. My hair was dragged on. Punches and kicks were so numerous they were not worth mentioning. Any kind of bullying that you can imagine, I've experienced it. What I said was just a selected sampling. They were so relatively 'gentle' I could laugh. So why don't you start laughing? Laugh at me who was continuously spit on and bullied? Isn't this kind of side from me that you wanted to see?"

I kept staring her trying to analyze Karuizawa story. After experiencing all this, it is impressive she can still muster up her courage and throw herself into battle again. Her 'core' is strong, and this is why she can still stand up and enter this high school. So this is what's going on.

But...This is not enough to explain some of the things I noticed. Especially that scar part

Kiyone : "What you said, were they the whole truth?"

I feel there is still something critical that shattered her heart. That abnormal way of showing her terrors couldn't help but make me think that there's something else behind it. Karuizawa is hiding something that is worth as much as giving up her honor.

In an instance, Karuizawa turned her head and her gaze to her left waist. I noticed that scar, and reached my hand to touch it.

Kiyone : "Is this your darkness?"

This scar is obviously not a product of mere kids tormenting each other. A scar this deep must have gravely endangered her life. Even if her past carries such baggage, she still chooses to stand up. In the last few days I have been observing this girl called Karuizawa Kei. This person, to protect herself, forcefully dragged surrounding people into her camps. Even if she receives disdains from her action, she still want to protect her status.

Kiyone : "Despair comes in many shapes and forms...but what you have experienced was, indisputably, despair."

Karuizawa's darkness. Her pupils. They overlapped with mine. Those who choose to carries their darkness with them are attracted. And then, devoured upon by one another. And finally, those who carries darkness, will envelope the other's darkness with themselves.

Karuizawa : "C-Could it be...Did you perhaps...?"

If this person is being restrained by her past, then all I need to do is forcibly release her from its binds. Even if I do not know her deeply, but I can feel the darkness she has. Yes...This world has much more things that Karuizawa has not experienced. In deeper places, even more vile darkness has taken root.

Kiyone : *inhale* "I can promise you one thing, and that is from now on I will protect your secret. I am much more reliable than Hirata-kun or Machida-kun."

Karuizawa : "Y-You mean you had a way to stop Manabe and her gang?"

Kiyone : "What you should do now is to decide how trustworthy my words are. A tiny kinder is easy to blown out, but a larger flame would have the opposite effect. At the end, the fire will evolve to something that no gust or wind can extinguish. You will act on my behalf. I will act on your behalf. Your emotion does not and should not come into play here. Do you agree with this relationship?"

She seems doesn't understand what I said

Kiyone : *sigh* "First let's get rid of your worries."

I said, and held my phone out.

Kiyone : "I have a way to stop Manabe-san's actions."

And then, I turned on my screen.

On my phone was a photo of Karuizawa being assaulted by Manabe's gang and some video who happened just now.

Karuizawa : "This is..."

Kiyone : "If I send this to them, they should reconsider doing any more things to you. If they still decide to pursue you by spreading rumors, this would give me good ammunition to intervene."

As for Manabe and co, this particular incident should sooth their anger. Needlessly going further would only put them into unfavorable positions.

With an emotionless tone I told her...

Kiyone : "I am only seeking someone to assist me. I hope that in the future, you will be my aid when needs arise."

Karuizawa : "What? Your aid? What do you want me exactly to do...?"

Kiyone : "If the current situation continues, class D will always at the bottom chain. While class D's members' individual abilities are passable, but we are severely lacking in cohesion. We are like beach sand. However, if you can control the girls for me, this situation will gradually turn for the better."

And that makes you, a more valuable being than Horikita, who only knows how to fight alone.

Karuizawa : "You, what are you doing...?"

She must have thought that I am just a normal everyday person, so seeing me in this state must have creep her out. But I won't explain myself. The less words, the more terrifying, and the lesser she resists.

Kiyone : "The first step of our cooperation shall be to lead our group to victory for this exam."

Karuizawa : "Victory? But how do-"

Kiyone : "Because you are the VIP, isn't that right?"

When she heard the key word, Karuizawa widened her eyes and looked at me.

As if the truth is reverberating inside the pupils, and mind, her eyes. I presented the truth to her. Karuizawa looked slightly puzzled, but that might just as well.

I took her undressed attire and shove it to her. She look at me with confused face

Karuizawa : "H-Huh?"

Kiyone : "What are you doing? Are you gonna back to your room with lingeries only like that?"

She immediately began to wear the attire which I gave to her. While dressing she ask me

Karuizawa : "Aren't you angry at me? Why don't you humiliate me like you intended to before?"

Kiyone : "I never intend to do that to you. I just need you to fullfill some certain role. A role which only Karuizawa Kei could do in class D. So, you better not disappointed me or else..."

I hang my word on purpose

Kiyone : "I won't hesitate to get rid of you..."

Karuizawa : *gulp*

Because a parasite can only live by attaching itself to a host. And now that Karuizawa has attached to me, a new host. Her life now has no way to move forward without me.

Hello guys! How are you?

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 4 : Each Person Difference

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

The final day of the exam had begun.

Unlike the time on the uninhabited island, time passes quickly in the luxurious ship. Furthermore, each day two hours of discussion time passed without much content actually being discussed.

While both Ryuuen's united front plan and Katsuragi's fortress plan proceeded as usual, Class B's Ichinose Honami spent her time without being able to come up with a counter-attack against those strategies.

Ichinose : "Waah! I pulled it again! Maybe I'm just bad at Old Maid?"

Ichinose says while scattering the cards in her hand in front of me. Despite this being the fifth discussion period we've had, Ichinose once again suggested playing cards. I would have questioned this approach, but it seems no one in Class A is willing to come forth for the discussion. So only a small group of people who thought it would be better to play than spend time aimlessly joined in the card games.

Manabe and the others' contact with Karuizawa was a bit worrying, but it seems the effect of sending her those images worked excellently. And now they're obediently steering clear of her. Karuizawa also believed in that and acted normal as usual.

On the other hand, looking it from Manabe's perspective, the mysterious person who sent the chat must have been either me or Sotomura or Yukimura who were present at the emergency staircase incident. I did add in the chat that I received the images from a fellow classmate, but it's clear that either one of the three who were present there must have been the one to have taken the pictures.

Either that or those pictures must been spread around to the mysterious person who sent the chat as something interesting. Manabe must have gotten that sort of idea from all this.

As long as she cannot ascertain for sure that it was me who was responsible for that, she cannot take action against me. Because there's no point in figuring out the identity of the person who took those pictures after all.

Yukimura : *sigh* "Is it ok for us to stay here like this?..."

Yukimura said that while sitting next to me with a gloomy, depressed expression.

Ichinose : "You're being gloomy, Yukimura-kun. This is where you play your heart out and shake out your anger. Rematch! Rematch!".

Yukimura : "I'll pass on that. I don't feel like it anyway. More importantly, is this fine Ichinose-san? I mean ending the exam like this. I thought you were the one holding the reins to this group and guiding us all through the dialogue"

In response to that, Ichinose, whose hands had been holding the cards, briefly stopped.

Ichinose : "Isn't that being too convenient for yourself, Yukimura-kun? If you really want to win, don't rely on someone else to do it for you and use your own power to win"

Ichinose pout

Yukimura : "...I get it, I get it. Sorry for saying pathetic thing like that"

The fact that he cannot afford having that responsibility thrust onto him, I'm sure Yukimura is also aware of that fact. But despite knowing, I suppose he still wanted to change this resigned atmosphere.

Yukimura, who holds top level grades, would be one of the most reliable ones if the exam were purely measuring our academic prowess. But just because you are gifted academically, that doesn't not always translate into raising people's spirits up. It's not like they can come up with novel ideas just like that. There are things in the world that cannot be done simply by memorizing words and equations.

Over the summer holidays, the two special exams we've had, even Horikita was forced to confront her powerlessness in the face of that.

I wonder whether in this stalemate of a situation, Ichinose and Machida and the others also feel this irritation.

However, even that frustration, as long as it does not end up breaking your spirits, can eventually be used to power you.

Horikita : "...And with the next meeting, the exam will be over. How are things on your side, Ayanokouji-san?"

I am having my last meeting with Horikita. The world outside has already been enveloped by darkness. The records of our conversation remain in the chatlog. To avoid that, we are currently meeting face-to-face.

Kiyone : "No particular change on my side. It looks like the 'VIP' will be able to safely escape. How about you?"

I had thought I couldn't expect much from Horikita, but...

Horikita : "I will win"

Kiyone : "So you've found the 'VIP' then?"

Horikita : "I don't know who's listening in on us where so I cannot tell you the details yet, but, I won't mind if you believe in me. Everything will go well"

From Hirata I've already heard that the (Dragon) group's 'VIP' is Kushida. Of course, I'm sure Ryuuen and Kanzaki have already done everything in their power to figure her out. But it looks like Horikita has successfully navigated the way to safety and survived it.

If she's this confident, I'm sure there's not much to worry about. We'll just have to wait for 500,000 points to roll in later on. It could even be described as a solid victory for us in that case.

Horikita : "Did you perhaps want to give some advice to me?"

Kiyone : "There's no need for that. You make your move however you like. Who am I to told what you do"

Even if she told me about the (Dragon) group, it's not like I can do much to help her anyways.

Horikita : "So, you said you needed to talk to me about something, what is it? I would like to avoid careless contact if possible"

Perhaps she's wary of the existence of Ryuuen who has been stalking her...perhaps.

Kiyone : "You can't afford to be terrified by Ryuuen's gaze forever you know"

Horikita : "Judging from that tone, can I assume you have a plan?"

But it looks like she wasn't expecting much from me, since she seemed surprise when I nodded in response to that.

Kiyone : "I've managed to pulled Hirata-kun to our side. I believe we can build a cooperative relationship with him in the future"

Horikita : "I don't really want any of that. I'm not ready yet"

Kiyone : "That's fine. I'm not asking you to get involved with Hirata-kun personally. I will handle the talk with him to match my pace for my own convenience"

Horikita : *sigh* "...I don't like this. You are about moving around behind my back again right?"

I thought she'd say something like this.

Kiyone : "Then show your face when we discuss things then. Even if you can't force yourself to say something, you can keep up with the discussion so there's no problem there right?"

Horikita : "I suppose so".

It still seemed as though she were dissatisfied, but if I give Horikita the option of participating or not participating, she can't refuse. Also, the existence of Hirata is a boon for the class, and after seeing his leadership on the uninhabited island, Horikita will surely understand that too.

Kiyone : "Including Hirata too, there's a person I'd like to introduce you to. Please free up some time before the end of the exam"

Horikita : "I still don't like it. Don't include more people than we needed"

Kiyone : "Please consider it a consequence of you standing on the front lines. Besides, that person will surely be useful to us"

Horikita : "I think I can more or less understand what's going on...but fine. Let's meet here right after the exam ends then"

After exchanging that promise, I look at the time on my phone. The last discussion will take place in 30 minutes.

Horikita : "In this exam, I wonder how many groups will be decided by traitors?"

Kiyone : "I wonder. I was surprised that the (Cow) group's exam suddenly ended, but I doubt something like that will be repeated. I think the likeliest outcomes will be the 'VIP' escaping with the time of the exam running out"

Horikita : "I suppose so. I think that too".

Only for a moment, Horikita averted her eyes. That's an unconscious gesture humans make when they are concerned about something.

Kiyone : "What's wrong?"

Horikita : "Nothing. It's just, I just sensed something wrong with the way this exam developed. But there shouldn't have been any errors. I definitely shouldn't lose if something runs smoothly"

It seems some of the anxieties she'd been storing up in her slightly leaked out. Even if I offered words of encouragement, I'm sure she'll see it as unnecessary trouble. So I decided to simply keep quiet.

The members of the (Rabbit) group, without having come any closer to making a breakthrough in the exam, entered the sixth and final discussion.

Since I wanted to consider my idea calmly and rationally for a bit, I decided to leave the room where Hirata and the others were and started heading for the group discussion room. Since there was still around 30 minutes left until the start of the discussion, it was obvious that no one would be there yet.

But, those expectations were overturned by the unexpected existence of a person...

Kiyone : "...A prior arrival huh?"

It was the figure of a girl sleeping on the floor in a room when nobody was supposed to have been there yet. Since she was lying down, Ichinose's plump thighs were even more apparent than usual and towards the skirt which I cannot see the inside of

If there was a man here who did not feel that towards Ichinose, then he's either gay or bisexual. This is a fate a healthy boy cannot escape from someone like her.

I decide to covered her uplifted skirt and sat beside her to guard her from any malicious gaze

I was suddenly distracted by something further back to the back of Ichinose's head. Namely, the phone she must have been using prior to falling asleep.

In the phone assigned by the school, quite a bit of information is recorded. And not only does it play an important role in this exam, but it also allows you to determine each individual's points. Naturally to confirm this, things such as a personal ID and passwords are required, but to avoid the hassle of having to log in every time one wishes to check this, there are many cases of students storing such information on a mobile terminal as well.

That means, in other words, if I can steal Ichinose's phone right now, I would be able to ascertain Ichinose's living standards and the amount of points she holds. A while ago, I've already determined that to bypass her ID and password, Ichinose also stores her information on a mobile terminal.

If that situation has not changed, I will be able to gain information. Slowly and cautiously, I approach her.

I stopped in the middle of my act. I had pride which can't allow me to stoop that low.

Kiyone : *sigh* "Just what's gotten on me..."

I decide to sit back on my initial spot

Ichinose : "...Nngg..."

Kiyone : "...?!"

Perhaps the atmosphere changed and she sensed another person's presence, Ichinose slightly stirred. But then she immediately fell asleep again.

Suddenly

Kiyone : "A kick?!"

I immediately block a kick from Ichinose

Ichinose : "...Nnnnn...munyumunyu..."

I guess that she did it unconsciously

More importantly, since it's quite early. I wonder when exactly Ichinose arrived here.

Then, around 20 minutes before the discussion was due to start, cute music rang out in the room. It came from Ichinose's phone.

Ichinose : "...Nnnn..."

While still keeping her eyes closed, she reaches out for her phone and operating her phone's screen, she stops the music. It seems the music came from the alarm she had set. While still looking sleepy, Ichinose raises herself off the floor and notices the foreign presence, namely my existence, in the room.

I was wondering what to do if she made a disgusted face towards my presence, but she wasn't even worried about it at all.

She fixed her posture and sit properly

Ichinose : *yawn* "Good morning, Ayanokouji-san. Sorry, did my alarm startle you?"

Kiyone : "Looks like you slept well"

Ichinose : *yawn* "Sorry sorry. I just suddenly fell asleep. You're early, there's still 20 minutes left".

Kiyone : "Same to you. Since when have you been here?"

Ichinose : "Since an hour ago. I just wanted to spend some time quietly. If it's in my room, it's quite rowdy with my friends going in and out after all"

It seems this was the best place for her to take a nap.

Ichinose : "Besides. I wanted to collect my thoughts too"

More than being refreshed from her sleep, her face seemed more as though she's had a flash of insight.

Kiyone : "Did you get any results?"

Ichinose : "More or less"

A room with only two people present, and an ever closing distance. I couldn't hide my wariness in this situation but it seems Ichinose hasn't noticed at all.

Also, isn't this too close? Is she perhaps trying to analyzing me as well?

Ichinose : "There's still time left before the exam so shall we have a little chat? If I'm not annoying you, that is"

Kiyone : "It's not annoying in particular. If you're ok with it, I'm down to chat"

Ichinose : "Then it's decided. The truth is, there's something I wanted to ask Ayanokouji-san. I've also asked this of all my classmates, including the boys like Kanzaki-kun too. But I haven't heard the opinions of the other classes too, so I got curious. Ayanokouji-san, have you ever strongly wanted to rise to Class A?"

I was wondering what question she would choose to hit with me, but it was a surprisingly common question to be asked.

Kiyone : "Isn't that obvious question? I do think about that its common wish from any students who enrolled here wanting to rise to Class A. Mmm, let say it's more that I 'have' to aim for Class A. That would be a more appropriate way of putting it"

Ichinose : "In other words...because of the guarantee of a good career and job placement?"

In this school, students are divided into classes A to D and made to compete. But the maximum privilege of being able to go to any university and gain any employment after graduation is only afforded to Class A. It was written ambiguously on the school pamphlet so it might seem like fraud at first though.

Kiyone : "I'm not quite confident enough about my own path in future. In this day and age, after graduation you won't be able to keep up with your life and job, especially when it comes to being employed"

Ichinose : "I suppose that's true. I think so too. But having too much faith in the system is also dangerous, don't you think? In 99.9% of the words they say, there are invisible pitfalls that our eyes cannot see"

Of course the pitfall that Ichinose is talking about is likely the '99.9% guaranteed employment rate and educational advancement' touted by the school. For instance, if I wanted to become a professional basketball player yet lacks the necessary experience, the school would attempt to find me ways to push me up to the professional level.

Furthermore, this school is also a breeding ground for interpersonal connections. But just because you play basketball regularly, or have graduated from a famous university or school, does not necessarily guarantee your future.

The people who achieve the dreams they've stated from the start, are only a small fraction. According to certain statistics, only one out of six elementary school students achieve their dreams.

At first glance, this seems like a high probability but the data is ambiguous at best and the standards of the statistics are blurred. Becoming a professional basketball player successfully does not mean you become a first-rate player. Players belonging to professional basketball for instance, including trainees, will number around 900 or 1000 people. However, only by playing on the regular and competing against and winning against your rivals can one achieve their dream. In the end, only 100 of those people will have successfully achieved their dreams.

In order words, aiming for your dream and successfully accomplishing it has a very low probability. In any case, achieving a dream is extremely difficult to do. Many students simply repeat their boring lives over and over while speaking vaguely of their dreams. But if one seriously desires to make their dream come true, they would need a lot of effort and luck.

Kiyone : "But even so this school...if you think about it, has massive influence doesn't it? And many people have succeeded in life because of its assistance. Or are you saying you're not interested in it, Ichinose-san?"

Ichinose : "No such thing. Even I have a dream, to graduate from Class A. And also a dream I want to fulfill"

Even though she said it with a smile, I could see an unwavering, strong feeling in her eyes.

Ichinose : "The school system is good and all, but if you cannot graduate from Class A, your prospects are dim. Because the school operates on realism, if you cannot win using your own talents, there's nothing you can do about it. And most importantly, students are assigned to classes based on their merits so right now, between me and Ayanokouji-san here, only one of us could achieve their dreams by moving to the top. But there are also cases where neither of our dreams can be fulfilled though"

In other words, even though we are sitting here and chatting like friends, only one class can be the winner in the end. The remaining three classes won't share in those rewards.

Ichinose : "Did you hear there are also exceptions to those rules?"

Kiyone : "Hmm? Is that where individuals accumulate 20 million points?"

Ichinose : "Yep. It seems no one has achieved something like that in the history of the school, but there are suppose many alternative methods like that too. If we factor that in too, it's possible that the two of us can both graduate from Class A"

Kiyone : "The problem is whether you can save up 20 million points or not in the first place, even if you save up points in the exams, the system's already set so it almost impossible to reach 20 million"

If we only look at this special exam, depending on your actions throughout it, it is possible to receive a large amount of points. And only two such exams have been conducted so far. From this point onwards, it's possible for both the amount of points that can be earned to be narrowed down and for them to be eaten up by large penalties.

Ichinose : "I suppose that's right. If you start saving up your points, by only reaching half of that amount, you would already raise suspicion"

Kiyone : "That's true. The financial situation in Class D, especially, is terrible. Even though Horikita-san is doing her best for us, the points earned from the uninhabited island is still far off. No, it's even possible that we may lose those points in this exam. Ichinose-san are you saving up points? It doesn't seem to me like you're the type to work hard on getting points"

Ichinose : "Umm...I wonder. I don't know about the others, but I use points sometimes and save them too sometimes I guess. Even though I'm in Class B, I still don't have that many points you know"

In response to my question, Ichinose responds in a very natural tone with no indication that she's hiding something judging solely from her behavior.

Ichinose : "Ayanokouji-san"

Kiyone : "Hmm?"

In the next moment, Ichinose suddenly closes the distance with me and turns to face me while staring at my face.

Ichinose : "You saw it all, don't you?"

Beautiful eyes that seem to be sucking me in looked at me without letting go. It seems Ichinose is far smarter than I expected, she's seen through my plans.

Kiyone : "You got me...sorry. While you were using your phone at that time, I just happened to see the screen. I got curious and planning to ask you about it all along...so..."

She smiled

Ichinose : "It's not like I'm blaming you for it. Certainly that's a large amount of points, right?"

That's right. Before even the end of one semester, Ichinose had already accumulated a large amount of points. Even if I save every point assigned to me monthly every day without using a single point, I still wouldn't be able to save up that much.

Kiyone : "I haven't told anyone else. There's also the possibility that I saw wrong after all. I won't investigate further"

Even if I investigated, I doubt I would be able to get a satisfactory answer.

She suddenly put her index finger on my mouth.

Kiyone : "...?!"

Ichinose : "Then, please keep quiet about it. Okay~?"

I nodded and she reply with smile.

If I was a boy, I won't deny that with such flirty gesture. Any boys would definitely fallen for her.

That's right, this isn't time about contemplating nonsense like this

Kiyone : "Have you been able to find a way to win?"

Ichinose : "Umm...I guess so. I think I've found a hint".

I thought there was no way she would answer honestly, but whether it be due to her confidence, Ichinose answered in a relaxed tone. It seems like Ichinose is the type to act on her convictions without wasting time after all.

Kiyone : "Then, I guess this fight...it becomes a battle to see whether Machida-kun will win or Ichinose-san achieve her goal"

Ichinose : "I won't know that until the curtains fall. The victory I'm aiming for is—"

But before she could finish, as the time for the group discussion to begin draws closer, members of the group started appearing one after the other. The Class A students were the first ones to arrive however, without so much as exchanging a greeting with us, they nodded then simply took their seats.

Yukimura : "Huh? You're already here, Ayanokouji?"

Sotomura : "Together with Ichinose-dono. Just the two of you. Too bad that I missing 'Yuri' interaction in real life here"

Yuri? What is that? Isn't that somebody name but he put it as a noun. So, what does exactly he means by it?

Also Sotomura bombarded me unilaterally with those questions after he entered the room.

I couldn't register either anxiety nor depression on their faces, so perhaps they have already given up on victory at this point. On the other hand, the students of Class B seemed almost relaxed.

Hamaguchi : "This is the final one, huh? Have you found any hints Ayanokoji-san?"

Hamaguchi asks me after having quietly waited for the group discussion to start in earnest.

Kiyone : "Honestly, I have no idea until now Hamaguchi-kun. We haven't been able to establish proper dialogue at all so I can't figure this out at all"

I did say that, but I have already executed the strategies I had planned out from the start of the exam. It was by using the mail the school had sent to our phones that the 'VIP' had been successfully camouflaged. The (Dragon) group's 'VIP' is Kushida, but what happens if, for instance, Kushida and Horikita were to swap their phones. When looking at that phone, anyone would only suspect Horikita of being the 'VIP' instead.

And if there were a traitor who learned of this fact, by submitting Horikita's name as the 'VIP', they would make a mistake and victory would be achieved that way.

Ichinose : "Good evening, let's get along"

Having briefly said that, Ichinose resumes her stance and smiles as usual. But it's still too soon, because there's still no telling what the other members are hiding and planning.

Besides, if everyone were to focus on the subject at hand, it would become increasingly difficult to camouflage the 'VIP'. I had been waiting for Ichinose to continue speaking earlier, but I decided to cut in now.

Kiyone : "I-If everyone's ok with-"

Hamaguchi : "There's something I'd like to say-"

Oddly enough, both me and Hamaguchi spoke those words at the same time.

Hamaguchi : "Excuse me, please go on ahead Ayanokouji-san"

Kiyone : "N-No...by all means, you first. I'm fine speaking later Hamaguchi-kun"

I never expected this coincidence with this timing. My plan itself has no flaws, but if an unexpected problem like this occurs, the effect of my plan may become unstable.

I suppose I can listen to what Hamaguchi has to say first before timing my speech and trying again. In response to me who had been thinking along those lines, Hamaguchi destroyed my expectations in an unexpected manner.

Hamaguchi : "Then, with your permission. Ahem! For the past three days, I've been constantly thinking on how best to achieve the first outcome..."

Hamaguchi then starts speaking of his plan to the others of (Rabbit) group.

Surprisingly, the contents of his proposal were strikingly similar to the strategy I had planned.

Hamaguchi : "...And finally I came up with only one conclusion, that it's possible for the entire group to aim for the first outcome and a way to make it possible"

Yukimura : "Is that really true, Hamaguchi?"

To the crestfallen eyes of Yukimura and the others who had given up all hope, a glimmer of hope had returned

Hamaguchi : "Of course. It's an idea I came up with after listening to everyone here, including Ichinose-san and Machida here"

Machida : "You guys doesn't know about when to giving up eh? There's no way the first outcome can be achieved through dialogue alone. This is just pointless"

The one who objected to this naïve, dream-like proposal was of course, Machida

Ichinose : "Let's hear him out first. Hamaguchi-kun isn't the type to speak before thinking".

Ichinose followed up for Hamaguchi and created an environment conducive to discussion.

However such coincidence can be freaky isn't it?

Hamaguchi : "I will now proceed to show you all my phone. Naturally, there is a mail sent to me by the school. I'm sure you understand what I'm getting at. Since it is prohibited to falsify or alter the mails from the school in any way, there's no risk of being deceived this way. That's why it's a simple matter, just by showing each other our mails, we can find who the 'VIP' is, that is my way of finding the truth"

Takemoto : "Oi oi, this is plain stupid. Who would show their mails like this? We still don't know that someone won't betray us the moment we show our mails, there's no one who would go along with this"

In response to this plan anyone could have thought up, but no one would agree to, naturally the onlooker from class A side was flabbergasted.

Hamaguchi : "Indeed, because they know there is the possibility of betrayal, the 'VIP' will not show the mail on their phone. But looking at it from the perspective of those who are not the 'VIP", there is little risk in showing the mail. The exam will soon be over, if we don't make our move now, we will not win. If a class were to collaborate to protect the 'VIP', none of them would show their mails. Through this, cornering the 'VIP' is possible"

Machida : "Even if you know the identity of the 'VIP'" or the class they belong to, if somebody betrays us it's over. The problem won't be resolved. Are you planning to play the game where the quicker one to betray wins?"

Using this strategy, it is indeed possible to figure out the 'VIP's identity. But that's all it can do. In the end, it's not like everybody will play fair with each other and answer accordingly.

Hamaguchi : "Oh please shut up for a while will you? It'll be fine if you doesn't participate after all"

Hamaguchi said that while refusing to succumb to the uncooperative attitude of the others and proceeded to show us the mail on his phone.

Beppu : "Nice one Hamaguchi. I'll show mine too"

Beppu of the same Class B also followed suit.

It seems this is not a random, isolated event but rather, without a doubt Ichinose's strategy in action. The development is the same as the strategy I had planned. But, I don't know how far they have thought this through. But if they think everyone will obediently believe those words and show the mails on their phones, that would be nothing but reckless...

Ichinose : "I think this is unexpectedly a good idea. I have no objections to showing my messages phone too"

Ichinose once again smiled as if agreeing to follow with Hamaguchi's plan. Matching the actions of the others, Ichinose also reaches into the right pocket of her skirt to take her out phone.

Kiyone : "Umu. After listening to Hamaguchi-kun, I think there's no other way than this. Since I'm bad at communicating, the only thing I can do is show you the truth, so that's will do"

Yukimura : "Wait Ayanokouji. I object. There's no way this kind of blunt strategy is going to go well"

Yukimura desperately tried to stop me, but I shrugged his words off and simply showed my mail.

And with that, I proved that I was not the 'VIP'. And a large amount of water had already accumulated in this invisible dam. If even a hole of 1 centimeter were to be opened, the dam would surely collapse and turn into a muddy stream. This action was the trigger to open that hole.

Sotomura : "Hmm...certainly it seems Ayanokouji-dono isn't the 'VIP' either. Then I'll show mine"

Now who will follow up? From amongst the large crowd of people still laughing at Hamaguchi's strategy, one girl voiced her approval and consent. It was the person anyone would have least expected. Ibuki Mio. She just showing her mail without saying anything

Manabe : "Are you insane? There's no profit for us in doing this".

But the words Ibuki said in response were indeed, well-reasoned ones.

Ibuki : "The ones who are not the 'VIP' themselves, nor belong to the same class as the 'VIP', gain no advantage in keeping the status quo. Class B understands that too. If we do nothing, we will never catch up to the classes above us. That's why they are showing their phones. And I'm thinking the same thing as them. That's all"

Manabe : "But that's...".

Ibuki : "Or perhaps, are you the 'VIP' then?"

Ibuki said that to Manabe, who was supposed to have been her ally, in a hostile manner befitting an enemy.

Manabe : "N-No t-that's...".

Ibuki : "Then you should be able to show it too, your phone that is"

In a way, her words could have been taken as threats to her own allies, but as though they finally understood, Manabe and the others also brought out their phones. The hunt for the 'VIP' was underway. Karuizawa also takes out her phone with a strap on it, and hands it over in front of everyone.

Yukimura : "Karuizawa, you're also going with Ayanokouji? Are you going to follow this strategy too?"

Karuizawa : "I'm just doing this for myself, because I want private points too"

The mail from the school had said she was not the 'VIP' too. Karuizawa was considered clear too.

Ibuki : "Since a while ago, why are you butting in? Perhaps you're the 'VIP' then?"

In response to Yukimura who strongly objected to the strategy, Ibuki batters him with that question.

At that moment, everyone could see that Yukimura's expression hardened.

Yukimura : "N-No..."

Sotomura : "Hey hey, wait...are you serious?"

Kiyone : "No. I believe Yukimura-kun isn't the 'VIP'. I heard so earlier after all"

I quickly followed up for him. But spontaneous laughter came from some of the students

Manabe : "Do you really expect us to believe just your words? You might be lying"

Manabe said that while casting doubt on Yukimura as a matter of fact.

Indeed, continuing to deny that he is the 'VIP' here will only invite further suspicion on him. He should know that as well. But I cannot make a move here yet. Because Yukimura is—

Ichinose : "It's still too soon to draw a conclusion. Because Yukimura-kun also has a point"

Ichinose, who had been watching the series of events unfold, said that as she once again brought out her phone from her left pocket.

The students here aren't so imperceptive as to not understand the meaning behind Yukimura's silence. Machida and the other students of Class A too, at some point had approached Yukimura to stare him down.

Yukimura : "...Alright, I understand. I'll show you. I just have to show you right?"

No longer able to bear the peer pressure of everyone being directed at him, Yukimura broke and took out his phone as well

Yukimura : "But before I do so, I want you to promise me just one thing"

Ichinose : "Promise? What do you mean by that, Yukimura-kun?".

Yukimura : "That nobody here turn traitor. Everyone here. Especially Class A, I want you to take out your phones and place them where I can see them. No, everyone too. Everyone put your phones where I can see them"

He had directed that statement at the representative of the group here Machida, but Machida replies to him in an unamused tone.

Machida : "I don't understand what you're getting at. What do you mean?"

Yukimura : "Exactly what I said. Nothing more and nothing less"

Machida : "Fine. If it's just placing them there"

Approaching Yukimura, all the students from Class A took out their phones and placed them in front of him. Having confirmed that fact, without even a cloud of doubt on his expression, Yukimura made his move. Yukimura pulls his phone out of his pocket and lights up its screen, then enters its required 6-digit password and logs into his phone.

Then he opens the mail sent to him from the school and lifts the screen up directly for everyone to see

Yukimura : "...I'm sorry for lying to you, Ayanokoji..."

Yukimura apologizes as he opens up the mail sent from the school. The ones most surprised after seeing the sentence written in the mail would, of course, have to be the members of Class D.

Yukimura : "I am the target..."

On the screen was a mail different from what everyone else had received.

Sotomura : "W-What Y-Yukimura-dono was the 'VIP' all along?"

Sotomura looks at him with astonished eyes. This also means that we have effectively relinquished the 500,000 points that would otherwise have been given to Class D. However, this very Yukimura is the person who I have exchanged phones with in secret.

Yukimura : "If I knew things would end up like this, I would have talked from the start"

Karuizawa also seemed shocked from the bottom of her heart and her expression showed unease. Looking at the perspective of those two who would have never thought of Yukimura as the 'VIP', it makes sense. Machida then stood up and peered at the mail on Yukimura's phone once more.

Machida : "It seems the mail is real. All the other personal mails also seem to be Yukimura's without a doubt"

Machida said after having checked even Yukimura's private chats without permission.

Towards the Machida who approached the situation with suspicion, Ichinose tried to explain the situation calmly.

Ichinose : "There's no way it would be a fake. After all, you know the rules the school put in place. In regards to the mails sent by the school concerning the exam, copying the mail and transferring it are explicitly forbidden. As long as the mail is sent from the school's address, the possibility of it being fake is zero"

Exactly, from the start, fabricating information in this exam is expressly forbidden. Since the punishment known as expulsion awaits those who break the rule, everything that's laid out here has to be nothing but the truth.

Even if one overcomes this obstacle by lying here, the problem will still await them after the end of the exam hence the outcome would be the same either way.

Manabe : "That means it's definitely Yukimura-kun then"

Manabe nods in agreement. The important thing here was the condition that Yukimura's mail be shown after all. Whether the person holding that phone is indeed the owner of that phone or not...is irrelevant. In other words, making a decision on whether the person in question owns the phone or not is a surprisingly difficult task.

Especially for students on guard during the exam, the idea that someone may have switched out their phones with another person is not a particularly unexpected hypothesis to make. However, casually entering the 6-digit password and unlocking the phone in front of them makes things different.

There's no way a student can know another student's password. They would inevitably draw such a conclusion almost unconsciously by assuming it would be so if it were their phone. This is not rooted in reasoning but rather a preconception that's been planted in their minds over many years.

Hamaguchi : "I'm sorry Yukimura...I thought of this as a last resort...".

Yukimura : "No. I think this is the right thing to do. I tried to somehow lie my way out of this. But that was wrong. I'm sure Ayanokouji, Sotomura, and also Karuizawa would feel this is the right thing"

By saying that, he made himself out to look like the person who tried to safely secure points only for himself.

Yukimura : "...With this everyone should know the 'VIP' is me. So you should've all arrived at an answer"

That's right, by clearing the exam together with everyone, the entire group can earn 500,000 points. The first outcome that seemed unachievable at first may be obtained now.

Ichinose nods her head once then once again, with more strength than before, she pleads with Class A.

Ichinose : "Let's not waste Yukimura-kun's courage. Please cooperate with us. Don't betray us"

Machida : "We were just following Katsuragi-san's instructions from the start. We won't do anything on our own"

He did say that, but before the end of the exam, there will be a period in which we will definitely have to disband as a group. Before the exam ends, for that blank period of 30 minutes, we must trust in not only our classmates but students of other classes as well.

Yukimura : "I want to believe...no, I believe in everyone..."

Yukimura says that as if it were a wish. And every class receives that equally. I wonder if the students who spent the same time together over the past few days have gained something resembling a friendship.

I wonder if they'll accept Yukimura's feelings, and be able to cooperate together to victory. No, such a thing is impossible. I'm sure with this, somebody will definitely turn traitor.

And if so, we of Class D who have switched our phones amongst each other will surely win.

Yukimura must have surely believed in that. He must have been struggling to keep himself from bursting out in laughter. However, the pleasure he must have been feeling evaporated, when the phone Yukimura was holding in his hand suddenly rang and resounded in the room.

Yukimura was the one shocked more than anyone else by the incoming call. In his rush to grab the phone back from the table, he stumbled and lost the phone from his hand. By a coincidence, with its screen the right side up, it fell right in front of us. Since it was in silent mode, it sent vibrations through the table as it continued to vibrate.

The name of the caller was

Ichinose

She, while holding the phone up, looked at Yukimura and then me with serious eyes.

Machida : "What are you doing, Ichinose? There's no point in calling Yukimura's phone at a time like this"

Machida said that while looking at Ichinose with an astonished face. Having created a situation where only me and Yukimura could possibly understand the meaning, Ichinose quietly ends her call.

Ichinose : "The school said that 'altering or copying the mail' is forbidden. That's why we believed the mail in front of our eyes was undoubtedly real. That much is certain. But there's no rule saying you cannot deceive someone with the phone itself. Do you understand what that means?"

Ichinose says while picking up the fallen phone and giving it back not to Yukimura, but to me.

Ichinose : "I just wanted to double check something before this exam ended. But I'm not too naive . You get what I mean right Machida-kun. The person who owns the phone with the 'VIP' mail written on it, it's you isn't it, Ayanokouji-san? Because just now, I didn't call Yukimura-kun's phone, but Ayanokouji-san's after all"

I exchanged my contact number with Ichinose at that time. That's why she knew mine. No, even if she didn't know, she would have done her research to figure out my number anyways

Machida : "B-But isn't it strange? Yukimura was able to unlock the phone's password in front of our eyes. I also checked his private mails and history in front of everyone's eyes"

Ichinose : "That's faked. He could easily know the password just by asking her beforehand. Also, all call history, mail and even applications can be replicated even though quite a bit of effort must have been needed for that"

After having heard that, Machida changed his expression and quickly grabbed the phone that had been returned to me.

Kiyone : "...?!"

Ichinose : "People can't lie so easily, you know. Especially when the goal is in sight, they will inevitably become anxious and openings will reveal themselves. Yukimura-kun lied, and that's why his gestures and attitude appeared different from usual and appeared suspicious"

Ichinose said, having completely seen through my attempt at a camouflage.

Having heard her deduction, Yukimura's face had already turned pale.

Ichinose : "We've also been thinking about it for a while, if the 'VIP' were in our class there's always the option of simply switching phones with them. Using the password to pass oneself off as the 'VIP' was also one of the things we thought of"

It seems, the strategy I came up with was already thought of by Ichinose and the others.

Ichinose : "But you see, there is a weakness in that strategy. It's the fact that a phone number exists. Even if you can perfectly replicate your history and apps, you can't do anything with your number. Once, me and Hamaguchi-kun for example tried swapping out SIM cards, the SIM cards we were provided were locked onto our specific terminals so even if we swapped it, we couldn't use our swapped SIM cards. That means if you've swapped your cards too, I wouldn't have been able to call you. It doesn't matter who switched phones with who, as soon as I call that number, I can easily find out who the real owner is. If I couldn't do this, I wouldn't have even come up with the plan to reveal our phones after all"

In other words, Ichinose and the others only used this sort of forceful tactic to see through the lie. The fact that Hamaguchi suddenly started on this topic too, was naturally a part of their plan. So this is the moment the truth that Yukimura and I had changed our phones comes to light.

Ichinose : "Simply exchanging phones and replicating the history went perfectly this far, but you must have never expected that we would use the fact that the SIM cards are locked to specific terminals to check, did you?" *fuuu~*

At that moment, the announcement that that the 1 hour discussion period ends in five minutes came in.

We were ordered to disband the group within five minutes and promptly return to our own rooms.

Yukimura : "Damn it, damn class B!"

That scream by Yukimura came from his heart. It was a truthful and honest scream without any deception behind it.

Machida : "Too bad, Yukimura. For once you got me fooled with your trick."

Takemoto : "That was a good try, though. Hahahaha"

Machida and the others said that while grinning and laughing.

They said that so that Yukimura, who was seen through completely, would be thoroughly humiliated.

They also glanced at me, the person they must have believed to be the orchestrator of this strategy. But even with the anxious Yukimura and Class D, and the surprised Class C and A. There must have been a lot of things they wanted to talk about, but the rules now prohibit us from discussing any further.

Ichinose : "In any case, we've already determined that Ayanokouji-kun is the 'VIP'. Machida-kun, promise me that we will aim for the first outcome together without betraying anyone"

Ichinose asks Machida that.

Machida : "Naturally. This is the best outcome after all. Trust in me, let's go"

Machida promptly replied to her.

Having been called by their friends, the three students of Class A were the fastest ones out of the room.

But Morishige suddenly sending an eerie smile at me before he following suit with his classmate

Ichinose : "The ones who believe will be saved, you know. I will never betray you. That's why I also want Class C to do the same. You just have to bear with it for 30 minutes"

Ichinose tells the students of Class C.

Manabe and the others simply nod their heads in response. Yukimura glanced to the phone I held in my hands.

Yukimura : "Sorry Ayanokoji..."

Kiyone : "No, its alright. That's why I come to consult with you first about my idea. If anything else that it must complete blunder on my part..."

Yukimura : "No, at least you already try. I should have noticed at least this kind of outcome as well. I guess this happened since I'm not that good and following your suggestion blindly as well"

He stand up

Yukimura : "Once again, I'm sorry Ayanokouji"

And then one after another, everyone left the room, leaving me and Ichinose alone.

Ichinose : "Now we just have to trust everyone"

Kiyone : "Yeah...I suppose so"

Ichinose : "Ayanokouji-san quite calm. Aren't you worried?"

Kiyone : "I can't do anything but believe in the others after all...I'm going back to my room"

There's nothing else to be gained even if I stay here any longer.

Ichinose : "Hey, wait a minute"

Ichinose stops me by putting a hand on my shoulder.

At that moment I sensed that the space between us would soon become a tense one.

Ichinose : "Who was the one that came up with this plan to swap phones?"

Kiyone : "O-Of course, that's Horikita-san"

Ichinose : "I see. Then please tell Horikita-san, that her plan was a huge success"

Kiyone : "H-Huge success? Don't you mean to say huge failure? It was a crushing and disastrous defeat. Ichinose-san saw through everything after all"

Ichinose stared at me so intensely.

She slowly walk approaching me, feeling under pressure. I must be unconsciously step back. She keep moving forward and without realized it. My back already hit the wall

SLAM!

A kabedon?!

Ichinose : "You didn't expect us to have thought of the same plan did you?"

She said while showing a domineering smile. She probably tried to gauge information from me

Kiyone : "S-Sorry for lying to you like that, even after we agreed to an alliance with your class. A-A-Are you perhaps mad at me?"

Ichinose : "Of course not. We also started our own plan without your knowledge, so I guess we're even isn't it?"

She said while touching my face

Kiyone : "I-I see. I'm sure Horikita-san will also be relieved to hear that"

Ichinose : "Well, the important part's not over yet"

This time I frowned and I began to figure out what she's going to told to me

Kiyone : "The important part? Is there any of it?"

Ichinose flinched backed off and freed myself from her domineering position since she didn't expect me to change my stance so suddenly. After she fix her composure she began to talk

Ichinose : "Mou~! What was that? That got me scared for a while"

Kiyone : "Sorry, but you just said something important and I guess I should pay attention more about it. I'm sorry if I suddenly startled you"

Ichinose : "You're bad at dealing with people huh, Ayanokouji-san? Let's back to the topic. Indeed the SIM cards we're given are locked onto their terminals. But, there's a way to release that lock...right? I asked Hoshinomiya-sensei to check but, it seems with enough points, you can unlock the terminal lock right away. That's what she told me"

ZAP!

In that instant, I felt as if an electric current ran through the back of my head after hearing her homeroom teacher's name.

Ichinose : "The answer that comes after a false answer is revealed. Most people will take that to be truth. After Yukimura-kun, who solved the password to unlock the phone, was outed as not being the 'VIP'. The moment that lie was revealed, the truth that Ayanokouji-san is the 'VIP' reared its head. And the fact of the SIM card sealed the deal. Nobody would suspect anyone other than Ayanokouji-san now. But that itself is the real trap. I did say the swapping strategy is imperfect, but that was a lie. Because that strategy is an extremely effective one. But of course, you need to make a double-layered trap for it. If this trap is laid out, the truth will forever be buried in darkness. There would no longer be a way to ascertain who the real 'VIP' is with 100% certainty"

This Ichinose, she's seen the plan behind the plan. She's realized the truth that I'd kept hidden even from Yukimura. Firstly, the premise is that I'm not the 'VIP'. But I approached Yukimura under the guise of being the 'VIP'. As proof, I had used the real 'VIP's phone to make contact with him after all. But the real 'VIP' and owner of that phone was Karuizawa.

She's hidden that fact very well. The only one she secretly told that fact to was Hirata. Hirata also kept that truth hidden from both me and Yukimura who belonged to that same group at first. That's why he pretended not to know anything when Yukimura talked about the 'VIP'. But after I learned about Karuizawa and Hirata's pasts, he told me about Karuizawa's identity as the 'VIP'. And after I used Manabe to bully Karuizawa, I used that situation to swap our phones.

Naturally replicating the same mails and history as I did with Yukimura. Then I released the SIM card lock using points. This procedure was hardly illegal and can easily be done at a mass retailer as a complimentary service. This may be a ship, but as long as this exam requires the use of phones, a place was prepared where students can have their phones repaired or replaced in case of damage.

That's why, while using Karuizawa's phone, I was able to transfer over the number as well. Furthermore, from that point onwards, I had swapped that phone with Yukimura's. Of course, I only told him that it was 'my phone' and Yukimura had believed me. If the truth ever comes out, he will surely be upset and irritated at me.

If it were a simple person, they would have never noticed Yukimura and I had switched phones. If it were a smart person, they would have noticed the swap and accused me of being the real 'VIP' instead. But they would have never arrived at the conclusion that Karuizawa was the real 'VIP'. That was the cell phone swapping plan I had come up with.

Kiyone : *sigh* "You got this right"

Ichinose : "If Class D didn't have the "'VIP' in it, what would you have done?"

Kiyone : "More or less just same as you would do. I'd tried to figure out who was the 'VIP' amongst the classes, swap phones with them, and pass myself off as the real 'VIP' instead"

If the real 'VIP' comes out after that and points out the deception, the search would be successful, and if for instance they believed Ichinose to be the real 'VIP' instead, the traitor would inevitably answer wrong and the exam would end. In that latter situation, no points would be allocated to Class B and it may be possible to decrease the gap of points between some of the classes.

Ichinose : "So it's out, huh?"

Ichinose then started pulling out phones from her left and right pockets. One of them belonged to the 'VIP' from Class B from another group, one of them from another student who wasn't the 'VIP' from another group.

Ichinose : "By the way, this is just my prediction but if I go from the flow of today's discussion..."

She type something on her phone

Ichinose : "...The identity of the 'VIP' is Karuizawa Kei-san. Correct?"

She showed what she typed followed after she said that.

Having wrote that, she shows me her screen. That was the 'betrayal' mail she was going to send to the school now.

I got flinched by her perceptiveness. She showing me a confidence smile

But before anything could happen, my phone and Ichinose's both rang at the same time.

Kiyone, Ichinose : "Eh?" / "Huh?"

We immediately look at the message

Unknown :

The exam for the (Rabbit) group has now ended. Please wait for the announcement of results

Ichinose : "Aaah~ Somebody betrayed us in the end, huh? It's either Class A or class C, Mou~"

After knowing that my plan successful. I decide to ask her

Kiyone : "Ichinose-san, ..etto...Why did you suspect Karuizawa-san?"

Ichinose : "The same reason as Yukimura-kun. Because she's been acting different from usual too. She usually doesn't care about Ayanokouji-san, but she's been looking at you quite a lot, and she's been making faces at you more than necessary. But that wasn't certain proof that Karuizawa-san was the 'VIP' either, so either way I wouldn't have sent that mail"

It seems the plan I had set up, has been completely seen through by Ichinose.

Kiyone : "Why didn't you tell anyone about that? That way, the lie would have been revealed"

Ichinose just laughed. Her smile right now was a deep and genuine one, the deepest and most genuine one I had ever seen.

Ichinose : "That's obvious, isn't it? class A or class C, if either one of them gets it wrong, it's still a plus for us. From the start, I had neither intended on clearing it together with everyone through outcome 1 nor betraying everyone through outcome 3. The moment the 'VIP' wasn't in Class B, I had always intended to let another class betray us on purpose. I think the betrayer this time is from Class A"

Kiyone : "Machida-kun, huh? Well that's kinda expected"

Ichinose : "No, you are wrong"

Kiyone : "Eh?"

Ichinose : "It's Morishige-kun. He's from Sakayanagi-san's faction. He probably doesn't want to meekly obey the Katsuragi faction. He probably thought it was better to betray and just take the points, that would be about it?"

While strangely laughing, she turns her back to me.

Ichinose : "Ayanokouji-san, you're unexpectedly amazing. You're more look like a calculating person, isn't it? Although your face look kinda oposite like someone clueless about anything. Fufufu~"

Kiyone : "If you're going to praise, praise Horikita-san. She just gave me several hypothetical situations and I obeyed her orders that's all"

It seems I'm going to need to reevaluate the person known as Ichinose Honami. She's managed to thoroughly avoid taking any risks at the same time devising a strategy to come out victorious. I have no right to complain.

Ichinose : "Let's leave this room. It'll be bad if we end up breaking the rules"

But as Ichinose was saying that, our phones played a unique tone simultaneously. And not just once or twice, but four consecutive times in a short amount of time.

PING! PING! PING! PING!

Kiyone : "W-What now?"

Ichinose : "W-What does this mean?"

Ichinose seemed to be genuinely shocked from the bottom of her heart, as we both gazed at the screens of our phones.

Hello guys! How are you?

Did you guys enjoy the story?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day

Volume 4 : Epilogue

Ayanokoji Kiyone POV

The ship sailing in the deep dark sea, seemed somewhat lonely.

But as the time approached 11 PM, the presence of people gradually increased. When I had noticed, the cafe I was planning on returning to had already shown a huge success and seats were rapidly being filled up one after the other. In front of me, who had secured four seats in advance, a girl approaches.

??? : "...Sorry for making you wait"

Someone come out from shadow. The girl who shyly came over was Karuizawa Kei. Something about her expression seemed to be different than usual.

Kiyone : "Sorry for calling you out this late"

Karizawa : "No, that's fine...".

Since I had nothing in particular to talk to her about, I simply stared at the scenery colored by silence. But since Karuizawa seemed to be staring at me, I turned to face her as well.

Karuizawa : "Ahh, umm...I was wondering if everything went alright"

She ask while grab the seat nearby and I decide to keep standing

Kiyone : "It's fine. One of the boys from Class A sent the mail to the school with my name on it"

I was able to say this because as insurance, there was one more thing I had besides swapping Karuizawa and Yukimura's phones. Since we had worked together with a predestination in mind to ensure we would be able to synergistically work together, there would be no worries on that front.

Karuizawa : "How can you say that for sure?"

Hirata : "Isn't that because the paper you gave me meant something, Ayanokouji-san?"

The existence that creeped up from behind me, surprised us enough to make Karuizawa flinched a little. It couldn't be helped, because that existence was the boy that Karuizawa had tried to break up with, Hirata.

Hirata : "Good work on the exam, both of you. Mind if I take a seat?"

Kiyone : "Sure"

Karuizawa shifted uncomfortably and looked away from Hirata who take a seat beside her, but did not show any signs of outright rejecting him. It is now 22:55. In 5 more minutes, a mail will be sent to all the students.

Hirata : "It's almost time. Is Horikita-san not coming yet? Shouldn't we contact her?"

Kiyone : "She's the type to always cut it close. We can afford to wait another four minutes"

Hirata : "Oh, it looks like she's here"

It seems at least in this case, Horikita has arrived faster than I had expected her to.

Kiyone : "Good work there, Horikita-san"

Horikita : *sigh* "Somehow I can't help but sigh"

Kiyone : "By the way, what's that behind you?"

Of course I know that he is Sudou. But what I wanted to know is why would he following us to joined this kind of discussion. Honestly, kinda unexpected. Its not suit him at all

Horikita : "If you pay any attention to him, you lose. Just think of him as a ghost riding my back and ignore him that way"

Sudou : "Don't say that, Horikita. I thought you would be anxious during the exam period and I got worried about you, that's why I called out to you like that"

I had not seen him around recently, but Sudou Ken stood beside Horikita almost as if he's stuck to her.

Horikita : "You're in my way, get lost"

Sudou : "D-Don't say that. I challenged this exam with my very best efforts, you know"

Horikita : "Then do you have any confidence that you left behind a good result?"

Sudou : "...I-I was only a step away from that. But it looks like someone faster than me sent the mail first"

After having heard that half-hearted excuse from him, it seems Horikita had stopped paying any attention to him. Horikita then decide to takes a seat in the vacant seat

Horikita : "Why are you still here?"

Sudou : "It's fine, right? I'm just going to listen to you. Also, please don't exclude me"

Despite this being a rather unusual gathering of members, it seems Sudou has no interest in hearing our side of things.

Well, lets get to the topic

Kiyone : "So, about the chain of mails we got earlier...".

Horikita : "Yeah, I was also curious about that"

About roughly 2 hours ago, it was an incident that occurred just as I had parted ways with Ichinose. Four mails were sent to our phones one after another. The contents of those mails informed us of the end of the exam for several groups.

The (Rat) group, the (Horse) group, the (Bird) group and the (Boar) group. All those groups had their exam ended by the appearance of a traitor.

Kiyone : "The (Horse) group is the one where the 'VIP' was Minami-kun, right?"

Hirata : "Yes. In other words, there's a possibility his identity was uncovered by someone"

Horikita : "In the other groups, is there a possibility that one of us had sent the mail?"

If the 'VIP' makes a mistake, the damage they would incur is nothing to laugh at.

Hirata : "I was inquiring about that and asked around in several groups earlier. As far as the boys' side goes, they're saying none of them are the traitor that sent the mail"

This is of course, assuming they haven't fed us a lie. But to a certain degree, I'm sure we can trust them.

Kiyone : "Was Yamauchi-kun fine?"

I asked about the man who was ready to go to extremes if necessary.

Hirata : "About him huh? That one's fine. Yamauchi-kun was in the (Bird) group, and it seems he did try to send a betrayal mail. But he hesitated for too long, and the exam ended before he could send the mail"

Horikita : "I don't know who it was from where, but betraying us first before we could was a fine play"

Horikita had predicted that if Yamauchi were to send the betrayal mail, he would have completely gotten the answer wrong. I'm sure she's correct too. He had lost his chance the moment he did not send the mail straight away and hesitated after the end of the exam.

Horikita : "But we don't know the girls' side"

Karuizawa : "That's fine. I've already checked the girls' side. Nobody sent the mails"

Karuizawa replies to Horikita bluntly without any hesitation at all. Since she rules over the girls of Class D, her information gathering abilities are almost as fast as Hirata.

Horikita : "...I see".

Of course Horikita, who has no such information gathering ability, has no other choice but to accept that answer.

Hirata : "In the end, this exam. I wonder why the briefing was done with such a small group of people?"

Hirata murmurs that question was though he could not grasp the meaning behind it.

Horikita : "This exam is one that tests 'thinking'. In other words, how we think. It's not like every question has an answer...or something like that"

Indeed, it could be that only by seeing through those pointless bluffs, can we find the answer hidden beneath all the questions. It might be natural to assume that.

Horikita : "More importantly than that, what I'm worried about is the fact that those four mails came in almost simultaneously. The window for betrayal is 30 minutes. But even so, having all the betrayals happen within the first 1 and 2 minutes. Is it even normal?"

Sudou : "Isn't it just...a coincidence?".

It seems from the perspective of Sudou who had just been listening in on our conversation, it may all have seemed like a coincidence.

Kiyone : "When Koenji-kun sent the betrayal mail, the response from the school was immediate. If we assume that they reply as fast as an automatic response..."

Hirata : "The possibility that the mails were sent together at once is extremely high. In other words, it may be that it's one class responsible for all the betrayals".

Precisely. I also thought that there was no other possibility but that for four mails to be sent with that timing.

Kiyone : "It may have been that they timed their betrayal mails to let us know it was them who did it"

Horikita : "Yes. I also cannot think of any alternative reason than that. And there's only one man who would do something like that..."

Karuizawa and Hirata naturally exchange look. I'm just grateful this would end without me having to say anything unnecessary.

And there is meaning in using this café that we have used many times before, to meet tonight.

??? : "As expected, you were here".

It was so that I could invite the 6th guest, that boy. To this place.

Sudou : "Ryuuen...!!!"

Having realized Ryuuen's presence, Sudou step up as if to intimidate him but Ryuuen did not pay him any attention and simply grabbed a vacant chair before sitting down next to Horikita.

Ryuuen : "I thought I'd come and enjoy the results with you. Thanks for being here in such an easy-to-tell place"

Horikita : "Yes. I choose this place especially so that even you with your stupidity would be able to find this place. Thanks to me"

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ But even so, Suzune. This is a rather large gathering for you. What's with the change of heart?"

Ryuuen said this while looking at the three of us gathered at the table and me with Sudou who standing still. He probably ignoring Sudou completely

Horikita : "I was bothered by your persistent nagging. I was consulting them about it here"

Sudou : "Don't give Horikita any trouble bastard!"

Horikita : "Sudou-kun, shut up!"

Sudou : "...ou...".

Having been told to stopped by Horikita, Sudou obediently backed down like whimpered dog. He's a surprisingly honest one.

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ I thought you didn't have any friends that were actually friends. Well that's fine".

This itself is yet another defensive plan I had prepared against Ryuuen. By increasing the amount of people Horikita interacts it, I had effectively created a dummy. Naturally, the amount of people he'd need to keep an eye on would increase and it would become unsustainable for him.

Ryuuen : "The results will be announced soon. Did you get any results?".

Horikita : "More or less. You look pretty relaxed"

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ I wouldn't be out here if I weren't. It also seems like the same people from last time are here".

Sudou : "Oh that's right. Last time during the results announcement after acting all high and mighty, you lost miserably"

Sudou laughs at Ryuuen after seemingly having remembered something and points a finger at him.

Ryuuen : "Please tell your dog before he is going to embarrass himself later. You know, I already know the 'VIP' of our group"

Whether those words were the truth or a lie, Horikita was not shaken one bit. Perhaps it's because she already had confidence that she would not lose to Ryuuen.

Horikita : "I'm glad about that. I look forward to the results"

Ryuuen : "We don't even need to wait for that. I can tell you who the 'VIP' for the (Dragon) group is now"

Horikita : "I'm sorry but you just sound like a loser at this point. The exam is already over and no one from the (Dragon) group turned traitor. It can only mean one thing"

It would only mean that Ryuuen had finished the exam without realizing that Kushida was the 'VIP'. That would be the undeniable truth.

Kiyone : "I think that wasn't Ryuuen-kun gonna tell to us. It means there is something else you wanted to inform us right?"

Ryuuen : "You surely catch what I mean huh Kiyone. Well, if you come to know my kindness, you'll be so grateful that you'll wet your crotch Suzune"

And using such vulgar language, Ryuuen laughs as though he were amused.

Horikita : "...Tell me then. Who is the 'VIP' of the (Dragon) group?"

And as if he were waiting for her to say that, Ryuuen raised his hand while laughing. He peeps through the gaps of his fingers like a beast, as if he were preparing to leap on the throat of his prey.

Ryuuen : "Kushida Kikyou"

Horikita : "...?!"

Horikita, who had not reacted to any of Ryuuen's words until now, froze with a small, surprised voice. It must have been because she was confident that he would absolutely not uncover that identity that she was overwhelmed now. And also, Hirata from the same (Dragon) group seemed shocked too.

Ryuuen : "I'm sorry but from the second day of the exam, I already knew that Kushida was the 'VIP' of the group"

Horikita : "This is a joke...right? If so, you could have ended the exam by sending the betrayal mail. But the exam didn't end like that. That means you only realized it after the exam ended through some other means, am I wrong?"

Ryuuen : "I just felt sorry for you after seeing you try so desperately to protect the identity of the 'VIP', then seeing you so confident, so relaxed and sure about your victory that you would even look down on others. That's why I led you on until the end"

Hirata : "How did you figure it out?"

Hirata asks Ryuuen in response to his words in a tone that was a mixture of curiosity and anxiety.

After they tried so hard to protect Kushida's identity, and the fact that there was apparently no traitor. They must have been curious about that.

Ryuuen : "Unfortunately the answer to that...involves you, Suzune"

Horikita : "Me?".

Horikita, right about now, is surely desperately reflecting on the events of the exam in her head, while pretending to still be calm. When, where and how she got seen through.

Ryuuen : "I realized it from the movement of your eyes, breathing, movement of your mouth, your tone of voice and everything else about you-"

Horikita : "Stop with the jokes!"

Ryuuen : "Joke? Then are you claiming to know how else I would have known the truth?"

Horikita : "That's...surely you heard that from someone else just now".

Ryuuen : "I understand your feelings of not wanting to admit it. That out of everyone in the group, you are the most worthless one. But don't blame yourself for that, Suzune. You just picked the wrong guy to mess with. And besides, the exam was chaotic anyways. In particular, the ones you watched out for most was Class A. Relax"

Horikita : "W-What are you saying? What you've done?"

Ryuuen : "You'll know the answer soon enough"

Apparently the four betrayal mails were all Ryuuen's work.

And once 23:00 arrived, a mail arrived in our phones all at once.

And without sparing Ryuuen a gaze, we all looked down to see the results.

(Rat) — Due to the traitor's correct assessment. Outcome 3.

(Cow) — Due to the traitor's wrong assessment. Outcome 4.

(Tiger) — Due to the target's identity being protected. Outcome 2.

(Rabbit) — Due to the traitor's wrong assessment. Outcome 4.

(Dragon) — Due to the entire group's correct assessment after the exam's end. Outcome 1.

(Snake) — Due to the target's identity being protected. Outcome 2.

(Horse) — Due to the traitor's correct assessment. Outcome 3.

(Sheep) — Due to the target's identity being protected. Outcome 2.

(Monkey) — Due to the traitor's correct assessment. Outcome 3.

(Bird) — Due to the traitor's correct assessment. Outcome 3.

(Dog) — Due to the target's identity being protected. Outcome 2.

(Boar) — Due to the traitor's correct assessment. Outcome 3.

And based on those results. Increases and decreases in the class and private points in this exam would be as follows. In this case, cl and pr would represent class point and private points respectively.

Class A – Minus 200cl Plus 2 million pr

Class B – No change in cl Plus 2.5 million pr

Class C – Plus 150 cl Plus 5.5 million pr

Class D – Plus 50 cl Plus 3 million pr

Horikita : "Class C...is the top"

Horikita and the others seemed shocked at the results.

Ryuuen : "Isn't it great, Suzune? Thanks to your misfortune, the (Dragon) group has gotten the unexpected outcome 1. Now, all the classes should equally receive a large amount of points"

Ryuuen then claps his hands and laughs satisfactorily.

Ryuuen : "If you bow your head before me and beg. I can tell you the answer"

Horikita : "Who would do something like that-"

Horikita had started to say that, but quickly and strongly closed her own mouth.

Ryuuen : "Kukuku~ That expression of yours. It's pretty sexy"

Ryuuen then takes out his phone from his pocket and places it on the table in front of us for all of us to see. On the screen seems to be a list that Ryuuen has managed to put together.

Rat, bird, boar. In those groups were written the names of the students suspected to be the 'VIP' from Class A.

Ryuuen : "I discovered the root of this exam and arrived at that. Then I focused on targeting only those of Class A. And this is the proof of that"

In other words, it means Ryuuen managed to clear this exam without targeting neither Class D nor Class B an only attacking Class A. Normally, it would have been impossible to pull off such an inconvenient feat. But there's no denying that Ryuuen did, in fact, pull it off.

Ryuuen : "I'm sorry to tell you this. But unfortunately, my next target is you, Suzune. In the next exam, I will make sure to especially targeted you. I will keep going until I have completely torn your mind and heart to pieces"

No longer having any words to reply to him with, Horikita just kept staring at the results in the mail.

It would mean that Class C now possesses an overwhelming lead on the other classes, having obtained a large amount of points here in this exam.

Now looking back at it, even though Koenji seemed to have been messing around back then, it was a fine play by him to secure some points for us back then. Otherwise, it would have been Class C's exclusive victory.

Of course Koenji's actions ended up sending stray bullets flying into the 'VIP' of the other classes as well.

Ryuuen : "I Look forward to the second semester. Kukuku~"

Having paid back the debt from the island test, Ryuuen seemed satisfied as he walked away. And the students, despite their victory, did not seem to be celebrating but rather looked worn out.

Now we are contemplating and analyze about the result

Hirata : "I can still accept that Ryuuen-kun simply gathered information on Class A's 'VIP'. I can chalk it up to him having a talent we don't have. But how did he get (Dragon) group's result?"

But there's no need to think particularly hard about this.

Kiyone : "It's not that hard of a task. If you put your mind to it, it's pretty simple".

Hirata : "What do you mean Ayanokoji-san?"

Kiyone : "Leaving aside the manner of how Ryuuen-kun found out the 'VIP''s identity. All he had to do was announce 'Kushida is the target' before the end of the exam. Of course, nobody would believe in the words of someone like Ryuuen-kun. Especially a group of gifted people like that group. But, the closing period alone is different. Even if you answer mistakenly during that window, there would be no risk. As such, even someone playing defense like Katsuragi would be tempted to vote. If even there is 1% chance that Kushida really is the 'VIP', the first outcome would be most convenient to all of them after all"

If he had planted the seeds of it earlier, it is an extremely simple task. But it is something impossible to do normally. It's a task that cannot be accomplished unless everyone trusts that it is indeed Kushida. Is this really possible? Even I cannot imagine how it could have happened. This could not have been a success. How did, leaving aside Class D, he guide everyone to outcome 1 while gaining their trust? Unless he had an 'absolute proof that everyone must believe in'...perhaps.

After the meeting end

Only Horikita and I who left here

Horikita : "Do you think that it was possible to pinpoint all the 'VIP' on this exam?"

Kiyone : "I'm not smart so I don't know that my method is similar to Ryuuen-kun or not. The surnames of the students divided up in order of the zodiac animals were the key to figuring out the 'VIP' I think".

Horikita : "Please elaborate"

Kiyone : "The rabbit is the 4th in the zodiac. According to 'kana' phonetic chart. My name, Ayanokoji, Ichinose-san, Ibuki-san and Karuizawa-san. It would continue in that order. So, that's make Karuizawa-san 'VIP' on my group"

After pondering for a while Horikita suddenly flinched and gritted her teeth

Horikita : "How could I didn't though this through about thus possibility. That means the (Dragon) group according to zodiac was the 5th. That's made Kushida-san is the 'VIP'..."

Kiyone : "That's right. Certainly, if you know the answer, it's simple. However, to arrive at this conclusion in the middle of the exam is no easy matter. Just with the three 'VIP' in your own class, you won't be able to find proof of the rules that determine the 'VIP'"

Horikita : "So, are you telling me that there is a traitor or he probably put his spies in every class like he did on previous special exam?"

Kiyone : "That's it. And what worries me is how Ryuuen-kun discovered the rules during the exam"

Horikita : "I feel so humiliated being outsmarted by him like this"

Kiyone : "Well, in my opinion. Because your way of thinking during this exam kinda closer to pragmatism. That's how probably he could figured you out like an open book for him"

Horikita tried to swallowed all of this bitter situation in her mind

Kiyone : *sigh* "Horikita-san. Just perhaps but...we may had some hurdles in the future".

And not just once or twice, depending on the circumstances, it may involve the whole of Class D even.

Horikita : "...Hurdles from Ryuuen-kun? Indeed he managed to do well in this exam, that much is true. But there's no guarantee that he will be able to repeat this in the future. In fact, your group actually won, am I wrong?"

Kiyone : "That's right. I might just be overthinking this"

Right now it's still nothing but a premonition. But what if this premonition comes true? I can't help but think this may be the first step towards despair. But at the same time, I also began to feel the emotion of 'excitement' start to grow inside of me.

I wanted to see how she tackle all the hurdles in front of her later on

Hello guys! How are you?

Did you guys enjoy the story?

With this volume 4 finally over

Now, lets wait for another 500 years for new chapter hahaha

X : Wait a sec!

What's the matter?

X : No illustration at all for entire volume?

No

X : Why?

No reason, it just I'm in no mood to draw. Too lazy to do that for now

X : Such disappointing

Anyway, even if you requested for me to draw. Which one the scene from this volume which you wanted to be illustrated?

Oh! that's right, since it come like this. Should I write the next volume about Volume 4.5 or should I just jump toward Volume 5 instead?

Well if I somehow make a mistake with words regardless typo, grammar, etc. Don't hesitate to tell me because I could fix it sooner.

Anyway. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day