outsider

by vamer

ok

Outsider - Classroom Of The Elite
Jomby

Published: 2023
Source: https/

Chapter 0 - Dying Thoughts

Outsider - Classroom Of The Elite

--White

The color white summons a distant memory.

Something far in the back of my brain.

Something I thought was nothing but trivial.

Something that was supposed to be trivial.

Something like my entire life being displayed in front of me.

A cold winter midnight.

Clear sky. Crystal blue moon. Cotton candy like clouds. And a noise of wires sparking.

A loud noise of wires sparking.

Bzzt.. Bzzt Bzzt...

Bzzt.. Bzzt Bzzt...

BZZT .. BZZT BZZT ...

--So loud I want to die!

The tubelight with a broken bulb. Soft and wet sensation of snow. Glassy moon illuminating. North wind blowing away the clouds.

A dark alleyway full of darkness and despair.

A cold and cruel winter midnight.

As if the world has turned into a refrigerator.

Amidst all the coldness, there is serenity.

A peaceful silence falling upon the place.

"-nt!"

Suddenly...

"-vent!"

"LEVENT!"

A rude awaking...

A voice calling out to me, breaking through the hypnotic silence.

As much as I want to scold the rude idiot for ruining the peace, I recognized the voice.

It was a person I had met not too long ago.

She was also the reason why I am this situation in the first place.

" Miyamura ...san ?"

I looked at her.

Screaming at me. Tears rolling down on her face.

" Why? Why did you do this? Why did it have to be you?!"

Why are you giving me a look full of concern and guilt?

Miyamura Teruko, the girl I had met not too long ago. The old man's only daughter who owns a laundry in my neighborhood. She was passionate, kind hearted and caring. She gave me something in the short period of time we'd been together.

Something I'd never received.

It's truly a shame.

"Hold on! Help is on the way!"

Help? What is she talking about? How could anyone help in this situation?

Her hands are red, trembling. Her clothes painted red with the wet liquid on her hands.

I'm looking down on my hands. My hands are red too, wet from the same liquid.

No, that's not right. It was blood. But whose blood?

Who's else? It's mine .

There was a huge hole amidst of my lower chest.

"Sorry... The likelihood of me surviving this is close to non-existent."

"You!" Miyamura gave me a tearful glare. " Don't talk you idiot! Why did you save me, but not save yourself? Why did you sacrifice yourself for my sake? Why did you take the blow? Why? Why? WHY?"

"..."

"I give up, Miyamura -san . This is too much for me." I joked.

"Stop joking around, Idiot! You idiot, you! Blockhead, cold, stoic, ignoramus, idiot! I swear, if you die I'll kill you!"

Pfft!

Miyamura kept complaining like a spoiled child. Strangely enough, her, acting like this made me want to smile.

"Haha... Cut me some slack, woma – *cough! " I coughed out a handful of blood. My time was running out.

"Don't talk, please!" Teruko pleaded.

"How rude! At least let me say my final words..."

"Hic... Hic"

Suddenly Miyamura started sobbing and bawling her eyes out again. Apparently, what I said was the trigger.

Oops..

"Please Levent! Stop saying things like that! Please don't die! Please! I'm begging you! Live! Please! Don't give up! PLEASE! "

It's not as simple as that, Miyamura .

If she's already like that when I'm alive, then I wonder how she would react when I'm not there anymore.

" Hah~"

The air turned black around me. All I wanted to do was to close my eyes and accept my demise.

I have a feeling that doing so will result in something unchangeable.

It's not like I have a choice or anything.

Still, I try to fight myself to keep my eyes open.

--Don't sleep.

--Don't sleep.

--Don't sleep.

--Don't sleep.

--Don't sleep. Don't sleep. Don't sleep. Don't sleep. Don't sleep. Don't sleep. Don't sleep. Don't sleep. Don't sleep. Don't sleep. Don't sleep. Don't sleep. Don't sleep. Don't sleep.

DON'T SLEEP!

...

...

...

Sleep...

A mantra, a magic spell. More than that...

A lullaby sang by none other than death itself.

What a wonderful, hypnotic voice!

"Huh? Wait, Levent! Don't close your eyes!"

"Sorry. I guess I was more spoiled than you thought I was."

"Levent? LEVENT?!!! "

At least I'm glad I was able to save you... Teru –

Chapter 1.1 - Welcome, Levent

Thud!

The bus stopped all of a sudden; the shock made me hit my head on the back. It practically snapped me back to reality.

...

...

...

'Why am I on a bus?'

I had no clue whatsoever. I looked down at myself. Apparently, I was wearing a high school uniform. Strange?

Whatever was going on went far beyond my comprehension. If I remember correctly, I was stabbed not too long ago.

'Am I dead? Is this the afterlife?'

Something tells me this is not.

Then, am I dreaming in a state of coma?

No. I could feel everything just fine. I hadn't gone comatose.

I looked around the bus, trying to figure out my situation. I was on a bus wearing a school uniform.

The bus stopped to pick up more passengers. Most of the passengers were young people wearing school uniforms. The same one I had on me.

But that's strange. I was a final-year university student, or at least I thought I was. That uniform shouldn't fit me at all. And even if it did, people should've been staring at me, given that a grown man wearing a school uniform is not a sight you'd normally see.

...

After analyzing myself, I did feel like I was shorter and more slender than before.

The more I looked at everything, the more ridiculous it seemed. I subconsciously put my hands in my pockets. I felt something inside! When I pulled the contents out of my pants pocket, there was a cellphone and a money bag, and an outdated ticket to an aquarium, nothing more.

I grabbed the phone and powered the phone. When I tried to unlock it, to my surprise, the phone opened after putting in the same lock combination as mine.

Is this a coincidence?

Therefore, I started scratching through the deepest folders of that phone, trying to find a single clue regarding my current situation.

But unfortunately, it was all for nothing. There was not a single clue there which could help me in any way. Even my contacts list was empty...

Defeated, I put the phone back in my pocket. I then picked up my money bag. Fortunately, there I found a student id card. I immediately took it out to check its contents.

"What the...?"

The card was from my middle school. Same name, same information, same everything. The only exception was my appearance.

Wait... I did not look like that before...

I pulled my phone out of my pocket again. After opening the camera app, I switched it to front camera mode. My face appeared on the screen shortly after.

"What the-?" Little needs to be said about how surprised I was.

"When did I start growing my bangs?"

I noticed that my facial features had drastically changed. I didn't have the face of a twenty-one-year-old me, rather I looked like how I was back in my high school freshman year. Normally I kept my hair short because it would be annoying every time the hair got in my way. As a matter of fact, I'd never grown my hair to that length. I looked different from my usual self. I even looked different relative to my middle school period.

The more information I consumed, the more confused I grew.

Putting it in my pocket, I started ravaging through the money bag. Unfortunately, the card was the only helpful thing.

Suddenly, it hit me. I managed to put the two and two together.

Waking up on a bus.

Wearing a school uniform.

Change of height and width.

Change of appearance.

Something's wrong. I could feel it. I calmly tried to reassess the situation.

"So basically, I got stabbed, fatally wounded... then I turned into a high school student?"

No matter how I looked at it, it was ridiculous. I tried looking at it logically only to reach dead ends. There was nothing rational about that situation.

'What happened after I got wounded?'

Ah! Right! Let's check if it works here!

"Licht und Schatten !"

Nothing happened. It doesn't work here. There's no doubt about it now!

I have been transmigrated!

But how? How in the world did this happen? Why is this happening in the first place? Who did this?

I started brainstorming for a logical conclusion. However, my train of thought was simply obstructed not too long after.

"Excuse me, but shouldn't you offer up your seat?"

A young, well-built blond man wearing the same school uniform was sitting down in one of the priority seats. An elderly woman stood right next to him, with another woman beside her.

"Hey, you there. Can't you see that this elderly woman is having trouble?" the office lady said.

Her voice carried quite well throughout the quiet bus, attracting several people's attention.

"That's a really crazy question, lady,"

The boy said as he grinned broadly and crossed his legs.

"Why should I offer up my seat? There's no reason for me to do so."

"You're sitting in a priority seat. It's natural to offer up those seats to the elderly."

"I don't understand. Priority seats are just that: priority seats. I have no legal obligation to move. Since I'm currently occupying this seat, I should be the one who determines whether or not I move. Am I supposed to give up my seat just because I'm young? Ha! That reasoning is nonsense."

Something about this situation seemed oddly familiar to me.

Abnormal.

Blond hair.

Strong build.

Narcissistic personality.

"Wait, Koenji ?" I whispered under my breath.

This can't be it. This must a lucid dream of some sort.

I pinched myself to reaffirm my doubt. It was not a dream. It was real. Only one sentence kept floating in my mind repeatedly.

"Welcome to the classroom of the elite..."

I remember picking up a book with that title years ago.

Wait.

Don't tell me...

Am I trapped inside a fiction?

Light novel? Anime? Which one is it?

...

I was rendered speechless. Everything seemed dreamy, unreal. But the more I wanted to deny it, the more apparent it became. For a second there, I had a lurking doubt if my insanity had fully taken over.

There were a few people I knew who believed that reincarnation is possible. Normally, the others would mock them, calling them " Chuunibyou " or "Eighth Grader Syndrome".

I, by no means, consider myself to be a chuunibyou. Reading books and watching anime is something I used to enjoy in the past. But I've never deluded myself to be thrown into one.

And here I am, inside a psychological-school fiction.

"Hah~"

I tried to calm down and reassess the situation. First, I glanced around my surroundings. I needed to gather more information. But after I did that, all of my doubts were trampled by four certain individuals.

Yes, I was indeed reincarnated into YouZitsu. Kushida Kikyo, Koenji Rokusuke, Horikita Suzune... And last but not least...

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.

I closed by eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to adapt to my new reality. However...

" Wh-what kind of attitude is that to take with your superiors?" my meditation was again interrupted by a shout from the office lady.

"Superiors? Well, it's obvious that both you and the old woman there have been alive longer than I have. There can be no doubt about that. However, the word 'superior' implies that you're referring to someone of a higher position.
In addition, we have another problem. Even though our ages are different, wouldn't you agree that you have an impertinent attitude and are being extremely rude?"

" Wha - You're a high schooler, aren't you?! You should be quiet and listen to what adults tell you!"

"It's f-fine, whatever..." the elderly woman mumbled.

She didn't want any further commotion and tried to calm the office lady. But after being insulted by Koenji, the younger woman was very upset.

I sighed as I was about to do something uncomfortable.

"If I may, you can have my seat." I stood up. Instantly, everyone inside the bus looked toward me, except for Kouenji.

Something like this shouldn't bring any significant changes to the events, right?

"Are you sure, young man?" the elderly woman asked me with a polite and somewhat relieved voice.

"There should be no problem. Please take this seat."

"Thank you very much!" the elderly woman exclaimed.

The working woman smiled, lowered her head, and guided the elderly woman to the now-vacant seat. The elderly woman expressed her gratitude repeatedly and slowly sat. I bowed and went towards the front of the bus.

"!!!!"

Oh right! I messed up the original scene where Kushida was supposed to get all the attention. Great! Now, I wonder how things would continue to go...

I felt a malicious gaze from a corner of the bus.

There's no use crying over the spilled milk, huh?

I mean it wasn't guaranteed that I would end up in class D, right?

••••••

We soon arrived at our destination, and all the high school students began to disembark.

As I got off the bus, I saw a gate formed from natural rock waiting just ahead. All the young boys and girls dressed in school uniforms were passing through this gate.

Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School was formed by the Japanese Government with the sole purpose of developing future leaders. Not to mention the exceptionally different rules and difficult special exams that pretty much ensure the mental and physical development of its students.

I think such methods would indeed be efficient if they were to be implemented in the real world...

"So this is where it begins, huh?" I thought to myself.

I was still unsure of what my next steps should be. Where do I go from here? What is my purpose in this world?It took a few moments for me to rearrange my thoughts.

Now that I think about it, this is like a second chance for me. A redo of my previous life. I had so many regrets from my past. But it is not the time to care about them. It was finally the time to leave everything behind and start anew. I don't distinctively remember 'word-to-word details' from the story, but I'm sure I know just about enough to survive. Maybe manipulate the events even.

"For now, let's check the water before experimenting..."

I raised my legs and pushed forwards, preparing to take a step toward the dawn of my new peaceful life.

Until...

"You two, wait!" my step accidentally fell outside the gate as the sudden voice stuck me from behind.

G reat! Another cliché fanfic scene.

This was supposed to be the scene where Horikita would call Ayanokouji regarding his side glance, which she certainly did. But...

I slowly turned to my side. And to my surprise, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was standing right beside me without making a single noise.

"What is it?" I asked indifferently.

"You two were looking at me. Why?" she asked.

She narrowed her eyes while she spoke. Both I and Ayanokouji looked at each other before he replied.

"Sorry. I guess I was just interested, that is all. I mean, you didn't think about giving up your seat to the old woman, did you?"

"That's right. I didn't consider giving it up. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Oh, no, not at all. I didn't intend to give up my seat, either," he muttered.

"And? What about you?" she pointed towards me.

I don't know how she managed to notice my glance. It was for a brief moment.

"I don't recall staring at you specifically. Maybe it was just a random side glance, I don't know." I was being honest.

"It seemed more than just a glance to me." she glared.

Well judging by her character, I already knew she was going to say something like that. Her stubborn nature is what makes her different. Annoyingly so.

"I'm sure you're misunderstanding my intentions."

"In any case, I don't want to spend any time around people like you."

" Ehhh ..." Ayanokouji hummed.

She just rejected two of us in a single sentence.

"That went well," I muttered before continuing to walk toward the school. Thus began my new life...

Well, both mine and Ayanokouji's.

"Can I ask you something?" Ayanokouji who was walking at the same pace as me, asked.

"Go ahead."

"Earlier, you gave up your seat. Why did you do that?"

...

"I just wanted the argument to stop."

"I see," he said with a blank look.

I decided to let him be. We went inside the facilities silently.

The entrance ceremony for the first years had already begun...

••••••

About the entrance ceremony, well...

...Let's just be thankful that it was over.

The chairman, Mr. Sakayanagi, who gave the speech of gratitude at the beginning, was throwing glances toward Ayanokouji every now and then. It was so brief that without properly paying attention, no one would be able to guess.

On top of that, I had what I like to call "The vision of the future" which made me completely aware of his motives. Even Ayanokouji didn't notice that as he was unaware of their acquaintanceship.

Other than that, there was absolutely nothing worth highlighting about the event.

I slowly made my way toward the classroom.

On my way, I noticed a glass window that was reflecting everything like a mirror.

I closed in to see my reflection. There was no doubt about it. My body had completely reverted to how I was a few years ago. Not only was I short, but I was also skinnier than before. My eyes could not believe what it was looking at.

"Hah~" I sighed and left towards the classroom.

••••••

"..."

Who would've thought that we would end up in the same class?

Just when I thought things couldn't get any more interesting, I was met with another. While looking around the classroom as I walked towards the seat that bore my name, I realized that my seat was right in front of Ayanokouji.

"What a coincidence," I muttered in a monotonous voice.

"Indeed," Ayanokouji replied.

"Seems like we're seatmates. My back is in your care." I replied nonchalantly while taking my seat.

Immediately after, a certain black-haired devil sat beside Ayanokouji. After she took a gander at us, she sighed the heaviest of sighs.

"So, the three of us were placed in the same class, huh?" Ayanokouji mumbled.

I mean there were only four classes for the first year, so it wasn't completely impossible for me to end up here. But still, who would've thought?

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."

"You just went ahead and introduced yo-"

" My name is Levent . Nice to meet you."

...

...

Oops. I forgot that Horikita was supposed to trash Ayanokouji there, but oh well.

" Okaaay ? I think he was talking to me but... Please go ahead." I somehow finished my previous sentence. Horikita narrowed her eyes after that reaction. I'd already gone on her bad side by accident.

"Well, this is the second time that we've spoken. Isn't it fine for us to do so?" Ayanokouji came to my rescue.

"Do you mind if I refuse?" she said regaining her composure.

"I don't think sitting next to someone for an entire year without knowing their name would be comfortable."

"I disagree."

Well, that was to be expected.

"Do you have a friend in another class? Or did you enroll here all on your lonesome?" I asked.

"You're a curious one, aren't you? You won't find talking to me very interesting, though."

"I guess I'm bothering you. Sorry about that." I turned forward.

It seemed to work because she did end up introducing herself.

"I'm Horikita Suzune ."

"Nice to meet you, Horikita-san," I said.

She nodded the most forced nod ever.

"Same to you too..." I gestured toward Ayanokouji.

"Hmm.." he nodded.

I was thinking about a topic related to our class but soon enough, the homeroom teacher entered the class.

Chabashira Sae. If I had to guess, I would place her age in her early thirties. The first impression I had of her was that she was a very disciplined, delicate, and mature woman.

"..."

Very mature, indeed.

"Ahem. Good morning to you, students. I'm the instructor for Class D. My name is Chabashira Sae . I usually teach Japanese history. At this school, we do not change classrooms for each grade. For the next three years, I will be acting as your homeroom teacher, so I hope to get to know all of you. It's a pleasure to meet you"

Chabashira took her stance at the podium.

"I will now hand out your student ID cards. By using your card, you can access any of the facilities on campus, purchase goods from the store, and so on. It acts like a credit card"

After receiving my ID card, I carefully examined it. There was a six-figure digit of 100,000 burning on the screen, which was without a doubt my allotted private points.

"However, it is imperative that you pay attention to the points that you spend. At this school, you can use your points to buy anything. Anything located on the school premises is available for purchase."

Chabashira continued.

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

The classroom erupted.

It was a situation like when a child was given an entire candy store for free. Imagine being in high school and getting a hundred thousand yen at your disposal. You without a doubt, would want to spend everything purely on impulse.

But there's a catch.

It was really obvious if you paid attention to the contents of her words. She never said that we'd be receiving the same amount of points every month. That was the very first special exam the school had prepared for us, which was a trap. My classmates fell for it without a doubt.

"Shocked by the amount of points you've been given? This school evaluates its students' talents. Everyone here has passed the entrance examination, which itself speaks to your value and potential. The amount you've received reflects the evaluation of your worth. You can use your points without restraint. After graduation, however, all of your points return to the school. Because it's impossible to exchange your points for cash, there's no advantage to saving them. Once points have been deposited into your account, it's up to you how to spend them. Do as you like. If you don't want to spend your points, you may transfer them to someone else. However, extorting money from your peers is not allowed. This school monitors bullying very carefully."

Chabashira finally ended her long lecture on that subject.

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

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

Many of my classmates could not hide their surprise and excitement at the large amount of points.

"This school doesn't seem as strict as I thought," Ayanokouji muttered.

"This school is extremely lenient, isn't it?" Horikita replied.

Obviously, that was not the case.

Should I give my classmates a hint about the trap or should I play make-believe like Ayanokouji?

I chose the former.

"Sensei if I may, I want to ask you a question." I immediately caught the attention of everyone.

Chabashira looked at me, seemingly stoic on the outside. However, I could tell that she was looking at me with immense curiousity.

"Go ahead."

This is going to be a pain.

"Are we going to receive the same amount next month?" I asked.

"Huh? What kind of question is that? Are you dumb?" it was Ike.

"She just explained it to us. Were you even listening?" Shinohara, if I remember.

"What an idiot!" Yamauchi.

I didn't pay any attention to their thoughtless insults. While they were busy belittling my intelligence, Chabashira on the other hand, seemed bewildered by my words, almost on the verge of breaking her poker face.

"Unfortunately, I am not allowed to disclose that information to you lot."

"I see."

"Are there any other questions?"

"You said that we're allowed to buy anything with points. Anything? No limitations?"

"Of course there are limitations. For example, you can't buy someone else's soul even if someone offers to do so. There are a handful of transactions the school strictly prohibits."

Well, it's not like I was interested in occult activities or dark magic in the first place.

"If you don't have other questions then I'll be leaving," she added

I've already exposed myself. But no one was taking me seriously. Meaning that if I wanted to just ' go-by' as a typical John Doe, there was still a chance.

"That should be enough for me. Thank you, sensei." I sat down.

Her expression made a one-eighty, from bewildered to disappointed. That was to be expected. After hearing her rejection to answer my question, everyone started mumbling amongst themselves.

I tried to make out some of their conversations. But after hearing some of their contents, I sighed. They were all disappointing, to be honest.

"In that case, I'll be leaving now. Be prepared for the next classes."

Chabashira left the classroom.

"You're surprisingly observant, Aozaki-kun " How did she know that name? More importantly.

"Why?"

"I got what you were trying to point out," Horikita spoke.

As expected of Horikita. But still...

"Point out what exactly?" I feigned ignorance.

"Don't play dumb. I know that you've already noticed the point allotment system."

"Is that so? I don't think I was trying to hint anything to anyone." This time I replied while looking straight into her eyes.

Well, egoistic or not, I must say she was undoubtedly cute.

" Is that so? In that case, forget what I just said."

Will do ma'am.

Ayanokouji was silently observing us the whole time. Those blank states of eyes were hungry for answers. However, I don't think getting answers from me would be easy. And quite frankly, I didn't care whether he knew about my situation or not.

A "perfect human" like him would never believe that the world they live in is nothing but fiction, even if it was the truth.

"Everyone, could you please listen to me for a moment?"

Hirata Yousuke stood at the podium, grabbing the attention of all the students in the class.

"Starting today, we're all going to be classmates. Therefore, I think it'd be good for us to introduce ourselves and become friends as soon as possible. We still have some time until the entrance ceremony. What do you say?"

He truly was someone with incredible charisma. The majority of students were lost in thought, and unable to speak up.

"Agreed! After all, we still don't know a thing about each other, not even our names," someone shouted.

After the ice had broken, the previously hesitant students began to speak.

"My name's Hirata Yousuke . Back in junior high, lots of people called me Yousuke . Feel free to use my first name! I guess my hobby is sports in general, but I especially like soccer. I'm planning on playing soccer here, too. Nice to meet you!" thus ended his introduction.

Hirata was a natural leader. His popularity increased the moment he stepped up. It was inevitable that the girls would fall for his charms. To be honest, I really wish I had his personality trait.

"My name is Inogashira... Kokoro . Um, my hobby is sewing. I'm pretty good at knitting. I-It's nice to meet you all." the shy girl in the front introduced herself.

"I'm Yamauchi Haruki . I competed in table tennis during elementary school, and in junior high, I was the ace player on our baseball team. I was number four. I got hurt during the inter-high school championships, though, and I'm undergoing rehab now. Nice to meet you."

The only thing I believed from that entire speech was the fact that he was undergoing rehab.

"Well then, I'm next, aren't I?" said Kushida Kikyo.

"My name is Kushida Kikyou. None of my friends from the junior high made it to this school, so I'm alone here. I'd like to get to know all of your names and faces right away and become friends as soon as possible!"

She had to mention her junior high school, didn't she?

Well, I didn't have any issue with her having dual personalities. Still, I have some plans ready for her.

Slowly everyone introduced themselves one by one. I revised all of their names and personality traits in my memory. I was slowly remembering all the events that was about to come. It wasn't possible for me to remember everything. But I was confident that I had memorized all the main and impactful events.

'Knowing the future events and how to counter them' was quite the cheat code, in my personal opinion.

"Well then, next up is..."

"What, are we a bunch of little kids or something? I don't need to introduce myself. People who want to do that can go ahead. Just leave me out of it."

It was none other than the hotheaded Sudo. His anger and annoyance were visible like an aura.

"I can't force you to introduce yourself, of course. However, I don't think that getting along with your classmates is a bad thing. If I've made you uncomfortable, I apologize."

When Hirata bowed his head, some of the girls glared at the guy with red hair.

"Isn't it fine to introduce yourself?" one of them snapped.

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Shut it. I don't care. I didn't come here to make friends." said the guy as he got up from his seat.

Several other students followed suit and left the classroom together, which also included Horikita.

"They're not a bad bunch. It's my fault. I was being selfish and made people do this." I think that statement was both true and false.

Normally, when you start a chain reaction of introduction, the others cannot but feel the necessity of going along the flow, regardless of how uncomfortable they were. After all, no one wants to stick out of the crowd. No wonder why some people left.

"No way. You didn't do anything wrong, Hirata-kun. Let's just leave those guys be, okay?" well that statement pretty much proves what you have in your mind.

"I'm Ike Kanji. I love girls, and I hate pretty boys. I'm currently in the market for a new girlfriend. It's nice to meet you! All the better if you're a cutie or a beauty!" Ike stood up trying to switch the subject and well...

He had already turned himself into the enemy of all girls.

"Wow. You are so cool, Ike-kun," said Shinohara in a completely emotionless voice. Of course, her statement was a hundred percent false.

"Seriously? Seriously? Oh, man. I mean, I thought that I wasn't bad or anything, but...heh heh." he was terrifyingly hopeless.

Instantly, the girls started to laugh.

"Oh, wow. He's cute, huh, everyone? He's looking for a girlfriend." I sighed.

Ike was being teased by everyone, but he would continue to go along with the teasing, replacing the tense air from the previous event with a cheerful one.

He was never a bad guy, to begin with.

Time flew by in an instant. I got bored from listening to the same information that I already knew.

I looked outside the window thinking about my previous world. I wondered what happened after I died.

I didn't really have anyone who can call family, or at least I don't acknowledge '[RED]' as one. My friends... were they even my ally?

I don't have much worth remembering?

Except for this one person...

" Teruko , huh?" I muttered to myself.

"--an you please introduce yourself?"

" Eh?" I was practically dragged back into the world by Hirata.

It was my turn I guess? Everyone was looking at me with anticipation. Well then... I guess I'll go with whatever comes to mind.

"My name is Aozaki Levent . I'd appreciate if you refrained from calling me by my family name. Just Levent would be enough. I usually read books when I have free time. Other than the fact that The Great Yamauchi-sama called me an idiot, there's absolutely nothing remarkable about me. "

...

Was I being too forward with them?

"Pfft! Hahaha..." some of the students began giggling.

"Don't worry about it, Levent-kun. We don't really think you're an idiot." Satou replied.

"Yeah! We already know who the real idiots are." Karuizawa added while looking at Ike and Yamauchi.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!" Yamauchi revolted which further lightened up the environment.

"Pleased to meet you and I hope we all have a great time together." After finishing my introduction, I bowed and sat down.

"Then I hope we can get along too, Levent-kun."

I'd much rather you drop the honorifics-too, Hirata. It feels weird.

After me, it was Ayanokouji's turn.

"Um. Well, my name is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. And, uh, I don't really have any special skills or anything. I'll do my best to get along with all of you. It's, uh, nice to meet you."

...

...

...

It was an emotional moment! Words cannot describe the majesty of the situation. The absolute epitome of perfectness reciting the Hamlet of a speech. Everyone was so astounded by his great words of epiphany that they forgot to speak–

He was exactly as hopeless as I imagined.

"It's nice to meet you, Ayanokouji-kun. I always want to be friends with everyone, just like you. Let's both do our best, okay?" Hirata responded with a refreshing smile.

Everyone clapped, and I joined too. Even though it was a pity clap, I still felt proud of him. However...

Who in the world am I to feel proud of someone else?

The students talked around until the bell rang and a teacher came inside the class.

••••••

In end, I realized something remarkable.

The original headcount of the students in the light novel was forty. And the current headcount was still forty, including me.

How is it possible?

A simple conclusion. I replaced someone who was supposed to be in my place.

Ijjuin Wataru , the student who was supposed to be here on my seat, disappeared from existence. He vanished because of me.

"..."

It wasn't a particularly good feeling.

But it's not like I could do anything about it.

After all, whether it's this world or my original world, everything is the same. "Survival for the fittest." Life is like a battlefield where only the strongest survive. If that someone were easily replaced by me, then that could only mean one thing.

He just wasn 't strong enough to stop me.

Current balance: 100,000¶¶

Chapter 1.2 - Sparking Fire

We received a few general information about our school afterwards. After the classes were over, majority of the students were headed toward the dormitories.

I was also quite interested in my new room. However, I wanted to stop by the convenience store for some necessities.

Luckily Ayanokouji was sitting alone in his seat.

"Do you want to swing by the convenience store?" I inquired.

"Sure." As soon as I asked, Ayanokouji gave me an affirmative look. He was probably thinking about the same thing and I happened to speak his mind. We went outside and walked towards our destination. For about minute or so, we walked side by side in silence.

'Awkward, much?'

"Levent-kun, wasn't it?" Ayanokouji was the one to break the ice. Although I was glad that he did, I cringed at my own name.

"Yes. But I would appreciate if you dropped the honorifics. It sounds weird when you say it like that."

"Then, Levent. Why did you ask sensei about our next months private point?"

He already knew the answer to his question. He was just curious about my thought process.

In that case...

"If I'm being completely honest with you, it was just a random question that came to my mind."

Although that wasn't the actual truth, it wasn't a false one either. I did ask that question as a part of an experiment.

"I see."

"By the way, do you plan on joining any club?" I tried to change the subject.

"I haven't really thought about it. Maybe I'll try checking them out.' he replied.

"Okay."

"What about you?" he asked.

"Same."

Club activities. I was never part of any club, not in school nor in college. University barely gives you time to breath, so no. Even though I was scouted by a few clubs every now and then, I didn't have the motivation to join any.

"..."

Actually, I did consider joining a particular club at some point. A literature club to be exact. I thought I could read as many book as I want without having to worry about my roommates. But never once did I find any credible club. Eventually my wish completely died in the mud.

"..."

It was quite the audacious conversation. Ayanokouji was a man of few words. He didn't speak unless he was spoken to. I, on the other hand, am a perfect introvert. The sound of our monotone voices seemed to echo through the hallway, catching other's attention. They gave us the look of confusion, some of them looking at us like we were freaks.

'Leave us be.'

We talked about some trivial stuff until we reached the convenience store.

"My, what an unpleasant coincidence." a voice came from the corner of my eyes.

"Painfully so." I sighed. As soon as we entered the convenience store, we ran into Horikita, again.

"Come on, there's no need to be so hostile. Anyway, did you need to buy something?" Ayanokouji asked.

"Yes, just a few things. I came to get some necessities." she replied.

Horikita took various necessities like shampoo off the shelves and promptly threw them into the basket she was carrying. I'd thought she would choose higher quality items, but she only took the cheapest options.

If only all the girls in our class were like her.

"I thought girls usually made a fuss over what kind of shampoo they bought." That's not the sentence you want to say to a girl, Ayanokouji!

"Well, that depends on the person, doesn't it? I'm the sort who doesn't know when you might need money," she replied.

She shot him an icy glare that seemed to say, Could you please not inspect other people's purchases without their permission?

"At any rate, I was terribly surprised that you stayed for introductions," she said.

"You didn't look like the type to hang out with a circle of classmates."

"I decided to participate precisely because I don't like trouble. Why didn't you introduce yourself to them, Horikita? You could have gotten to know several other students, and it would have been a chance to make friends." Ayanokouji replied with another question.

"There are several reasons why I objected, but I suppose it might be better if I simply explain, hmm? My introduction might have sown discord, depending on how things went. Thus, doing nothing avoided creating more problems. Am I wrong?"

"But, statistically speaking, there was a high probability that you could have hit it off with everyone after introducing yourself,"

"And how many friends did you make?" Horikita asked in a mocking manner. She apparently ignored my state of existence.

"1" Ayanokouji pointed towards me. Horikita then shot a cold glare towards me.

"I see. I guess it is true that birds of a feather flock together."

"That was unnecessary." I mumbled. She heard me without a doubt, but decided to ignore me.

"In any case, I never intended to make friends in the first place. If I have no need to introduce myself, then I also have no reason to listen to anyone else's introductions. Have I convinced you?"

She convinced me, that's for sure.

As they continued talking, I was looking for the items that I needed.

"Ah! There it is." Apparently the shop had a section dedicated to cup noodles. It was highly convenient for me, as I didn't have to search for them from isle to isle.

"Noodle cups."

These were definitely one reason I'd come to the convenience store. Especially for a particular variant of the cups.

"So, do boys really like this kind of stuff? I can't imagine that it's healthy,"

Horikita suddenly spoke from behind me

"I like them just fine, I guess." That was a lie. I love them.

I picked up a noodle cup and examined the price tag. It said 156 yen. The school's point system was easy to understand. Each point was equivalent to a yen. So to say, if I were to buy the cup noodles, it would cost me 156 private points.

"Hey, what do you think? Is this price high or low?" Ayanokouji asked.

"Hmm. I'm not sure. Why, is there something curious about it?"

"No, I was just wondering."

While Horikita and Ayanokouji was quibbling amongst themselves, I was rummaging through the aisles for the 'product'. But when I finally saw the product...

"Wow, it's the enormous G Cup, huh?"

"Ayanokouji-kun. Were you thinking about something stupid just now?" she turned towards him with a cold glare.

Her assumptions weren't completely false though.

"What? What do you mean?" he gestured towards the cup noodle on the aisle.

"I felt like you were acting strangely."

"Giga cup, huh?" I picked one up.

Ah, the widely praised "Giga Cup." As someone who had survived a whole month on noddles, just looking at it made me feel full.

On an unrelated note, Horikita's breasts were neither small nor huge. They exquisitely straddled the line between the two. The perfect size.

"I think I'll buy some." I muttered to myself.

"Oh. Well, I suppose that's fine. Anyway, do you really think you should buy that? This school offers far healthier food options. Don't you think it's better to avoid eating junk?"

I am a health concerned idiot and I mostly eat healthy food. But the G Cup was irresistible. I know how to cook basic meal. The food in the Keyaki mall was throat-slittingly expensive, not to mention unhealthy. I'd rather cook and eat my G Cup alongside a burnt omelet with an undercooked broccoli.

Thus I ended up buying a dozen of G Cups alongside a few cooking utensils.

While Horikita and Ayanokouji were arguing with each other, I was blissfully filling my cart with items. That's when I noticed the "free" items section.

"Well, this is interesting..." I spoke loudly, hinting them about a fact. They both turned their attention towards me.

"Free?"

Horikita also thought it to be strange, so she picked up one of the items. Daily necessities like toothbrushes and bandages had been stuffed into a clearance bin and labeled "Free." The bin was also marked with the proviso "three items per month." These were obviously different from the store's other goods.

"They must be emergency relief supplies for students who use up their points." Ayanokouji commented.

That would be our entire class the next month if I don't stop them from self destructing.

Suddenly Ayanokouji grabbed a razor from the stationary section. He stared at it for a moment. Then he looked at us dead in the eyes.

"???"

"If you're looking for something a cut above the rest, how about this razor with five blades? I bet it'd do the job."

Oh...

As much as I wanted to laugh at his 'joke', I could finally understand why his jokes fell on his feet. It was hard to distinguish whether it was a joke or a threat. His monotone voice with a combination of his deadeyed expression, felt like he was ordering us buy razors for him so the he could use them to shave his bal–

"Why in the world would I want to shave with that?" Horikita asked with an irritated tone. Ayanokouji prompted to move the razor in front of his chin as if shaving a beard.

'I wonder how he would look if he had one.'

"Look at me," she said. "I don't have anything to shave. Not on my chin, not under my armpits, and not down there."

She just casually admitted to be a late bloomer.

Utterly abolished, Ayanokouji put the razor back as he mumbled hesitantly. Horikita completely crushed his spirits.

Should I say something to cheer him up? Maybe a joke to ease the situation?

"When was the last time you shaved down there, Ayanokouji?"

...

...

The silence was loud.

While Ayanokouji seemed confused for some reason, Horikita looked at me like I was dirt.

"Seriously, Aozaki-kun?"

"I apologize. I promise that won't happen again."

"I honestly didn't expect that from you, Aozaki-kun, you two truly are birds of a feather."

"Truly sorry about that."

"I'm confused. Shave down where exactly?"

...

...

...

It seemed like Ayanokouji was surprisingly pure, in a sense. Both me and Horikita looked at each other, both completely speechless. To think that the White Room education would be so revolutionary that they didn't teach their subjects about basic hygiene.

"I'm going." Horikita announced as she grabbed her basket towards the reception.

"See you." I said as I grabbed my items, taking them to the counter.

"Was I not supposed to ask that question?"

"No, you weren't."

"..."

"..."

"Hey, shut it! Just wait a sec! I'm looking for it right now!"

A sudden, loud voice broke the silence. It was without a doubt, Sudou.

"Come on, hurry up. You have a line of people waiting on you!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, if they have any complaints, they can take it up with me!"

"What's going on here?" I asked.

"Huh? Who are you?"

"His name is Ayanokouji, I'm Levent. We're from the same class."

"We just asked because it sounded like there was trouble." Ayanokouji joined.

"Oh. Yeah, I remember you two. I forgot my student ID card. Forgot that it pretty much acts as our money from now on, too."

I looked at his empty hands. He'd put the noodle cups away. He started to leave, probably heading back to the dorms, where he'd likely forgotten his card.

"I can pay for you. I mean, it'd be annoying if you had to head all the way back to the dorms. I don't mind." Ayanokouji offered.

"That's true. You're right, it'd be absolutely annoying. Thanks."

The store wasn't particularly far from the dorms, but by the time he got back there would be a long line of students buying lunch.

"My name's Sudou," he said. "Thanks for helping me out. I owe you."

"Nice to meet you, Sudou." I raised my hands for a handshake.

He shook hands with both of us.

"Are you really going to eat here?" Ayanokouji asked him.

"Of course. It's just common sense."

Sudou perplexed us with his matter-of-fact reply.

Apparently it was common sense to eat G Cup out in the open.

"I see."

He was eating as he wished, pretending like we didn't even exist. I was getting tired of it, it was quite a long day.

However, as soon as even I thought of leaving...

"Hey, you guys first years? This is our spot."

I knew where this was headed. Without their knowledge, I turned on my phone's camera and started recording, putting my phone in a corner of my pocket where they won't be able to see.

"Who are you? I was already here. You're in the way. Get lost," Sudou barked.

"You hear this guy? 'Get lost,' he says. What a cocky little first-year punk."

The three laughed in Sudou's face. They shot up, slamming his noodle cup against the ground. The broth and noodles splashed everywhere.

"Hey! what the hell are you doing?!"

"'First-year punk,' huh? You tryin' to make fun of me, huh?!"

Sudou had an extremely short fuse. If I had to judge, he seemed like the type to immediately threaten anyone or anything that crossed him.

"You're awfully mouthy, considering we're second-year students. We already put our bags here, see?"

Plop! With those words, the second-year upperclassmen students put down their bags and guffawed loudly.

"See, our stuff's here. Now, beat it," one of them said.

"You got a lot of guts, asshole."

"Oh, wow, scary. What class are you in? Wait, never mind. I think I know. You're in Class D, aren't you?"

The seniors were provoking Sudou. I'm sure they had ulterior motives and they would've gone through it if it wasn't for me and Ayanokouji being there as witnesses.

I walked towards Sudou.

Things are about to get interesting...

"Yeah, so wh-?" I stopped Sudou.

"Yes. We're in class D. And your point is?"

"You hear that? He's in Class D! I knew it! It was a dead giveaway!"

"Heh."

"Huh? You laughing at us?"

"Oh, you figured it out? Bravo! I never thought you idiots were capable enough to figure it out. Let's give them a clap shall we?"

I clapped at them as a taunt. The lack of emotion in my voice made them even angrier.

"Quit messing around you stupid def-?"

"Ah? Did you say something, SEM-PAI?" I mockingly placed my palms on my ears as if I didn't hear them.

"Oh. You think you're hot stuff huh? Wait till you-" I cut him off again.

"It's time for me to guess. Let's see. Judging by your ugly faces, you guys are definitely from class C, aren't ya?

"You!" A student clenched his fists.

Yes. Angrier. I needed them to be angrier. The more angry they get, the more effective the plan will go.

"Ho? Is it a bullseye? Bingo! We may be on class D, but remember. This is just the beginning of our first year, while you lot are stuck in class C on your third. At the end of the year, you will be labeled as the same as the defects. Failures who failed to reach class A. Am I right, SEM-PAI?"

"You asshole!" one of the students raised their hands. But he was stopped by others.

"What's wrong? Need a change of diaper?"

"You little shit!" The guy broke off and threw a punch at me. A jolt of pain rush through my jaws and I would've cut myself if I didn't brace for the punch. Luckily, I pretended to fall on the ground spilling my cup of noodles in the process.

"What the hell do ya think you're doin!" Sudou got in front of me and started screaming.

Seeing the entire thing unfold, the other two soon became paranoid.

"Oi! Kazuki, this is bad! Let's get outta here!" they grabbed my attacker by hand and took off while he was streaming in rage.

"You'll regret this, class D defects!" The guy who punched me screamed. "Keep on yapping and you'll be in hell very soon."

"Oi! How dare you run away after all of that! Hey!" Sudou growled.

"Leave em... They're not worth it." I stopped him.

"You okay?" Sudou helped me getting up.

"Don't worry. His punch was like a gentle love tap."

"Pfft bwahaha... Seriously, dude?"

At that time Sudou was fuming, his face was an episode of anger, hatred and frustration. But I somehow managed to cool him down this time.

"That aside, I should clean this up before anyone notice it."

"Ah, right. I'll help you."

"Thank you."

"Nah, you stood up for me. This is the least I could do for you."

We both picked up the cup noodle remains and threw them in the trash.

Ayanokouji on the other hand, closely observed me the entire time.

Be in hell, huh?

I'll personally send you to hell.

It was time to open the Pandora's vault.

"Sudou-kun, please go back. Ayanokouji, come with me. I need you for something."

Chapter 1.3 - Pawn Capture

I followed the three of them as they walked towards the third year's dormitory.

What I was about to do, completely diverted from the original plot of the novel. I was lurking into an unknown territory. So many risks were involved in that plan.

However, that was exactly the reason why I did it without a second thought.

"Do you have a minute?" I asked

"Huh? Who is th-? Huh, you? What do you want?"

"So you wants us to beat you up that badly, huh?" one of them flashed their fist trying to intimidate me.

"Get out of our sight before we beat the shit out of you, D-fect."

'D-fect? How creative~'

"So you're planning to beat me right in front of that camera?" I pointed towards a camera hanging on a pole across the street.

"Tch" they clicked their tongue. They sure seemed disappointed by that particular discovery.

"Listen to me very carefully. I have a question."

I looked dead in the eyes and made myself clear. Whatever came out of my mouth was serious and ignoring wouldn't be a wise choice for them. I had gained full control over their attention.

"What?" they asked.

Well...

"What would you do, if you were to be expelled right before the graduation?"

"Huh?"

"I'm taking about what happened earlier. Do you really not see what I'm able to see?"

"We don't have time for this. C'mon, let's get out of here. He's a freak."

Sigh.

"Violence, threatening a student, damaging private property, loitering in public place, bullying. You three have quite a bit of dirt on yourself, don't you think?"

"Eh?" all three of them immediately stopped on their tracks, they looked visibly confused.

When viewed from a normal perspective, no one would say they were guilty. But after pointing everything out, it was clear that they had made a lot of miscalculation, which I would use for my leverage. 'Twist the truth and point them out' That is exactly how lawyers fabricate dirt on the opposition party, no matter how innocent they are.

"W-what the hell are you talking about, idiot! We didn't do any of it!"

"Yeah. What evidence do you have to prove it?"

"Evidence, you say?" I whipped my phone out and began playing the video right in front of their face.

"Huh?" one of them expressed in utter disbelief followed by complete silence from the others.

"This is just a copy of the original. I have backups of this video file elsewhere. Trying to erase it forcefully would only lead up to your demise; but you are free to do so."

"Oi! Stop messing around! If you don't stop this nonsense we will really beat the shit out of you!" seemingly, the aggressive one wasn't having any of it.

"Then try me." I challenged them with a frigid voice.

...

"What's wrong? Aren't you supposed to attack me?" I further taunted them.

"What's with this messed up situation? You're just a first year. Don't get full of yourself!"

"I think the word you're looking for is 'Dilemma'. Besides, aren't you three the one's who are full of themselves?"

"How are we full of ourselves you idiot! You provoked us!" the hot headed one barked.

"Proveked you? So what? What if I provoked you? Does that give you a reason to act violently? In the society, you will be met with thousands of provocations everyday, but that doesn't necessarily give you the right to get angry and go hot on your fists now, does it?"

How ironic coming from me.

"This entire situation was never a coincidence. You should know it better than me."

"In what way?" one of them asked.

"From the very beginning, you approached us with intention of extorting points. You tried to trigger my classmate so that he would act violent. Then you were planning on blackmailing him with a video recording afterwards, weren't you?"

I pointed towards the phone on one of their breast pocket. They immediately tried to hide it, but there was no crying over spilled milk. Although it was there probably on a coincidence, seems like I was pretty lucky on that particular moment.

"No! We're not-"

"That's how it looks to me. Not only did I completely shatter your plan, but also turned the tables on you. Don't you think it's only natural for the culprit to get reprimanded? Maybe I should send this to the school authorities for investigation. What do you think?"

The trio looked at each other in utter defeat. They mumbled a few words to each other before one of them continued.

"What do you want?"

Now we're getting somewhere.

"Let's make a deal. As a condition, I would immediately delete all copies of this video file. Sounds good?"

"Yeah, that's fine and all. But what do want on your part dammit!"

What I want?

"That's simple. How much private points do you have?"

From that point on, it was a continuous downward spiral for them. They could either give me everything they had and secure their residency inside the school. In that case they only needed to wait for a month to be replenished. Or, they could give me nothing and in exchange get expelled immediately; thus lose their chance at getting into a better college or a better job later in life.

Like I said, none of those events were coincidental. I'd already planned everything out before it even happened.

Making them angry, forcing them to almost retort to violence, recording the entire event, blackmail, everything was pre-planned. They probably never intended to extort points in the novel, but I made it seem like they did. They could deny it all they want, but it was a benefit of the doubt, on my side.

It was them who willingly fell right into my trap. So they only had themselves to blame.

"N-no way!"

"All of them?"

"There's no way we're giving you all our points!"

"It's either that, or a ticket to 'outside the school boundaries'. Your call." I made my stance clear.

"Hey, how about we give you half of our points? We have to live the month too you know?" one of them proposed, which was quite reasonable. However, it's a fact that this entire setup wasn't even rationale to begin with...

"All, or nothing." I demanded.

They kept glancing at each other again and again. The concern on their face was visible as if their life was flashing before their eyes. Somehow I had managed to fill their eyes with absolute despair.

In any case, I did not give them any chance to discuss.

"It's a shame then. Well, I guess I'll see you three in the student council room."

"Please wait! We'll give up our points. Just...please delete the video."

"That was the correct decision."

All of them hesitantly pulled out their phones, ready to trade. It was actually my first time transferring points from one ID to another. They completely drained their points on me.

They were the one who had bought it upon themselves. It was a fair enough retribution.

"Well? You better keep your end of the deal!"

"I already did. Don't worry, I'm a man of my word."

I really did delete that video file from my phone. That specific video file that is.

"What's your name, first year?"

"Yamauchi Ike." I lied without a single thought.

"Yamauchi, you will pay for this very soon." The hot headed boy roared.

"I'd be petrified, if only that name was actually mine."

"You bastard!" the hot headed boy roared yet again.

It was time for stage two.

"It seems you didn't learn you lesson yet." I showed him the clip where he was trying to punch me.

"What the-? You said you would delete the video!"

"That specific video file was deleted, just like we agreed. This is a completely different file. As we agreed on deleting only one file, I didn't necessarily have any obligation to delete this."

"But that's not fair! We gave you everything we had!"

"Don't worry. This time it was only you who had brought this upon yourself."

I looked towards his friends. They were immediately intimidated, thus stepped back a little.

Their friendship was truly monumental.

"Hey, where're you guys going?" he shouted in a weak voice.

I slowly closed on him. His eyes that was previously filled with anger, hate and violence, was now filled with intimidation and fear.

"It will take me a single click to break you. Am I understood?"

"Y-yes. I understand."

Then I looked at all of them collectively.

"Remember, not a single word to anyone. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now send me all the information you have about this school."

They gave me all the information they had about the school which was, unfortunately already part of the knowledge I had about ANHS.

However, what was more important was the fact that now, I had three pawns who I could use at my disposal.

••••••••

I approached Ayanokouji who was standing on the corner of a building.

I had bought Ayanokouji, just in case if things were to go wrong. If the situation escalated, he would've captured everything on his phone and use it as an even severe blackmail material.

I had also sent a backup video on his phone, just in case. It was now up to him to decide whether he'd use it or not.

Knowing him, he'd probably keep it until Nagumo decided to join the game.

That being said, after noticing me, Ayanokouji came out of the shadows.

"Did you get the points?"

"Yeah."

They gave me about a million and a half private points. In addition to my originally allotted points, I now had 1,689,460 private points in my account.

"Ayanokouji, give me your phone for a moment." I asked.

"Sure. But why do you need it?"

"I'm sending you half of the points I had received."

Sharing is caring. It could also be my way of buying his acquaintanceship. Besides, looking from a long term perspective, it was like a 'bribery for silence' or 'a partner in crime' kind of evidence, just in case if I were to get caught.

"Are sure it's okay for me to have them?"

"Should I not give them to you then?"

"Your kind donation shall be much appreciated."

"You're a funny guy, you know?"

"Am I? I don't know. Thanks, I guess."

Don't worry, you are the "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka", the comedian of the white room.

"Say, Levent. How did you know that they were trying to exploit points out of Sudou?"

"It was a hunch. They didn't seem like the type of people who'd go around messing with people unless they needed to."

"Is that so?"

"Maybe. Who knows?"

"..."

Ayanokouji, you know I can sense your side glances quite clearly.

"What do you think about them?" I asked.

"I didn't think anything particular about them."

"I see. In any case, they won't be stepping near our shadow for quite some time, that's for sure."

"Seems like it."

We continued walking towards the dormitory until we reached there. It was way larger than what I had initially thought it was. We went inside the building, received our room key card and a dormitory guide. Then we boarded the elevator and went to our assigned floor.

"This really can't be happening." I whispered under my breath.

402. The room next to Ayanokouji. Apparently we were made to be neighbors for the next three years.

"It seems we're neighbors too, I suppose."

"So it seems." I could only reply with a gloomy tone.

"Well then, let's look forward to our time here."

"Hm? Hmm..."

We both entered our own personal room.

It was quite large compared to the rooms where I used to stay. it was big, well polished, well lit and not to mention it was all for me and for myself alone.

I jumped on my bed like a falling angel. As soon as I landed, I rolled around the bed like a kitten. It was that moment when I knew, I was truly free, free from all kind of worries I had when I was an adult.

No more annoying roommates.

No need to worry about rents anymore.

No more cars honking.

It felt really close to comfort.

...

...

...

Yet I felt completely empty inside.

"Am I really happy with this?" I asked myself.

Is this really fine?

To live a new life?

To get to do a redo?

I have a lot of regret from my previous life. Will I truly be able to change? Is it possible for me to begin anew entirely?

...

I wonder what's going on in my original world?

I was tired, but my eyes wouldn't close. They remained open as I kept staring at the blank white ceiling.

I don't remember when exactly did I fall asleep.

••••••••

On our second day of school, technically the first day of class-we spent most of our time running over the course objectives.

It seemed no one paid any heed to my word of caution. The students were so addicted to the freedom, that they couldn't care less about the school's regulations anymore.

Sleeping, playing games and gossiping with each other during class etc. Some didn't even bother coming to school regularly. It was just as chaotic as I imagined it to be.

Of course, neither the teachers, nor did I, stop them. It was a hard lesson they needed to learn for themselves.

I took the chance to go along the flow and get some sleep in the process. Soon enough, it was already lunchtime. Everyone left the classroom with their newly made acquaintances or friends.

Friends...

"!!!"

I then realized something crucial. I was so focused on orbiting around Ayanokouji that I unintentionally ended up isolating myself from my classmates. That was not the plan! I looked around only to find nobody I could talk to. Defeated, I looked at Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji, well it was obvious that he's a loner... too.

He looked around from right to left, obviously looking for someone to eat lunch with. Suddenly he looked at me. His expression screamed, "Help me, Levent. I don't want to eat by myself. Please save me.". I didn't think that he could make expressions like a puppy.

I guess loners really do stick together, huh?

"Want to grab some grub?" I asked, which in reply he gave me confused look.

"Grab some grub?" I forgor that he was a perfect human. Such vulgar language mustn't taint our majesty.

"Do you want to get something to eat?"

"Yes."

Well that was fast.

"Okay just a second."

"How adorable." Horikita out of nowhere.

"How do you find this adorable, may I ask?"

"Two loners eating lunch together just to make each other feel less lonely. If it's not adorable, than I don't know what is." this girl!

"But you're alone, aren't you? Haven't you thought about having lunch with someone? Or do you intend to spend three years here without making a single friend?"

"That's right. I prefer to be alone," she replied quickly, without hesitation. It sounded like she was being honest.

"Perhaps you can join us? We are loners, so-"

"I refuse."

"Oka-"

"I refuse."

"... I didn't ask though."

"You were about to."

"To be honest, no."

"I see. In that case I'll go out first. You two go ahead and enjoy 'hanging' around like loners."

Horikita left the room without making a single noise.

"Well that was..."

"Let's go Ayanokouji."

"Right."

"You're Ayanokouji-kun, right? Oh, Aozaki-kun, is also here."

While we were almost on our way, a beautiful girl suddenly called us out. It was Kushida. She was there to ask us to help her "befriend" Horikita.

"I'm Kushida, from your class. Do you remember me?" she asked.

"Yes. Do you need us for something?"

"To tell you the truth, there's something I wanted to ask you. It's just one little question. Both of you are you on good terms with Horikita-san, right?"

Figures.

"No. It's pretty much like she uses us as emotional punching bags. Other than that, we don't have a particularly close relationship. What made you come to that conclusion?"

"Oh, no. Well, do you remember when I said I wanted to get along with everyone in class? That's why I wanted everyone's contact info. But... Horikita turned me down."

She didn't ask me though. Am I forgetting something?

"Guess I'm nothing more than a mob character huh?" I murmured to myself.

"Weren't you two talking to her outside the school on the day of the entrance ceremony? I was just wondering what kind of person Horikita-san is," Kushida continued.

"Is she the type who'll talk a lot when she's with a friend?"

I could neither confirm, nor deny her statement.

"I don't think she's very good at interacting with others. Why are you asking about Horikita-san, anyway?"

Quite possible that she had already started to gather information about her just so she could expel her out of this school. She has some sort of an addiction towards attention. Horikita was without a doubt, the biggest obstacle she had on her way towards her perfect high school life. Which is why she could not let someone like Horikita be near her.

"Well, during our introductions, Horikita-san walked out of the classroom, right? It seems like she hasn't talked to anybody yet, so I'm a little worried about her."

Kushida had said that she wanted to get along with everyone when she introduced herself.

Little did she know that I was also going to be a huge part on the equation of her perfect life.

"We can't really help you with that. Apart from her name and her personality, we don't really know anything her, sorry."

"No, it's okay. You don't have to apologize. I thought that you two must have been old friends before starting school here. I'm sorry to have asked you such a strange question."

"Useless brats!" is what she was probably thinking in her head. I could see a part of her invisible mask breaking. It was getting dangerous to roam around her any longer.

"In any case, it was nice to meet you again, Kushida-san."

"Well, it's nice to meet you too, Aozaki-kun, Ayanokouji-kun."

"Yeah, nice to meet you," Ayanokouji said.

Ah, I forgot about something crucial. It was supposed to be him having a conversation with her, not me.

Ayanokouji was awfully silent during the entire conversation. I took his spotlight by pure accident. He being himself couldn't interject into the conversation.

"Hah..." Did he just sigh?

I mean, I did steal his chance to talk to a beautiful girl. He didn't notice this yet, but I just saved him from a an actual snake of a person, and this is the treatment I get?

Well, whatever.

"Let's go."

"Hmm." He nodded.

Well, on the bright side, Kushida ended up giving me her phone number. Now I had infinitely more number of girls contact than I previously had.

Five contacts.

Ayanokouji, Kushida, and three other seniors.

Current balance: 794,730 ¶¶

Chapter 1.4 - Club Fair

We decided to go to the convenience store, buy some bread, and return to class. About ten people had remained in the room. Some had pushed their desks together so they could all eat as a group.

But in our case, there was absolutely no point in trying to push our benches together as we only had a few breads to chew on. We both sat down on our respective seats as we silently savored our sweet buns.

Soon Horikita returned and sat down beside us.

"What a delicious looking sandwich~" I thought to myself staring at the food on her table.

Her aura screamed, "Don't talk to me" and so we silently chewed on our bread without approaching her.

Just as I was about to have the last bite of my bread, suddenly music played through the speakers.

"At five PM Japan Standard Time today, we will be holding a student club fair in Gymnasium No. 1. Students interested in joining a club, please gather in Gymnasium No. 1. I repeat, at-" A girl with a sweet voice, probably secretary Tachibana continued the announcement. Club activities, huh? I recalled my previous conversation with Ayanokouji.

"Do you want to check them out?" he asked.

"Sure. Why not?"

"Okay, then I'll also ask Horikita." he turned towards Horikita.

'That would be a bad idea.'

"Hey, Horikita. Do you wanna-"

"I'm not interested in joining a club."

"I didn't even ask you anything yet."

"Well, what is it?"

"Are you interested in joining a club?"

"Ayanokouji-kun, do you have dementia, or are you just an idiot? Didn't I just tell you that I'm not interested?"

"That doesn't mean you won't join, though," he replied.

"Now you're just splitting hairs. Don't argue for the sake of arguing."

"Okay then."

Ayanokouji was utterly defeated. She was still obsessed with isolation rather than gathering manpower.

In order to crack a tsundere archetype like her, one mustn't use argument for the sake of leverage, as that would only inflate her ego. A rhetorical analysis of the situation was a better way of dealing with egoistic beings such as her.

"I really think you should visit the fair at least once."

"Oh? What's your reason for thinking that?"

"Well, our seniors from both years are coming. We can talk to some of them. They've been here much longer than we have, so maybe we could get some advice if we asked them around?"

"I see. So you're saying we could collect information by going to the fair?"

"Well, if you put it that way, then... I guess?"

I merely gave her the idea. She was the one who filled in the blanks.

Now the question was, will she take the bait?

"Club activities, hmm. I see..." she took the bait almost instantly.

You had to make them think it was their idea, when in reality it was actually your's to begin with. Tsundere's are almost too easy.

"Well, if it's only for a little while, I'll go with you two" she said.

"That's fine. But are you sure about that?" again, better safe than sorry.

"You asked me earlier, didn't you? You said you wanted to go to the club fair."

"Ah, okay."

"Again, only for a little while."

Gotcha.

"Well then, when should the three of us go there?" Ayanokouji inquired.

"We will go after the classes are over." Horikita replied.

"Understood." both me and Ayanokouji said in unison.

"Watching you flail about as you two fail to make friends sounds somewhat interesting."

"..."

"... Sure."

After our conversation ended, I stuffed the last piece of the dry bread I had on my mouth. The bread immediately sponged out all of my saliva. As a result I could neither swallow nor bite. But then I got impatient and tried to swallow it, deteriorating the situation even more.

That's how I ended up being in an awkward position. While I struggled to devour that dry piece of lump, both of them contently watched me as I suffered. At first both of them stared at me with a confused look on their faces. But then things went from bad to worse.

Horikita was gullible enough to pull her phone out, and take pictures of me...with a sadistic smirk! Meanwhile Ayanokouji simply stared at me like I was the test subject of some experiment.

I looked at Ayanokouji pleading for help. "Help me, friend! Save me!" was what I tried to hint at him. Of course he got my signal, yet he kept watching me contently, he even took a bite from his bread.

Traitor.

"Gulp! *cough! *cough!" after struggling for a while, I managed to forcefully swallow the remaining piece of bread. I continuously coughed as if I was a heavy smoker and as I gasped for air like a fish outside the water.

The gall of them to clap on my misery. I shall burn this to my memory!

"That was quite the entertaining show you put there, Aozaki-kun."

I narrowed my eyes.

"You could've at least offered me some water."

"I could've. I just didn't think it was necessary for me to do so."

"But why? Why would you do that to me?" I asked.

"Because I didn't feel obligated to."

I have never despised anyone as much her ever before.

"Is that something you should say to a person who just choked on their food?" Ayanokouji attempted to reprimand Horikita only to face another one of her counterarguments.

"Just because he choked on his food doesn't mean I have an obligation to offer my water bottle to him. Besides, look at him, he seems fine to me. I need the water to rehydrate myself for the next few hours, so that's why I didn't want to give him. Do you have a problem with that, Ayanokouji-kun?"

"Ehhhh...?" at least he tried.

"What about you, Ayanokouji-kun? Why didn't you offer?" Horikita asked Ayanokouji.

Ah, that's right. Why didn't YOU do that Ayanokouji?

"Um, my bottle was empty. So..."

...

I see.

"Fair enough."

"Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it."

Starting to develop some sour thoughts about this girl...

••••••••

"There are more people here than I expected." Ayanokouji expressed.

After classes had ended for the day, the three of us went to the gymnasium. There were about a hundred people waiting around. We stood near the back of the room and waited for the fair to begin.

While waiting, we glanced over the pamphlet that we received upon entering the gymnasium. The pamphlet contained detailed information about club activities.

"I wonder if this school has famous clubs. For example, something like karate." Ayanokouji said.

"Every club seems to operate on a high level. It looks like many athletes and club members here are famous throughout the nation." Horikita replied.

Unlike the school I went to, this school actually went ahead to actually put some budget on their clubs. They seemed way better than the ones I saw from my previous world.

Don't get me wrong. I won't be joining any of them.

"These facilities are significantly more substantial than ordinary schools. Look, they even have O2 chambers. The equipment here is so luxurious, it puts the professionals' stuff to shame. Oh, but it looks like they don't have a karate club after all."

"I see." Horikita seemed completely uninterested, same case for me. Ayanokouji was the only one looking forward to it.

While browsing through the pamphlets, I happened to notice something interesting.

"Look, there's a calligraphy club. I wonder if they would accept my unique style of writing."

My hand writing was as bad as an ant walking on a piece of paper with ink sticking to it's feet. It was anything but beautiful. Some would say they were specimen of the current modern art.

There was also the light music and tea ceremony club on my list of pamphlets.

"Can any of you play an instrument?"

"I can play a violin without any problem." Horikita can play a violin without any problem.

"I think I can play piano a little." Ayanokouji can play piano a little.

"I see. I can play guitar. Imagine if the three of us started a band. Wouldn't that be great?"

"I'd rather not imagine it." Horikita shot me down immediately.

"I don't think a pianist, a guitarist and a violin player would do any good as a music band." Ayanokouji made a valid point. But it's not like we're actually starting a band.

"At least let me dream~"

"Dreaming something unrealistic will only raise your hopes. That is why I must weed it out before the hope grows on you." Horikita replied.

"Ehhhh..."

We'll it's not like I actually wanted to form a band. But it would certainly be quite interesting to have one though.

"Thank you all for waiting, first-year students. We will now begin the club fair. A representative from each club will explain their function. My name is Tachibana, the student council secretary and the club fair's organizer. It's nice to meet you all."

After secretary Tachibana delivered the opening remarks, representatives from each club quickly lined up on a stage. The club representatives included everything from burly athletes in judo uniforms to students dressed in beautiful kimonos.

"Hey, if you want to get a fresh start, why not try joining an athletic club? The judo club looks good, doesn't it? That upperclassman looks kind, and I'm sure he'd encourage you."

Horikita pointed towards a big and scary looking senpai. His height was estimated to be somewhere around six feet two, while the both of us were at five feet nine. Let's not mention Horikita's height.

"What do you mean 'kind'?! He looks like a gorilla! He'll kill me for sure!" Ayanokouji snapped in quite the comedic tone.

"He'll probably talk passionately about how easy judo is."

"Cut it out!"

Well it seems even the ice cold Ayanokouji could show some emotions from time to time.

"What about you, Aozaki-kun? Don't you think he's-?"

"Hard pass."

I had absolutely no enthusiasm for spending my precious 'second' high school life by restricting myself with club activities.

"And even if I were to join, the athletic clubs all look really intimidating. Not to mention how much I suck at athletics. I also get the impression they don't accept beginners."

"Beginners should be welcomed. The more members a club has, the more money they receive from the school. That's how they're able to get better training equipment." Horikita replied.

"Sounds like they're using the beginners for the money..." Ayanokouji mumbled.

"It would be ideal to gather many new members as a budgetary increase, and then simply to bench them the rest of the time, like phantom members. If you were skilled at manipulation, that is."

"What an unpleasant world... You have a pretty strange way of thinking," he muttered.

How ironic.

A girl dressed in archery gear stepped onto the stage. "Hello, my name is Hashigaki, the captain of the archery club. Many students may be under the impression that archery is an old-fashioned, simple activity, but it is actually a fun and rewarding sport. We welcome beginners with open arms. If you're interested, please consider joining."

"Horikita-san, look, they seem to be welcoming newcomers. Why don't you try joining them? In order to increase their budget, that is." I taunted at Horikita.

"I hate the idea of joining a club solely for that reason! Besides, athletic clubs are just gatherings of people with nothing better to do. Also, I probably wouldn't have fun if I didn't know anyone there. I'd end up quitting in the blink of an eye."

"Isn't that simply your twisted personality talking? I have a feeling that you didn't even bother remembering our classmate's names" Ayanokouji said.

"Yes, you're absolutely right. But athletic clubs are a no-go."

"Figures." I mumbled.

In the end we did stick to our original plan. As the seniors introduced their respective clubs one after the other, we tried to converse with other seniors present at the fair.

Although I already knew everything about ANHS, I pretended to listen to all the things they had to say. The school had strictly forbidden the upperclassmen from providing hints to the freshmen. Which is why most of the seniors decided not to talk about it. The ones who did talk however, gave us either vague answers or absolute lies.

"Well that was a waste of time." I sighed.

"Is that so? I thought it was quite helpful to be honest." Ayanokouji replied.

"If you think it that way, then perhaps... I don't know. What about you, Horikita-san?"

Then I saw Horikita, who was tense. She looked at the stage, her face pale.

"What's the matter?"

Ayanokouji called out to her. But she didn't even seem to notice us anymore. I looked towards her line of vision.

"Ah."

He was already there.

"Horikita, what's the matter?" I asked her to keep faking my normal profile. But deep down, I already knew the answer.

Her nii-san was at the stage after all.

Horikita Manabu and Horikita Suzune, siblings with a twisted relationship. The elder brother who kept rejecting the younger sister. And the younger sister who wanted to prove herself to the elder brother.

"..."

I was yet to determine wether or not it was an incestuous attraction or just a sibling relationship at extreme. Though one thing was certain, the dependency on her brother's shadow would most likely be an annoying drag for our class.

I would most certainly reprimand her unrequited relationship with her brother, but now was not the time. I signaled Ayanokouji to let her be and continue to focus on the club representatives.

Eventually, everyone walked off the stage, until only one person remained. It was president Horikita Manabu. Everyone focused their attention upon him.

He wore sharp glasses and had a piercing, calculating gaze. Standing in front of the microphone, he calmly looked around at the first-year students. An aura of leadership was emitting from him.

Though at the beginning, he didn't say a single word, it was simply one of his ploy for ensuring absolute attention from everyone present. The first years immediately went berserk.

"Do your best!"

"Did you forget to bring your notecards?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

But no matter how many embarrassing comments were thrown at him by the first year students, he kept his poker face. When the laughter had reached a crescendo, it suddenly died.

"What's with this guy?" remarked an astonished student. The gymnasium buzzed with people talking, yet he still did not move.

He simply stood there, quiet and motionless, staring fixedly at the crowd. We weren't given any orders, but not a single student present in the gymnasium dared to open their mouth.

Pin drop silence. That action itself proved the capability of Manabu as a leader.

After a brief moment of silence, Manabu spoke, slowly scanning the crowd.

"I'm the student council president. My name is Horikita Manabu," he began his speech.

"The student council is looking to recruit potential candidates among the first-year students to replace the graduating third years. Although no special qualifications are required for candidacy, we humbly ask that those considering application not be involved in other club activities. We generally do not accept students involved elsewhere."

Manabu managed to silence the entire student body present inside the gymnasium. It wasn't his position as the student council president that granted him this deference. That was simply Horikita Manabu's power. His presence dominated everyone around him.

"Furthermore, we in the student council do not wish to appoint anyone who possesses a naive outlook. Not only would such a person not be elected, he or she would sully the sanctity of this school. It is the student council's right and duty to enforce and amend the rules, but the school expects more than that. We gladly welcome those of you who understand this."

Immediately after finishing, he hopped off the stage and left the gymnasium. Everyone was silent even after his departure.

That was the leadership of student council president Horikita Manabu, huh?

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

Thanks to the organizer of the fair, everyone snapped out of their state of shock.

Now..

"Hey, Horikita, what's wrong?" Ayanokouji asked again.

"..."

I snapped my fingers in front of her face.

"Ek!" she gave an unexpectedly cutesy reaction. Well she was a girl after all.

"Huh? What is it?"

"Horikita-san, are you okay?"

"Oh... Yes, I am fine. You don't need to worry about it."

"What happened?" Ayanokouji asked her.

"I said it's nothing. Do not ask that question or you will come to regret it."

"Hey now, there's no need to be violent." Ayanokouji raised his hand in surrender.

"Are we done with the club fair? If that's the case then I'm leaving."

"Right. Um, Horikita-san, could it be that the student council president is actually your brother?"

"Huh? What made you come to that conclusion?"

Horikita immediately asked me with a glare, clearly shook by my question.

"Well, you both have the same name. Besides, I did notice some similarities between you two.

"I can see what you're trying to say. You both looked peculiarly same, like twins. Is it really true that you're siblings then?" Ayanokouji remarked the same question.

"W-well, don't go making assumptions by yourself! I don't want to discuss this matter with any of you."

So obvious.

"Yo, Levent, Ayanokouji. You both came, huh?"

Right at that moment, we were interrupted by Sudou, Ike and Yamauchi.

"Oh, hey, you three. So all of you came to join a club, huh?" it was Ayanokouji who greeted them.

"Yeah. I've been playing basketball ever since elementary school. I thought I'd join the team here."

"I see. And what about you two?"

"We just came because we felt it might be fun, you know? Besides, we thought we might have a fateful encounter afterward," Ike said.

"What do you mean, 'fateful encounter'?" Ayanokouji asked Ike to explain his statement. Well...

"I want to get my first girlfriend in Class D.
That's my goal. That's why I'm keeping my eyes open for an encounter."

Obviously getting a girlfriend was his first priority.

"In any case, we came here to see if there was any club worth joining." I added.

"Did you join any?"

"Nope."

"Pffft hahahaha! Seriously?" Sudou started laughing on his stomach.

"Dude you're funny."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Oh, by the way..."

Ah, he's about to invite us to their group. Not happening...

"Wait, where's Horikita? Ayanokouji, have you seen her?"

"Ah, now that you mention it."

"What's wrong?" Ike asked.

"Oh, well Horikita-san was also with us. I wonder if she got lost among the crowd." I lied.

Horikita didn't get lost or anything. She left the moment they approached us. I just didn't want to be a part of their shenanigans.

Although Ike, Yamauchi and Sudou were supposed to be Ayanokouji's first friend circle, they weren't necessarily needed for the development of the story, at least for now. I forcefully took their role at playing 'f.r.i.e.n.d.s' with Ayanokouji.

"Huh? Is that so?" I somehow sensed conflict in his voice, most likely because he was jealous by the fact that we went out with a girl. His face screamed "Good for you, traitor!"

Look, we're not even friends. If I had other choices, I would've let the sleeping dogs lie. Unfortunately for me, Horikita had the biggest role to fill for the development of the D fects. She's the one who has the most potential out of all the D fects, annoyingly so.

Besides, I was not interested in Horikita, even the least.

"Ayanokouji, let's go look for her."

"Ah, right."

"Well then, I'll see you guys later."

"Yeah, see ya later, you two." Sudou seemed, nice?

While walking towards, apparently anywhere but near Horikita, Ayanokouji quietly kept an eye on me. He couldn't help it, nor could I blame him for it. His suspicions of me would only grow larger.

But I decided not to pry on this matter for now.

I needed to be more careful around 'f.r.i.e.n.d'. If I took things lightly any longer, he could potentially turn into 'e.n.e.m.y'.

I wanted to avoid that possiblity, no matter what. It was not because he was a formidable opponent.

It was because I had a better understanding of this character named "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."

I can only pray that you come to terms with me as an ally, Ayanokouji. At least, just don't become an enemy for me.

The next day, I would soon find out whether or not that decision would be correct.

Current balance: 793,570 ¶¶

Chapter 1.5 - Kamikaze

"Good morning, Yamauchi!"

"Good morning, Ike!"

It didn't take too long for me to comprehend why they had a smug look on their face. It was THAT time of the arc, after all.

"Whew, man! I was looking forward to today so much that I barely slept last night!"

"Ah ha ha! This school is just the best! I can't believe that it's almost time for swimming! And when I say swimming, I mean girls. And when I say girls, I mean girls in school swimsuits!"

Swimming class, the ultimate fanservice. I did take my swimming lessons back in the high school era. That's why I knew for a fact that, 'co-ed swimming lessons' were something that could only exist inside a fiction.

And then again, even inside this so-called fiction, that specific event was only possible within the ANHS boundaries. It was no wonder why the perverse minded students were looking forward to that class, practically drooling over their perverted fantasies. All the girls looked at all of them as if they were garbage.

In order to not get caught up on their easily generalized stereotypes, I was about to leave the scene. However, just then...

"Hey, Professor! Come here for a sec!"

"Uh, you called?"

'Professor' Sotomura approached them slowly. They began calling him 'professor' because of his peculiar way of conversing. If I remember correctly, they were about to ask him to record all the swimsuit shots.

"Professor, can you record the girls wearing their swimsuits for us?"

Figures.

"Leave it to me. I'll pretend to be sick so that I can skip class and observe."

"Record? What are you planning?" poor Ayanokouji decided to ask them about their plan.

"The Professor is going to rank the girls' breast sizes for us. If we're lucky, he'll get some pictures with his phone."

"Hey, hey." Sudou stopped Ike from explaining any further. It was to stop him from unintentionally leaking that information.

But unfortunately for them, their thoughts were open as a book. The girls already knew what they were thinking about.

I had no intention of being part of their, in one word, 'unappealing' plan, whatsoever. That time, I was surely going to leave. But then again...

"Levent? So, you're here too, huh?" Ayanokouji suddenly turned towards me.

"Yeah, well, I was here the whole time actually."

"Ah, I'm sorry I didn't notice you then."

"That is not something you should apologize for, but it's fine."

"O-okay. In any case, do you know how to swim?"

"I do. But I'm not that good at it though."

"Oh, okay."

"What about you?"

"It's the same for me too."

Liar.

"You two seem to be getting along well." voice of Horikita resound from behind.

"If you think so.." Ayanokouji responded.

"I think it's so-so. In any case, what brings you here, Horikita-san?"

Horikita voluntarily came near us. I don't know what I did to strike her nerves, but she wasn't pleased with my question.

"I have the freedom to go anywhere inside the classroom, if I remember correctly. That's why I decided to stand here. Do you have any problem with that?" she asked.

"Eh? Uh, no? But I didn't mean it like that. I just asked about what business you had with us."

"Do I need to give you a reason to stand where I want?"

"No, not really."

"Then you should have no problem with me being here."

"Like I said. That was not the case."

'I swear, if you keep going down that path, you'd die alone.'

"You seem to have little to no communication skills, Aozaki-kun."

"You think so? I think I can communicate just fine. I just don't do it, that's all."

My attempt to hide my weakness failed horribly.

"Truth is always bitter isn't it, Aozaki-kun?"

"Just shut up already and leave me be."

She gave me the same sadistic smirk from yesterday. Creepy.

"What about you, Ayanokouji-kun?" then she decided to switch targets.

"There are a lot of reasons why I can't do it. So far, there are only two people I've been able to talk to."

"The pleasure is all mine, I guess?" I replied to his remark.

"Wait just a minute. I already warned the two of you not to, but you wouldn't be thinking of me as your friend, would you?" said Horikita.

She took a few steps away from us, as if in disgust. I wondered just how much she hated the idea of having friends?

"Rest assured. I don't think of you as a friend, not even an ally. Besides, after what you two did to me yesterday, I might as well have none rather than having you two."

"Ehhhh...?" Ayanokouji was seemingly surprised.

"In that case, I feel relieved." I didn't care if she died alone anymore.

"But I said I didn't have any water." Ayanokouji protested.

"Does that justify you staring at me while I was dying?"

"From the looks of it, it seems like both of you are going to be loners again." Horikita gave her twisted smile yet again.

I sighed.

Then suddenly...

"Hey, Ayanokouji!" Ike called out to Ayanokouji.

"Wh-what is it?" masterpiece of the white room stuttered.

"To tell you the truth, we're taking bets on the girls' chest sizes."

"We've come up with some probabilities."

Sotomura took out a tablet and opened a spreadsheet. The names of all the girls in our class were displayed. There were numbers listed as well.

Honestly if I were to bet, pretty sure I would've placed everything on Hasabe.

Regardless, I left the scene while Ayanokouji remained. Horikita also did the same.

"Why are you following me?" she glared at me.

"I have the freedom to go anywhere inside the classroom, if I remember correctly. That's why I decided to stand here. Do you have any problem with that?" I merely gave her the taste of her own medicine.

"Are you mocking me?"

"A boring question deserves a boring answer. I was not following you. We just happen to go the same way, that's all."

"Is that so? Well, in any case, wasn't that your chance to actually make some friends, Aozaki-kun?

Horikita asked while pointing towards Ayanokouji alongside Ike and the others.

"I don't think I'd enjoy being called a pervert."

Horikita widened her eyes a little after listening to my reply.

"Oh? Well that was very blunt coming from you out of all people."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with me stating the obvious."

"That is true. But if I were to be completely honest with you, I didn't quite expect that from you."

"Is that so? I'm sorry, I guess?

"There's absolutely no reason for you to apologize to me."

"True."

We both parted and took our seats. The bell rang aloud in the hallway and the classes had began for the day.

••••••••

"All right! The pool!" Ike cried out.

After the lunch period had ended, it was finally the time, Ike and the others were eagerly waiting for. In fact, they were almost flying in excitement.

Don't get me wrong, but seeing them like that, also made me want to feel what they were feeling at that moment. The air was that contagious.

"This school is something else! It's even better than the city pool, don't you think?"

The fifty-meters pool was surprisingly large compared to the one's I've seen. The water was clear and beautiful, and because it was indoors, there was need to worry about the weather. The perfect environment.

"What about the girls? Aren't they here yet?"

Ike looked around, sniffing the air like a dog.

"They take a while to change, so they're probably not ready," Ayanokouji stated.

"Hey, I wonder would what happen if I just suddenly jumped into the girls' locker room?" Ike said.

"Let's see. They'd gang up on you, beat the crap out of you, and then file charges, probably." Ayanokouji deadpanned.

"Don't give me such a realistic, deadpan answer and ruin my fun!"

"If the girls sense you staring at them in their swimsuits, they'll hate you without a doubt."

"Come on, like there's a guy out there who wouldn't stare! Agh. What am I gonna do if I get a boner?"

"Get castrated. That should do the job, I guess?" I deadpanned.

"Fuwahaha!!!!"

"Good one, Levent!"

"Hey!" Ike cried out.

Almost everyone laughed at that statement. Well It wasn't like I intended to make fun of him. If anything, I had subconsciously spoke my mind out, that was all.

Fortunately, they didn't take the joke too far and we started walking around the pool. Suddenly...

"Wow! It's so spacious! It's so much bigger than the pool at my junior high school."

A few minutes after the boys had arrived, a girl's voice could be heard.

"A-are they here?!"

"Don't be too obvious about it, Ike."

Well it won't matter, because their dreams were crushed way ahead of time.

"Hasebe isn't here! Wh-what's going on, Professor?!" Ike cried.

The Professor, who had been watching the class, was now in a panic. Standing on the second-floor observation deck, he scanned the room. Ike and the others also looked around.

I had decided to be the one to crush their fantasies.

"Ike, look."

"Uwaa! B-behind you, Professor!"

"What?!"

Ike pointed and shouted. The situation had become clear. Hasebe stood behind the Professor on the observation deck. One by one, the rest of the girls appeared, until they'd all emerged onto the second floor. All of them behind Sotomura, with a disgusted face.

"Wh-what's going on? How did this happen?"

Ike slumped to the ground and buried his face in his hands, shaken by this unbelievable turn of events.

"Aw, but I thought I'd get to see big tits! Big tits! I thought this was my chance!" Ike cried audaciously.

"Gross." the girls mumbled to each other.

Congratulations Ike. You didn't fail to live up to my expectations.

"Ike, don't be sad! Come on, there are still tons of girls out there for us!" Yamauchi said.

"Y-yeah, that's right. You got a point. I can't get down in the dumps now!" Ike cried.

"Bro!" Yamauchi and Ike reaffirmed their manly bond of friendship, clasping their hands together.

"What are you two doing? That looks like fun."

"K-K-Kushida-chan?!"

Kushida showed up between the two of them. She was clad in her school-issued swimwear, which nicely showed off her voluptuous figure.

In about a second nearly all of the boy's eyes were glued to Kushida's body. She must have been a D or E cup. I didn't know for sure, but I estimated. She was a lot bigger than I'd thought. Her butt and thighs were also more voluptuous than I had seen.

After I realized what I was doing, I quickly averted my eyes from her.

Teruko! Right! Just think about Teruko. Just who is Kushida anyway?

"Why do you look like you're having a constipation?" Horikita explained with quite the unexpected word.

"I'm currently in the midst of an internal battle."

"..."

Horikita was checking me out all over.

A chance!

"Horikita-san, You pervert." I made a somewhat disgusted face while putting both my hands on my chest.

Immediately her expression changed into a shocked one, her face entirely red. Words cannot describe how cute she looked while flustered.

"D-don't get the wrong idea! I'm not interested at your body even the least." Horikita shouted. Somehow I believed her.

"Is that so? In that case, why were you staring at me so intently?"

She tried to calm down, still glaring at me. It was obvious that she wasn't happy about it.

"Say, Aozaki-kun, Do you exercise?" she asked.

"Not really, no. Why do you ask?"

"Well...judging from the development of your forearms and your back muscles, you seem above average."

Fair enough. However, let's think about it this way.

Before I knew anything, I woke up inside a psychological fiction novel. My consciousness was apparently moved inside a body which was different than the one I had. Which was exactly the reason why I didn't have the answer to her question.

"I honestly think I've inherited this from my father."

"That's strange."

"There is nothing strange here, Horikita-san. It's simply my natural growth."

"I suppose if you deny it that much, I have to believe you..."

"Are you a good swimmer, Horikita-san?" suddenly Kushida joined our conversation out of nowhere.

Although Horikita gave a slightly puzzled look in response to Kushida's question, she quietly answered.

"I wouldn't say I'm particularly good or bad at it."

"I was really bad at swimming when I was in junior high. But I gave it my all and practiced really hard, and now I think I've gotten better," Kushida said.

"I see." Horikita gave a disinterested response and backed away slightly, clearly signaling that she didn't want to continue the conversation further.

"All right, everyone, line up!"

A macho-looking middle-aged man, probably our PE teacher, gathered everyone together and started the class.

"There are sixteen of you, huh? I thought there would've been more, but this is all right. After you warm up, I want to see what you can really do. Swim for me," the coach said.

"Excuse me, sir. I can't really swim, though..." A lone boy sheepishly raised his hand and spoke up.

"Since you have me as your teacher, you'll be swimming by summertime. Don't worry about a thing."

"Well, we don't really need to force ourselves to swim, do we? It's not like we're going to the beach or anything."

"No way. I don't mind at all if you're bad at swimming now, but I'll make sure you guys are winners in the end. Besides, being able to swim will definitely come in handy later in life. Definitely."

That was a hint everybody subconsciously missed. There was a special exam in front of us that included the first year student body to participate in an island survival test. But that was a different story.

The teacher asked us to swim for about fifty meters. Students who could not swim were allowed to touch the bottom of the pool with their feet.

I didn't remember exactly when was the last time I swam in a pool, but one thing was for sure, I could swim just fine.

After fifty meters, I waited for everyone else to finish.

"He he he, that was an easy win for me. Did you all see my super swimming skills?" Ike crowed.

"Well, it looks like everyone can swim, for the most part."

"Of course, sir. Back in junior high, people called me 'the flying fish,' you know."

Somehow, I highly doubt that.

"I see. In that case, I'll have you start competing against each other.
We'll separate groups by gender. Fifty-meter freestyle."

"C-compete?! Are you serious?" Ike cried.

"I'll give out a special bonus to the first-place winner: 5000 points. The student who comes in last place, however, will have to take supplementary lessons. Get ready. Because we don't have very many girls, I'll split you into two groups of five people, and the student with the fastest overall time will be the winner.

As for the boys, I'll look at the top five finishing times and then move on to a final round."

I immediately understood the reason for that. The reward and demerit system was basically a hint towards the future events, where the same system would apply only on a grand scale.

In any case, it was the girl's turn to swim.

"Kushida-chan, Kushida-chan, Kushida-chan, Kushida-chan, Kushida-chan. Haaaaaaa..." It looked like Kushida had completely entranced Ike, rather everyone. Her support's screams blew through the roof.

"You're scaring everyone, Ike, settle down," I mumbled.

"B-but, Kushida-chan is so goddamn cute, isn't she? And her breasts are pretty big, too!"

"That's not something you should scream about Ike. Even Kushida will end up hating you if you keep doing this." except that statement was already true for him, though not visible on the outside.

"Everyone, burn these images into your mind! Remember the fap material you see here today!" Ike cried.

"Yeah!" everyone shouted.

Hirata was the only one avoiding the girls, other than me. Though he might be just modest about it, I on the on the other hand did that due to the own lack of appeal.

When you have the mental age of an adult, the thoughts of gawking at highschool girl sounds horribly unappealing, in other words, disgusting.

I walked out of the pool, avoiding contact with anyone. However, Ayanokouji also followed me out of the pool.

"Levent, are you not enjoying the girls contest?"

"Enjoying something like that sounds like bad taste to me."

"Is that so?"

"I guess?"

He simply nodded and sat beside me, looking at the contest from afar. We were both sitting there, silently watching the scenes playing in front of us, like a film being played on a screen. Having a silent partner like him was very pleasing indeed. The audacity gives you time to think quietly and quickly. In that case, I was thinking about the thing I was about to do.

It wasn't a coincidence why he did he came with me. I knew from the very beginning that he was keeping an eye on me. I pretended not to notice until the very end. It only took a few hand gestures to let him know about my thoughts. It was a risky move, I could potentially trigger his white room persona.

But to make progress on the story that I was trying to writing, I was already prepared to take that risk.

"Say Ayanokouji, may I ask you something?"

"What is it?" he asked.

It was time to finally end this game of cats and mice.

"Does the term 'White room' mean something to you?"

"..."

It is no exaggeration when I say this but, his usual empty eyes were instantly replaced with two golden circles full of darkness. Those eyes were the eyes of a predator who was looking towards it's prey.

"Where did you get that name?"

"Do you want to know?"

I stared right into those endless abyss of his eyes. There was no point in trying to read the unreadable. However, I wanted to see how dark the abyss was, how deep the pit went.

There was no going back. There was only one way, and that's forward.

Current balance: 793,180 ¶¶

Chapter 1.6 - Glimps Of Recognition

"Do you know who I am?" he calmly asked.

"Yes."

"Do you know what I'm capable of?"

"I know."

"Then tell me, who sent you here?"

The one "who" sent me? To be honest, I wasn't sure about the answer myself. Before I knew anything I woke up inside a bus, and started living my life inside a psychological novel.

I could've been genuinely reincarnated inside the novel, or worse, a post-accidental vegetative state, laxly dreaming about everyday events. In any case both of them were just theories at best. None of them had any concrete evidence to reach a viable conclusion.

However, hypothetically if I was actually reincarnated, then there would be no doubt that the "who" person was related to my current situation, one way or another. And the only "who" I could think of was "the creator", the one who created me. If that was the case, then it was all thanks his whims, which landed me inside this novel.

I could've told him all about the truth. But thinking about it from a rational point of view, Ayanokouji was not insane enough to actually believe my story. To avert the topic was my only logical option.

"If you want me to answer that question, then I'd have to disappoint you."

I took a long pause before continuing.

"However, I will confirm one of your doubts. I wasn't sent here by 'that man', nor was I sent here to extract you back to the white room."

"..."

I looked towards the crowd, the girls were getting ready to swim. Even from a faraway distance, I could hear the crowd screaming Kushida's name. The competition between the girls was about to begin.

"Can you guess why I'm telling you all this, Ayanokouji?"

Ayanokouji also pondered while staring at the same direction.

"I wonder what..."

"Hey, look, Horikita's about to swim. Who do you think will win that match?"

You're not going to get anything from me unless you ask for it.

"Why did you expose yourself, Levent?"

Glad that you asked.

"Simple. I'm doing this to make friends, of course."

"..."

He went silent. I mean, who wouldn't be? It was an answer no one would expect.

"Was that supposed to be a joke?"

"Does it seem that way? In that case let me clarify. I want you to see me as an ally."

"You want me to see you as an ally?"

It didn't even dawn to him that such unexpected questions could be asked, to him out of all people.

"But knowing you, you're the type of person who would stab the patient before believing that they were actually dying."

"That's a sickening way to explain someone's personality, even for me. Not to mention exaggerating."

"Is it? I'm sorry, I guess. Let's get back to issue at hand. The point I'm trying to make is that, I'm not trying to be your enemy. That's all."

"Hmm."

Not convinced? Well, I guess I'll add the element of "foil" to the scenario.

"A word of advice. I suggest you listen to me carefully."

"Is that so? Then, I'm all ears."

"In that case, listen..." I went to his ears and whispered what I had in mind.

He did not show it, but he was undoubtedly surprised when my words got to his ears.

"How did you get that information?"

"I have my ways. If you don't believe me, you can just wait for it to happen, no?"

"How do I know if that information is correct?"

"Listen, at this point it's completely up to you whether you should trust me or not. I only told you what I had planned to tell you."

I got up from the floor, started walking towards the pool again.

"Then, I guess I'll see you..."

Seemingly Ayanokouji did the same. But before I reached the pool however, he asked...

"I have one question."

My plan was going exactly the way I intended.

"Ask."

"What is your modus operandi?"

I turned back towards him, looked straight at the spiral point of his forehead and asked...

"Do you want me to lie or do you want me to give you an honest answer? Which one do you prefer?"

"The honest answer would be much appreciated." he replied without thinking twice.

"In that case my answer will be... that I want to see class D grow up to the fullest extent of their potentials."

That was the direction I wanted it to go from the very moment I had read the novel.

I wanted to see everyone grow up to be the best versions of themselves.

I wanted see a classroom full of defects turning into the best class of the entire school.

I wanted to directly help them shape up by my hands.

Because now, I had something to do other than reading how it was originally written. It was my turn to write the story however I wanted.

"Is that the truth?"

"Maybe."

"Heeeeh...?"

And so it seemed like I was the only person he couldn't get a read on.

"Is that all you wanted to ask?" his nod replied in negative.

"I have one more question."

"Feel free to ask."

"Then, I'll ask this. Who are you, Levent?"

Who am I? Well...

"A mystery. Let's just leave it at that."

I was not keen on intentionally revealing my information, no matter how much pressure he were to put on me. I would not budge unless I wanted to.

But it was time to make a decision. I raised my right hand towards him, suggested a handshake.

"I will ask you this only once. Ayanokouji, let's work together, for the sake of a better future.

You have two options. One, you can deny this alliance and be neglected from my assistance alongside the information I have, thus end up being all by yourself.

Or two, you will accept this alliance and receive my complete assistance. I will provide you necessary informations when needed, which will undoubtedly give you the upper hand at most cases. Besides, I am trust worthy, I can promise you that.

Now it's your call."

For the next few seconds, he kept staring at my hand, leaving me hanging awkwardly. But I didn't mind. After all, in the end, he would inevitably take my hand. He had no choice but to do so.

All I had to do, was to give him a slight push...

"I guess I will take your silence as the answer. In that case..."

"Hold on. I will accept your alliance."

He shook hands with me. My plan went exactly the way I intended.

"Ayanokouji, I know that this was a forcefully made alliance. But believe me, you will not regret making this decision. This is for the best, for both you and me."

"I hope that's the case."

Don't worry. Because I have intel about something much bigger that one could only dream of having.

In the end we both walked towards the pool after the girls competition was over.

[Psychological theory: Looking at the middle of the forehead supposedly throws off your opponent.]

I'd given up on trying to get first place from the very beginning. After all, I wasn't a 'masterpiece boy' like a certain individual. The supplementary lessons seemed like a pain so I had to try my best.

I was assigned to my spot and placed in the third lane, while Ayanokouji was in the second, right next to me. It was impossible to even hope to match his pace if he took things seriously, but I didn't want to give up without trying. My competitive spirit went ablaze inside me.

"I have a request."

Ayanokouji looked at me with his usual look.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Don't hold back."

"Hmm?"

It wasn't me trying to sound cool, it was a nervously excited me who was burning with passion. I wanted to see him taking something seriously for once. I wanted to test the extent of his true strength.

He thought about something to himself for a second. When he was finally done with making a decision, he spoke...

"In that case, I also have a request."

"Let's hear it."

"Swim with everything you have." didn't he say something like that to Manabu?

Ayanokouji genuinely respected Horikita Manabu. For whom he went as far as to expose himself in front of the entire student body. If he was doing the same thing for me, then, maybe...

Maybe I'll actually be able to make him take things seriously.

"Trust me, I will."

After all, I didn't have any reason to hold back either.

Fluut!!!

The teacher blew the whistle as I launched myself into the pool. I threw my left hand, then the right hand, then left again, slicing through the water like a knife running through a block of butter, all while continuously moving my legs. A repetitive process all swimmers naturally do. Swimming was easy as that.

I knew how to swim, I had previously competed with my early peers too. That was exactly why I was painfully aware of my skills on this particular sector. The fact is, I was only slightly above average and nothing more than that.

But by no means was I agonizing over that fact. I was a human like everyone, it was only natural for me to have things I'm not good at. I was perfectly content with my skills.

However, now, my body... somehow it feels lighter than it used to? What happened to me?

I tried to look on my left. No one...

I looked on my right. No one...

Had the other's already pass me? Was I that slow compared to the others?

Thud!

My thoughts came to a standstill when I headbutted against the wall on the other side of the pool, with maximum velocity.

I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt. In fact, it hurt like hell.

While rubbing the point where I hit the wall, I stood up to check the situation.

Everyone, even the teacher, was staring at me, as if I was some extraterrestrial being. Judging by the fact that everyone was silent, I came to a deductive conclusion.

"So I guess I was the last one to finish, huh? Do I really have to take the supplementary lessons?" I mumbled to myself.

"Levent, you're quite fast, aren't you?" Yukimura asked.

"Wait, what?"

I looked back, Ayanokouji was floating right behind me. Following him came Sudou, then the others.

"Eh?" I mumbled in disbelief.

"Sensei, can you tell us the time?" Onodera calmly asked the teacher.

"Ah, right. 22.96 seconds." after announcing the time, the teacher reflexively looked twice at the stopwatch.

Wait, did he say 22.96 seconds?

"Whoa! Levent! What're you, a monster? 22 seconds! That's insane!" Ike screamed.

"Yo, Levent! What the hell was that! You were swimming like an actual frickin' fish! Next time I'm gonna beat you I tell ya! You better get ready!" Sudou was fired up.

Ayanokouji finished in 23.62 seconds, while Sudou was slightly slower, with a time of 25.6 seconds. Seemingly, my accomplishment outshadowed Ayanokouji's monstrous speed, for which no one questioned him. Something tells me he intentionally held himself back for this.

That snake...

But there was something I didn't understand. I thought that I was a perfectly average swimmer. That there wouldn't be any issue if I went all out. I was almost a hundred percent confident about the fact that I'm not a swimming prodigy like Onodera. Then...

What in the world did I do to get that number?

I got out of the pool, my head still in pain. When I was rubbing my head while thinking about my life choices, it seemed to look like I was brushing the water off from my hair in a stylish way, to the girls that is.

"Hey, look at Levent. He's pretty hot, don't you think?"

"Right? I mean look at his muscles."

"I wonder if he works out."

"I wonder if he has a girlfriend~"

"Kya~"

"Quiet! He's gonna hear you!"

Unfortunately, they were being too 'audacious' for me to 'not' overhear their conversation. Never had I ever thought that I would be the kind of person girls would gossip about. It only took me one race to get their attention. How easy can a high school girl be?

Sigh.

"I didn't hold back by the way." Ayanokouji appeared from behind.

I glared at Ayanokouji with the glariest of glares.

"Why are you giving me that face?" he deadpanned while slowly backing away. I immediately caught him by his shoulders.

"I swear I'm going to sign a contract with 'that man' first thing tomorrow."

"..."

That moment he knew that I knew that he had held back and that there was no other place to hide.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't think you'd be that fast."

"So you do admit of holding yourself back, huh?"

"Sorry about that."

Sigh.

In any case, it was no mystery that my newly attained body was the reason behind my miscalculation.

We got out of the pool and waited for the next team to compete.

The teacher blew the whistle, Hirata dove into the pool with beautiful form. Every time Hirata's arms cut through the water, the girls cheered by the side of the pool.

"He's surprisingly fast," Ayanokouji commented.

"As expected from someone who's from the soccer club."

It wasn't a surprise that Hirata was a fast swimmer. By playing soccer, Hirata had enhanced both his agility and stamina, both of which are essential for swimming. With a good foot movement and a perfect swimming form, Hirata was easily dominating the match and thus shot for the first place. The entire pool was filled with deafening screams.

"Sensei, what was his time?" asked Ike, impatiently.

"Hirata's time was...27.83 seconds."

"Fwahaha! It's nowhere close to Levent!"

"Alright! You can do it, Levent! You can easily defeat this one right? Bring down the hammer of justice!"

"Ehhhh...?" the girls who were supporting Hirata, looked at me like I was a villain. What did I do to deserve such antagonization?

"Oi! Leave it to me. I'll destroy him and his popularity..." Sudou, words cannot describe how mesmerizing of a person you are, because those words totally destroyed your popularity, not Hirata's.

"Hirata-kun, you were so cool! You're not just good at soccer, you're really good at swimming! You can do it!" one girl cried.

"You think so? Thank you!" he said.

"I'm sure you can beat Levent-kun and the others like you did!" another girl said.

"No, show him who's better, Levent-kun!" a girl spoke on my behalf?

"Huh? No way! Hirata-kun is way better than Levent-kun!"

"Levent-kun is way cooler than you think."

Please, for the love of God, stop using honorifics for my name!

While Hirata's immense popularity was unbelievably frustrating, what was even more frustrating to me, was the fact that, my name was being thrown around like a verbal punching bag.

"Come on, girls, knock it off. Please don't fight for me. I belong to everyone. I want to be everyone's friend. Besides, Levent-kun is better at swimming than me. What wrong did he do to receive such mean comments?"

Hirata, being a gentleman, saved me from being the enemy of all women. Well, a part of them. Apparently now I had a fan club dedicated to me. How exciting.

When things couldn't get weird enough, Kouenji entered the scene, wearing the thinnest swimwear ever.

"Hey. Uh, why is Kouenji wearing a speedo?"

"Wh-what?"

Kouenji being a bold champion was not a surprise to me. His underwear brief made it impossible 'not' to look directly at his 'T-Rex'. The girls looked away immediately while making a disgusted face.

However, in the third race, all eyes were on Kouenji. The stance he took at the starting line was just like an athlete's. The form and the posture made his bodily features known to everyone. Before he raced, he turned towards me and said...

"It seems there are some of you who can actually swim. Levent-boy, Ayanokouji-boy, prepare yourself to be impressed with a perfect performance by a perfect existence such as myself."

"Ayanokouji... boy?" Ayanokouji muttered to himself.

"Please do." I whispered to no one in particular.

As the whistle blew, Kouenji dove into the pool with textbook form.

"Whoa! Wow!"

Sudou and everyone shouted in response to Kouenji's unexpectedly aggressive swimming. Hirata also stared in apparent amazement. Kouenji splashed fiercely as he swam, but it didn't slow his incredible speed

"22.53 seconds?"

"W-what? 22.53 second! That's even faster than Levent?" Ike crowed.

As expected from Kouenji.

"My abdominal muscles, back muscles, and psoas major muscle seem to be in good shape, as usual. Not a bad performance, don't you think?" Kouenji said looking at us.

I nodded as a reply.

After getting out of the pool, he smirked and swept his hair up. He wasn't short of breath at all. It was as if he hadn't even swum in the first place.

"I'm fired up!" Sudou was blazing, his competitive spirit flared, so did mine. The final race was decided to be against the best of the best. Of course, I was also among them.

"I'm really looking forward to this! Sudou-kun, Ayanokouji-kun, Kouejin-kun, Hirata-kun, all of them are so fast!"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, right."

Kushida suddenly appeared from my back.

"Hmm? What's the matter? Your face looks red for some reason. Are you not feeling well, by chance?" pretty sure I was not blushing.

"My face? I don't think I have a fever though. Maybe it's because of the chlorine?"

"Oh? Is that so? By any chance, are you allergic to chlorine?"

"I sure hope not. By the way, you swim really fast don't you?"

"Well, I'm not as fast as you, Aozaki-kun. Were you perhaps in a swimming club back in middle school?"

"No, I've never been in a club."

"Oh, I see.."

"One more thing, I'd appreciate it if you stopped using that name. It makes me feel uncomfortable."

"Ah, I'm sorry about that. So, Levent-kun?"

"It was better, but try to drop the honorifics, can you?"

"Then, Levent-san?"

That was even worse.

"Just Levent. But if you're uncomfortable with that then you can just call me by whatever you want." though I'd much rather you not using that name.

"Alright. But I also have a condition, Levent-kun." she couldn't drop it.

"Condition?"

"You'll have call me Kikyou too. You know, if we're both using our given names, then it wouldn't sound awkward anymore, no?"

Kushida... blushed?

No, she was probably faking it. Romance wasn't a thing she would be interested at. There was something else at play.

Obviously, she was scheming something. As I had unintentionally raised my popularity, it was a possibility that she was merely orbiting around me for clout. In that case, I'll humor her...

"Kikyou, huh? Alright, I'll call you that."

"Yay, let's be best of friends, Levent-kun."

"Sure. Well then, I'll have to excuse myself, Kikyou."

"Good luck!"

Somehow I managed to get close to a two faced snake that day. I needed to tame her while she was easy to tame, otherwise she would most likely become the biggest thorn in the way. I knew exactly what I needed to do...

After leaving 'Kikyo', I took my place in the fourth lane, alongside Hirata and Ayanokouji.

For the thousandth time, I glared at Ayanokouji. This time he nodded in defeat. Good.

"Hirata-kun! Do your best!" most of the girls cheered for Hirata.

"Go get em, Ken!" Ike cheered for Sudou.

"Go Levent! Beat that piece of s- ikeman" the worst person to ever exist inside this novel cheered for me.

There is a rule that prohibits you from saying such words, Yamauchi!

"Everyone's excited huh, Levent-kun?"

"Don't mind them, Hirata. They're not on their right mind. Just focus on the race."

"Right. Let's not hold ourselves back."

"Let's goo!!!" Sudou screamed.

"You kids ready? Well then, let's begin!" the teacher said.

As he was putting the whistle in his mouth, I looked forward and took my stance.

"Ayanokouji, don't hold back, this time for real." I said to Ayanokouji.

"Don't worry, this time I don't plan on holding back either." he replied.

In that case, the race was going to be much much more interesting.

3

2

1

fluut!!!

"Tie? How's that possible?" Sudou screamed.

Ayanokouji and I, apparently the both of us were tied for the first place.

"Well, it was hard to see who came here first. Both of them were really fast you know."

"But man, 21.06 seconds! That's so close to the world record!"

"Those two are monsters I tell you!"

"As expected from Levent-kun!"

The both of us sat there, quietly as the students bombarded us with questions.

Ayanokouji gave me a glace, his face screamed "Are you happy now?".

To be honest, yes. I was more than happy.

"Everyone the PE period has ended. As there are no clear victors, it's decided that the first place will be decided via lottery." the teacher announced. But I had planned for something else entirely.

"Sensei, if I may, can we decide this with a game of rock-paper-scissors?"

"Rock-paper-scissors? Well, I guess there shouldn't be any problem if you wanted to do that."

"Thank you."

I looked straight at him, while making a fist.

"Well..."

He sighed and proceeded to form a fist.

"Let's do it."

"Ho? This is going to be interesting~!"

Everyone gathered around us as we formed our fists together. It was a match that decided who was better than who. Silence filled the air, everyone waiting for the game to begin. But first...

"Ayanokouji, what color of underwear is Horikita currently wearing?"

This will be the beginning of something unbelievably reckless.

"Wha-?" Horikita was flabbergasted.

"White"

"What are you two talking about?!"

"Fufufu..."

Everyone around us was snickering while Horikita turned red in rage.

Sorry Horikita, but that was a necessary sacrifice.

"Rock paper scissors, shoot."

I threw scissors while Ayanokouji threw paper.

I won.

"Whoa! Levent won!" everyone inside the room shouted.

"Okay."

"Congratulations, Levent-kun. You're the winner of this competition. Like I mentioned, you'll receive 5000 private points for coming first." he probably mentioned it when I was away from the pool, negotiating with Ayanokouji.

"Thank you, sensei."

After that, the chaotic pool class ended and we went back to our own respective lives. I could finally go back to my room and sleep.

"Aozaki-kun, got a minute?"

Eek!

I looked back. It was to my horror that Horikita was standing right behind me with a devilish look on her face, with an NT cutter on her right hand.

Where in the hell did she get that?

"Nope, I'm sorry." Unlike Ayanokouji, I didn't just stand there yo accept my fate. Instead, I rushed outside without wasting a single second.

"Wait just a minute, Aozaki-kun. I have a really interesting topic to talk about. I'm sure you'd love to hear about it." Horikita chased me while making a gesture with the NT cutter.

"We'll talk about that on the phone."

"No, it's something I want to talk about face to face."

"I said I'm sorry."

If she somehow managed to catch up to me, I would be stabbed.

...

I hope this plan goes flowingly...

Current balance: 798,140 ¶¶

Chapter 1.7 - Edge Of The Knife

"What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear someone say the word 'underwear'?"

"Indecent thoughts." Horikita clicked a little bit of the blade from her NT cutter and pointed towards me.

Sigh.

In the end, Horikita caught up to me, the NT cutter almost stabbing my arm. Fortunately, I ran towards Keyaki mall where it was crowded. I figured that she wouldn't dare to assault me if I was in a public place. It was also my scheme to invite her to the café in order to cool her down and talk things through. Horikita ordered a cappuccino while I ordered a cup of tea.

I took a sip from my cup, progressively organizing my thoughts.

"Alright, first of all, when you think about the word "underwear", the first thing that comes in your mind should be a piece of 'cloth', right?"

"And your point is?" Horikita gave me an even sharper glare than before.

"When you think about 'clothes' in particular, like before a game of rock-paper-scissor, what would be the first thing that crosses your mind?" I continued.

"I don't think I understand the point you're trying to make."

"Think harder, Horikita-san. 'Clothes' and 'Rock-paper-scissor', there's an obvious similarity between them."

After I gave her a hint, Horikita thought to herself for some moment. There was an obvious reason behind the action I took earlier.

To ask someone specifically about a 'clothes' before a game of rock-paper-scissor could only mean one thing.

"Ah." it seems she had finally found the answer.

"When you think about clothes, you also think about scissors, is that what you were trying to say?"

"Indeed." a classic psychological trick for winning a game of rock-paper-scissor.

"But even if you say that, something's not adding up. Why did Ayanokouji-kun choose paper instead of scissor then?"

"That's simple. Ayanokouji already knew about the trick."

"Huh? Ayanokouji-kun did? Aozaki-kun, are you sure you're not bantering some random nonsense?"

I put my cup down on the table.

"Horikita-san. In order to counter a scissor, you need to play a rock. And to counter a rock, you need play a paper.

It was no coincidence when he chose paper and why I chose scissor."

"I-is that so?"

Yes, in the end it was just a battle of wits.

"But how could you have been so sure that Ayanokouji would choose to play paper and nothing else?"

"That's easy, it was a gamble."

"What? So you're saying that everything was pointless?" Horikita was getting bewildered everytime I revealed a new piece of information.

"I didn't say that, Horikita-san. The results weren't completely up to the binomial distribution after all. In the end, I had two absolute choices.

Either, he would play scissors and I would play rock.

Or, he would play paper to counter my supposed rock, while I would play scissors to counter his paper again.

It was a 50-50 chance, I merely picked the one that seemed more logical."

I picked up the cup, took a sip from the lukewarm tea. That was too much detail for a simple game of rock-paper-scissor.

Horikita was seemingly amazed.

"Aozaki-kun, you honestly surprised me."

"Hmm... Why?"

"I thought you and Ayanokouji-kun were both idiots. But it seems that you two are quite intelligent as well."

"I'll take that as a compliment I guess."

"Are you two perhaps smarter than you show?"

She was sharp, as expected.

"I wouldn't be so sure. That trick isn't much of a secret though, it's actually pretty well known, you know?"

"But the way you explained and the way you two played..."

"I wonder if I'll be a good teacher someday..."

As I continued to feign ignorance, Horikita kept glaring at me in annoyance.

"Anyways, I think that should explain my reason behind the 'underwear' business."

I finished my tea and got up.

"Wait just a moment, Aozaki-kun."

"Eh?"

"Granted, you used that tactic to win the match. But you're yet to answer one question."

I was kind of hoping for her to avoid that.

"Why did you use my name specifically?"

Horikita also stood up. Her right hand looked scarier than ever.

"It just came out naturally, no reason specifically."

"..."

The situation was getting horrifyingly dangerous. In order to deescalate, I decided to walk towards the counter and pay for both orders.

"As an apology, I have paid for your cappuccino."

Horikita was still silent, avoiding eye contact with me. That was a warning. If I didn't flee from that place immediately, I would undoubtedly regret it.

As she was intentionally avoiding eye contact, I used that chance to escape as silently as possible.

••••••••

"Ayanokouji."

Ayanokouji was standing by the entrance of the Keyaki mall, as I requested. I needed to discuss matter regarding the future.

"How did it go?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oh.. so it was that bad."

"Let's go."

It was already late evening, the sun was a finger away from the horizon. The setting sun and the escaping sunrays painted the sky with a vermilion touch. A nostalgic memory.

The memory of the day I was stabbed to my demise.

We started our discussion while walking towards our dormitory.

"First of all, what do you think about the current situation regarding this school?"

I needed to confirm the latent doubt that he had about the S-system.

"Are you talking about the question you asked Chiyabashira-sensei yesterday?"

"What do you think? Are we going to receive the same amount of points next month?"

He paused for a moment, possibly thinking about the issue at hand. I was pretty sure, with an observation skill like his, he should've already made a theory by then.

"What do you think?" he decided to reply with a reiteration of my own question.

"If you want me to give you a simple answer, no."

"Do you have a reason to think that?"

"Don't feign ignorance, Ayanokouji. We both noticed the 'free items' section from the store yesterday. Besides, I'm pretty sure you have noticed the hidden camera on top of your forehead."

"Is there supposed to be some sort of hidden meaning behind them?"

"The camera screams the message, 'we are always watching'. We were being monitored from the very moment we stepped inside this school."

"Oh..."

"I'd much rather you stop pretending to not know. I know about you more than you think I know."

Ayanokouji, was the protagonist of the novel. He personally narrated the events happening around him and how he does things. I knew what he was thinking given that I was already aware of what his though process was.

The character Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was nothing more than just a character from a light novel.

He visibly sighed.

"So, what do you want to do?"

"I was going to ask that question to you. Do you have some idea of sorts?"

"Well, I have a number of ideas prepared. I just wanted to ask your's to compare, I guess?"

At first, I wanted to leave things as they were, to teach everyone about the importance of private points and class points. But then I changed my mind afterwards.

"In that case, how about we establish a leader?"

"A leader?"

"Someone who is capable of unifying the class as a whole."

'A leader who could lead the class towards victory' is what I would call ourselves. No, more realistically we needed someone who could persuade the majority of the class into doing whatever we ordered, however we intended.

We needed a perfect puppet to gain control over the entire class D.

"Do you have someone in mind?" he asked.

"For starters, let's begin with Hirata."

Hirata Yousuke was a born leader, a boy who would go through hell for his classmates. He would do just about anything if it meant improvement for his classmates.

That means, if we managed to make him believe in our actions, he would quite possibly distribute the orders to the others with maximum efficiency, all while keeping up the role of a 'leader'. On that aspect, he was also the easiest target to manipulate.

"He is the most suitable one to be the leader, I'll have to give you that."

"But the question is, how do we know if he wants to take the role."

"Simple. You don't tell the leader to become the leader. Leadership is something that happens naturally, all we need to do is give him a small push." he explain in one breath.

"Understood."

"In that case, that small push would be..."

"What if we give him a reality check? That should do the trick."

"Exactly."

We were walking side by side, discreetly making our conversation. The sun had already set, darkness started crawling out from the shadows. In a few steps we had finally reached the dormitory.

"Isn't that Kushida standing there?"

"That's Kikyo for sure."

"Hee... So you both are on first name basis already?" Ayanokouji gave me a suspecting glance.

"It's a long story."

Noticing us, she smiled like the moment when a cameraman asks someone to smile for the camera. A smile that doesn't reach the eyes, a façade.

"I'm so glad! I was waiting for you, Levent-kun. You too, Ayanokouji-kun. There's something I wanted to talk to you about. Do you have a minute?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure..." Ayanokouji replied while glancing at me, his face was telling me, "am I a third wheel here?"

"I'll just ask you outright. Levent-kun, have you seen Horikita-san smile even once?"

A mental image of Horikita's sadistic smile came to my mind. It was from the moment when I almost choked on a bread.

"Her smile is devious like a demon's, that's for sure."

"Right? wait, wha- umm... I'm sorry. I just... didn't expect that answer."

"It's okay. She only smiles when the other are suffering." Ayanokouji replied.

"A sadist. A sadist, I tell you!"

"Hehehe..." she snickered.

I wonder if that was a fake too...

"Oh.. sorry. It's just... you two seem to get along well with Horikita-san."

"I think you're getting the wrong impression here. While we do talk from time to time, she made herself very clear that we are not friends."

"Not even acquaintances." I corrected.

"You know, I...I want to become friends with Horikita-san," she lied.

I knew her personality down to detail. At that moment, there was nothing is this world that she hated more than Horikita. She was a bogus, a phony, a janus faced girl. If I had the option to, I would've immediately called demise on her.

"So you want us to help you make friends with Horikita-san?" Kikyo nodded in response.

However, from a realistic perspective, she was an important asset for our plan. It wouldn't be rational to dispose of a potentially useful character like Kikyo.

As a reader, I could only read so much about the background characters, the one's who were always kept in the dark. Those 'classmates' didn't matter when they were simply mobs in the light novel. But at that current situation, they played an important role in building up our class. In order to gain information and influence over those 'classmates', there was no other choice but to rehabilitate her.

Besides, she would turn out to be a perfect pet.

"But as I mentioned, we're not even acquaintances. And given what I did earlier, she hates me even more now. I'm sure she wouldn't hesitate to even kill me to be honest."

"Won't you...help me?" this time she asked Ayanokouji.

"Uh..." he looked towards me.

I kept signalling him, "No, don't do this!", "She'll kill me, for sure!", "No, means no!".

"I understand how you feel, Kushida, but..." he tried to deny, but...

"So that means...you can't?"

That was when Kikyo took advantage of a virgins heart. With a combination of puppy eyes, a pleading look and a "I'm a maiden in love" type of pose, she captivated my Ayanokouji.

"Well, I guess we don't have a choice. Just this once, okay?" as expected from a virgin.

I sighed.

"Right. We'll do our best, just don't expect anything from us, Kikyo."

"Really?! Oh, thank you, Levent-kun, Ayanokouji-kun!" she cried.

I wonder how her other janus face looked like behind the mask.

"So, what exactly are we going to do? Even if you say you want to be friends with her, it's not that simple." Ayanokouji said.

"You're probably right... Well, first I think we should try to make Horikita-san smile,"

"Do something to look like you're in a jeopardy and she would give you the biggest smile in the world." I spoke from experience.

"Now, now Levent-kun. We're talking about this seriously. Please don't joke around like that." what did I do?

"In any case, to make Horikita smile, huh?" Ayanokouji thought to himself loudly.

"Do you have any idea?"

I shrugged. The only idea I had, other than being a masochist was to help her reconcile with President Manabu, which I would do only after I was done with my plan.

"Well, anyway, after class, I'm going to try inviting Horikita out again." Ayanokouji continued

"If we wind up back at the dorms, though, I'll have no idea what to do. Is there any place that she wants to go to?"

"Ah. Well then, how about Palate? I've gone to Palate often, and Horikita-san might have overheard us talking about it before."

If I remember correctly, Palate was the café Horikita and I had our date earlier. Which means...

"If I may, I would advise you not to use that place to instigate your 'friendship' with Horikita-san." I gave my opinion.

"Huh? But why?"

"Trust me, anywhere but Palate would do. How about the restaurant on the ground floor? I mean if she ordered something, she wouldn't be able to leave until she was finished. Besides, it's as they say, "The way to a someone's heart is through their stomach."

"I think it was something about a man though."

"It goes the same for everyone."

I mean who wouldn't love to eat? Psychology says that eating temporarily relieves someone from anger, stress and anxiety. A special sort of chemical name "dopamine" is released when we eat, which makes us stimulate the feeling of happiness.

But I wonder if the same case would apply for tsunderes like Horikita.

"Jokes aside, I really think this might actually work." Ayanokouji reaffirmed.

"Ooh! That certainly sounds like it would work! Both of you are so smart!" she cried.

"In any case, I think it would be better if you two approached Horikita-san without me."

"Why would it be better?"

"That's a secret between Horikita and I"

Something tells me she would behead me with her NT cutter on the spot if she learned that all of it was my idea.

"Oh, is that so? In that case wish me luck, Levent."

"Levent, are you sure?"

I knew that this could only end well, so I decided not to interfere. Ayanokouji bought this upon himself, in that case I should also let him figure this out by himself.

"Good luck."

I'll pay for your funeral.

••••••••

The next day I came to the school early. Before I entered the class, I checked to see if she was inside or not. Her seat was empty, so I thought she wasn't there. The entire class was empty.

I sighed in relief, knowing that Horikita's stubbornness was on a whole other level.

I went to my seat, hung my bag and closed my eyes to rest.

But just when I thought things were getting better...

"It seems you're here, Aozaki-kun."

Hearing that voice I instinctively moved my arm.

Pluck!

When I opened my eyes, I saw a compass stuck in my desk, an a hand trying to pull the compass. If I was even a millisecond late, that would've been my hand.

Horikita pulled the compass out of the desk and pointed towards me again.

"Huh?"

I don't understand. What I said shouldn't be taken as anything more than just a joke. It was a harmless joke. Why was she so obsessed with her superiority complex? Why was she so persistent? Did I do that big of a crime to deserve that?

"Stop evading your punishment, Aozaki-kun."

Aozaki-kun...

Aozaki...

...

...

...

...

[The Headhunter]'s son, aren't you?

"..."

Change of plans. I'm doing it now!

"Wh- Huh? Aozaki-kun, what are you--?"

I took the stab with my left palm, but further than that, I caught her arm and strengthened my gripping, little by little.

"Ow, it hurts! Aozaki-kun, let me go!"

"..."

Her long round eye; I could see everything right through her soul. I pushed her down with the sharpest glare I could ever give.

"Stop."

"What?"

"Don't call me by that name, ever."

Current balance: 797,870 ¶¶

Chapter 1.8 - Outburst

There was no one inside the class, it was just me and the other person who stood right in front of me. He had grabbed my arm right before I could stab him with a compass. At first I was surprised by how strong his grip strength was.

It goes without saying that I tried to free myself almost instantly, but to no avail. However, everytime I attempted to move he would grip my hand even harder than before. The compass that was in between our hands was causing immense pain, as the corner of a handle was digging deeper and deeper into my fingers. It wasn't too long before I could barely stand the pain.

"Ow, it hurts! Aozaki-kun, let me go."

But it was at that moment I noticed something that sent chills down my spine.

I went too far.

The compass that I was holding... it didn't miss his hand. It had already penetrated through his left palm, deep enough to come out from the other side. Fresh warm blood was seeping out of his grip throughout the gaps of his fingers. There was no room for doubt about that being unthinkably painful.

I, then had realized how childish of a person I was to inflict such a damage upon Aozaki-kun. I only wanted to stay isolated, to make him stop approaching me. That's why I tried to intimidate him by doing this.

And thus, I, Horikita Suzune, ended up doing something that I regretted with all my heart.

However, something was not right. He was not behaving like a normal human being.

Instead of acting like the other's who would undoubtedly be crying or screaming in agony, he remained in absolute silence, not as far as to even grunt. His face did not twitch even the slightest in pain. His expression was calm, composed and collected, as if nothing happened.

On the other hand, he kept increasing the strength of his grip of that hand. The pain was getting unbearable with every single second that passed. At some point, I couldn't feel anything but pain. My face twisted in agony.

As he noticed this, he had finally stopped putting force on his grip. I was relieved of his monstrous grip strength. But before I could say anything, he said...

"Stop."

He finally spoke, but... he sounded different than the way he usually did.

He spoke with a cold and sharp voice, like a sharp edged knife crafted from an icicle. The monotone of his voice that contained no emotion, was now filled with anger, darkness and intimidation. This one word all by itself shared the message, "this is serious.".

His voice sent chills down the deepest corners of my spine.

"What?" I asked, confused.

But when I looked at him, all of my thoughts automatically came to standstill.

There was an incomprehensible darkness surrounding his face. His dark blue eyes, blank like an empty void, glaring at me with the sharpest and narrowest glare I could ever imagine. I felt like he could tear my soul apart into the tiniest bits if I were to show even the slightest of movement.

I could only wait for his answer in silence. He parted his lips.

"Don't call me by that name, ever."

That name? Aozaki?

I became even more confused. I wondered why he didn't want me to call him by his family name. Did he perhaps hate that?

"Why do you not want me to call you by that name?" I asked.

"Because I told you. Nothing more, nothing less."

"I don't understa--" I was cut off mid sentence.

"Am I understood?"

"Wha--?"

"AM I UNDERSTOOD?" he asked.

No matter how much I tried, not a single word would come out from my mouth. I couldn't even move a mussel to nod, like I was paralyzed.

A person like Levent-kun, who I thought was nothing more than just an average Joe, had put me under such immense pressure. It became painfully clear that I must've been too naïve with my judgement on his personality.

"sigh"

All of a sudden he moved our arms toward the other direction. Then he sluggishly raised his other hand.

I initially thought that he would hit me, so I frantically shielded myself with my other arm. But seemingly, he didn't. Instead, he was trying to point me towards something. As I traced the line of his pointer finger, I soon realized what he was trying to show me.

"Do you see the camera?" he asked.

"Y-yes, I noticed."

There was a camera hanging on the ceiling, perfectly hidden from our vision. It was right above Ayanokouji-kun's seat, perfectly blending with it's surroundings. If he hadn't specifically pointed that out to me, I wonder if I would ever notice something like that.

"Then, do you know what this means?"

This time he gestured towards the other arm, the arm that the compass was sticking out of.

The one that.

I..

Stabbed...

"N-no... T-this can't..." he raised his eyebrows.

"Oh? So it seems like you're finally caught up." he calmly said.

He released his grip.

I quickly pulled my arm away from his. When I looked at my palm, it was painted in crimson, covered with his fresh, deoxidized blood. His blood had already clogged on my hand, sticking out like glue.

Then I looked back at his. The compass was still sticking out of his palm like a halfly done nail on a wall. Just looking at that made me want to vomit.

However...

"Horikita Suzune, I will report you to the school authorities for violence, assault and bullying. I have sufficient proof and several witnesses up my alley. Your expulsion is now written in stone. I hope you're prepared for that."

"H-huh?"

Wait, hold on.

Am I dreaming?

No, this can't be a dream. A dream is supposed to be a heartwarming, peaceful, place. If this was a dream, then...

...why was it full of despair?

A nightmare. Yes, that's the correct terminology. This has to be a nightmare. There's no way that this could be real. If this was just a nightmare, then all I have to do is just wake up. Everything should return back to normal if I did that, right?

I will go back to being myself. Everyone will go back to being themselves. Aozaki-kun and Ayanokouji-Kun will return to being as goofy as they always were.

That's how it works, right?

Then...

Wake up.

Wake up.

Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.
Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.
Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.
Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.
Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.
Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.
Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.

Why can't I wake up?!

WAKE UP, SUZUNE!

"No..."

My legs went numb. I collapsed on the floor.

That wasn't a dream.

That wasn't a nightmare.

That was the cold reality.

I was going to get expelled.

Am I really going to get expelled?

NO! It can't be!

I can't get expelled!

I don't want to get expelled!

This doesn't feel real!

Yes! He must be bluffing!

This is probably just one of his stupid jokes!

"T-there's no way y-you'd actually do that, right?" I asked.

He didn't respond.

"You're not serious about this, are you?"

He didn't respond.

"Say something!"

He didn't respond.

He only remained silent, while staring at me like I was a pebble lying on the sidewalk. After observing me for a while, he then turned around and kept walking towards the door without saying a word.

"W-wait!"

He continued walking.

"STOP!" I screamed.

He didn't stop, unfazed by my words. If he went through that door, everything I worked for, everything that I wanted to accomplish, will shatter in front of me.

"Please, I beg of you. Stop." I pleaded in desperation.

He stopped in front of the door.

He stopped. He stopped!

"Levent-kun, don't report this. Please, I'm sorry."

He then turned around and again looked at me with those lifeless eyes.

"After I'm done with the medical treatment, I'll be visiting the student council office to file a report. I'll be sure to notify you when I'm done with the procedure. Well then, I'll see you later, I guess." he said.

Then he left.

...

...

Student... Council...

My brother...

If I get expelled how can I ever...

Nii-san...

"St..o..op..."

No one was near me, not a single soul. I was isolated, all alone inside that unbelievably large classroom.

Just like I always wanted.

Tears rolled down my cheeks and it continued without stopping.

••••••••

When I got out of the classroom, I pulled out my phone with my remaining unharmed hand.

On an incognito tab, I entered the " secretchat " website url and logged in with my credentials. " secretchat " was an anonymous messaging service that had somehow managed to crawl through the restrictions of our school's network. On top of that, we were using a web proxy specialized in shadowing our IP addresses with randomly assigned ones.

Basically to put it in the layman's terms, we had successfully established a secured and encrypted messaging system.

Typing with one hand wasn't a feat I particularly enjoyed, however it wasn't that big of a deal.

[Are you done with Hirata ?]

I sent him a message. It took him a few seconds to respond.

AI: [I explained everything to him, just like we discussed.]

AI: [How is it on your side?]

AI was the pseudonym of Ayanokouji.

I took a picture and sent it to him. A few seconds later he replied...

AI: [You sure had it rough.]

[Nice of you to care.]

AI: [How much does it hurt?]

[As much as I imagined.]

AI: [Are you sure you're okay?]

[I had already ingested a pill of Tylenol.]

[I don't think there would be any problem for me.]

[Currently headed towards the infirmary.]

[More importantly, let's proceed to our next step.]

AI: [Are you sure?]

[Affirmative.]

AI: [...]

AI: [Are you really sure that you're okay?]

[Yes. I am fine.]

[Why do you ask?]

AI: [You're acting odd.]

AI: [Don't you think you're feeling anemic?]

[...]

AI: [I'll do my best, just don't expect anything.]

I turned off my phone.

After I carefully pulled the compass out from my hand. Almost immediately, a fountain of blood sprayed out from the wound. Fortunately, I used my handkerchief to cover my wound. I tried to hide my wound from the other passerbys. The bare minimum who managed to notice it looked at me with concern on their face and asked me questions regarding my welfare. Of course, I denied most of them, until I met Ichinose.

"Oh, good morning Aoza- Oh my! Aozaki-kun!"

"Good morning, Ichinose-san."

"More importantly, what happened to you? Is that blood on your hand?"

"Nothing."

"That doesn't seem like 'nothing' to me, Aozaki-kun. Honestly, tell me what happened?"

I guess there's no way out of this.

"I tripped and fell down the stairs. My hand just happened to land on a sharp edge, that's all. It's just a scratch, there's nothing to worry about." I hid the compass on one of my pockets.

"Oh.. I.. I see." Ichinose didn't buy any of it.

"Well then, I'll.."

"In any case, you should rush to the infirmary. Here, come with me, Aozaki-kun."

"Eh?"

Ichinose immediately grabbed my arm and started dragging me towards the infirmary. She truly was ruthless when it came down to helping others.

"But Ichinose-san, I 'was' going towards the infirmary. Are you sure it's fine? Don't you have your class to attend?"

"It's only 8. There's still a ton of time. I could easily catch up to my homeroom by then, so you don't have to worry about it."

That's not it Ichinose.

"It's fine and all. But are you sure you're okay with this? People could start spreading rumors about you if we keep holding hands like this."

"Oh? Are you perhaps worried about that?"

"No, it's not that I'm worried about myself. I was just asking if you were okay with that."

"People will be people. They'll spread rumors no matter what you do. Besides, this isn't the time to think about rumors."

I was dumbfounded by that girl's reasoning. Her sweet citrus scent and pink blond hair fluttered on my hand. The girl in front of me was none other than the character Ichinose Honami, someone who would never leave anyone behind who are in need of her help.

"You're a good person, Ichinose-san."

"Eh? Um... Thank you. But... I'm really not as good as you make of me."

Ichinose tightened her grip. Apparently she felt uncomfortable when I complemented her.

"I see."

There was a hidden message behind her words, which I couldn't help but agree with. Even Ichinose had a past that she wanted to protect. A past about the time she stole earrings from an accessories shop.

"No man's truly a saint." is what I had interpreted in my mind.

Humans are not perfect. We were born with both good and evil. The only difference is the matter of fact that some of them end up on the former majority, while the others turn out to be on the latter majority. But even so, there's no absolute good or evil, and there's definitely no in-betweens. Humans are a combination of both good and evil.

Sometimes, even the pious church leaders are caught doing inhumane deeds, while sometimes even the cruelest gang leaders are seen feeding stray animals.

"To contradict is what makes us human". This statement stands corrected for every single character in this novel. And by no means, not even Ichinose was an exception.

But then again...

"You did something not everyone would be willing to do. That is something you should be proud of, Ichinose-san."

"Heh.. I'm just doing what I should be. There's nothing to be proud of that."

"That's not true. I'm speaking from experience."

The students I had passed earlier, even after noticing my condition none of them came to my aid like Ichinose. Some of them came as far as to ask if I was okay but, that was the limit of their kindness. And I'm sure even if someone did come, they would probably do it against their will.

"No, no. I'm sure even if I didn't, someone else would've come to your help. We're all in this together, aren't we?"

Sigh.

"I suppose I can't persuade you to think like that, huh?"

"Hehe~ Glad that you understand, Aozaki-kun."

That name again.

"Ichinose-san, I'm sorry if I sound rude but, I don't feel comfortable when someone calls me by that name. Could you please call me Levent. I grew up being called by that name. I know this is an odd request, but I would appreciate it."

"No, no. It's fine, you don't have to apologize. I should be the one to apologize for making you uncomfortable."

I felt like a scum of the world for asking such an uncomfortable favor from someone who was genuinely trying to help me.

But I just... couldn't stand hearing that woman's name.

Because of that, the air had become awkward between us. I tried to change topics.

"Ichinose-san, tell me about your classmates."

"Well, I think all of my classmates are very nice people. All of us are getting along well with each other. And I'm proud to say all of my classmates are my friends."

"Ehh?? All of them?"

"That's right. I cherish all of them as friends."

"I see."

...

"I wish I had a quarter of them" I mumbled to myself.

"Did you say something, Levent-kun?"

"No, it was nothing."

We kept the conversation running until we finally reached the infirmary. After dropping me off, Ichinose said farewell and left for her class.

I called absence for the day due to my treatment.

••••••••

It was already evening. After the effects of the medicine wore off, I woke up with bandages covering my left arm. Strangely it didn't feel weird or odd or anything like that. Instead, it felt nostalgic.

I was lying on the bed, contemplating what had happened earlier. Why did I lose composure all of a sudden? The existence of that woman ended as soon as I transmigrated. Why do I care about that name anyway?

This is troublesome. Now that I've done it, there's no way left for me but to do 'that'.

I got up from the bed and checked my phone. Ayanokouji messaged me saying...

AI: [It's done.]

I checked the clock, it was only 10 minutes prior to 5 pm. Apparently I was lucky enough to wake up right before the classes had ended.

After taking my prescription and some medicines from the nurse, I took my leave. I was headed straight towards the gymnasium. When I got out of the building, the classes had already broke and students were pouring out of their classrooms.

While I was walking, I was reminded of the fact that I had forgotten about my bag that I left in the classroom after the incident took place. A part of me wanted to go and bring it back.

But a part of me also believed that Ayanokouji would bring that back to the dormitory for me. So I continued walking towards the gymnasium without stopping.

When I entered the gym, the sports club members were getting prepared for their club activities. I managed to get through the backdoor without being noticed.

The place I had in mind was the spot that had no cameras, where Sudou was being set-up in the light novel. This time however, I was the one to set-up the trap for Horikita.

When I reached the spot, I didn't even need to look. She was there, just like she was instructed. Ayanokouji did his part, now it was my turn.

I slowly approached her, she noticed me. When I got close enough she reluctantly came towards me.

"Good afternoon, Levent-kun. Is your wound okay?"

"Did Ayanokouji message you?"

I immediately went straight to the point. My sudden forcefulness seemed to catch her off guard. The method I was using required pressurizing the target. Which is why I didn't care if I was being rude or not.

"Yes. He said you agreed to not report me to the school. Is that true?"

"That depends."

"What do mean by that?"

"It depends entirely on which direction you decide to take this conversation.

Ayanokouji merely delayed your expulsion and persuaded me to at least try to negotiate with you.

In a sense, you are still standing here because of him. If he isn't a true friend, then I don't know who is."

"Ayanokouji-kun... did that?"

"Yes. He did. You should've seen how serious he was when he was talking about friendships and bonds and whatnot." I lied through my teeth.

Basically, I was trying to make her feel indebted to Ayanokouji. That way we could both manipulate her whenever we find fit.

It was also a way for me to make a flowery "let's win through the power of friendship" type of impression on Ayanokouji.

"But honestly, I don't consider any of them when it comes to you. You're a phony after all."

I suddenly grabbed her phone from her hand and turned on the screen. Horikita's eyes widened in panic as I did that.

"Stop! Don't!"

She tried to grab it back but it was useless. I knew what she was trying to do. I was already aware of her tendencies to use underhanded methods like what she was trying to do with me. But even if she did, it wouldn't do any help to her in anyway.

"As expected. My impression of you just got worse."

"T-that's... that."

"That? You mean recording the voice if I accidentally slipped anything? Well then, be my guest."

I returned her phone. She retrieved it with shakey hands.

"I'm sorry. I didn't.."

"I initially wanted to negotiate with you but now I've changed my mind. For you, there's no hope for redemption. I will go back to my original plan to expell you. Now, you may die hugging onto those false hopes you have fabricated inside your mind."

I turned around and started walking above the stairs.

I was only a few steps above when suddenly, I felt a pull on the hem of my uniform. Of course it was all part of the plan. I never intended to actually leave. To make Horikita completely hopeless was the plan. I coldly looked back.

"..."

But to say the very least, just looking at her face completely dissolved in despair, actually made me quite surprised.

"Stop! Don't go, not again! I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry! Please! I will do anything! Please stop!" she shouted while crying.

Horikita was... crying.

Horikita Suzune was crying.

The cold ice queen who barely showed any emotion towards me, was now bawling her eyes in front of me.

That...

That was...

That was something I...

...

...

...wanted to see from the very beginning.

"Anything, huh?"

I grabbed her by the shirt and pushed her against the wall. Then I looked dead in her wet and teary eyes. My wounds were probably undone due to the sudden movement, pain shrieked throughout my arm again. But now, I couldn't care less about the pain. My goal was right in front of me.

That's right, Horikita.

Break.

Break into small pieces.

Break into pieces so small that it would seem almost impossible to reintegrate them.

And after you're done breaking, I will put you back together.

That is how I, will personally form you into a perfect puppet!

Current balance: 794, 630 ¶¶

Chapter 1.9 - Levent's Insanity

T/W: Contains offensive content (ie. sexual violence, threats, assault), and quite frankly, this chapter is poorly written. If you're not okay with dark scenarios, please skip this chapter.

"Anything, huh?" I said emotionlessly. My eyes were devoid of anything. They became hollow pockets.

"W-What?"

Horikita sensed the change in the air. She knew there was something wrong and quickly moved her arms in front of herself. A classic defense mechanism.

But it didn't matter.

I quickly moved in front of her and pushed her against the wall, pinning both of her arms above her head with my left hand. I leaned forward.

"S-Stop! What are you doing!?"

"Let me begin by asking you this, Horikita Suzune." I began my forced interrogation. "Do you understand how this school works?"

"H-huh?"

"Class A, B, C, D. All academic years are differentiated by these four classes in this school. Each class has different individuals with different sets of skills and personalities. Perfectly normal, just like every other normal class in every other normal school in this country. But is that really the case?"

"That... that's correct. What's the meaning of this, Levent-kun?"

"I see. But remember Horikita. This is Ikusei Kyoudo National High School, Tokyo. A government-sponsored, arguably the best educational institution in Japan. A high school that holds a ridiculous hundred percent acceptance rate in college/job sectors. Not only that, we live in those lavish dormitories free of charge, a ridiculous amount of money provided to us 'every month', high-quality facilities with affordable expenditure etcetera etcetera... Just getting accepted here means a free ticket to a better life. I'm sure most of my classmates have interpreted it like this. But I wonder, I just wonder how brandish that fantasy world sounds like."

"What are you talking about?" Horikita probed me, visibly confused.

"Have you not wondered why the school seems so lenient in hindsight? Why are they not taking any action against the ignorant bunch? Why are they giving us so much freedom?"

"..."

"Do you want to know?" I asked coldly.

My job was to forcefully feed her all the information. It was still more than two weeks away from the revelation. But I had concluded it to be fruitless if I waited that long. It was a huge mistake not to probe Chabashira in the first place. I cursed myself for trying to portray myself as "John Doe".

Just, what kind of arrogant fool was I, back then?

Horikita nodded, reluctantly.

"Then, let's get started..." I began my explanation.

"First hint, I'm sure you must've noticed the 'free items' section in the convenience store during our third fateful meeting. And the question I raised during sensei's briefing. Do you remember them?"

"Yes. I do remember."

"Then, you may be asking yourself, what are the meaning behind those abnormalities? Simple, it indicated that we would not be receiving the same amount of points at the end of each month. It means we're going to receive a different amount of points, quite possibly lower, judging by the 'free items' section. But that raises another question, how will the amount change? On what basis?"

"That's..."

"Second hint," before she could answer, I interrupted. "I'm sure you must've noticed it by now. How the entire school seems to have developed this passive aggressiveness toward us. No, toward the title 'class D' itself. This condescending outlook holds true to all the other academic years too, not just the first years. Compared to that, apparently, our seniors hold class A in incredibly high regard. Is there a reason for that?"

"So you're saying... class A is superior to all classes?"

"Spot on. You always catch things fast. That's what I genuinely admire about you. Do enlighten me, your highness. What are the differences between us and class A?"

"I... I... don't, know."

Hm? She didn't come with a reply? I honestly expected her to be more capable. Maybe I'm still overestimating her.

"Of course, you don't. Not because you're unaware. It's because you're afraid. But don't worry, I'll tell you clearly..." Even if it means tearing your ears apart.

"I did some investigation on the residents of this school. From my research, I have found a piece of eye-opening information. We all know that this school runs on a point-based system. But there's also an element called "class points". Each point is worth a thousand points. Apparently, we receive our monthly allowance according to the amount of class points we have. At the beginning of the month, we were given 100,000 private points. By that logic, I'm sure we had 1000 class points back then. But now, I'm sure we would be seeing a huge downward spike in that number."

"Why would that happen?"

"There are cameras everywhere. The school is always monitoring us. Our behavior, attendance records, test results, social activities... all of them will most likely prove to be catalysts to our point evaluation. Thus, that would be our downfall. There's also a hierarchy, a ranking system based on points to put it simply. Judging by the chronological order, class A is at the top of the rank, while class D is at the dead bottom. Don't misunderstand, this is not a baseless hierarchy. In fact, the school itself engineered this hierarchy."

"The school did that?"

"Precisely. Class A consists of all the extraordinary and capable students from the entire year. Every single one of them excels at both academics and athletics. I may even dub them 'the high-quality batch'. From there, the quality consequently degrades, leaving us to be the worst of them all. In short, all of us in class D, we're nothing but defects ."

Horikita's eyes raised in shock and realization. Her pride and ego surfaced over this hopeless situation.

"No! That's not true! I refuse to acknowledge this! You're just making that up!"

"No, you're the one in denial. If we were to bet each other's soul in this, then I'd bet an extra arm and leg without having a single bit of hesitation. That's how confident I am."

"You're lying! I'm not a-! This must be a mistake!"

You wish...

"I bet you've always wondered why you were surrounded by a group of ignoramus children who are incapable of comprehending the most obvious of hints, haven't you?" My eyes narrowed to their thinnest. "Well surprise, that's because you are one of them. A resident jack-of-the-trade, foolish, arrogant rabble!"

"W-wh-wha?" Horikita's mouth was agape as if she was not expecting those words to come out of me. Her sweat and tears began rolling down my fingers.

"You are immature, Horikita. Your thought process is painfully comparable to an infant's. Your stubbornness and your superiority complex are nothing but an annoying drag. You take everyone's kindness for granted and throw it like it's nothing. For that reason alone, everyone hates you. You have no social standing. Even if you don't see it, I can see why you were placed in class D. Make no mistake, the school did not make any mishaps in placing you here. This is where you truly belong, Horikita."

"I don't belong here! I'm not a defect! I'm nothing like you!"

"Is that so? Then answer this question, why did you choose to come to this school specifically?"

"I... I'm here for... the same reason why everyone is here," she replied while averting her eyes. She's lying.

"You're lying. In actuality, you're chasing after someone, aren't you?"

"N-no... I'm not!"

Grabbing both of her cheeks with my free hand, I forced her to look me in the eyes. "Then say it to me, looking straight into my eyes without stuttering!" I commanded.

"I... I... I am not."

Where is the prideful ice queen that punched a hole in my hand?

"I've created a hypothesis, Horikita." I sighed. "The reason behind your obsession with being isolated. Your superiority complex is something that was derived from someone else, wasn't it?" I said in an icy cold tone.

She glared at me, her eyes full of tears. After all these years of maintaining a strong fortitude, she had finally shown a crack in her defense. I just needed to break them one by one.

"I will take a completely random guess. It's because you have feelings for your brother, isn't it?"

"H-huh? N-no! I don't!" Again, her eyes were jittering from left to right, proving exactly the point I was trying to make. Who knew that her brother complex would actually turn out to be canonical?

But then again...

"I see. Well then, let's test it. " I moved my free hand towards her face and gently pressed it upon her lips.

Her eyes widened in horror, I had cornered her in every sense of the world. We were in a completely isolated building. It was almost evening when everyone had already gone to their dorms. There was no one here to help her.

"Stop it! Stop this now!"

Horikita was frantic. Like a fish without water, she uselessly kicked her legs, but I had already shoved my right knee between her thighs. It was dangerously close to touching her crotch.

I'm sure from an outsider's perspective, it looked like sexual assault. However, I wasn't interested in her body.

I was interested in seeing something entirely different.

She had walked straight into the demon's hand. Her body lacked the necessary strength needed to overpower me.

"L-l-let me go, Levent-kun!"

"No."

I imagined her heart pounding as I looked down. Her teeth clenched, and her legs wildly thrashed around, but all of it was a futile effort. My dark gaze bore down on her unyielding eyes.

"Hold still," I commanded.

Her reaction to my supposed hypothesis was all I needed. While my thumb traced both of her lips, my palm was slowly caressing her cheeks.

"Eek!"

Every time my fingers touched her skin, she shrieked. I knew that look on her face. It was a look of panic, confusion, and fear. I've seen it multiple times when I was alive. All my victims would give me that look before I brought their utmost despair.

A sight that left a bad taste in my mouth.

"St-o-p, please!"

The lower part of her belly, specifically her belly button was her sensitive spot. I forcefully poked and started circling my fingers around it. It was a very irritating and uncomfortable sensation, especially when it was done by an outsider. There was no intention of instigating a sexual situation, but regardless, that was something I needed to do to completely deteriorate her psychological state.

After a few seconds, I put my hands on her skirt.

"STO..."

Her fear increased, her mental state deteriorated and panic arose within her. People are programmed to panic even more when their well-being is endangered.

That was more reason for me to continue.

I kept caressing both of her thighs, slowly advancing toward her upper part. Then I pressed on her left thigh.

"Kya~!"

She moaned with an unusually high-pitched voice. Her face had become completely red in embarrassment. Her breathing had become ragged. She was sweating at an unnatural rate. If I were to accurately describe her state, then I would say, "She was perfectly messed up."

There was no romance between the two of us. There was only one common trait that we had.

Despair.

"I will show you the cold and dark truth that perfectly describes your situation Horikita.."

I looked down at her.

"You are nothing but an incestuous, arrogant, and defective product of your parents."

After hearing those words, Horikita was mortified.

"No, that's not..."

"I honestly pity your brother." She looked at me with a mortified expression.

"Why is that...?"

Why?

"Because if I were to expel you, your brother president Horikita Manabu, would undoubtedly receive a huge blow. 'The sister of the student council president being the first one among the first years to get expelled' would bring quite a shame on his public standing, don't you think? His reputation, his popularity, and his pride, all of them shall be tainted because of you and your immaturity."

I paused for a while before I continued.

"He truly is unfortunate to have a defect like you as a little sister."

"Nn..no... I'm not.."

She went silent and stopped resisting, her body was completely frozen. All I did was just watch and observe, just like a scientist would watch a lab rat search for the end of a labyrinth. The torrent of tears was falling upon her already-soaked shirt. What followed was an unbroken stream of tears.

"Yes. You. Are."

I released my restraints and threw her on the ground. Horikita was in an intense episode of panic and fear. Her breathing became ragged. Every breath she took turned into sharp and shallow gasps for air as her lungs threatened to collapse due to the impending monster standing right in front of her. Her heart and mind raced against time-time that never stopped, that kept ticking away.

She looked up at me with red eyes, but all she could see was darkness. An endless abyss of infinite suffering and torture

"Get up," I commanded with a cold voice.

Her hands shook. Her feet tingled. I'm sure she wished to get away. She couldn't stand to be near me any longer. She couldn't take it.

Her breathing became even more haggard. She took deep, sometimes short erratic breaths. She couldn't control herself any longer. Horikita was in a complete mental breakdown. She cried harder and harder, clutching at her heart, her chest growing heavier as despair rose in her throat.

"Get up!"

I said with a sharper and louder voice. As a reaction, she stopped moving.

She struggled at first but slowly managed to push herself and sat down leaning against a wall. If the wall wasn't there to support her, I doubt that she could even sit properly at that moment.

"Don't run, if you try to do anything, I will expel you with everything I have."

"You... err..." She sputtered.

Rage, panic, fear, despair, her face was a mixture of all kinds of emotion. She had already realized that I was completely different from the person she had depicted me to be. However, what I intended to do would undoubtedly turn me into the worst person to ever exist near her vicinity.

A recreation of a scene from the original novel.

"Take off your skirt."

Current balance: 790, 231 ¶¶

Fragment #1 - Dance With The Devil

Lost between the borders of good and evil

Wondering if this life was even real,

W eird chills and shivers, one began to feel.

Suddenly a figure appeared in a shroud,

I n darkness, his words echoed ever so loud.

"If you dare, come closer and take a chance,

W on't you give me the pleasure of one dance?

Do not fear for I am not violent,

W hy are you the one who is silent?"

Hearing the voice the little boy jumped,

T he boy walked to the figure and raised his arm.

The figure chuckled, and revealed themselves,

The dance was with none but the devil himself.

•••••

" Tell me something interesting about that kid."

The woman asked the question. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be in her mid twenties. Her long crimson hair was tied in a ponytail. A round pair of glasses were sticking out of her face. Apparently the color orange, which was the color of her coat, bode nicely with the her hair color.

"One thing's for sure, that kid's weird as hell." The old man replied.

"He never says a single fuckin' word to nobody. He's always sittin ' there with those books of his." he replied while grooming his mustache.

The man was halfway bald with a gigantic moustache on his face. He was wearing a purple blazer, which was unbefitting to his appearance. Just like his remaining hair, his mustache also started to lose their color. His skin was akin to a wrinkled piece of sheet. Judging by his appearance one could easily guess that he was a man in his late forties.

"So he likes to read huh?"

"What can I say? He's a bookworm. He's always turnin ' papers, writin ' shit and other crap. I don't get any of 'em."

"What kind of books does he read?"

"I dunno. I can't really understand a single fuck of whatever that language is."

"I see." said the woman.

"The other brats don't really get along with 'em. They bully the living crap out of 'em every chance they get. Words can't tell how concerned we are for 'em." the man continued.

"Oh, is that so? And how does he react to his peer's?"

He rolled his mustache again, with just a bit more force this time.

"Well, if I must voice my opinion, that kid is an absolute oddball. He doesn't do a single thing. He just takes the beating like it's nothin'. I've never seen him cry, never seen him smile. Like his expression never changes, ever. His face is like a fuckin' doll. Even after he gets his ass kicked, he's apathetic to it."

" Hoh ~ What an interesting kid."

"I dunno, ma'am. Everytime I see that stone of a face, I keep gettin ' this eerie feeling. Reminds me of those children from horror films. His eyes are not of a living person. They don't have life in them. Honestly, sometimes I think those eyes are made out of pure darkness. Everytime I see 'em, they send shivers up my spine." he stopped grooming.

After hearing this, the woman enlarged her her smirk.

"Do you know the reason what made him like this?"

"R-right. I don't really know the details. But rumor has it that he's lost his entire family right in front of 'em. No, that ain't correct. The word I'm looking for should be...

...slaughtered." explained the man after a brief pause.

"The orphanage workers often gossip about 'im. Some say that he's gone nuts from the shock. Others say that the boy's tuned into stone, a sculpture. He's hardened himself to the very core of his soul. He's like an empty shell, like an actual flippin ' dead body walking."

"Oh, that's so unfortunate of him!"

"Y'know, for real though. I really feel bad for that kid. Not only did he lose his entire family, but to witness them die? I'm sure it was like hell." he looked down as he said those words.

"And? What happened next?" she continued with her usual monotonous tone.

"..." In reply, the man could only stay silent. After witnessing the insensitivity of that woman, who wouldn't be.

"Don't keep me waiting, Emir-bey. Just tell me everything that you know."

"T-that's all I have, ma'am." the man, who's name was apparently Emir, replied.

"Hmm, is that so?" she sounded disappointed, but her face screamed otherwise. It was an excited one, as if she had finally found the item that she had been looking for a long time.

She stood up from the chair.

After stretching her body and letting out a moan, she finally spoke...

"Bring the kid here. I want to personally meet him."

"R-right. Miray !" Emir shouted. A few seconds later, young woman who also happened to be in a suit, entered the room.

"Did you call me, Emir-bey?"

"Yes. Go to the library and bring that bookworm kid here. Make sure that he's presentable before coming." he gave instructions to the assistant.

"I will, sir. Excuse me." she said before she rushed out of the room.

After waiting for approximately two minutes, a knock was finally heard on the door.

"C'mon in." said Emir.

The door slowly opened as a small figure revealed themselves. He sluggishly approached the people inside the room.

The boy seemed to be within ten to twelve years of age. He had a small and skinny build with an unnaturally pale skin. His hair was dark black, shining as the light reflected on them. The hair overgrew quite a bit, starting to curl up a little due to not combing for a long time. Surprisingly, his ruffled hair made him look even cuter.

"Oh, what a cute boy! Hello!" the woman screamed in an amused tone.

In reaction to that, the boy kept staring at her with a confused look. Emir laughed in amusement.

"Hahahaha. It's useless. This brat wouldn't talk to anyone."

"It's okay. Let's give him some time." she said to Emir.

She knelt down on the floor, close enough to the boys eye level.

"Let's start over again. Hello. My name is Aozaki Touko . Nice to meet you!"

The boy simply nodded as a reply.

"I came here from Japan to personally meet you. You know, you're a really cute boy. Can you tell me what is your name is?"

The boy still remained in complete silence.

"Nice try ma'am. But I bet you, he definitely won't tal -"

"My name is Levent." the boy finally spoke.

"..."

Emir was flabbergasted by the boy's sudden response. He was not expecting that.

"Oh, so you're name is Levent. Nice to meet you, Levent-kun!" Touko replied.

"Wait wait wait. So now you decide to fuckin' talk, eh? I bet it's because of that beautiful nee-san over there. You're quite the sleezer , aren't ya, Levent?" he grumbled.

"Now now, I'm flattered that you think that I'm beautiful. But let's just be glad that he's finally talking to us, more specifically me." Touko giggled.

"Sure. Whatever."

And so, with a huge smile on her face, she then turned back to Levent again.

"So Levent-kun. Look how much you've grown! Can you please tell your nee-san how old you are?"

"..." he did not reply.

"Um, Levent-kun?"

"..." he merely stared at her, uninterested.

"And there he goes again. He's an oddball, I tell you! He's like a broken doll." Emir snickered.

"Moshi mosh~ Earth to Levent-kun~" Touko waved her hand in front of him.

"A request, if I may?" the boy suddenly asked out of nowhere.

"Ah.. Yey! You finally spoke!" she couldn't hide her excitement.

"I mean, sure. Anything for you." the woman replied in a relived tone.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I want you to answer a few questions, if that's okay with you."

"Okay? Go ahead. I will try to answer it with full honesty." Touko replied while fixing her glasses.

"Then..." Levent opened his mouth. After listening to him, everyone inside the room could only stand still, surprised.

"Come again? I don't think I understand your question." Touko replied, seemingly confused.

"Who are you? What is your business with me?" he repeated.

"Ahahaha... Well-" Touko gave a nervous laugh after listening to that boy's question again.

"Oi, Levent! Have you completely lost it? Who the hell asks questions like that to someone who came to meet you!?" Emir scolded Levent.

"Calm down, Emir-bey. His confusion is understandable." added Touko.

"But-"

"It's okay, Levent-kun. As I said before, my name is Touko Aozaki . I originally came from Japan. When your father was visiting my country, he and I were the best of friends." Touko replied with a cutesy tone. Of course, Levent only grew apathetic towards her.

"Then why did you pretend that you don't know me?" he asked with dropping a beat.

"Well... It's because..." she stammered.

"I really didn't know you until recently. Your father only told me that he had two children, but that's all. It was only recent news that made me run all the way here."

"Is that so?" he replied.

After a long pause of silence, Levent finally parted his lips.

"And? What is your reason for being here now?"

" Levent!" Emir shouted before Touko gestured him to stop. Like a loyal pet, he sat back and started pinching his lips in frustration.

"Before your father and I parted, he made me promise that I would take care of you in case he wasn't there." she took a brief pause.

"After I heard the news, I was truly shocked. Not only your parents, but your little sister was a victim too! Hearing that, I couldn't hold my tears anymore. Honestly, how cruel can this world be? That's just too much! I'm truly sorry for your loss, Levent-kun." she looked down.

But, Levent didn't show any reaction to that information. He was apathetic to everything she was saying. All that he was focusing on was the answers he desired. Nothing else mattered.

"So you want to take me with you, is that correct?" he muttered.

"Yes. Levent-kun, I promise I'll take good care of you. From now on, you don't have to worry about a single thing anymore. What do you say, Levent-kun?" Touko raised hand towards the little boy.

The boy continued to stare at the raised hand for a long time. He was contemplating about what decision he should make. So much so, that he forgor that time exists.

It was awkward... definitely.

"Oi, don't leave her hanging, brat!" Emir roared.

"Haha... It's okay. Let him think. It's his decision after all. Let's not rush him, shall we?"

"Ah, right. Sorry."

Suddenly, Levent walked ahead and raised his hand. The bewilderment of both the adults were undescribable. As the hand closed gap between hers, her smile grew bigger and bigger.

"Way to go, brat!" Emir murmured to himself.

"..."

However...

"Huh?"

Levent stopped his hand only a few centimeters apart from Touko's.

"Levent... kun?"

" Aozaki-san ..." he opened his mouth.

" Dōshite son'na kamen o kabutte irun desu ka ?"

This caught both of them off guard.

"Huh? The hell did he say?"

"..." Aozaki was silent.

"What did you tell her, Levent?"

He did not reply. Because he knew that his massage was heard loud and clear.

It's fair to say, those words worked like magic.

"Heh..." Touko cracked a devilish grin. It was then when she finally started showing her dark nature. With a jolt of her fingertips, she dropped her glasses.

"Ha ha...

Ha ha ha...

HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!"

Touko started laughing breathlessly in front of the boy and the old man like a manic.

"What the-" Emir was understandably confused about her. Nothing made sense to him anymore. "What did Levent tell her?", "Why is she laughing like a moron?", "Is this a joke?". His thoughts were filled with questions like this.

After while, Touko stopped laughing, looking directly at Levent.

"So you've already noticed, huh? Very well... I'm quite shocked to see you immediately pointing out this 'mask'. Am I that bad of an actor?"

"Your mask was too transparent, That's all."

"I must say, you didn't fail to amaze me, Levent. I guess I must take lessons from you then. So... What is your answer, Levent-kun~!" she asked him.

...

"What if I said that I refuse to go with anyone, especially with you." he replied.

" Then you'll be breaking your beautiful onee-chan's heart...

But too bad~ you can't possibly do that. You don't have a choice, Levent-kun. You see, now that I'm your legal guardian, I have every right to take home you with me."

"As expected. Good for you then."

"Oh? You're not surprised?"

"Is there a reason to be?"

"I see... So, what's your answer, for real?" she asked with a sharp glare.

Levent closed his eyes for a moment, reminiscing all the events that had happened prior to her arrival.

The day before he left, the day when he returned, the day of their funeral. Apparently she was always there. This consequent meetings was by no chance a coincidence, he was sure of it. Was there anything he could do to prevent that fate?

"Hah." he sighed.

"Fine. I'll dance with you." saying so, he took her arm.

Touko smiled. "Good boy." she said while patting him in the head. Then she picked her glass and put it on.

"Well then Levent-kun, I hope we live a great life together."

"Sure." he replied.

There was no enthusiasm in his voice. He simply didn't care. There was nothing he could do other than to accept his fate.

[Author: Crap! I butchered it, didn't I?

Chapter 1.10 - Determination

T/W: Contains graphic content (sexual violence, threats, assault), and quite frankly, this chapter is poorly written. If you're not okay with dark scenarios, please skip this chapter.

"H-huh?"

She fearfully kept staring at me, in hopes of hearing that it was a joke. Of course, I completely buried that hope simply by glaring at her in silence. I made myself clear, every single word that came out of my mouth was absolute. There was no repeating what I had already commanded her to do.

With a pained expression, Horikita slowly opened her legs, tears streaming down her face as she did so. Even if she knew that she was about to be violated, she still wanted to protect her position. The fear of her being such a hindrance to her brother had won out. I placed my hand on my belt buckle and pretended to rattle it. Even so, Horikita didn't run. She was trying to accept this. She looked at me with empty eyes.

Revealing my true self to her was a big risk. If she reports me to the school, forget about being expelled, I could even face a lawsuit for sexual assault and spent multiple years in prison. However, I had planted the seeds of fear deep inside the roots of her soul. I made him think that no matter what she did, I would inevitably strike back at her even if it meant dragging her down with me.

She did as she was told. With both of her hands, she pulled out a white piece of cloth below her skirt, on a level where it was visible for me to see.

I had seen enough.

There was no doubt about it. The girl named Suzune Horikita was completely shattered by my hand. I had successfully managed to accomplish my goal.

I didn't actually care about her body; I just needed to threaten her to see how far she was willing to go I wished to see how much she was capable of breaking.

Of course, I could go even further and completely break her, but I still needed her to be somewhat sane to accomplish my goals. Abusing her psychologically was the easiest and most straightforward way.

"Stop it, Horikita. That's enough." I grabbed her arms to stop her. Her entire body shook. "Rest assured, I never had the intention to do anything risky to you. And quite frankly, I never saw you as a woman, to begin with."

I let her hands down.

"You think highly of yourself. Your superiority complex is a hindrance to your growth. You fairly excel in the sector of academics and physical abilities. You're intelligence is slightly above your peers. You have so much confidence in yourself that you went as far as to think you don't need anyone else to succeed in reaching class A. That there's no one better than you... That's what you thought, wasn't it?."

She couldn't say anything. Her mind was a mess, her thoughts a storm, her clothes soaked with teardrops. She could only listen to my words.

"But that's nothing but a misconception on your part, Horikita. Some people far exceed you at everything you do. There are people more capable than you are. It's not necessarily they are from another class. Trust me, geniuses are standing right next to you, hiding among your classmates. Compared to them, you're nothing but an insect."

Her tired, sick eyes slightly opened.

"What I'm trying to say is that you need all of them to grow. You need your classmates to reach your destination. Accomplishing that feat isn't something possible for a student to do all by themselves. You need comrades." I kneeled at her eye level. "You said you wanted your brother to acknowledge you, right? That you deserved to be in class A?"

"Yes." she slightly nodded in reply.

"This school operates differently from the normal high schools. I'm sure you are already aware of that. But I will tell you one more thing..."

"What is it?"

"There's a storm coming in front of us. In the future, there will be obstacles much more difficult than you could imagine. We will be made to face off against the other classes. On every single one of them, the superior classes would have a tremendous advantage against us. There's no room for doubt that class A has more stability than us, both academically and physically. 'Arisu Sakayanagi', a born genius, happens to be class A's leader. Overtaking them would be like making history." I continued. "Setting aside class A, to even challenge them, we need to overtake three other classes above us. It would only be foolish if you were to underestimate them. Besides, from what I have heard, not a single class D in the history of this school had ever been able to reach class A."

I paused for a brief moment.

"My question is, even after knowing all that, do you still intend to reach class A?"

What I wanted to see was her resolution, her drive that pushed her to go towards her goal. One thing I knew about Horikita was the fact that she was stubborn, annoyingly so. That is why I wanted to see if she was still the Horikita I knew.

"Yes. I still want to reach class A," she said with a determined face.

Good.

"Then prove it, Horikita. Prove that you are capable of change. Prove that even you can make comrades and rise to class A with them. Whatever I will tell you to do, would help you reach class A. I will personally drag you up there, along with my classmates, no matter what."

I offered her my uninjured hand.

"You will follow my instructions unquestioned, and I can promise you one thing. I will do everything I can to bring our class above the others."

"Wait. Do you think I will trust you after all that? Why are you suddenly being so kind?"

"You should understand what I'm trying to tell you. You will help me, and I will help you. This is an agreement based on mutual benefits for both sides. I have my own benefits from this. Kindness has nothing to do with it. Do you have any problems with this arrangement?"

"..." she looked down in silence.

Sigh

She might have been still thinking about whether or not I should be trusted. In that retrospect, I decided to show her a glimpse of my progress.

"Firstly I'll make sure everyone's aware of the situation we're currently at. You attended the class today. Surely you have noticed a big difference in their behavior compared to yesterday, right?"

While staring down, Horikita thought to herself for a brief moment. After a while of recollection, her face slightly lit up.

"Now that you mention it, I think everyone was being a bit more attentive during the lessons, or at least they all acted slightly more disciplined than usual. Wait, don't tell me you--?" I nodded.

It seems Hirata followed his instructions perfectly.

Being a leader figure, Hirata explained everything to the others just like he was instructed. The cameras, the free items, the downcast glances towards class D, etc every single point was listed down one by one.

I even went as far as to introduce the "class point" system to the others way earlier than the intended period in the light novel. With the help of Hirata and Ayanokouji, I managed to implement the seeds of suspicion and fear among the students.

Even if someone was skeptical about my explanation, there was nothing to worry about. No one wants to live a poor life. The thoughts of not receiving points for an entire month had formed into a huge lump of concern inside them. After I had pointed everything out right before their eyes, the saying 'silence before the storm' had become more and more apparent to them.

"Everyone in our class is now aware of the s-system and the hidden agenda of this school. Do you now understand the reason behind such a drastic change among our classmates?"

Of course, abominations like Yamauchi and Sudou are to be expected, which I would immediately take care of in a different period of time. It was not more than a week since the month had started after all.

"I.. see," she muttered.

"Stop contemplating, Horikita. This is the way. Take my hand and make the first move towards change."

Horikita hesitated, but inevitably gave up and took my hand.

Perfect.

I immediately pulled her from the floor, her clothes were stained in dirt and tears. She fixed her undergarments and dusted her skirt trying to get the dirt off her skirt and her legs.

"All I want is for people to cooperate with me. I want you to assist me in the future, doing whatever I need."

"What? Assist? What do you want me to do?"

"If things continue as they are, Class D will never overtake Class A. While the individual students within Class D certainly aren't incapable, we lack a sense of unity. Our class is scattered. Which is why I have you..."

"Stop talking in riddles. What are you trying to say?"

Up until now, she'd only ever seen me as a lowly, unobtrusive guy. Seeing this side of me must've been a shock to her. But I was done explaining. Besides, the less I talked, the more terrifying I would appear. The less she would resist.

"You will become the leader of class D."

••••••

I came out of the building, and Horikita remained inside. She requested me to give her some time to process. The psychological damage that I caused exhausted her both mentally and physically.

I didn't bother forcing her to accompany me, so I left.

On the way out, I noticed Ayanokouji standing against the doorway.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"It's done," I replied.

"For real?"

"Do you have doubts?"

"I wonder."

"Class D will now have two leaders. Hirata Yousuke and Horikita Suzune. They will both act as our covers." I said.

"I suppose you are right. But I think there is someone else who could be a better leader."

Even better than Horikita? By that, did he mean Karuizawa?

"Who do you have in mind?" I inquired.

As a reply, he pointed his finger in my direction.

"You," he said.

Me?

"Well, I'm flattered. But that's not possible; not yet. Let's leave before we both get caught."

We departed from the gymnasium, again without revealing ourselves. On our way toward the dormitory, we shared the details of our operation.

"Your wound has reopened."

"That wouldn't be an issue."

I would buy a roll of bandage along with some antiseptic pills and a painkiller. It wasn't the first time I had dealt with cut injuries. Honestly, it felt like dj vu. I had experienced the same thing before.

"So, how did it feel to grope her thighs?"

"... Huh?" Suddenly Ayanokouji asked me a question that caught me by surprise. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious."

Curious, huh?

"Well, to be honest, it kind of felt like squeezing a sponge ball, but with a smooth surface."

"Is that so?"

"But there's a huge difference. When I squeezed her left thigh, she let out a "kyun~ kyun~" noise. Her body shook like a washing machine. Not to mention the temperature. It was already hot there. But after I started caressing her thighs, her body had become warmer. Her skin was so smooth, it felt like I was petting a small kitten. The width and the bounciness of her thighs were perfect. Also, the angle I squeezed her--"

"sigh* I wish I could do that too~," Ayanokouji mumbled to himself.

"Did you say something?"

"Nope."

You did.

"In any case don't worry, you'll have your chance."

"So you did hear me then?"

"Did I?"

"You did."

"I wonder if I did..."

"Not a single word, Levent."

He slightly narrowed his eyes at me, probably trying to threaten me, in a friendly manner that is. It was a good thing that he started to show emotions near me.

It was already dark. We entered our dormitory, boarded the lift, and pressed 4 on the elevator. After the elevator door opened we went to our doors.

Before we parted ways, Ayanokouji asked me the burning question.

"So, what is your next move, Levent?"

Next move?

"That's simple. We wait..."

Current balance: 790, 231 ¶¶

My question

Hey, I'm Jomby.

How's life?

Mine? Well it's hell, to say the least. But I'll be fine.

Naturally you don't know me, I don't know you. (you'll probably forget about me in a few minutes) Well you don't really have to know people to chill out, right?

Basically this page is just an update about the fanfiction I guess? I'll probably delete this sooner or later. What should I do?

Should I keep it or should I delete?

Anyways, how do you like my story so far?

Yes, I've been binge writing this the entire time. Basically I just write what "I would do if I were in Levent's situation". The tactics, the psychological warfare and manipulation are all part of my imagination. The story will alter significantly in the later stages of development. Sometimes things didn't make any sense, but what can I say? Bear with it, please.

I've never written a fan fiction before. And I could tell that I suck at it. But it's something I really fell in love with. Every time someone comments on a chapter, my happiness goes beyond boundary. Through writing, I came to interact with amazing people like @Aether69op @Upscaler @Ka1serMax @Akaanime and more (sorry if you're not included). I swear, I read all of your comments.

Goods and defects, both are part of a product. If there is something that's not lining up with the story, shoot. Don't think that it'll irritate me. Infact, it'll make me indebted to you because you're helping me improve.

If you're confused about Levents backstory, don't worry. Even I don't know what I don't know. His backstory is still a work in progress. PLEASE HELP ME FATE FANS!

Anyways, I'll cut this short. Thank you for reading Outsider. I really appreciate all of you. I never expected this to reach 5k views. From the bottom of my heart, Thank you.

Currently I'm writing chapter 2.1 of this fanfic. I'm honestly lost about what to do with Levent. What do you suggest?

I'll leave you with a question.

Should he remain a somewhat normal man?

Or should I turn him into a cliche op emotionally detached psychopath, just like his mother [Red]?

Your choice...

Byeeee...

[Edit: I decided to change his mother's name into red.]

Chapter 2.1 - Classroom Of The D-fects

A month had passed since I started living inside the novel. Everything had been going flowingly ever since Ayanokouji and I momentarily stopped our interference on the class. When I finally took off my bandage, I noticed there being a feint " V" shaped scar on palm.

After I resumed attending my classes again, the results of 'our' action was visible. The same 'D-fects' who used to cause havoc during every single lecture, were now silently paying attention in class. Or at the very least they didn't do anything unsightly which would decrease our class points. But unfortunately that included a number exceptions too.

It was set in stone that class D would inevitably end up being in the dead last...

The morning bell rang for our very first class of May. Soon afterward, Chiabashira strode into the room, holding a rolled-up poster. Her expression today was something along the lines of a disappointed mother.

"Hey, sensei, did you start menopause or something?"

Of course that had to happen.

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

Chabashira completely ignored Ike's questionable comment. She was convinced that the students had questions they wanted answered, which immediately came to be true.

"Um, I checked my point balance this morning, but we didn't receive the 100,000 points." Sotomura asked.

"How many points did you receive?

"W-we received 22,000 points."

"Sensei, you told us that we would get 100,000 points every month, right?"

Yamauchi penetrated into the conversation. Many students seemed to agree with his response.

But...

"Exactly when did I say that, Yamauchi ?"

Chabashira's robotic face turned into a devious smirk. With an ice cold tone, she glared at everyone and had started reprimanding our classmates. That sudden change in the air left everything dumbfounded.

"Huh? What are you talking about? They said that we'd get 100,000 points every month-"

"No such promise had been made, ever."

Chabashira cut through. She then suddenly glared at me. Her eyes contained frustration and disappointment. It didn't take long to understand her reason to do so...

" Aozaki , he even asked a question last month, for which you morons made fun of him. Do you remember what he asked?"

Yamauchi silently thought to himself and when he realized, he stammered.

" Th-that was... I thought that.." and went silent.

Darkness fell upon the class, devouring every single student in it's vicinity.

"I already explained this before, didn't I? This school evaluates its students' talents. Everyone here has passed the entrance examination, which itself speaks to your value and potential. The amount you've received reflects the evaluation of your worth."

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

" Are these...the results for each class?"

" Correct."

Class A through Class D were listed. To the side was a row of numbers that went up to a maximum of four digits. Class D had 220. Class C had 490. Class B had 650. And at the top was Class A, with a total of 940.

Class A -- 940 CP

Class B -- 650 CP

Class C -- 490 CP

Class D -- 220 CP

Each and every single class point was tenamount to a hundred private points. The monthly allowance of a class depended on the amount of class points they'd managed to secure. Seemingly class D somehow managed to maintain 220 class points on the first month.

Initially class D should have received 0 points during the first month. However I decided to interject myself and persuade the majority of the students to behave accordingly, thus change the outcome. That's why they didn't end up being completely bankrupt..

Everyone worked hard, I guess?

"B-but why did we get less points this month?" Ike asked.

"A total of twenty-one absences and late arrivals.A total of thirty-seven incidences of talking or using a cell phone in class. Sudou , did you perhaps come to this school only to sleep? That is quite a few infractions you did, don't you think? In this school, your class's results are reflected in the points that you receive."

That was a ridiculous number, considering what the others did. The efforts put by Hirata and the others went in vein because of them. Sudou, Yamauchi and Ike were THAT big of a drag.

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

Chabashira paused for a brief moment and relieved a sigh.

"Because of students like you, your classmates came dead last. Are you finally happy?"

Everyone glared at Ike and the others who went gung-ho denying the class discussion. Ike shrinked while Yamauchi facepalmed in shame. Although holdbacks like Ike and Yamauchi were inevitable, I didn't bother stopping their charades. In fact, I actually wanted them to drag us down.

I intended the class to hate on them, to corner them from all corners. I wanted them to realize that they were holding everyone back. That there are consequences for their actions. After that, there would be no other way for them, other than cooperation.

"B-but... But..."

"I've already told you, there's nothing unfair about it."

Chabashira cut off a stammering Ike.

"All of the classes were scored using the same rules. Despite that, the other classes didn't lose as many as you. That's the truth."

"Looks like Horikita-san's assumption was right." Hirata audibly thought to himself.

The moment when Horikita got a word of that, she threw a glance at me. Her face shouted, "Did you do something?", which in reply I remained unfazed.

"Do you finally understand now? Do you see why you were placed in Class D?"

"The reason why we were placed in Class D? Weren't we simply accepted into this school?"

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

Students exchanged glances.

"In this school, students are sorted by their level of excellence. The superior students are sorted into Class A, the least capable in Class D. It's the same system you'd find in the major cram schools. In other words, Class D is akin to the last bastion for failures. You are the worst of the worst. You're defective. This is just the result of you being defective."

Horikita's face stiffened. She was undoubtedly shocked about that line of reasoning. I glanced towards Ayanokouji, who was apathetic during the entire situation. Horikita was academically decent, but had a shit personality. Ayanokouji was unfortunately forged to being a prodigy. To live up to his ego against his father, he held himself back. His personality was a solid shit too.

But I had my own questions. If Horikita's dismissive personality and Ayanokouji's obscure background was their reason for landing in class D, then...

What was my defect?

As far as I could remember, the staring point of my existence began from that bus. I had no memories of being involved with any sort of enrollment procedure. All I did was just wake up and walk inside the class D, that's all. Why was I placed in class D?

Nothing makes sense right now.

Although supernatural phenomenon was a common theme in my world, such a bizarre incident was beyond my expertise. Back then if I was told that I would get reincarnated inside a light novel, I would quite literally exhaust myself from laughing. It was ridiculous, unbelievable and most likely a pipe dream.

And yet there I was, an university student getting lectured by a high school teacher with a suggestive attire.

What in the world happened to me?

" Chiabashira-sensei . I do not recall hearing you explain that to us before-" Hirata snapped me out of my train of thoughts.

"What? Are you incapable of understanding something unless it's explained in detail?"

"Of course. There was never any talk about reducing our points. Had that been explained beforehand, I'm sure everyone would have cooperated."

"That is a rather bizarre argument, Hirata. It is certainly true that I don't recall explaining the rules of point distribution. However, even after some of you behaved accordingly, why didn't you idiots follow them? Didn't you all learn in elementary school not to be late or talk in class? Was that not taught throughout your elementary and junior high schools? Are you that dumb?"

"T-that's-"

"I'm sure that in nine years of compulsory education, you learned that being late and talking in class are bad things. And now you say that you can't understand this because I haven't explained it to you? I'm afraid your reasoning is flimsy. This comes down to you taking personal responsibility."

A perfectly sound argument. Hirata could only look down and remain silent. The ones who were guilty of not cooperating were being despised. Even the hot headed Sudou silently looked down upon himself. The entire class's hatred fell upon them.

That's exactly what I want.

"Having just entered your first year of high school, did you honestly think you'd receive 100,000 points every month with no strings attached? At a school established by the Japanese government for the express purposes of training gifted people? That's unthinkable. Try using some common sense you morons!"

Chabashira continuously kept spiting razors at them. Although Hirata appeared to be frustrated, he looked the teacher straight in the eye.

"Well then, could you at least explain in detail how points are added or deducted? We can keep that in mind for future reference."

"I cannot tell you. We cannot disclose the methods behind our student evaluation. It's the same as any other organization. When you enter a company, it is the company's choice whether or not to tell you how it evaluates its employees. However, I'm not cruel, and I'm not trying to be cold. In the future you'll have many opportunities to increase you class points. That's all I am allowed to say."

She didn't not disclose anything further than that. Of course I knew all about the 'opportunities' she was talking about. All of them, including their contents and solutions. Technically I recieved a full fledged tutorial on how to deal with Ikusei Kyoudo High School. I was living my life with numerous unimaginable advantages. Prior knowledge regarding the future events was one of my quirks. At this point, there was nothing left for me to do other than waiting.

The bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom.

"It looks like your bubbles have been burst. If you had simply understood the harsh reality of the situation from the start, then this long homeroom period might have meant something. Your midterm exams are in three weeks. Please think things over, and be careful not to drop out. I have confidence that you can find a way to avoid getting red marks on your report cards. If at all possible, try to fix yourselves and learn to work as a team. That's all."

Chabashira exited the room, forcefully closing the door leaving everyone in awe.

"Because of you, we're getting less points this month!"

"Seriously, why would you think that we're getting 100,000 points for free?"

"You guys are absolute idiots!"

It was the lunch period when the class erupted in chaos.

A huge circle of red fell over Ike and his group. Everyone was infuriated, irritated and frustrated with them. Although Hirata was constantly trying to deescalate the situation, but all in vein. It was a punishment I deemed essential for their growth.

While Ike and the others were being cornered, I decided to go to the cafeteria. Lunch comes once in the entire day, might as well focus on important matters rather than getting a headache. I wanted to be left alone, so I left the class by myself.

However, as soon as I stepped out of the classroom, I sensed an ominous presence lurking behind me. I walked faster. In order to throw them off, I walked in a circle.

They're still there!

Slowly, I turned my head towards them. After a quick glance at the person in question, I subconsciously let out the heaviest of sigh. I stopped walking and waited for them to catch up to me.

He walked to me and stood right in front of my face.

"..."

"..."

"You're following me."

"It's a coincidence."

"Walking around in a circle is a coincidence, huh?"

"Coincidences can be freaky."

This guy!

"Then with all due seriousness, may I ask you this one question?

Ayanokouji twisted his neck in confusion.

"If it's something I can answer, feel free."

"Are you a believer of fate?" I asked.

"Hm? Fate, huh?"

Ayanokouji was seemingly contemplating about what to think of the question. It wasn't anything serious, but a pure curiosity of mine.

"I don't believe in fate."

Figures.

"What's your reason for that?"

"Because I don't want to believe that my life was predetermined by things such as destiny or chance. That I can make my own path. Elements like chance and supernatural seem really illogical to me, where there is logic and rationality behind everything."

"I see."

"Do you disagree?"

"I do. As a matter of fact I believe that there are elements of nature which are beyond human comprehension. For example: time, life, death. Science maybe the reason behind some of the nature, but have you ever wondered about the reason beyond science?"

The universe was created through big bang, but what caused the big bang? What was there before the creation of universe? The science behind everything always has an unknown variable to it, which is nature. Everything is supernatural in one way or another. Even science is part of the supernatural. Magic exists, just not within the eyesight of the norms.

That's what I believe, or at least what I was made to believe.

"That's an interesting thought."

Of course Ayanokouji was an atheist from the core, which is something I highly doubt would ever change.

"Great. That's beside the point. What I really wanted to ask is... why are you following me?"

"I just told you–"

"A lie."

"..."

"Fine. You've caught me. I just wanted us to have lunch together."

What?

"You're genuinely creeping me out."

" Ehhh ...?"

"You could have just told me instead of stalking me you blockbrain ."

"But you left before I could say anything."

"...Fair enough."

"Levent-kun, I have a few questio -... Ah, Ayanokouji-kun's here too."

"Hey, Horikita." Ayanokouji said.

Horikita suddenly cut through our awkwardness.

"What questions do you have?"

"Um, Ayanokouji-kun could you-"

"Don't bother. He knows all about that incident."

"Huh? Why did you-"

"State you business, Horikita."

While Horikita was dejected due to my cold nature, Ayanokouji looked at me with an astounded expression. The Horikita who used to constantly rebuke us, was now being thrown around by me. It was quite the sight for him.

"Earlier in the class, I heard someone say it was originally my idea that the points wouldn't be the same this month. You're the one behind that too?"

I nodded.

"Ayanokouji explained to Hirata that it was your logical hypothesis. What about it?"

"Why... did you do that?"

"It's because–" Ayanokouji was about to speak up, but I stopped him.

"Horikita, why do you think we did that?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"I refuse to answer your question. Use logic and your deduction skills, that's all."

I threw a puzzle at her that only she needed to solve. It was a test of her rationality and deduction skills. After thinking about the question for a good few seconds, she finally came up with an answer.

"Is it related to what you said to me? About being a leader?"

I affirmed.

"The current class D needs a leader who's capable of keeping calm during a dilemma. You happened to be perfect candidate for that position."

"But Hirata-kun is already a leader, don't you think?"

"Of course. But quite frankly, I've deemed him incapable of making rational decisions during crucial moments. He is a born leader, just not the type who are capable of winning a war.

Which is why Horikita, we need someone who's as spineless as you."

" Sp-spineless ..."

"That was a joke. Don't take it to heart." what I told her was a half-lie.

We all came to cafeteria only to be faced with a long crowd of students forming around the store. We could either stand in a never ending line, or we could buy something from outside. Going to the nearest convenience store was a better option. So the three of us were headed towards the convenience store side-by-side.

"This kinda feels like we are a group of friends, don't you think?"

"Yes. I agree."

"Huh?"

we glanced at Horikita.

"How many times do I have to tell you..."

"Are we not friends, Horikita?" I asked her. She shivered in response.

I sighed.

"Yes, you're correct. We are not friends. However, being a comrade is not the same as being friends. And if you want to reach somewhere high, at least try to make some comrades. Human society, it's like a massive clock. Each and every single one of us are like a piece of cogwheel. To successfully run a clock, there has to be multiple cogwheels running at the same time in a disciplined manner. Now, can you imagine running a clock that has only a single cogwheel?" I asked, which in reply Horikita nodded in negative.

"The same goes for us too, Horikita. Think of class D as a mini-society. We're all working hard in order to strive, to reach as high as class A. We are all your comrades en war, all of us. An individual stick by itself can break easily, but as a bundle it is the hardest to break. In other words, if you want our class to succeed, everyone must come together as a collective whole.

And to establish a sense of camaraderie among us, you need to have comrades yourself. This is the reality, Horikita. It's time for you to face it."

Horikita looked at me in awe. Not a single word that came out from my mouth was irrational.

What I said was true for all aspects of our life. Teamwork is the fuel that runs an entire functioning society. School, college, office, politics... everything. Ever since the stone age, humans grouped together to stay safe. We've only evolved ever since. Humans are social being. Those who fail to associate themselves with the flowing society always end up being failures who are left behind. There is no hidden psychology behind such phenomenon, this is just how we were made.

I almost sound like that old psychology professor who used to share important life lessons with us.

"Did you pull that speech out of the internet?"

"Ayanokouji, I will kick you in the balls."

"Please forget what I had said before."

"Oh, you think you're quite the comedian, aren't you?"

"Hey, I worked hard on getting this."

"Well it's utterly infuriating, that's for sure."

"You're the one who's infuriating me."

"Shut it."

" Fufu ~."

"..."

Immediately we both looked at Horikita, flabbergasted.

Did.. Horikita... just laugh?

"You two never change. "

She did laugh. All the restrictions she had ever since she came up to me vanished like it was never there.

"Does that mean-?"

" I think I understand what you were trying to tell me. After thinking about it for a while, I came to a conclusion. I do need comrades if I want to prove myself to nii-san. So, I.. I'll.. I'll allow you two to be my... friends. "

"Oh."

But don't get the wrong idea. This is just because I need you two to rise up to class D. Other than that, I don't care about you two!"

"OH..."

Tsundere.

"Then I guess, we both share similar thoughts." I said.

"You're finally taking the baby steps, huh? Ayanokouji teased.

"St-stop it, idiot."

Cute and cliché tsundere.

So, in the end, I finally managed to put some sense of camaraderie into Horikita. She now thought of us as her friends. Not sure how Ayanokouji felt about that entire ordeal, but it was a success on my part. In comparison to the actual plot, it was easy considering how little amount of effort was needed from me in order to put her into the stage.

"By the way, have you ever tried waffles?"

" Uwafforus ?"

"WAFFLES. W-A-F-F-L-E-S."

"No, I have not. But now I'm curious about it's taste."

"What are those anyway?"

"A kind of a cracker. The cone of an ice cream is actually made out of waffles."

"Ice cream..." Ayanokouji blanked out.

"Hey, why'd you stop walking?" I crowed.

"Do they have some inside the school?" Horikita asked.

"Well, I don't know. I guess we'll have to find out."

"I want to try them both."

"Both? You mean ice cream and waffles?"

"Yes."

"You're surprisingly greedy, aren't you Ayanokouji-kun?"

We walked towards our destination while exchanging few words about our current situation. Like an actual group of friends gossiping...

Friends, huh?

Am I truly capable of having 'friends'?

Will I finally be able to experience 'friendship'?

...

I'm still an idiot, aren't I?

Current balance: 738, 131 ¶¶

Chapter 2.2 - Normal Discussion

The classes had ended for the day. Hirata stood at the podium, using the blackboard to prepare for a big discussion. With an exception of Ayanokouji, Sudou and Horikita, everyone was listening to his discussion. Unlike the other students, I was painfully aware of the futility of this meeting. But I still decided to pry onto their subject.

I wonder what they're doing.

"Alright everyone, let's begin the discussion. First of all, do not panic about our class being in the last place. We may have gotten less private points this month, but on the bright side, it's better than having none." Hirata began.

"Sure, the other classes now have more class points than us. But let me remind you of what Chabashira-sensei had told us. There will be opportunities to increase our class points, right? So I don't think there's any reason for us to lose hope."

" You're right, Hirata-kun . But what are we supposed to do now?"

"Yeah, we don't know when exactly will this 'opportunity' come."

"We will come to terms with it." Hirata replied.

"If only those morons used a little bit of their peanut brains, we wouldn't be in this situation."

"God, it's so frustrating! Like, seriously I hate their guts!"

"I told you earlier! I'm s-sorry." Ike murmured.

Expectedly, everyone rumbled upon those who didn't follow the orders. It was only natural behavior for the sufferers to push the blame on the others. I doubt that Ike and the others were the sole reason behind the deduction of points. In any case, they couldn't do anything other than swallowing it all. Guilt and regret filled all over their faces.

"Everyone, please stop antagonizing them. I'm sure Ike-kun and the others didn't mean to hold us back like that, right?" unfortunately the last sentence was the trigger that broke the barrier.

"What do you mean, Hirata-kun ? They literally mocked you when you suggested the idea."

"Yeah. Like they didn't even bother listening to you."

"True. But in the end it was just a hypothesis on our side. It wasn't anything abnormal for them to not trust our ideas." Hirata defended.

" Yeah. Please don't say rude things like that." Kushida also tried to deescalate the situation. But it was all in vein.

"You're too nice for your own good, Hirata-kun , Kushida-san . But these idiots deserve to be treated like this. It's common sense NOT to do what they did in a highschool." said the person who would've done the same thing if I didn't leash them.

"Who plays video games without headphones during a Math lesson?"

"B-but still..." Hirata stammered.

"Because of them we are in this situation in the first place!"

"We're not the defects, they are!"

"Yeah, I wonder how'd they even manage to get into this school."

"I bet their parents hate them lol..."

"S-stop..." Yamauchi muttered as he put his hands on his ears.

Everyone was spitting venom at them from all sides. They were cornering them from all sides. It would only take so much pressure to push them towards their boiling point.

Guess I'll save them now.

"This is not the time to talk like that." I got up from my seat.

"Huh? Aoza -"

"It's Levent . Don't get me wrong, I also think that their actions were undeniably a grave mistake."

"Right? That's why-"

"But don't forget that we're all humans. We all make mistakes."

"What? How was that a mistake? They knew something was up, and yet they selfishly went their ways."

"And what progress are you making by punching words on them?"

"Obviously we're teaching them a lesson so that they don't do anything like that again."

"In that case Shinohara-san , I'm going to ask you this just once." I looked dead in the eyes.

"Tell me what would you do if Horikita-san and Hirata didn't interject?"

Her eyes raised in shock.

"O-of course I'd behave. What are you trying to say?" she frantically averted her eyes.

What an obvious lie.

"I don't think so."

"Huh? Why's that?"

" Your actions tell us otherwise, Shinohara-san ... Do you not remember what you did before Hirata-kun pointed out the cameras? "

"T-that's... Well.. I uh.. I-"

Shinohara was the most defective out of all the girls in our class. Not only was she repulsive, she also had a short temper and a crowingly high pitched voice. That combination made me disdain her.

Sigh.

"The point that I'm trying to make is that, there's no crying over spilled milk. What happened in the past will always remain in the past. Instead of regretting over what could've happened, let's think about what COULD happen tomorrow. I suggest you all spend your precious time thinking rationally instead of stabbing each other in the eye."

The entire class listened to me in silence. Ike and the others who were previously being pressured looked at me with appreciative eyes. Others looked at me in awe.

"Levent-kun is right everyone. We should be focusing on our class's future. Let's promise not to have this argument again shall we?" Hirata took the podium again. I felt a surge of relief after that.

It was truly unlike me.

"We should focus on the midterms. I have a feeling that red marks should be the last thing you want to see on your report card."

"We should avoid expulsion at any cost. A senior told me that each expulsion results in deduction of a hundred class points."

"What? That's too much!"

"Unfortunately for us, we must hold everyone together. If any of us fail this exam, we'd get even less points the upcoming month. Which of us are weak academically?" Hirata asked.

A few students, namingly Ike, Yamauchi and Airi raised their hands.

"That was to be expected."

"Calm down. I have a suggestion to make. Let's all form study groups. We could all study together. That way all our safety would be ensured to a certain extent, no?"

"Impressive, Kushida-san ."

"Haha.. Thank you, Levent-kun."

"Well in that case, the academically strong students must be the tutors. I assume the volunteers would raise their hands?"

"I'd like to volunteer, Levent-kun." Hirata also took the initiative.

"Same." Mii-chan raised her arm.

"I'll also try to teach them." well, surprisingly Yukimura also pitched in to help with the cause.

"Are you sure?"

"We would all suffer otherwise."

"Alright then, the rest of you decide which group you want to join. And the others..." I looked at Ike Yamauchi and Sakura

"Horikita-san told me that she will personally hold a study group for you three." I decided that on my own account.

"Ah.. right.. We'll be there."

"Y-ea."

Sakura frantically nodded to my inclination. She was restless, her face was full of worries, probably from all the attention she was receiving.

It's cute in an unexplainable way.

"Levent, what about Ken?"

"Ken? You mean Sudou-kun?"

"Yeah. That guy is an actual muscle head."

"I wonder if he'll even pass."

Sudou ken, huh?

"Make sure he attends the study group, no matter what."

•••••

"And what made you think that I'd agree upon this?" Horikita asked me in a slightly irritated voice.

We went inside our dormitory building. Upon entering the lobby, I saw not a single soul nearby. The both of us were perfectly isolated. I was free to talk.

"Simple. I'm telling you to do so."

The sudden change in my voice turned her face into a perplexed one. She regained her composure soon enough.

"Ike and the others aside, 'that guy' is a complete idiot. He does not think with his brain and does whatever he wants. He is simply impossible to deal with."

"He is not impossible to deal with."

"His stupidity is on another level. He's selfish, he doesn't think about people in his vicinity. He has an incredibly short fuse. He's violent. In my opinion, he could be described as an accurate specimen... scratch that, he's the textbook definition of a 'manchild.' "

Impressive analytical skill, but try to use it upon yourself first.

"Horikita, that man is an essential asset for class D. His physical strength and athletic skills are unparalleled among the first years, no, the entire school I dare say. This school is unlike any other. Academics aren't only subject of judgement, there is athletics too. In the future, there will be times when we would inevitably rely on his physique. Do not underestimate him, Horikita. He mustn't get expelled. I'm counting on you."

After I explained everything to her, she couldn't make any comebacks. True, her lack of observation skills were partly to blame. That's exactly why I decided to fill in the blanks.

Defeated, she sighed.

"Hah... Fine, I'll try."

"Good. Now listen carefully. There is something I want you to do."

For better or for worse, Horikita changed. Her headstrong personality remained persistent, but a glimpse of consideration started forming inside her. On the other hand, changing Sudou was a puzzle.

While Horikita was an easy target to manipulate, Sudou's caveman mentality was a huge obstacle on his path. To break it, I needed to use a method slightly different than my work style.

I had the most perfect resource available for that.

The elevator door closed as I walked close to her and briefly gave instructions. After my words got to her ears, she widened her eyes in shock.

"Then what's the point of doing all this?!" she shouted

"You'll see."

"Levent-kun, I really don't get what you're trying to do. Just what exactly are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking about the future of our class. That's the truth, believe it or not."

"In that case shouldn't you at least tell me about your plan? I believe I can help you more if we cooperate."

"I don't plan on revealing my methods, nor am I keen on budging whatsoever."

"But-"

"Don't worry. If things are to go south, I have a backup plan ready."

"Levent-kun, just how much are you hiding from me?"

How much huh? Technically, I knew everything regarding her entire world and the events revolving around it. The world building, the rules, the character and their features... everything.

"I know more than what you could ever imagine." I resigned.

With that, the discussion was over. The elevator reached the fourth floor and the door flashed open. I immediately stepped outside, leaving Horikita. Before leaving, I looked back at her.

"Do as I told you. The results would be satisfying, I promise."

Defeated, Horikita sighed.

"I guess I have no choice but to take your word for it."

"Then, see you."

"Please excuse me." the door closed as the lift started going up. In the end I made our boundaries clear. I had my own secrets to take care of.

You.

Yes I'm talking to you, the one reading this currently.

Would you believe me if I came to you and told you that I was sent from another dimension?

Would you believe me if I said that your current world is nothing but a pile of paper?

Would you believe in my knowledge about your future?

My situation was as ridiculous as that. If I had thoughtlessly exposed myself to a character, they would quite literally call me delusional or insane. The line between fantasy and reality dissolved when I was extracted here, leaving me at the most confusing part of it all.

Seriously, how did I end up in this situation?

I feel like my curiosity will always remain unrequited, all the way to the very end of me.

••••••

Ding-dong!

I clicked the doorbell of his room, which was followed by a response, "Who is it?", which was something I didn't expect as it was already midnight.

"It's me."

After a brief moment of silence, the door clicked. As the door flashed I saw the figure of Ayanokouji.

"Sorry for the inte - uhh.. why are you wearing your school uniform?"

Ayanokouji was standing in front of me fully dressed in our school uniform. Dark spots had started forming around his baggy eyes. He was yawning and scratching a corner of his left eye. It truly was quite the image of a masterpiece.

"Come inside."

"Right... Excuse my intrusion."

I entered his room. His room was clean and tide, very much unlikely to mine. The amount of utensils inside his room was the bare minimum. The exact amount needed to somehow live your life.

"I know you are not fond of spending money more than necessary but... you could at least buy some clothes. I gave you almost seven hundred thousand points."

"Ah, I have them. I just forgot to change. That's all." he forgor.

I crashed on his bed while releasing a sigh. Then Ayanokouji stood in front of me like a statue.

"Coffee or tea?" he asked.

"You need sleep."

"Then, coffee it is."

I rolled my eyes and averted my gaze. All of a sudden I noticed a laptop running on his bed. A video was currently playing on the screen. Frantically I looked around the room to check if he was nearby. He wasn't, probably he's in the kitchen.

Feeling secured, I crawled towards the laptop, close enough to see the screen. There was video playing on 'Metube'. The video title was, "6 Psychological Steps To Increase Your Charisma."

Wow .

I also noticed that the video was from a private playlist titled, "How To Make Friends." Words cannot describe how hard it was for me not to burst out laughing.

"How adorable."

"Here's your coffee."

!!!

He suddenly came from behind and caught me peeping at his deadly secrets. There was nothing I could do, so I slowly pushed the laptop away from me, rolled back and sat down graciously as he kept his eyes on me. I voluntarily took a cup from the tray and sank my lips on it.

"Delicious."

"I was just interested in the contents of the video."

"I wonder what you're talking about."

"Listen Levent, do you know what simulation hypothesis is?"

Huh? Simulation hypothesis? What's that got to do with this?

"Of cou -." he cut me off.

"The simulation hypothesis says that our life is nothing but a simulation, like a computer program. Everything that we see, we touch or we feel, are nothing but a simulation. Anger, hatred, embarrassment all of this are false. We are nothing but a meaningless existence. Our reality doesn't exist. We are currently living in a matrix. So on that retrospect, our life is nothing but an illusion.

Do you understand the majesty of that fact, Levent? What you saw earlier was an illusion."

...

Is it me or did he just coincidentally describe this entire situation with a jaw breaking amount of accuracy?

"Oh wow! Really!" I tried to show some fake enthusiasm. I have a feeling that I wasn't successful in that operation.

"Yes. And as it was an illusion, it's no use memorizing any of that information. Which is why I want you to forge-"

"-to write an essay about how desperate of a loner you are, isn't it?"

"No, why would I be desperate? Wait... I'm not a loner."

"Someone's wearing a clown hat today."

"Hah..." he sighed, then he sat beside me and started sipping on his own cup. I mimicked.

If I were to describe the flavor of that coffee, I'm going to say it was neither sweet nor bitter. It was somewhere in the middle. As the coffee touched my tongue for the first time, a bitter taste filled my taste buds. Then the sweetness started spreading around the tongue, as if the sugers were melting inside my mouth. For me, it was a perfect cup of coffee.

"Then.. what business do you have with me?" he broke through my continuous train of thoughts.

"Oh, Ah... Right. So why did Chabashira-sensei call you in the faculty office earlier?" I asked.

"She was discussing something regarding my enrollment."

"What exactly was she discussing?"

"It was about my exam papers. Apparently I got 50 marks on all subjects."

"I'm sure it's all just a coincidence, right Ayanon ?"

"Hilarious."

Indeed.

"In any case, don't you think that she'll try to manipulate you in the future?"

"I do. But unfortunately for her, I don't have a heart that could be manipulated." he said.

"As much as I'd love to praise that thought, there's something I wanted to inquire. Did she subconsciously give away any details regarding the test?"

"She gave me nothing but headaches."

"As expected..." I muttered.

"What?"

"I think I just might have the perfect idea on how we could all deal with this test. Not only are we all going to pass this exam, we'll also ace the test."

"Are we thinking about the same plan?" he gave me a dead eyed look, but it was practically impossible for me to take him seriously with that ridiculous look his face.

"Exactly. Do you remember the third years we had confronted about a month ago? I'm going to get their old test questions."

"I see. But the question is, how are we supposed to distribute the papers without exposing ourselves?"

"That's the reason why I came here to discuss."

"Hah... I wonder who will it be?"

"Who else? It's Kikyo ."

" Kushida ? Are sure about it?"

"Yes. I'm positive that we could tame her."

"So you've noticed it too, huh?"

"I assume you are thinking about her façade?"

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Now listen carefully. This is exactly what's going to happen..."

My initial plan on trapping the class's tulip had finally begun.

Current balance: 738, 131 ¶¶

Chapter 2.3 - Study Group

[ Warning: Brain damage ]

"Haaaaaaaaaah~" I gave the biggest yawn ever.

Last night, I couldn't get a single blink of sleep, mostly due to me trying to become a nocturnal being. After I returned to my room, I decided to 'research' the contents of the playlist I saw on his laptop. Surprisingly, most of the tips they gave me were indeed useful, from a loner's perspective to say the least.

More importantly, I was trembling in dizziness because I was that tired. It was hard for me to hold back all of my yawns. In order to not make my tiredness any more apparent, I slapped myself in the cheeks... which ended up landing more eyes on me. I, therefore, heard some chuckles.

With the pace slower than a sloth, the lunch period finally came. No sooner had the teacher left, I immediately collapsed on my desk, using my bag and my arms as a makeshift pillow. Forget about lunch I need rest, badly. I closed my unexplainablely heavy eyes.

Ah, sleeping feels nice~

"Levent-kun... Umm, Levent-kun?"

Unfortunately my slumber was short-lived. Someone decided to pull me by my shirt as soon as I closed my eyes. By the sound of the voice, it didn't take long for me to understand the person behind that voice.

It was Kikyo.

"What is it, Kikyo-san ?" said while remaining in a sleeping posture.

"Ah, sorry to disturb you. I just wanted to ask you one thing, Levent-kun."

"Yes?" I already know the answer to that question.

"I want to participate in the study group, too."

I raised my head.

"What?"

"Yes. I want to study with everyone. Will it be a problem if I join?"

I internally sighed. Although I pretended not to understand her request, Kikyo was fooling everyone but me. I knew exactly what she was truly after. She wanted to get close to Horikita in order to gain her weaknesses so she could use it against her.

So you're finally making your move, eh?

"I don't see a problem in doing that, but... why are doing this? If I remember correctly, you are one of the top few students."

"I suppose that's true. But you see, I want to be friends with everyone. That's why I've been trying to befriend Horikita-san. But sadly she had been acting distant towards me ever since we met."

"So that's why you want to use this opportunity to get close to her, correct?"

"Right you are~."

Under normal circumstances, I honestly wouldn't mind helping her with the disposal of Horikita. But, now that I've finally managed to entrap Horikita in all of my strings, the options had drastically changed. In other words, I simply did not approve of her termination.

I nodded in affirmative.

"I guess I can see where you're coming from."

"So then, when do we start?" she asked.

"We plan on starting tomorrow."

"I see."

Then an I was hit with an idea.

" Kikyo-san , can you persuade Sudou into joining us? I'm concerned about his grades."

"Ah, I understand. I feel the same to."

"Who knows what might happen if we leave him be."

"In that case I'll have talk to Sudou-kun later this class. I'll contact you later, okay?"

"Oh, do you need the his contact information?"

"It's okay. I already have it. The only people whose numbers I don't have are you and Horikita-san, actually..." Kikyo pondered for a while.

" This might be too forward, but are you two already dating?" she asked.

That was... interesting.

"What gave you that impression of us?"

"It's a big rumor among the girls in our class, you know. They say that even though Horikita-san is always alone, she only seems to get along really well with you, Levent-kun. And you guys eat together, after all."

Teenage rumors are truly adorable. I'm sure they would gossip and blush on this subject. I couldn't help but wonder how they would react if they knew just how twisted our relationship was.

"And what's your opinion on this?"

"Um.. Well, you two do seem to get along very well. It's not that hard to imagine you two going out. Is it true then?"

"I'll have to say ' NO ' to that."

"Oh... I see."

"So there's no problem swapping phone numbers, right?"

"Ah, right. Here's my number."

After we were done sharing each other's contact information, she parted, finally giving me a chance to sleep. I fell upon my arms slowly closing my eyes.

" Levent-kun."

But then again, 'the creator' certainly hates me for some reason.

Horikita came back from the cafeteria and sat next to me. On her hands, there were two beautiful sandwiches with extra ketchup. The amount of mayonnaise between the perfectly cut bread, along with lettuce and tomato. And there was two of them!

Is she going to eat both of them, right in front of me? Was this revenge for touching her legs?

"..."

She raised her arm in front of me. The sandwich I was eyeing on for a long time was now floating in front of me.

" What's up?" I asked.

"This is for you."

"Hmm? For me?"

"Isn't that obvious? Just take it, I have to finish mine too."

That situation gave me a flashback that never happened. Horikita's unfair food

"I'll pay for it."

"There's no need."

"I insist."

"It's my treat. You don't have to pay for it."

"Show me your id. I'll transfer points to you." I ordered.

"Hah~ Do whatever you want."

With a frustrated sigh, Horikita pulled out her phone. After scanning her QR code, I continued with the transaction process. That was when she noticed the six digit numbers.

" Wait. Levent-kun. How much points do you have?"

"Seven hundred and thirty-eight thousand one hundred thirty-one points to be exact. Why?"

I replied in a matter-of-factly manner, which expectedly threw her off.

"Do you.. really have that many points?"

"Yes, I received it from a few third year 'friends' not too long ago." I said while taking one of the sandwich from her hand.

" You're lying to me, aren't you?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you don't have friends aside from me and Ayanokouji-kun." I accidentally bit my tongue while taking a bite of the sandwich.

" Oussh ."

"Honestly, just tell me how did you get that much point?"

"I dunno. Lucky I guess?"

"You're annoying."

"Listen, I am not obligated to give you a disclosure of my methods. However, I will tell you this one thing. None of the points were obtained via illegal means."

"Did you perhaps blackmail them with some dirt?" she was sharp as usual.

"Maybe.. I'll leave the answer up to your imagination."

This world is nothing but an unfair simulation. We all live in a society. Most of them include a rational respect for the law conveyed to us by the government. These things are available to us whenever we make a choice to behave one way or another.

If we disregarded these legal concepts we would therefore be culpable. This dovetails into the legal tradition that asked whether or not a person actually knew right from wrong, and whether the person had the maturity or the cognitive wherewithal to choose right over wrong.

However, the biggest flaw this society will always have would be the law itself. If a subject is not specifically stated within the constitute, then it's safe to say the action related to said subject would be considered neither legal nor illegal. Moral concepts are hardly recognized when it's a battle of laws and wits.

Like a Japanese society, Ikusei Kyoudo was also like a simulation of a society. It was a school that strictly enforced it's laws and order. However, things such as blackmailing were far from being mentioned in the rulebook. I admit what I did up until now were indeed morally questionable. But according to the 'rules', as long as they don't get reported, none of it ever happened.

I gulped the last bit of the sandwich. After I was done, I simply returned to being in power saving mode.

"So, are you going to join the study group today or what?"

"Don't worry. I will join there, to keep an eye on you."

"I don't think the last part was necessary."

"Who knows what might happen if I leave everything up to fate?"

"So you're saying that you don't trust me?"

"Of course I do. I believe that you will do a great job teaching those dull students."

"Then why are we doing this?"

"I know what I'm doing. Don't worry, this is for the best."

"But that's what I want to know. What are you able to see that I don't?"

"..."

"Why are you silent?"

"Horikita, please refrain from asking any further questions." my tone sharpened.

Horikita's expression immediately stiffened at my sudden forcefulness.

"Don't misunderstand. This isn't me helping you. This is you following my orders. You will efficiently do what I told you, unquestioned. That's all."

"But-"

"Curiosity killed the cat, Horikita."

"Sigh... Fine. Do whatever you want."

"Do you remember what I asked you to do?"

"Yes."

"Good.

She decided to stop pattering me with that subject. As I was finally left alone, I cuddled up in my arms finally getting the nap I deserved.

That was, until...

"Levent."

I hate you, 'creator'.

••••••

The classes had ended for the day. I, along with Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, were headed to the library where Horikita decided to hold the study group. On our way, we stopped by the third year's dormitory to collect the test papers. They were generous enough to donate their exam sheets for free. Lucky~

"With this, we wouldn't need to brainstorm about ways to ace the exam." I remarked.

"What is your reason for not sharing this immediately?"

"If I did that, then no one would work hard for the exam. They would simply cram the night before, which is counterproductive."

"So that's why you want to share it right before the exam..."

"Currently I'm more concerned about iHorikita's superiority complex. Is there any way that we could eliminate it entirely?"

"Ego is a trait human beings can never be detached from, no matter what you do. You can lower the value to a certain extent, but not erase it entirely."

"Does that also imply to yourself?"

"Of course. I'm also a human, regardless my background, I'm a perfectly healthy boy." he seemed to be pondering about something. After a brief pause, he spoke.

"Actually there's something I've been wanting to ask you, if you don't mind."

"Ask."

"Earlier last month you had revealed your knowledge about my identity. Although you assured confidentiality of that information, which is something I'm grateful for. But then again I've been wondering, just how exactly did you manage to get my information?"

I could see the point he was trying to make. White room was a secret organization completely hidden from the normal eyes. The files of white room are not something that should sit on a teenager's hand. My knowledge about that place was comparable to an anomaly. It was no wonder why he was curious about my methods.

But things were complicated. He was a fictional character, at least I think he is. Everything that's been happening around me was part of a story. No matter how irrational you are, you have to be an absolute idiot to believe in my explanation.

However for some reason, something tells me that Ayanokouji would actually believe me if I told him.

Should I take the risk?

"I've read it in the papers. That's all." I chided.

I needed to be careful, otherwise this will turn out to be a tragedy.

"How did you get the papers?" He asked.

"I bought those papers."

"That is unbelievable.'

"I know this sounds like a fool's joke but, believe me. This is the truth." I said while looking straight in the eyes.

"..."

"..."

"I guess I'll have to accept your answer."

That was the furthest I was willing to reveal. Exposing myself any further would indeed make me a fool. My role as a background character needed to remain solid. If I ended up spoiling the story too much, there was no telling how much the plot would be affected.

However, there was one last thing I wanted to make sure...

"I've answered what you asked. Now, in exchange let me ask you a question."

"If it's something I can answer, then I will."

"What do you think of Arisu Sakayanagi ?"

" Sakayanagi? Isn't she the leader of class A? I suppose she's intelligent? What about her?"

"I agree. There is no doubt that she's a genius. Not only that, she's also the daughter of Professor Sakayanagi, the chairman of ANHS. But more importantly, she's intelligent enough to have already found out about your existence." I said with a calm voice.

He stopped mid-way. With a voice filled with intimidation he asked,

"Are you for real , Levent?"

"This is not an empty threat, Ayanokouji. That woman would inevitably confront you. That's exactly why I thought I might as well warn you before the events unfold."

"..."

His silence was understandable.

"Do you hold doubts?"

"How do I know that you're telling me the truth?" I sighed.

"See it for yourself I guess? Again, let me remind you that it's up to you to decide whether I'm trustworthy or not."

"Given that everything that you've told me up until now came true, I suppose your informations are indeed credible to some extent."

"I'm glad that you think that way."

We finally got upstairs to the library where we found Horikita and the others waiting for us. Even Sudou was present, as expected of Kikyo.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting." I waved.

"What took you so long?" Horikita asked.

"We were stopped by some upperclassmen."

"Why did they stop you?"

"I'll tell you later. Let's begin the study session."

I wonder how things will go...

••••••

" Kushida-san , did Levent-kun not tell you? You-"

"I'm also worried about getting a bad grade," Kikyo said.

"You...didn't score badly on the small test."

"Yes, but to tell you the truth, I was lucky. There were lots of multiple-choice questions, you know? So I guessed about half of them. In truth, I just barely passed. So I want to join the study group to avoid getting a bad grade. That's okay, right?"

"Fine," Horikita growled.

"Thank you." Kikyo smiled, bowed, and took her seat. Bringing Okitani had probably been part of her plan all along. She'd effectively used him to justify joining the group. Not bad, Kikyo.

"Scoring lower than thirty-two means failing. Do you fail if you get exactly thirty-two points, though?" Sudou asked.

"No, you're safe if you score at least thirty-two points. Sudou , you can manage that, right?" Ike said.

Even Ike was worried about Sudou. Of course those guys would want to know the exact threshold.

"It doesn't really matter. My goal is for everyone to be safe during this exam," Horikita said.

"Gah, isn't that going to be too tough?" Sudou sighed.

Horikita wanted to say something, but after glancing at me, she stopped her words on her throat.

"I included most of what will be covered on this test. We only have about two weeks left, but I plan to thoroughly walk you through everything.
If you don't understand something, please ask."

"Hey, I don't understand the first question." Sudou glared at Horikita. The first problem was like this;

" A , B , and C collectively have 2,150 yen. A has 120 yen more than B does. Also, after C gives B two-fifths of his money, B would have 220 yen more than A . How much yen did A originally start with?"

The answer was simple. A had 710 yen, while B had 590 yen and C had the largest value, 850 yen.

"Try thinking about it. If you give up right at the beginning, you won't get anywhere. Do you understand, Okitani-kun ?" Horikita asked.

"Let's see... A plus B plus C is 2,150 yen. So, A equals B plus 120 .

Then..." Okitani started writing out a series of equations. Kushida, seated next to him, glanced over her shoulder.

" Yeah, yeah, that looks right. Then what?" she said.

"Then... umm.. I can't really relate to them."

"Ugh, I don't get it either." Ike, equally bewildered, scratched his head.

"Listen up. This can be easily solved using a system of simultaneous equations. " Without hesitation, Horikita picked up her pen and got to work.

Unfortunately, it looked like only Kushida and Okitani understood.

"What even are simultaneous equations?" asked Ike.

Horikita's pencil lid broke. Things were not looking good for the group. I had to step in.

"Basically you have to deal with multiple equations at the same time." I looked at Horikita. I gestured her to ' calm down '. She seemed to receive my signal. After a sigh she regained composure.

"As you can see, A has 120 yen more than B . So, A = B120.

But on the other hand, C gave two-fifth of their yen to B , for which B now has 220 yen more than A . So, ( B 2/5C = A 220). "

"Oh! So that's how it is.." Okitani, no, even Ike and Yamauchi understood her explanation. Judging by Sudou's expression, he was in the middle of both understanding and not understanding.

"Right. Now, on the second equation you have to use the first equation. Yamauchi-kun, what should we do next?"

" Uh, well A equals (B120) , so I guess we write down the amount?"

"Correct. Good job, Yamauchi-kun ."

"Eh? W-well as you can see I'm not that weak in math. Trivial problems like this doesn't hold a candle to me." He puffed his chest in pride.

"Ike-kun, what happens next?" Everyone completely ignored Yamauchi's existence.

"Umm...ugh so uh.. you.. negate B from both sides? (B 2/5C - B) = (B 120 220 - B) . Is that it?"

"Good job, Ike-kun!" Kikyo cheered from the sidelines. A blush formed around his cheeks. Although the session started with a tense air, soon it was replaced with a relaxed environment.

"Now you divide and multiply to cross out the 2/5 , that's how we get the C value." Okitani got it.

C= (340 x 5) / 2; equals 850 yen. Deduce it from the total and what remains is 1300 yen.

"Now that we have the amount of money C, we just deduce it from the total amount, which just leaves A plus B . In that case, (A B) = 1300. From here on, you would use the value of B to determine the value of A." I explained.

"Sudou-kun, do you know how to do it?" Horikita asked him. Here it comes.

" Well, uh... It's um, y'know, if A has 120 yen more than B , then that also means B has 120 yen less than A . So uh, put B = (A - 120) in there, then we get A , right?"

I...

What the hell did this madlad just do?

"Wow, you're actually correct."

"Huh? Whaddya mean by that?"

"Well done, Sudou!" I clapped to ease the tension. Surprisingly everyone else also clapped, excluding Horikita.

"Shh! Don't make noise. This is a library." I frantically stopped them.

"Anyways, now we have, (2A -120) = 1300 . You just add the 120 yen and divide it by 2 . That's how you get the value of A , which is 710 yen. Do you have any questions?"

"Wow! I think I understand now. This is easy!" Ike crowed.

"Yeah. You're really good at explaining, Horikita-san." Okitani remarked.

" Yeah, I think I'd be able to do it now. Teach me more of these!" Sudou was fired up.

"I'm glad that you all understood. Let's move on to the next problem."

In the end, the study group did not collapse like it did in the novel. I succeeded in protecting the group from falling apart. Although I noticed that Sakura was the only person to not speak during the entire session. I truly felt bad for her.

"Saku-"

"What exactly did you do?" As soon as I was about to call out to Sakura, Ayanokouji cut me off.

"I calmly threatened her to act calmly and explain everything like an elementary school teacher."

"... Must've been hard for her."

"That goes without saying."

••••••

B 2/5C = A 220
B 2/5C = (B120) 220
B - B 2/5C = B - B 340
2/5C = 340
2C = 340 X 5
2C = 1,700
C = 850 —(I)

A B C = 2,150
A B = 2,150 - C
A B = 2,150 - 850 [(C = 850) From i]
A B = 1,300 —(ii)
A (A - 120) = 1,300
2A - 120 = 1,300
2A = 1,300 - 120
2A = 1,420
A = 710 —(III)

A B = 1300 [ From ii]
B = 1,300 - A
B = 1,300 - 710 [(A = 710) From iii]
B = 590

(A B C) = 2,150
(710 590 850) = 2,150

Current balance: 737, 831 ¶¶

Chapter 2.4 - Zero Factorial

Time flew by in the blink of an eye. It was already Friday. Our midterm exam was finally upon us. The study group were held everyday for the entire week. Horikita took the active role of teaching the curriculum to all. Now, it was only a matter of time until the results would be clear as day.

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

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

"That's the first hurdle for you leftovers. Are there any questions?"

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

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

Everyone wore a confident look, even Sudou. Even a actually attended the study groups for the remaining days. There was no mistaking that he at least tried to study. But will that be enough?

The teacher promptly took up the test papers and passed them out.

"If anyone stumbles here, the other tests will be an uphill battle, quite frankly. You'll take this midterm and the final exam in July. If no one fails either test, you'll be rewarded with a vacation during your summer break."

"A vacation?"

"That's right. A dream vacation on an island surrounded by the brilliant blue sea."

That was a good joke, until they turned it into full fledged special exam.

"Everyone. Let's do our best!"

"Yeah!" Ike howled along with our classmates.

"Yeah!" I mustered some strength to my voice too cause why not?

"Pervert." Horikita glanced at me.

"What can I say? I'm a normal healthy boy in adolescence."

"If I were to voice my opinion, you are anything but normal."

"How rude."

"I am just stating the facts. That's all." and so I ignored her thereafter.

Before long, everyone had their test papers. On the teacher's signal, everyone began. I held off on starting for a moment and looked at Sudou. With everything h'd learned, could he avoid failing?

We held study sessions whenever we could with the intention of reaching maximum efficiency. Sudou joined the group from time to time. Though he would show his club activities as his jail free card, he was not completely ignoring us which was a good sign. But, will he be okay though?

Oh, I wonder what would happen.

The next second I finally turned my paper. Sure enough, the questions were exactly the same as expected. To tell you the truth, the exam paper was a bit odd.

I've read the curriculum for the first years. Granted, the majority of the questions were within the syllabus. However the paper also contained numerous questions from not only the second and third years level, but also from the college level.

During my fifteen years of studying, I've never seen such an unique selection of questions, ever. But there was nothing to worry about as I was pretty sure that most the students would copy and paste from what they've memorized from the paper distributed by someone who was 'not me'.

I slowly started answering the questions myself, one by one. It was only a matter of time until the results would come out.

But really, at this point whether Sudou sank or swim was entirely up to fate.

•••••

The tests had ended. We all circled around Sudou.

"Hey, did you do okay?" asked Ike, anxiously.

Sudou was on the verge of losing his cool. One thing's for sure, he was not confident about his performance.

"I don't know... I did everything I could, but I have no idea how well I did..."

"Don't worry. You studied as hard as you could. I'm sure you did well." I comforted him.

"Damnit! Why didn't I read the English papers carefully!" Sudou fidgeted, clearly frustrated himself. I, then pushed Horikita in front of him.

"Sudou-kun."

"What is it, Horikita-san?" it was truly a sight to see the two of them talk like civil citizens.

"It was certainly your fault for not reviewing the old test's final section. However, as you said, you did everything that you could with the time that you had. You didn't cut any corners or give up. Considering how much effort you put in, I think you should hold your head high and feel proud."

"What is this? Are you trying to comfort me?"

"Comfort? I'm speaking the truth. When I look at how far you've come, I understand how hard studying is for you, Sudou ."

She was genuinely praising him. Seeing her like this was not a bad sight at all. I guess even Horikita can be cute sometimes.

"Let's wait for the results."

"Yeah... Okay."

"Please, excuse me. I'll be leaving now."

Horikita's expression was the same as always, but she bowed her head to Sudou. After doing so, Horikita left the room.

"Hey, did you just see that? Horikita was actually being nice to you!"

"I can't believe it!"

Ike and Yamauchi were both completely stunned. Kushida was as well. Best I could do was to just deadpan at them.

Horikita had acknowledged that Sudou had done his best. A dumbfounded Sudou, still seated at his desk, looked after Horikita as she walked through the classroom door. Soon after, Sudou, put his right hand over his heart and looked at us.

"O-oh, no... I... I think I might be in love with Horikita..." I almost smirked upon hearing those words.

Before long, Chabashira strode into the classroom with a long paper folded in her hands. Everyone was clearly anxious, holding their breath in anticipation of the test results. Suddenly she glared at me, her eyes were full of disappointment. I immediately shrugged and avoided eye contact. However, my eyes landed... somewhere.

Just at a glance, I could see two giant reasons why our homeroom teacher was the best in the entire school.

[Author: Yes, ' Ecchizaki ' is real]

"Sensei. We were told that the results would be announced today, but when?"

"There's no need for you to get so worked up, Hirata. You should have passed quite easily."

"So, when will the results be released?"

"Well, if you'd like, now is as good a time as any. If we waited to do it after class, we wouldn't have enough time for other procedures."

Some of the students visibly reacted to the words "other procedures."

"What...do you mean by that?"

"Don't get flustered. I'll tell you now."

She stuck a large, white sheet of paper with everyone's names and test scores onto the blackboard.

"Honestly, I'm impressed. I didn't think that you'd score so-"

The moment she stuck the results in the blackboard, I had already started analyzing it. Instead of searching for my results, I searched for the other's results. It was a matter of time until my eyes came across my targets. Ike, Yamauchi, Sakura, all of them had managed to pass the exam by a long line. But Sudou... well... he's results were...

"Exactly as I engineered." I said to myself

Sudou failed the midterm, securing a score of forty-two points in English. Exactly one point away from the red line.

"We showed you, sensei! When we really try our best, we can do anything!" Ike wore a smug, confident look.

"Yes, I recognize that. You all did very well. However-" Chabashira held a red pen in her hand.

Sudou unintentionally let out a "Huh?"

She drew a red line right above Sudou's name.

" Wh-what is that? What does that mean?"

"You failed, Sudou ."

"Huh? You're lying, right? Don't give me that crap! Why did I fail?" he cried.

Silence fell over the classroom as despair fell upon the arrogant boy.

" Sudou , you failed the English exam. That's all."

"Don't screw with me! I got more than thirty-two points! I passed!"

"When did anyone say that thirty-two points was a passing grade?"

"No, no. You said so, sensei! Right, everyone?" shouted Ike.

"Say whatever you want, it won't matter. This is the undeniable truth. You had to score at least a forty-three to pass the midterm exam. In other words, you were just one point short. You were so close."

"F-forty-three?! You never told us about this! I won't accept it!"

"Should I tell you how we determine the passing grade?"

Chabashira wrote a simple formula on the blackboard: 86.8 divided by 2 equals 43.4

"We set a passing grade for each individual class, just as we did for the last test. We calculated that number by dividing the average score by two.
That's how we arrived at our answer."

"I provided proof that you failed. That is all."

"No way... So... Does that mean I'm going to be expelled?"

"Although your time here was short, you struggled valiantly. You'll be asked to fill out a withdrawal form after class, but you will need to have a legal guardian present when you do so. I'll contact them for you. As for the rest of you, good work. You all passed without any issues. Work hard so that you can pass your final exam as well. Well then, next-"

I was thoroughly impressed by how casually she swapped topics. It could be that she simply didn't care about anyone. Or, it could be related to the deal that we made.

"S-sensei. Is Sudou-kun really being expelled? Is there no way to save him?"

Hirata was the first to show concern, even though Sudou hated him and had lashed out at him verbally.

"He's being expelled. He got a failing grade."

"Could we possibly see Sudou-kun's answer sheet?"

"Even if you look it over, you won't find any grading mistakes. I was expecting that you'd protest."

She took out Sudou's English answer sheet and handed it to Hirata, who immediately looked over every problem. His expression turned dark when he reached the end.

"There...are no mistakes."

"Well, if you're all in agreement, homeroom is over."

There was not the faintest bit of sympathy in her voice. She did not give him a second chance nor a single word of comfort. Ike and Yamauchi, stayed silent as their friend cried in hopelessness. Hirata remained quiet, too.

" Sudou , come to the faculty room after class. That is all."

The homeroom ended as Chabashira exited the classroom.

•••••

Sudou, still struggling to wrap his head around this new reality, looked over at Horikita. She had purposefully lowered her grades as far as she could, all to stop Sudou's expulsion.

"I'm sorry. I should have tried to lower my score just a little more," she muttered.

"Why? You said that you hated me," Sudou said.

"Don't misunderstand. I did this for my own sake. It was all for nothing, though."

Horikita slowly glanced at me.

I slowly got up from my seat, also signalling towards Ayanokouji. He simply nodded.

" Wh-where are you going, Levent?"

"Toilet."

With that, I exited and quickly made my way through the hallway. It wasn't long before we reached the rooftop. As expected, Chabashira was standing there smoking. It was as if she was waiting for someone.

"Ayanokouji, hmm? Class will begin any minute, you know," she said without looking back.

"It's Levent." I shortly replied.

"Oh. It's you, huh?" she sounded seemingly disappointed.

"You sure seem disappointed."

"I won't deny that. So, what brings you here, Levent? I'm sure you're not here to spout nonsense, are you?"

"Sensei would be okay if I were to ask you this one question?"

"One question? Is that why you went to the trouble of chasing me here?"

"There's this question that has been lingering deep in my mind."

"Great. First it was Horikita, now you. What in the world is it?"

"Which one do you think is better? Nature or nurture?"

"That's an interesting question. Such a sudden one too. Is there a special meaning behind it?"

"That depends. In any case, what's your opinion?"

"If you are seeking for my personal opinion, then I would say nature. There is nothing comparable to what was given to you by birth."

"I see. I share similar feelings to some extent."

"Is that so?"

"But at the same time, I think nurturing is also a necessity. Suppose that you have a high grade iron ore in front of you, the best kind in the world. But if you fail to polish it into a usable material, then it'll remain a useless chunk of metal. We need nurturing to in order to grow. Nature does not go above nurture, nurture does not go above nature."

"You're statement is becoming more and more paradoxical. Did you chase me all the way just to ask that question? If that's all then I'll be going."

"On our first ever homeroom when you briefed us about the school and S-system, you told us that in the school almost anything is purchasable with points. Was that correct?"

"With limitations, yes. I did say that. And your point is?"

"I want you to sell one point for Sudou's English test."

I took my student ID card out of my pocket.

"..."

Chabashira's eyes widened. And then she laughed loudly.

"Hahahaha! You're an interesting student, aren't you? I'd never imagined you'd try to buy points."

"It should be eligible. Though it's tempting, I'm not trying to buy your soul, nor your body. What I'm trying to buy is something that should be buyable. Capitalism was always there in the modern society. And always will be. In that regard, I'm should be allowed to buy this, correct?"

"I see, I see. You certainly could have it that way. However, do you even have enough money on hand to afford it?"

"Well, how much does one test point cost?"

"Now, that's a rather difficult question, isn't it? I've never been asked to sell test points before. Let's see... Seeing as how this is a special occasion, I'll sell a test point for the exceptional price of 100,000 points."

"I'll accept this deal."

I tapped on the phone a few times.

"I've sent 100,000 points on your account."

Chabashira fell silent. Her expression was like a doll, but confusion was seeping through her poker face.

"Well that was fast. Did you seriously give up the majority of your points?" she asked

"Let's get to the part where you keep your side of the agreement, sensei."

"Of course. You can go ahead and tell your friend to be rest assured." Chabashira took a box out of her pocket and snuffed the cigarette.

The deal was already done. I had nothing more to do. When I was on my way back, I stopped.

"And one more thing. I believe that you will keep this deal with me anonymous."

"Oh? And what will you do if I didn't?"

What will I do, you say?

"You want your class to reach the top. That's a fact. But the question is, is it something regarding the competition between the teachers? Or is it something that had happened in the past?" her expression stiffened ever the slightest.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Someday, I will tell you a story regarding a girl who dragged an entire class down with them."

"..." she went silent, her fists starting to clench. "And what is your point exactly, Aozaki?" She called me by that name.

"Still don't get it? Well, in that case I'll let you know that, even though we're currently aiding the class, it wouldn't take too long to change our mind. Sabotaging an entire class is not that big of an ordeal. You should very well know what I'm talking about, huh,?"

"Aozaki!"

"Don't worry sensei. All you have to do is just cooperate with us. That's all."

"And what happens if I decide not to cooperate with you?"

"Take a guess."

That was all I had to tell her. After I was done with the rooftop, I walked down the stairs. After a few steps, Horikita was standing next to the wall. Seeing her face, I waved at her.

"Yo."

"What exactly did you do there?"

"I'm just making you worthy of having that superiority complex of yours."

"Was that supposed to be an insult?"

"Depends on how you look at it..."

"Either way, what would you do to save Sudou-kun?"

"Don't worry. I've already done that."

"What! How?" Horikita shouted before I pushed my finger on top of her lips.

"Shh... Stop screaming. Either way, I've already secured Sudou's residence. Now it's time for you to go there and announce it to them. Just like I told you."

"R-right." for some reason her cheeks were slowly turning red.

...

...

...

Oh..So it's like that, huh?

Stockholm Syndrome, an emotional response. It happens to some abuse and hostage victims when they have positive feelings toward an abuser or captor. It's not a psychological diagnosis, it's simply a coping mechanism of the victim.

Usually they end up harboring sympathy, fondness or sometimes romantic feelings towards their abuser. While it's not necessarily the best outcome, there are times when the victim and the captor end up forming a bond. This helps the victim get kindness treatment from others.

I honestly want to see my forcefulness upon Horikita as a form of abuse. But facts are facts. The normal response I was initially hoping for would be something along the lines of my victim garnering hatred towards me. Or least I expected her to show resistance more. However...

Am I being overly self-conscious, or did she really form romantic feelings for me?

To test my theory, I slightly pressed and circled around her lips before I took them off. As a result some of her saliva got in my finger. I honestly didn't know what to think of it.

"Keh!" as expected she gave me a flustered reaction.

No, anyone would be flustered by that. Forming speculations over inaccurate methods like this would only cause confusion. It's better if I observe everything slowly.

I pulled my arms and started walking as if nothing happened.

"W-what was that Levent-kun!" she shouted while glaring at me.

"What exactly?" I feigned ignorance.

"The thing you just did!"

"Ah, right. I told you not to shout, didn't I? Can you even do a single thing right, Horikita?" I joked.

"You! Grr..."

I decided to step it up and walk faster...

"Hey! Wait! Do you really want me to take credits for your efforts?"

"I don't see there being any problem doing that. Do you have one?"

"Yes. I can't jus-"

"Well it doesn't matter. Let's go back to the classroom before the class begins."

"S-sure." a dejected Horikita followed along. Was she perhaps feeling guilty?

"There's no need for you to feel guilty, Horikita. I don't do anything that doesn't have any benefit for me. The more credible you are, the perfect of a cover you will become for me."

"I really dislike you, Levent-kun."

"The feeling's mutual."

"Cheers!" Ike shouted joyfully and toasted with a can of juice.

All of us grouped in Ayanokouji's room. They were all overjoyed that no one had been expelled. Everyone smiled... well except for Horikita and Ayanokouji.

"I don't particularly mind that you're holding a celebration party, but why are you in my room?"

"Mine's a mess. So are Sudou's and Yamauchi's . And we can't go to a girl's room, right? I mean, yeah, I would've loved going to Kushida-chan's room. But your spectacularly plain and empty room is the best option."

"But Levent is here too." he looked at me.

"I think this place is just fine. It's simple, nice and clean." I defended myself.

"Right? From now on this is going to be our hang out spot. Hahahaha!"

"All things considered, though, that midterm was dangerous. If we hadn't put the study group together, I would've been fine, but Ike and Sudou would have definitely gotten kicked out." Yamauchi stated.

"You were close to getting expelled, too, you know."

"No, no, I could have gotten a perfect score if I were serious about it. Really."

...

Yeah, I believe you.

"Everything was thanks to Horikita-san's efforts. She tutored Ike, Yamauchi , Sakura and Sudou."

Oh, did I mention that Sakura was also there. She sitting beside me, silently listening to our conversation. There's no need to tell how uncomfortable she was being there.

While the others drifted into their chattering, I paid attention to Sakura.

"Hey, are you okay?" I whispered so that no one could hear me.

"Huh? Eh? Umm... yes, I'm o-okay."

"Are you perhaps uncomfortable being here?"

"N-n-no! I-It's fine, really. I'm enjoying this haha."

"Is that so? In that case I will not pry into it anymore."

"Thank you."

I looked forward again.

"Horikita-san is something else. To think that she would manage to save Sudou-kun so easily. Amazing, isn't she?" Ike crowed.

"You should've seen how passionate she was while taking to the teachers." I said.

" Wha -?"

"Oh! You serious?"

"Yes. She was practically arguing with the teachers about how important Sudou is for our class."

"Wait!"

"Horikita, did you really do that? For me?"

Horikita glared at me, I shrugged it off.

"Don't misunderstand. I did it for my own sake. If someone had been expelled, Class D's evaluation would've worsened." for some reason she sounded oddly tsundere-ish.

"Just say that you didn't want us to get expelled, even if it's a lie. We'd like you better."

"It'd be fine with me if you didn't."

Seriously, what do I do with this woman?

The group continued to savor the freedom they had temporarily received. As they drowned themselves in trivial conversation, I was suddenly hit by a flashback. A memory of the past.

"Why do I remember it now?" I muttered.

"Levent." Sudou's sudden call brought me back to life.

"You also went there with her to talk to sensei, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Although I couldn't do anything but watch her do all the work."

"It's fine. At least you tried to help me, didn't you? Thanks bro. I really appreciate it."

...

... ..

... ...

...

But Sudou, I was the reason why you were in the predicament in the first place.

Yes, it was not you who failed the test. I was the one who stabbed you from behind. I intentionally gave you the paper in the very end. I had also manipulated the answers of that paper too. I made sure to perfectly screw you over only to pretend to save you in the very end.

Don't thank me, for I was the one who pushed you off the cliff. So don't blame yourself, Sudou, you did exactly what I wanted you to do.

Prove yourself worthy enough of my protection, or else you inevitably face me in the near future.

Current balance: 632, 901 ¶¶

Chapter 2.5 - Butterfly Trap

T/W: Contains offensive content (ie. physical violence, death threats)

The gathering ended as soon as it began. Horikita was the first one to depart, followed by Ike and the others. Kikyou and I were the only one's remaining in Ayanokouji's room. While Ayanokouji was busy cleaning the room, I was doing the dishes accompanied by Kikyou.

Oh how wonderful...

"I can handle the rest. You should go on now, Kikyo-san." I offered.

"No no, that won't do, Levent-kun. This is the least I could do to help you."

"But it's already late. You should head out first. The last thing you'd want is to get caught in front of a boy's room." I added.

"Hm, now that you mention it... you are right. But, are you sure you don't want me to handle the rest?" I nodded in affirmative.

It was already past evening. Normally the school would give all sorts of freedom to it's students. However, there was no way an educational institute could be that flexible. Romantic intimacy was a hard 'NO' within the border of the dorms. Of course by that I mean se-

"Yay! Thank you Levent-kun. I really appreciate it." Kikyou exclaimed in a cutesy tone.

"It's no big deal."

Kikyou carefully put down her plate. After cleaning and organizing herself, she headed towards the door. But then... suddenly she stopped right in front of the kitchen. With a stern look on her face, she looked back at me.

"Say, Levent-kun."

"Hm?" I know where this is headed.

"Do you perhaps like girls like Horikita?"

The question was meant to be asked to him, not me. Then again, why was I being the one interrogated? It seemed like I had completely replaced Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from his own story. It was never my intention to begin with. All I wanted to do was just give assistance to the D-fects, because the protagonist wasn't a reliable one. But, that's not what matters. The question is...

Have I completely diverted this from the original plot?

"Is there a reason behind that question?"

"I always see you together with her. You're the only person Horikita-san ever talks to. All the girls in class are talking about it." I agree.

I was getting too attached to Horikita. So much so, that I started attracting a lot of unwanted attention towards me. It was a good thing, for Ayanokouji. He wouldn't face any more difficulties being invisible as I was acting as his cloak.

"Horikita talks to me like she does with everyone else. If anything, she's more crude with me whenever we have a conversation."

"I don't know about that. She seems more comfortable talking to you, rather than all."
...

I'm not sure if she's mistaking comfort with fear.

"Is that so? I really haven't thought about it like that."

"Then, is it true?"

...

Do I, now?

"For now, Horikita is my friend, nothing more, nothing less. We both share a similar goal, to reach class A. That's why we're helping each other."

"I see." Kikyou replied. "I'll be going home now. Good night, Levent-kun."

"Ah, good night."

Kikyou proceeded to the other room where Ayanokouji was. What followed was the sound of the door closing. Ayanokouji appeared the next instant.

"She's gone."

"Is it still there?"

"Yes." he pointed towards the phone that was laying on his bed.

"Lucky~"

I picked up the phone. At first I was met with a lock screen, which didn't take me a second to crack. It was yesterday when I had noticed her opening her phone. 23rd January, her birth date.

According to a global research, fifty-nine percent of people use birthdays as their password. No wonder why the IT specialists are always facepalming. But to think that a secretive person like her would also be a part of this.

Good for us...

"I wonder what will happen if the words get out that you've been tempering with a girl's phone." Ayanokouji said.

"Thank you for reminding me. I appreciate it." I replied.

After I was done, I erased all the activities and perfectly covered up my digital footprint. With that I was finally ready to head out.

As I walked outside, I noticed a single small figure, apparently headed towards the shore. She was none other than Kushida Kikyou, the one who I was targeting. I followed without making a single sound.

When she'd reached the spot, she held on to the guard rail. The veins in her hands popped as she grabbed the railing. Her grip was that tight. I immediately stopped and hid behind a tree.

"Ahh, so annoying." so began her rant.

"You think you're so great just because you're pretty, huh?" Kushida was blowing with apparent rage. Her voice didn't contain the same charm as it did before.

"I hate you!

I swear! I hate you! I hate you. I hate you!

Just die, Horikita!"

Immediately she started kicking the guard rail. What unfolded before me was the result of holding back her emotions too much. Humans are equipped with limited emotional capacity. It's exactly like a glass of water. Say the emotions are like water. Imagine not drinking from the glass, but keep pouring water into it. If the pouring didn't stop, the water would inevitably pour all over the glass.

An individual can always hold back their emotions, but upto a certain extent. Once they exceed the limit, there would be no holding back.

No one's truly emotionless. All humans have emotions and by no means, am I an exception. Anger, Hatred, Wrath, Despair... I feel all of them. It's just that they're not strong enough to ever possibly seep out of me.

You're playing a dangerous game, Kikyou.

"I hate you! I seriously hate you, you wrenched bitch!"

That should be enough.

While holding out her phone, I walked out of the shadow.

Bzzt!!!

The phone rang, instantly exposing my location to her. Tensed, she immediately set her sights on me. "Who is it?" she asked with a low-pitched voice. I simply stood there, not uttering a single word. When she realized that it was me, Levent, her expression darkened even more.

"What... are you... doing here?" she coldly asked.

"What do you think?" I gestured towards her phone.

After seeing me holding her phone, Kikyou rushed and forcefully snatched it back. She looked straight at me, her eyes focused on mine.

"Did you hear?" she asked.

"Maybe." I replied.

"I see..."

Kikyou briskly placed her left forearm against the base of my throat, and pushed me up against a tree. Her tone of voice, her actions, everything about her was completely unlike the Kikyou she showed everyone to be. The duality of her personalities...

She reminds me of a certain existence who I had the honor of seeing everyday.

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

"What happens if I don't cooperate, may I ask?"

"In that case, I would tell everyone that you raped me," she said.

"And how are you to prove when it's nothing but a completely false accusation?" I made my voice clear.

"That's okay. It wouldn't be false."

Kikyou grabbed my right wrist and slowly opened my hand. She pushed my palm up against her soft breast. I raised my eyebrow. That was completely different from what I had imagined.

Kikyou was... very blessed, to say the least. The size of her breasts were comparable to a mature woman's. The softness of her breast was truly monumental. It felt like sinking my arm into a deep sea of soft cotton. As my hands dug deeper into it, I kept feeling edges of her chest. I wondered what size of bra she had on her. It even came to a point where I could easily guess the position of he nipple.

Unfortunately, it was not the time to slowly savor that feeling. I was there for much more important reasons.

"Your fingerprints are on my clothes. That's evidence of my claim. I'm being serious. Understand?"

...

"Kikyou Kushida...

Are you sure you're the one who's in control?"

"Huh? Isn't that obvious? I would definit-"

Within the blink of an eye, my hand broke through her grip towards her throat and grabbed it. Squeezing it tightly, I lifted her up.

"You just don't get it, do you?" I coldly asked.

"Hngh-!"

"Forensics and evidence collection works completely different compared to what you have in mind. Expecting the investigators to find my fingerprints on your blazer is painfully irrational. Cotton and linen are incapable of containing verifiable amount of fingerprint. The possibility of ever detecting my involvement via this method is close to zero. In short, it's nothing but a pipe dream." I added.

"In addition to that, let's think hypothetically that it was possible. Let's just say that they'd found my fingerprints on your blazer. So, what difference does it make? My fingerprints on your clothes will never be taken as credible evidence to back up your allegations. If I wanted to, I could always request for a physical check-up. As far as I'm concerned, you're a virgin, aren't you?"

"Grr...!" her reaction was the answer itself. Kikyou was just like a popular idol or an actor. Usually idols are forbidden from entering romantic relationships because it always puts their popularity at risk. Kikyou only saw human relationships objectively. Friendship with everyone was just a mean of retaining her popularity. That said, there was no doubt about the authenticity of my hypothesis.

"If you blamed me for raping you, how would you explain your undamaged hymen?"

Kikyou looked at me with narrow eyes while thrashing heavily for air. I know that look on her face. It was a look of anger, panic, confusion and fear. A face that I find eeriely common to all of my preys. A sight that I'd gotten unnaturally accustomed to.

But that wasn't quite the sight I wanted to see.

"But listen Kikyou, you don't have to worry, because there's still a possibility of me getting in trouble. Do you want to know how?"

"Ha-how?"

Even in this scenario, her eyes grew curious. In order to remove me from her path, she was ready to do anything. She was that desperate.

...

Let's give her the 'hope' that she desperately wants.

"Because this time, the allegations brought upon me...

...would not be a fabricated one."

I tightened my grip on her throat. The sudden increase of pressure on her throat made her let out a squeaking sound. Her breathing became even more rigid. There was barely any air going inside her lungs. Soon, the true meaning behind my words became clear to her. The sudden realization made her fearful of her fate.

"L-LET ME GO!"

"No." my grip increased even more.

By choking her, the tension of the muscles supporting her throat increased. What I wanted to accomplish, was an artificial "Globus Pharnygis", also known as a "lump in the throat", the persistent but painless sensation of having a pill, food or some other sort of obstruction in the throat when there is none.

It was a very annoying and uncomfortable sensation, especially when it was caused by an outsider. While what I did was very different from an actual lump in the throat, the result was what mattered...

Her fear increased, her mental state deteriorated and panic arose within her. Her fingernails dug deep as she desperately stated scratching all over my arm. The possibility of me actually killing her, took over her consciousness. She tried to scream, but it just wasn't possible for her to that anymore. Her voice wouldn't come out of her. That was the ultimate result of fear and despair.

"STO-..!"

It became harder for her to talk due to the increased difficulties experienced in her oxygen intake. A slow and painful sensation arose all over her body.

"Did you not want me to get into trouble?"

"N..n...nh..."

It became visibly apparent to me that the volume of carbon-dioxide increased up to an unbearable amount. Which is why her face stared turning red. Her trashing gradually began to slow down. She wasn't able to apply enough strength anymore. If I continued chocking her, she actually might've gone unconscious, or even worse. Dead.

As much as I wished to continue reliving past experiences, I needed to resist my urges.

After releasing my grip, I pushed her towards the very tree she cornered me in. While continuously coughing, Kikyou collapsed and gasped for air like a fish out of water. I just stood there like a statue, continuing my cold observation.

"Hah.. Hah.." she kept breathing heavily while glaring at me. Her body was shaking, sweat formed all around her face even though it was cold.

"I'm surprised that you can still move after all of that." I commented while looking at her trying to stand up.

"You... you monster!" she shouted as tears formed around her eyes.

"Indeed."

I whipped out my phone. After navigating to the recording folder, I located the designated file and pressed on it. An audiotrack immediately started playing.

"Huh?" was a normal response from a normal human being.

The voice in the audio belonged to none other than Kushida Kikyou. Every word that she spoke, every rant that she screamed at Horikita, all of them were being repeated through the speaker. Which of course, included her recent 'rape allegations'.

After the recording stopped playing, her face turned pale, like a lifeless ghost.

"W-when... did you record this?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"Since the very beginning." I replied.

"You bastard! Delete that right this instant!" she screamed as she threw a punch at me.

I was surprised by the fact that she was attacking me right after being assaulted. Her punch was sloppy, slow and purely based on raw emotions. If I wanted to, I could've easily dodged her punch. But instead, I took her punch head-on. I was curious.

A jolt of pain ran through my left cheeks as her hands collided with my face. Even though Kikyou seemed like a nice, kind-hearted girl, her punch was something that completely betrayed her image. I made sure not to lose composure as I was prepared to face the wrath of an emotional being. After regaining myself, I simply stared at her, unaffected.

Her eyes were filled with anger, disgust and hatred. Well that was to be expected. No one likes to be at a disadvantage. The losers always look back at their inability and blame their lack of perception. Either way, between the two of us, I was the one who was standing above the other. It would only take me two steps to attain absolute dominance over the person named Kikyou.

"What are you doing?" she screamed.

I tapped on the screen a few times, navigating through the share option of that file. After I was done setting everything up, I showed her the phone.

"Let's make a proposition. You will do whatever I tell you to do, unquestioned. In exchange I will not expose you."

"Like hell I'll do that?"

"You have no choice but to do that."

In a single click, I was then able to expose her in front of the entire school. Seeing this, her expression turned into a panicked one.

"Stop! Don't do it! I'm warning you! If you do that, then I-"

"Be my guest. I wouldn't care even if the class were to go down the deepest pits of hell."

"W-what?" Kikyou was visibly flabbergasted.

"Do you even know what you're talking about?" she said.

"I do. But more importantly, I don't care."

"What kind of a brainless idiot are you, you stupid prick!" she screamed.

"Looks like you're not going to believe me unless you see it for yourself."

I don't care what happens, Kikyou. I will forcefully rip that mask off of your face.

"Hold on! Wait! No!!!" As if reading my mind, Kikyou panicked. She instantly launched herself towards me, trying to grab the phone from me. But it was all in vein. Not only was she shorter than me, but her movement was slower than a snail to me.

Kikyou was desperate. She was at her wits end. After she realized that trying to grab the phone was useless, she retorted to violence. This time, however, I wasn't curious about her strength. After dodging her kick aimed at my abdomen, I swiftly gained distance from her. There was no way Kikyou could ever match up with me.

My thumb slowly started sinking towards the screen. Seeing this, her face darkened even more. But it was a different kind of darkness. It was not anger, not hatred, not regret.

It was fear.

"Please! Don't upload it!"

Finally, the egoistic girl decided to shed her tears. Like a broken dam, it continued flowing down her cheeks. Kikyou Kushida was no longer able to hold onto her mask. She gave up, and began crying hopelessly leaning onto me. That beautiful soundless night was immediately replaced with cries of dispair.

I waited until her crying had subsided. Apparently both her blazer and mine were wet from her tears. Slowly her crying weakend and was replaced with sobs. Even though the situation was anything but romantic, I couldn't help but think of her expression to be erotic.

"What are you going to do now?"

Kikyou slowly moved her lips in reply. But her voice was too weak for me to understand.

"Speak up!"

"I. I'll.. I'll do anything! I swear!"

"Good." I walked away from her. After putting the phone back on my pocket, I looked at myself. Kikyou cried quite a bit on me!

"There's something else I'm curious about, Kikyou."

"W-what is it?"

"This game of playing the social butterfly... The mask of duality... Do you even realize how dangerous of a game you're playing?"

Humans are only capable of holding so much to themselves. Every human has a capacity, even if it was her. The smile that she showed to everyone, while having different emotions beneath that mask, I'm sure she had already experienced the recoil.

"..." she remained silent.

"Our emotions are results of different chemical reactions and neurotic signals of our brain which reacts differently on different environments. When an individual tries to deny their instincts of expressing themselves, their brain reacts accordingly, hampering the natural procedure of their neural function. In short, you're walking towards the path of insanity."

"You don't know half of it, Levent." she slowly replied.

"Half of what? Tell me..."

"Say Levent, the moment when you realize that you have something unique the others don't have, it's the ultimate ecstasy isn't it?"

The person named Kikyou finally began opening up.

"When I was in primary school, I would be praised for the smallest of achievements, whether it's academics, athletics or more. It was one of those moments when everyone would look at you. The moment when you'd recieve all of the attention. It felt great back then. Soon enough I came to realize my own self worth. But then..."

"Then your perfect world crumbled, am I correct?" she nodded.

"No matter how hard I tried, no one would look at me anymore. There was as always someone better than me, whether it's academics or athletics. I wasn't receiving any of the attention that I got addicted to. That's when I started thinking. If I did what the others wouldn't do, then I would be popular again. Helping everyone with studies, doing chores on behalf of someone...

...Becoming friends with the ugliest girl, sympathizing with the most disgusting boy, I did everything in order to regain the popularity. And when it worked, it felt heavenly."

Kikyou began telling me her story that I already knew.

"I know what happened next." I walked towards her.

"Your actions were too stressful for you. You were getting tried of holding yourself back. If I were to guess, you did something to release that stress. But it only ended up making everything worse."

Kikyou looked at with genuine surprise.

"How did you-"

"So I've hit the nail right on spot, huh? Listen, Kikyou. I'm not the one to judge anyone based on minimal interaction. I'm sure you have your own reasons and, honestly I don't have any problem with your methods. I also don't hate the other personality that you try to hide. You have my full acceptance because that's who you truly are."

I held onto her shoulders.

"H-hey!"

"You've been through a lot, didn't you? Don't worry, I will act as a medium for your release."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, seemingly her face full of red.

"What I meant was, you can vent all of your stress on me. I will be your personal emotional punching bag. Whenever there's need for you to talk, whenever you need to release your demons, feel free." I replied.

My goal was not to destroy a teenager's life. It was to assist others in becoming a better version of themselves. If I had used Kikyou continuously without giving her a path to escape, her high school life would inevitably become unbearable for her.

"Do you promise?"

"Unless you decide to get in my way, I will take this secret down my grave. Trust me."

She reluctantly took my my hand and shook it.

"Then I'll... be in your care, Levent-kun."

Current balance: 631,571 ¶¶

Chapter 2.6 - Before The Storm

We were both walking around the dormitory side-by-side. On one hand I was glad that Kikyou finally agreed to help me. But on the other hand her bitter expression held the darkness of uncertainty.

"So now that I agreed to be your ally, you can at least delete the video?" she looked at me with puppy-dog eyes.

"No."

The chances of deleting her video was like a snowball's chance in hell.

"Eh? But why? Don't allies trust each other?"

"Our trust was purely based on a contract. You're helping me in exchange of not exposing your secrets. If I were to throw away the only element of negotiation, that would make me nothing but an idiot. Besides, even if I deleted the video, you'd still come after me."

"I promise you, I won't."

"You do realize that your words hold very little value, in both what you can and will do. I'm sure you will come after me the very moment I click confirm. We're allies only on terms of negotiation. In reality I don't trust you at all. That's why I will be keeping this video."

"Hm..." Kikyou looked down in frustration.

"If you're identity is so important to you, then why would you do something as reckless as shouting at the roof top?" her demeanor completely swapped after my remark.

"Well, I do it to in order to vent. I wish I could do it in my room. But being so close to my classmates stresses me out even more, even if the rooms were sound proof. The stress builds up, having to keep up this image is tiring and I need some way to let out this stress"

"So you go out there to kickbox and let yourself get caught?" I decided to joke about it.

"Levent-kun, are you perhaps an idiot?"

"Says the person who thought fingerprints on a cloth would be a good evidence." although the blazer I had on me was still wet from her previous outburst, which could've been a viable alibi for her claims.

"You do realize that I hate you, right?" She asks while letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Is that so? I actually like talking to this side of you, rather than the façade."

"Huh? Are you for real now?" she said while giving me a disgusted look. Listen, I'm not a masochist, okay?

"Yeah. It gets easier for me to talk as I don't have to constantly try and read you. You don't know how tiring it can get."

"I don't care."

After a few more seconds of silence, I stopped walking. We had reached the furthest end of the shore. What lied beyond me was the great ocean. A gust of wind ran through me, undoing my neatly done hair. The moon finally came out of the vail and revealed itself.

"I'm all ears, Kikyou."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Didn't I previously agree to become your emotional punching bag? Go ahead. You can release your demons."

"So you were being serious about that?"

Kikyou gave me a suspicious look. While I was sure about the fact that it wouldn't be a pleasant experience, it was part of the agreement.

But the agreement would also prove to be beneficial on my side. Sometimes, people tend to release many vital information during their outburst. Gossip, or in this case talking behind others would inevitably lead Kushida to reveal some bitter information regarding her subjects. Those information would undoubtedly prove to be more than useful.

To force her into the agreement, I pretended to go away.

"I see. I guess you don't want it. Then–"

"Wait." Kikyou stopped me. I looked back. She then proceeded to sit on a nearby bench. While patting on the seat next to her, she gestured me to sit, which I followed. After releasing a heavy sigh, she finally began.

"Do you know that chubby girl in our class who always nags all the time? Yeah, that bitch is an actual fucking whore! She–" like a broken dam, words starting flowing down like an endless stream.

If you asked me, I'd say it was not a particularly pleasant experience; at least I most certainly did not find it enjoyable. Being a witness to my classmates being burned down and repeatedly cursed by an accursed being was quite the thing. 'Fortunately', I had the honor of not being a victim of her curses; probably because I had immensely pressurized her early on. She knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to wage war against me. In any case, the air instantly took a hundred and eighty from peaceful to a 'prickfull' one.

But I listened. I listened carefully to everything that she said, word-by-word. Without reacting the slightest to her undeniably harsh words. Because I know what happens when someone holds back too much of their emotions.

Just how many emotions are you trying to hide Kushida?

••••••

Half an hour had passed since we got out of the dormitory. After we parted ways, I headed back immediately. I didn't bother notifying Ayanokouji about the completion. I had a feeling that he'd already know about it anyway.

After returning to my room, I collapsed on my bed. I pulled my phone out of the pocket. An hour ago, I had copied all the information Kikyou had accumulated over the last two months into my phone. After navigating to a specific folder, I was met with multiple text files assigned with different names, mostly named after my classmate's. What was more interesting about those files were the contents. Not only did I find information revolving around our class D, but multiple class B and class C students were there as well.

I closed my phone and threw it on my bed. Then I continued to stare at the white ceiling silently. All I wanted was a few seconds of absolute silence. There was an unexplainable serenity in the blankness that surrounded me.

White.

The color white brings back distant memories.

Now that I think about it, that day was actually my first date, wasn't it?

What exactly did I do that day?

Hmm...

Ah, I remember. Teruko was complaining about the bad pacing of a movie that we watched that day. I had no idea of what she was talking about. I actually enjoyed the movie.

So we had a movie date ...

After the movie she dragged me to a convenience store. We bought ice creams from there.

...

Ice cream, huh?

Haha, I wonder if that's a coincidence. That was a funny incident. When I tried to lick the ice cream, I accidentally dropped my scoop on top of my jacket, leaving only the cone on my hand to devour upon. The image of a laughing Teruko still lingers on my mind. In the end, I silently chew on the waffle cone while watching her enjoy the ice cream.

We then continued walking around the shore, chattering about trivial stuff. It was mostly her talking while I kept nodding or joining when necessary. All of it trivial, but surprisingly interesting. She kept talking about her studies, her pet, her plans for the future.

Hours passed away in a second. Evening approached while marking the end of our outing. If you asked me, I'd say, it was a 'fun' date. That was the first time I had experienced something like that. New experience sows a different kind of emotion inside ones soul. It was a warm feeling. My chest felt hot even though it was winter. If I were to name that emotion I'd say, it was 'happiness". Yes, I was happy.

But right now however, one thing's for sure...

That I will never be seeing that person ever again.

••••••

"Yawn~"

For some reason, I felt unusually sleepy that day. While I was making yoga poses in front of my door, my neighbor Ayanokouji also came out.

"Gud mownin ~." I greeted him in a yawning voice.

"Good morning. How much sleep did you get last night?"

"Not enough."

"I can see that."

We walked towards the elevator, waiting for it come down. I nonchalantly glanced at the monitor. There was an usual pair standing inside the lift. One was was a certain ice cold 'princess', while the other was a façade.

*Ting!

The elevator door opened a few seconds later.

"Are you getting in?" Horikita asked. Kikyou was standing right behind her, grinning.

"You guess.." we both entered the elevator. The first person I noticed was Kikyou, but she also noticed me looking at her.

"Good morning, Levent-kun. You seem tired. Did you get enough sleep last night?" Kikyou asked.

"Thank you for your concern."

"Hey, you have a few bed hair on the front."

"Natural hair is the new trend nowadays. I thought I would try to be trendy once in a while."

"Haha, you're funny, Levent-kun."

Ignoring her, I pulled out my phone and started randomly scrolling through the internet.

"It's unusual for you to be with Kushida ." Ayanokouji asked Horikita.

"She waited for me outside the room."

The lift finally came down revealing a good amount of students in the lobby, most of them leaving for school. While I was about to do the same, we were met with a familiar face.

"Ichinose." I muttered to myself.

"Good morning, Kushida-san ."

"Oh, Ichinose-san. Good morning."

"Ah, Levent-kun's here too. Good morning."

I looked around. Apparently, Ayanokouji and Horikita had already left.

" Nihao ." I greeted.

Again, I completely replaced Ayanokouji from the scene. There was enthusiasm in my voice. What have I done?

"Could it be that Levent-kun is your boyfriend?" Ichinose asked in a somewhat teasing manner.

"Of course not." Kikyou replied.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Kikyo-san and I are just friends."

" Kikyo-san ?"

Crap, that was her first name. I forgot about that.

"We're good friends. That's why we're already on our first name basis." I defended.

"Hmm... I see."

"Why do I have feeling that you're misunderstanding someth –?" my statement was cut off halfway through by Ichinose.

"Ah that reminds me... Did you guys get your points today?"

"Huh?" Kikyou looked at me, surprised by her sudden question.

"Let me check."

I opened the official Points application. I had six-thirty-one thousand private points available, the exact same amount of points I had yesterday. It goes without saying that not a single point was added to our accounts. And I knew exactly why.

"Did you receive your points Ichinose-san?" I asked.

"No. Actually no one from our class received any points." Ichinose replied in a worried manner.

"I see. Maybe the distribution process got delayed." I suggested exactly what had happened in the light novel.

The points that we receive as currency are produced from billions of taxpayers money. I'm sure the transaction process goes through multiple layers of security and paperwork. The fact that we're receiving free money and education itself was something to be thankful about.

Ah, if only I had been to a school like this in real life~

"Oh, that would make sense then." Ichinose replied.

"Then let's go to our classes. Maybe the teachers have something to say to us." Kikyou said.

"Hm! Let's go, Levent-kun."

"S-sure." I fumbled.

While walking, I felt multiple gazes upon me. Those envious eyes were piercing through my body. I understood why everyone was jealous though. Being escorted by two beautiful girls is like a dream to all boys. And don't get me wrong, I was actually living the dream in the fullest.

What beautiful day, isn't it? The sus was shining, birds were chirping, wind blowing through my hair. On days like this...

Boys like me should be dating a beautiful woman!

••••••

"You sure took your time." Horikita asked me as soon as I stepped in the class.

"Sorry, I received a few confessions on the way."

"I'd much rather you not make such impossible jokes, Levent-kun. What kind of Business could you possibly have with Ichinose-san from class B?"

"The kind that is none of your business."

"Hah.. By the way, did you receive any points this morning?"

Horikita gave up interrogating about my conversation with Ichinose as she moved the conversation towards the issue at hand.

"No. I was about to ask you the same question."

"I see. I think no one from our class received any points ."

"Even beyond. Class B seemed to have not received any points either. This is just a technical inconvenience, probably."

"Probably? You're not sure about that?"

"I'm not a staff member of the school. I'm just an average student. I don't have any knowledge regarding the officials. We should wait for Chabashira-sensei's instead of making speculations."

"You're right. Let's see what happens."

"Everyone take your seats. Homeroom is starting."

Speaking of the devil, Chabashira entered the class devoid of emotion. She held a straight face as if nothing happened. I already knew what had happened, so I determined that it was not worth paying any attention.

As I had nothing better to do, I opened my notebook and started scribbling random Kanjis. Then it hit me.

Why don't I just draw a timeline of the events? That way I could determine which events are influencable and which ones should remain canon. I already had a mental image of the timeline, but it'd be much efficient for me organize that way.

One by one, I wrote all the events along with the duration and brief description. After writing a rough timeline, I divided the events into two sides. 'Variables' and 'Canon'.

Variable events were events that were within my range of influence, while the canon were either outside my expertise or harmful for the progression. It was practically useless to think about canon events. That's why the list became narrower and easier for me. That's when I realized how big of an idiot I was.

Seriously, why didn't I think of this before?

As I finished sorting everything out, Chabashira ended her discussion marking the end of homeroom.

"What are you doing, Levent?" Ayanokouji suddenly asked me.

Surely he noticed some bits from the timeline. There was no saying what could happen if Ayanokouji were to learn about those informations. Fortunately, there was nothing to worry about. Every single word that I wrote in that page was cryptic. It was a self-developed encryption that could only be cracked by me. That being said...

"I was writing the plot of a story that I'm writing." I said whatever came to my mind.

"Story? What kind of story are you writing? I'm curious."

Uh oh. I think I made an blunder. Let's answer like I'm really going to write a story. That way it'd be more trustable.

"Well, I'm a big fan of Psychological thriller. So I guess it has to be something related to that?"

"Can I read your work?"

No.

"I didn't even start writing yet."

"Oh. I see. In that case let me read it when you're done."

"Sure, I guess? Let's see if even write anything."

With that, the English teacher entered the room. The remaining classes continued normally afterwards.

••••••

It was the end of the class. I was headed towards the back of the campus building, alone. Ichinose decided to call me instead of Ayanokouji. At that point I was completely sure that I had replaced Ayanokouji entirely from his spotlight.

Just, what the hell are you trying to do, 'creator'?

Slowly I approached Ichinose who was impatiently waiting for me. From the moment she asked, I knew exactly where this was headed. Honestly I couldn't care less about the event that was about to unfold.

"Ichinose-san. You called me here?"

"Yes. Sorry to call you here so suddenly."

"Don't worry. What did you want to talk about."

"Well actually..." Ichinose's cheeks turned red afterwards. Averting her gaze she looked down. As if restless, she started fumbling with her hands. Her nervousness was obvious as day.

"Actually, I have a feeling..."

Honestly, if I weren't aware of the event, it would've created a certain expectation in my mind. How boring.

"Is this related to a confession?"

"Huh? How did you know!"

"Your body has shrunken into a log. You are stammering with your words. There is sweat all over your face. Clearly, you are very nervous and uncomfortable with this situation. Finally you called me somewhere devoid of public attention. You wouldn't do that unless the topic was very sensitive." I tried playing detective for once.

"Did you just figure all that out just by looking at me?"

No, it was pretty obvious, even without seeing the future.

"Also, you've been holding that letter with a heart-shaped closure for a while now." I pointed towards her hand. "Surely you wouldn't discuss about classwork while holding onto something like that."

"Wow. Levent-kun, you're surprisingly observant, aren't you?"

"So, how can I help you, Ichinose-san?"

"I don't have any knowledge regarding dating. Yesterday I found this love letter on my locker. It was probably from one of my classmates. I don't feel the same they do for me. But I don't know how to turn them down without hurting their feelings. So..."

"So?"

"I was wondering if you could pretend to be my boyfriend and make them give up."

What a cliché pattern, huh?

Let's see. I don't care about some random minor character like Chihiro, nor do I care about her feelings. And of course I was not obligated to "do the right thing". In this world, I was the only one who was sentient and self-conscious. Currently I was willing to everything to reach my objective. That's why I needed to think this through logically from an objective point of view.

Ichinose was the leader of class B. She was technically our future enemy. But on the other hand, their cooperation would prove invaluable in the future. So I needed to gain her trust in order to win.

"I think I've grasped the entirety of your situation. Ichinose-san, you're not thinking this the right way."

"But–"

" I-Ichinose-san ... Who is he?"

I didn't even need to look. It was Chihiro, the Romeo... no, the second Juliette. She had already arrived as per calculation. Ichinose was visibly shocked by her sudden appearance.

"U-um... Chihiro-san ... Sorry for bringing someone you don't know. He is..."

Before Ichinose could say anymore I introduced myself.

"My name is Levent. I am from class 1-D. Nice to meet you, Chihiro-san ."

"Is he perhaps... your boyfriend?" Chihiro asked while being on the brink of crying.

Should I say 'yes' and break that tiny little heart?

It didn't matter what I did. If I agreed to become her boyfriend, she would still feel grateful towards me. The relationship between Chihiro and her would gradually become cold. She would be the one to face the consequences, mind me.

However... something inside me didn't let me do that.

"Well... He is my–"

"We're just friends, that's all." I replied while turning back to Ichinose.

"Confessing your feelings isn't an easy feat, Ichinose. Your chest feels tighter than ever and your head feels like it would explode from holding all the feelings. You spend everyday in anguish, but still can't do it. It takes great courage and willpower to say the sentence 'I love you' . "

I stepped back a little to give her some space.

"That's why I advice you, Ichinose-san. Please don't take her feelings lightly. At least give her the answer that she deserves." I turned my back on them leaving the two on their own.

••••••

Two minutes had passed since I left the two of them. I was sitting in a bench nearby. All of a sudden my phone vibrated. After opening the phone, I saw a notification title "points received."

Problem's solved, I guess.

It was a second after when I noticed a crying Chihiro who ran past me towards the dorm. Her dreams of dating Ichinose got shattered. Well, I already knew it was inevitable. A depressed Ichinose shortly came out afterwards.

"Rejected, huh?"

"Hmm... I was trying my best not to hurt Chihiro-san . But I was actually wrong, wasn't I?"

"Your heart was on the right place. So you shouldn't beat yourself for it."

"Thank you, Levent-kun. I promised Chihiro-san that everything will go back to normal tomorrow. But I don't know how normal it will be." Ichinose showed me a sad smile.

"It is now upto the two of you. But I have a feeling that everything is going to be okay."

"I hope that's the case. Again thank you, Levent-kun. I guess I owe you one, huh?"

...

Of course you do.

I needed your favor in order to gain advantage against the future wars. This peaceful life that I'm living will soon turn into an eventful one. Ryuen would try to land his first strike however...

:)

Current balance: 656,900 ¶¶

Chapter 2.7 - Opening Attack

"I'm telling you! It wasn't like that!" Sudou roared. "There were three of them. They attacked me first! I just defended myself."

"But still, did you really have to beat them that badly?" Shinohara questioned.

"Yeah... They wouldn't be able to complain then." Karuizawa lectured.

"I couldn't hold myself back. They kept making fun of me and our class." cried Sudou. "Ah, I really messed up!"

"What's going on?"

While listening to all the commotion, Ayanokouji and I entered the classroom. Noticing us, Kikyou ran to us.

"Levent-kun... It seems something bad might have happened." Kikyou answered with concern in her voice.

I looked at Ayanokouji who gave me a blink of agreement.

Seems like the game had already began.

-

"I have an announcement for you all. There was a bit of trouble the other day, an incident between the student sitting there, Sudou , and some students from Class C. In short, there was a fight."

The classroom erupted. Depending on the degree of responsibility that Class C had placed upon him, Sudou could face suspension or even expulsion if things took an extreme turn. If that happened, then we might see a reduction in our class points.

"Umm. So why hasn't this issue been resolved already?" Hirata asked a rather reasonable question.

"The complaint came from Class C. They claim that the fight was one-sided. However, when we spoke to the accused, Sudou said that their claims were false. He insists that the students Class C called him over and started the fight."

"It wasn't my fault! It was self-defense! Self-defense, I tell you!" shouted Sudou as he shouldered his classmates' icy glares.

"But there's no evidence of that. Am I wrong?"

"What evidence? I don't have any."

"So in other words, we don't yet know the truth. Therefore, we have put our decision on hold for now. Our response, and the punishment, will come when we find out who was at fault."

"All I know is that I'm innocent. If anything, I ought to receive a settlement for my trouble."

"So speaks the accused, but I wouldn't say that you have a high level of credibility right now. If there is an eyewitness, as Sudou seems to believe, then the situation may change."

Kikyou stood up from her seat. "Everyone! Did any of you have witnessed the fight between Sudou-kun?" she announced.

...

Silence fell upon the gloomy classroom. Amidst of all the chaos, I looked at the actual witness who was down casting in silence. Sakura was a girl with low self-esteem and social anxiety. Suddenly forcing her out wouldn't do any good for her. Instead, it might have the opposite effect on her psychology. That's why I needed to think about this throughly.

"Too bad, Sudou . It appears there are no witnesses in this class."

"Looks that way," he grumbled.

When Chabashira cast a doubtful look at Sudou, he glanced downward.

"Anyway, that is all. We'll make our final judgment next Tuesday, taking into account any eyewitnesses and evidence. With that, let's end homeroom for the day."

Chabashira left, and Sudou followed right after her. He probably realized that if he stayed in the classroom, he'd lose his temper with someone.

As uproar enveloped the classroom, and things started to get out of hand. If we ended up losing points because of this, Sudou would most likely become the sole target of our class's frustrations.

"Levent-kun... What do you think of this?"

It was Horikita who asked that question.

"An attack, probably. And Class C was the first one to strike."

"I know that. But the question is, is it worth helping Sudou-kun?"

Horikita didn't realize how naive her question was. But I didn't want to answer that.

"I wonder."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Horikita, you may not see this now, but think of this from a long term perspective. Our current Sudou may not academicly stable, but he has potential for growth. His athletic abilities will without a doubt help us in the future. If you ignore that fact, then not only are we losing a valuable asset like Sudou , we're also losing three-hundred class points from his expulsion, which will completely deplete our class points. In short, if we lose this now, we're going down to square one times negative."

"In that case, how are you supposed to help Sudou-kun?"

"You've already noticed Sakura, didn't you?" I questioned.

"Yes. When Kushida-san stood up, everyone's attention was centered towards her... Everyone except for Sakura-san. Instead of looking at Kushida-san , she looked down. As if she felt guilty."

"You're correct. Sakura may or may not be related to Sudou's case. However..."

"Yes?"

"However, for now I want you to ignore Sakura. Focus on becoming the class leader. You must go in front of the podium and tell everyone to look for clues and other witnesses." I commanded.

"Huh? There's no way I'm going there. Besides, how could you be so confident that our classmates would agree upon this?"

"They don't have a choice. Explain the severity of our current situation. I'm sure they'd be more than convinced to help you with this case. Besides, we have Hirata who would do just about anything for his classmates. Not only that, his girlfriend Karuizawa Kei is the leader of the girls of our class. Which is why I think you shouldn't have any problem with this."

"I'm still not convinced. I mean why do I have to be the leader?"

"Then how about this? Let's forget about Class A. Let's make sure to enjoy our next three years playfully in Class D together, huh?"

"You... idiot! Fine! I'll go." Horikita rushed to the front, visibly irritated by my words. How cute!

Sometimes I just can't resist the urge to tease her.

Horikita reluctantly stood behind the podium and began her speech. I was impressed by how well she was able to articulate her thoughts. She announced exactly what I told her, but in a much better and more understandable way.

Horikita did her job, now it was my turn. I looked over at Kikyou who was seemingly staring at me. After noticing my gaze, she made excuse and came over to my seat.

"What do you want?" she rasped in a low tone.

"Meet me outside during lunch." I whispered.

"Why?"

"Let's go on a date. You and me a-"

"Huh? As if... Have you completely lost it, Levent?"

"I most likely did in the past. But jokes aside, I want you to help me convince someone."

"Someone? Who is that supposed to be? Wait! Does that mean-?"

I nodded in affirmative.

It means exactly what it means.

It was lunchtime. Most of the students had already gone to the cafeteria to buy food. Some of them brought bento over to eat in the class. Of course, looking at someone else's bento made me drool over excessively. But that was not the time.

That's right, Levent! Don't you dare day dream about a cute kind girl offering to make a bento for you everyday!

"-vent-kun? Levent-kun? Oii , earth to Levent-kun!" Kikyou snapped me back to reality.

"Ah, sorry. I spaced out again."

"It's okay. What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing remarkable. More importantly, where's Sakura?"

"That's why I called you. She looks like she's about to head outside."

"Alright then, after her!"

When we walked to her, Sakura seemed to be holding the camera. The evidence was stored in that device. Of course, we needed to persuade her into testifying. And unfortunately in order to do that, I...

"Sakura-san, wait! Can we talk for a moment?" Kikyou approached. "I have something to ask you. It's related to Sudou-kun. Do you mind?"

"S-sorry. I... I have something to do." Sakura tried to avoid her.

Seeing this, Kikyou grabbed her hand.

"Please, it won't take long! It's important!"

"Sorry I don't know anything! I don't know anything at all." Sakura tried to free her arm.

By doing so, she lost her balance and was about to fall down headfirst. Luckily, I was there to grab her by her blazer so she didn't. However, her hand lost the grip on the camera. She dropped it on the ground.

"Ah! I'm so sorry about that Sakura-san!"

I picked up the camera. When I tried to give it to her, she swiftly snatched it from me. Which was understandable, given what she does with her camera. But seemingly her camera didn't turn on. The fall must've damaged the camera. Just like how everything is supposed to be.

With a panicked face, Sakura ran away from us.

"Wait!" Kikyou tried running after her, but in vain. Everything went almost exactly the same as the light novel. But that's what I intended from the beginning.

On the weekend, Kikyou, Sakura and I were headed to the Keyaki mall. We walked inside and headed towards the electronics section. Unfortunately, there was only one store available that provided camera servicing. THAT store.

"Oh, boy. This is bad. I see. It's a power supply issue, huh? Power supply issue. That's bad... That's really bad..." the employee remarked. "Do you have your shoujo-wa (virginity)? I mean your shousho , shousho (warranty)..."

Listening to his highly suspicious choice of words, Sakura couldn't help but be afraid.

[Note: This part was taken from the anime. The employee said the word " Shoujo " which refers to "virginity". But then corrected himself by immediately saying " Shousho ", which means "warranty". At least I think that's what happened. In that case that would explains why Sakura became scared and Ayanokouji became more suspicious].

"Did you bring the warranty with you?" Kikyou asked.

"Y-yes." Sakura reluctantly pulled the warranty card from her handbag. The employee carefully checked the warranty card.

"Ah, it's within the warranty card. You could get your broken part... replaced... free of charge." his eyes became narrow, burning with luscious intentions.

"You need to fill out this warranty form. We need your name, your address and... your phone number."

Sakura was visibly shaken from his look. She reluctantly held the pen on top of the form. But she didn't write anything. While holding the pen, her hand were shaking. She couldn't bring herself to write down her demise. I'm sure if she did, her life would be more than destroyed.

I guess I'm the protagonist now, huh

"May I?'

I took the pen from her hand and started writing down my credentials.

"When the repairing is done please contact me instead." I announced.

"W-wait, young man. The camera belongs to her, doesn't it? I'm not sure we could-"

"The manufacturer's warranty confirms the location and the date of purchase of the product. You just confirmed that warranty seconds ago. It doesn't matter who wrote their name on the warranty. There shouldn't be any legal issues with this."

"B-but are you sure?"

"Try it and you will see despair." is what I wanted to tell him.

But the employee became shocked for some reason. He looked at the form in order to avoid our gaze.

"W-well, I.. I guess we'll do that." he stammered.

After leaving the camera in his care, we left the mall to a nearby café. I ordered a lemonade, while both of them ordered Americano. well, Kikyou kind of ordered both for herself and Sakura. Sakura being the reserved girl she was, didn't bother protesting.

"Um, thank you for helping me today." Sakura bowed.

"It's fine. It was my fault to begin with. Also Sakura-san, could you talk to us normally, if you can? We're from the same grade, aren't we?"

" Understo -. I understand. I'll t-try."

Watching her try her best to hold conversation with others reminded me of myself in the past. But more than that, I was sitting on a café with two beautiful young ladies on my side. That naturally attracted many attention towards me. I felt several glares on my back.

Will I be assassinated today? Do I need to be on my toes every second?

Suddenly, Kikyou spilled some coffee on her hands. She went to the washroom shortly after, leaving me and Sakura alone.

That moment, huh?

...

...

...

Awkward.

I know the events are oddly similar to what had happened in the original plot. But the emotions of each characters aren't something I could control. If Sakura doesn't trust me, then there's nothing more I could do here. I guess plan B-

"Umm.."

Hmm?

"What is it, Sakura-san? Do you have something you want to say?"

"What do you think I should do?"

Huh? So she does trust me after all... Brilliant! That saves me all the effort.

"Is it regarding Sudou ? think Sakura-san should listen to whatever your heart says."

"My heart, huh?"

She went silent again for a brief moment.

"If I keep quiet, I think I will regret everything." she replied in melancholic tone.

Sakura was trusting me enough to tell me about her involvement in this case. But I needed to be sure.

"Why are you telling me this, Sakura-san?"

"Because you don't have scary eyes like the others."

Same dialogue begets same answers. Well it was to be expected. More importantly, for now, I was in Ayanokouji's position. But I'm not Ayanokouji.

"I see... Thank you for your kind words Sakura-san." I replied.

It was then when I saw Sakura smiling for the first time.

I don't know what happened, but for some reason, that smile made me feel light from the inside.

"Now, you said you would regret if you stay quiet, didn't you? Then, I think you already know your answer." I smiled at Sakura.

"But you shouldn't do it just because you have to. 'For Sudou-kun', 'For Kikyou-chan', 'For my classmates', no. You don't have to burden yourself with such pointless thoughts. Forget about everyone. Throw these thoughts outside the window."

"Throw them away?"

"Instead, I want you to do it for Sakura-san. You shouldn't testify for the sake of others. Testify for your own sake."

"For... my sake?"

"That should be more than enough, no?" I grinned at her.

"I see. Thank you, Levent-kun. You're very kind."

...

...

I'm sorry, Sakura. I don't deserve that compliment.

I intended to leave everything as it should be. In other words, Sakura, I would make you go through a traumatic event. I have multiple ways to divert that fate, multiple ways to ensure your safety.

But I would not do that.

In order to progress, I need to make sure you feel indebted to me. And there's no better way to do that other than becoming you "Prince riding the horse". Your personal development depends on this event. That's why, Sakura, brace yourself for what's about to come.

I'm sorry, but I'm the worst, most cruel person standing inside the school.

Current balance: 656,300¶¶

Chapter 2.8 - Queen's Gambit

The day of the trial had finally come.

Being the leader figure, Horikita voluntarily took the role of being Sudou's defendant, while Ayanokouji was decided to be her assistant. Unlike the novel, we were a team of five. Sudou, Sakura, Horikita, Ayanokouji and lastly, me.

As the bell rang for the end of class, the five of us stood up.

"Have you prepared for this, Sudou-kun?" Horikita questioned a nervous Sudou.

"Yeah... I'm good. I was born ready."

Sure you are...

"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."

"Don't do anything selfish. Don't make decisions for yourself. Don't try to start an argument. And most importantly, keep your mouth shut during the proceedings." I commanded.

This is a common statement made by just about every single lawyer ever. The most rationale option would be to not speak more than necessary during the trail. Speaking enthusiastically would not only bring suspicion on yourself, but it would also create multiple possibilities of accidental slip-ups, which may give away free opportunities to your opponent.

"Ugh. You sound like a lawyer."

Alright. I have decided to screw you... Your on your own.

"Do your best, Horikita-san. Sudou -kun." Kikyou cheered.

Horikita didn't respond at all, but Sudou pumped his fist to show resolve. I turned to check on Sakura who was still sitting down, her body rigid. She stood, her lips trembling slightly.

"Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah... I'm okay. Thank you..."

"Don't push yourself, Sakura-san."

When the five of us got to the faculty room, we saw a certain 'mature' person waiting for us.

"It seems the five of you are here. The discussion is about to begin. Well then, shall we be going?" she asked us.

"We're not going to do this in the faculty room, are we?"

"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 froze the very moment she heard the words "student council."

Chabashira turned and glanced sharply at Horikita's face.

"If you want to stop, now's the time, Horikita."

Horikita was visibly hesitant. After everything that happened between Manabu and her that day, it was no surprise why she would feel overwhelmed. But the class trail was more important than her sibling relationship. Sudou's future depended on it. That's why no matter what, she mustn't back off.

"I'll go. I'm fine."

Horikita quickly glanced at me. Her look probably meant something like "Don't worry on my account." and well...

You're the key character. How can I not worry about you?

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 knocked, and we went inside.

Even though Horikita 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 their teacher, Sakagami.

"Sorry we're late," Chabashira said.

"It's before the scheduled start time. There's no need for apologies."

"Have you already met?" pointing towards Sakagami who was the homeroom teacher of Class C.

"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.

"This is the student council president."

Horikita's older brother, Manabu. He took a small glance at everyone present there. But for some reason, when he noticed me sitting in the council room, his lips twisted upwards like a slight grin before poring over the documents on his desk.

Must be because of that night.

We all sat next to each other. Ayanokouji sat beside Sudou and Chabashira, while I sat amidst Sakura and Horikita. Even though Horikita decided not to show any emotion, her body language suggested otherwise. She was moving her body in a calculative motion. Her hands were shaking due to the pressure.

"Hey, Horikita?" I whispered to Horikita, who remained mute and kept her head down. If we wanted to stop Sudou 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.

Sigh.

I had already decided my path. Instead of sexually harassing Horikita in the middle of an ongoing class trial, I'd rather commit 'seppuku'. That's why I chose to cut my nose before it even began. I silently went behind Horikita. After carefully removing her hair, I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the worst.

I blew on her left ear.

Whoosh~

"Hyah?!"

...

Horikita cried out in an abnormally girlish voice. For some reason she sounded dangerously erotic. However, this was not the time or place for me to focus on that.

Since she hadn't yet regained her sanity, I had no choice but to return back to the original tactic. I stretched both my arms out and grasped her sides as I could in order to tickle her.

"W-wait, Leven- Hya! 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. The teachers, even secretary Tachibana seemed somewhat taken aback by my actions. Manabu simply stared at our stupidity.

But right then I didn't care. When I believed I'd roused her enough, I let go. Horikita, looking like she was about to cry, glared at me with startling intensity.

Hey, it was your fault to begin with...

"Snap out of it, Horikita. Get a grip on yourself. At this rate, we're going to lose before the trial even begins. You have to fight!" I commented.

After I was done cutting my nose in front of the entire room, I sat back on my seat, waiting for the procedure to begin. It wasn't a surprise that we were being stared at by every single soul inside the room.

"Tch. How embarrassing!" Horikita silently rasped.

"Tell me about it." I murmured.

"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."

And so began the hearing of Sudou Ken.

"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 turned her eyes toward us in Class D.

"Komiya-kun and two other members of the basketball club went to the special annex building after Sudou-kun called them there. There, they claim to have been beaten up in a one-sided brawl. Is this true?"

"What those guys said was a lie. I was the one that got called over to the special building," Sudou said. "That day, after practice, Komiya and Kondou asked me to go to the special annex 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."

"..."

The fuck did I tell you before coming here, Sudou?

I started sensing murderous intent in the air. Horikita was glaring at Sudou, clearly disgusted by his casual way of talking. Sudou unintentionally gave away multiple footings for our opponent to work on. He didn't seem to understand the fact that without solid evidence, none of his statements would be considered viable. Thus the trail began exactly as chaotic as it was in the novel.

"That's a lie. Sudou-kun called us over to the special building."

"Don't screw with me, Komiya! You were the one who called me, you jerk!"

"You don't seem to remember your position here."

"You-!"

"Stop it, Sudou. Don't make this harder for us." Before things could escalate any further, Ayanokouji stopped Sudou.

"But-!"

"Please calm down, Sudou-kun. Right now, we're merely listening to what both parties have to say. Komiya-kun, we ask that you too please show some restraint, and not interrupt." Tachibana said.

"Puh, fine..."

"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?"

"I wouldn't call it a dispute. Sudou-kun's always picking fights with us."

"'Picking fights'?"

"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."

"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."

Well it was natural. Under serious circumstances like this, no one would expose themselves to be guilty. Especially the opposing party who were the one's who set this up. If they failed to fulfill their capacity of expectations, not only would they be punished by the school, they'd also be punished by their leader, Ryuen.

However, for them...

... I wouldn't let that be the end of it.

"Both sides have given their grievances, but now we have to come to a judgment with the collected evidence."

"Excuse me. May I ask a question? Do you mind, president?" Horikita interjected, brimming with confidence in her voice.

"I'll allow it. However, please answer more quickly next time."

Horikita slowly rose out of her chair.

"Earlier, you said that Sudou-kun called you over to the special building. But who exactly did Sudou call, and why?"

Komiya and the other Class C students looked at one another, as if saying, Why is she asking that question now?

"Please answer." Horikita added those last two words to reinforce her aggressive style of questioning.

"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?"

"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."

"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?"

"So in other words, you felt the situation might turn violent?"

"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.

"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."

"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."

Horikita quietly listened to their responses, as if running various simulations in her head. Then she immediately made her next move.

"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."

"Because we didn't intend to fight."

"Are you trying to imply that during the time when the fight broke out, the three of you, including Ishizaki-kun who you brought along due to your safety concerns, simply stood there and accepted his assault? If I'm correct, the three of you are well-versed in athletics. Even if he did go berserk, it's really strange the fact that three of you 'athletic' students were beaten to pulp by a sole student. Something doesn't quite fit right, don't you think?"

Komiya, Kondou and Ishizaki froze in front of her sound logic.

Interesting. I had noticed that Horikita's attacks were comparably sharper, more logical and deadlier than in the novel. Bringing her back to her senses before the trail began was the correct decision. It gave her sufficient time to think and rearrange her thoughts. Somehow my actions disolved a big part of her restrictiveness in front of her brother's presence. Lucky me, huh?

"T-That way of thinking doesn't apply to Sudou-kun. He's exceptionally v-violent. Even if we were nonviolent, he'd still be mercilessly violent. That's what happened." Kondou stammered, slowly revealing his veil of lies. As a desperate attempt, he rolled over his sleeves to expose his injuries.

"Are you finished with your claims now, Class D?" said Manabu coldly.

"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."

"Well then, Class D-if Class D's witness would please step up?"

"Yes!"

Sakura reluctantly stood up.

"1-D, Sakura Airi-san."

"I thought I'd heard something or other about a witness, but you're a Class D student?" Sakagami, the Class C's homeroom instructor, snickered while wiping his glasses.

"Is there a problem, Sakagami-sensei?

"No, no, please. Go ahead."

Sakagami-sensei and Chabashira-sensei exchanged looks.

"You may begin your testimony, if you wouldn't mind, Sakura-san."

"Y-yes, okay... Well... I..." She stopped speaking. A period of silence followed. Ten seconds.

Twenty seconds. Sakura steadily looked further downward, and her face became increasingly pale. At this rate everyone would be dismissive of Sakura's statements.

Although I had more than enough evidence to bury them six feet under, I still had to make Sakura go through that trail. The reason being the fact that her growth greatly depended on this obstacle. If I went ahead and skipped through this important event, it would be Sakura who'd receive the negative feedback.

However that didn't stop me from being a reliable wall to lean on.

"Don't worry. You've got this!" I silently encouraged Sakura.

"R-right... Thank you..." Sakura gave me a brief glance of thankfulness.

"Apparently she didn't witness anything. More of this would just be a waste of our time."

"You seem to be in quite a hurry, Sakagami-sensei. Are you perhaps afraid of the direction of this trail?" Horikita replied emotionlessly.

"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."

"Well you certainly can't overlook everything that's about to happen now." I replied in an icy tone. Noticing my sudden apparence in the spotlight, Sakagami's expression changed ever the slightest.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"I definitely saw what happened!" Sakura screamed.

"The students in Class C threw the first punch. There's no mistake about that!"

Sakura'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 was telling the truth, but without proof they meant nothing.

"Excuse me, but may I say something?" asked Sakagami, raising his hand.

"Normally, teachers are asked to speak as little as possible, but this situation is just too pitiful. Student council president, do you mind?"

"I'll allow it."

"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.

"That's... Well, that's... I didn't want to get involved..."

"Why didn't you want to get involved?"

"Because I'm not very good at talking with other people..."

"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."

I smiled.

"If you want proof... I'll give it to you!" Sakagami-sensei froze in response to Sakura's words.

"Please, let's not force this situation to continue. If there really was evidence, you would have presented it at an earlier stage-"

Sakura loudly slammed her hand on the desk, and threw down the pictures.

"What are those?"

"This is proof that I was in the special annex building that day!"

Secretary Tachibana walked over to Sakura and took the photos to Manabu.

"President."

After looking at the pictures for some time, Manabu laid them out on the desk so that we could see.

• •

It was... definitely something worth witnessing.

"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 and the others finished their club activities for the day. Horikita 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.

"What did you use to take these photos?" asked Sakagami.

"A digital...camera."

"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."

"But Sakagami-sensei, don't you think this photo is different?"

Manabu slid out one of the photos, which had contents clearly beyond Sakagami's expectations.

"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 hit Ishizaki.

"I think that you'll believe I was there after seeing...this."

"Thank you, Sakura-san."

"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.

"So, what do you think, Chabashira-sensei? Why not look for a compromise here?" Sakagami-sensei asked.

No thanks. I'd rather end this issue immediately instead of spending another day in anticipation.

Bzzt~

During the discussion, Manabu's cellphone vibrated. I initially thought that he would ignore his phone, he betrayed my expectations only to grab his cellphone. Although he didn't say anything, his facial expression was screaming the word "Interesting".

"It seems that Sudou has received some assistance at the very end." Manabu announced.

Sakagami clearly flabbergasted by those words looked towards Manabu.

"Assistance? Could you elaborate on that?"

"There's no need to elaborate, Sakagami-sensei. You'll see it for yourself."

In the projector screen, Manabu displayed what seemed to be a video clip. Judging by the thumbnail, one could guess what the clip was all about. Within a second, the clip started playing. Silence fell over the vicinity of the council room. Sakagami looked at the screen wide eyed, his mouth agape from pure shock. Fear and helplessness spread all over the faces of the class C 'victims'.

"W-what the hell?" One of the students unintentionally mumbled.

No one paid any attention to him. Everyone's gazes were fixed at the contents displayed on the projector screen. In about a little more than a minute, the clip ended.

Silence...

It was a week before the trail began.

"Ichinose-san, can you go ahead? Let's talk again if you want."

"Alright. Talk to you later, Levent-kun."

There was a reason why I stayed up late continuously for the past few nights. I was crawling through the internet for a certain package. A hidden camera to be exact. In the end, I succeeded at purchasing a model from a local electronics store.

But even though it took me a good fifty-five hundred private points, I still can't believe something like this was accessable for a high school student like me. Regardless, it didn't matter as long as I received the leverage, I'm content.

It was a long button-faced spy camera, basically it looks like a button to act as camouflage. One could easily poke through a shirt. It was a convenient device for someone who intended to dig dirt on others. Unfortunately for me, I couldn't afford to be present there physically. Being there would've been a dead giveaway of my involvement in that incident. Which is why I had an alternative solution.

After I secured the model, I immediately went to a convenience store to buy a baseball cap. Then I cut off a hole in front of the cap. Through the cavity, I installed the 'button'. After a few more adjustments, I was satisfied with the results. It blended perfectly with the cap.

"I guess it works after all." I murmured after doing a test run.

...

I walked inside the special annex building where the event took place. The club activities had already began, which led to no one paying any attention towards me. I carefully sneaked towards the crime spot.

"So this where it all begins..."

I activated the camera, then placed the baseball cap in a spot where no one would suspect. I double checked to see if the target spot was visible. After I placed my trap, I proceeded towards my way out.

But then it hit me. Sakura would also be there. She was talking a picture for her idol account somewhere nearby. In order to insure at least some growth, I mustn't stop her from interacting with this case. In short, I must avoid being seen by Sakura.

Fortunately, I made it outside without any issue. No one saw my movements during their training, nor did Sakura during her photoshoot. The trap was already set. All that was left for me to do was just wait and watch as the scene unfolds.

-

The club activities usually ended before 6. It was 5:45. I had to retrieve the bugged cap from the annex. Again, no one noticed me going inside, which made me slightly concerned for their sense of security. After reaching the spot, I noticed some fragment of the fight that took place. There was a few blood drops on the floor, quite possibly from the class C offenders.

Little did they know, all their beatings would go in vein.

I retrieved the cap and checked the footage. My objective was successfully completed. There was no reason for me to stay there any longer. Contemplating would only put my position in danger.

After getting out, I opened "secret-massage" website and sent the video clip to Ayanokouji, as backup.

"See! I didn't start the fight! This jerk punched me first!" Sudou screamed while pointing towards Ishizaki.

"Do you have anything more to say Sakagami-sensei?" ignoring Sudou's roars, Manabu asked.

"I... I think there must be something wrong with the clip."

"Wrong? What could possibly be fabricated inside that clip, sensei?" Horikita asked.

"Maybe the students inside the clip were-"

"Get real, Sakagami-sensei. There's no doubt that the faces shown in this clip are of Koundo-kun, Komiya-kun, Ishizaki-kun and Sudou-kun's. The voices in the clip match their's too. It's practically impossible to fabricate a clip this realistic."

"That.. I suppose you have a point there." Sakagami looked down in defeat. Ignoring his existence, Horikita resumed her explanation.

"From the clip we've all seen that Ishizaki-kun punched Sudou-kun while continuously provoking him. That's why Sudou-kun retorted to violence. More than that, they also fabricated a web of lies as evidence against him. They tried to frame Sudou-kun who clearly acted in self defense. That's why I think the real victim here is Sudou-kun and not them."

"No, that's wrong! This has to be made up! There's no way we did this, I swear!" Komiya screamed. To think they'd go as far as to damn themselves by swearing on a lie.

"Silence." Manabu firmly calmed the chaos. "Class D do you have anything else to say?"

Horikita was standing in front of her brother Manabu, unwaveringly.

"I think that Sudou, 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."

"H-hey!"

"You need to understand, Sudou-kun. Your attitude caused all of this." Horikita glared intensely over at Sudou, almost as if to outdo Sudou's own ferocity. "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."

"A very honest answer. The matter seems settled now, wouldn't you say?"

"Thank you very much. Please take your seat now," Secretary Tachibana said to Horikita.

Horikita sat down on her seat.

"Good job. You did great, lawyer-san." I teased.

"We're going to have a long conversation after this." Horikita glared at me.

"How scary~"

I looked at Ayanokouji who was apparently indulged in a conversation with Sudou and Chabashira. I didn't want to obstruct the development of his social skills.

After Manabu was done discussing with Tachibana and the other teachers, he was finally going to release the conclusion.

"Based on all the information and the provided evidence, the school and the student council has reached a final verdict.

The accusing party Ishizaki, Koundo and Komiya are proven guilty for inflicting violence, attempt of framing an innocent and fabricating and presenting false evidence in front of the trial. As punishment for their crimes, they shall be expelled from Ikusei Kyoudo High School. In addition, Sudou, the defendant is cleared of charge due to his actions being an act of self defense. This decision is final and will be effective immediately. That's all."

This feels like a courthouse all of a sudden.

Could it be that Manabu actually wants to study law and become a judge one day?

"You gotta be kidding me!" Koundo collapsed on the ground.

"It's all Ryuen's fault! We didn't want to do any of it! He forced us to do that! If we didn't do it, he would've beaten us to a pulp!" Komiya cried at Manabu.

Ishizaki simply remained silent, staring blankly at the ground.

"We've got nothing to do here. Let's go." I commanded.

Horikita and Sakura bowed before leaving the council room. After everyone walked away, I slowly closed the door, leaving three students in despair.

...

...

"Actually, you all can go. I have some business to care of."

I was standing in front of the student council room, alongside Sakura. Even though I told her to leave, she insisted on staying with me. It wouldn't be a problem though. It's not like I would mind having a company.

"But I have to say Sakura-san, you were really brave out there!"

"But I didn't do anything of help today."

True.

"You don't realize how much of a help you were. More than that, you saving Sudou from the clutches of class C. Chin up, Sakura-san. You should hold your head high for that."

"Thank you for your kind words, Levent-kun."

"You're still here?"

Horikita's older brother and Secretary Tachibana came out of the student council room. Secretary Tachibana began locking the door with a key.

"So it was you who sent me the video?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I thought that when you came here with Suzune, you'd unveil some kind of master plan. You didn't disappoint me."

"I wonder what you're talking about."

Clank!

Manabu pushed his hand towards my head. I instinctively dodged his hand, which made it seem like a "Kabedon" scenario. After hearing the sound both Sakura and Tachibana looked at us.

What's with this embarrassing situation?

"You're an interesting one, aren't you?"

"Sorry I'm a heterosexual teenager with a healthy mind. I don't swing that way."

"I just can't seem to understand your agenda. What are you trying to do, Levent? On hindsight, you are a perfectly average student when you're clearly above all. Just who are you?"

"I can't answer that."

"Really? And may I ask why?"

...

"Cause I don't even know myself."

"I see." Manabu released his Kabedon. "Well, in any case, I will remain silent as per our agreement from 'that night'. We're on equal terms now, correct?"

"Not quite, no. It would take you more than that to stop me."

Also could you please select your words carefully?

"I figured you'd say that."

Manabu left after leaving those words, as Tachibana followed behind.

Current balance: 651,400 ¶¶

Chapter 2.9 - Unprecedented Retribution

May 2nd, midnight.

A writer usually tends to avoid writing precise details in order to avoid what they call 'information dump'. It's a term for a situation where the information provided within a paragraph is too much for the reader to digest.

Normally, a writer would cut off some details or camouflage them in order to make the story more digestible. The classic "reader is the detective, writer is villain" trope, as they say. Without implying tactics like this, a book would only turn out to be nothing more than a fictional history book, in short a major ' turn off'.

What I'm trying to say is, YouZitsu followed the exact same rule, much more thoroughly. And that... is a problem.

The lack of information related to certain events left a good portion of gray area's/uncertainty in my predictions. For instance, let's just say an event is about to take place in a novel. If the writer simply wrote, "it happened", it would still be acceptable.

Not only that, an unexplained amount of days could go by in a single sentence. Unnoticeable amount of blanks could be left behind without anyone noticing. All of these are acceptable novel-wise as nothing really matters when you're simply reading the book.

But if it becomes the reality, well.. that's a different story altogether.

In my case, the world of YouZitsu was far more realistic for me than the one in the novel. Time didn't fly by like they did in-between chapters. I had to live twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. Without the precise date and time, I was completely clueless.

"I couldn't get to sleep, so I got up and left."

It was obviously late at night. Great. But when exactly? Which day? What time?

It was exactly as complicated as that. Two-dimensional informations wouldn't be enough for me to manipulate a three-dimensional situation from time-to-time. Under circumstances like these, it was up to me to figure out the solution.

What I was trying to do last night could be a great example. Yesterday, I had been standing behind a tree in front of the dorm all night long. I was waiting for Horikita to come down with a view to meeting her elder brother, Horikita Manabu. The alley in-between the local convenience stores would be their rendezvous point.

Although I had gained a certain amount of influence on her, it wasn't enough to sway her desire to follow her elder brother. I was sure that she would try to meet Manabu without having second thoughts. The rest is history.

However, I intended to directly interfere that event in order to manipulate the original flowchart. As of now, Horikita Manabu was the most influential student of the entire school. With power like his, reaching my goal would be many times more efficient. Unfortunately, I happened to pick the wrong time on a wrong date. So in the end, I stood outside in the cold like a scarecrow for nothing.

*cough

Fortunately, I managed to come up with an idea.

Ayanokouji witnessing the siblings was a pure 'coincidence' . He ' happened ' to be out on a perfect time just to 'coincidentally' notice the existence of the Horikita siblings. It was no surprise that lady luck favors the male protagonists. I was not the protagonist; I didn't have the luck nor the plot armor. That's why bringing him with me would be the best option as he played the key role on that incident.

Besides, who knows? Maybe I could get some of his THICC lady luck energy?

-

I waited for the next day to come. It was already eleven at night. Many of the students were dead asleep by then. Blindly throwing the rock at the abyss, I walked outside towards Ayanokouji's room.

But what excuse should I use in order to drag him out? Should I just share my plan with him?

No, that'd be too suspicious. He'd most likely ask how I got to know Suzune's meetup schedule. It'd make me look like a stalker.

Well then, how about I pretend to just goof around? He did say that we could hang out any time I want. I could ask him if we could grab a drink together to bring him outside.

No, I'm sure he'll figure it out.

Either way, I needed to think of a proper way before trying to delude him. However as soon as I was about to retreat, to my surprise the door opened. The Ayanokouji-kun was standing there; of course wearing the school uniform.

"Hm?"

Great.

"よ(yo)"

"Oh, it's you Levent.. Do you need something?" he asked with his usual tone.

"More importantly, why the school uniform?" I asked.

"Ah, I didn't bother changing when I returned."

"That's... whatever. I'm not going to question. By any chance, are you going down?" I pondered.

It's actually terrifying how he manages to keep his uniform neat and wrinkle-free, all-the-while wearing it for almost twenty-four hours a day.

"Yeah. I couldn't sleep. So I wanted to buy a drink. Are you going down too?" he replied.

What a coincidence?

"Correct. I was just about to ask you the same."

"Right... Let's go then." Somehow, I felt very disappointed at myself.

While talking about what happened in the classroom, we descended to the ground level. As we were about to leave the lobby towards the vending machine, we noticed a familiar figure in the CCTV footage.

It was Horikita.

"Hide, Ayanokouji." I commanded.

"I don't see any reason why we need to hide, Levent."

"Oh Ayanokouji, you foolish child! You simply cannot possibly comprehend the severity of thy situation! A girl of her age simply does not walk out this late at night without any scandalous reason! Let us brethren observe what lies beyond thy maiden's icy fortitude!"

"..."

"Besides, we've got nothing else to do. Might as well kill some time stalking our 'only other' friend."

"Let's make sure that we don't get caught, shall we?" he sighed.

We hid behind the same tree where I camped last night. Looking wary of her surroundings, Horikita exited the building. After she'd vanished into the night, we decided to follow after her. When we reached the corner, I immediately stopped Ayanokouji.

[There's someone else here.] I whispered.

Of course, I already knew who the person was. But from the very beginning I pretended not to know anything. It would be very suspicious of me if I suddenly became a know-it-all.

" Suzune . I didn't think you'd follow me this far," Manabu said.

[Is that her boyfriend?] Ayanokouji looked at me 'suspiciously' while asking.

[Beats me. Besides, what are you trying to imply with that smug gaze of yours?] I asked.

[Who knows?]

[Your joke is very funny that I forgor to laugh.]

[Thank you for your complement.]

"Hmph. I'm far different from the useless girl you once knew, niisan . I came here to catch you."

"Catch me, hmm?"

[ Niisan ? So he's not her boyfriend, huh? Good for you, Levent.]

[Ayanokouji, if you continue to go down that path, your future generation will have none!]

"I heard a few people." Manabu said, hysterically.

Fuck, did we seriously get caught right before it all began?

"They said that you were placed in Class D."

I released a heavy sigh of relief.

[Ayanokouji, don't be an Idiotkouji ] I warned him with all due seriousness.

[What kind of nickname is that?] he whispered.

[You'd be surprised, Aho- kouji .]

[Of course, bakazaki .]

[Oh, so we're wearing clown hats today, huh?]

We both paid our attention back to the conversation.

"That's... You're wrong about that. I'll show you. I'll reach Class A right away, then-"

"It's pointless. You will never reach Class A. In fact, your class will fall apart soon enough. Things at this school aren't as simple as you think."

"I will definitely, definitely reach-"

"I told you, it's pointless. You really are a disobedient little sister."

Manabu stepped closer to her. The light reflected on him completely revealing his features.

[Isn't that the student council president?] Ayanokouji murmured.

[Horikita Manabu, if I remember correctly.] of course I knew who he was. But again, I pretended not to know him due to acting reasons.

[I guess they're siblings after all.]

Manabu displayed no hint of emotion. It was like he was staring at an uninteresting object. He grabbed his younger sister by the wrist-she offered no resistance-and pushed her against the wall.

"No matter how I try to avoid you, the fact remains that you're my little sister. If people around here learned the truth, I would be humiliated. Leave this school immediately."

"I-I can't do that... I will definitely reach Class A. I'll show you!"

"How incredibly stupid. Do you want to relive the pain of the past?"

" Niisan , I..."

"You possess neither the abilities nor the qualities needed to reach Class A. Get that through your head."

The elder Horikita was about to throw Horikita... I mean Suzune Horikita.

[I think he is going to snuff her.]

[It seems so.] I replied.

[What are you going to do?]

Unlike in the light novel, this time Ayanokouji did not launch himself to protect Horikita. He instead stood beside me, waiting for my opinion.

Honestly, I wanted Manabu to throw Horikita so I could record the event and negotiate with him afterwards.

No.

If I were to be brutally honest with you, I was curious about what would happen if we didn't interject. Would Manabu really throw his little sister? How badly would it affect her?

Just how much influence did I have have over her life?

[You stay. I'm jumping in.]

I ordered before jumping out of our hiding spot.

It was an event where I couldn't afford to play 'the witness game' anymore. Doing that would potentially lead up to more difficulties in the future.

Before he knew I was there, I grabbed his right arm, which he was using to pin his sister.

"What? You..." He stared at his arm and slowly turned to me with a sharp gleam in his eye.

"L-Levent-kun?!" Horikita cried.

"I wouldn't recommend assaulting your own little sister, especially in front of a witness, President Horikita." I announced. "If you do not want your name to be tarnished, I suggest you drop your arms."

"Eavesdropping is not an admirable quality," he said.

"Neither is eve-teasing," I replied.

"Don't poke your nose where it doesn't belong,"

"I think my concern for my classmate's safety is just about enough reason for me to get involved."

He glared at me, which interesting enough, looked like a four-eyed brat pouting; coming from the perspective of a former adult. However, I knew very well that Manabu wasn't the type of person I should ever underestimate.

I had already memorized the layout of the of the surrounding prior to the event. The alleyway was isolated from the visual range of the cameras. Which meant...

Whatever happens in the alleyway, stays in the alleyway.

"Stop it, Levent-kun." said Horikita, her voice strained.

I still couldn't comprehend why she was willing to go THAT far for someone who was just about to snuff her.

Regardless, I released my grip and prepared for war.

~Thump!

Almost immediately, he tried to backhand me in the face. I held my left arm in front of my face to stop his attack. He had put just about enough power to knock someone out. Then he proceeded his fist towards my chest. I instantly took a few steps back to avoid it.

"I'm warning you to stop." I calmly said.

But he didn't stop there. He then extended his right arm towards me. If that grip caught me, I would've been thrown down instead of Horikita. Without a single moment of delay, I slapped his hand off.

Looking slightly confused, he exhaled deeply, extended his right leg, and launched a kick towards my unguarded abdomen. Unfortunately I couldn't move fast enough to avoid it, so I just stood there and took it.

Indeed, he landed at least one blow on me, but at a cost...

I instantly grabbed his leg. At the same time, I landed a kick towards the back of his left knee, which was the only leg his entire body weight was depending upon. Realizing his mistake, Manabu gasped and prepared himself for the fall.

" Hgh !"

As soon as he fell on the ground, I knelt down, immediately landing a punch on his face.

It was human instinct to defend the skull, the most important part of the body. Horikita Manabu, was indeed a human.

To defend his face, he used both of his hands to stop my assault. Even pinned down against the ground he was putting up a fight.

However, that... was something I intended him to do since the battle began.

" Gahh !"

"Nii-san!" Horikita screamed in concern for her brother.

Head is undoubtedly the most important part of our body. But there are countless other body parts which are as vulnerable as our head. For instance, our upper chest which contains our heart and lungs.

As soon as he stopped my feint, I immediately took that chance and landed a powerful punch right at the center of his chest. The strike on his upper body forced all the air to come out of his lungs.

My attack had left him at a state of hyperventilation. The shock from the blow had also stunned him for a few seconds. If I wanted to truly demobilize him, I would've used those seconds to infringe his knees and arms. But obviously I didn't want to end up in juvenile.

Most importantly, if I had miscalculated my force behind the punch even a little bit, Manabu's ribcage could have gotten obstructed. He could've suffered fatal lung damage and internal injuries; or a slightly troublesome scenario, death!

I simply got up and walked a few inches away from him, giving him space to regain himself. Horikita worriedly ran to her brother Manabu, carefully tending to his well being. Manabu sluggishly sat down, then tried to calm down with heavy breathing. When everything seemed normal, I offered my hand.

Manabu glared at me with sharp eyes, but the next instant he closed them and... smirked? He then took my hand. I slowly pulled him up and helped regain his stance.

"Good fighting skills. Not only were you able to predict what I was trying to do, but you also made perfect counters. Have you been taught?"

After the battle ended, the questions began.

"Not really. No," I said.

"You're in Class D, too, aren't you? Now that I think about it, I remember there being a first-years who received fifty marks on all subjects."

"You have the wrong person."

"I see.. "

Manabu looked at Horikita. "Suzune, is this boy your friend? I'm honestly surprised."

"He's... Yes, he's my friend." Horikita lowered her face, as if ashamed to admit.

Listening to his little sister's surprising words, Manabu couldn't help but smirk.

"Interesting. So you've finally realized your fault. I'm quite intrigued to see what you might do next And you, Levent, wasn't it? With you around, things might get more interesting."

Manabu was about to take his leave. However...

"You don't seem to understand the bigger picture, President."

"What do you mean?"

"What are you going to do now? I mean, how can you be sure that I won't rat you out in front of the entire school?"

"Ah, so you're talking about that, huh?" Manabu said, adjusting his glasses. "Indeed, you have witnessed something unexpected of me. But..." he paused.

"Do you have any evidence?"

"..."

"I take your silence as your answer. Do you realize how naive your thinking was? Think about it. What value does your statement hold when you don't have any evidence leading up to it?"

"..."

~ Bzzt !

"It seems that you have nothing to say. In that case, I'll be taking my leave. I hope we'll meet again, Levent."

After his long lecture Manabu started walking away. I remained silent the entire time. It was simply because it was not the time to speak.

I threw a glance at the spot where we were originally hiding. From my instincts, I could tell p was not there anymore. As much as I knew his character description, he wasn't the type of person to expose himself unless he deemed it necessary. I also deem his exposure unnecessary. Which is why, now was the perfect time to strike.

"I do admit of not having any evidence then."

On his way, Manabu stopped right beside me. Without looking at me in the eyes, he asked-

"Then?"

With the most calm and relaxed facial expression, I turned to him.

"Smile for the camera. You were being recorded."

Current balance: 651,400 ¶¶

Chapter 2.10 - That Night

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" asked Manabu.

"No." I replied bluntly.

"What exactly are you trying to state?"

I whipped my phone out and navigated to the web browser. After providing my credentials, I checked inside Ayanokouji's secret-massage profile. It was as I had expected. Ayanokouji recorded a good portion of our brawl. He was quick enough to send me the clip immediately for me to blackmail "senpai".

"The evidence of the student council president Horikita Manabu's attempt of attacking two first year students."

What amazed me the most was the fact that I didn't even discuss about doing something like this with Ayanokouji. I jumped in completely out of the blue without telling him anything. Yet he had caught on to my plan and quickly adapted himself accordingly. Truly a one in a million prodigy...

The elder Horikita carefully analyzed the contents of the video. In the video the moment when Manabu backhanded me, thus initiating the attack was clearly shown.

"This...? Oh, I see."

See what exactly?

"Judging by the perspective of the cameraman, there was someone else who recorded this clip."

"You're surprisingly calm about this. Are you not afraid? What if we complain to the faculty office? This should be viable enough to file a complaint. And if that's not enough, than I shall publish this on our school forum and every single social media, slandering your name with everything I have thereby."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Yes. I am threatening you with the possibility of expulsion."

"Wait, Levent-kun. What are you-" at that moment Horikita finally managed to speak up again. But was immediately shut off by Manabu.

"That's not going to happen." Manabu said calmly.

"May I ask what your reason is for thinking like that?"

"Because if you truly intended to suspend me, you would've done that without saying anything. You would've kept your mouth shut and attacked me from behind. But instead, you warned me immediately. There has to be a reason for why you did that. I don't think you are doing this for mere good will. Are you perhaps trying to exploit me?"

"Bingo." I said while closing my phone. "Word it however you will. At the end of the day, your graduation ceremony depends on me. Say, where do you go from here, president?"

Manabu silently glared at me for a good few seconds. I'm sure that he was agonizing over his head due to the humiliation caused by me alone. But unlike Suzune, Manabu wasn't egoistic. He was a man with a clam and collected head. He knew that his actions now would greatly influence his future. There was only one option which could ensure him complete security.

"Sigh" Manabu seemed to understand what that option was. "Tell me, what is your price for the deletion of that video clip."

"You're on the right path, but not quite stable on it."

"What?"

"It's not points that want. What I want is nothing more than your cooperation. I need your help on certain occasions. That's why I'm doing this on the first place. And one more thing. It's upto me to delete, isn't it? There is no way I am going to delete this now. This will not be a one-time agreement. Whether you like it or not does not matter. Instead of saying 'deletion of video' , I'd rather 'temporarily keep my mouth shut.' "

"You!"

"That's as far as my generosity falls."

Pushing him to the boundary was the only path I had deemed necessary. Given the pride that runs in the Horikita family, Manabu would rather die than being accused of assaulting his little sister and a kouhai.

"It seems that I have no other option. Alright I will cooperate with you. But bare this in mind. If it's something that would harm this school and it's pupils in any way, I would forfeit this agreement regardless the consequences."

"Don't worry. I'm not going to give you any unreasonable tasks that would potentially harm the school. Instead, I am wholeheartedly doing this for the sake of development."

"Is that so?" Manabu offered his hand.

That could've been a trap. Once I took his hand, he could've easily launched a fatal attack. Then he could've snatched the phone away from me and deleted the video. That way I would've lost the only leverage I had on him...

...or so would you think. The video file was sent to me by Ayanokouji. Meaning that the video was saved on the messenger cloud and on Ayanokouji's phone. Even if he deleted the offline copy, the original one would always remain. Besides, if he actually dared to attack me, then I'd honestly hold no barriers against him.

I firmly took his hand. No attack, no defense. A mutual agreement from both sides.

"I'm sorry about all of this. I wish these were under better circumstances." I gently bowed in apology.

"You're certainly an interesting kouhai . I'm keeping an eye out on you. Like I said, with you here things might get interesting."

Oh, I wonder about that.

••••••

"Did you really have to do that to nii-san?" rasped Horikita, clearly infuriated by my method of manipulation.

"I had no other choice but to do that."

Horikita and I were sitting next to each other by the vending machine near the alleyway.

"No, you didn't have to go as far as to threaten him."

"Believe me when I say this. Having him on our side would eventually help us in the long run."

"But did you really have to be so forceful?"

"Sorry, that's just how I operate. I was programmed to accomplish tasks this way." to ease the tension, I try to crack a joke.

Horikita visibly gave a frustrated sigh.

"You've seen an embarrassing side of me today."

"Actually I- umm... Nevermind." I stopped my honesty midway when she fiercely glared at me.

After what she had gone through, I could at least give her a little space of comfort.

"Now that I think about it, how did you manage to catch me and nii-san?"

Simple, I read books.

"I couldn't get any sleep. So I came outside to get some fresh air. That's when I noticed you frantically walking outside the dorm."

"And so you decided to stalk me?"

"Yes. I decided to stalk you."

"Sigh."

I went to the vending machine. After scanning my id card, I proceeded to buy two drinks at random. After receiving my products I resumed towards my original position.

"Here. Take this." I offered her one of the drinks.

"Although I don't like the thought of drinking matcha tea, I appreciate your kindness." She replied.

"Matcha tea is good for you, Horikita. It would help you ease your stress and anxiety."

"Oh, how kind of you."

"Or do you want my lemonade?"

I waved at my bottle, which I had already taken a sip on.

"It's fine. Drinking lemonade at night doesn't fit well with me."

That's your reason for rejection this drink? Wow, she may be smart, but I guess even she can be clueless from time to time.

" Ehh ... How picky~" I commented silently.

"What? You were saying something, Levent-kun." Horikita seemed to have caught onto my rant. How sharp~

"Nothing. Nothing at all, mademoiselle."

"You're humorous, aren't you?"

"Thank you for your complement."

It was almost midnight. Under the moonlit night, both of us were leaning over a railing together. Insomnia had already snatched away our sleep as we both sat there in silence, taking small sips of our drink while being completely submerged in the beauty of the moon.

"Ayanokouji-kun was the one who recorded the video, wasn't he?"

"Who knows?"

"There's something that is telling me our previous encounter wasn't a coincidence."

"That is a false assumption on your side, believe it or not." it was a half-lie considering the fact that "Ayanokouji" happened to be a coincidence.

"Then how do you explain Ayanokouji-kun being there with you."

"Simple. We were both insomniac. I ran into him when I was coming down. The rest is history."

"Somehow I am very skeptical of your explanation."

"I did not lie. And whether you believe me or not has absolutely nothing to do with me."

"Fine. In that case I will no longer interrogate this matter any further."

The air was suddenly tense. We both went silent again. To avert the awkward environment, I spoke again.

"Let's change topics. What is your true reason for coming to this school?"

"Isn't that obvious?" she asked, glaring at me.

"Ah, right. You're stalking on your brother." I chided.

"Levent-kun, I'd much rather you remain silent."

"Sorry, but from an outsider's perspective that's what it looks like. Aren't you simply trapped in his shadows?"

"What do you mean? I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Listen, I understand that you like your brother. Bu-" I was cut off midway.

"Wait, I never said I like my brother!" shouted Horikita.

What a pain~

"In any case, you are only chasing behind his ideals. I get it that you want to attain his acceptance. But I think you're doing this the wrong way. Simply imitating your brother would only make this infuriating for him."

"How can you be so sure about that?"

"No one wants to have anything to do with a clingy sibling. Being clingy would only deduce your value to him. Imagine this, would like someone if they kept following you, copying whatever you were doing?"

"That's..." she failed to produce a reply.

"What I'm asking you to do is to break that limiter. If you aim towards the sun, you may not be able to reach your goal. But your mark will end up somewhere higher." I replied.

"But that's impossible. Nii-san is perfect at everything, whereas I am nothing compared to him."

How can a girl have both superiority and inferiority complex at the same time?

"If you compare yourself with others, you are only insulting yourself. If you really put your all into it, I'm sure you'll be able to reach your goal."

"Hmm..."

My drink was finished. After gulping the last bit, I tried to throw the bottle inside a recycle bin from afar. I stood up, aimed the bottle, took a deep breath and threw the bottle!

...

And the bottle landed two feet off the mark.

"Sigh." I silently went to the bin and put the bottle where it belonged.

"Well it's up to you to decide whether or not to change your way of thinking. I'll be heading home." I began my journey towards the dorm. Horikita silently watched me as I resumed towards my destination. Then all of a sudden, I heard a voice from behind.

"Thank you, Levent-kun."

"For what?" I asked without looking back.

"For telling me all of this. And for saving me."

...

"You are welcome." saying that, I walked towards the bright and luminous dormitory.

••••••

"You were really brave there, Sakura-san."

"You gave me courage. I was happy," she said, with a small smile.

"It's a given. I had complete faith in you."

"T-thank you. I an really happy... that you believed in me."

"It's not just me. Horikita, Kushida , and Sudou too. All of our classmates believe you."

"Yeah... But you came out and told me directly, . You said it."

"Well it's embarrassing if you say it like that haha.."

I giggled, which seemed to have served it's purpose. Sakura was not crying like in the light novel. She was in a good mood because of the change.

"But to think that Ishizaki-kun, Komiya-kun and Koundo-kun are getting expelled... This school is really strict isn't it?" Sakura asked timidly.

"It was for the best. They committed the deed, they enjoy their demise. You don't have to beat yourself up for this."

"I'm really scared Levent-kun. What if I fail to live up to the school's expectations? What if I get expelled in the future."

...

"That's not going to happen Sakura-san. I will not let that happen. I promise."

"Levent-kun..."

I will make sure that I reach my ultimate goal. That's the reason why I'm doing all of this in the first place. Even if it meant dehumanizing myself again, I'll do it with a straight face.

"U-um, well... I don't think I should be saying this now, but..."

Oh, umm... that I forgor.

"Actually... I... Right now..."

"Yahoo! You're really late, huh?" Talk about poor timing.

Ichinose and Kanzaki were waiting for us by the entranceway. They must've been on tenterhooks about the trial's results.

"Were you waiting for us?" I asked.

"We were wondering what happened."

I stopped and signaled Sakura to wait for me. Sakura gently nodded as response.

"We won. The accusing party were punished thoroughly."

"Really? That's a great news!" exclaimed Ichinose.

"Sudou's name will be cleared after this. He should be able to resume his basketball club activities." Kanzaki commented.

"We're not completely out of this yet. Not only did we overtake their class, we also eliminated three of their potential manpower. Not mention their class points are reduced. Surely they wouldn't be holding back their grudges."

"Unfortunately so... Oh, and by the way, congratulations on moving up to class C."

"Thank you."

All of it went exactly according to my plan. In this school, if a student gets expelled; a total of 100 class points are deducted from the expellee's class. I had expelled three students from Class C, no, the current Class D. Before the incident, Class D had an amount of 490 class points. But after exploiting their own strategy against them, they were left with only 190.

Dragon boy underestimated his risks. The loss was greater than what he could ever imagine. Three students full of potential were compromised, especially one of the most influential characters from Class C, Ishizaki. Now he only had two options.

Either he sit this one quietly and digest this humiliation. Or...

The rules did say that, you can counter an expulsion by spending twenty million private points and 300 class points; per student. Ryuen could easily spend the class points like money that grows in the tree. But the private points would instantly snap his chances.

Where is he going to get twenty million private points?

Forget about the others, Ishizaki matters. But what can he do to help him? Even if he squeezed all of his classmates dry, they still wouldn't be able to get twenty million. He could go beg to the seniors, but his reputation among the first years would give out a negative feedback against him.

Nagumo. He could turn to Nagumo. But to do that would mean that he would have to turn into his slave. There's no way Ryuen would go that far for his classmate, but who knows?

Maybe he would sell his soul to the devil.

Either way, former Class C would lose three hundred class points, which would ensure Class D's promotion to Class C to upto eighty-five percent.

"Wow, you guys are promoted to class C this quickly? Congrats! I guess we have to be more careful around you, huh?" not sure how much of it was a joke, and much of it was her being serious.

"As I mentioned before. Nothing is absolute. Who knows, maybe we'll drown back to Class D in no time." I murmured.

"Hey now, don't be so negative. I'm sure you guys will be fine."

"That's right. Have confidence in yourself."

"But really, are you going to be okay? With a person like Ryuen-kun, there's no saying what will happen. Remember to tell us if you want help with something."

Perfect...

Classic emotional blackmail never fails...

"Eh, you're going to help us?" I pretended to be surprised. "We're now on your opposing class, aren't we?"

"True. But Class D's Ryuen-kun is an even formidable enemy. That's why it's not a bad idea to obliterate them with a joint effort." Kanzaki replied nonchalantly.

I don't know what exactly it was that had led Ichinose into cooperating with Class D, but I'll take it. Whether it was pity or genuine humility, it didn't matter. What mattered most was the fact that 80 people are better than 40. If we work two classes combined, taking down Class C would be easier.

"Well... I guess we will be seeing each other more often huh?"

"Glad that you agreed, Levent-kun." Ichinose raised her hand proposing a handshake.

...

As I took her hand, I had discovered something euphoric. Ichinose's hands were soft, small and pale. Her fingers were tender and smooth. Each second I held onto her, my arms seemed to keep digging into her unbelievably soft skin.

"We're on mutual terms." I replied.

Not wanting to go any further, I immediately ended the handshake.

" Kanzaki-kun and I will be off then. See you."

"Meet you again, Ichinose -san."

After Kanzaki and Ichinose left, it was only me and Sakura.

"Shall we get going?" I asked turning to Sakura who'd been silently listening to our conversation.

"R-right. Hmm..."

We resumed our march towards the dormitory. On our way I remember Sakura being mostly silent or frowning, as if concerned about something. It wasn't a long walk so I didn't bother trying to initiate a conversation.

It didn't feel awkward to me. It was the sacred conversation between introverts.

"You... seem to be quite popular." maybe not?

"What made you think like that?" I asked.

"I mean even Ichinose-san from class B seems to know you."

"Well, we had the honour of meeting each other from time to time. She is a really nice person."

"Do you like her?"

Eh?

"Umm... How exactly do you mean by that?"

" Uwa ! Please forget about that question!"

"It's... fine. You don't have to worry about it. By the way can I have your number?" I needed it for location sharing.

"Huh? Why so suddenly?"

I stood up and looked her in the eyes as deep as I could.

"If you're ever in trouble, I want you to contact me immediately."

Sakura was staring at me in surprise. I am well aware of hold bold my actions were. But as long as I receive the intended results, I'll be fine.

"O..O..Of course! We can share contacts... if that's you want!"

"Thank you." we pulled each other's phone and shared numbers.

Of course, even if she contacted me during the event, it would only take me so long to reach her completely blind. This isn't the light novel nor the anime. This is real life inside a book. I can't magically get the coordinates, I have to aquire them manually. Once I'm done with the preparation for the event, I would immediately take action. But one things for sure...

The attempt of sexual violence upon Sakura must happen! There's no way out of it. Or maybe I had rendered other alternatives as ineffective or inefficient. It was the only event that the author had intended for the character development of Sakura. If I protect her from cruelty or if I keep ignoring her like our protagonist Ayanokouji, then Sakura's fate would be the same as the one in the novel.

That's why you must lose that smile, Sakura Airi.

••••••

After giving Sakura a reason, I rushed towards the opposite side of the hallway. At the beginning, I thought that we would encounter Horikita on our way, but that didn't happen. As the trail had ended WAY before the intended time, things seemed to have randomized quite a bit. When you make severe changes to the original plot, the story also changes accordingly in order to... well you know... exist.

I, as a sentient existence, had been playing around with the plot since the beginning. It wouldn't be surprising if there's a day where I wouldn't be able to predict anything.

When I reached the other end of the hallway, I was met with the two familiar figures engaged in a conversation. After noticing me, one of them ran towards me.

"Levent-kun, how did you do that?"

"I am fine. Thank you for asking. And how are you?"

Horikita gave a slight glare, visibly irritated. Looks like she didn't like my joke. How sad~

"Don't want to hear your jokes. Please tell me seriously, Levent-kun. How did you manage to record that clip?"

"Look we're now Class C. I have provided results. That should be enough to satisfy you. Now I request you to give me some space to recuperate."

"That won't do. I want answers."

Ayanokouji was standing beside her. "She's too persistent." is what I could make out from his expression. He sighed in exasperation. In any case, given how 'needy' Horikita was, it was pretty much inevitable.

I sighed.

"It wasn't me. I didn't record the event." I replied. It wasn't a lie per say, as I hadn't recorded the video while being physically present at the spot.

"That's a lie, isn't it?"

"I didn't lie. Just how much of a liar do you think I am, fool."

"If were to voice my opinion, I'd say you are the living embodiment of lies."

...

Maybe she's correct.

"That statement is an exaggeration, Horikita. In any case, it wasn't me, or any of us who'd sent the video." I replied, calmly.

"But before the trail you sai-"

Not good! If this woman keeps probing me for answers, Ryuen would immediately know that it was me!

I looked towards Ayanokouji and urged him to do something.

"Then who was that mysterious person who sent the video?" Ayanokouji stated, trying to mislead any evesdropping attempt.

As Horikita was somewhat confused, Ayanokouji seemed to have caught onto my warnings. Now it was up to me to enlargen the façade.

"Either the person in question happened to be there as a coincidence. Or..."

"Or?"

"It's a possibility but, maybe it was someone from their own class."

"Wha-? Why would someone betray their own class?"

"I don't know the details. From what I heard, former class C was being led by a person named Ryuen. His methods of persuading his classmates were extremely violent. Maybe someone had enough of their tyranny and decided to backstab him."

"I see. If the person had Intel about the brawl from the very beginning, trapping wouldn't have been that hard for them to accomplish."

"And here I was, thinking that it was one of you bastards who'd sent the video." speaking of the devil...

"And you are?" Horikita asked Ryuen, devoid of expression.

"Oh me? Don't worry about it. Next time, I will personally come for your class!"

He walked past us in a violent demeanor. It wasn't the usual smug and quirky Ryuen that I had initially thought of him to be. This Ryuen was beyond angry. Not only did he lose the battle, he'd also lost three of class C's valuable assets. His frustration was understandable. However, it was far from over for him.

"The person in the magenta hair; he is none other than Ryuen Kakeru , the leader of the former class C." I replied to Horikita's unanswered question.

"So he is the one behind Sudou-kun's incident."

"More importantly, Horikita, do you understand the severity of our current situation?" Ayanokouji asked with a voice filled with urgency.

"By that, do you mean-"

Expelling three students obviously triggered Ryuen, which meant that he wouldn't be standing down any time soon. He'd come at us with no barriers held. It was a chaotic situation. A situation perfect for an intense clash.

"This is war, Horikita."

To be contacted...

Current balance: 651,400 ¶¶

Chapter 2.11 - Impulse I

It was almost a week after the Sudou incident had concluded. The person in question, Sudou Ken, had been cleared of all accusations, giving him the opportunity to return back to his club activities. The accusers on the other hand, received the ultimate price for deceiving the school. Ishizaki, Kondou and Komiya's expulsion was already written in stone.

It seems like Ryuen couldn't fund the compulsory twenty million private points, huh? If he could've done that, it would've been the best possible move.

Due to three expulsions, class C would lose three-hundred class points by default. But on the other hand, the requirements to save a single classmate was ironically three hundred class points, of course with an additional requirement of twenty million private points.

Albeit doing so would've resulted in their class completely exhausting their class points. But the thing is, we were still on our first semester. There were five more semesters in front of us, which was more than enough time for them to climb back on the rank. Points can be regained back at any given time; but once a classmate gets expelled, they cannot be reinstituted no matter what.

On top of that, not only Ishizaki was an influencer figure of class C, he was also the most loyal subordinate Ryuen could ever find, aside from Albert Yamada. Besides, class points can never reach a negative value, regardless how much the penalty was. This could've been a great leverage for them.

Which is why from a tactical point of view, saving one classmate by sacrificing points would've been more efficient in contrast to losing them all. It was the only counter-argument against my perfectly paced gambit.

I'm guessing that Ryuen had understood that fact as well; yet he failed to save any of them. In that case it was probably one of the two outcomes.

Either, his pride didn't allow him to request assistance from the others, which was probably not one of brightest moves. (AN: What a polite way of saying "Beg" LoL)

Or, he actually DID request assistance from the others, but eventually failed to produce results, which was the most probable outcome.

After reading his monologues quite a few times, I could easily guess what the answer was.

In any case, that sort of analytical view would never provide me any sort of progression whatsoever. What mattered most was the fact that we were now part of a psychological warfare. After climbing up to class C, not only had we become the target of class D; the other classes also became somewhat wary of us.

Ryuen didn't seem to attack us within the period of last few days. According to the novel/anime, his next attack would be during the Island survival exam arc, which was approximately one week away from us.

I really don't know what Ichinose's thought process was. But to help us even though we're enemies; I was sure that there was a deep layer of hidden intentions. And the cherry on the top was the fact that we had also caught attention of the star class; class A. It would've been be a pain if Sakayanagi started laying out the pavements from the early game. Hiding from the eyes of Hashimoto would've consumed a great amount of time and effort, although...

... though I don't think it'd be me whom she'd go after.

At that moment, there was no saying what could happen. Considering the fact that all the things that had occured after my intrusion never actually took place inside it's roots, and the fact that I had greatly influenced the outcome of the plot, nothing is absolute. In a realistic scenario like this, I could never afford to rely on premature information. Leaving everything to chance would be a low ello blunder.

"But more importantly, today-"

Bzz .. Bzz .. Bzz .. Bzzzzzzz ...

The alarm finally went off. Marking that it was time to get ready. I got out of bed, drank a glass of water, went off to start the day.

...

...

I guess I'd better start developing my pieces too, huh?

•••••

"Haaa~!"

Yawning, I forcefully drag myself towards our new classroom. Well even though we had changed classrooms, there weren't any actual significant changes. Forty chair-tables, five fans, two windows, a podium and a blackboard. Exactly the same contents we had on our previous classroom.

"Good morning, Levent-kun. You have bedhair all over you today." a voice whispered to me from behind.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. It's um.. my hairstyle for today." I replied to Kushida.

"Haha. You really say some funny things from time to time."

"I'll take as a compliment." I began marching towards my seat; but was stopped midway.

[Meet me at 11 pm tonight. Same place where made the deal.]

[Understood.]

After resting my bag on the hanger, I heaved a long sigh and crashed upon my makeshift hand pillow. And exactly at that moment another voice called out to me.

"Good morning, Levent-kun." it was a girly, yet sharp voice.

" Ann-yeon-gha-seyo ~" I greeted back.

"You have a few bedhair today. Are you not going to fix them?" asked Horikita. As a reply I gave her the same answer as Kushida.

"It's my hairstyle for the day. Do I not look handsome with this?"

"Far from it. You look like a zombie who's about to eat anyone who comes in it's way." another existence joined the conversation.

"Thank you for your opinion, Ayanokouji."

"Seriously Levent-kun, have even slept last night?"

"Not a single blink."

"I see."

"Are you not going to ask me why?"

"I'm sure you had your reasons. That's why I'm not going to bother you by asking."

Well, that's convenient.

I hadn't been getting any sleep for the last few days. Funny enough, it wasn't because of any obscure reason such as depression, stress, anxiety etc. No. In actuality it was because I was born to be an insomniac and I was engineered to be an insomniac!

Jokes aside, I usually get three to four hours of sleep at night. The rest of the hours are attained after returning back to the dorms.

But that's not the problem for now.

I look towards Sakura's seat. She's hadn't come yet. Despite not being the best student in class, her attendance record was close to perfect. Unlike a slacker like me, she was never late. At least that statement was true up until last few days.

This is fine. This is how things were supposed to go.

As much as I enjoyed being a third wheel next to two of my neighbor's argument, at the very next instant Sakura entered the classroom. Judging by her body language, she trying to avoid our gazes. And it seemed to have worked for the others. Without wasting a single second, I approached her.

"Good morning, Sakura-san." I gently greeted her.

"Eh? Oh, it's Levent-kun! G-good morning!" Sakura 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.

"What's wrong? Are you doing okay?"

"Huh?"

"You look kind of distressed. Is there something you need to talk about?"

"I..."

"..."

"I'm- I'm fine."

You are most certainly not fine. I know you're not fine. But I can't disclose that information to you. Because I'm supposed to be an ignorant fool.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You don't have to worry about me."

"How can I not be worried, Sakura-san?"

"..."

Sakura went silent. Her mouth agape from astonishment. And her cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

"!!!!"

Ah, now that I look back into my previous speech, I just realized that I had said something unbelievably cheesey. No wonder why Sakura was embarrassed. To hear such a dramatic line from your crush; this would kill anyone of her age. Why did I have to run my mouth when it wasn't necessary? I guess the part about me being a fool is true.

Well, there's no crying over spilled milk.

"Um..." suddenly a gentle smile formed in her face. "You know, Levent-kun. I'm glad that you worry about me, haha."

"Is that so? Then I'm glad you are happy with it."

"But really, you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine."

Don't talk, Levent! There's no need to add anything more.

"If you're ever in trouble, please don't forget contact me, okay?"

"Hmm." Sakura nodded with a feint smile on her face.

"Alright then." I went back to my seat.

I hope you do exactly what you did in the anime. If not... then the only individual who would end up regretting is you, Sakura Airi.

"You've been talking a lot lately."

"Hm?"

As soon as I sat down, my female neighbor asked me with a sharp voice. Intrigued, I faced towards her with a quizzical look.

"I'm talking about Sakura-san. Could it be that you actually like her?"

Her expressionless demeanor gave off a terrifying aura. More importantly, she didn't even bother hiding her glare.

"What brings you to that conclusion?"

"Well you have been circling around her ever since Sudou got accused." accused Ayanokouji.

Boss, I'd much rather you not put any more oil on the fire.

"It seems Levent-kun here has found his next partner. Aren't you glad?" Horikita spat out cold words.

"You are far off from the truth, you two."

"Oh really? Then what might be the truth then?"

It's not possible for me to explain that. Doing so might result in my plan being a complete failure.

"I have approximately zero reason to explain my intentions. Besides, my machinations are beyond what you two could possibly imagine."

"Of course they are." Horikita gave a sarcastic reply.

"Wait, what is this all about anyway? Why am I suddenly being antagonized for having a few conversation with someone? Could it be that you're feeling jealous?"

" Wha-what makes you say that? Why would I be jealous for you? I don't care whoever you're seeing. It's none of my business." how obvious~

If you're about to ask me if I know everything; my answer would be: yes, I'm fully aware of the scenario. To be honest, it was painfully obvious to me.

But if you're going to ask how I feel about this...

Well sorry. E is going to kill me if I give any spoilers .

"My point exactly. In any case, I am feeling sleepy. So I sincerely request you to let me sleep in harmony." I replied in monotone.

"Unfortunately, it's already time for homeroom." Ayanokouji replied.

"Brilliant."

••••••

It was already afternoon. The classes had ended for the day. Either the students were on their way to the dormitory; or they were taking a stroll outside for some fresh air. But I, on the other hand, was sitting next to the seaside bench contemplating what could happen if a tsunami were to strike us out of the blue.

Indeed, it'd be devastating. Yet the government somehow decided that it would be the best idea to construct a dorm based institution in the middle of the sea away from the mainland. To have this level of concern for our safety clearly shows how logical this fantasy world is.

However, one things for sure. This wonderful scenery... I will never get tired of it.

"Maybe I have some sort of a connection towards the-"

" Oiii , Levent-kun!" a familiar voice broke my train of thoughts. I turned back only to see an even more familiar figure running towards me. A certain citrus angel if I were to be poetic.

But I was more curious about her lack of self-awareness. I mean if there was another alternate universe where my name was "Lenny Aozaki", and I had the femininity level of Ichinose's, I most certainly wouldn't be running like her as my chest would bounce like two water balloons.

"Good afternoon, Ichinose-san." realizing that I was being indecent, I averted and affixed my gaze upon her eyes instead of the ones below.

"Ha.. I'm soo out breath!" Ichinose stopped running and gasped for air. In any case, why were you running in the first place? It's not like I was going anywhere.

"Relax. Have a seat." I patted next to me, which was... admittedly quite the bold move, even for me.

But surprisingly, she took me up for the offer and sat right beside me. She didn't even consider about the rumors that would spread if we were spotted like that. Well, not like it's any of my problem though?

After a brief moment of recuperating, Ichinose giggled.

"Hehe... Sorry you had to see this embarrassing side of me."

"It's okay. I actually think you looked quite cute to be honest."

"Eh? No way! W-why would I look cute like that? Haha, stop making fun of me!"

Alright... I unintentionally spoke my mind. Brilliantly done, Levent.

"Sorry." I have to avert this awkward air! "But I'm kind of curious. It's already late now. What brings you here? Aren't you going back to your dormitory?"

"Oh about that. I was going back; but then I saw you. So I thought I'd say hi."

"And that's why you started running?"

" Ehehe please don't mention it. I don't know what got into me that time."

"Well it happens to the best of us."

This reminds me of that time when I got uncontrollably frustrated by Horikita's immaturity. I initially didn't intend to do that; but I guess the 'me' from then did?

In any case, now that Horikita is slightly mature now, I guess all's well if the end is well.

"What about Chihiro-san ? Did you manage to make up with her?"

"Well, it was kind of awkward at first to be honest."

Ichinose turned her head down in thought. However the next instant, her smile returned brighter than ever.

"But we somehow managed to get along again! Thanks to you."

Huh? What? How?

"Me? Where do I fit in the picture?"

"Well, you pushed me to be true to her. If you didn't put some sense into me, I'm sure things would've ended differently."

"Well, I only told you what I had in mind. In that scenario, I was only being a catalyst, not the reactors. It was only because of your own courage and effort that you manage to get the 'happy ending'. Don't me too much credit for doing nothing." what I said was from the bottom of my 'head'.

"That's not true. It is you who's not giving yourself enough credit."

"Oh, so now we're debating on who's more insignificant, eh?"

"Hahaha! I know, right? But for real though, sometimes you say some interesting things, Levent-kun. And with a straight face too!"

Am I that apathetic?

"Is that so? I only speak what's in mind." which is probably a deed what most humans do.

Bzzt ~ Bzzt ~

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. After pulling the out of my pocket, I turned on the screen.

"Why are you suddenly so silent Levent-kun? What happened?" Ichinose asked me.

I showed her the phone.

There was a notification on top of the screen; a message to be exact. The senders number was already listed on my contacts as "Sakura Airi". And message contained only one word.

" HLEP !"

••••••

My phone's tracking data displayed the entrance of the electronics store. Not to be put off, Ichinose came running after me and stuck close. As we approached our destination, I was incredibly winded. I had to stop and catch my breath. Just as a precaution, I looked at Ichinose and ordered her to call the authorities.

"Please don't contact me anymore!"

"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!"

"Stop... Please, stop it!" Sakura shouted. She took all the letters out of her bag. It was a pile of letters, all containing overly cheesey and disgusting paragraphs.

"How do you know my room number? Why do you keep sending these?"

"Why? Of course I would know your room number and send you letters. It's because our hearts are connected."

Sakura had been suffering ever since she started school her. That man knew her identity, and she had to deal with his attention every day. However, Sakura 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 from before made sense now.

"Please stop it. It's bothering me!"

She tossed the bundle of letters to the floors, rejecting the man's unrequited love.

"Why... Why would you do something like that? Even after I wrote out my feelings to you!"

"D-don't come any closer!"

The man closed the distance between him and Sakura. He walked with an intensity that made it look as though he were about to attack. Latching onto Sakura's arm, he shoved her up against the store's shuttered door.

"I'll show you just how much I love you now... If I do that, then you'll understand, Sakura."

"No, let me go!"

Ichinose tugged on my sleeve. Apparently, we couldn't leave things alone any longer. But instead of listening to her warnings, I...

...

[Wait.] I whispered to her in a way that it's inaudible to that man. Saying so, I open the camera app and changed it to video recording mode. I wanted to wait until we could catch him in the act with something definitive.

[What? We can't let this go on!]

[I know that it's wrong and this is painful to watch. But I swear we will punish this deplorable human.]

[But Sakura-san is suffering. If we don't stop this now, she's going to suffer more!]

[I understand. But you need to stay calm in this scenario. The modern society that we know is hopeless. If we want this man to receive the punishment that he deserves, we will need verifiable evidence to prove his guilt. Without that, everything will be for nothing.]

[I know. But-]

[I'm sorry. I really am. But I'm asking you to please bare with me.]

I started recording the scene. The man pushed Sakura to the ground while holding both her hands tightly. With the other hand he started undoing his belt. I waited until his underwear was shown. When the man was almost half naked, I had decided that it was enough.

I stopped recording and gave my phone to Ichinose as a precaution. Then I borrowed her phone for apparence's sake.

[You should go get the police. I will handle that man.]

[Are you sure? Isn't it dangerous to take on an adult like him all by yourself?]

[It'd be better and much more efficient that way. We need an anchor to bring the police here. I can't leave to handle that man now can I?]

[Oh, that makes sense.]

[We're wasting time. Hurry.]

[Please be safe Levent-kun.]

Ichinose ran off towards the main road. I, on the other hand, voluntarily stayed to take out an adult by myself. Yes, I was painfully aware of the dangers a teenager could face if they were against an oversized adult. However... I'm not a normal teenager.

Click!

"Huh?!" both the clark and Sakura looked at me with utter disbelief.

"Le-levent-kun? You came?!" Sakura asked me in a weak voice. Dismissing her, I looked at the person above her dead in the eyes.

"It seems like I've caught a wild pig trying to defile a teenager."

"N-no! That's wrong. You're wrong!"

"Wrong? You're belts are undone, you're pants are down, you're on top of my precious friend. Just what part am I getting wrong, sir?"

"You're wrong. It's just...yeah, that. She said she wanted someone to teach her how to use a digital camera, so I said I'd teach her one-on-one. That's all."

"Ah, one-on-one teaching! I see... So you're telling me, that you always teach your students how to use a digital camera while being on top of them, half-naked, without a camera?" I closed the gap between us.

"I.. uh... Listen man, this is not what it looks like!"

"It IS what it looks like! You don't get it, do you? All of that pile of 'love letters' you wrote; all that speech you gave about 'Fate'. How deplorable of an adult can you be?"

"Ha ha ha ha! What are you talking about? I really don't...know what you're talking about."

I sat down to face him directly.

"You don't know what I'm talking about, huh? Sir, you do realize that I have recorded everything, right?" I shook Ichinose's phone as a sign.

"N-no way!"

"Imagine the headline! 'Electrical store clark arrested for an attempted sexual assault on a high school girl'. More than anything, that girl is a gravure idol " Shizuku ". You do realize the fact that you're on top of hell, right? I mean, you will now be labeled as a pedophile for eternity. You're social life is over. Not only does this affect you, it affects your family as well. Think about all the shame you will have brought upon your family's name. All the backtalking they'll be subjected to for your selfishness. It goes without saying that your parents are going to regret ever giving birth to you. Listen..sir... I really think you're better off dead. I think you should go kill yourself."

"Eek!"

He let go of Sakura's arms and got up from her as an attempt to escape. Only a few steps and I grabbed on to his shoulder.

" Wha -"

As soon as he looked back, I punched him straight at his nose.

"I said, you should go kill yourself."

" Agh !" I gave an upper cut on his jaws.

But that wasn't enough to drop him. So I kicked behind his knees. He fell on his back like a bag of garbage. As soon as he dropped, I got onto him. And just like he was grabbing on to Sakura's arms, I grabbed on to his.

"Don't run. Stay down . Di e. "

Before he could say anything, I put a fist on top of his lips. The impact caused sever pain in my fingers, but I didn't care.

I began repeatedly punching that person. Each punch was intended to make him feel excruciating amount of pain. For the sin he was about to commit, I voluntarily took it upon myself to reprimand him.

"St-stop!" the man stammered in-between a punch.

"Stop it man!" I didn't stop.

"Ow!! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I swear I won't do it again!" the man spitted blood. But I punched even harder.

"I said I'm sorry! Please stop! It hurts!!!" why am I not stopping? Why am I punching even harder?

" Augh !! FUCKING STOP YOU BRA- gh !!!!" I kept punching and punching and punching... So much so that my hands were filled with red. Eventually the man stopped talking and started spitting out inaudible noises.

" St- uph !"

JUST SHUT UP AND TAKE IT!

"Levent-kun, please stop! That's enough!" suddenly a voice cried out to me.

My hands stopped mid-air. I finally regained consciousness. When I came to, that molester was lying in front of me, unconscious. I punched him so much that, he had blacked out.

" ..."

I'm such an idiot! This isn't my world! I need to hold back no matter what! If I were to lose myself completely back then... What if I actually ended up eliminating him?

More than that, Sakura was sitting right next to me, watching it all. She was already scared of what was going on. But if she witnessed what I was truly capable of, things would've been even more unbearable for her. I couldn't afford to deprecate my values anymore.

I got off from the unconscious clark. When I checked inside his pocket, I found his phone. I immediately unlocked it with his finger. After opening his points app, I was met with a considerably large amount of private points.

That was the initial reason why I attempted this unnecessary act in the first place.

" Thank you for your kind donation, sir."

I decided not to completely rob this man out of points, so I only sent half of the total amount. Few seconds later, a notification popped up saying that one million private points were sent to my account. The one that was on Ichinose's hand.

After that I went towards Sakura who was going through an episode of fear, regret and anxiety. I gently sat on the ground beside her. To make sure the blood doesn't stain her clothes, I wiped them on my blazer.

"Sakura-san, are you okay?"

"Levent...kun. How are you here?"

"I exchanged contact information with you, remember?"

Wait, Ichinose has my phone. So, how am I supposed to show that to her?

"I guess I'm no good after all... I couldn't do anything by myself in the end."

"That's not true. You don't get to do something as cool as throwing those letters to the ground like that." I pointed to the mess of multicolored paper scattered everywhere.

" Oii ! Levent-kun! Sakura-san! Are you okay?" we could hear Ichinose's voice from afar. She seemed to be accompanied by three police officers.

"Looks like they're here. Thank God! You're safe n-!!!"

Suddenly Sakura hugged me. It was so sudden that I didn't even have the time to prepare. Her breasts were directly touching my chest. It was a comfortable warm sensation; but at that moment, I wasn't able to think of anything other than my objective. To comfort Sakura.

" Uwah ~ ! I was scared, Levent-kun! I was so scared! I thought something unthinkable was going to happen to me!"

"It's okay... Sakura. Cry. You can cry on my shoulders for as long as you want. Don't hold back. Slowly, let it all out." I gently patted her in the back. Her pink blond hair gave off a sweet fragrance. It was almost addictive. If Sakura needed a wall where she could lean on, I would gladly be that wall. For now, only for this moment, I will let myself carry her scars on behalf of her.

"You did good, Sakura. I'm proud of you. I'm sorry I didn't come here fast enough. I'm sorry that you had to go through all of that."

"Why are you apologizing, Levent-kun? It was not your fault."

"Really? Thank you for your kind words." I replied weakly.

But Sakura misunderstood. This entire thing was my fault. I knew everything from the very beginning and I could've prevented this from the very beginning. But I decided not to. I had decided to knowingly push her towards that direction. That's why, I don't deserve your forgiveness, Sakura.

The police officers alongside Ichinose finally reached the crime scene.

"Whoa! Levent-kun, did you... do that to him?"

I nodded my head. The officers quickly surrounded the molester.

"He seems to be badly wounded and unconscious."

"Take him back to the car." the officer-in-charge ordered. Two officers picked the man up by the shoulder and started dragging him towards the direction they came from. He then looked at me with a puzzled look. He was probably wondering how I managed to brutally injure a man of that size. But ultimately he decided to give us some space.

"Sakura-san, are you okay?" Ichinose knelt down with a worried expression.

"I'm...fine. Levent-kun saved me."

Ichinose looked at me. After looking at me for a second, she casted her gaze down. She was probably feeling uncomfortable after witnessing my cruel and objective decision making.

Well if that's one of the casualties, then I guess there's nothing I can-

"I'm so sorry, Levent-kun?"

...

I'm so confused Ichinose-san.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Back then you were only thinking about Sakura-san's safety. You thought about the future all the while dealing with the current situation. I, on the other hand, was being a nuisance to you."

Oh...

"You are wrong, Ichinose-san. You were not a nuisance. In fact, you provided probably the best possible support I could ever receive in a scenario like this. And also, don't worry about what happened previously. Any normal human being would react like that. So I don't blame you. Good job, Ichinose."

Ichinose blankly stared at me for a while before saying anything.

"You're amazing aren't you, Levent-kun."

"There's nothing about me that I find amazing. You're just exaggerating. More importantly, let's get Sakura to somewhere comfortable."

"Right."

The day ended perfectly just like how it was in the blueprint. Not only did I manage to get Sakura to grow, I had also gained Ichinose's respect.And the cherry on the top was all the points.

Objective complete, I guess?

Current balance: 1 , 646,970 ¶¶

My question - II

Hello.

How are you doing?

Me? Well, I'm... glad that you asked.

To be brutally honest, I'm not okay. I have a few thorns up my soul, which is a story for another time. One of which is kind of annoying. I have almost lost my hearing from one of my ears so uh..

Guess I'm one-eared Jomby haha!

Anyways, how'd you like the story so far?

I know there are some of you out there who didn't like the down-bad dark element I had implanted on Levent's character. The Horikita "rpae" scene wasn't something I had written very well.

Aside from that, I have just noticed a mistake I had made in my last chapter. Usually whenever a student gets expelled, a total of 100 points were to be deducted from the expellee's class. Instead of that, I had written thirty, which resulted in a scramble in the plot.

Listen,

I'm rewriting the last chapter.

Go back and read it otherwise, things would not match in the ongoing chapters.

Oh btw, yes. Levent made it to class C only in three months. He deserves an applaud. Congrats Levent.

The next chapter will be the begin from where we had left off. The Sakura Airi stalker event.

Speaking of Airi, does Levent have a thing for introverted characters? Or is it just his DADDY effect? Or is he falling for Honami's charms? Does he like Horikita's premium package? Is he even romanticizing anyone?

Or is he just a "normal" adult on a teenagers body without any attraction to the girls "his age".

Who knows

Let's do a vote...

Who do you see Levent ending up with?

Airi

Honami

Suzune

Of course, more waifu's coming soon...

Also, do we need more dark elements? Should I make Levent more emotional? (By that I mean, more psychopathic tendencies?)

Aight!!! Guess I better start writing hu- Wait! I literally have an exam tomorrow. What am I doing with my life?

Bye!

Edit: Also! I forgot to mention that I did a face reveal on my last chapter. It's gone now. Too bad you didn't notice my hints

Chapter 3.1 - The Island

"Umi..." I whispered to myself nonchalantly.

One of my favorite location within the Ikusei Kyoudo High School borders was the shore area near the dormitory. Every evening, I would go there and sit on a nearby bench, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. It was like my safe zone, my escape from reality. Just being there used to put my mind at ease. The refreshing air with a heaven-made combination of the setting sun; a perfect example of peacefulness.

However...

"Ugh..."

...Being in a cruise ship above the ocean felt like I was "walking" on top of a high velocity revolving machine.

"What's wrong, Levent? You seem like you're feeling out of it." the person beside me asked, concerned about my well-being.

"I feel a little dizzy to be honest."

"Are you feeling sea-sick?"

"Perhaps."

Sea-sickness. The state of nausea and dizziness, sometimes accompanied by vomiting, resulting from the rocking or swaying motion of a vessel in which one is traveling at sea. It's a common recoil effect for those who travel by water.

When I was little, I grew up in a small sea-engulfed region. There was water all over my hometown. In fact, boats were the primary means of transport for us. I would always peak by the window to watch the boats sailing by my house. I never really had the chance to experience riding one of those vehicles.

"..."

But now that I finally get to experience it, I was struck by another realization. To think that I was sensitive to waterway vehicles...

"What a cruel world!" I muttered to myself

"You should probably go back to your room." Ayanokouji asserted.

"Thank you for your concern. But it'll be fine. I just need a few seconds to adjust myself."

"Is that so? Well, I guess you'll be fine."

That aside, it seemed like the boy himself had some internal conflict of his own.

"What about you? You seem like there's something you want to discuss." I inquired.

For a few seconds, he stared at me; most likely because he didn't expect me to read his expression. Well, he was a human too. There is no such thing called "pure stolidity" after all.

"Chabashira-sensei called me earlier." He responded with a rather heavy voice.

"What were the specifics of the meeting?"

"She had claimed that professor Ayanokouji made contact with her in an attempt to expel me from this school. She had also stated that she wouldn't mind cooperating with him it if I didn't work hard enough to reach class A."

Chabashira Sae, our homeroom teacher lied in order to make use of her student Ayanokouji's skillset in order to reach class A. She fabricated a false information in an attempt to put a leash on Ayanokouji. But more importantly...

How is she not satisfied even after providing her with such remarkable results?

"Do you believe her?" I asked.

"She didn't give me any evidence to solidify her claims."

"So you don't." He side nodded his head, confirming his skepticism.

Think about it like this. If Chabashira was well-aware of Ayanokouji's feats and skillsets, would she even dare try to remove him from her class?

And if Professor Ayanokouji was as intimidating as described, would a woman like her dare disobey his inputs?

"I really don't think there's even a single fragment of truth in her statement. But then again, to make an enemy out of someone who's going to be your homeroom teacher for the next two and a half years would be foolishness." I replied.

"I am aware of that."

"What do you want to do now, Ayanokouji?"

Ayanokouji closed his eyes for a brief moment, as if contemplating his next actions. Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it would be for the best.

...

...

...

He's staring at me, strangely.

"Ayanokouji... What are you thinking?

"Nothing."

"If you want to lie, then lie properly. If you don't, then I'd much rather you speak up with full honestly."

"Congratulations, Levent-kun. You have been selected as a reliable friend by the one and only, me."

"..."

"Was my joke that bad?"

"No. But I do think that you've been growing fat from being lazy the last couple of months. Perhaps cooperating wasn't a good idea?"

"Hey now, Levent. Are you really going to leave me? Your friend? Exactly when I need you the most?"

You cheeky-

"Sigh. Fine. You win. I'll take care of it in my way. You'll just have to help me with a few adjustments."

"Will do."

I'm pretty sure I've spoiled this person by giving him too much freedom. But, if anything, that was also part of my initial goal too. For now, I had decided to let him live the life he desired. It was oddly satisfying to see Ayanokouji slowly indulge himself in a normal high school life.

The two of us were walking side-by-side. The cruise ship was larger than I had ever imagined. It was a three-storied ship. The first floor was entirely made out of bedrooms alongside a cafeteria. There were approximately three beds per bedroom. The total headcount of the passengers was approximately a hundred and eighty, including the teachers and the crew. So that means there were approximately sixty plus bedrooms on the first floor! Including a gigantic cafeteria!

Do you understand how big it was!

"This ship is quite bigger than I imagined." Ayanokouji remarked.

"As expected from a government sponsored institute."

After nearly getting lost several times, Ayanokouji and I climbed the second floor. Our destination was the deck area where many of our classmates had gathered.

"Whoa! This is the beeeeeeesssssst!" as we approached the area, a voice echoed across the deck out of the blue; most likely Ike Kanji's voice.

Normally, someone would have grumbled or shouted "shut up" in response. But just for today, no one minded, instead enjoying this moment of bliss; well, except for me and another person of a certain archetype.

"This view is incredible! I'm honestly super moved right now!"

A group of girls led by Karuizawa came out from the ship's cabin. She pointed out to the expansive ocean, wearing a radiant smile.

"Seriously, the scenery here is just amazing!"

Kikyou was also present among the group of girls. It looked like the extraordinary view had 'stolen her breath' away.

After overcoming numerous hardships, midterms, and the final exam, we had welcomed summer vacation with open arms. The Advanced Nurturing High School had arranged for an extravagant two-week trip-a cruise on a luxury liner.

"Wow, Ken, you must be happy you didn't get expelled. I mean, if this were a normal trip, it would've been impossible for us to go. Hey, how did it feel to be on the verge of expulsion, since you had the lowest score on the final? Come on, tell me. How did it feel?"

Yamuchi was being the ' nicest' friend that he was, basically rubbing salt on his wound. However Sudou didn't seem mind his childlike behavior. Instead, he laughed it off like it was nothing all-the-while puffing his chest in pride.

"With my skills, there was nothing to worry about. Didn't I tell you I'd prove myself, and it'd be easy?"

Sir, you have absolutely no idea what I had done for your safety.

"I never dreamed that high schoolers could go on such a luxurious cruise. And it's for two whole weeks. Two weeks! When my mom and dad hear about this, they're gonna be so shocked they'll wet themselves!"

After deciding that it was getting way too inappropriate for my liking, I silently removed myself from the spot.

The farthest corner at the back of the deck was actually the least populated area, which was also the windiest. As I walked on the edge of the deck, the wind suddenly blew on my hair, completely ruffling my hair in the process. It was an irritating, but also somewhat pleasing sensation. I instinctively leant over to the guardrail and had completely lost myself in thoughts.

As Sudou had bluntly stated earlier, this was certainly no ordinary trip. At our government-sponsored school, there was absolutely no need for us to pay for tuition or other miscellaneous expenses- which, of course, included this trip.

At 5 AM today, one hundred and fifty-seven first-year students had boarded buses and departed for Tokyo Bay. The passenger ships departed from the port once the students arrived. After eating breakfast in the lounge, students were permitted to move freely throughout the entire vessel. Best of all, we were able to use any of the ship's facilities free of charge. For the one's who had suffered daily due to a lack of points, this ship was heaven-sent.

We received the best of special treatment. The cruise liner and its facilities were of the highest possible quality. This ship was fully equipped with everything from prestigious restaurants to a theater, and even an upscale spa.

Our trip, which promised the pinnacle of luxury, had finally started today. According to the schedule, we would spend our first week staying at a fancy summer lodge on a deserted island. After that, we would enjoy the cruise ship for another week...

...which of course was a lie.

Something the students didn't know was the fact that the school authorities had a certain agenda behind this blissful sea trip. In order to throw the students in a curve, they had disguised this trip in order to camouflage two special exams. In actuality, the week long summer lodge camp would be spent inside a plastic tent, socializing with fellow classmates. And the other week was going to be spent trying to play among us.

Ignoring what I said on that final sentence, I could somehow understand the school's reasoning for such an absurd commodity. Normally anyone would see the school authorities actions as unreasonable. However, there was a hidden meaning behind their actions. when seeing this from an objective point-of-view, you realize that they were actually trying to prepare the students for real life situations.

Problems can occur at any time of your life. There's no saying when you might be in a dilemma. Whether it's your typical workday, your birthday, your marriage anniversary day, a long awaited vacation etc; problems are not a considerate entity. They will come at you when you are least prepared. Life is like a paradox full of problem. There is no life without hardships. And if course, it's up to you to solve your own problems. One must be prepared for any thing at any time. That's why I strongly agree with the scho-

"Attention, students. Please assemble on the deck. You will be able to see the island soon. This is a good time to take in some 'rather significant' scenery."

The PA announcement was the signal. Other students noticed, and began assembling on the deck. I nonchalantly dragged myself towards the deck.

After a crowd had gathered, some particularly domineering boys showed up and began pushing us out of the way in order to get the best position.

"Hey, you're in the way. Move it, you defect."

One of the boys tried to intimidate me, and shoved my shoulder. But I stood strong as he got pushed away due to the recoil. He desperately held the railing in an attempt to stop himself from falling.

"Oi! What're you-"

"Sorry, but that's not my problem. I was here first."

"You do understand how this school is structured, right? Class D doesn't get any human rights. Defects like you are just that-defective-so you shou-"

"That's where you're wrong. We're not from class D; not anymore."

"Huh? Are you for real now?"

"Oh yeah. I heard that they recently got promoted." One of them affirmed my statement.

"Seriously? Well, even if that's the case, we're all in Class A over here. So naturally we deserve more than you bottom feeders."

Sigh... Katsuragi would be ashamed of you.

"That is based off of your own personal perspective. I don't have any reason to compromise as it is not stated within the school rules. I suggest you try somewhere else."

"Why you-"

"Hey, what the hell are you guys doing?!"

Noticing the interaction, Sudou immediately responded in kind, trying to intimidate them right back. My classmates were right behind him.

"Tch. Let's go somewhere else." they clicked their tongue in annoyance.

"Hey where do you-"

"That's enough, Sudou-kun." I stopped him.

"What was their problem anyway?"

"Don't worry. It's resolved now. Thank you for coming over."

"Nah, don't mind it. We're classmates, aren't we? We have to be there for each other when it's needed."

Sudou may be a head strong person, but his heart was made of gold; or at the very least it was made out of pyrite.

In any case seeing my classmates as they came to my aid, made me feel a little satisfied.

But more importantly...

"Wait, what's that thing over there?"

"Is that a scanning machine?"

My classmates coming here was a good thing after all.

As soon as the ship anchored on the island, I was relieved of my sickness and genuinely felt good for the first time. I'd prefer this rather than ' enjoying ' the entirety of this accursed trip.

"We will disembark in thirty minutes. Please assemble on the deck. All students should have changed into their jerseys. Make sure to check your designated bag and your luggage, and do not forget your cell phone. Please keep all other personal items in your room. There is a possibility that you will not be able to visit the bathroom for some time, so please do so now." an announcement came over the PA speakers.

Ike and the others went to change in high spirits. I started heading toward my group's room, too. After changing, we assembled at the deck of the ship.

"We will disembark now, beginning with the students from Class A. Cell phones are prohibited on the island. Please hand your phone to your homeroom teacher as you leave."

Following the loudspeaker's command, the students went down the stairs in an orderly fashion.

"Come on. Hurry up! Even though we're wearing thin clothes, we're all sweating!"

There was no place to hide from the sun on the ship's deck. No surprise that people were complaining. The class C students waited on standby in the heat.

Horikita finally joined us. At first glance, it didn't appear as though anything had changed. But I was already aware of her condition. She was feeling cold from her fever, unconsciously rubbing her arms as we waited to disembark and set foot on the island.

"What were you doing until now?" I asked.

"I was just reading a book in my room. 'For Whom the Bell Tolls'. You wouldn't know it."

"You're right. It's very unlikely for me to know about Ernest Hemingway's masterpiece."

Honestly, it was quite amusing to notice how the author of the light novel put so many book references in his work. It was quite possibly his way of recommending books to us. Being curious I tried reading some of them. Honestly, they were way better than I had ever expected.

"Oh, so you do know about it."

"More importantly, how are you feeling?

"Why are asking me that all of a sudden?"

"I'm just curious."

She wasn't saying anything for a moment. I didn't want to overwhelm her, so I stopped pressuring her about it.

"I'm feeling anxious about what's coming, but since we're prohibited from bringing personal items along, there's nothing I can really do." she grumbled, seemingly dissatisfied.

"Horikita, that's because we most likely have another storm coming in front of us."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's think about it together. Why do you think they're being strangely cautious right now? Why are we not allowed to carry our personal items? We going on an abandoned island with only our gym clothes and nothing else. We're not bringing any food, no water, no cellphone; in short we being deployed with empty hands."

"Wait.. By that do you mean, we'll have to survive on that island?"

Bingo.

"This is only a mere hypothesis. But judging by the nature of this school, there's a high chance of them actually implementing such absurd curriculum. This may be some sort of endurance test; a special exam designed to enhance our survival and cooperation skills?"

"It certainly seems that way." Horikita released a heavy sigh. "I guess there really is no saying when the lightning will strike."

"Which is why I'm asking..." I closed in on her as I looked deep in her eyes. Horikita suddenly became stiff, straightening her posture as she looked at me with a worried expression.

"W-what?"

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

Horikita averted her gaze. I could clearly see her entire body become red due to her fever. After a brief moment of silence, she parted her lips.

"I...I'll be fine."

The likelihood of her being ' fine' was little to non-existent. But her determination was something worthy of my praise. She was a stubborn person with a strong personality and a long black hair. I simply didn't want to tarnish her self confidence.

...

Now that she's pushing herself, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I took advantage of her health condition, right?

"Good luck. Don't push yourself." I gave her an obligatory farewell before going towards the examiner.

She didn't say anything in reply.

Soon, it was be our turn to be examined and got off the ramp. The students were yet to realize that this island was going to be the boundary between heaven and hell.

As we got off the boat, chatting amiably with one another, our homeroom teacher greeted us with some harsh words.

"I will now start roll call for Class C. When you hear your name, please respond loud and clear."

Chabashira started taking attendance, clipboard in hand, while simultaneously instructing us to form a line. She wore the same kind of jersey as her students. Because of that, her assets seemed bigger compared to when she wears a blazer atop.

But personally, I , Aozaki Levent, would prefer her without wearing anything.

...

...

!!!!!!!!!!

Why is she glaring at me of all people?

"Oh, come on! I want my free time already! The sea is right in front of me!" Ike muttered, standing right behind Ayanokouji.

Ike's frustration was understandable. It was quite perturbing for them to be stopped right in front of their goal. Sea water seemed quite alluring from that distance. On top of that, we were made to stand in a disciplined line under the noon sun. As we were staying on a tropical area, the heat was multiple by twofold. To be honest, even I wanted jump in the ocean.

However, soon enough, their last bit of anticipation would be replaced with even more frustrated cries.

Eventually Class A homeroom teacher Mashima stepped onto a prepared white platform.

"First, I would like to say that I'm happy you've arrived safely . However, it's unfortunate that one of you was unable to participate due to illness ."

He was talking about Sakayanagi Arisu, who had a walking disability. From afar, I had noticed her standing with a cane on her hand beside a girl. From the looks of it, she seemed to be apologizing to her classmates for not being able to participate. But even so, the way she bowed was elegant and everyone seemed to respect her a lot. That was my first time seeing her in flesh.

"..."

She reminded me of a certain person.

"Well then. We shall commence the current academic year's first special test."

After giving another glance at the first year participants, Mashima finally dropped the bomb

"Huh? Special test? What do you mean?" almost everyone in the class asked some variation on that question. An expected reaction.

"Living on a deserted island. Does that mean we're not staying on the boat, but the island?"

Yes .

"You are correct. During the test, you will not be allowed to board the ship without a suitably justifiable reason. It will be necessary for you to fend for yourselves on this island while you are here, from creating a place to sleep to preparing food to eat. Once the test starts, each class will receive two tents, and two flashlights. You will be provided with one box of matches. There is no limit to the amount of sunscreen you can have. Each student will be provided with one toothbrush. As a special case, girls will be allowed to have as many feminine sanitary products as they'd like, without any restrictions. Please ask your respective homeroom teachers for those. That is all."

Everything about this exam seemed fair; although I had confusing feelings about something.

There were forty students in Class C, approximately one-third of them were girls. We were given only two tents to go by. Two tents to contain forty students.

This wouldn't be a problem if the tents were big; but that was clearly not the case. There was no way that the boys and girls would agree to sleep under the same tent.

Then in what sense did the author expect to fit forty people inside two tents?

"Huh?! So we have to live like survivors on a deserted island?! I don't want to hear this kind of insanity! This isn't an anime or a manga or something! We can't all sleep together in just two tents! And what are we supposed to do about food in the first place? This is unbelievable!"

No, Ike. You're wrong. This is both an anime and a manga; plus a light novel.

All jokes aside, just like him, many of the students seemed unconvinced and wore an unconvinced looks.

"Sensei, isn't this supposed to be our summer vacation? We were brought here under the pretext of going on a relaxing trip. Don't you think that bringing us here and then springing this corporate training on us could be considered unfair?"

Some of the students from class B began to protest along these lines. Unlike Ike's complaints, their arguments were reasonable. There were both the students who were dissatisfied with the current situation, and those who were dissatisfied with the process as a whole.

"I see. I suppose that you're not wrong about that. I can understand why you would be discontented. However, please do not worry. It would make sense for you to have complaints if you were being forced into a harsh situation. However, even though we're calling it a special test, there's no need to think about it in such unhappy terms. In the coming week, you can go swimming, or hold a barbecue. It wouldn't be a bad time for you to occasionally have a campfire and chat with friends, either.

The theme of this special exam is 'freedom' after all."

"Huh? The theme is freedom? We can have a barbecue? Hmm? And this is still called a test? I'm so confused..."

'Freedom' , huh? How ironic.

In actuality, the 'freedom' that they had in mind was different from the one Mashima wanted to imply. In this society, freedom is nothing but an illusion. All humans are born free only to be shackled. Name it responsibility, consequences or the agony of hunger.

Take this exam for instance. We were free to do 'whatever' we wanted. If we wanted to, we could've spent all our points excessively without facing any penalty. There was no negative value in this exam, unless someone decided to murder an enemy batchmate and get expelled. But the freedom in question, is not to be seen.

We were given hopes of raising our class points, which alone restricted our expenses. The willingness to secure as many points as possible had pretty much won over our intentions of enjoying this precious summer vacation. On top of that, certain restrictions were implemented which could cause potential repercussions; further increasing our hindrance.

In a nutshell, we were given freedom, but it was engineered in a way that we would voluntarily deny it. Such examples are scattered all across the society. From a salary man working seventeen hours for his daily bread, to a homeless begger who can't even eat without the help of others. Which is why in this world, freedom is nothing but an illusion.

Say, do you, as a human, consider yourself to be a truly free existence?

...

"As a major part of this special test, we've decided to distribute 300 points to each class. By using your points well, you might be able to enjoy this week's special test just as you would during a normal trip. We've also prepared a manual just for that purpose." Mashima continued his briefing.

Gradually, the student's grim expressions grew calmer.

"So, we can do whatever we want with the 300 points?"

"That's right. It's possible to arrange for anything using your points. Of course, it's necessary for you to use them in a systematic way, but with a solid plan, you can spend your week without any difficulties."

While spending all of our points was definitely an option, we'd end up wasting our chance to raise our class points by doing so.

"B-but, teacher. You said this was a test, right? So shouldn't there be some kind of difficulty to it?"

"No, there's nothing difficult. It won't even have any adverse effects on your second semester. I guarantee it."

"So it's really okay for us to just have fun for one week?"

"That's right. You're all free to do what you want. Of course, there are some bare minimum rules that you need to abide by as a group, but there shouldn't be anything difficult about that."

Mashima kept reassuring the participants and seemed to work. I had noticed some of my classmates smiling in joy. However, only the teachers and I was aware of just how long said ' joy' would last.

"Also bare in mind, when this special test period is over, each class's remaining points will be added to their total class points. Your point totals will reflect this change once summer vacation is over."

After finishing his speech of reassurance, Mashima held a manual that seemed to have approximately a dozen of pages.

"Each class will receive one copy of the manual. If the manual is lost, you may have another copy. However, it will consume points, so please be very careful. I will also hand out wristwatches for every single one of you. You are not allowed to take them off until the end of the test. If you remove your wristwatch without permission, you will be punished. This watch doesn't just tell time. Its sensors also check your body temperature, your pulse, and even your movements. It's equipped with a GPS. Also, in the off chance something bad does happen, this watch comes equipped with the means to notify the school.If you find yourself in an emergency situation, please do not hesitate to push that button."

That was pretty much the gist of it. After the watches were equally distributed, the other teachers walked towards their own classes, marking the beginning of the special exam.

Let's see what chaos awaits us in the ensuing future...

To be continued...

[E: Uwaah ! I'm exhausted~!

Levent: Whining much?

E: Shut up! You're just a fictional character! You don't exist! There's no way you would get how I feel...

Levent: You're right. I can't. But personally I don't care about you.

E: Levent-kun~ did you say something? *cracks finger

Levent: Please don't kill me in the chapter.

E: Then you better choose your words wisely. You don't know how selfish and whimsical of a writer I am!

Levent: Actually... I do. I'm the literal personification of your own personality.

E: Right? Wai- what? NO! What the hell, Levent?

Levent: Why are you reacting like that? This is a self insert fanfiction. I'm literally made out of your own personality.

E: I won't acknowledge that statement! That would be equivalent to being a-

In any case, I'm nothing like you. You are more intelligent, likeable and a hell of a badass. I'm just a nerd who draws building designs all the time.

Levent: Thanks. Mission successful. You just self deprecated yourself.

E: ... You know, my lov for you just increased.

Levent: Lov ? Do you mean 'love'? In that case I'll let you know that I'm a heterosexual healthy man.

E: Oh no. I mean exactly what I meant. Lov = Level of violence. *starts typing.

Levent: Oh... I'm screwed. * despawns

E: What a pain. In any case, thanks for reading my work. More thanks for reading this cringy AF side conversation. Don't worry. I probably will not kill him in the next chapter, as you guys seemed to have quite taken a likin' to this guy [much more than me :'( ]

Also, a question. Should I make his leadership skills more apparent to his classmates? Just increase his popularity? I've been reading a bunch of lemons recently and ooooohhhh boi!

Don't worry. Behind these cheerful moments, I will take my time to slooooowly make things dark *evil laughter.

Thanks for reading my work. Good luck out there .]

Current balance: 1, 644,970 ¶¶

Chapter 3.2 - Leader's Game

Day 1, 8:45 AM.

"There are multiple spots scattered around the island. Each time you gain possession of one of these spots, you will earn a single bonus point for your class. However, You can't spend any bonus points during the test period. They'll be added to your class total after the test has finished. Each declaration of possession of a spot lasts for eight hours. T he class leader has the authority to declare possession." Chabashira continued to explain the rules.

"You said class leader?" Hirata asked, seemingly confused.

"That's right. This keycard is used to take possession of a spot, only the leader gets one. Also, you can't change leaders without 'having a legitimate reason' to do so. In addition to that, on the last day of the test, when we take a role, for each class leader you can correctly identify, your class will be allotted a whopping fifty bonus points right then and there."

"Fifty bonus points?"

"So if we guess all three class' leader, we get a hundred and fifty bonus points?" with this newfound hope, Ike looked at the others with joy on his face. However, his hope was short-lived.

"However, for each incorrect guess you'll lose fifty points, this is a high risk, high return game. It's in your best interests to try to find out who the other class leaders are, but also to make an effort to conceal your leader's identity."

"Whoa! That's...just a bit too much!"

Unfortunately that was more than "just a bit". Fifty class points would mean life and death in the long run.

"Sensei, sorry to interrupt you when you're talking, but that juice from earlier went right through me. Where's the toilet?" Sudou, who seemed uncomfortable suddenly appeared in front of us.

"The toilet, huh? I was about to get to that point. If you want to use the bathroom, use this."

Chabashira grabbed one of the cardboard boxes from the stacked pile. She peeled off the packing tape and took out some collapsed cardboard.

Wow.. That looks like a really comfortable office, nya ~

"What the hell is that?" Sudou shouted in disbelief.

"It's a basic toilet. Each class will be supplied with 'one'. Please handle it carefully."

Hold on.

Don't tell me that even if we were to retort to using something like that, we'd only get one 'toilet' per class. It feels... disconcerting just thinking about the fact that forty students would be using the same cardboard box for seven days. What if someone were to crash land while they're dropping bombs?

"Don't tell me we have to use that?!" Shinohara raised her voice in horrified surprise. The others around her also groaned in unison. And I personally doubt the existence of a person who would be comfortable waging a war on top of that box.

"Both the boys and girls will use it. But do not worry, it comes with a single button tent that you can use when you want to change. That way, no one will be able to see you."

"That's not the problem! Th-that's just a cardboard box! This is absolutely impossible!"

She was more concerned about the fact that it was a cardboard box. Apparently forty people waging war over the same battlefield wasn't really a problem to her.

"It might be a cardboard box, but it's an especially well-made one. It can even be used in a disaster. I'll show you how to use it, so please commit this to memory."

While the girls booed her, Chabashira-sensei assembled the toilet. It seemed she was familiar with setting it up. Then she put a blue vinyl bag on it, and placed what looked to be a white sheet inside.

"This sheet is made of water-absorbing polymer. It covers and solidifies waste. It'll make the waste invisible, and also suppress the smell. After you finish using it, stack another sheet on top. By repeating this process, it's possible to get around five uses with one vinyl bag. These vinyl bags and sheets will be supplied to you in unlimited amounts. You can even change them after every use, if you want."

If a disaster did occur, it wouldn't matter whether you were a boy or a girl, or if it was just a cardboard box. But under controlled circumstances such as this, it was kind of hard to imagine.

More importantly, albeit commencing air-strike on top of the cardboard box was a no-go, if those hydrophilic polymers were indeed being supplied to us in unlimited amounts, we could use them for drying our stuff. I'm sure they wouldn't ask what we would be doing with them.

"There's just no way I can do this! Absolutely no way!"

Starting with Shinohara, nearly all of the girls rejected the idea.

Ike, who'd been silent, pouted and said, "Come on, just deal with it. This isn't the time to fight, Shinohara ."

"Don't screw around! It probably doesn't matter to you boys. There's no way I can go to the bathroom in a cardboard box."

"The decision is yours. However, you are not permitted to relieve yourselves in the forest, the sea, or rivers. Do not forget that." after giving her cold lecture Chabashira left towards the other teachers who were seemingly done with their briefing.

More importantly, at this rate we're all going to fall behind.

I wanted push the duty upon Horikita, with the intention of raising her leadership skills. But then I changed my mind. She was already pushing herself by staying on this island. That's why I took the duty upon myself.

"Listen, we'll discuss about that later. If we don't make a run for it, we will lose that spot." I reminded them of a very important fact.

My classmates who seemed to be at a disarray looked at my direction. While many of them seemed confused, Ike and the other's who came to my aid earlier understood what I was talking about.

"Yes, Levent-kun is right. If we don't hurry now, we will fall behind." Hirata's words worked like magic. All the students, especially girls, were instantly convinced. All that was left to do now was to navigate towards the location, all while carrying two heavy tents with us.

"Hey! What about me? I really need to release it, badly!"

About that...

"You umm... Sudou-kun. Can you uh...can you take the box and... be a man?"

The others began their journey inside the forest, led by Ike who was probably the most capable out of all of us. However, I had some other plans. I turned to Ayanokouji who looked at me with a questioning expression.

"You go ahead of me. I have some things I'd like to consult with sensei."

••••••

Day 1, 9:17 AM.

"Guys, hurry up! At this rate the others are gonna reach there before us!" Ike shouted while speeding through the jungle.

"Slow down, Ike-kun. We're going to hurt ourselves if we keep running like that." said Hirata, concerned for his classmates' safety.

After I was done talking with Chabashira, I somehow managed to catch up to my classmates. All forty of us were racing through the jungle. We were headed towards a location that my classmates had spotted while being on the cruise ship.There were multiple spots scattered all over the island. But there was this one location that stood out the most. There was an outpost-like structure, right next to a cave entrance. Basically we were trying to occupy the location class A initially had their eyes on.

It was me who suggested the idea..

The cave walls were much better heat container than air. We only had two tents for forty people. If we wanted to sleep comfortably, we needed to buy an extra tent. If we were to secure that location, we could even sleep without the tent if we wanted to. In that case, wouldn't it be a better solution if we stayed inside a cave?

Eventually, we made our way to the location. I don't know if was by luck or Ike's navigation skills. But somehow we managed to reach there before class A. It was probably a bit of both.

"This is it! Don't you think it's the best spot ever?"

"The cave is so huge here!" Karuizawa's voice echoed throughout the vast empty cave. I had noticed some charcoal marks on the cave wall. That could hint the fact that there were other survival training participants here before us.

"Thank you, guys! You're pretty amazing Ike." Hirata thanked Ike for guiding class C.

"I know." Ike puffed his chest out in pride.

"It's beautiful!" Karuizawa admired the cave with sparkles on her eyes.

"There's an actual outpost somewhere out there. I mean how cool is that?"

I was glad that we were able to reach that place before class A. However, I had this intense urge to hurry up. If they kept wasting time like that, class A would've caught up to us.

I looked around cave for the spot recognition device. It was hanging on the wall. The mechanism kind of looked like an ATM card swipe device, the one we usually see on any store. I had also noticed a small circular cavity on top of the display. Currently the display was on sleep mode. I'm sure if I swipe the card, it will immediately fire up. But I wonder how much did it cost for the maintenance of such expensive looking apparatus?

"So assuming we want to set up our base camp right here, we had better discuss taking possession of it ." I pointed out the device.

" We should , shouldn't we ? If we do it, we get to sleep comfortably inside the cave and else we get points every eight hours." said Ike.

" Mhm . Although it isn't quite as simple as that. The leader's got to renew possession to get those points." Hirata pointed out the thorn on the road.

"That's right. If another class sees them do it..."

"Can't we just, like, surround them while they renew it?" for the first time ever, Yamauchi was actually being smart.

"Good idea! What do you guys think?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan!" Karuizawa exclaimed.

"Last question then, who will be our fearless leader?"

That question wasn't even a matter of contemplating. I already knew about the person who should become the leader.

"Let's see, I think Hirata should be our leader!" Mei Wang gave the 'obvious' answer. Most students seemed to agree with this statement. However, I had a different strategy. I threw a glance at Horikita. Almost immediately we were at an eye contact. It was one of those moments when I needed her help regardless the situation.

" Hirata -kun and uh.. Levent-kun. I have something to discuss with you two. Would you please accompany me?" understanding my intentions, Horikita took the initiative.

"Oh.. Alright. Then let's talk outside." said Hirata.

We followed him as he began walking outside. While my classmates were gossiping in confusion, we left the cave. Outside the cave entrance, there was a huge tree. The three of us gathered behind the tree.

"First of all, let me state the obvious. Even walls have ears. So I'd appreciate it if we keep this short and audacious." Horikita began the conversation.

"More importantly, our time is running out. I'm sure the other classes have also spotted this location. If they come here and see that this place isn't already occupied, then we might as well find another spot." I immediately warned them of our predicament.

"But in order to gain occupancy over this spot, we need a keycard . For that, someone needs to become the leader." Hirata stated the obvious question.

"Although most our classmates would prefer you or Karuizawa-san to be the leader. I don't think that would be a good idea." Horikita replied.

"You two stand out to much. It would be too obvious." I concured.

"I am well-aware of that. Even if I was elected, I would've refused the position in that sense. Which is why I ask, who do you think would be a better choice?"

Being a leader in this exam was an essential and at the same time a detrimental role to be played. Not only did the 'leader' hold control of the points expenditure, their names would play an active part in this clash of classes.

"I think I have the perfect way to tackle this exam. But before that, I think the leader should be-"

I proceeded to tell them some of my plan. While Horikita seemed to hold numerous concern about my tactics, Hirata on the other hand was down to listen to my absurd plan. If it worked out as planned, things would get somewhat interesting in the ensuing future...

••••••

Day 1, 9:39 AM.

"Ah, they're back. Wait, where's Hirata ?" As soon as we went inside the cave, we were immediately greeted with Ike's interrogation.

"That's right. Didn't you two go out with him?"

"Hirata-kun ran towards the shore. He went there to aquire our keycard ." I replied.

" Keycard ? Wait... so the leader has been decided?"

"Yes."

"Cool.. So, who's the leader?"

"Me."

"..."

At that instant, all eyes fell upon me. All of my classmates were probably confused or underwhelmed by that announcement; which was understandable considering the fact that we had elected the leader without taking their opinions into consideration.

" You ? You're the leader ?"

" Are you for real now ?" the girls couldn't have worded it any better, especially Shinohara. She shot down my leadership skills as soon as my existence as a leader was introduced to her.

"Yes. Hirata-kun and I chose Aozaki Levent-kun to be the leader of class C." Horikita announced.

"But why is it Levent-kun? Shouldn't someone with good leadership skills like Hirata-kun or Karuizawa-san be the leader?" Shinohara asked, unconvinced.

"It's not as simple as that." Horikita came to my defense. "Hirata-kun and Karuizawa-san are both popular students in not only in our class, but the other classes too. So to put it out bluntly, they stand out too much. If they were to become the leader, it would be easily guessable."

"I see. It is true that compared to Hirata-kun, Levent-kun is a bit introverted and kind of low profile. It would be hard for the others to guess him to be our leader." Mei Wang pondered.

"That's right.. In this exam, our target is to secure as many points as possible. Which means that we must hide our leader, Levent-kun's identity at all costs." Kikyou put emphasis on Horikita's point.

"Do you understand now?"

Although my classmates weren't exactly a hundred percent convinced, Hirata had already gone to the shore to make the keycard. There was no point in arguing anymore. What was done was already done. However, to kill the bitterness I had to do something first.

"Everyone, I don't think I'm as capable as Hirata-kun. But I'll definitely try my best to be a good leader." I bowed in front of them.

With that, everyone's viewpoints changed. They didn't see me as someone who stole their leader's position anymore. Rather they saw me as a puppet trying it's best to live up to the puppeteer's expectations. It was almost a given that in scenarios such as this, almost no one would be bold enough to berate my 'sincerity'. A perfect shield against criticism.

"It's okay, Levent-kun! All the best."

"Yeah! We're counting on you. But no pressure dude!"

And it seemed to have worked just like a charm. After things had began to slowly calm down, our struggle to live in the wilderness had reached it's starting point.

[Good luck, Levent-kun! ] a voice whispered to themselves.

••••••

Day 1, 10:04 AM.

Almost an hour had passed since the island exam arc had began. All of my classmates were surrounding me. I had gripped onto the thin and hard keycard colored in green. A card scanner about the size of a shoe box was hanging on the wall right in front of me.

Even though I was guarded by my classmates, if a student from another class were to pass by to see us in this position, it wouldn't be that hard for them to aquire the identity. However, that wasn't the problem.

"Here I go..."

I looked at Horikita. Her expression was as stern as ever. However, as I inspected her carefully, she seemed to be more nervous than ever. Hirata patted me on the shoulder, giving me the green signal to do it. I slowly put the card inside the swiper. When it was placed perfectly, I slowly began pulling it down. I wasn't sure if was me, but as soon as I pulled the card, cold air ran all over my body.

*Clink!

The display went green and a text came floating on the screen. "Occupied" alongside "Class C" written on it. There was a eight hours countdown right below the text. That was probably indicated the time when we needed to re-occupy that spot. I looked at my wristwatch. The time was 10:05 AM. For the next eight hours, thishe next time we would be able to reclaim would be at six in the afternoon. But by then, Ibuki would be within the parameters. There's always a chance that she'd be able to notice me.

It's n ot like it'll matter anyway...

"It's done."

" Wooh ~! We're safe for now." Ike let out a cry of relief. Everyone broke the circular formation.

"Hey, remember what the teachers told us?" Yamauchi reminded us of Mashima's explanation. "We can still go swimming, have barbeques and all that other fun stuff."

"No, we're not going to do that."

"What do you mean? You aren't going to buy those things?"

"Listen, as we mentioned before. This exam is all about saving as many points as possible. Currently our class has three hundred ten class points. If we have any points left at the end of the test, then they'll be added to our class total points score." Horikita explained the situation.

We initially had two-hundred and twenty class points. But after the midterms, an additional ninety points were added to our pocket money for surviving. If we were to successfully tackle this exam, we could significantly lessen our gaps between the other classes.

"If we can tough it out for a week, we'll get sixty thousand points every month! That's thirty thousand points more guys!" Ike crowed full of enthusiasm.

"I'd rather not pop your bubbles, Ike-kun. But it'll be impossible for us to survive without spending a single point." although we were given the methods and the option, it would've been quite demonic for the others to survive without spending a single points.

"I know. Then we just have to save as much points as we can, right?"

"What's that?" Karuizawa suddenly points at the survival manual.

"That is a list of things we could lose points for. Illness and serious injuries. Pollution of the surrounding environment. Absence at morning and evening roll calls. Violence against or stealing from other classes." Hirata answered his girlfriend's question.

"Can't we gain more points?"

"Yes. There are certain spots around the island we can claim as our own and get bonus points. As of this moment, we are going towards one."

"Hey, Levent-kun. Don't you think we should be able to spend some of our points? Within reason, of course."

"Freedom to choose is the theme of this test, isn't it?" I replied.

"Hmm..."

"No! We should refrain from using points for as long as we can." Yukimura objected against the idea of spending points.

"Don't you realize how difficult that's going to be? I'd prefer to tough it out, that won't be a problem for me, but I don't think some of the other girls can."

"Yeah." Hasabe nodded to that remark.

"I don't want to!" Shinohara whined.

"I'll, like, die! " Satou complained.

Karuizawa tried to explain why it was difficult for the girls to compromise. All the girls showed the consent with her statement.

A basic toilet. We were using a hyper-absorbent polymer sheet to solidify waste. Each one would've been used multiple times. The thought of using the same warzone proved to be an obstacle in their battles. Even some boys seemed to agree with that notion. It was not visible just yet. However...

"Come on, we can just tough it out and use this toilet."

...that argument could slowly insinuate a crack on the cooperative relationship between my classmates.

"You're not listening! I'm saying that some of the girls might not be willing or able to do that." Karuizawa yelled at Ike.

"We can buy a regular toilet with points. See, it says so right here on the list." not wanting to drag things further, Hirata suggested the idea. But I still had doubts... about the waste management.

"Huh? That's perfect!"

"Yeah, we have to!"

"Let's buy it right now."

The girls were desperate. But the thickheaded boys didn't understand their feelings. They didn't understand the intended goal of this exam.

"We can't just decide that. We shouldn't be able to spend collective points without a majority vote."

"A majority vote? That's a great idea Yukimura ! This is our chance to score some major class points. We can do without the fancy toilet." Ike's statement had caused the girls to hate him more than ever.

"What the...?" Karuizawa was startled by the movement of that conversation.

"Women are emotional creatures who become irrational when they-"

*Clap *Clap

I clapped twice to get the attention of my classmates. If I hadn't stopped Yukimura's misogynistic speech, things would've gone in a different direction. My objective was to kill the argument with sound logic, but at the same time making sure that Yukimura did not turn into an enemy of all women.

When all eyes turned towards me, I had voluntarily assumed the role to explain them how we were going towards the wrong direction.

"Hey now, Yukimura-kun . Why don't we avoid talking down on our classmates, okay?"

I don't think talking in a loud voice suits me at all.

"First of all, this exam isn't about saving points. No, it's all about spending points efficiently. Obviously we're not going to be spending points on something like barbecue and cold drinks. But instead, we should spend points on what's necessary."

"That's what I'm trying to say, Levent."

"No, we have different opinions on this matter. You think that buying a toilet for the girl's satisfaction isn't worth consideration; whereas I disagree with that notion."

Yukimura glared at me for the disagreement.

"Why are you against my reason?"

"Look, we're all comrades here. We should always consider what the others have in mind. As you can see, the majority of the girls have problems with using this mobile toilet. Not only the girls, I have also sensed discontent in some of the boys too. It is a problem that cannot be avoided."

"But if we spend money on useless stuff, wouldn't it be a waste? We don't get chances like this all the time."

"You don't understand. Spending money on what's important isn't necessarily useless. If we force something upon the others, they may not show it immediately. But it would inevitably create a crack upon the cooperative relationship that we have between us. What more important? Saving points, or losing comrades?"

"That's..."

"And besides, sharing a primitive toilet is guaranteed to bring problems. Reckless self-deprivation and uncertainty will stress everyone out, which increases conflicts. Not to mention the hygiene issues. The girls need peace of mind. It would make them more likely to succeed in the exam, you know?"

"..." my words seemed to have reached Yukimura. He was contemplating whether or not to give up on his stubbornness.

"Yeah. You're right." He chose the former.

"I'm glad you understand. Alright then, let's buy a toilet." I looked at the others with a thumbs up.

The girls who were looking grumpy up until now, had their faces lit up. They looked at me with grateful eyes. Their expression was saying something along the lines of "At least not all of them are perverts," which... was a plus, I guess?

"Thank you, Levent-kun. You're a lifesaver!" Hasabe expressed her gratitude.

"Yeah! I would've died if I were to use that cardboard junk!" Shinohara who was dismissive from the very beginning, came to thank me.

"No worries. It's understandable."

•••••

Day 1, 10:15 AM.

"Dude, look what I found on the shed!" Yamauchi cried from inside the structure. He came out with three fishing rods alongside a binocular on his hand. "Now that we have these, we can go fishing!"

"That's true. But how are we supposed to fish if there's no water?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. I saw a river flowing right behind the cave." Ike replied. I was honestly impressed by Ike's surveying skill. Even I didn't notice the water body until he pointed it out.

"If that's the case then we wouldn't have to worry about the water. Maybe we'll get some fish along the way." I remarked.

But what had caught my attention was binocular on Yamauchi's hand. The outpost was probably intended to act like a lookout for the occupants. With the help of binoculars, we could easily keep an eye out on the neighboring classes.

" Yamachi-kun , can you show me the binocular?"

"Hm? Sure."

I took the binocular and started walking towards the spot where the outpost was. When I went there I immediately saw a spot recognition device standing perpendicular to the outpost. Without a single moment of delay, I registered my keycard.

After securing the spot I began climbing up the ladder. It was a considerably old and a bit shakey structure. When I reached the top, the outpost gave me an eagle eye view of everything. I was able to scout the surrounding area of our campsite. From the cave, to the clif and the spring Ike was talking about. I had also noticed a huge plot of land. From the looks of it, it was probably man made. The cornfield we were supposed to come across on day 2, I could already see that. Overall, that outpost proved to be one of the most useful processions of class C.

"Hm?" suddenly I noticed some movement coming towards our direction. I used the binocular to magnify into that location.

It wasn't an animal; It was human. The first thing I noticed when peered into that direction was a shining bald head. In fact, it was so shiny that my eyes went blind for a moment. The bald man was leading a pack of other humans.

Putting the binocular inside my pocket, I descended down the ladder.

"What did you see?" Ayanokouji inquired.

"Class A is heading towards our direction. I saw them with the tent on the back their ranks. They're probably coming here with the intention of capturing this spot."

"So it was a fact that they had their eyes on this spot, huh?"

"Pft! Too bad! They're gonna have to find some other spot." Yamauchi declared with a menacing laugh.

"We've already captured the spot. So they shouldn't be able to capture it anymore, right?" Ike inquired.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. Considering the fact that we have to renew our ownership of this land every twenty-four hours, there's always a chance when they can snick in and claim the land for themselves."

"Hey! That'd be against the rules!" Ike hollered.

"There are no such rules. If they are successful at swiping their card before us, then we wouldn't have any other choice than to relinquish our occupancy." I calmly explained that possibility.

"You're kidding, right? If that really happens, then it'd be the worst!" Ike cowered in fear.

"Relax. It's just a possibility. I'm sure class A wouldn't risk exposing their leader with such a bold movement." Ayanokouji reassured a frantic Ike. "And besides, there's an eight hour cooldown for when we can swipe the card again. It'll probably be sometime around eleven tomorrow. We'll all be around at that time. So we're safe for now."

"Whatever may be the case, one things for sure, we were extremely lucky to have managed to reach this place before them." I proclaimed.

The four of us were standing in front of the path from where class A was coming through. Eventually, a few figures became visible in the distance. Katsuragi Kouhei was leading the way alongside Yahiko Totsuka. When the distance between us had shortened, they finally noticed us standing in their way. Seeing this Katsuragi's face slightly twitched in disappointment.

"This area has already been claimed by class C. You are not allowed to enter this zone without permission." I announced boldly.

"The hell? How did they get here so fast?" someone from class A hollered in disbelief.

"They beat us to it~" sighed another student from class A.

"Show us the proof of your ownership." Yahiko ordered.

"Huh? Are you dumb? Why do you think we're here, idiot?" before I could respond, Yamauchi sheered boldly, which seemingly angered some of the students from class A.

"Our entire class setting up a camp here should be plenty enough evidence." Ayanokouji sighed.

"That's not enough! We want to see something more definitive." Yahiko persisted our claims.

"We're not obligated to entertain your demands. Just so you know, if you enter the area denying our warnings, we will report you for trespassing." I announced sternly.

"Hey! That's not fair! We have a right to know that!"

I was surprised by the fact that Katsuragi wasn't trying to stop Yahiko. Either he was

"And who are 'you' to inquire such information? Are you the leader?" I blurted.

"Huh?"

Yahiko unintentionally blurted that noise. His eyes grew bigger from my sudden question. Katsuragi on the other hand was starting menacingly at me, not closing his eyes even once. All his other classmates were much more reluctant. They were frozen stiff and had a rather obvious expression glued to their face.

"Hm~?" I taunted them. Seeing their expression, Ayanokouji slightly raised one of his eyebrows.

"Yahiko. There's nothing we can do here. Let's find some other place." Katsuragi ordered, not wanting to make things any more obvious than what already was. They hurriedly withdrew from that place.

"Let's go report it to the others."

We were headed back towards the campsite in order to further complicate this scenario.

Initial allotted special exam points: 300S¶

Current balance: 1 , 29 4,970 ¶¶

Chapter 3.3 - Un-expected

Day 1, 10:27 AM.

"Some students from class A just slipped by our campsite earlier," I announced.

"So, they had their eyes on this spot, huh?"

"Yeah, it's a good thing that we managed to secure this spot before them." Hirata sat down on a rock. He was covered in sweat, probably due to the humidity and the heat of this forest.

Almost an hour had passed since the survival test began. The other classes had already set their positions alongside their leaders. Class C was almost done with the setup too. All that was left for us to do now was to somehow survive the upcoming challenges.

"Now in terms of survival situations, the first thing we need is water. Any suggestions?" Hirata asked his classmates.

With the toilet issue now resolved, there came the next issue; drinkable water. Even with the river, it didn't appear as though everything would be easily settled.

"Haven't you noticed? There's a river right behind the cave. We've resolved the problems of bathing and drinking water, right?" Ike's eyes sparked brilliantly as he dreamed of saving points. He intended to use this as an all-purpose river.

"Huh? Drink from the river? Are you insane?" Shinohara and the other girls, however, did not appear to agree, glancing at the river in disgust.

"Well, it'd be great for swimming, but...to drink from?" Hirata seemed to be at dismay trying to decide which side he should take.

"What the heck? It's perfectly fine. The water's clean and pure, right?" Ike said.

Even though the water didn't look muddy or cloudy, the girls were not the only ones to hesitate. The boys also looked unsure.

"Are you sure this is safe to drink? I mean it is a river." Karuizawa inquired, suspicious of Ike's knowledge.

"Well, yeah. It certainly seems like you can drink it, but..."

"I disagree. I don't think we can drink directly from that." I strongly objected to that remark.

"What the heck, you guys? What's wrong with you? There's no reason not to use the river after going through all the trouble of finding it."

"Then you drink it, as an experiment." Shinohara dared him in a condescending tone.

"Huh? Well, fine, whatever..." pressured, Ike scooped up some water with his hands.

"Ah. Wait. Don't drink it before -" Before I could finish, Ike gulped all the water down his throat.

"Ah! Whew, that's ice-cold. It feels great! It's damn good!"

"..."

Although it didn't seem to cause him any problem in the original light novel, I couldn't help but think about how perilous his actions were.

"Ike, why are you so reckless?" I sighed.

"Guys, I come from a family of campers. We used to go every weekend when I was little. I had no problem drinking river water. Sometimes, you can tell if a spring is drinkable just by looking at it." Ike replied.

"I'm not doubting your expertise, Ike. But you should never drink water from a natural source that you haven't purified, even if the water looks clean. Water in spring, river, or lake may look clean, but it can still be filled with bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can result in waterborne diseases, such as cryptosporidiosis or giardiasis !"

"Okay, that's a major turn-off. No way, no way! There's no way I'm drinking that!" Shinohara crowed in a horrified tone.

But that was not the worst of it though. The water could also contain natural chemicals like Arsenic , which may potentially develop into skin disease, Cancer even, if not treated properly. Also, the situation could've been much worse if our side of the river ended up being on the bed of the stream. What if some other class had occupied a spot upstream? In that case, we would wind up drinking all their used water. A disgusting scenario I prayed to never happen to us.

However, I refused to further elaborate on the idea to my classmates. Naturally, it would be a bad idea to suggest this kind of hypothesis to others. The students were already hesitant to drink the water from the river. Causing such a breakthrough would only make them skeptical of the water's condition. Forget about illness; just the mere thought of drinking someone else's used water would make anyone vomit. They'd rather die than drink any of the river-originated water. As a result, we would be coerced into buying some water supplements; which would cost us even more points.

This information was almost equivalent to the 'Russian Nuclear Codes' . Something I should never expose to the general public.

"Huh?! You're the one who told me to drink it, Shinohara !" Ike rasped, annoyed.

"No way! Ugh, I hate barbarians like you most of all, god!"

"What the hell?"

The two of them exchanged glares hot enough to send sparks flying. Hatred is the closest thing to love, which certainly seemed to be the case for this young couple.

"Listen, if we simply boil the water, it'll become sterilized. We could also use some of our clothes to filter it. Why don't we try that?" I suggested.

Boiling was the best way to kill disease-causing organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. The high temperature and time spent boiling are very important to effectively kill the organisms in the water. Boiling would also effectively treat water if it was still cloudy or murky. And if we filtered all the excess debris, we would have perfectly consumable water.

"Boiling? This isn't some chemistry experiment, Levent-kun! Stop coming to us with such unexpectedly thoughtful suggestions." Shinohara was being rather aggressive towards everyone as if she were prepared to fight against anyone who displeased her.

Let's see if she could fight against my sound logic.

"I'm painfully aware that this is not a chemistry experiment, Shinohara-san . This is a battle of wits and preservance . We must use whatever recourses we have at our hand to win. If we could, we would spend more points on various things. However, if we are not careful with our expenditure, class C would inevitably fall back to the very gutter where we initially started at."

"But still... it's a river. Just the thought about drinking that makes me nauseous!"

"I know this is asking too much from you. And I can understand why you're uncomfortable about this. But please try to understand that we also feel the same way. We just don't know if we're ever going to get another chance like this. Every single point that we save would be added directly to our class points. We could finally increase our points and reduce the gap between other classes. This is a small sacrifice for the sake of long-term benefit. That's why I'm asking you to cooperate with us, Shinohara-san "

"That's..." my silver tongue seemingly managed to calm her down. She seemed to be on the fence about whether she should hold onto that stubbornness or not. All that was needed to do was to just give her a small push.

I looked at Hirata who was already looking in my direction. The moment my eyes reached his, he immediately understood what I intended him to do.

"I also agree with Levent-kun. Shinohara-san , can you please tough it out for us? For your friends?"

"Ah.. fine. If Hirata-kun says so." apparently my logical blackmail fell weaker than Hirata's ikemen-ness .

"So it's decided then."

In the end, we decided to settle for boiled spring water to quench our thirst. Ike was satisfied, points were saved, and conflict was avoided. Plus Shinohara seemingly skipped a few beats when Hirata persuaded her.

'It was for the wrong person though.'

"Hey, you're surprisingly good at outdoorsy stuff," Ayanokouji asked Ike.

"Hmm? Oh, I wouldn't really say that. It's just that I used to go camping together with my family back when I was little. I was not opposed to drinking river water. I could always tell if the water source is clean just by looking."

Ike was being honest rather than boastful.

"Well then, wouldn't it have been a good idea to tell us about your camping experience from the beginning? If you'd gained people's trust, things might've gone more smoothly." Ayanokouji remarked.

"If I'd been in the Boy Scouts, I'd have legitimate bragging rights. But just going camping isn't anything to brag about. Besides, Levent was right. There really is no saying what's in these waters. I guess it really wasn't a good idea to scoop a big one."

Apparently, Ike was disheartened because of my lecture. And even if he was right and me being wrong, his method of approach was floppy. Girls like Shinohara and Satou were the stubborn type who would never do anything that was forced onto them. Whether I interjected or not would have changed the outcome either way. As someone who wanted to show off to the girls, this was without a doubt, painful for him. But then...Ike said something unusual.

"It seems like I was being full of myself. It's everyone's first time camping out, isn't it? I thought that everyone had at least a little experience. I guess the stuff I said was probably a little unreasonable."

He'd realized he made a mistake and even admitted it. Words can't describe how beautiful of a scene that was.

"Sorry. I gotta think of how to take care of this. I'm gonna go for a swim in the river."

'Mistakes' are an essential part of our life. It is a trait that helps us develop psychologically. In actuality, mistakes are our greatest teachers. The ability to recognize and learn from our mistakes makes us different from other lifeforms. All humans make mistakes, there's no doubt about it. But when someone falls, they also learn to pick themselves up. Each mistake comes around with different life lessons. Ever since the dawn of mankind, we've been learning from our mistakes. If we ever end up making a mistake, we always garner thoughts like, ' What did I do wrong?' , ' Which part made it worse?' or, 'How could I have done it better?' etc. Questions like these give us clues regarding the ' Do' s and 'Don't' s for future challenges.

Think of it this way. When a child wants to touch a naked fire, instead of correcting them with words, you should take their hands and bask it a little above the fire. The child would experience heat. When the heat becomes unbearable for the child, they would naturally learn to avoid fire as it is not something that should be touched.

What made me happy was the fact that our sinfully bright and cheerful Ike was slowly taking his baby steps toward maturity.

••••••

Day 1, 10:35 AM.

"So this is the place you want to select as the base camp?" Chabashira asked.

"Yes."

"Alright. From now on, this is your base camp. You can't change it for the next seven days. All of your roll calls will be held here. Make sure to attend them."

"Understood."

I guess, I made a mistake in my deductions, huh?

Apparently, once we claimed a spot to be our base camp, it'd be marked as our class for seven days. This means the long and detailed lecture I previously gave to Ike and Yamauchi was nothing but a cock-and-bull story. But in any case, that only made things much more convenient for us.

Now that it was out of the way, there was this one other thing I had to check off my list. I took a deep breath and sighed.

' This is going to be interesting.'

"E-everyone, can I have all of your attention please?" I boldly announced to all of my classmates. My antics seemed to have worked as everyone looked in my direction. Now, that I had garnered everyone's anticipation, there was only going forward from there.

"I would like to distribute the tasks to everyone. I know some of you are not used to this current situation yet, so feel free to call me or Hirata if you disagree with anything. We will do our best to compromise."

"Um... Levent-kun, about the toilet?" Asked Karuizawa.

"Yes, I'm going to order it alongside the other necessities. Once it gets here we will get down to installation immediately."

All girls sighed breaths of relief.

"Listen, we'll set a goal. I want us to save at least 150 points by the end of this exam." I announced.

"Huh? That's like the half of what we're given?" Ike remarked.

"Aren't we spending a bit too much?" Karuizawa asked.

"I know. In hindsight, it may seem unreasonable at first. But remember, this is a survival exam. We have seven whole days ahead of us. From a realistic standpoint, it should be plenty."

"But still..."

"I'm not necessarily saying that we should spend our points recklessly. We previously had a heated argument over this topic. If anything, it'd be great if we manage to save some more points. However, it would not be a good idea to sacrifice the must-haves." my monotone voice reverberated throughout the cave.

Hirata, Horikita, and Matsushita seemed to be on the same page with me. However, the others were seemingly not too convinced by my logic. They agreed to my demands anyway.

After asking for a basic toilet, I should be able to order some vinyl bags. How about a few dozen? I think I'll be asking too much but... it's also part of my plan anyway.

"Firstly, we need four more tents for the boys. I know that we can sleep inside the cave without needing them. However, when the night will fall, the temperature will go down drastically. Of course, we can try and tough things out but... it's not a good idea overall to make others fall ill for the sake of an exam. There are privacy reasons too." I explained to my classmates.

"That's actually kinda reasonable," Makida added.

"Yeah, I don't really wanna sleep out in the open, even if it's inside the cave."

The boys nodded in approval. It's a good thing that they agreed.

"Now, we have found three fishing rods inside the shed. It'd be much more efficient if we used them for hunting for some extra food. Can anyone here even fish?" I asked.

"I know how! Leave it to me, Levent! I'll teach anyone who wants to fish with me." Ike raised his hand with a grin.

"Hey, me too. I'll join you!" Yamauchi immediately followed. I didn't know where did he get that motivation from. Was it because he was really excited to fish with his friend or did he do that because it required the least amount of work? Either way, he had a chance to be useful at something.

"Then, for the last person... Sotomura-kun , will you join them for fishing?" I asked.

"Uh... Sure. I don't mind."

Sotomura's build was on the healthier side of the scale. Naturally, giving him tasks that required hard labor would've been counter-intuitive. He was having a hard time coping with the others too. That's why I decided that for him.

"Great. I'll be counting on you, Ike. Next, I want some of us to scout ahead of the stream. There should be one of two spots nearing this. If we follow the spring we should be able to scout some of those spots. And at the same time, we'll be able to confirm whether or not we should drink from this."

"I'll do it!" Makida enthusiastically raised his arm. But he was the only one who volunteered. In that case, I had no choice but to assign some of them myself.

"We need some more people to accompany you. Matsushita-san, Miyake-kun , Hasabe-san, and Ai-uh... Sakura-san. Are you okay with joining him?" I asked.

The setup was kind of intentional. In the future, Sakura would eventually join the Ayanokouji group. They emit the same wavelength in my opinion. Hence, I thought that she would feel a little bit comfortable being around them.

"Sure! No problem." Matsushita replied nonchalantly while Haruka simply nodded. Sakura was seemingly nervous. For some reason, she was clutching her face. Was she that afraid to approach others?

'She'll be fine.' I mused.

"Now, I want to assemble a search party for finding consumables in the forest. Are there any volunteers?"

"We'll do it!" aside from Kikyou, Inogashira, Onodera, Mei Wang, and Nishimura immediately raised their hands.

"I see. We'll be looking forward to it." Hirata replied.

"Karuizawa-san, can you guys clean the area for our tents? We also need to fix a spot where the bonfire would be." I asked.

"Yeah, don't worry. We totally got this!" Karuizawa gave a thumbs-up with a determined smile. I thought that if she agreed, her group would also agree by default. Fortunately, that seemed to be the case.

"Thank you. And finally, everyone else would be responsible for securing our things. We want to prepare for the night as fast as we can. It would be great if we're up and ready before the sun set."

"Sure!"

"I think we can do that."

My classmates were being surprisingly cooperative with me. They listened to all of my commands without any complaints. Leadership is a power that I should never underestimate.

"Alright, that's all I had to say for now. I'm going to end this by saying this. Let's win this unreasonable special exam, Class C!"

"Let's do this!" Everyone yelled in unison.

I felt satisfied as listened to their screams of determination. But really! That was an uncomfortable experience. I had to completely step out of my comfort zone. No, I was practically floating away from it. I can't clearly describe how overwhelming it was for me. Giving a speech in front of everyone wasn't like me at all. If I were given a choice, I never want to do that ever again!

"That... was kinda unexpected." Onodera audibly mused.

"But he was being pretty cool there, don't you think?" Inogashira replied.

"Yeah. He's surprisingly good at this, considering how he stays silent all the time."

But then again, doing that definitely influenced the story, hopefully for the best. My classmates probably saw me in a new light. A majority of them were impressed by me, while some of them probably found it creepy.

Everyone immediately began to do their assigned tasks. Miyake and the others began their journey to track the riverside while Kikyou and her group vanished in the forest. Sudou and the others began setting up the main tents which we were provided by the school.

"Guess I'll do my part."

Chabashira was sitting on a rock outside the entrance. I approached her with the survival manual in my arm.

I ended up ordering a basic toilet, four tents, a set of cookware with gas, some ropes, a big water container, and a few threads and needles. I could've also brought a set of meals which merely cost an amount of ten points. However, I think we should be able to go by with the resources we gathered. I also ended up asking for twenty dozen vinyl bags, which seemingly made her chuckle in amusement. Seriously, did I ask too much?

After registering my input, Chabashira parted without any delay. After a brief calculation, I realized that we ended up spending 70 special exam points on our first day. Kouenji would inevitably resign from this exam later on, which... quite frankly, I think it's impossible to prevent.

Well, that's 30 points down the drain.

Only half an hour later, our items were delivered to us. The boys immediately got to work. The toilet installation was surprisingly easy, but the same couldn't be said about the tents. Inside the cave, the ground was completely made out of granite. Nailing the anchors to the ground was undoubtedly a tiring feat.

"If we put all the grasses inside the bag and sew like this, then it should get more fluffy," Satou added.

"Then we'll make multiple layers of them and sew them on top of each other," replied Karuizawa.

While the boys were at it, I had asked the unoccupied girls to fill some of the vinyl bags with weeds and grasses. We would somehow connect them together later to turn them into makeshift pillows or mattresses even. After all, no one wanted to sleep on a hard surface.

"..."

I really did end up ordering too much...

••••••

Day 1, 11:13 AM.

I wanted to scout out some areas. Currently, we were on the western side of the island which had relatively more spots than the eastern side. I intended to begin capturing all those spots as soon as possible. However, I needed accomplices to watch my six.

I set out to look for a partner. As I began hunting for potential members, my eyes fell on Horikita. She was standing completely still, gazing up at the sky. She must have noticed that I was looking at her because she came over.

"You're normally incredibly inconspicuous, but you're being rather cooperative today," she said.

"I'm not sure how my classmates would react if their 'leader' was being a lazy bum. I might as well be a bit reliable if you understand what I mean."

"Hirata-kun must be grateful, huh? Despite being the big man in Class D, he still has to rely on you to help him. Pathetic, isn't it?"

"I can't turn down his request, as he's already doing a big favor by cooperating with me. Besides, there's nothing pathetic about relying on your comrades. If anything, I'd say it's a commendable trait. Something you clearly lack."

"..."

Well, I expected her to pounce back at me with her trademark response. But instead of that, Horikita simply stared at me in silence.

"You never fail to surprise me, Levent-kun." she suddenly stated without any specific context.

"Why this all of a sudden?" I asked.

"I've always thought of you as a person with an anti-social personality. That you prefer to be discreet and handle everything behind the shadows. But now you're showing signs of a great leader. What's the reason behind your sudden change in approach?"

Look yourself in the mirror, Horikita.

Despite her question being ironic, she asked a reasonable question. Why was I being extremely proactive all of a sudden?

Well, the main reason behind my sudden direct approach was rather mundane. I'm growing as a person every day. My mental age doesn't necessarily indicate anything positive. Before I transmigrated, I was a perfect introvert. I maintained my own space and minded my own business. My life was completely detached from my school's social hierarchy. The others didn't even come near my list of concerns. Each and every single conversation I had was either a question or a formality. It was until I met a certain person. But that's a different story altogether. Even though I recently said that we as humans need to be sociable, I simply didn't care at that period of time. Flowing according to social cues seemed like a pain to me.

Hypocrite, much?

However, things changed after I transmigrated. At first, I wanted to pretend. But then, I realized how childish my actions were. What's the point of a second life if I didn't enjoy it to the fullest?

That's why I had set a goal in my mind; something I should struggle for. I wanted to reach the best ending ever along with my classmates. And because of that, teamwork had become highly crucial for me. Each exam consisted of tasks that required cooperation from the others. More than that, my classmates needed direct guidance.

As Ayanokouji was still playing 'freedom and peace-loving hippie', the duty of guiding others ended up being pushed onto me. Given how oblivious my classmates were, I had no choice but to directly interject. And that's just the scratch of it.

"I have multiple reasons for this. In fact, 'you' are one of the primary reasons why I'm doing this in the first place." I shrugged.

"Me?" Horikita spun at me with a huge flash of red covering her cheeks. "Ahem... May I ask how I ended up being part of this equation?"

"Denied."

Horikita was already sick. But even so, she was determined to win the exam. She was already playing a big role in my plan. That's why I was playing out of character in order to make things easier for her.

"Hmph... Why are you always like this?" Horikita pouted while glaring at me, and in reply, I cracked another joke.

"I have multiple reasons for this. In fact, 'you' are one of the primary reasons why I'm acting like this." I replied in a smug tone.

"You're seriously a bit too much, Levent-kun."

"Yeah, I know."

With that, we quietly split up. Horikita went into the tent. For the time being, I needed a congenial partner who would go with me. Hunting through the available guys, I found Ayanokouji. He seemed bored out of his mind. Might as well make him do something productive. He'd probably help a friend in need.

"Hey, Ayanokouji. I want to scout the central island a little bit. I want you to join me."

He looked as if he had no intention of helping.

"Can I not?"

"Can you stop being useless and start helping?" I scolded him... kind of.

"I understand. Let's go," he replied.

The two of us were about to head into the forest when suddenly...

"Hmph... I suppose it's not a bad time to go for some exercise." a voice rang at the back of our ears. We looked behind above an old oak tree. Kouenji was lying on a branch looking at a mirror while combing his hair.

Wait, I thought they confiscated everything. Did he manage to smuggle those through?

"Are you going to join us, Kouenji?" Ayanokouji asked.

"Yes, I have decided to go for a walk. You two must be overjoyed by the thought of following a perfect existence like mine. I guess you can't help it." Kouenji jumped from the branch which was approximately ten feet above the ground, unscathed. What a guy...

"I guess I am kind of glad that you're coming with us. Thanks." I replied.

"No need to thank me, Levent-boy. I am merely going for a walk." saying that, Kouenji took off.

"Alright." Ayanokouji and I began sprinting. It was kind of surprising, the fact that he was going straight toward the cornfield. Even in the light novel, Kouenji was the one who led Ayanokouji toward the field. I guess even a guy like Kouenji has some use after all. Too bad he's going to retire shortly after.

A/N: A majority of the strategy came from Izaya- Hasegawa sensei's fiction, "Classroom Of The Elite Alter - Self Test". You're not a COTE fan if you haven't read that fic yet. It's so good! I actually like that more than the original light novel. So stop reading this fic and go read that, I dare say! Anyways, thank you for reading. I hope I'm not doing plagiarism... Peace ;]

Initial allotted special exam points: 300S¶

4 Boys tent = 40S¶
Basic Toilet= 20S¶
Cookware Set = 5S¶
Water Container= 2S¶
Long Ropes = 2S¶
Threads and Needles = 1S¶

Remaining Points: 230S¶

Current balance: 1,294,970 ¶¶

Temp Notice- Sorry for the inconvenience

Edit: Issues resolved. :)

Sorry for getting your hopes up! Regarding "Chapter 3.3 - Un-expected". Ironically, I had run into some unexpected problems in that chapter. I'm writing this because I have noticed some lacks and mistakes that would probably be a pain in the ass to fix. Which is why I'm unpublishing and re- editing that chapter. Again, sorry for the inconvenience. It'll have to wait untill everyone reads this and when I'm done fixing everything.

To make up for the inconvenience, here's some illustrations I have done recently. They're in the fic now...

Levent's report card (Chapter 1.1)

Levent pushing Horikita against the wall (Chapter 1.9)

And something you'll probably never see ever again...

Keep dreaming... This will never happen. I will never let this happen, ever hahaha! :)

Peace.

Chapter 3.4 - Tedious

Day 1, 11:53 AM.

We somehow managed to match up to Kouenji's absurd walking speed. Currently, we were headed toward the southern part of the island. Kouenji was in the lead, and Ayanokouji and I were simply followers in his footsteps. This was probably the first time I had set foot in such a wild forest. Unlike Kouenji who's been to different parts of the world, I had no experience with the wilderness whatsoever.

"Ah, I am so beautiful, and melding with the exquisite environment around me enhances my stellar looks." he talked to himself while walking. "I am the pinnacle of beauty."

"Hah~" I sighed at the sight of that narcissistic oddball.

I thought we'd be fine so long as we walked in one direction, but I was wrong. Firstly, walking in a straight line was impossible. There were natural obstacles we couldn't cross, which forcefully changed our path and veered us right or left. Yet Kouenji was progressing without any hint of difficulty.

"Excellent athletic ability and no sign of reticence about the outdoors either. What's his story?" Ayanokouji commented.

"He may act like an anomaly. But he's probably the most capable out of all our classmates." I added.

Though I, personally, think that all his talents were wasted on him.

"By the way, I'd like to ask you ordinary people something. Don't you think this is truly beautiful?"

"What on earth is he on about?" Ayanokouji turned to me.

"I think he's probably talking about himself," I replied.

"Levent-boy is correct!" somehow he overheard my remark. "Do you not understand how I, with my perfect physical beauty, shine in such a place?"

"So he wanted me to compliment him on his 'perfect physical beauty', huh? I see." Ayanokouji mused.

" Y ou look great, Kouenji..." I complimented him in the most monotone voice ever. Though even my half-hearted response seemed to have satisfied his urges. Kouenji continued walking.

"There's no need to worry. Even if something happened in a forest like this, there won't be a problem." Kouenji remarked out of nowhere.

"What do you mean by that, Kouenji?" Ayanokouji asked.

"I wouldn't call this a natural forest. The probability of getting lost during the day is extremely low. It's precisely for that reason that I'm a little curious."

"Now that you mention it, I did notice some charcoal marks on the cave wall. Apparently, we're not the only ones." I added.

"Yeah, I think I heard something along the lines of this island being owned by a survival training company," replied Ayanokouji.

"Either way, we can't really change the fact that we have to keep dragging this for the next seven days." I sighed.

After walking for another few minutes, I began to notice some minor changes in the area. With every step we took, the forest was getting less and less dense. Which indicated that we were getting close to our intended goal. That was when Kouenji stopped in his tracks. Turning, he flashed another audacious smile while stroking his hair.

"May I ask you common folk another question?" Before we could reply, Kouenji continued. "What do you think of this place? What do you see when you look around?"

"It seems like the density of the trees keeps getting less and less. So, there's a massive chance of there being an open plot of land somewhere nearby." I replied.

" Oya , it seems you do have a decent pair of eyes." he complimented.

"So, you intentionally brought us here, huh?" Ayanokouji inquired.

"Hmph, who said I was helping?" Kouenji side glanced at us. "Don't misunderstand, Ayanokouji-boy. A perfect being like me does not help common folks like you. I simply do whatever I want. If you gain benefits from my actions, then that's that."

"I see."

Of course, the opposite case was also valid. Kouenji was the kind of person who wouldn't stop even if his actions caused great difficulty for others. Just like what he was about to do next.

"And just so you know, I find this exam extremely boring. There's nothing beautiful about this." Kouenji added.

"So, you're going to retire after all."

"Is any problem with that?"

Plenty. We would end up losing thirty exam points because of this. The number of things we could've bought with those points. I could've made this exam a lot easier for the others. Because of his retirement, my options narrowed down. However…

"Even if there was a problem, I'm sure it'd end up being 'none of your problems'. So, what's the point?" I sighed.

"It seems you do understand. Ha, I guess you're not so common after all, Leader-boy." Kouenji commented aloud. It was a good thing that we were in the middle of the forest. Otherwise, my plan would've died in the mud.

"Is there any room for negotiation?" I asked.

"Hmph, There isn't. You see, I'm feeling really unwell. I have no choice but to retire." he smiled before turning his back on us.

"I see." I finally gave up trying to reason with this person. Letting Kouenji drop out would be the best move. "I guess it can't be helped. Thank you for showing us the way. We'll be seeing you back in seven days."

"See you later, Levent-boy, Ayanokouji-boy." Kouenji waved before his figure disappeared into the forest.

"What a troublesome guy…" Ayanokouji commented.

"Let's go. There's no point in talking about it now."

••••••

Day 1, 12:08 PM.

"Hey, look. I think we're here." Ayanokouji, who'd been searching in a direction away from me, shouted. I curiously walked in the direction of his voice. The bushes were so thick that I could only see parts of his body. But as soon as I went there, the scenery changed completely.

"Wow! That's a lot."

"Yeah. I guess you could say, our luck is pretty corny today, huh?"

"You bet."

The soil here was a different color from the surrounding forest soil, proof that the corn had been cultivated artificially. It was also strange because bushes surrounded the corn on all sides, making it difficult to find due to the weeds. I was absolutely certain that the school officials had been coming and going on this deserted island. This cultivated spot made that clear. I inspected the corn, which was ripe and beautiful, thanks to careful management and cultivation.

"So, this is what Kouenji saw…" Ayanokouji mused.

"This should solve our food problem for a couple of days."

Originally, Ayanokouji and Sakura, alongside class A's Katsuragi and Yahiko, found this landmark on the third day of the exam. They would've found it on day 1 if it weren't for Sakura holding him back. However, this time I was there to guide him instead of being a drag. That's probably why it didn't take us that long to locate the field.

'We are safe for now.' at least that's what I wanted to say. The other classes were most likely occupied with their camps. It should take them one or two days to find this place. However, now that I have forced class A to relocate their camp, I couldn't say anything for sure. If they changed their location to the eastern side of the island, then I could probably sigh in relief. However, if they persisted on the western side, then we had some competition waiting ahead of us. I prayed for it to be the former.

"It would've been nice if we brought bags… We probably can't, but I wonder if we should try taking it all back with us."

"Good for us. I did bring some bags with me. I pulled a few folded polythene bags from my pocket. "But it'd be impossible for us to carry all of this. So for now, let's try to harvest as much as we can."

"Levent, by any chance did you happen to spot this location before coming?"

"I did."

There were about fifty ears of corn. I immediately wanted to capitalize on this opportunity. At best, the two of us were able to carry four to six bags per person. But that was even less than one-eighth of the total crop. Multiple trips would've been necessary if we wanted to do this unaided. Which is why I had a plan.

"Ayanokouji, I need you to do me a favor. Can you take these back to the camp and bring some reinforcement? I'll guard this place in case some other class happens to find it."

"So, you're saying that I have to carry all six bags, by myself, all the way to the camp."

"Precisely. I'm sorry for doing this to you. But somehow make do with it. Also, bring some more bags, preferably large ones while you're at it."

"Hah... I'll do what I can."

After releasing a sigh, Ayanokouji proceeded to carry all the bags into the forest. Within seconds, his figure smudged with the texture of the scenery. Meanwhile, all I could do was to keep harvesting the corn by myself while waiting for my classmates to arrive.

••••••

Day 1, 1:00 PM.

"Hey guys, it's here!" a rough voice called out from behind. I looked back to find a familiar figure standing. Following his howl, a few more faces joined him afterward.

"W-whoa! That's a lot! We can easily go through this exam with these!"

"I guess we won't be needing to spend points on meals after all."

Seemingly they hadn't noticed my existence yet. It was probably because I was right in the middle of the field harvesting the crop. I stood up and walked towards them.

"Crap! Someone's here!"

"Relax. It's me, Levent." I replied.

"Oh, It's you! Thank God! I thought you were from another class." Onizuka sighed in relief.

"You're such an idiot. Didn't Ayanokouji already tell us about Levent?" Yukimura sighed.

"Did he? Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention."

Ayanokouji came back with six more people with him. Hirata, Hondou, Sudou, Okitani, Onizuka, and Yukimura. Judging by the fact that all of them were male, they must've finished setting up the camp.

"You guys sure took your sweet time to get here, huh?" I asked. Everyone gave me awkward smiles, as if they were feeling guilty. It would've been nice if more people came, but it was still better than nothing.

"We encountered some problems earlier on the way. That's all." Ayanokouji replied indifferently. I was not sure what he meant by that. Did they face some actual difficulties or did the group itself turn out to be the problem?

"Hey, where's Kouenji? I thought he came here with you," asked Onizuka.

"He ran off somewhere. I don't know where he went though." I replied.

" Wha - Why didn't you stop him?"

"I couldn't. You know how he is. It's almost impossible to control that guy." I sighed.

"In any case everyone, I think it would be better if we get down to work immediately," said Hirata. "Levent-kun, you've been working hard by yourself all this time. I think you should rest now." he must've noticed all the bags I'd been filling out. What a nice fellow.

"Thank you for your concern. But it's fine, really." I replied.

"You sure, Levent? You look kinda exhausted." this time, Sudou was the one to show his concern, which honestly surprised me a bit.

"No need to push yourself, Levent. We got this!"

"Don't worry. The work can get surprisingly demanding. But I can still fill up a bag or two. I'll take you up on the offer when I need it." I replied.

With that, the crew began collecting every single corn within the parameter. Adding some extra hands proved to be a hundred times more efficient than going solo. It took us less than thirty minutes to secure every single crop from that spot.

••••••

Day 1, 1:50 PM

"Ah! They're back!"

"Whoa! That's so much corn!"

We returned to the base earlier than expected. Everyone was astonished by the number of corn we brought with us. We placed the bags

Upon return, I noticed significant changes with the campsite. The camp looked more organized than ever. The tents were placed in a semi-rectangular formation to place the bonfire in the middle. That way the head could spread evenly among the tents. We had also decided to place the toilet a little far outside the cave entrance.

Ike and his team had caught a compliment-worthy amount of fish within a short period of time. Karuizawa and her group were also working diligently to produce different items with the vinyl bags.

"Hey, we're back!"

Kikyou and her group returned a few minutes later. From a distance, I saw little red fruits, like strawberries, and maybe tomatoes. They also seemed to have grapes and kiwis.

"Welcome back." I greeted. Kikyou picked up a vine of berries.

"Is this… Can we eat these, I wonder?"

"I think you should ask Ike. Right now, he's more reliable than any of us." I replied.

"Huh? Did you call me? Oh hey, this is bog bilberry! Did you find these, Kikyou-chan ? That's amazing, y'know!" he must've heard me calling his name, because he came over, checking out the fruit and telling us what was what.

"Kanji-kun, do you know what this is?" Inogashira asked.

"Yeah. It's a fruit named bog bilberry. I've eaten 'em before when I went camping in the mountains. As you can tell, they look and taste like blueberries. It's the Akebia Quinata . It's sweet and tasty. Oh wow, this really takes me back, man."

He was being genuine, not trying to appear cool. Everyone watched Ike with interest as he smiled, enjoying the nostalgic fruit. Shinohara bombarded Ike with questions, and he answered her directly.

"We're back!"

Moments later, Matsushita and the others returned from their expedition. Judging by the expression they had, it must've been quite a demanding of a task for them. Maybe I should've sent someone with more athletic prowess.

"Welcome back. You guys must've worked hard. Please take some rest." Hirata greeted them with his usual fluffy mannerism.

"Yeah, we really went all out today." Makida crowed. "Apparently the spring went all the way up to the mountain, so we had to climb that. Though it was really easy to get up, it was extremely hard to get down."

"I can imagine that," I replied.

"We didn't really find anything suspicious in these waters. So, there's no need to worry. We should be able to drink the water without fear." Matsushita added.

"I see. Did you happen to find any spots that we could register?"

"Yes. We did find one on top of the mountain."

"I see. Good job everyone."

My eyes unintentionally landed on Sakura who seemed more timid than ever. Why didn't it work? I thought doing activities like that brings people closer but, apparently not.

" Ah, Sakura-san. There you are!" Nevermind. Hasabe herself called out to her.

I sat down below a tree to rest. It was a cheerful yet calm environment. My classmates sat together, having fun like normal teenagers. Just watching them from afar made me feel worth it. Unlike in the original story, I somehow managed to make this situation slightly more favorable for them.

I'm really glad to be here for them.

••••••

Day 1, 2:50 PM

"Hey, Ike. Isn't it about time we make a bonfire?"

"Bonfire? You mean right now? It's too early for that though. We should start making one a little late in the afternoon." Ike who'd been fishing restlessly turned towards me.

"Yeah, I know. But we need a fire source to start the boiling process. Everyone's starting to feel thirsty, you know? I think it's better to make one now."

"Now that you mention it... okay. I'll make one. But we need some firewood for that. Can you gather some branches and sticks from the forest?"

So, I'm the one collecting sticks this time, huh?

"Alright. I'll get to that right now." I sighed internally.

"Also, try to make sure they're not too big or too damp. It will be hard to use them. Oh, and find someone to go with you. You might wanna grab as many as you can. Besides, it's dangerous to go out there alone."

"Fair point. I'll see who I can find."

"Great! I'll be going back." Ike ran back to his fishing spot.

Fortunately, I already had a particular face in mind.

"Ayanokouji. I'm going to collect branches for a bonfire. You're coming with me."

He looked at me with bored eyes.

"Why me?"

"Because we're friends. It's my full-time job to annoy you out of boredom."

"Hah~, Fine. I'll go."

Two of us were more than enough to gather the necessary amount of firewood. However, knowing how the story works, a certain pink-haired girl should approach me any second now.

"Um… I-Is it okay if I…go with you?" as expected.

Apparently, she'd been listening to our conversation.

"But you just returned from scouting. You look tired. Maybe it would be better for you to rest."

"I'm okay. Besides, if I stay here, well…it'll be…a little uncomfortable."

She glanced at the other girls. Maybe she hadn't really gotten out of that awkwardness, even after getting to know Hasabe. As a man of few words myself, I could completely understand how tiring it was just to keep up with the extroverts.

"Okay, let's go."

•••••

Day 1, 3:23 PM.

We decided to collect branches from nearby, so we didn't stray too far from base camp. After a short walk, the three of us spread out to pick up branches.

'It's a good thing that we didn't bring Yamauchi along. He probably would've goofed around while drooling over Sakura.'

"You seem to be pensive about something. What is it?" Ayanokouji suddenly appeared beside me.

"Just some trivial thoughts. It's nothing worth mentioning."

Ayanokouji looked in the direction where I was looking at. Of course, he would notice me staring at Sakura.

"Hmm???" His tone screamed of smugness.

"What now?" I sighed, naturally concerned about his unparalleled deduction skills.

"Nothing. I'm just kind of curious," he asked.

"Curious? About what?"

"It's about Sakura. Don't you think you've been babying her around too much?" he bluntly asked.

"Yeah. That's what concerns me the most."

"At this rate, she's going to be completely dependent on you."

The incident in the alleyway must have formed some sort of dependency on me. She sees me as someone she could blindly rely on. While I was more than glad that she began opening up to me, it was kind of toxic for her personal growth.

Just as I thought about it, my eyes went straight toward Sakura. At first glance, she seemed plain, so she didn't catch anyone's eye at first. But if you looked at her carefully, she was adorable. Unlike Kikyou, she was a person with a genuine personality. Her face, her eyes, her smile, everything screamed of her innocence. If only she could muster the courage to go ahead and interact with others, I'm sure she would radiate brighter than the moon.

Now that she knows Hasabe and Akito , should I be able to establish the study group earlier than intended?

"Well, knowing you, I'm sure whatever you plan to do now, will only bring in the most satisfactory results."

"Glad that you have that much confidence in me," I replied.

We parted ways to gather firewood from different directions. I was diligently picking up all the firewood that came into my path. Slowly my load began to grow heavy as the amount started to reach its limit.

That's when something expected happened.

Ah, so it's that time of the arc, huh?

A lone girl sat with her back up against a large tree. She was Ibuki, from Class D. When she noticed us, she looked up and then quickly averted her eyes. The state she was in suggested that this was undoubtedly a trap. There was a red, swollen mark on her cheek. Ryuen had hit her pretty hard.

But this girl, Ibuki – huh? What's her full name again?

" Mio …" I blurted.

"What?" Ibuki glared at me. Is she feeling perturbed because I called her by her given name?

"You're Ibuki Mio from Class D, aren't you?" I asked.

"Yeah. So, what?"

"Well, you seem badly injured. Are you alright?"

"Just leave me alone. It's nothing."

I walked towards her and sat down, putting all the firewood beside me. Then I held her right wrist, which was bruised pretty badly. Considering the swelling, it was easy to see that she was in a fair amount of pain.

"Hey, what are you doing? Leave it!" Ibuki freed herself from my grip, hurting herself in the process.

I know it was all scripted for Ryuen's strategy. But to go as far as to physically injure someone and leave them up to fate? How reckless could he be? Did he seriously not consider the possibility of us rejecting the bait? It would've been all for nothing if that happened. Ibuki would've been the only victim if that were to happen.

"You've been beaten up pretty badly. Should I call a teacher?"

"It was just a class dispute. Don't worry about it." answered the girl, laughing in self-deprecation. Her voice was low and even. I couldn't tell if it was an act or if she was genuinely shaken.

As I said before, we had the option to walk away. We were not obligated to give refuge to potential spies, and no one would have the right to hold it against me. In a couple of hours, the sun would begin to set. We were surrounded by jungle on all sides. If she were out here alone in the dark, it could be disastrous. She's aware of that. Which is why I'm sure she would simply return to their camp and report it to Ryuen. Cut me some slack, she wasn't in any actual danger.

However…

"We're Class C students. Why not come to our base camp?"

I turned to Sakura and Ayanokouji for approval. They nodded in agreement.

"Huh? What are you saying? There's no way I could do something like that."

"I'm just trying to help you out of trouble."

She seemed not to want to listen to us. She turned away and fell silent.

"I'm from Class D. In other words, I'm your enemy. You understand that, right?"

"It'd be much easier for the both of us if you simply cooperated," I replied, secretly indicating both of our true intentions. Ibuki's eyes twitched in response.

"We can't leave you, so we're going to stay here until you move," Ayanokouji added. In that case, we just had to wait until she decided to change her act.

"You guys are really stupid. You're not acting logically. You aren't thinking about your class."

You're mistaken, Ibuki . My class is all I can think of.

"You don't have to worry about it," I assured her.

"But is that really okay? To tell me where your base camp is, and moreover, to guide me there?"

If you knew the location of someone's campsite, you could start to get a read on how they planned to conduct themselves throughout the test. You could get into their heads and anticipate their strategies. In Class C's case, announcing our spot was a reason to be concerned. But…

"Don't worry. I don't think it'll be a problem." I replied. "My name's Aozaki Levent. I prefer not to be called by my last name. Nice to meet you." I offered my hand.

"Well, you seem like you're a good guy. But you're an idiot."

I'd much rather you not deprecate your benefactor, Ibuki.

"You already know my name. I'm Ibuki Mio . N-nice to meet you too." she took my hands as I helped her get up. She lightly caressed her red, swollen cheek. It must've been painful.

She didn't look me in the eyes as she spoke. Maybe she felt genuinely guilty for exploiting us. I noticed a small amount of dirt under Ibuki's nails. When I looked at where she's been sitting, I could see disturbances in the soil. A walkie talkie was buried there for all I know.

"So do girls, like, really slap each other across the cheek when they fight or something?" I joked.

"That's not your concern. Leave me alone." she snarled.

"Understood. Please follow us."

I picked up my branches and sticks from the ground. Ibuki slung a bag over her shoulder, wincing at her burden. It seemed painful, but it's not like she would let us carry it anyway. Besides, I was almost at my limit too.

In the end, we ended up picking something more than just branches and sticks. We started walking towards the camp. The branches poked me thoroughly all the way.

Initial allotted special exam points: 300S¶

Kouenji's retirement = 30S¶

Remaining points: 200 S¶

Current balance: 1,294,970 ¶¶

Chapter 3.5 - Brilliant or Blunder?

Day 1, 4:00 PM.

When we came back, the first thing I did was to dump all the sticks and branches that I was carrying. My accomplices, Ayanokouji and Sakura also exhaled in relief. We made our arrival known after we entered the cave. Hirata greeted us with his trademark smile.

"Did you face any difficulties while you were out there?" he asked, concerned.

"Well, about that... There's something I have to report." I pointed outside the cave. A little far back in front of the main entrance, class D's Ibuki was standing. Some of my classmates had already noticed the unfamiliar face and began to discuss it among themselves.

"When our group was out there collecting the firewood, we stumbled upon Ibuki-san from class D. Her face was swollen. She was probably abandoned by her class. Ryuen went as far as to assault her. So, we couldn't leave her there."

"That's okay, Levent-kun. You made the right decision. I still can't believe they would do such a thing to her."

"I wanted to involve the teacher. But she told me to drop it. I think she doesn't want to be an inconvenience to her class." I remarked.

"I understand. I think we'll be alright with having her stay here."

"You're really kind, Hirata-kun." I complimented him.

"Haha, It's nothing worth complimenting, really," Hirata replied with an awkward smile. "I mean, aren't we all from the same school? If we don't help others in trouble, then who will?"

Typical Hirata-like reply, as expected. The boy named Hirata Yousuke was a genuinely kind person. It was one of the main reasons why I held him in high regard. However, he was kind to a fault. His unbiased kindness was the biggest reason why I deemed him unworthy of being a good leader.

I'm not telling anyone to be unkind. No, it's actually the opposite. Kindness is a great virtue that I think all humans should strive for. However, being kind and being someone else's tool are two different things.

One should be careful about how their kindness is being received. If they let their guard down, the others may see it as a weakness. Hence, the kind people end up being easily exploited. Apparently, class D was doing the same thing with the other classes.

"Do you have a moment, Ibuki-san? I wanted to talk to you," we approached Ibuki.

"I'm probably just getting in the way. You've already taken good care of me." She quickly stood, as if she wanted to run.

"Wait a minute. I want to help you." After seeing her swollen face, Hirata had likely confirmed my words.

"Nothing will change if I stay. I don't want to waste time just sitting around."

"This is a test, so of course some students will doubt you. However, you're hurt. I don't want to chase you away if you can't go back to your own class. I think that's why Levent-kun brought you here. So, tell me about your situation."

"This isn't something I can just talk about. Besides, I've heard all your plans. You'd hate it if more of your strategies were leaked, right?"

Ibuki started walking away. I wonder if she would curse herself if we agreed to let her go for real. She's overreacting after all. Painfully obvious, if you understood her reverse psychology tactic.

"If you really were a spy, you wouldn't want to be chased out, would you?"

"What the hell... I'll just look for a place to sleep. That's all."

"It's crazy for a girl to sleep alone in the woods."

"Even if it's crazy, I don't have a choice. Helping me won't gain you anything."

"This has nothing to do with losses or gains. We can't just leave someone in trouble. Please give me a little time. If you can do that, I'll tell the other students about your situation and see if we can find a place for you. Levent-kun, can you watch Ibuki-san? I'm going to go talk to everyone."

Her expression cleared, and she turned toward us without hesitation. Something like that was designed to melt even the toughest exterior. Ibuki seemed to believe Hirata.

"Hirata. He's something else, isn't he?" I asked.

"He's a really good-natured guy. But all of you are hopelessly stupid."

"I don't really know how to respond to that. But, don't worry. You're welcome here. Feel free to call us if you ever need something."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Thanks to Hirata's persuasiveness, class C agreed to look after Ibuki. Though some students were strongly opposed, every time Class D held roll call, they'd hemorrhage points, or at least some of their thought processes were similar to that. Once everyone saw it as an opportunity, they were finally convinced.

With that, Ibuki had permission to stay. Being from a different class, Ibuki didn't want to cause any trouble, so she sat further away from us. We also asked Ibuki not to wander near the device and she promised to abide by it. But it was not good enough.

I circled my head around to look for a certain individual. My eyes landed on her almost instantly. She was sitting a little far back in the camp, chattering with her friends. Maybe she felt my gaze, because our eyes met, and she was coming toward me.

"Do you need me for something, Levent-kun?" she asked with her usual bubbly appearance. At that time we were in public, so she had no choice but to act like that.

"I want you and your friends to circle around Ibuki . Keep an eye out and try to distract her as much as you can."

"Do you suspect Ibuki-san to be a spy then?" asked Kikyou.

"Isn't that obvious?"

"But the way she was injured... Do you really think this is all an act?"

"It's perfectly natural for you to be cautious. Whether she's acting or not, it doesn't matter."

"I see. Alright, we'll keep her company," she replied.

"Also, be careful not to probe her too much. It won't be necessary."

After heeding to my warning, the conversation ended, and I was going to do some other chores. Kikyou ran back to her group and persuaded them to follow. Eventually, the entire group went toward Ibuki, who was sitting in isolation up until now. I don't know the specifics, but they seemed to be successful at diverting Ibuki's watchful gaze.

Well, it wouldn't have been a problem anyway...

I went toward the river, where Ike and his group were fishing.

"Ike, the firewoods are here," I called out to him.

"Oh, you're back? Let's see what you've got." Ike ran at me and began inspecting our collection. "Nice! You've brought some great fuel. Hold on. I'll go collect some necessary things from around here."

Ike went into the forest. He returned soon after. He'd picked up a bunch of thin branches and a bundle of dead leaves. Some girls gathered after seeing Ike running around.

"We'll have to start the fire with these."

With that, he picked up the matchbox, and quickly set fire to the dead leaves. As the leaves kindled, he started adding some small twigs. Then, watching the fire carefully, he skillfully added in thicker branches. In the blink of an eye, the flame turned into a typical bonfire.

"And that should do it. Now that the smokes are going up, it will lead us back to our camp if we ever get lost in the forest."

The same could be said for the other classes too, you know?

"That's amazing. I'm really impressed. Someone with real camping experience is on another level." Satou remarked.

"It's just the basics. Starting a bonfire, once you know, anyone can do it."

"That's true. But you're not giving yourself enough credit, Ike. I think you're doing a great job." I replied.

"Thanks, Levent."

•••••••

Day 1, 6:34 PM.

Time went by in the blink of an eye, and it was already sunset. Everyone was waiting outside for the evening attendance call. We tried to enjoy the sunset but, there were trees everywhere. The sky was beautifully illuminated with an orange hue before the light slowly faded into darkness.

I looked at Ibuki, who was apparently busy stargazing and chattering with Kikyou and her group. They were doing a good job keeping Ibuki distracted. Seeing that as a chance, I hastily snuck inside the cave and registered my key card in the mechanism. Before anyone could notice my absence, I audaciously snuck out and mixed into the group.

Safe, for now.

"Is everyone here?" suddenly Chabashira appeared before us, clad in her gym uniform. All of us stood up and bowed in a disciplined manner. "Pay attention, class C. I'll be taking all of your evening attendance calls. If any of you misses this, the entire class will be penalized."

Chabashira began calling out by each student's name. One by one every single one of us responded, except for one absent student, Kouenji. My other classmates didn't seem to notice that yet. However, soon the attendance call was over, and Chabashira closed the attendance book.

"It seems all of you are present. Then that concludes it."

"Huh? Wait- What the hell? Where's Kouenji?" it was Sudou who popped the balloon.

"That's right. I don't see him anywhere."

Everyone was looking at each other, hoping to find that blond man standing among them, I looked at Hirata and Ayanokouji, who seemingly understood what had happened. They could only close their eyes and sigh in disappointment.

"Oh, Kouenji complained about being in poor physical condition and returned to the ship." Chabashira dropped the bomb... "Of course, that means that you've had thirty points deducted. Those are the rules, so there's nothing to be done. Kouenji has retired, and he's obligated to stay onboard the ship for one week for medical treatment,"

"Whaaaaat?!" almost everyone screamed in unison.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me! Kouenji, you jerk! What the hell were you thinking?!"

The normally silent Yukimura shouted and kicked the ground. He then glared at me, remembering what I said back in the field. However, he realized that there was nothing I could've done to stop an abomination like him, so he averted his gaze in apology.

"Goddamn it! We lost thirty points! This sucks!"

Both the boys and girls were furious over Kouenji's actions but could do nothing about it. All of them were frustrated by their helplessness. Their morale had dropped significantly.

Should I let the sleeping dogs lie?

I don't think it would be a good idea to leave this situation unattended. It may not be visible now, but the seeds of conflict usually come from the most ridiculous of reasons.

"There's nothing we can do about it now, can we?" I sighed. "What's gone, is already gone. There's no point in thinking about it now."

"Huh?"

Suddenly, everyone's curious gaze was fixated upon me. Even Ibuki was staring at me. It was a relief that Ibuki didn't know what kind of person I was. If she was any better at cold reading, then it would've been troublesome. I gulped and swallowed the lump of discomfort that was growing inside my throat.

"Guys, Levent-kun is right. It's a shame that Kouenji-kun decided to drop out. But please don't let that discourage you. We still have enough points to make do with this exam. We just have to work harder."

Probably after noticing my struggle, Hirata came to my rescue. Thanks to that I managed to organize my thoughts. I thanked him dearly for giving me a hand.

"But it's so frustrating. How can someone be so selfish? Because of him, we're now going to lose this exam." Onodera wailed.

"Well, it's too early to reach that conclusion, Onodera-san . And besides, it doesn't matter." I replied.

"What? What do you mean by that, Levent-kun?"

"First, allow me to make something clear to all of you. The entire point of this special exam isn't necessarily about winning or losing. It's about saving as many points as we can. Even if we placed second or third position, or dead last even; it wouldn't matter. As long we save a satisfying amount of points, we'll be fine."

"But still, we could've used those thirty points for so many things!" Makida complained.

"That's right. Do you have any idea how we're supposed to maintain the 150 points goal now?" Matsushita inquired.

I glanced at Horikita, who was also listening to the entire conversation. I didn't want to take the entire spotlight as the leader, so I pushed the explanation to Horikita.

"Don't worry. Strictly speaking, Kouenji-kun dropping out was part of our calculation. His unpredictability was within our measures. We can still maintain that limit. No, we can even secure more points by the end of this." After picking up my signal, Horikita stepped up.

"Huh? So, you're saying that..."

She nodded in affirmative.

"There are plenty more opportunities out there. Do you all remember the bonus points rule? If we claim some spots every day, we'll regain all the lost points. Also, if we can figure out who the other leaders are, we'll be able to utilize this exam by a huge margin."

"Wow, that's kind of reassuring..."

"She's right. There's no point in glooming over it now."

Horikita somehow managed to articulate our plan. Everyone seemed to have calmed down after seeing her confidence and reassurance.

"I'm still mad at Kouenji though."

"Yeah. That self-load of freak never fails to annoy me!"

Of course, it's only natural for the others to be still unsatisfied. However...

"Look, ai yammu Kou-en-ji-desu . Watashiwa purfecto beeingu desu ~! Rejoice, yuu normaru piiporu ! " said Ike boldly while combing his hair, probably trying to make a Kouenji impression. He looked incredibly corny and pathetic, but...

" Buhahahahaahaha !"

...everyone broke out in laughter.

"Yeah, dude. You totally sound like him, hyhahaha !"

"No, no, he's doing it wrong! It's supposed to be like, ' Praiisu mii more, pretty-boi', fuhwahaha !"

Thanks to our speech and Ike's comedic antics, the gloomy and tense environment slowly faded, and the air turned into a cheerful and carefree one. Under chaotic situations like this, a small grain of reassurance and a tiny sprinkle of laughter is all that's needed for preserving harmony.

The attendance call was dismissed and everyone returned inside the cave. As Chabashira's duty ended for the day, she was about to return to the shore. But before going back into the forest, she kept staring in my direction for a good few seconds.

"Hey, if anyone asks, tell them I'm in the toilet," I told Ayanokouji before rushing toward her.

Only a few steps in, and I found her waiting for me beneath a tree.

"You actually came, huh? I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten about me." It was incredibly dark, so I couldn't quite make out of her facial features. But judging by her character, I imagined her to be stoic.

"I'd much rather you not beat about the bush, sensei. Did you bring all the items as I requested?"

"Oh? Quite the impatient one, aren't you? Don't worry, I brought them all with me." Chabashira handed me a cardboard box, which felt slightly heavier than I imagined.

"Thank you, sensei. I appreciate your cooperation."

After receiving my products, I was about to return to the camp.

"One last thing, Levent," Chabashira called out to me. I looked back, curious to know what she had to say to me.

"What is it?"

"Don't underestimate what the others are capable of. If you're not careful with your ambition, then you'll only wallow in regret."

Ambition... What even is that?

"You don't have to worry about it, sensei. I know exactly what you mean."

"I see. Stay safe out there, Levent."

"I will."

With that, we parted ways.

••••••••

Day 1, 8:12 PM.

After we had our dinner, a majority of my classes huddled near the bonfire and talked about trivial stuff. Well, it was mostly them complaining and whining about how hard this special exam is. But then suddenly Ike said something remarkable.

"Hey, Shinohara . I spent some time thinking about how I acted today, about the toilet and stuff. I was pushy because I wanted to save points. I'm sorry."

" Wh-why are you apologizing to me all of a sudden?"

"I just remembered the first time I went camping. The toilet was awful, and of course, bugs were crawling around everywhere. Just about everything was dirty. I remember going to my parents, complaining about how much I hated going to the bathroom, and telling them I wanted to go home. I'm sure it's even worse for a girl..."

Ike was amazing. Not only did he acknowledge his mistake, he even apologized. It definitely took courage to say what he'd said. The courage and the apology came slowly, but he handled it like a champ. He had also proven his value to the class time and time again. He was truly living up to his character development. Unfortunately, I couldn't say the same for his friend, Yamauchi.

"I'm...sorry for earlier, too. For saying that I couldn't drink from the river. I think I got way too emotional . We won't be able to keep any of our points if we don't learn to adjust ."

Even though neither of them looked the other straight in the eyes, it seemed they'd made up. Everyone took this as a good sign.

While I was happy for them, my eyes fell on a lone student who was sitting in a corner of the cave, away from the crowd. I slowly approached her.

" Everyone seems to be in a good mood today ," said the girl behind me.

" It seems so ," I replied before sitting beside her. " What about you ? How are you feeling right now ?"

" I'm ... feeling better than before ," she replied while averting her eyes.

"Is that so?" I took the box out of my pocket and handed it to her. Confused, she took the box and started to examine it.

"Levent-kun. This is...?"

" Paracetamol . It's for your fever . You should feel a little sleepy after having one, but that should be normal ."

" Wha -? But I just said I'm fine."

"Can you not compromise on your medication? It's kind of painful to watch you fight a fruitless battle."

"You... didn't have to worry about me."

"Are you sure about that? Let's take your temperature then?" I pushed my hand toward her forehead

"No, you don't." She moved away from me.

"She's incredibly stubborn too, it seems," I muttered to myself.

"Did you just say something?" said Horikita with darkness spreading on her face.

"Just take a pill after each meal. You shouldn't have any problem doing that." I sighed. "Or perhaps do you need a supposi -"

Thud!

Horikita threw a side chop at my right abdomen. I caught her hand before it could land on me. She had put a considerably high amount of force behind her attack. Perhaps my jokes were truly annoying.

"Sorry about the joke. But now I know for sure, that your body is heating up."

"Huh?" Horikita looked at her hand. Just from a grip, I could sense the abnormal amount of heat piling up on her body. Realizing what had happened, she frantically took her hands away from me.

"You... Hmph! Fine, I'll take the medicine."

Sigh.

"In any case, where did you get this medicine from anyway?"

I pulled my hand back.

"I asked sensei to bring me some. Oh, by the way, you don't have to worry about the points. The school takes its student's health as a high priority. So, it cost me nothing."

"Did you really have to go that far?" she asked.

"You're my valuable comrade. Isn't it normal for me to be concerned about your health?" I replied nonchalantly.

Horikita was silent for a few seconds. She obviously didn't expect me to say something cliché like that. So, I guess it is true that a maiden's heartstrings flutter no matter how corny the words are.

"Thank you," she replied.

"It's fine. Take it as my way of thanking you for taking the lead earlier."

"Oh, that? I was simply stating all the facts. It was nothing worth thanking me for."

"Learn to take compliments, Horikita. Because of your speech, everyone's morale grew back to normal. It would be troublesome if an in-fight suddenly breaks out tomorrow." I lectured.

"I suppose you're correct. In that case, you're welcome, Levent-kun."

••••••

Day 2, 3:21 AM.

I checked the time on my wristwatch. It was three o'clock in the morning. Normally, the witching hour was supposed to be somewhat cold and chilly. However, as we were currently on a tropical island, the heat, the humidity, and the stench of sweat inside the tent made me question, 'Just what exactly is sleep?'. I ended up getting out way earlier than I anticipated. Then, I was about to carefully slip out of the tent, to not wake anyone else.

"Oh, you're up too?" suddenly asked the boy who was lying on my opposite side.

"Yeah, I'm hopping out. I need to take a breather." I whispered.

"Is that so? I'll get out too if you're okay with it."

"No worries."

Ayanokouji followed me outside the tent. After getting adjusted to my dizziness, I stood up looking towards the spot recognition device. The occupancy must've expired when the clock hit two a.m. If I claimed it now, then the next time I'll have to do it again would be at eleven in the morning.

"I'd advice you to keep an eye out, but... it wouldn't make any difference now, would it?" Ayanokouji remarked in a hushed tone.

"Yeah. It'll be a pain." I whispered back.

Only two of us were awake. If Ibuki was awake, and saw us standing next to the apparatus, we will end up under her list of suspicion. It wouldn't matter if Ayanokouji warned me or not.

Of course, we could use the, 'C ouldn't sleep. So we're standing outside, ' excuse. But you know how suspicious it would sound. If I flipped the chessboard and started thinking from Ibuki's point of view, I would obviously rush toward any lead that I found about the leader. In short, It'll be a check for me.

"Let's do it."

"Okay."

On our way, we came across the mountain pile of luggage. My eyes fell upon a singularly colored piece of luggage. It was Ibuki's bag. Since her bag was different, it was easy to spot. Perhaps Ayanokouji wanted to examine it, as he was staring at it intently. However, there was no need for us to do that, as I was already aware of all the schemes.

Instead of rummaging through someone else's belonging, I walked toward the spot recognition device. Since I decided not to infringe on Ibuki's privacy, Ayanokouji gave up and followed in my footsteps. We stopped in front of the apparatus.

I whipped my card out and was about to register my keycard when suddenly...

* Hzzz ~

The sound of a tent opening reverberated throughout the cave!

E: Ugh! It's getting harder and harder to write nowadays /

Initial allotted special exam points: 300S¶

Remaining points: 200 S¶

Current balance: 1,294,970 ¶¶

Chapter 3.6 - Scouts Under The Moon

Day 2, 3:28 AM.

I swiped the card without looking back. There was no need. As soon as I swiped the card, class C's name popped on the screen alongside the eight-hour countdown.

"Oh, Ayanokouji-kun you're up. Levent-kun too, it seems."

It was none other than our good-natured Hirata Yousuke who came toward us. Even though I was well aware of his sudden early appearance, it would be lying if I said that I wasn't petrified to my wit's end.

"Not really. Did we wake you up by any chance?" Ayanokouji replied.

"Oh no. I can't exactly sleep soundly in this environment." Hirata replied as he looked at the keycard. "Oh, I see. So, you were doing that."

"Yeah. I'll be heading out on a hike soon. Might as well get us some extra points." I whispered.

At that time, I had planned to capture the nearest spot, which was the outpost. Plus the mountain Makida was talking about yesterday. I was also curious about where class A had set their base at.

"Don't you think that's a bit dangerous? It's still dark out there. What if you get lost?"

Hirata's warning wasn't too far off the mark. It was 3 am, the witching hour. It was still hours before the sun could rise. Everything was dark and foggy. The only light source I had was the flashlight provided by the school.

"Don't worry. I'm quite confident in my navigation skills." I replied.

"I'm still reluctant to allow such a reckless action, Levent-kun. If it's okay with you, why don't I join you guys?" Hirata didn't seem to buy it.

"No. You have another role to play. I want you to stay here and guard this device."

"Why? Wouldn't it be better if the three of us went inside the forest together?"

"The two of us lack appearance, meanwhile you are a major figure in this class. What if Ibuki-san wakes up and finds the three of us missing? And if she checks the device, it'd be hard for us to hide. That's why I suggest you stay here, just in case." I spurted out some random something.

"That's... I guess you're right."

"It's decided then."

After filling our water bottles, we sprinted toward the nearby outpost. The clock was ticking. We needed to act as quickly as possible. Or else Ibuki could notice our absence.

•••••

Day 2, 3:34 AM.

We were cutting through the dark dense forest at a rapid pace. The flashlight illuminated our path as we ran toward our destination.

"Looks like we're here." Ayanokouji mused. We could see the dome of the tall wooden outpost.

"Yeah. But it sure is a pain to navigate at night."

That was to be expected. Even though we had a flashlight burning, we still had to do a crisscross maneuver to march forward. After a few more minutes of walking, we reached the base of the outpost.

"Well, it seems no one else found this place after all," I remarked.

"The other classes must've had their hands full with setting up their camps," Ayanokouji replied.

"True. But I wonder if that's going to be the same case today."

The spot recognition device was standing beside the outpost, blank, ready to occupy. I immediately whipped my card out and occupied the spot.

"Done." I looked to my left. A medium-long hill was located on the northern side of the island. Apparently the river spring originated from that place. According to Makida and his group's report, the spot was somewhere nearby the spring. "The cliff of the hill, huh?" I blurted.

"Now that, would be quite demanding, wouldn't it?" Ayanokouji sighed.

"Yeah, I'm aware."

Climbing the mountain and our descent, plus I intended to search for more spots afterward. On top of that, we had limited time on our hands. It would take a great lot of stamina to accomplish this mission.

"Let's go."

We immediately left for the hill.

•••••

Day 2, 4:49 A.M

Hirata Yousuke's point of view...

It's been more than an hour since Ayanokouji-kun and Levent-kun left. I initially wanted to join them on their mission. However, Levent-kun asked me to guard this place. Hence I was sitting beside the campfire all alone.

"Now that I think about it, Levent-kun is really good at decision-making, isn't he?"

This has been on the back of my mind for quite some time now. Levent-kun doesn't have that good of a social presence. But something tells me that he's more capable than what he lets out. That Levent-kun is more amazing than he seems.

Before the midterm exam, Levent-kun was the one who suggested the idea of forming study groups. And when Sudou-kun was on the cliff of getting expelled, I noticed Levent-kun and Horikita-san going after Chabashira-sensei. He even accompanied Horikita-san during Sudou-kun's trial. Even though he said that Horikita-san was the one who saved Sudou-kun, I still can't help but think that he's hiding something.

"He says that he's average but... is that really the case?"

Suddenly, I heard some noise coming from my back. I looked behind only to find Horikita-san getting out of the tent.

"Good morning, Horikita-san." I greeted her with a hushed voice.

"Good morning."

"Can't sleep?"

"I could ask you the same."

"Ah haha..."

Horikita-san was as cold as usual. After gaining her posture and dusting her clothes, Horikita-san walked towards the tents opposite the girl's side. The boy's tents. From the looks of it, I think she was looking for someone. Levent-kun, perhaps?

After a few more glances, she came toward me.

"By any chance, do you know where Levent-kun is?"

I guess I was right after all.

"Levent-kun and Ayanokouji-kun left the camp to scout some areas," I whispered back.

"This early? Aren't they being a bit reckless?"

"I tried to stop them and even wanted to tag along. But the duo insisted on doing this mission."

"I see." her expression changed ever the slightest. However, she seemed a bit worried?

"By the way, are you feeling alright now, Horikita-san?" I asked.

"Why are you asking that now?" she replied.

"I heard that you have a fever. So I was wondering if you were feeling okay."

"Heard it? Could it be that Levent-kun told you about this?"

Oh... Was I not supposed to tell her that?

"Well, Levent-kun seemed worried about you. So he asked me to look after you."

"That idiot! In any case, you don't have to worry about me. I'm feeling better now."

"Is that so? That's good to know."

"In any case, I'm going to the river. Call me if you need anything."

"Sure. I'll let you know. Thank you."

With that, Horikita-san left the cave. As the conversation ended, I suddenly noticed some light rays seeping through the gaps in the forest. Someone was probably coming towards this place. A few seconds later, we could see two figures coming out from the shadows. Both of them were clad in our gym uniform. One of them had medium-length chestnut brown hair; the other one had night-black hair. There was no doubt about it.

"Seems like they're back."

The black-haired boy waved at us with his usual stoic demeanor, while the boy next to him simply followed. Of course, I waved back at them. Their t-shirts were drenched and sticking to their skin, probably because they were sweating intensely. They worked hard, period.

"Good job, you two! Please take some rest now."

"For sure," Levent-kun replied before sitting on a rock beside the cave entrance. "Did anyone wake up by the time we were out?"

"Yes. Horikita-san woke up not too long ago."

"Then where is she?"

"She was headed toward the river, I think?" I replied.

"Is that so?" he said before looking toward the tents.

"How long has it been?" Ayanokouji-kun suddenly asked. Levent-kun looked at his watch and replied, "It's almost five. We probably scouted for about an hour and a half."

"Everyone should be up in about an hour or two."

Now that he mentioned it.

"Did you guys happen to find any spots?" I asked rather inconspicuously. I was weary of the possibility of Ibuki-san overhearing the conversation. As much as I wanted to believe in Ibuki-san, I couldn't really put aside Levent-kun's warning. However...

"Oh, we actually managed to scout four more spots nearby." Levent-kun unexpectedly replied quite audaciously.

"Hey! What are you doing, Levent-kun!" is what I wanted to say. But then he added this.

"We'll report it to our leader once she wakes up. That way we'll be able to occupy those spots later."

Huh? What? The leader?

Wasn't HE the leader? What's going on?

Hold on. Could it be that he's simply being cautious?

Ayanokouji-kun nodded in my direction.

"I see."

So that's what they were trying to do, huh?

"Alright. But for now, just relax." I looked at the empty bottles in their hand. They're probably thirsty. "I'll get some water for you."

"Thanks, Hirata."

I don't know if Ibuki-san was truly awake or not. And I can't be too sure whether or not she's a spy. But if she really was, then after listening to our conversation she would be misled into thinking that the leader was someone else.

Levent-kun, you're more intelligent than you let out, aren't you?

•••••

Day 2, 5:12 A.M

It wasn't too long before we returned to the base. After scouting and securing six total spots, we were resting outside the camp. The sun was already rising. Unfortunately, I could only imagine the scenery and not witness it with my own eyes given all the dense vegetation that was around me.

"Look who decided to come back"

As I was agonizing over such tremendous loss, a familiar voice called out to me.

"Good morning, Horikita."

"Why did you tell Hirata-kun about my fever?" asked the girl in a sharp, yet gentle voice.

"I guess returning a greeting with a question is the trend nowadays."

"I wish you don't try to change the topic, Levent-kun." She replied

"Is this matter really worth arguing for? I don't really see any mishaps in my actions."

"I wanted to keep it a secret. Even from you, if it weren't for your accursed deduction skills."

"But why? Why would you try to hide something that's directly connected to your health?" I asked with a stern expression.

"W-whether I should tell someone or not, shouldn't that be my decision to make?" she replied with a hesitant expression.

"Look, Horikita." I looked straight in the eyes and said, "I want you to calmly think, and articulate why you are so insecure about such a normal, trivial matter?"

"Insecure? I'm not. It's because–"

"Because you still don't have faith in your comrades, do you? You still look down at them from a high pedestal. Hence you're trying to hide your weakness and pretend to be rock solid."

"That's... that's not right."

"Then look me in the eyes and tell me, that I'm wrong."

She tried to open her mouth but decided not to go any further. I guess it's a piece of cake to grasp the psychology of this character.

"Well, I guess it was kind of my fault to let him know about your fever. To tell you the truth, I was really concerned about your well-being. So, I decided to get some help from Hirata-kun."

For some reason, I reflexively replied while looking away from her.

"Huh?" Horikita let out. I couldn't really see her expression, but judging by her reaction, I guess she was bashful about it. " Tha - um... I- I guess it's okay! B-but you don't have to worry about me."

"So, how are you feeling right now?" I asked.

"I'm feeling better than yesterday. It's because of the pills you gave me," she replied.

"Is that so? I'm glad to know that you're fine." I looked at her again and smiled.

"You... you're such a contradicting idiot." she murmured.

I heard that you know.

•••••

Day 2, 5:42 A.M

"I can't be completely sure but, I think they should be here at least once," I said to myself.

I was standing by the river, waiting for class B to approach. On the second day of the exam, Ayanokouji and Hirata met Kanzaki and the others, who later invited them to their camp. I don't necessarily remember all the details. That's why I was not sure whether or not we'd collide with each other or not. If anything, we could be there too early, or too late.

At that point, it was up to chance whether we'd meet or not.

"How long do you plan on standing here Levent?" asked Ayanokouji.

"About half an hour."

"I see. Good luck with that." As he was about to leave, I nabbed him by the backside of his collar.

"You don't leave your partner behind, partner."

"Why me? Wouldn't it be better if Hirata was here?"

"True. He's more sociable and easy to talk, compared to you."

"Ouch."

"But I want you to stay here for a different reason," I added.

"What's that?"

Lady luck of course.

"What are you doing here?" suddenly a voice called out to us. A student from Class B, Kanzaki, looked our way. Some other boys I didn't know were with him, probably Class B students. They appeared surprised, as if they hadn't expected us at such an early hour, but quickly regained their composure.

"First day's over, so I wondered how the other classes were doing. I thought I'd check on you too." he looked at the cave entrance behind us. "Camping inside the cave, huh? You guys probably have the best location."

He seemed legitimately impressed by our base camp. He didn't appear to have a hidden agenda.

" Kanzaki-kun , aren't you?" I inquired.

"Did I surprise you? I'm sorry, I'm not here to cause trouble."

"No, it's fine. Actually, it's a pleasure to meet you guys here." I replied.

"Pleased to meet you too, Levent."

" Kanzaki . Where's Class B camping?" Ayanokouji asked from behind.

"There are large broken trees along the path from here to the beach. If you enter the forest to the southwest and walk a bit, you can find our campsite. You shouldn't get lost if you enter by those large trees. If you need something, go ahead and tell her you can come by." Kanzaki answered without hesitation.

With that, Kanzaki left.

"I'm guessing he meant Ichinose when he said ' her'. You're friends with her, I take it?" Ayanokouji gave me a strange look.

"Hmm, that depends."

At this point, I can't really be sure...

•••••

Day 2, 7:55 A.M

Everyone was slowly getting up. We would end up having roasted corn for our breakfast. It isn't much, but it'd be better than running on an empty stomach. The corns could only support us for so many days. Not to mention how boring it would get if we kept relying on corns. We needed to find more food and rations.

The spots I had accumulated this early morning should also expire when the clock hits twelve. If we wanted to gain more points, then triangulating through those spots would prove to be most beneficial for us.

"So, our top priority is to secure more food, huh? I guess I can see why we'd want that." Horikita responded.

"We have an entire class to feed. So I think Levent-kun's concern is natural. We won't be as lucky as we were yesterday."

"Ike and his group are already behind the fishing rods. They're surprisingly diligent when it comes to things like this."

"Levent, don't you think it would be better if we simply recruit more people into food and resource gathering?" Ayanokouji added.

"Yeah, I was thinking about that too. If we begin the operation now, we should be able to secure a decent amount of food for lunch." I replied.

"How many people should we send in search of food?" asked Hirata.

"Two groups of six would probably be good. But the more, the merrier." I replied.

"That would be a good idea," Horikita remarked.

"I think it would be a good idea if we send some people to scout the surrounding areas for some spots too," Hirata added.

"But I don't think we should blindly rely on spots for bonus points. It would be too risky." I replied. "What if someone from another class catches 'our leader' while registering the spot?"

"Ah, that would be quite troublesome."

"Indeed. But I'm not against mobilizing a group to search the forest. I think it would give us some worthwhile results."

While it was certainly correct that securing spots under daylight can be troublesome, I could always go around claiming them when it's nighttime. My main reason for saying that was because class A was pretty much the only class I needed to pay attention to. I was curious about finding out where they were camping at.

"Speaking of which, we stumbled upon Kanzaki from class B earlier. They invited us to visit their camp," said Ayanokouji.

"Really? When did that happen?" Horikita asked.

"More importantly, I think it would be better if we visit them. Maybe we could even get some information out of them." Hirata replied.

"I think we have a chance to secure something even more important than that," I added.

The alliance and the ceasefire agreement, both were achieved during this part of the arc. But there are certain gray areas in my case. Now that we're in class C, I have my doubts about whether they would be willing to cooperate or not. Cooperating with us would be the best option in the long run, for them. If they decide not to...

Then that's a shame.

•••••

Day 2, 9:06 A.M

"Everyone, we need some of you to join Kikyou-san and her group and search for more food." Hirata's voice reverberated throughout the cave.

"Wait, didn't we get enough corn yesterday?" asked Makida.

"Yeah. Don't tell me that we used it all?" Okitani showed his concern.

"Not really. We still have a few bags of corn left. But I don't think it would last long. That's why we wanted to mobilize more of us."

"What do you think, Ike-kun?" Kikyou went near Ike and asked. Seeing someone relying on Ike was a welcome change.

"W-well, he's not wrong. *Cough~ It would be better if we get as much food as we can for now." Ike stammered.

"It would be better if we left immediately while the air is cold. It would get even more humid and the temperature would rise when we hit midday."

"So it's decided then? Are there any volunteers?"

"Me! I'll go!" Yamauchi immediately raised his hand.

"Dude, you already agreed to do fishing!" Ike yelled at him.

"But it's boring as hell! I wanna go help Kikyou-chan and the others. What if they come across some trouble on the way?"

"That's... You're cringe bro." Sotomura whispered to himself.

"It's okay. Yamauchi-kun can join the search as long as someone else takes over for you." not wanting to let the scene go any further, Hirata agreed to his selfishness. "Is there anyone else?"

A good number of students raised their hands, which was a good thing. The more the number of volunteers, the more food we would be able to secure.

The number ended up being eighteen. I didn't want to send a group of such a large number. So we ended up splitting the group in half. That way they would be able to cover a large ground.

As demanded, Yamauchi ended up joining Kikyou's group. Not wanting to let him go rampant, I also sent Hirata, Okitani, and Makida to keep an eye on him. As expected, he wasn't happy about his rivals.

Hasabe and Miyake happened to be in the second group. Unfortunately, Sakura didn't seem to be interested in joining them.

"Sakura-san. Aren't you going to join them?" I slowly whispered to her.

"M-me? No. I don't feel like going back into the forest."

"By any chance, are you feeling unwell?"

"No, I'm fine! It's just... I'm not used to this yet."

"Then, wouldn't it be better if you tried to tag along with someone who's the same as you?"

"What do you mean by that, Levent-kun?" Sakura looked at me, her head a bit tilted to the side in confusion.

"I'm talking about Akito-kun, Hasabe-san, and Ayanokouji-kun. You already know them, right?"

"Right..."

"They're usually silent and introverted. Do you think you can get along with them?"

Sakura pondered about something for a while...

"If it's with them... I guess?"

"Then I think you should go."

"Huh?"

"I'm already aware that you feel uncomfortable when someone tries to be social with you and believe me, I can relate to that. But when you try and force yourself to do something uncomfortable, at some point you slowly gain resistance toward it."

"Is that.. so?"

"The world is cruel towards people like us. If we fail to adapt to the situation, then we would inevitably be abandoned by the ones around us . So please, try harder. I don't want to see the same thing happening to you, Sakura-san."

Sakura looked down, thinking about something. I did what I had to, I gave her the hardest push I could give for now. The rest is up to her.

"O..kay" suddenly Sakura said something in a meek voice.

"Hmm?"

She looked up and gave me a determined look.

"I'll... I'll try my best! For you, Levent-kun!" Hearing that made me want to scream in satisfaction.

"Then go... They'll be there when you need them." I replied.

Before going toward them, she looked back at me.

"Thank you, Levent-kun."

"..."

Thus, I had somehow managed to manipulate her into joining them. Ayanokouji was forced into joining her, just to keep them safe. And with that, the Ayanokouji group was fulfilled...

"..."

Not quite...

Initial allotted special exam points: 300S¶

Remaining Points: 200S¶

Current balance: 1,294,970¶¶

Chapter 3.7 - Expedition

Day 2, 10:27 PM.

Only minutes after the morning roll call had ended, we began preparing for our expedition. While Hirata was briefing and sorting the food gathering party, I was filling out my water bottle to prepare for my own expedition. Everything was going peacefully, until...

"Hey, what the hell?! Guys!"

Ike suddenly called out to us. Immediately we looked in his direction, only to see two male students inanimately standing in front of him, wearing wide, smug grins. They were stuffing their faces with potato chips and drinking bottles of soda. I also noticed Ibuki swiftly going inside the tent, as soon as she became aware of their presence.

"Well, well, well. Looks like these idiots are living like the cockroaches they are."

I couldn't recognize who they were. The original characters who were supposed to be here, Kondou and Komiya's studentship at this school were permanently terminated alongside Ishizaki's. They were completely out of the picture.

Judging from Ibuki's ' reaction', it was a no-brainer that the students were from Class D. Probably sent by Ryuen to send his message to us. These minor characters were probably forced into the spotlight after I eliminated the trio, which was kind of interesting in its own way.

"Hey, Ibuki-san. You recognize those two?" I asked in a hushed voice, to which Ibuki slowly nodded in reply.

"Nomura Yuuji and Tokitou Hiroya. They're from my class."

Yeah, no. I've never heard of them.

"What did you even eat for breakfast? Grass? Or maybe bugs? Here, you can have some snacks." said the one who appeared to be Nomura.

They took a bag of potato chips and tossed it near Ike as they drew nearer. It was obvious that they were trying to get a reaction out of us. They were practically asking for a fight, which seemed to be working quite well. After have enough of their shenanigans, Horikita approached the duo.

"Do you two have any significant reason to come here?"

"Hey, it's an island for all. We can go anywhere and do whatever we want. Do you have a problem with that?" Tokitou retorted.

I couldn't really tell whether they were just pretending to be ignorant, or they were legitimately clueless.

"Yes, we do have a problem. You're currently trespassing on our campsite without our permission. If you don't have anything important to state to us then I suggest you leave the premise immediately. Or perhaps you'd prefer it more if we called a teacher?"

"Tch!" they clicked their tongue in unison.

"There's no need. It's not like we want to stay in this dump." Tokitou uttered.

"We have a message from Ryuuen . If you want to enjoy your summer vacation to the fullest, come to the beach right now. Don't hang back. If you're sick of living like idiots, then we're happy to share our luxuries."

After Nomura was done with his announcement, they left the camp without delay.

"What the hell was their deal?" Yukimura muttered.

"They said something about enjoying the summer vacation, right?" Satou mused.

"And to be as bold as to offer us some of their luxury. Could it be that they're burning all their points?" Karuizawa speculated.

"Yeah, I guess class D has completely lost it after their demotion haha." Shinohara chuckled.

While everyone was busy processing this entire event, I turned my attention back to Ibuki. Although I didn't have any significant reason to engage in this conversation, I did anyway.

"Ryuen, huh? I don't think I've heard of that name before. What kind of person is he?" I asked, which seemingly surprised her.

"You haven't heard of him yet? Do you live under a rock?" why do I have this sudden urge to cry?

"Hey now. I'm not the most sociable guy here. I just barely know who my classmates are. How should I know some other class's business? Cut me some slack will you?"

"Fine." she sighed. "The guy's name is Ryuen Kakeru. Everyone calls him the leader of the class. Everything that guy does is crazy." Ibuki sounded irritated as if she were discussing a family enemy.

"Define crazy."

"What he's doing now could be a good example for you."

"Ah... Gotcha."

"Those two were Ryuuen's friends. No, I guess it'd be more accurate to say they're more like his underlings."

"Any chance that they came here to look for you?"

"I don't think they were looking for me."

"Hm... Guess they just wanted to harass us. But they also said something about sharing their luxuries and summer vacation and all. Any idea what they were talking about?" I asked.

"I wonder if things are heading toward that worst-case scenario I imagined..." Ibuki vaguely replied.

"Worst-case scenario, huh?" she was talking about their reckless high-risk strategy. If the plan worked, then the results would've been game-changing for them. However, if it didn't, they would sink the deepest.

The only absolute plus I could see from their plan was 'The point transfer contract' with class A. According to this, in exchange for all daily necessities and the pieces of equipment purchased by class D, each and every student of class A would be forced to transfer twenty thousand private points to Ryuen's class every month until graduation. I'm perplexed about why someone cautious like Katsuragi would agree to something as absurd as that.

But he probably ended up doing that, because Ryuen's plan was already set in motion.

"Levent-kun."

And on that note, the pleasant conversation between Ibuki and I came to a halt when Horikita suddenly called out to me. I guess it was finally time to visit class B's camp.

••••••

Day 2, 11:43 AM.

It was another hot and humid day. The sun radiated directly above our heads. If it wasn't for the shadows and the tropical wind, I'm sure some of us would've been victims of heatstroke by now.

My group, if you'd even call it one, consisted of me and Horikita. At that time, I was accompanying Horikita toward the campsite of class B. While wiping off the sweat from my forehead, I continued clearing up the path in front of us.

"We should be getting close to that camp by now, I think?"

"So, you're not sure?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not omniscient," I replied.

We found the large group of broken trees that Kanzaki mentioned earlier. As we walked inside the forest, I noticed a slight change.

Quite a few students' tracks stood out on this path, which made it easier to walk. Some of the branches and vines were already broken, indicating obvious human interactions. If we simply followed the path, we'd probably arrive at Class B's campsite. Sure enough, we could hear some students chattering from afar.

"Fortunately, we didn't get lost." Horikita mused.

"Do you really doubt me that much?" I deadpanned.

"No. Compared to the others, I think you're many times more reliable."

"I'm flattered."

Was that a compliment or was that her excuse to deprecate our classmates?

Whatever may be the case, we quietly approached the unalarmed students in the opening.

"Who's there?!" one of them shouted as they immediately came to know of our existence.

"There's no need to be wary of us." I came forward while putting my hands up in front of me. It was a form of reassurance. "We're from class C. We didn't come here to cause trouble"

"Oh, it's you. Levent-kun, isn't it? Yeah, we talked to you earlier today."

Well, that's convenient.

"Then that makes it a lot easier," I responded. The students turned their guards down, so we walked outside the forest.

"Did you come here to talk to Ichinose-san?" the boy asked.

"Yeah, we came here to discuss something with her. Can you please let her know of our arrival?"

"Of course. Why don't you come to our camp?"

Therefore we were greeted with welcoming hands... unlike us who's been shoo-ing everyone away ever since the exam started.

"You're surprisingly popular for a resident loner." Horikita pestered me.

"My charms are THAT good after all." I silently replied.

As we walked inside their camp I began noticing the difference between their way of living and ours.

The main attraction of their base was a well. It would solve all their need for water. However, they didn't have enough space to spread out three or four tents, so they made good use of the space by putting up hammocks.

"Huh? Horikita-san? And Levent-kun?"

Ichinose called out to us from somewhere. Apparently, she was trying to tie a string around a tree to put up another hammock. Kanzaki sat a little further away from her.

"Good morning, Ichinose-san." though I guess it may have been too late to say that, huh?

"Your class seems to be functioning well, despite all the obstacles." Horikita mused.

"Haha, yeah. It was really difficult at first! But we tried a bunch of different things, and it worked out. Though the list of chores just keeps on increasing. There's still a ton of work left." said Ichinose with a big smile.

"Ah, maybe it was a bad time to visit after all." I scratched my head.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That probably sounded like I was trying to drive you guys away. I think it's all right if you hang around for a while. You probably came here to ask me something, right?"

Ichinose welcomed us without any hint of protest. She invited us to sit on the hammock. Horikita blatantly denied it, so I decided to sit on one. It was slightly unstable at first, but after I got the hang of it, it was surprisingly comfortable.

"You guys did a really good job with this." I complimented.

"Of course. We're going to rely on this for an entire week after all..."

And then, completely out of the blue, Ichinose proceeds to sit on the hammock, right beside me.

"It's really comfortable, isn't it?" she said while sighing in relief.

"You're right." At least was, until the moment you sat beside me.

Thankfully, the hammock was durable enough to handle both of our weights. It would've been awkward if we fell right after all the trouble she went through to set that up. Nevertheless, it was a dangerous situation.

...

Now that I'm seeing her from this close, I can't help but acknowledge how breathtakingly attractive she is!!!

"..."

Horikita's piercing glare was drilling holes in me. I couldn't really ask Ichinose to get out of their own hammock, I'd rather die. Also, abruptly getting up myself would deal the same damage, so...

There's only one way to go, huh?

I gave Horikita the thumbs up. Horikita sighed in reply. "We'll get into it bluntly. I take it that you're aware of what class D's Ryuen-kun is doing?"

That's right, I'll be sitting this one through until the whole conversation is over.

"Yes. Some students from class D came here earlier. It's really strange to think that they are not taking this special exam seriously." Ichinose replied.

"That's how it seems from the outside. But as far as I can tell from our interaction, Ryuen-kun is a cunning person. I wouldn't put it past him if he tries some underhanded tricks."

"Now that you mention it. By any chance have you guys met a class D student who was beaten up by their classmates?" I wanted to stop her but, Horikita already asked.

Ichinose then pointed out to a long haired blond boy with a slender figure who wearing glasses.

"Kaneda-kun is from class D too. It looked like he had some kind of dispute with his class. He said he'd get by on his own, but we couldn't just leave him. I haven't asked him about his situation yet." Ichinose replied.

"I see. So, Ryuen effectively exiled those who were at least trying to take this exam seriously. Was it all to assert his tyranny over the class?" I spoke out.

"That guy is so reckless!" Kanzaki commented.

"In any case, we're now sure that class D is up to something. Maybe they're planning on attacking all the classes. That's why I'd like to form a cooperative relationship for the time being." Horikita suggested.

Ichinose seemingly contemplated for a moment before looking at Kanzaki who apathetically nodded.

"Alright. Then let's agree on a ceasefire. Even if we manage to figure out the name of each other's class leader, we will not write down the names." she announced.

"But of course, we are not obligated to share other class leaders' names if we figure out. For the sake of competition." Horikita added.

"Haha, I guess that's true," Ichinose replied.

Overall, it was Horikita and Ichinose who did all the talking. Me and Kanzaki played the observer's role. We then talked about various camp and exam-related stuff.

Of course, I was satisfied with the outcome. We could've gotten more points by 'guessing' the leader. However, the relationship between Class B and C was something worth keeping as a priority. Therefore, Class B was safe from receiving an attack from me...

For now.

•••••

Day 2, 1:28 PM.

As we neared the edge of the forest, we saw the beach and the large group of Class D students on that beach.

They had installed temporary toilets and shower rooms. But they also had a tarp to protect against sunlight, a barbecue, chairs, and a parasol. They had snacks and drinks. Everything required for a good, relaxing time was here. We smelled the smoke of cooking meat and heard laughter. Jet skis whizzed past the shoreline.

Students were enjoying themselves in the ocean, screaming with joy.

"I was kind of hoping it to be one of their usual nonsense however, it's kinda refreshing to see it with our own eyes. Do they not plan to save points?"

Far from it.

"Let's try to get as much information as we can."

We came out from the bushes and walked to the beach. One of the boys noticed us and called out to Ryuen who was leaning over in his chair nearby. The same boy rushed over to us.

"Um... R-ryuen-kun wants to talk to you," he said. Judging from his body language and the shakiness of his voice, I'm sure he was a bit frightened.

"He rules his classmates like a king. It's like a royal welcome. What should we do?" Horikita turned to me.

"What's the most reasonable thing to do now, Horikita?" I responded.

"Fine. Let's go. I'm interested in learning his intentions. Let's go."

We accompanied the boy. As we came approached Ryuen, his grin widened. However, at the same time, his glare intensified. Holding grudges, perhaps?

"I thought someone was sniffing around. It's you, huh? What business do you have with me?" Ryuen, tanned and clad in his swimwear, laid back in his chair.

"You seem to be doing well for yourself. This looks like quite the extravagant party." Horikita commented.

"Just as you see. We're enjoying our summer vacation."

He spread his arms wide, proudly showing off his extravaganza.

"This is a test. Do you understand what that means? You don't seem to understand the rules…"

Ryuen didn't seem to be particularly happy about his criticism. Scratch that, he seemed more pissed off than before.

"I'm shocked. Does that mean you're offering help even to an enemy like me? Even after all that's happened last time?"

He was rightfully holding a grudge against us for expelling three of his classmates. From my perspective, he was blaming us for the blunder he made. He confidently pushed his pawns and left all of them 'hanging', which I simply captured at ease. Obviously, he wasn't happy about this development.

"How many points did you use? To be able to enjoy this level of entertainment, I mean."

"Hmm. Well, I didn't make a precise calculation," Ryuen responded before he chugged on a bottle of soda. "Tch. Already getting warm. Oda! Bring me some cold water, right away."

Ryuen threw the bottle, pointing towards a sole slender young student, barely missing him by a few inches.

"What the–! Oh, I'm... I'm on it!"

Startled by Ryuen's reckless action, Oda Takumi, who was sitting on a log nearby, panicked and rushed to get Ryuen another bottle.

Not only Oda, Horikita was also taken aback by his recklessness. The individual before us was being more aggressive than he was in the original scene. Perhaps, pestering him this early wasn't the best way to approach...

"For just 100 or 200 class points, you people will endure starvation, heat, and exhaustion ... Just the thought of it makes me want to laugh." Ryuen snickered.

"I was a fool to come here on my guard." Horikita sighed.

"Who's the real fool here? Is it me? Or you?" he glared at Horikita.

Then out of nowhere, his eyes landed on me. With sharp eyes, he began to observe me. As if he was peeling my skin off to see what I'm hiding.

As a reaction, I intentionally let out a yawn and 'c oincidentally' averted my gaze toward the spot where all the class D girls were gathered. They were all clad in swimsuits, a feast for the eyes as some would say. I'm sure Yamauchi would kill to see this.

Seeing the pathetic human being named Levent, Ryuen immediately lost all interest in me and ignored me like I was an NPC. It was clear as day that he probably thought of me to be the biggest fool there, which I WAS.

"Here. I've brought another bottle." Oda returned once again and handed over another bottle. Ryuen opened the cap and chugged.

"As you can see, we're enjoying our summer vacation. We're not your enemies. This is the way I do things. There can be nothing more or less. Do you understand?"

"Of course. The theme of the exam is ' freedom ' after all. Feel free to do whatever you want." Horikita responded with a sigh.

Ryuen only smirked in reply.

"Before I go, there is one more piece of business. Do you know Ibuki-san?"

"Yeah. She's a member of our class. What about her?"

"Her face was swollen. What happened to her?"

"A ruler does not need disobedient servants. I just issued an appropriate punishment." he moved his hands in a way that looked as if slapping an imaginary person. He responded casually as if it was a normal thing to do.

"You used all of your points on the first day. When Ibuki-san protested, you exiled her, didn't you?"

"That's right. I used all of our points. Alongside Ibuki , another boy defied me as well, so I had them both driven out. So no matter what happens to them, I don't have to worry about losing any points"

"I see... This entire trip has been a waste of time and effort."

"Forget all that and come play with me. I'll prepare a special tent for us." Ryuen teased.

"Let's go, Levent-kun. Being here is only making me sick."

"Sure."

In a matter of seconds, we dissolved inside the forest, leaving a smug yet perturbed Ryuen behind.

••••••

Day 2, 2:05 PM.

As we were returning from the beach, Horikita suddenly turned to me and asked, "Don't you have anything to say?"

"Oh, er... Good job. Your compliments will be on their way." I gave her a thumbs-up, which seemingly irritated her.

"About this trip specifically." she said.

"Class D girls are surprisingly cute, don't you think?" I responded.

"I'd much rather you take this seriously Levent-kun!" Horikita glared at me, understandably annoyed by my lack of interest. I sighed.

"Very well. Here's my take." I paused for a few seconds, contemplating how much I should reveal to her. "You should be wary of that person, Ryuen. He's much more troublesome than you think."

"Troublesome. He's barely posing a treat. How foolish of him to burn their points on the first day..."

"I don't think that's the case though." I uttered with no emotion.

Horikita looked at me with a questioning gaze. "So, you're saying that I missed something crucial?"

"Try to trace back to conversations you've had with the other class leaders." I asked.

Horikita went silent for a second, processing what I just said. I could imagine the cogs turning inside her head. And then it clicked!

"Let me ask you a question, Levent-kun. When you and Ayanokouji-kun found Ibuki-san abandoned in the woods, did you find her alone by herself?"

"Yes. She was the only one there. May I ask why you're asking that all of a sudden?" I replied.

"Now, that I think about it. Ibuki-san and Kaneda-kun, they both retaliated against Ryuen-kun, and ended up getting kicked from their camp."

"What about them?"

"It's strange... They were both kicked out at the same time. But Ibuki-san ended up in class C and Kaneda-kun ended up in class B. Two of them are currently in different classes. Wouldn't it have been better if they stuck together?" she asked.

"Who knows? Maybe they weren't kicked at the same time? Maybe someone got kicked hours before the other?" I commented.

"I'm not denying the possibility. But I find it very suspicious that two people from class D ended up in two different class camps."

I faintly smirked...

"So, what are you going to do now?" I asked.

"As things are going, it won't be too long before class D forfeits the exam. And when that happens, Ibuki-san will lose all her excuses to stay on the island. We'll have the right to force her out of the camp. As for now, I have no choice but to try and protect you to the best of my ability."

She was right, and surprisingly more sharp this time. I didn't get the logic as to why Ibuki was allowed to stay on the island even after her class allegedly forfeited the exam. They should've asked questions like:

'Why would anyone want to stay on the island when there's no actual benefit for them?' or, 'Why did she persist even after her entire class vanished?'. But the biggest mystery yet...

' Why didn't my classmates question any of this in the light novel?'

I found it very much odd and unreasonable. Horikita was thinking like a human for once. I couldn't help but feel proud of her. However, from that point on, I had a lot of things to put inside my calculations.

Class D will ' pretend' drop the exam on the afternoon of the third day. Today's the second day. This only leaves me one day to set everything up. I also have to do it inconspicuously in order to avoid chaos. Only I knew about the plan, no one else. It'd be a pain if I failed to pull everything together. Not to mention, I'd be losing a lot of points for nothing.

"Let's head back quickly."

[E: In the middle of my semester finale. Pray for me. I'll try to write faster in the future.]

Initial allotted special exam points: 300S¶

Remaining Points: 200S¶

Current balance: 1,294,970¶¶

Chapter 3.8 - Hint

Day 2, 2:36 PM.

We didn't lose our way when returning to the camp. Horikita was understandably dissatisfied with what had happened during the trip.

I, on the other hand, was relatively content with our achievement. Not only did we gain class B's (irrational) cooperation, I also managed to directly throw sand at Ryuen's eyes.

I was curious to know where class A had relocated. As much as I wanted to search for their base by myself, I couldn't. Unfortunately, I didn't have our protagonist's fortnite.

Wait!?

Ayanokouji is with Sakura on the scout team. Perhaps they would stumble across the camp like they did originally. If that happens, then maybe I can get some more information out of them.

But I'd better not count on their luck.

Apart from that, I had something of high priority to take care of, and fast! Ibuki, who was trying her best to squeeze the leader's name, would inevitably be forced out of our camp the day after tomorrow. Meaning that I had a time limit of one and a half day to accomplish my plan.

I stopped on my track. Horikita confusedly looked at me.

"Why did you stop?"

"A request." I reached out for something in my pocket and then gave it to her. "Do not open under any circumstances."

"Why are you giving this to me?" she interrogated.

"It's necessary. You'll understand when it's time." I replied.

As expected, she was dissatisfied with my vague reply, but didn't question anything any further.

•••••

Day 2, 2:46 PM.

"Hey, they're back!" Karuizawa pointed out to us as soon as we stepped inside the cave.

The food gatherer's group had already returned. We already noticed some students poking around with the cookware set, perhaps they were trying to cook something.

"Guess what? We're stacked today!" Okitani shouted enthusiastically.

"Sure seems like it." I mused.

"Right! I mean look at all these stuff!"

Apparently, everyone was on cloud nine ever since they got back from the forest. They managed to get a decent amount of food. My eyes landed on a few dozens of banana vines lying on the floor. Perhaps they found those trees sooner than expected.

But banana's can only fill so much of our stomach. So I'm guessing they found something more than that.

After receiving all the information from my classmates, I removed myself from the crowd and sat next to the water container. I was so thirsty that my throat was as dry as the Sahara. But to my surprise, there was not a single drop of water.

"You've got to kidding me."

I looked around for a bottle that had some water in it, but I was disappointed. I released a sigh. I was going to leave and refill the container, until a familiar blue haired girl approached me.

"Here." she pushed a half-filled bottle at me, which I gladly accepted.

"Thanks."

"Just drink it."

In an attempt of not to annoy her with the 'indirect kiss' phenomenon, I drank the water without touching the opening of the bottle.

As soon as I gulped, it felt like my soul had returned to my body.

"Again, thank you."

"You looked like a dog dying out of thirst on a hot summer day. So I took pity on you."

Yep... No wonder why they'd get along so well.

"Words cut deep, you know?"

I pretended as though a thorn had penetrated my abdomen. This seemed to annoy her even more.

"So? What did you see?" she asked nonetheless.

"Hm?"

"You went near the beach, didn't you? How much damage did he do?" Ibuki was trying to get some info about her class.

"Unfortunately, it's just as you feared. They had completely exhausted their points." I replied.

"That guy! He really is the worst!" Ibuki silently shouted while glaring at the floor.

Stop! The poor thing's gonna cry because of all the glares it's been receiving.

"I wonder how long it would take for them to completely exhaust all their resources?"

"Tch."

Ibuki stayed silent while clutching her fist. I could see veins popping on her forehead because of this. I almost wanted to believe that she was genuinely angry.

Ibuki was not the outgoing type. She was socially awkward. On missions like this, it would've been the best choice to send a socially adept individual. For example, if I were to use the same tactic as Ryuen, I would immediately send Matsushita and Kikyo. Karuizawa would be available as an option after I'm done with her arc.

"We'd better talk about something else." I tried changing the topic.

"Whatever..." Ibuki sighed.

"Are you part of any clubs now, Ibuki-san?" I asked.

"Not really. I used to go to the Karate club in middle school. But then it kind of got boring, so I quit."

"Wow, you have experience in martial arts, huh? That's actually cool."

"It gets lame at some point." she replied.

"Having the experience itself doesn't hurt now, does it? I think it'll be useful to you someday."

"The experience itself is a pain. As if you'd know about it..."

"..."

Yeah, about that...

I can somehow relate to her on this subject. Except for the fact that unlike Ibuki, I had no choice in this regard. I was pretty much forced into learning Krav Maga by that red-headed fiend.

"I guess that's true."

I even broke my neck while she was simply showing me the moves. Every time I was thrown to the ground, I broke a bone. And every time I was injured, she would manually relocate and reinforce them back. This all happened because of her miscalculation.

I still can't forget about the times when she tried to extract something called a 'Crest' out of me, only to fail hundreds of times. All the cuts and burns that were hiding under my ' healed' skin. Some of them weren't completely healable, so they were halfway done. All the things I had to go through, for the sake of her 'research'.

My own insanity kept me from going truly insane.

Who do I blame more?

Her?

Or, my existence?

"What about you? Do you go to any club?" Ibuki asked, snapping me out of my train of thoughts.

"Oh yeah, I'm part of the 'go home' club, just like you."

"Figures."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I deadpaned.

"It's to be expected from someone who looks dead inside." she said that without eye contact, which indicated that she was not lying.

Eh?

"Hey, I'll have you know that I'm quite confident in my athletic skills. I'm sure the senpais would line up to recruit me if they knew how good at sport I am."

"Sure. If you say so."

"Why do I sense sarcasm?"

"For someone who's dead, you sure know how to talk."

I'd appreciate if you didn't kill me ever two sentences. Though you're correct, but still!

"Lack of sleep, blame it on that." I replied.

"Go to sleep then." she shot back.

"What are you? My mom?" I joked back.

"You're a moron." she replied as she stood up and walked away.

I stared at her as she walked outside the cave.

"Tell me something I don't already know."

•••••

Day 3, 4:14 AM.

On the third day, I noticed Ayanokouji leaving the tent and walking toward the pile of baggages in girl's side. When he reached there, he began rummaging through the bags. Without delay, I silently crawled of the tent and sneaked toward him.

"You horny or what?" I whispered, slightly startling Ayanokouji to my surprise.

"Ah, this... is not what it looks like. I was simply curious about something." He said.

"Female lingerie?"

"You couldn't be any further from the truth."

"Relax. I'm aware of your intentions."

As much as I wanted to think that Ayanokouji was simply trying to research how a girl's undergarment looks or smells like, that clearly wasn't the case.

I wanted to stop his search as I already knew what was inside. But then again, it would be suspicious if I began uttering everything without anything backing my claims. I also couldn't progress without him being aware of the camera.

"Levent... Look at this."

Soon enough, he pulled out the camera from Ibuki's bag. It was different from a personal camera, like the one Sakura had. It was provided by the school. And by provided, I mean 'bought' from the school.

The school didn't allow anyone to carry any personal belongings. Instead, we had to buy necessary utensils using our special exam points. If somebody wanted to take pictures to capture memorable moments, they had the the option to do so. But with the cost of six special exam points. I'm sure none of the classes thought about buying cameras using their invaluable special points. Up until now that is.

"What are your thoughts about this?" I asked.

"Maybe she bought this to take pictures with us?" he replied.

"You're annoying."

"Or, maybe it's to snap something that we have?"

"If her goal is to find the name of the leader, then a simple name should suffice. But the camera adds another layer of complexity. That could mean one or two things. Either Ryuen doesn't trust Ibukis ' words, which doesn't make sense considering he trusted her enough to send her on this mission. Then, the only possibility would be, to show it someone who doesn't trust either of them. Whoever it is, they are cautious. And I have a few faces in my mind."

"Katsuragi Kouhei , one of the leaders in class A, isn't he?" He muttered.

"Why do you think that Ryuen is so keen on sharing the leader list to class A? Why do you think he's trying to help them win the exam?" I asked.

"They must have some sort of mutual benefits from this. Ryuen losing his mind after the loss may be a factor too, I guess? Either way, it's safe to assume that class A and class D have banded together."

"Now, addressing back to the problem at hand, why are you holding a water bottle?"

"I'm sabotaging her camera."

Ayanokouji opened the memory compartment of the camera and was ready to pour the water inside. I sighed and took the camera from him.

"There's no need. I have better ways to tackle this situation. All of them excludes damaging her camera." I announced.

"Why not? It would be easier if I damage it."

"Be more realistic, Ayanokouji. The bag that was provided to every single one of us is waterproof, her's too. The marks of sabotage would be obvious if you plan on drowning it. What are you planning to do when she gets conscious of the fact that someone from the class knows her intention?"

"She wouldn't have any choice. Class D had exhausted all of their points by now. Buying another camera would be out of option. She would have no choice but to gather physical evidence. That's when the real strategy begins."

His 'strategy' involves the leader dropping out of the exam. That, in my opinion, was a waste of time, points and energy. But for me... it would be a waste of blood cells.

"Sorry, but I don't plan on getting hurt or seriously injured for the sake of this insignificant exam."

"Are you perhaps a psychic?"

A psychopath would be a much suitable term, but that's a different story.

"Listen, we're going to avoid all of that. You see this?"

I finally showed him my trump card. Ayanokouji's eyes slightly raised after noticing the thing.

"So you're planning on doing that, huh?"

"Do you now understand what I'm trying to do?"

Ayanokouji was momentarily staring at me. I couldn't imagine what he thought at that time, but if I were to guess, I'd say he was analyzing me. Confidence, resolve or capability. His freedom was at stake. Even if it was fake, I didn't have anything solid to prove that it wasn't. So if he noticed anything of negative value in my plan, then there was a small chance that he would deduce it as worthless and take matters to his own hands.

But, I knew exactly what he'd pick.

"I'm counting on you, Levent." he said before turning back to the tent.

I'm sure he had other backup plans ready in case things go south. But that won't be necessary. My plan is flawless.

"Before you go, I just want to ask. Do you know where class A's base is?"

He turned around and nodded.

Good...

I shoved it back in my pocket and went near the river to enjoy some fresh air.

•••••

Day 3, 6:13 PM

"Good morning, Levent-kun. It seems you're awake before any of us."

Seeing a cute face like Kikyou's the first thing in the morning was definitely something.

" Ahnyongaseyo ~"

"Oh, Ahnyongaseyo ! Levent-kun, do you perhaps know how to speak Korean?"

"Not really. I just kind of felt like saying it."

"Oh, I see. And here I thought you were a foreigner." Kikyou muttered.

What the–?

"Why do you think I'm a foreigner?" I asked, curious about her answer.

"Huh? Oh, uh... Well, your given name isn't exactly Japanese, and your features are not quite similar to the boys in our class."

This is getting quite troublesome, huh?

"How is that?" I asked.

"For instance, your eyes are bigger and more vibrant than any of us. You also have aquamarine blue eyes, which is quite rare in this country to be honest. But the biggest difference of all, your facial hairs are developing way earlier than any of the boys in our class."

"Is it that bad?"

"No, quite the opposite actually. Some of the girls think you look more handsome with those hair. You were ranked to be the nineth most handsome boy in the first year ikemen list. But I'm sure your rankings would be even higher the next time."

Guess I'll keep them...

" Another question..." I asked.

"Yes?"

"Why are you caressing my face?"

"Huh? Oh, I was! I didn't realize I was doing that! How strange!"

For some reason, she was unintentionally caressing my cheeks while giving me her explanation. If I was like any other boy from our class (except for two certain individuals), I would have a heart attack due to cuteness overload. More importantly...

Was she not thinking of her social status? What would they say if they saw us like that?

"Can you stop?"

"Sorry! I couldn't stop myself from petting them. It feels good to touch them, you know?"

I wonder what would've happened if our gender roles were reversed.

Setting aside the bold move from Kikyou, I was actually paying more attention to the feeling in my cheeks.

"..."

It's not like that!

She was right about my facial hair seeping out of my skin. I had almost forgot that I was aging this world as well. I was going through puberty all over again. Maybe one day, I would end up looking like the same me as I was in my original world. Sometimes, I wonder what had 'really' happened to me. Was I transmigrated , or did I perform a time-shift in a parallel universe where YouZitsu was real?

In any case, Kikyou backed away from me.

"So... are you really a foreigner?" she persisted. Well, it's not like any harm will come if anyone knew about my background.

"Isn't that obvious?" I replied.

"Huh? Wait, for real? I mean, yeah. I guess it should've been obvious by now, haha." Kikyou giggled. "So, where did you come from? If you don't mind me asking."

"Europe."

"You're a European, huh? Umu umu... I see. But you didn't tell me which country though?"

Why is she showing so much interest in my background all of a sudden?

"Does it matter?"

"Well, if you don't want to say it, then I won't ask." she pouted.

"I was born in Antalya, Turkey. My guardian brought me to Japan when I was eleven." I sighed.

"I see. You're from Turkey, huh? Feels kinda exciting to know that we have a foreign student here!"

"Kikyou, I must say, you're being surprisingly observant lately. Is this because of what happened 'that night' ?" I added.

"Oh, you! You really had to go ahead and remind me of some unpleasant memories huh, Levent-kun?" Her voice was cutesy, but I could sense a little bit of hostility in her tone.

"Of course, it wasn't my intention. But feel free to interpret it however you want." I then leaned my lips toward her ears and whispered...

"Relax. I'm a man of my word. As long as you don't try anything stupid, I would hold onto my end of the deal. Your secret is safe with me."

Her face was understandably red. It was kind of like a payback. She tried to fluster me by caressing my face. So I simply showed a tiny fragment of my caliber.

"Say, care to go for a walk, Kikyou?" I asked.

"S-sure." Kikyou nodded obediently. "You're surprisingly bold, Levent-kun. I'll give you that." she muttered.

"Back at you." Thus, we began walking toward the forest entrance. "That aside, why did you come to me for?"

"Hey... Can I not talk to you unless it's class related?"

"No." I replied.

"Eh?" she looked at me with genuine surprise in her face.

...

"I was joking by the way."

"You were joking? Sigh~ Look, it's really hard to tell with that monotone and that expressionless face of your's doesn't make it any easier."

"I get that alot ."

"Of course you do..." she sighed in exasperation.

"What about you? Why don't you try and be more genuine and more frank with the others?"

"Don't get me wrong. I do want some friends who I can genuinely interact with. Not everyone from our class are bad. Mii-chan is a shy girl, but she's really pure-hearted. And Kayano-chan who seems like a tough athlete-type is actually super caring when it comes to her friends. There's also Kokoro-chan who's also a bit reserved. But she loves talking about her hobbies all the time."

It seems Kikyou knows how to be genuine too.

"If it's someone like you who's praising them this much, then they really must be good people."

"They are! They're all kind and genuine people. They're... in a completely different world from a rotten person like me. I can't even get myself to imagine what they'll think of me if they get to know who I truly am."

I was always kind of dissatisfied with how Kikyou was always branded as a bogus-faced attention seeking freak. After interacting with her for quite some time, I got to see some genuine emotions seeping out of her. She was conscious of what she was doing, and sometimes even felt guilty about it. But her addiction to attention was too strong. Everything she did up until now, was a result of her defense mechanism and the insecurities caused by her actions.

"Don't worry. I'm sure there are some people who'd still accept you just the way you are." I commented.

"Yeah, that's a cliché line from a stupid light novel or something. It's easier to say, but reality is completely different from those words. I'm sure everyone detests people like me." Kikyou bit her lips in frustration.

"In that case, everyone would end up hating everyone. We're all bogus. The human society is bogus. Everyone puts a fake smile in front of everyone but secretly kills them in their head. You think you're special just because you are scrappy? You'll almost make me smirk."

I noticed some veins popping on her forehead.

"Ara... Then, would you still accept me for who I am? Even after all that had happened?"

"Why not? I really don't get it. What is there to not accept about you? You're a human too, aren't you? All humans harbor some sort of darkness that they desperately want to hide. Even I have things that I don't tell anyone. Your's was truly an unfortunate case, as I happened to be the person to overhear your secrets. You merely attempted to protect your secrets. But even so, I still see you like I see everyone in the class. It'd be hypocritical for me to think otherwise."

Kikyou suddenly hung her head down and stopped walking. I went a few steps ahead of her when I realized and then halted. Her bangs were covering her eyes, so I couldn't get a read on her. We both remained silent. This time I didn't initiate the conversation this time, patiently waiting for her response instead.

"Do you... really mean that?" she slowly pulled her head up and asked.

This could only mean two things. Either it was all an act in an attempt to get close to me, in which case she would fail spectacularly.

Or, she was truly being genuine with me for once.

Either way... I looked her in the eyes and said this.

"Of course, it'd be an entirely different matter if you were an alien. In that case I'll have to report you to the government for the sake of scientific development and humanity."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Hey, it wasn't that bad, you know?"

"Pfft. Of course not, it was the worst. For someone smart, you really lack some sense of tact, huh? As expected, you're the biggest idiot on our class." Kikyou giggled. But this time, it was different. Her smile significantly wrinkled her eyes and she was even talking faster than usual.

Yep, no doubt about it. She was genuine.

"Sure. Whatever you say, ma'am. Can we continue? We're almost there." I grumbled.

"Now that you mention it, where are you taking me anyway?" she asked.

"Here."

We were standing in front of a waterfall which was relatively close to class B's base, but it was still about fifteen minutes from here. It didn't take too much energy to reach here though. We simply had to follow the river uphill on a different route.

The sun was already up but it was still early morning. Morning sunrays, the falling waterbody on top of an addictive ambiance. I was perfectly mesmerized by the beauty of it.

Now...

"You came to me because we didn't have enough chance to see each other lately, wasn't it? Don't worry, no one will hear you at this hour."

"So, you brought me here because you were thinking about me?"

"Not really. It was an excuse. I just wanted to see the waterfall."

"I see." Kikyou suddenly karate chopped me on the left. I let her hit me. "You really need some sense of tact, Levent-kun."

"Why?"

"If you're that smart, go figure it out. Blegh !" she poked her tongue out and mocked me before tuning her back on me and running.

" What about the–?"

"Don't need it! And besides, because of you, now I know what I really want. So, tha –" I couldn't hear what she said at the end. She went further away from me, eventually dissolving into the sea of trees. Leaving me alone in this blissful environment to enjoy all by myself.

Sigh~

••••••

Day 3, 11:22 PM.

Before noon, I noticed Ayanokouji leaving the base camp toward the entrance of the forest. Before leaving, he stopped right in the front, as if he was waiting for someone. I got up and began walking toward his direction.

"Let's see what you've got." I mused.

"Follow me."

We were talking a different route this time. We were camping on the north-west side of the island. Class B was on the central part of the island which was on the north-west from our camp. Class D was on the southern beach. The only part that would make sense for class A to occupy would be the easter side.

Rather than staying near the vicinity of the enemy class's parameter, it would be the best choice for them to find somewhere isolated. And even if the eastern island didn't consist of as many spots as the west, it was still a considerably high number. Knowing Katsuragi's character, it would only make sense if they occupied that side. And soon enough, I found myself walking toward that direction.

So, this is where class C would've camped if it wasn't for my intervention...

"We're here."

"Yeah, I can see that."

I noticed six tents put side-by-side alongside a shower and a water purifier. There was also a set of cookware alongside the gas cylinder sticking outside the sleeping area. Albeit everything looked normal on the outside, I was pretty sure that they didn't buy a single thing with their own points.

"Interesting."

Originally, they had occupied the cave to hide their belongings. They would take everything from from class D and use it as their own. However, this time class C had occupied the cave zone. Meaning that they had lost their means of secrecy.

But if course, they could always set another tent to hide all the products. I'm sure they would do that when class D is done with their self-destruction.

"Did you notice any spot nearby?" I asked.

"I did. There's a big pile of granite nearby. I saw one of the spot recognition devices there. Are you planning on capturing it?"

"No, just take me there. I want to confirm something."

"Well, you do sound like you know what you're doing."

Ayanokouji and I sneaked past the camp and walked near the stone. I don't know how or WHY? But by sheet luck, did we manage to find Katsuragi alongside Yahiko.

"Stop! Stop!" I pulled Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji also noticed their presence and hid himself.

They were standing in front of the machine. Katsuragi reached inside his pocket and pulled the card out. Then he gave it to Yahiko who later swiped the card and returned it back.

The leader names remained the same, it didn't change. I couldn't be too sure about it considering how much the story had changed. But after seeing this, I had confirmed my doubts.

"That's enough. Let's retreat."

[E: Heya! Been going through hell lately. But other than that, life is daijobu (quite the opposite actually lol ). I wrote this in a hurry and couldn't really give it much time considering I have to study 12 hours a day for the exams.

No, I'm being bloody serious right now. I sat to prepare for my Physics exam 2 days ago. Other that eating, praying, shower or taking a shit, I always had a book glued to my lap.

Ah, my back hurts!

Anyways, I have also made a side story this time (yay!) Please tell me how you feel about this story and point me all the inconsistencies. I'll try to update as soon as I can. Ciao]

Initial allotted special exam points: 300S¶

Remaining Points: 200S¶

Current balance: 1,294,970¶¶

Fragments #2 - DreamEndExplosion

"I need a bag, quick! He's losing blood!" a surgeon yelled at the nurse in frustration.

Not too long ago, a heinous man-made tragedy took place at the central town, producing hundreds of patients who were in need of emergency help.

The situation of Anadolu National Hospital was chaotic. All available beds were listed as operational. Nurses running everywhere to supply necessary utensils to the surgeons.

The mixed smell of disinfectants, medicines and blood filled the air with a suffocating horrid stench.The injured and their relatives wailed in unison, creating the perfect symphony of despair.

Within the chaos, a man clad in military camo uniform was walking by the makeshift operation cubicles. The atmosphere didn't seem to bother him at all. He had a stern, stolid and emotionless expression glued to his face. Any normal human being would be easily disturbed by that scene; some would even get nauseated. However that was never enough to move than man's war hardened heart. The fact is, he had seen the same scenario countless times before, it simply didn't get to him anymore.

"Major Kazim..." suddenly a voice called out to that man. Kazim turned around to see a young figure standing outside one of the cubicles in disciplined posture. The young man was wearing the same uniform as him. Judging by the badges on his shoulder, he was nothing more than a Sargent. He had a rifle on his back and a pistol on the left side of his waist.

"Major Kazim... They're here." the man informed.

Kazim nodded as he went to see inside the cubicle. The young soldier accompanied his superior inside.

"A man and a woman. They were within the range of casualties during the operation, sir."

"Where's the children?" Kazim

"There they are." The sargent pointed towards the bed. Two small figures were lying on a bed together. A girl and a boy. The girl was heavily wounded and multiple layers of bandages were all over her body. The boy next to her, seemingly older than her. He seemed to have a head injury. A puddle of blood was seeping out from his heavily bandaged forehead.

"The two of the dead were married to each other. They were keeping these kids at the back. When the explosion went off, the wall collapsed on them."

Kazim looked at the children again. Both of them looked back at the major with blank expressions. There was no hint of pain, no emotion nor sadness. They were like empty shells.

"They look terrible."

After witnessing the results, Kazim felt a bit sad (a small grain of it). Had they been successful at handling the incident more efficiently, this could've been avoided. The anonymous tip they'd recieved about [Headhunter]'s location didn't include the woman and their children. It was supposed to be a simple infiltrate and capture operation. Bombs were set up as an emergency measure in the case of extreme situations. They weren't supposed to detonate that early.

However, whether it was lack of info, or defective explosives, or intentional set-up; they didn't matter anymore. What was done was already done and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Their faces look similar. Are they twins?"

"No, sir. They are only identical. The younger sibling's name is Elize Bayraktar. She's only nine years old. Two years younger than her brother. As you can see, she was the one who suffered the most injuries." Sargent pointed towards the gurl.

"And what about her brother? What's his name?" Major Kazim pointed at the boy.

"Levent Bayraktar. Eleven years old. Even though it seems like he's comparatively less injured, he had actually sustained a fatal head injury from the collapse. It is a miracle that he's breathing right now."

Kazim looked at the boy's tightly done bloody bandage. Even from outside it seemed excruciating.

What baffled Kazim the most was the fact that both of them looked like they were seven at best. The both lost their parents, they sustained excruciating injuries. Yet, they remained calm, not even flinching despite experiencing intolerable pain.

"I've seen enough."

Kazim closed his eyes and turned away from the siblings and prompted to take his leave.

"Inform me of the institute where they would be transferred."

"Yes, sir."

Both the sargent and the major left the cubicle, leaving the siblings all by themselves.

•••••

Even though it was a cacophonous environment, for the siblings, everything became silent. There was an ongoing surgery right next to their cubicle. Yet they weren't hearing any of the blaring noises. It was as if they had become numb to all senses.

"Say, are we going to die?" Elize asked finally breaking their silence. Levent blankly stared at the ceiling.

"No." Levent replied nonchalantly.

"Then, if we don't die, we'll always be together." She turned to Levent.

"Hm.."

"Two candybars for two of us. Two beds for two of us."

"Okay."

"Haha... Double of everything, right?"

Levent turned around to see his sister. He noticed some blood sticking out of her right ear; she had lost one of her ears. But more importantly, if blood is coming out of her ear, then that means...

"Double of everything." Levent replied.

Elize revealed a gentle, bright smile. I was so dazzling, nothing could compare to the brightness that illuminated from her lips.

Levent turned his head towards the white ceiling of the hospital again.

White...

The color white summons a distant memory.

Something far in the back of his brain.

Something that was thought to be trivial.

Something far more important than trivial.

At that moment he remembered all the fun memories they had.

The moment when they had their first swimming lesson.

The moment when they had their first visit to an amusement park.

The moment when he had to accompany Elize as she started school.

The moments when the two of them used to play in a nearby forest.

So many precious memories. All of them were meaningful. Every single one of them was important to him.

Soon to be forgotten due to the passage of time.

"Levent." Elize called out her brother.

"Hm?" Levent replied.

"If we die, then let's die together."

...

"Okay."

"Close your eyes."

Levent closed his eyes. "I did"

"Let's not open them again."

"Okay."

Both of them close their eyes. Elize grabbed her brother's arm strongly. Levent wanted to open his eyes, but didn't do that as it was forbidden..

"Hold my hand tightly."

"Hmm."

Levent strengthened the grip of his arm.

"Let's meet again in the afterlife, brother."

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"It's cold."