"Mom! I am going out, to play with Ren from the school." A small boy with a neat medium length black hair and with very bright green eyes said with an innocent smile, walking towards the front door with a bag over his shoulder. 1
"Hm? When will you come back? And why do you have that bag with you?" His mother with long black hair and sharp black eyes asked while suspiciously observing the boy.
"That? I am just taking some bottled water and the necessary equipment to play soccer! I will back before dinner!" The boy replied with a slightly confused expression.
"Hmm…Alright, make sure to stay out of the trouble! Break a leg, Yu-chan!" His mom said with a bright smile after inspecting him for the last time. 8
"Sure! See you later, mom!" Having his permission, boy burst to the outside while waving his hand behind at his mother. 4
"…This kid…" His mother was also waving until he finally disappeared a block further, she just muttered lowly with a faint smile while shaking her head before closing the door.
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The boy was called Yuichi Iwamura and he was just your average 9 years old boy going attending elementary school. 5
'Today is Saturday and the bright sunny Saturday at that.' Yuichi thought while looking up and shielding his eyes with his hands from the sunrays. 2
Yuichi's family was living on the edge of Tokyo so public transport wasn't problem here. However, instead of walking towards his friend's house, Yuichi actually went towards the bus station where he waited for the specific bus.
'…I feel really bad for lying to my mother but I know better not to tell her about "that"' Yuichi thought while waiting for the bus to arrive.
When the bus Yuichi was waiting for finally arrived, he boarded the bus and rode around 15 minutes before getting off the bus.
'This should be the place…' Yuichi thought while looking at an old building that looked to be built purely out of wood. 3
He was hesitating for a few seconds while listening to the birds' singing before finally taking a step forward and entering the building.
"Ah!" Yuichi's expression brightened once he saw a bald old man sitting in a cross-legged position with his eyes closed in front of a wall filled with paintings.
"Hm?" The bald old man just hummed, hearing Yuichi's arrival but he never opened his eyes to confirm if it's truly him.
"ShishÅ !" Yuichi said loud and clear while bowing down.
"Mm…You found me, what about your parents?" Old man nodded his head and asked without opening his eyes.
"I-…" Yuichi had his voice filled with hesitation and old man sensed it, opening his right eye, giving Yuichi a sharp look.
"I haven't told them…yet." Yuichi admitted while looking down in shame.
"And are you planning to? In a close future, that is." The old man asked while once again closing his right eye.
"Um…I was planning to do that…in the right situation." Yuichi said with an awkward smile while scratching the back of his head.
"I told you where to find me that day because I felt like you are someone worth teaching but since your parents don't know about you being here…it means that you were lying to them. Tell me, how can I just train someone who lied to their own relatives right into their eyes?" The old man asked with a completely calm tone, not letting to see in his face or tone what are his real thoughts.
"…" Yuichi looked down in shame after hearing his words but after a few seconds of silence, he raised his head with his green eyes shining brighter than ever due to the sunrays falling on his face through the old windows. 2
"Yes, I lied to my mother about going here but it was for her good, I knew that she wouldn't let me learn any martial arts. I am aware that I shouldn't have done that but-but I don't regret it." Yuichi said with a clear voice and strong expression.
"Oh? Well, if you don't regret it then I guess everything is fine…" The old man said while getting up and opening his eyes, revealing his sharp pitch-black eyes.
"Huh?" Yuichi was surprised by the old man's carefree reply.
"What? I am not a moralist, look at where I am living. It was just a little test to let me see something" The old man said in mysterious way that Yuichi didn't understand but he couldn't care any less about that right now since this old man is willing to train him. 3
"Anyway, tell me the reason why you want to learn martial arts." The old man folded his arms and demanded with a stern expression.
"Hmm…To beat up anyone who wants to beat me up?" Yuichi thought for a few seconds before replying with a bright smile and closed eyes.
"?…Haha, you are lucky that I am no traditionalist or no one would want to teach someone like you. However I like your answer, it is simple yet truthful, much better than saying "for protection"" The old man was slightly surprised by his answer before he started laughing. 10
"!!! Thank you, ShishÅ !" Yuichi bowed down once again while clenching his fist in anticipation.
"No need for such formalities, for now, take off your shirt, I want to check your body's condition to know what kind of training to give you" The old man waved his hand before crouching down in front of him. 19
"Eh? Right…in a second." Yuichi was caught off guard by his demand but he still did as the old man asked him.
'To think I will be able to train under this mysterious old man…' Yuichi thought with excitement running inside his veins, he also began to recall the moment he met this old man by complete coincidence. This old man wasn't actually someone who he met only a few times, he knew him already for a few years however he never knew about his strength until the day he saw him taking down a few thieves who wanted to rub him. 18
This old man actually owned a small restaurant near his house where he often acted as the main chef.
After the old man was done inspecting Yuichi's body, he got up and walked back to the wall filled with paintings with a thoughtful expression.
"Yuichi…Tell me, are you working out with your own weight a bit?" The old man asked.
"Yeah, I am doing some push-ups, squats, and sit-ups, however, I do most of them because of the sports" Yuichi explained with a small nod.
"Because of the 'sports'? How many sports do you play?" The old man asked with an interested expression.
"Hmm…Not many, I like to play soccer, basketball, tennis, and badminton. Of course, I also like to play volleyball and many others but I don't really have the height for them and I am not that good at them as those first 4 I named." Yuichi said, knowing that he also didn't have the height for basketball yet but at least he was much better at it than at volleyball. 4
"Alright, stop right there, kid." The old man said while gesturing him to stop with his hand.
'This kid is obviously very athletic and he should be also very flexible and fast. He doesn't have much of the muscle mass but that's completely fine…overall, his potential on the physical side is very good.' The old man thought before deciding what to do. 3
"Alright, kid! Keep your shirt off and change into shorts, also take off your socks" The old man said and Yuichi followed as he said. 8
The old man started training Yuichi for a few hours but the entire session was only about stretches and the right ways how to train with one's own weight. Despite such light training, Yuichi's body felt all sore.
When it was time for him to finally leave, he said goodbye to the old man and went to the bus stop.
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"Mom! I am at home! Yuichi said while closing the front door behind him.
"We are in the kitchen!" Yuichi heard his mother's voice so he decided to go to the kitchen where he saw his father sitting at the table, reading a book.
"Dad!" Yuichi greeted with a faint smile.
"Yuichi…" His father replied in the same manner as him. His father had short brown hair and faint green eyes, therefore it was visible from who Yuichi got his eyes.
"Did you just returned from work?" Yuichi asked while washing his hands in the kitchen.
" sigh How many times I have told you not to wash your hands in the kitchen…The bathroom isn't here for nothing." Yuichi's mother muttered with a helpless smile. 10
"Yeah, I am pretty tired so no games of shogi for today. What were you doing outside?" His father replied with an apologetic smile before asking with a curious expression.
"Ah, I was…um, playing soccer with Ren. And it's alright, I am pretty tired myself, I will be in my room before the dinner will be ready." Yuichi replied with a bit hesitant but he still covered it pretty well before speeding off to his room.
"…That kid, he was never exhausted enough to refuse a game or two of shogi." Yuichi's father muttered with a thoughtful expression before shrugging his shoulders and returning his attention to the book in his hands
"Yuichi! Hold up, young man!" Yuichi's mother stopped him from leaving the house.
"Hm? Yes?" Yuichi stopped opening the door and turned to his mother with a confused expression.
"You have been behaving strangely for the entire month already…You have been going out at the same time and when you returned you were completely exhausted, after some time, you were even returning with a few bruises over your body…What are you not telling me?" His mother asked with a stern expression but there was also a concern visible in her eyes. 3
"…I mean, isn't it normal that I will get a few bruises while playing soccer?" Yuichi asked, he was ready to say what he has been doing the entire time but he definitely doesn't want to do that when his father is not around, he will have to wait till the evening.
"Yes it is completely normal that you have a few bruises on your legs but why do you have bruises also on your hands and upper body? Don't tell me you are getting into fights!" His mother placed both of her hands on her hips while wearing an apron and asked with narrowed eyes in suspicion.
'Shit! What should I say?!' Yuichi looked completely normal on the outside, smiling at his mother however, inside he was sweating like a pig. 8
"You know, I and a few more guys from school were trying out a new game similar to American football…It's nothing serious…" Yuichi quickly came up with something.
"American football? Aren't you kids a bit too small to play something violent as that? Just make sure that no one gets hurt otherwise I will have a talk with your friends' parents." She said with a frown but seeing the visible disappointment in Yuichi's face, she decided to let him be for now. 6
"Don't worry, we have a professional, looking over us!" Yuichi nodded a few times to acknowledge his mother's words.
"Alright, alright, you can go now, don't let me stop you. And be careful!" His mother ruffled his hair before letting him go with a big smile.
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'Shit! Shit! Shit! What am I going to do?! I lied once again…I can't just come to the dinner today and say "I have been lying a few times and I have been practicing martial arts from that old man who sometimes cooks next door"' Yuichi thought with a depressed expression while holding his head during the ride on the bus. 3
Yuichi thankfully had a "foolproof" strategy where he was always training under the old man and then he even went to play with other kids to have some alibi and some other days he even spent most of the day with the kids and then he went to train for only an hour or so. Although his friends started to question where he was going so early, he always replied that he has to go home early to study. Therefore…it wasn't exactly foolproof but no lie is foolproof.
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"Left leg!" The old man said and hit Yuichi into his left leg with a shinai before he was able to dodge.
"ouch!" Yuichi groaned but before he was able to even rub the spot he heard the old man shout once again.
"Midsection!" The old man said and struck the shinai towards Yuichi's stomach. 5
'You are kidding!' Yuichi thought with his heart pumping like crazy when he dodged that attack by stepping to the side. However, he had no time to recover.
"Right shoulder!"
bam
"Ouch!" Yuichi groaned and lost balance before falling on his ass. He then raised his head at the old man while rubbing his right shoulder.
"Don't even think about this being hard because I have a weapon and you don't…You get to know where I strike before I even move so no complaining, you can complain after you will have to dodge those without me saying anything." The old man said with a sly smile before sitting down on the floor opposite to Yuichi. 4
"So, what about your parents?" The old man asked with closed eyes.
"…I haven't told them yet…I intended to do that today at the dinner when dad will be there too but I kinda had to lie today once again so I don't imagine them taking it so well, especially mom." Yuichi said while looking down at the wooden floor, touching it with his index finger, doing circles with an absentminded expression.
"You have to stand up against your demons." The old man said with a serious tone. 2
"Huh? Demons…?" Yuichi raised his head and asked with a confused expression.
"Phaha, I guess it sounds wrong when it involves your parents but they are the only ones that are slowing down your progress. To be able to progress even faster you have to get rid of all things that trouble you. Try to imagine how would you feel if your parents knew what you are doing and they would let you do that." The old man laughed a bit, opening his eyes before explaining with a faint smile.
"I guess I wouldn't feel so…shackled like right now…? I indeed feel like not myself, being here knowing that my parents think that I am playing outside with other kids. Why are we even discussing such things?" Yuichi admitted before asking with a confused expression.
"You are still a little kid so I won't be teaching you just how to fight. I want you to have some general knowledge about how the outside world works. Just knowing how to fight will get you nowhere unless you are superhuman. You will have to abide by society's rules and convictions. Do you know why you attend school?" The old man explained and asked another question with a curious expression. 2
"To learn what I don't want to do in life?" Yuichi replied with an uncertain tone while tilting his head to the side. 3
"?! Haha, an interesting answer to hear from, how old are you again? 9 years old?" The old man was a bit surprised by his answer before he just started laughing.
Yuichi nodded his head to his question to confirm his age.
"Anyway, before you go home for today, I still have a question for you after hearing that interesting answer. What do you think of yourself? How do you view yourself?" The old man asked with anticipation visible in his face. 4
'Eeeh? Isn't he going to tell me how was my previous answer?' Yuichi thought, a bit dissatisfied but he was already accustomed to this old man's weird demands. However, the question the old man asked this time truly caught Yuichi off guard.
"Um, I think that I am…competitive?" Yuichi replied before thinking what more to say. 1
"Hmm, I see. You can go now, Yuichi." The old man said while waving his hand at Yuichi. 1
"Eh? A-Alright, thanks for today, ShishÅ !" Yuichi bowed down and left the old house, going towards the bus stop.
'I expected too much from him, after all, he is just 9 years old…It must have been his previous answer that got me ahead of myself.' The old thought while rubbing his chin and looking out of the window.
When Yuichi returned home, he greeted his mother and father, and while he was eating his dinner, he was hesitating whether he should tell his parents or not.
"Mom, dad, I want to tell you-" Yuichi suddenly just blurted out while sitting at the table but he was interrupted by his mother.
"Yu-chan, we are supposed to have new neighbors, they should arrive here tomorrow so I would appreciate it if you could go outside to buy some flowers as a gift. Your father just came back from the work and I am too busy with cooking for tomorrow, can you do that for me after you are done eating your dinner?" His mother asked with a gentle smile. 4
"Ah-…Yes, mom" Yuichi replied with a bit down expression.
"Hm? What is wrong, Yuichi? Ah, you wanted to say something to us, right? Sorry for interrupting you like that." His mother immediately noticed his expression so she asked what is wrong.
"A-It was nothing…I just wanted to say that…that I love you both very much!" Yuichi said with an awkward smile. 5
'Did she have to interrupt me right at the moment when I was ready to tell them? I will tell them after the matter with a new neighbor will be solved.' Yuichi thought, resenting his mother a bit for interrupting him. 2
"We love you too, Yu-chan!" His mother replied with a big smile while hugging his head.
His father on the other hand just gently smiled at him, giving him a weird feeling.
'What's up with that smile and look in his eyes? There is no way he suspects anything, right?' Yuichi thought, feeling something bad. 5
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Chapter 3: #3 New Neighbors 1
Right after eating his dinner, Yuichi went to buy some flowers as his mother asked of him and then he went back into his room.
'I probably should go study for a bit…however yawn I am too exhausted to do that.' Yuichi thought and in the end, he went straight into his bed.
'I wonder what kind of neighbor will arrive tomorrow…Maybe it will be someone who can join me and my friends at playing soccer.' Yuichi thought while lying on the bed and looking at the ceiling above him before his eyes started slowly closing. 2
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The next morning he went to the school where he showed just average achievements due to him skipping on his studies a lot of time. He could be glad that he found some time to complete his assignments, and after he started training under that old man while playing with other kids to keep image in front of his parents, he had absolutely no time for studying. Instead of studying till late at night, he chose to sleep well and be very attentive at school to make up for the loss of time for studying.
Of course, it only got him to around average or slightly above-average level at his studies. However, when it came to PE lessons, he was the best in the class with a few of his friends right behind him. Yuichi was also quite talented in Art classes, especially in Drawing with pencil, he had right hands and eyes for the details and even as a 9 years old kid, he could draw much better than some middle schoolers who were also interested in Drawing in general. 9
When he arrived home from the school, he immediately went to greet his parents. Today was the day both of his parents were home which was quite rare but Yuichi's father had a good job and he could also work from home but he didn't like that due to many distractions.
"Yu-chan, the new neighbors have already arrived and we already greeted them with your father while you were still at school. I hope you can go greet them too since it would be rude of us, especially after telling them that we have a son" Yuichi's mother said with a small smile while preparing a small snack after lunch.
"Eh? Do I have to go alone?" Yuichi asked with an uncomfortable expression.
"Don't worry Yu-chan! They are a young couple with a small girl around your age. They actually moved here for work. Both of them seem to be Chinese, however, don't worry, both of them can speak fluently Japanese, even their small daughter is proficient in both Chinese and Japanese." His mother reassured him with a bright smile while ruffling his hair. 3
'Hah? How is this supposed to reassure me?' Yuichi thought when he heard about his neighbors.
"Alright, I guess I will go right now so I have it done early" Yuichi nodded his head and started straightening his clothes before turning around, ready to leave.
"Wait! Here, we have left you one flower, it would be rude to introduce yourself and then just leave." His mother stopped him and handed him the last flower from the entire bouquet he brought yesterday.
Yuichi looked down at the beautiful violet flower before looking at his mother with a bit confused expression while she just nodded at him with a bright smile and closed eyes, urging him to go.
Yuichi went to next-door house where he saw a sign name Yu Wang. 9
'What is the surname? If I remember correctly, a woman's surname remains after marriage but…ugh! I have no idea…' Yuichi thought while standing in front of the door, holding his head before he shook his head and just shrugged it off, ready to ring the bell.
ring ring
The bell resounded in the house behind the doors a few times and Yuichi soon enough heard steps.
Creak
"Hello…?" The one who opened the door was a young woman and soon enough, a young man appeared next to her.
"Good afternoon, my name is Iwamura Yuichi and I am living in the house next door. It is nice to meet you, um, Wang-San?" Yuichi said in an awkward tone and bowed down.
"Oh! I see you are their son! We have already met your parents and they are very nice people, no need to be so polite." The young man said with a big smile while urging a small girl hiding behind him to squeeze in between him and his wife.
Her parents first introduced themselves before introducing her.
"And this is Mei-Yu Wang, our daughter, please take care of her. She will be attending the same school as you." Mei's mother said with a friendly smile and Mei herself didn't say anything and just lightly bowed to Yuichi. She had pink-violet eyes and a violet hair slightly over her shoulders tied up in twintails. 6
Yuichi just realized what he still had in his hand.
"Um, hello" Yuichi said awkwardly while offering the flower to Mei with a slightly forced smile and closed eyes.
While he had his eyes closed, he noticed that his arm was extended for a good few seconds before someone took the flower to which he finally opened his eyes to see Mei holding the flower while nodding to him and looking down in embarrassment.
'What a quiet girl…well, I guess she won't be joining us on our soccer sessions.' Yuichi thought and asked out of consideration if they don't need help with moving in.
"Oh, you are really sweet but we are almost done, however, thank you for your generous offer, Yu-chan, oh! I hope you don't mind me calling you that, your own mother told me that we can call you that." Mei's mother replied to Yuichi's offer.
Yuichi felt a bit awkward being called that by practically the strangers but he still said that he doesn't mind at all.
After very small talk he excused himself and went back home where he dropped on the sofa face first.
"Hm? What is wrong, Yu-chan?" His mother asked with his father lending his ear to their conversation.
"It's nothing…just-" Yuichi stopped to think for a bit.
'I guess I should stop putting it off for later…' Yuichi thought and sat down with a serious expression which garnered his parents' attention.
"I have been lying to you about something…" Yuichi said while looking down with a guilty expression to which both of his parents frowned hearing his words.
"I have been playing with Ren and other kids soccer but I have also been going somewhere every day…" Yuichi continued.
"Don't tell me you were indeed getting into fights!" His mother exclaimed, not believing that 9 years old kid would be getting into fights.
"No, but I have been practicing the martial arts under that old man who cooks in the restaurant a few blocks from here." Yuichi finally admitted while gripping his knees, hoping that his parents won't make him stop training.
"?! I am very disappointed Yuichi…not because of what you are doing in your free time but because you kept lying to me for the whole month!" His mother said sternly with her hands resting on her hips, looking down at Yuichi.
Hearing word disappointed, Yuichi's expression winced in pain as if something gripped his heart.
'I was ready to be yelled at however…those words hurt even more than anything else I can imagine.' Yuichi thought with closed eyes. 6
"Hey, you are his father, say something too! Why have you been so quiet all the time?" Yuichi's mother turned her attention to his father but he just released a relaxed smile before slowly opening his mouth to explain, however at the same time, something clicked inside Yuichi's mind as if he solved a puzzle.
"Mom!" Yuichi exclaimed before his father could say anything.
"Hm? You have something to say to your defense, young man?" His mother frowned at him and asked with folded arms.
"Dad knew about it and he also didn't tell you!" Yuichi said while pointing at his father which caused him to stare with wide-open eyes at his son for this betrayal however that wasn't entirely the reason why he was so shocked. 6
'How come he knows about it? The old man was the first who contacted me so there is no way he would say anything to him! Is it possible he found out just from my behavior? This is ridiculous…I mean, he is just 9 years old kid!' His father thought with wide-open mouth and eyes as he stared at his son, completely forgetting to start defending himself.
"WHAT?! Is that the reason why you are so calm?!" Yuichi's mother's wrath was immediately turned to his father.
"Wait a moment, love. I-I might have known about it but I never lied to you about it because you never asked…" Yuichi's father said while raising his hand up, trying to indirectly say that it was Yuichi who was the one lying without looking like he is selling his own son out. 3
"Yeah? Never lied to me? What about my question "Do you know what Yu-chan has been doing lately?" and your answer "Hm? Who knows…" Hmm? Do you remember now? And even if I never asked, you should say anything concerning our son to me right away!" Mother's onslaught continued. 2
"But-" His father tried to protest however he knew that he messed up by trying to redirect his wife's wrath back to his son. This time, the one whose karma returned was his for trying to sell his son out.
"That's it…Starting today, you are sleeping on the couch for the whole week." Yuichi's mother said finally before turning around, starting to wash dishes to distract herself. 13
"Wha-?! Wait! You can't do that!" His father immediately protested, confusing Yuichi since his father rarely disagreed with his mother so much.
"Or perhaps for 2 weeks?" Yuichi's mother muttered while glancing behind her and carefully, slowly washing a kitchen knife. 5
"Ha-ha, one week is fine…just perfect!" His father said with a bright smile and closed eyes while showing a thumb up to her.
"Hmph, I thought so." She threw with her hair, showing that she is upset. 2
"…" The kitchen was suddenly filled with a terrible silence.
"Um, I will go to the living room to, um, to watch TV!" Yuichi said with a low voice, trying not to disturb his mother too much and in response, she just nodded her head without looking at him. When he saw her nod her head, he sighed in relief before leaving the kitchen.
After a few minutes, his father arrived and joined him on the couch in front of the TV.
"…" Two of them sat there for a few minutes without saying anything.
"You know, dad…This couch is actually quite comfortable but if you really don't like it, we can switch places." Yuichi said with a small smile, filled with guilty. 5
This caused his father to stare absentmindedly a few seconds into empty space before looking at Yuichi with a confused expression.
"…You don't understand, Yuichi." His father said with a helpless smile while ruffling Yuichi's hair. 3
'Huh?' Yuichi was a bit confused by his father's words but he just shrugged it off, glad that he actually doesn't have to sleep on this "comfy" couch.
"How did you know that I was already aware?" His father asked with a curious expression.
Yuichi opened his mouth wanting to answer however he stopped, realizing that his answer was really lame. He wanted to say something cool so he looked at his father with a smirk and places his chin in the arch formed between his thumb and index finger.
"As you have always taught me in Shogi…Always be a few steps ahead of your opponent." Yuichi said with a mysterious smile.
'This kid…' His father looked at him with a surprised expression before he smiled with a defeated expression.
'Heh, nailed it!' Yuichi was very satisfied with his own answer.
While the boys were talking in the living room, Yuichi's mother was still washing the dishes.
"Foolish boys…Thinking that I wouldn't see through any of them after living with them for so long, the!" She muttered with a dissatisfied expression. 14
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Felix9713 Felix9713
Sorry, I have completely no idea about how to use her name correctly so I will be using Mei as first name and Wang as her surname.
If you are more knowledgeable about these Chinese names, feel free to teach me in the comments.
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Chapter 4: #4 Transfer student
After Yuichi finally thought that everything was solved and he could go slowly to bed with a clear head, his mother stopped him before he could leave the living room and leave his father alone on the couch.
"Ehm!" His mother cleared her throat with crossed arms while glaring at Yuichi.
"…Good night?" Yuichi tilted his head to the side before replying with closed eyes and a bright innocent smile.
"I am fine with you using your free time by practicing martial arts however I don't want to hear anything about you getting into fights, is that understood?!" His mother asked harshly.
Yuichi wanted to quickly nod his head with an ecstatic expression but he quickly stopped.
"…I can't promise you that. What if anyone tries to bully me or one of my friends? I won't stand by and observe, however, I can promise you that I won't be actively searching for them" Yuichi replied while bowing his head a little bit to show his sincerity. 1
"…Heh, you know just what I want to hear, don't you, Yu-chan? You are actually a very smart kid, I don't get why you keep having those average marks at school" His mother stern expression was replaced by a gentle smile as she began patting his head.
"Um, you are thinking too highly of me, mom! I am quite exhausted so I will go to bed now." Yuichi said while scratching back of his head, acting humble. His mother wished him a good night and let him pass.
'I really hope this won't cause my parents to have bigger expectations of me!' Yuichi thought with cold sweat pouring down his back. 1
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The next day at school, there was a new transfer student in Yuichi's class and he was already aware who was it. Having so abruptly a transfer student was a very rare occasion for everyone so it was very typical for other kids to be excited. Yuichi wasn't exactly excited since he already knew it was a girl so no new addition to his soccer team.
When his class's homeroom teacher arrived, he arrived with a girl by his side. It was exactly Mei, Yuichi's new neighbor.
"Alright, let's greet each other first before I will introduce to you someone!" The young homeroom teacher said with a friendly smile and as he said, all kids greeted him by lightly bowing to him.
"As you can already see, we have a new addition to our class…" Teacher said while pointing at Mei with his hand, nodding his head at her to introduce herself.
"Um, M-My name is Mei-Yu Wang, pleased to meet you, everyone. Feel free to call me just Mei." Mei introduced herself with a flushed face, it was very apparent that she was shy and she might have trouble accustoming to the surroundings. However despite her not so interesting introduction, everyone started clapping, boys because they found her cute and girls because they always stand side by side with each other. 6
Mei was seated on the opposite side of Yuichi's seat however they never even made eye contact since Mei was too shy to even look at everyone in the classroom.
With the introduction of a new transfer student over, the class finally started and Yuichi as before tried his best to remember every little fact from this class since he was very rarely studying at home.
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After the class was over, Yuichi noticed a small commotion around Mei's desk.
"Mei-san, are you Chinese? How come you can talk so fluently in Japanese?"
"Why have your parents moved here?"
Mostly the girls started to question Mei who was completely surrounded while sitting in her seat. She had a bit panicked expression, not knowing whose question to answer first and as she was thinking, more and more questions were asked.
sigh Yuichi who could no longer bear the sight, sighed and got up from his seat and approached the crowd of girls surrounding Mei. 2
"Girls, she might be able to speak fluently in Japanese but wouldn't you feel overwhelmed in her position if you were surrounded by numerous people?" Yuichi said aloud behind the group, making everyone turn around at him. 4
"Iwamura-kun? I see…Are you saying that Mei-san is overwhelmed by us?" One of the girls exclaimed with a confused expression yet friendly smile, seeing Yuichi who was rather popular in the class.
Mei who finally noticed Yuichi had her expression brightened by hope a little bit however she couldn't bring herself to say anything.
"Try to imagine placing a puppy in the unknown surroundings with numerous unknown people surrounding it…You have to introduce yourselves one by one and slowly." Yuichi explained with a nod of his head, making a lot of girls have finally understanding expressions after hearing the comparison with the puppy.
Mei was feeling grateful for his words of help despite being compared to a puppy, however, when she wanted to thank him, the girls interrupted her as they started forming a queue to introduce themselves one by one.
"I also recommend writing down all your questions on the paper so Mei can answer them all at home in peace without any pressure." Yuichi recommended to the same girl that talked to him with a friendly smile before turning around to return to his seat.
"Oh?! That's actually really good idea, thanks Iwamura-kun!" The girl said with a surprised expression before thanking him with a grateful expression while he just waved her hand behind him to say that it was nothing.
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After classes ended for today, when Yuichi was about to leave the school grounds, he noticed someone waiting at the gate.
"Hm? Mei-san?" Yuichi called out to Mei who was looking absentmindedly into the empty space, holding a stack of papers in her hands together with her bag.
"Ah! It's just you, Yuichi-kun" Mei was a bit startled being called out to when she wasn't paying attention but she quickly recovered when she saw that it was just Yuichi.
'What do you mean by "just you"?' Yuichi thought with a weird look in his eyes but he quickly dropped it. 1
"What are you waiting for, if you don't mind me asking, that is." Yuichi asked with a curious expression.
"Ah, right! I was just waiting for you to thank you for today inside the classroom." Mei replied with a small smile and a flushed face. 1
"It was nothing and it seems that I just caused you more troubles…" Yuichi said while looking at the stack of papers in her hands.
"Hm? Not at all, it is actually nice to be able to answer all of their questions at home in peace as you said before. Anyway, how did you know what those papers are about?" Mei shook her head with a faint smile, making her twintails fly from side to side before asking with a curious expression. 3
"Hah? I mean…It was me who suggested the idea of writing down their questions, to begin with." Yuichi replied with a confused expression as if it was completely easy to tell to which Mei nodded her head in understanding while muttering "I see" 5
"…Do you want to walk home together?" Yuichi started feeling weird by standing near the school gate where all students could see them so he suggested with an awkward smile.
"S-Sure!" Mei nodded her head firmly, glad that she doesn't have to go home alone since everything here was still new for her.
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As they were walking side by side in silence, Mei started feeling a need to start conversation to keep Yuichi's interest or to not make him think of her as a boring girl.
"Um, Yuichi-kun, you are quite popular in our class, right?" Mei asked just a random question that she came up with just now.
"Excuse me? What makes you think so?" Yuichi looked at her with a dumbfounded expression and asked. 2
"Well, the girls seemed to have a favorable opinion of you and most of the boys were also gathered around you." Mei explained. 5
"Do those facts make someone popular? Those boys gathered around me at that time were my friends and my "soccer team". As for the girls' opinion about me…I have no idea since you are probably the first girl I am talking to without it being connected to the school assignments" Yuichi said while shrugging his shoulders.
"I see" Mei meekly nodded her head with a faint smile while looking at the ground.
Yuichi suddenly remembered Mei's parents' words and also his mother's words and thought for a little while before deciding to ask Mei something.
"Mei-san, do you want me to show you around? I can show you where to buy the cheapest yet tastiest ice-cream and many other things." Yuichi asked with a friendly smile. 2
"Huh? A-Are you sure?" Mei stopped walking and asked with a surprised expression to which Yuichi just nodded his head seriously.
"However, it won't come for free! I want you to act as my alibi in a case I will need your help." Yuichi said with a slightly sly smile.
"Alibi?" Mei muttered with a bewildered expression.
"Yes, in case my parents or yours ask something about me, you won't say anything bad about me even if that might be true, you will just have to portray me as innocent." Yuichi explained more with a bright smile, getting ready in case another matter like the one with him practicing martial arts arises. 1
"I see…Well, I don't know, Yuichi-kun…Doesn't it mean I will have to lie to my parents?" Mei asked with an uncertain expression while fidgeting with her fingers.
"That ice-cream is really good." Yuichi said with the most serious expression he could form as 9 years old kid. 3
"…alright" Mei looked down with flushed face and replied very weakly.
"Hm?" Yuichi didn't hear her so he tilted his head in confusion.
"I-I agree!" Mei suddenly exclaimed with her eyes closed.
'Nice! Father…I am once again a few steps ahead of you!' Yuichi thought with a content smile although he still had no idea what to do with this advantage since his only goal was to turn Mei to his side. 4
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Chapter 5: #5 Junior High School 5
Yuichi continued his daily routines, going to school, practicing martial arts under that old man, playing with his friends sports, and then occasionally spending time with Mei since he was aware that she is a shy type of person in an unfamiliar city so he was trying to make it easier for her to adapt. He also didn't forget about his promise to show her around and he did as he promised.
Overall, they became good friends, however, Yuichi still preferred to spend his time playing soccer or other sports with his gang. The old man aside from teaching Yuichi martial arts was also occasionally asking him very weird questions but Yuichi got used to it very quickly and accepted it as his way of seeing through his real character, however, sometimes those questions didn't even have a firm and right answer which slightly confused Yuichi. 12
In a blink, 3 years passed by and Yuichi turned 12…
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It was another morning for Yuichi who got up early to do a few push-ups as a warmup and then a bit of stretching. After a little exercise, he was feeling completely awaken so he went towards his wardrobe and when he opened it, the first thing he noticed was a black school uniform.
'Today is already opening ceremony…Junior High School, huh?' sigh Yuichi thought before releasing a tired sigh. He grabbed the uniform and dressed up before going to the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast.
"Yu-chan, it's your first day attending Junior High school so please behave and don't get into any trouble." His mother immediately warned him with a worried expression before he could leave the kitchen.
"Everything will be fine, mother, I promise. However, can you please stop calling me that? It's kind of embarrassing." Yuichi said with a pleading expression while scratching back of his head.
" sigh Are you perhaps already in that rebellious phase? It's alright, no matter how I will call you, you will always be my little Yu-chan." His mother shook her head with a disappointed expression before saying with a bright smile and thumb up.
"…Now you are doing it just on purpose." Yuichi replied with a blank expression while looking at his mother.
"I liked you more when you were small and not so smart" His mother muttered with a thoughtful expression while holding her chin and looking sideways. 3
'I can hear you…are you really sure mothers should say such things to their children?' Yuichi thought while looking at his mother's face in bewilderment. 1
"I don't think it has anything to do with me getting smarter…Hm?! I should go now or I might miss the opening ceremony!" Yuichi replied before he noticed the clocks from his peripheral vision, making him to sharply turn at the clock before rushing towards the front door.
The moment Yuichi exited his house, so did Mei, causing both to stop walking and look at each other in bewilderment.
"Hey, Mei-san!" Yuichi raised his hand as a greeting while resuming his walk and Mei followed his example.
"Good morning, Yuichi-kun. How excited are you for our first day at Junior High school?" Mei wearing the same hairstyle as always asked with a curious expression and friendly smile. 2
"The only thing I am excited about is probably Sports clubs, I don't see anything else worth being excited over." Yuichi replied naturally with a grin.
"That's exactly what I expected from you…For you, everything is about sports." Mei muttered while shaking her head with a helpless smile.
"Hey! I also like to draw so it's not like I only know how to run around and play." Yuichi replied, dissatisfied with Mei's words.
While they were walking together towards their new school, someone tried to jump on Yuichi's back. Fortunately for Yuichi who was beaten up so many times by the old man already, reacted fast enough and stepped to the side, dodging the person's attack. making them stumble over.
"Hey, Ren-kun." Yuichi said while looking down at his probably best friend on the ground.
"Hey! Did you have to dodge that?! How did you even do that?! Ah, Wang-san, hello." Ren immediately started shouting at Yuichi who caused him to lose balance but when he finally noticed the girl next to him, he greeted Mei with a polite smile.
"Good morning, Nakada-kun" Mei nodded her head with the same polite smile. Those two never really clicked together since both were friends with Yuichi who already had a small amount of spare time, therefore they were always competing with each other over Yuichi's time. 5
"You shouldn't surprise attack people like that. Also as for how I did that…I felt you coming from behind!" Yuichi said with narrowed eyes in a mysterious tone.
"…Seriously? Are you spider-man or something?" Ren asked with a dumbfounded expression.
"I am just kidding…It's just that you suck and I heard your steps from a mile away!" Yuichi said with a smirk, angering Ren.
"Jeez, I really thought that you might have some supernatural ability…" Ren muttered with a bit disappointed expression.
"You spend too much time reading manga…" Yuichi rolled his eyes and picked up the pace or they might end up a little late.
"And you spend too much time with all that training and healthy lifestyle routines, like for real…What the hell is this?" Ren rebuked while pointing at Yuichi's body.
"? What do you mean?" Yuichi looked down at himself before asking with a confused expression when he couldn't find anything wrong.
"Your physique! Your height! You will definitely be popular with girls." Ren said resentfully but there was still a faint smile across his face.
"Having a healthy body can get you a girlfriend? Interesting…" Yuichi muttered with a thoughtful expression, with a doubt filling his eyes.
"…Ugh, I give up" Ren groaned before waving his hand to abandon the previous topic.
"Nakada-kun, that's simply how Yuichi-kun is." Mei shook her head to correct Ren's view of Yuichi being a hopeless case.
The trio quickly arrived at the school right on time for the opening ceremony where the principal held his speech. The rest of the day was more informative than studying. After the classes ended, Ren and Yuichi obviously went to look around the school clubs and when they spotted students playing soccer on the school's field, they immediately knew where to go.
They asked around and got to know where is their official club room but they let them sign in right on the field without any trouble.
"Well, I don't have my things for soccer with me so I will be going home for today, see you, Yuichi-kun" Ren said, waved his hand, and left the field without Yuichi, who remained next to his Senpais who were responsible for signing them in.
"Senpai, can you please tell me where I can find the basketball club?" Yuichi suddenly asked.
"Wha-? Iwamura-kun, are you aware that students usually attend only 1 club? Or is there any other reason why you want to know this information?" A guy in white-green sports clothes asked with a surprised expression.
"Is there any specific rule that students can't be part of 2 clubs at the same time?" Yuichi asked with a frown.
"…No, there is no such rule set by the school, however, as a full-fledged club, we expect from you only your best, we don't really want someone who is sometimes attending and other times not. We want only hardworking students, that's also why I accepted both of you right here without any major formalities because you both looked eager. And this is the way how all clubs work here." The guy tried to convince Yuichi but upon hearing his reply, Yuichi just smiled.
"I promise that I won't let you down, Senpai! You can kick me out of the club anytime you want, please…" Yuichi requested with pleading eyes.
"That… sigh If you are so determined then it's fine. The basketball club's room is right in the gym, you can't miss it. They should be even playing right now, also tell them that Toyama sends you, so you won't have to explain everything to them once again. I will do it for you since I am going into the same class as their club leader, however, you will still have to explain everything to your homeroom teacher so they can take care of it." Toyama started massaging the bridge of his nose before agreeing…
"Thanks, Toyama-Senpai!" Yuichi thanked with a bright smile.
"No problem and don't call me Senpai, it's too formal for me" Toyama said with a helpless smile.
"Alright, Toyama-kun. I will be going now, I still want to join the basketball club!" Yuichi said, waving at Toyama while slowly leaving. 3
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Yuichi arrived at the gym in a few minutes where he explained the situation and by mentioning Toyama's name, others let him join despite being dissatisfied with him attending two clubs.
For Yuichi, it was a very fruitful first day of his Junior High school life, however, at this school, he might finally realize that people are not always what they seem to be. 4
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Chapter 6: #6 Suspicion
Yuichi's school days were going pretty well and the school even accepted the fact of him attending 2 clubs which was very rare, not to mention both were the sports clubs. Of course, their condition was to have at least average grades since they were aware of how much time 2 clubs can take. Usually, the tournaments and such are held on different days so it would make Yuichi skip a lot of classes which he will need to catch up to.
He also had to undergo additional health check-up since he would be giving his body a big strain by practicing 2 different sports. And the school still wasn't even aware of him practicing the martial arts…if they were aware of such information, they would have definitely shut his request down.
Yuichi continued like this…Going to school with Mei and Ren, after school practice with soccer club together with Ren or basketball club and afterward martial arts lessons from the old man. Yuichi tried his best not to disappoint his parents so he was also trying his best to be attentive in classes, bringing home at least average grades.
He continued like this for the whole school year, getting even to Junior High nationals in both soccer and basketball. Ending up at the 3rd place in soccer and at 4th place in basketball. As this was his first experience in tournaments, those were quite good results, and even both the basketball team and soccer team complimented him a lot. They even started trying to persuade him to leave the other club so he can focus only on one at the time however he was able to somehow stop argument between two clubs, saying that he plays for fun and to improve however he has no desire to stop playing either of them, that he already abandoned other sports he liked before. 3
Yuichi's school was usually able to qualify itself to the nationals however they usually got 6th or 5th position at most, this applies to both basketball and soccer club.
Only during the summer holidays, he realized that he cut off the contact with all of his friends from elementary school. Now, he had only contact on Ren, Mei and other people from the clubs however most of the students liked to do something else other than playing sports since they have been doing exactly that the entire school year. This left him with a lot of time on his hand, he began spending more time with Mei and Ren, however, even those two have their own life so when he was left alone, he spent those days drawing the sketches with pencil and when he had even more time, he started filling them with colors even though it was never his intention in the beginning. After that, he also started playing a lot of video games.
Adding 2 more hobbies made the summer holidays pass by extremely quickly and the new school years started once again. Immediately after returning back to school, Toyama who used to be the captain and 3rd year naturally graduated however no other 3rd year wanted to be captain and gave this responsibility to Yuichi who found it a bit strange. However once the same thing happened exactly the same day at the basketball club, he was sure that there was an ulterior motive behind it.
'Are they trying to tie me to them? Or maybe they just had the same idea and they tried to name me the captain solely to make me focus more on their club instead of the other one…' Yuichi thought with a troubled expression since his workload as a captain of 2 clubs raised by a lot.
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A few months in the 2nd year.
Today, the soccer club had a practice match against the other school that arrived to play against them in their own field. Obviously, it was already after the classes ended so a few people decided to stop by and have a look.
–-A smaller grandstand at the field–-
"Hey look, that's Iwamura Yuichi! He is just a 2nd-year student and he is already a captain!" A 3rd-year boy said with an excited expression while watching the match and pointing at Yuichi who was currently coordinating the team on the offense side.
"He is my classmate and I can't figure out how he can be so attentive during the classes when he practices so much. Just looking at this match makes me sweat as hell…" A 2nd-year boy who was sitting next to the 3rd-year boy added with a disbelieving expression.
"Hm? Is he really that amazing?" Two 1st-year girls who were sitting on the benches nearby asked with doubtful expressions but this made the boys only turn at them with a dumbfounded expression.
"Just watch the match and you will see, he usually only plays the playmaker during the first half and when the second half starts, he immediately turn into completely different player, he turns into the most aggressive player I have ever seen in our school and there are a lot of students having different play styles. And even though he isn't scoring right now, can't you see how he is coordinating the entire team?" The 2nd-year boy replied while turning back to the match.
"I don't think that's what they asked about but even though all that, what really is amazing is the fact that he is the first student to become captain of 2 different clubs and at his 2nd year at that! Do you realize how much work it has got to take?" The 3rd-year boy added since those girls didn't look like they came to observe all details in this entire match so he used the most shocking known fact. 2
"What?! Is that even allowed to be the captain of 2 different clubs? W-Wait, is it even allowed to attend 2 different clubs?!" The girls were completely shocked and had to quickly ask additional questions.
"Well, he somehow got permission from the school and when our school got to the nationals previous year in both soccer and basketball, we got 3rd and 4th place respectively. With a great margin of those results were thanks to him due to him being able to coordinate the team and create better chemistry between teammates. After the school realized how big role Iwamura's help played in this, they even started supporting him, giving him the easier assignments, free meals, and even free field trips!" The 3rd-year who had some inside information from someone from the club explained with an envious look in his eyes.
"Whoa…" Both girls exclaimed with now dumbfounded expressions as they started to stare more attentively at the match.
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"Let's score even more!" Yuichi shouted with a wild smile and suddenly burst past his defender with the ball.
"What kind of acceleration is that?!" His defender cursed and immediately began sprinting behind him at full speed to stop him.
However, Yuichi suddenly sent the ball back with the tap of his heel without breaking off his sprint. The ball went straight between the guy's legs, finding its way exactly to Ren who was closely following the two of them.
Yuichi's defender obviously stopped running after Yuichi since he wanted to go after the ball however at that time he still had no idea that Ren is right behind him.
"Shit!" The defender looked back towards Yuichi who was already a few meters before the penalty area.
"Let's go!" Ren shouted with a wide smile while sending the ball back in the air to Yuichi who flawlessly received his friend's pass however at that time, another 2 defenders arrived to him from each side, blocking his opportunity to shoot.
Yuichi just provocatively smiled at his defenders while guarding the ball and waiting for the right moment. 1
Yuichi looked ahead at the penalty area where his 2 other teammates were which alarmed his defenders, ready to intercept the pass, however…
"Yu-chan!" When Yuichi finally heard Ren's voice from behind him, more dominantly in his left ear, without any preliminary movement he suddenly just kicked the ball to the left side with the side of his right foot where Ren made the shot right off the pass and the ball flew right to the top right corner of the Goal, nicely going in without any keeper's touch.
"Yeah! It's in!" Ren exclaimed with a relieved expression while jogging to Yuichi, holding up his hand.
Yuichi was looking at him approaching him with a smile however when he noticed something on his arm his eyes widened as he suddenly lost focus.
"Hey, what's up?" When he heard Ren's voice, he finally woke up from his daze.
"Nothing, that was a nice one!" Yuichi quickly smiled back and went for that high five.
Ren thanked him before jogging back to his team's half of the field however Yuichi remained standing at the same place.
'What the hell happened to you, Ren?' Yuichi thought with narrowed eyes as numerous nasty thoughts began to flow inside his mind. It was the first time, Yuichi had this suspicious-serious expression and it definitely gave a dangerous feeling to the players of the other team. 3
"Umm, you should go back to your half" One of his opponents suddenly warned him, waking him up from his thoughts.
"Hm? Yeah…I apologize about that" Yuichi turned at the one who spoke to him before he softened his expression and replied with a polite smile.
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Chapter 7: #7 The Beginning of the Change
The match ended 5:2 in Yuichi's school favor.
When they were leaving the school grounds, Yuichi had a gloomy expression while walking and looking at the ground in front of him.
"Hey! What's with that gloomy expression?!" Ren put his arm around Yuichi's neck and asked with a cheerful expression however that cheerful expression quickly disappeared when they were leaving through the school gate.
Yuichi noticed this change and glanced around and saw a few groups of students leaving with them but only one group of 3 most likely 3rd-years students were talking near the gate while looking straight at Yuichi and Ren however it was nothing special since they just had a great match and a lot of people saw that therefore the attention was nothing suspicious.
"It's nothing! I just think that I could have played better today…" Yuichi blurted out while forcing out a smile.
"Oh? You are too hard on yourself! You are the Captain of 2 different clubs, you should take it a bit easy or your body will crumble down." Ren woke up from his daze and replied with a previous cheerful smile but there was something off about this smile this time, perhaps the way he was cautious out of nowhere.
'Should I ask him about that time? Should I even say that I saw "those"?' Yuichi thought with frowned expression, keeping faces of those 3 students looking straight at them in mind just in case.
" Hey, You know…I have heard that Arakawa-san has her eyes on you…you know, that beauty in 3rd year? Ever since a few girls graduated last year, she became undisputedly the most beautiful girl in this school." Ren whispered to Yuichi with a smug smile.
"Hm? Why? We have never talked to each other, I doubt that I even know how she looks since her name doesn't ring a bell to me…" Yuichi looked at his friend with a disinterested expression.
"…You kidding, right?" Ren asked with a dumbfounded expression.
'How can he be so indifferent when it comes to those advantages that come together with his hard work? He can have whatever he wants yet he doesn't go for any of those things…yet I am here…envious of my own friend!' Ren thought while biting his lower lip and tightly gripping his arm.
"I am not…I really do not know her, neither I have time to get to know her. I am glad that I have some time to spend with you and Mei, not to mention another girl…" Yuichi said and rolled his eyes as if the entire matter for him was just a hassle.
'…I am a really bad friend…as they said before.' Ren thought after hearing Yuichi's warm words.
"I guess you are right, anyway, it's just a rumor, something I heard some girls talking about so there is no evidence that this information is truthful." Ren said with a faint smile.
Two of them continued walking home until they had to part the ways since Ren's house was closer to the school than Yuichi's house. Mei unfortunately had to go home early so she also missed their match therefore Yuichi was now walking alone.
'Those 3 students…why were they looking at us with those weird smiles. ?! Maybe they weren't looking at us but only at Ren.' Yuichi thought while holding his chin.
'I will have to gather more information about them, however, that will be hard without knowing their name' Yuichi frowned, a little troubled by this problem.
'Wait! What about online records of all students attending the school?! I remember my parents agreeing that school can share photos of me. I should be able to find those 3 there and get to know their names at least.' Yuichi's expression immediately brightened and he started to jog to home.
Yuichi used the computer in his room to browse the school's site and its records of all students. Finding students that graduated from there was an easy task but finding current students proved a bit difficult however he managed to find what he was looking for after an hour of searching.
'A several suspensions…those 3 guys are that infamous group of troublemakers?' Yuichi thought immediately after reading their names, he heard a lot of rumors in his school. Like, if you confess behind the school building and the person you are interested in accept your confession, that couple will stay happy for the whole life. And another one was about an infamous group of troublemakers who did a lot of things against the school rules yet they were only suspended for a few weeks at most despite causing a lot of trouble.
The next day, Yuichi went to school however he skipped the club activities and focused on gathering information from all students until someone finally told him where they usually gather at.
Yuichi quickly found them however instead of confronting them on the school grounds, he waited until they left and then he followed them.
When they were far away from the school and no people were in vicinity, Yuichi decided to confront them.
"Hey!" Yuichi called out to them from behind, causing them to turn around with surprised expressions.
"Yo, aren't you that famous Captain of the 2 clubs at the same time, Iwamura Yuichi? What do you need from us?" The guy in the middle stepped forward and asked with a confused expression.
"I saw you that day at the school gate, looking at us…or should I say, looking at my friend, Ren Nakada?" Yuichi said while narrowing his eyes.
His words slightly surprised trio but they quickly acted confused.
"What are you doing to my friend?" Yuichi said with a gloomy expression.
"Eh? We have no idea what you are talking about, man. Are you sure you've got the right people?" The same guy replied with a confused expression.
"Don't try to fool me, I have seen your microexpressions plus you have nothing to hide from me since I have heard this information right from my friend!" Yuichi said while pointing at the guy's face with his index finger.
'Microexpressions? What are you, a freak?'
Hearing his words, the trio dropped their act and their expressions immediately became indifferent.
"So that little shit told you despite us warning him numerous times, huh?" The middle guy muttered with a face saying "what a hassle"
Hearing his words, Yuichi clenched his fists as he grit his teeth as hard as he could.
'So it's the truth! …Take a deep breath.' Yuichi thought while taking a deep breath since he knew that by beating them up he would create only more trouble despite having the urge to kick their asses.
"Why are you doing this? Has he ever done anything to you?" Yuichi managed to keep the cool head and asked although his tone was shaking in anger.
"…You really have no idea, huh? Let's just say that there are always shrimps that are predestined to be bullied. All schools have their bullies and victims of bullying." The guy shrugged his shoulders while saying this with an indifferent expression. 1
'Shit…These guys…It has been a big mistake to confront them about it and I only worsened it by tricking them into admitting it…If I won't do anything, their bullying will only worsen however just beating them up won't solve anything since they will only vent out on Ren and I can't keep standing by his side the entire day since the only time I spend with him is at school and during the soccer club activities.' Yuichi just realized that he got tangled into a very delicate situation.
"How about you stop? I don't see any reason for you to continue this bullying…Does it even give you anything?" Yuichi asked pretty stupid questions however he was only focusing on not jumping on them and kicking their asses.
"Well, it gives us satisfaction and also free meals. Plus almost everyone knows about it…even some people in that soccer club of yours, yet no one has ever confronted us about it so I guess no one truly minds it."
'They didn't confront you because there are 3 of you and because they are afraid of becoming your primary target…' Yuichi thought and decided that talking with someone who gets satisfaction from feeding on someone weaker doesn't have any meaning. 2
He just turned around and left while gritting his teeth, leaving a bit surprised group by his sudden departure. 1
–
"Tch! Why did we even talk to him?" One of the guys that never said anything asked their leader who did all the talking.
"We can't bully someone like him, even though we have some power in the school, it's not like they will allow us bullying someone as prominent as him. He is literally bringing this school all prestige by getting 2 different clubs to the nationals." The leader replied with a shake of his head.
"Tsk, he is really annoying with his popularity at school." Another guy commented.
"That's why we targeted his friend, to begin with, haven't we?" The leader replied with a nasty smile and the other 2 guys returned the same smile.\
The next few days Yuichi kept on skipping the basketball practices and always found a few excuses not to go home together with Ren just to tail him.
One day after carefully tailing him thanks to knowing his habits and routines, he found those 3 guys stopping Ren and leading him to the dark alley between 2 buildings. Yuichi naturally followed them and also prepared his phone to record everything to have solid evidence.
At first, they started pushing Ren between themselves with him only keeping his head down, not saying anything.
"Hey! You are no fun! Do you think we will let you go just because you aren't responding?!" The leader of the group said with a bored expression, finally kicking Ren into the stomach, sending him into bags of rubbish.
Yuichi at the corner recording everything was keeping himself in check to get as much as evidence possible to finally stop this.
'He has been bullied like this numerous times, he will bear through this for the last time…' Yuichi thought however when the leader started kicking Ren into his ribs and upper arm, he couldn't stand it any longer.
'This is more than enough evidence!' Yuichi thought and run inside the alley.
"Hey! What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Yuichi shouted holding his phone in front of him and aiming the camera at them.
"Yuichi-kun?!" Ren finally raised his head and exclaimed with a shocked expression however it wasn't exactly a happy surprise for him.
"You-?! Take his phone!" The leader immediately shouted at 2 other guys. They nodded their heads and rushed towards Yuichi, intending to grab him.
"I was intending to leave you alone but you had to stick your nose where it doesn't belong." The leader said with a nasty smile, however, his expression quickly changed…
Yuichi who was the first guy's hand aiming for his shoulder knocked it to the side by hitting his elbow pit with the palm and then Yuichi quickly drove his elbow into his stomach.
"Agh!" The first guy groaned as he dropped to his knees, holding his stomach.
"?! You little shit!" The second guy was surprised by this and instead of trying to grab Yuichi, he tried to punch him into the face.
'Such a primitive punch, until now I had no chance to even try how much stronger I became after all that training…' Yuichi thought with an indifferent face as he dodged the incoming punch by leaning forward.
He didn't waste any time and immediately countered by hitting the second guy into the center of his torso, making him fall down on all 4, trying to catch his breath.
"You…Are you aware that you are creating only more trouble?" The leader asked while gritting his teeth.
"Ren-kun, let's go, we are going home." Yuichi called out to Ren who had bewildered expression before he finally woke up and got up from all the rubbish.
"Y-Yeah…" Ren responded and followed Yuichi and the leader of the bullies just looked at him with a nasty smile without even stopping him.
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"Yuichi-kun…Why were you there?" After walking in silence for a few minutes, Ren decided to ask while looking down.
"I followed you since I noticed something strange on you and then I found you being beaten by 3 guys from our school…" Yuichi replied without telling any further details.
"I never knew you are the type of person who also knows how to fight…Is there something you don't know?" Ren asked while forcing out a small smile.
"For example studying? And many other things?" Yuichi replied, giving Ren a weird look.
"But that's because you don't put any effort into these things. Anyway…have you recorded what happened back there?" Ren asked with an uncomfortable expression.
"…Yes" Yuichi nodded his head.
"Just…just don't show it to anyone, please…" Ren pleaded with a weak voice and Yuichi just nodded his head.
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–Principal's Office–
"I see…this is certainly disturbing matter that students of our school are doing such things…" The principal of Yuichi's school said while sitting at his table with folded hands.
"Is it possible to expel them? They are causing only troubles for the school." Yuichi asked, sitting opposite to the principal.
"Your recorded video is good evidence however we can't just expel them. At most, we can suspend them for a few weeks." The principal closed his eyes and said in a regretable tone.
"?! Excuse me?" Yuichi's eyes widened as he heard the principal's words. 1
"This incident happened out of the school grounds…" The principal explained. 10
Yuichi just stared at him with a dumbfounded expression before remembering the words of his ShishÅ . "Not everything is as it seems to be" and then he recalled the rumors about the trio and all the problems they caused, resulting in him clenching his fist while gritting his teeth.
"I-I understand, I apologize for wasting your precious time." Yuichi got up from the chair and bowed down.
"Not at all, we are glad that you have reported this to us." The principal said with a smile.
Yuichi bowed his head once more before leaving the room, however the moment he closed the door behind him, he finally released that angry expression he was keeping inside him.
'This corrupted society!' Yuichi thought with narrowed eyes while clenching his fist and gritting is teeth. He was aware that "The incident didn't happen on the school grounds" wasn't the only reason why the principal refused to expel them.
'Should I make this video public and rely on other students? …No, it can easily backfire and it might cause even bigger harm to Ren. Sometimes mental damage can be a hundred times worse than the physical one.' Yuichi thought while walking down the hallway. 3
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As the principal said to Yuichi, those 3 were suspended for a few weeks which gave some time of peace to Ren. However, even when they returned, they completely started ignoring him and Yuichi which completely confused Yuichi as he was already prepared to look for a different solution. 4
The days were passing by and preliminaries quickly arrived for both of Yuichi's clubs and his teams managed to once again advance to the nationals where he was forced to skip the school for the whole week. The first nationals were held in soccer where Yuichi managed to lead his team to the 1st place and officially becoming champions for the first time. However when Ren had to go back to school and Yuichi still had basketball nationals in front of him, Yuichi had a bad feeling, however, he chose not to think over it too much.
Once again, thanks to him being focused the entire time of the nationals, he was able to lead his team to 2nd place just a little bit off the 1st place. People across a lot of Junior High schools that were attending any sports clubs began talking about the guy who managed to get 1st and 2nd place in two different nationals. It would be an exaggeration to say that Yuichi became famous, however, he did become a bit known across the Junior High schools and mainly between people interested in basketball and soccer.
However, once Yuichi returned to school, there was a big change waiting for him.
"Huh? Where is Ren-kun?" Yuichi asked after arriving in the classroom.
"Iwamura-kun? Nakada-kun apparently had to transfer to a different school, didn't you know that as his best friend?" One guy closest to him replied with a slightly confused expression.
"Huh?" Yuichi just went to his seat with a dumbfounded expression.
Today's classes were never-ending for Yuichi who wanted to confirm something, however, once the classes ended, he could go home since club activities were stopped for a while as a reward for their hard work.
Instead of going home, he went towards Ren's house while trying to call his phone, unfortunately, Ren wasn't picking his calls which caused him to pick up the pace.
When Yuichi arrived and ring the bell, the one who opened the door was a complete stranger to him so he asked for the previous family that stayed here however he got close to 0 information. Yuichi apologized for disturbing them and then he left.
'How could you just leave without saying anything to me?! How could you smile like that during our soccer matches at nationals?! Hadn't we promised to each other that we will graduate together and that we will also attend the same High School?!' Yuichi thought with his head down while walking towards his house. With each second, his eyes were getting more lifeless. 4
Ren was someone Yuichi knew right from the kindergarten where they also started playing together. Both found a mutual interest in soccer and many other activities.
After more than 5 minutes of walking like a dead man, Yuichi raised his head and his previously lifeless eyes became once again bright however it wasn't as if he returned to normal.
'Those 3…' The appearance of 3 bullies appeared in Yuichi's mind as he had innocent look in his face. 2
'I couldn't care any less about the fact if they are the ones who did it or not since they are only ones I can vent out on.'
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"Yuichi-kun, I am sorry about what happened with Nakada-kun, I know how big friends you were so it was also a big shock to me when I heard that he is transferring the schools." Mei said to Yuichi as they were walking past the school gate inside the school grounds.
"It's alright…" Yuichi replied with a regular smile and his hands in pockets.
'Isn't he taking it too well?' Mei thought with a worried expression while observing Yuichi's face.
"Hey, good morning, Iwamura-kun!" Someone called out to him which caused both Yuichi and Mei to turn at the voice's direction.
It was those 3 bullies who were leaning against the wall, greeting Yuichi with a smile. Mei found this very strange since she never saw Yuichi talk with those 3 students that didn't look exactly clean. 2
However, contrary to their expectations…
"Good morning!" Yuichi waved at them with a bright smile before stuffing his hand back into his pocket, making them dumbfounded.
But when they passed them, Yuichi unknowingly released a cold smile that wasn't befitting him. 1
'?! What had really happened?! This Yuichi-kun…is making me scared' Mei who was actually quite attentive when it came to Yuichi immediately noticed his cold smile and thought with widened eyes.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Felix9713 Felix9713
Some of you might become confused by his inconsistent personality in the next chapters but it's intended.
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Chapter 9: #9 Accident
"ShishÅ !" Yuichi once again arrived at the old building where the old man was living and greeted him with a light bow and bright smile.
'…I have heard about what happened from his parents…Isn't he a bit too cheerful when his best friend just moved away? There is something wrong with this kid…' The old man who saw Yuichi's face immediately thought with a furrowed brows.
"Good afternoon to you too" The old man replied with a small nod, covering his suspicious expression.
During today's session, they were sparring together although Yuichi was always a few steps behind the old man.
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"What was up with those aggressive moves today? Haven't I taught you that there is only need for gentle strikes to subdue your opponent?" The old man asked with a raised brow.
"I apologize for that, ShishÅ . I just wanted to try something new and see how draining and effective it is when it comes to my stamina." Yuichi said while bowing.
'Normally, I wouldn't care about that but he is really making me worried.' The old man thought while rubbing his chin.
"Anyway, it was a nice training session as always, see you later, ShishÅ !" Yuichi got up and took his bag, however before he could leave, he was stopped by the old man.
"Yuichi, wait a second!"
"Hm? Yes, ShishÅ ?" Yuichi stopped and turned at the old man with a confused expression.
"I want you to promise you that you won't beat up anyone before your graduation. Self-defense is fine but don't go looking for fights. Can you promise me that?" The old man asked with a furrowed brow.
"…Of course. I promise you that I won't beat anyone up out of my own volition!" Yuichi stopped for a few seconds to think before replying with a bright smile.
'That sounded really sincere even though it took him a few seconds to reply…' The old man thought and nodded at Yuichi, indicating that he can leave.
When Yuichi turned towards the exit and resumed walking, the old man narrowed his eyes and stared deeply at Yuichi's back.
'Is it perhaps possible that he has 2 different personalities? There is simply too many strange things, he appears to be just as innocent and cheerful as before however sometimes during the sparring I could see a ruthlessness deep hidden in his eyes. Now the question is…Is he aware of it or not?' The old man thought before he lost the sight of Yuichi's back behind the door. 6
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Days were passing by and those 3 bullies were actually feeling very strange by Yuichi's behavior, how he never even tried to get revenge or confront them.
They were quite worried about this matter however graduation for them very quickly arrived and it was just 1 day before the graduation ceremony. They were currently going to the arcade as always after school. They were using completely same routines for a few months already, going through the construction site, using it as a shortcut.
They slipped under the tape with a warning about the construction site. A few workers noticed them and started shouting at them however when they saw that they are being ignored, they simply focused on their work.
When the trio was almost at the exit something unexpected happened.
"Jump away, kids!" One of the workers shouted at them with much more vigor which caused them to at least look up at him just to see a few metal bars falling down right on them.
THUD CLANG The metal bars have fallen down on the horrified faces of 3 bullies causing a lot of commotion, catching the attention of all workers. 15
"Call the ambulance, quickly!" Workers on the site immediately called for the ambulance as they started throwing the metal bars to the side to dig out the boys under them, thankfully, they were just hollow metal bars so they didn't weight so much.
Clack Clack Another person approached the tape at the beginning of the construction site.
" sigh Guess I will have to walk all around."
It was exactly Yuichi who muttered with a disappointed expression, deciding to respect the tape and walk all around the construction site.
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The next day at school, there were rumors about the 3 bullies ending up in the hospital with a few broken bones therefore they couldn't arrive for the graduation ceremony however the school would hold another one privately for just 3 of them alone. 1
Everyone heard that they were walking through the construction site and some metal bars had fallen on them.
"That's karma for you, I tell you. They are always ignoring all kinds of warnings and rules and this is where it got them."
"I heard that this case was already closed as an accident, not to mention they had nothing to do there so they might also face some problems for disturbing the workers and their working plan."
"Oi, isn't that a bit too cruel? I think they have suffered enough."
"Hey, I am not the one who decided that."
Yuichi and Mei walked through the school gate and immediately heard a lot of students gossiping like there was no tomorrow.
"What is it about? Aren't those 3 students you were greeting almost every morning?" Mei asked with a worried expression.
"Yes…This is a really unfortunate incident, right during their graduation ceremony, however, they should have never been there to begin with…" Yuichi replied with closed eyes while shaking his head in a slightly regrettable manner. 4
"Well, as long as they are fine, I think they can change their ways." Mei replied with a faint smile.
"I can't agree more" Yuichi nodded his head with a faint smile before greeting a few people on the way to his class.
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That day Yuichi went to train with the old man once again however once he arrived, the old man was frowning at him.
"ShishÅ ! What's wrong?" Yuichi asked with a confused expression and as he was putting his bag down, he saw a shadow nearing his head which prompted him to perform a quick roll to the back before getting up.
"?" Yuichi looked at the old man with a confused expression as he saw his extended leg.
"You are the reason behind what happened to those 3 students from your school, right? They could have died if something went horribly wrong!" The old man shouted at Yuichi with his pitch-black narrowed eyes
"But they didn't and I could have died just now too if I hadn't dodged that kick, my neck could have snapped. I know that I promised ShishÅ not to beat anyone up on my own volition and I have also never touched anyone so I never broke any promise." Yuichi said with an honest smile before lightly bowing to show his sincerity. 2
'He doesn't even try to hide it…is it because he still trusts me? I am pretty sure that there is still that innocent yet cautious old Yuichi. Otherwise, I don't see any reason for him to just admit it when I just made a wild guess.
"Yuichi…I think that attending those 2 clubs, losing connections to all your other friends and expectations from school as a Captain of 2 clubs now together with the loss of your best friend broke you." The old man said with a worried expression. 1
"ShishÅ , are you not going to yell at me how wrong it was?" Yuichi asked with a confused expression.
"…They definitely deserved punishment however I think it would have been better if you would have just beat them up instead of risking something so dangerous. You are lucky that they closed the case as an accident… sigh I am not going to tell this to your parents because it would cause a lot of troubles but please don't do anything like that anymore. Also don't twist my words, I don't want you to hurt anyone else." The old man closed his eyes with a tired expression and said.
'At least it looks like he actually honors his promises even though he twisted my words.' The old man thought.
"ShishÅ , I would have never hurt anyone who has never done anything to me or people close to me." Yuichi said with a serious expression that looked as if it was a combination of his ruthless side and innocent playful side. 4
"Hmm, then everything is alright, let's proceed with the training. Today, I will teach you a bit more moves from different martial arts, it will be up to you to decide which suits your style the best." The old man held his chin and said with a thoughtful expression.
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When Yuichi left after intense training with his clothes drenched in sweat…
'That kid…It feels like he matured too early. I don't think it would be good to let him attend just any public Senior High school…' The old man thought while looking at the door before turning around, approaching the window with both his hands joined behind his back.
'Maybe I can recommend his parents that school…They definitely have much better security there than in this vast town where there are thousands of dark alleys without any surveillance cameras installed within them. I will still have to come up with the reason though, well, it's one of the most elite schools, which parents wouldn't want their children to at least try to apply?' The old man thought about the future while looking out of the window at the setting sun. 4
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Chapter 10: #10 Confession
With the graduation, the school ended and spring vacation arrived. Yuichi started playing more frequently with his father Shogi and other video games to pass the time. Sometimes, he went out with Mei however it was nothing that could be called a date, just a small walk around the town, talking about every-day things.
During that time, Mei started feeling Yuichi's changes however she couldn't put her finger on it. She couldn't see any major changes in his behavior, it was just how she felt around him. She couldn't call it negative change nor could she call it a positive one. For her, it was a bizarre experience, however, Yuichi's behavior how he acts towards her never changed so she didn't really mind it and quickly forgot about it and got used to it instead. 6
Yuichi also spent a lot of time lying on the grass in front of his house at night, looking at the stars and thinking about all possibilities and reasons for Ren's disappearance, if it was just because of those bullies or maybe Yuichi's popularity and the light started overshadowing Ren's existence itself. Maybe it was just that little yet final push for Ren to convince his parents to move away.
' sigh No need to think about it now…Ren left which greatly weakened the soccer club, well, it's not as if I care for most people there…Most of them knew about Ren's problems yet they just watched from the sidelines. I guess I will need to change the way how we play, in both soccer and basketball club. Hopefully it shouldn't take too much effort to convince coaches.' Yuichi thought while lying on the grass with his hands behind his head and crossed legs. He closed his eyes before releasing a sigh with an amused smile.
Inside the house, his mother was watching him with a worried look just lying on the grass, looking at the stars.
"Dear, do you think Yu-chan will be alright?" His mother asked Yuichi's father.
"…He is old enough so he should be able to overcome this. He is no longer a child, we can't keep looking out for him, there will be times where other depressing things might happen to him. He needs to fight this battle alone." His father replied with a helpless smile, however, he still had a worried look in his eyes. 6
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The vacation quickly ended and it was time for Yuichi and Mei to return to the school where they were already 3rd years, meaning it was their last year and they had to slowly start looking where to go next however there was still a lot of time in front of them.
–At the soccer field–
"Alright, guys! Currently, it can't be exactly said that we are at our weakest but still, a lot of previous 3rd years left so it leaves us with a bit weakened team, therefore, I want to suggest a new strategy. Instead of playing around the entire team and creating chemistry between everyone, I want the entire team to focus around me." Yuichi said in front of the club while placing his hand on his chest. 2
"Huh? But Senpai, won't that be a suicide during the tournaments?" A 1st-year student asked with a confused expression.
"Not to worry…My intention is to draw the enemy team's attention to me and then I can easily recreate the chemistry between us if needed. If I will be guarded by more people, it will create more opportunities for other people therefore keep the passes coming to me ('and I will use you to your full potential') and I will take care of everything else." Yuichi looked at the newcomer and replied with a faint smile. 1
Although some people looked still unconvinced, they still went along with it.
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Days were passing by quickly but one day when Yuichi arrived in the classroom, he found some kind of letter in his desk.
'Hm? Is this what I think it is? Well, after this class is already lunch break so I guess this letter was here for some time already before I noticed it. It would have been troublesome if I missed it.' Yuichi thought and got ready for the next class.
After the class ended, Mei approached his desk.
"Yuichi-kun, do you want to go and have lunch together?" Mei asked with a faint smile and a very small blush.
"Hm? I am sorry but I can't today, it appears I have to be somewhere right now…" Yuichi looked at her as he was stuffing his things into his bag before waving the letter in front of her with an indifferent look on his face.
"?! Is that-?" Mei's eyes widened as she saw the letter in his hand and she even had a problem to properly ask.
"Well, from what I have read, it probably is a confession letter, or is it called a love letter?" Yuichi replied with a thoughtful expression while holding his chin and looking up.
"…" Mei's shocked expression immediately changed to a blank expression as she stared at Yuichi with a face saying "He can't be real".
"…Where are you going? That is if you don't mind me asking…" Mei asked while glancing sideways.
"Behind the school building, there shouldn't be anyone at this time so whoever wrote this was sensible enough to make it in private." Yuichi said before getting up from his seat with his bag over his shoulder.
"do you know-" Mei asked in low voice however Yuichi was only able to catch her muttering something for herself, prompting him to look at her with a confused expression.
"Um, it's nothing! Good luck, see you later!" Mei suddenly raised her voice as she quickly ran out of the classroom. 6
Yuichi just shook his head with a faint smile before focusing on his current task and that was getting behind the school building.
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"Senpai, please go out with me!" A girl with long raven hair and fair skin said aloud while clenching her both fists. She was most likely 2nd-year student and Yuichi saw her already a few times during the practice matches on the benches.
Her completely unreasonable "request" put Yuichi in a delicate situation as he started scratching the back of his head.
"Um, look…You are very beautiful Kouhai however I am at my last year and I have too many things to worry about. There will be a lot of important tests for me and then I will also have to prepare for the entrance examination to the Senior High School. I also have to prepare a soccer and basketball club for the preliminaries and most likely nationals. I appreciate your feelings however I wouldn't have time to return them." Yuichi replied with closed eyes and an apologetic smile while scratching the back of his head.
The girl obviously was saddened by his answer but she still smiled hearing him say that she is beautiful, although it was a slightly sad smile, at least she didn't look all that destroyed by his reply.
"I-I see, I apologize for bothering and disturbing your lunch break, Senpai…If you will excuse me." The girl replied with a bow before turning around to leave in a hurry before Yuichi could say anything more.
Yuichi just kept looking at her back while scratching his head until she disappeared inside the building.
'That was relatively easy…I thought I would feel guiltier about it but I actually feel quite alright…' Yuichi thought before following after the girl to the school.
Yuichi went straight to the school cafeteria where he met Mei who looked a bit out of breath.
" huff H-Hi! How did it go?!" Mei asked with a bit awkward smile.
'She was probably there judging from how she behaves and her being short on breath.' Yuichi thought while looking at that awkward smile however he chose to play along.
"Well, I obviously rejected her but I think she took it well." Yuichi replied while taking seat opposite to Mei and putting his tray down.
"Huh? Obviously? Why? Was there something specific that you didn't like on her?" Mei asked with a surprised expression.
"Well, first of all, we are already 3rd-years and this is our last year, we should focus on studying, especially me who has little to none time to spare and second of all, I only saw her a few times and didn't even know her name. How can I even consider going out with someone I don't know?" Yuichi replied with closed eyes while taking the chopsticks into his hand.
"I-I see." Mei nodded her head while keeping her eyes down at her tray.
"…You are indeed right that you have to focus on your studies, hihi" Mei added with a little giggle at the end.
"As always, thanks for the reliable support, Mii-chan" Yuichi said with a smirk.
" Wha-? D-Don't call me like that in public!" Mei said urgently in a low voice with flushed cheeks while looking around if anyone has heard Yuichi just to find out that the coast is clear. 6
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Chapter 11: #11 Preparations
The 3rd year was definitely the hardest one for Yuichi who had a lot of things to do, however, he was able to keep up with his studies and club activities.
Both clubs adapted themselves to play around Yuichi who started unknowingly using his teammates as if he was playing Shogi. During the tournaments at the nationals, when he imagined them as pieces that can cooperate with each other which opened a lot of passing routines for Yuichi in both soccer and basketball. 1
In the end, his last Junior High nationals ended up taking 1st place in both sports for his school. Most schools who were already ready for his school's good chemistry and teamplay suddenly had to play against a team that oriented itself around only one player which was the fact that caught them the most off guard. Yuichi also discovered that this type of playstyle suits him better than a simple playmaker, he discovered that he liked to be playmaker only because Ren was there, and at basketball, it was due to improving his team play tactics.
Yuichi was finally recognized as the first student who became a champion in two different sports in Junior High school. With the nationals behind him, he was able to finally focus a bit more on his studies.
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–Yuichi's house–
"Yuichi, do you already know which High school you want to apply to?" Yuichi's father asked with a faint smile while sitting on the couch.
"…I still have yet to look at all available schools in the vicinity. I will decide after that" Yuichi shook his head and replied.
"Then how about KÅ do Ikusei High School?" His father asked with a smile.
"Hm? Isn't that the school established by the government itself, with the enormous landscape as its school grounds? I have heard that you have to stay there in the dorms and you are unable to leave the school grounds until you graduate or until they expel you." Yuichi said with a thoughtful expression but he didn't really like the idea of this school. It was too strange for him just from it's known rules, not to mention there are still a lot of unknown rules to the public. Everyone was talking about it how it is no normal school and that this one actually prepares you for the real-life out in the world. One of the most elite schools…
'I have no idea why that old man wants Yuichi to attend that school but I already know him for numerous years, he wouldn't try to do anything bad to me or Yuichi…Still, my son has just average grades, why would he recommend the most prestigious school of all available schools? He just said: "He has to attend this one or at least try to apply". This is too weird but so be it, I can only try to convince him.' Yuichi's father thought to himself while staring in front of him to the empty space.
"That's right, unfortunately, you would have to remain there for the whole 3 years but if you can graduate from there…They are boasting about 100% employment and college entry rate." His father nodded his head and said with a slightly sad expression.
"Dear! 3 years is a lot! He will leave us and when he comes back he will already be 18 years old!" Yuichi's mother joined conversation although she didn't exactly oppose the idea, she still complained a bit.
"That's the point" Yuichi replied while playing around on the Shogi board alone.
"Hm? What do you mean, Yuichi? His father asked as even his mother looked at him with a confused expression. 1
"That's one of the things that will help us prepare for the real-life, we won't have anyone there to rely on. We will be on our own to think for ourselves with the help of those of our age." Yuichi said with a stoic expression while still focusing on the game of Shogi he has been playing by himself although he completely changed the rules to simulate plays in the game of soccer. Simply said, he created his own rules and a new game.
Both his parents were a bit surprised by his words before they released a smile.
"I guess I have nothing to worry about if you will truly leave us." His mother muttered with a satisfied smile before walking away to the kitchen to prepare the dinner.
"Now you have spoken like a truly mature person. haha" His father said and then released a hearty laugh while smacking Yuichi's back a few times.
"Hey, be careful please" Yuichi said with a bit irritated expression since his entire board was in a mess.
'Still, some might not realize it but just having parents around gives one a lot of confidence and feeling of security. They have been comforting me in my not exactly good situation despite not doing anything special, just by being here for me. This school forces students to part with their parents that protect them and guide them to force them to step out of their comfort zone. This school's teaching methods must be also very different from other schools considering just this fact alone.' Yuichi thought while collecting the Shogi pieces that got send everywhere when his father smacked his back a few times.
'I already know that I was facing a lot of pressure like from physical side then also from the mental side and at the time Ren left, that pressure finally broke through and presence of Mei and my parents were able to somehow repair me or I would have ended up even in a worse state. On the other hand, leaving my parents for 3 years might prove to be quite a good challenge and test for me. I will be able to see if I get torn apart by the pressure without them, however for that to work, I would need to have same workload as now at Junior High school.'
'The question is, do I regret what I have become what am I today? No.' Yuichi thought to himself before turning at his father who gave him an inquiring look.
"I will try to apply to that school." Yuichi said with a firm nod.
"Alright, you have my blessing, I will be rooting for you to get past the entrance examination." His father said with a wide smile while giving him a thumb up.
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–A few days before the entrance examination–
Yuichi went to Mei's house to study together with her and have her help with a few things since she had more notes from the classes because Yuichi was absent a lot of time due to his club activities and tournaments. 1
Both of them were sitting on the blankets near the small wooden table where they were solving all kinds of tests from their previous semesters.
"Alright, I am done." Yuichi said while pushing his paper with the solved math problems to Mei who nodded and started looking over it.
"Um, you have a lot of things right but why are there no solution procedures?" Mei asked while pushing the test paper back to Yuichi and pointing at a few problems with her index finger. 4
"Well, I don't know those solution procedures because I have missed that class at that time." Yuichi shrugged his shoulders.
"Wha-? Then how did you solve those problems?" Mei asked with a completely confused expression.
"I don't know…I just tried to go at it using logic and I also tried to use other procedures that were suited for different kinds of problems and somehow I arrived at that solution." Yuichi replied honestly which completely shocked Mei.
"Ugh, don't tell me you were solving most of those problems like this in our midterms…" Mei put her hand over her face and asked while glancing at Yuichi from between her fingers, afraid of his answer.
"Well, the math can be solved by many methods however something like history is already different matter…" Yuichi replied with a forced smile, trying not to scare Mei with his answer.
"So the answer is yes! Why bother twisting the words?! That's it! We are starting from the beginning so you can be aware of all solution procedures. I am sure that you will score at least 70 points in mathematics if you will study from my notes!" Mei said with a bright and encouraging smile.
Seeing her eagerness, Yuichi's could help but snickered to the side with his closed eyes before flashing Mei an honest smile.
"Thank you, Mii-chan" Yuichi thanked her with an honest smile.
"Eh…I-It's nothing! Don't worry about it, we are friends after all!" Mei stared at Yuichi's smile absentmindedly for a good few seconds before waking up and replying with a faint blush while waving her hands in front of her. 5
They continued studying till the late night before Yuichi went home…literally just a few meters which was extremely convenient for him since he could remain there for almost as long as he wanted.
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Chapter 12: #12 Bus Drama
The preparations for the entrance examination went very well for Yuichi and when the fated day arrived, he tried his best without being nervous at all. After a few days, he got the results of his tests and he scored 70 points in mathematics and science while 59 points in history and then other subjects were around 60 points.
After that, he also got a letter of invitation to an interview which practically told him that he is already accepted based on his test results. At the interview, they asked him a lot of regular yet also strange questions however Yuichi kept calm and kept answering no matter how strange questions were asked.
They even questioned the situation after his friend left and also the accident that followed right a few months after his friend's disappearance. Yuichi's polite smile never faltered in front of their questions and pressure and he simply replied that it was indeed very unfortunate accident. Yuichi knew that it wasn't that hard to research him and be suspicious of him however…without the evidence they can suspect him all they want.
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"That will be everything, thank you for your time, Iwamura Yuichi." The main man responsible for Yuichi's interview said with closed eyes.
"Thank you for taking the time to interview me!" Yuichi got up from his seat and bowed down to the people opposite of him, sitting at the table.
When he turned around to leave, almost as out of habit he released an amused smirk and then glanced at the camera installed in the corner of the room on the door's wall side, without trying to hide his amusement.
"Sir…?" The secretary of the man in charge called out to him.
"Send the recording of this interview to the principal" The man said without even opening his eyes.
"…Are you sure?" His secretary wasn't convinced so she asked just to be sure.
"This kid…if he can be nurtured well, he will become great asset for the country in the future, however, he is quite flawed. Not to mention I couldn't see through him even after the interview was at the end." The man explained.
"May I ask? Why is he flawed? And it's very rare for sir not being able to see through someone." The secretary asked with a confused expression.
"He is unable to manage his time effectively and instead of that, he is pushing himself too much which led to the reason why I can't truly see through him…I suspect that he has 2 different personalities. It is impossible to see through 2 personalities that are actually existing together in harmony, meshed together within such a short amount of time ." He replied with a thoughtful expression.
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Beep Beep The alarm started ringing inside Yuichi's room and he turned it off at a lightning speed.
Yawn Yuichi got up from the bed while scratching his head together with his disheveled hair.
He was already 15 quite some time and his height was 180 cm (- 5.9 ft)
Yuichi dressed up his new uniform consisting of a white dress shirt, a red button-up blazer, paired with dull green pants, brown shoes, and a blue or reddish-brown tie. For the tie, he chose the wine-colored one.
"Not bad, at least better than the previous one that was too dull" Yuichi muttered, standing in front of the mirror while loosening his tie a bit to make himself a bit comfortable. A cold glint flashed in his left eye as he was done dressing up with an amused smirk.
'I guess today will start my real test if I will get torn apart or survive…' Yuichi thought before he returned to his bright side as he lightly smiled.
Yuichi went to grab a quick breakfast before going to bathroom to brush his teeth and tidy his hair with the comb.
As he stood in front of the mirror, with his hands placed on the wash-basin, looking down, he splashed some cold water into his face before looking up at the mirror.
inhale exhale Yuichi took one deep breath before releasing it and exiting the bathroom.
"Yu-chan, you should get moving or you will miss the second and last bus!" His mother waited for him in front of the front door with a strict expression yet with a smile.
"Mother…There is no second bus…this is the bus I was intending to take so it is my first and last bus. If Mei wanted to be at the entrance ceremony much earlier, it is her choice…I personally don't see any reason for going early." Yuichi replied with a helpless look with his bag over his shoulder.
"That's where she is much smarter than you, young man! What about the consideration of how packed the bus will be? Do you think you are the only student going to the entrance ceremony?" His mother said while holding up her index finger to show how serious she is.
"I will simply stand, I have no need to sit during the ride. Anyway, I should get going…see you in 3 years if I won't get expelled within a few first months?" Yuichi shrugged his shoulders before turning serious and saying uncertainly with an awkward smile.
"You-! I dare you to get expelled! Don't even joke about it." His mother said with a stern expression before pulling him into a tight hug.
Unfortunately, Yuichi's father was at work so he had to say goodbye already yesterday.
With the goodbyes done, Yuichi went outside towards the bus stop where he waited a few minutes for the right bus to arrive. When his bus arrived, he got on the bus and noticed that all the seats were already taken and he noticed a lot of students with the same uniforms as him. He chose to stand where was the most space and it was in front of the young well-built blond man wearing exactly the same uniform as Yuichi.
While the bus was slowly getting crowded on each stop, Yuichi was secretly yet thoroughly observing all students aboard.
While he was scanning students at the back of the bus, he suddenly heard someone talking with a raised voice right beside him.
"Hey, young man, can't you see that this elderly woman is having trouble?"
Yuichi turned to his right and saw an elderly woman and a younger woman wearing a two-piece suit. He started observing them with his bright green eyes for a few seconds before losing interest in them, therefore he turned at the young man who was being yelled at.
Her voice naturally attracted a lot of people's attention as everyone turned Yuichi's directions since the commotion was happening right next to him.
"What a crazy question, lady. Are you expecting me to offer up my seat?" The young man replied in quite a rude way however no one really minded it.
"Of course, you are sitting on the priority seat, and don't you feel sorry for letting elderly woman stand while you sit with your young legs?" The younger woman asked with an upset expression.
"Just because this is a priority seat doesn't mean I have to offer it up. What I am doing right now is nothing illegal. Also, the reasoning that "you are young" is also quite ridiculous if you ask me." The young man replied with a relaxed smile and crossed legs.
'Aaah, where is the popcorn when a man needs one?' Yuichi thought with a stoic expression on the outside but inwardly he was very amused by this.
The argument went on for a few minutes where the younger woman grew more desperate as she started arguing how he should listen to his superiors and older people which was something even Yuichi didn't like, at least used in an argument, it only showed that the woman was at her ends and desperate. He also didn't like the argument said by the young man about saving more energy by sitting than by standing.
The younger woman was getting ruder with each second she was on the losing end so Yuichi decided to help out a bit like a nice and behaved young man he is.
"Young lady, I think it would be better idea to go ask other people, after all, he isn't the only one sitting on the bus, I am pretty sure you will be able to find a more sensible person somewhere else." Yuichi turned to the younger woman and suggested with a bright smile. He even added "young" to soothe her a bit by giving her a small compliment.
"Eh?" She turned at Yuichi with a slightly stunned expression and perhaps even she was now aware that she wasn't acting her age which caused her to slightly blush in embarrassment that she had to be reminded by another high schooler.
"See, even someone of the age you think you are superior to is able to comprehend what I am trying to explain to you." The young man said with a vigorous smile towards the younger woman which caused her to snap her head at him with narrowed eyes.
"Well, I bet that you have spent far more energy by justifying your right for the priority seat and showing off your knowledge of the rules than you would have spent by standing." Yuichi said while looking out of the window with a calm expression.
"Hm? That's not exactly the truth however you have a good point! I was spending my mental energy by thinking about how to reply while I would be spending physical energy if I were to stand during the entire ride." The young man snapped his fingers and said, pointing at Yuichi standing in front of him.
The young woman who heard this once again turned angry but before she could even growl at him, Yuichi counter-attacked since it was better than keep standing in silence.
"Interesting however have you included an aspect of moving with your tongue and opening your mouth every time you talk? Also, you are a high schooler, the main energy you will be using will be the mental one, not to mention the fact that you will have to spend numerous hours sitting in the classroom therefore there will be enough time to replenish your physical energy." Yuichi said while still looking out of the window.
His words actually made some people open their mouths at how obscure this argument became. However, there was one young girl with long black hair, wearing the same uniform in female's design. That girl was completely ignoring the argument, reading her book in her seat until she heard Yuichi "arguing" and using bizarre arguments. She raised her eyes away from the book and looked at Yuichi and at the young blond man in front of him with an intrigued look in her eyes.
The young man frowned hearing Yuichi's words and decided to reply.
"Indeed, those are points I haven't included however that still doesn't change the fact that I don't want to waste my physical energy by offering up the seat."
Yuichi wanted to continue just for his own amusement but another young girl in his school's uniform approached them and asked everyone if there isn't anyone willing to give up their seat.
'Oops, totally forgot about the elderly woman there…' Yuichi thought inwardly with a silly smile but on the outside, he still had never changing calm expression.
After a few seconds some other young woman offered up her seat and the young girl guided the elderly woman to the empty seat.
Yuichi turned at the shocked young woman from before who was now gaping at him.
"I apologize but as you can see, young lady…sometimes you can't convince people no matter what so it's better to take a path around and find the solution in a different way." Yuichi said with an apologetic smile.
The young woman continued staring into Yuichi's bright green eyes for a few seconds before waking up from her daze. She immediately turned red from embarrassment due to her earlier words since she was now practically lectured by high schooler however she could feel the sincerity from his eyes so she just smiled and nodded her head at him.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Felix9713 Felix9713
Please be prepared for a slow pace.
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Chapter 13: #13 1-D
After a few stops, the young woman standing next to Yuichi had to get off but she quickly nodded at him before getting off and Yuichi also nodded his head with a faint smile before turning back to his observation of the surroundings from the window.
"You didn't care about the seat right from the beginning, you just wanted to kill some time, didn't you?" The young blond man suddenly said with a faint smile and closed eyes.
"Hm? What do you mean?" Yuichi replied without tearing his eyes off the windows.
"Alright, play ignorant" He said back to Yuichi before sliding his earphones in with a smug on his face, however that truly never bothered Yuichi.
To him, everyone looked the same. No matter how arrogant, gentle, sensible…he saw everyone the same way.
It took several minutes before they arrived at the final destination and all students started getting off the bus, and since Yuichi wasn't in a hurry, he patiently waited for everyone to get off before he also got off the bus just to see a long black haired girl and brown-haired guy stopping in front of the school's big stone gate.
They started talking with a few meters distance away from each other. Seeing that there is no other way, Yuichi just walked in between them, passing them, perhaps a bit rudely but they were standing at a quite inconvenient place.
The black-haired girl frowned and looked at Yuichi's back before turning back to the guy with brown hair to finish the conversation with him.
Yuichi attended the entrance ceremony where he had to listen to the speech of the principal and student council president. He spent the most time there just looking around at other students. He also caught glimpse of Mei but he decided not to approach her since there were too many people plus both agreed to act just like normal friends and not best friends with 1st name basis since it might cause some misunderstandings which would be very unfortunately right on the first day of the school.
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'Now that I think about it…isn't it a bit pathetic to be sorted into Class D? I hoped for at least C, but I guess that's what I get from their suspicion of me.' Yuichi thought while standing in front of the sliding doors with the sign [1-D] on them.
Yuichi faintly smiled before opening the door and walking in, and since he was among the last people to come, he naturally garnered a lot of attention and Yuichi just smiled as a greeting and most people nodded at him or smiled back, while more shy ones just averted their eyes. Since most students were already sitting on their seats or standing near them, it wasn't that hard for Yuichi to find his seat.
'Near the window, second from the back, right in front of that brown-haired guy…there is even that girl…What kind of coincidence is this for those two?' Yuichi thought sparing both a glance before he sat down. When he looked at Mei, he found out that she was already talking with a few girls which made him smile before he turned on the left to look out of the window.
'There is always some kind of leader who will suggest an introduction to each other' Yuichi thought while staring out of the window with a peaceful smile, observing quite beautiful and modern school grounds.
'Still, I noticed awfully a lot of security cameras everywhere…Is this why ShishÅ wanted me to attend this school? How wholesome…he is worried about me…or perhaps about others? Looks like there is also that guy who likes to argue.'
Clap Clap "Everyone, can I have your attention please?" finally as Yuichi predicted, someone, stepped in front of the entire class and clapped their hands to gather the attention and to make all people who were talking to quiet down.
Yuichi looked in front of the class at the young man of average height with blonde hair.
'I guess not everyone with blonde hair has the tendency to argue about trivial things.' Yuichi thought with an amused smile as the young man started explaining things.
"I would like for everyone to introduce themselves since most of us don't know each other and I think it is essential that we get along for the next 3 years. What do you think, everyone?" The boy said, asking for everyone's opinion to not appear to be too bossy.
"I am in!"
"Sounds fine!"
"Sure, I don't know anyone's name."
The only ones who responded were the girls in front seats.
'Looks like that girl who helped that elderly woman is also here, what kind of coincidence is this for real…' Yuichi thought while glancing at girl with short beige-colored hair, gradient crimson eyes and cheerful expression on her face.
"Alright then if no one minds, I will start first. I am Hirata Yosuke however you can call me Yosuke, no need for formality. I play all kinds of sports, and I intend to join the soccer club at this school." The boy named Hirata Yosuke introduced himself with a friendly smile.
Immediately after him, the girl from the bus introduced herself as Kushida Kikyo. Having speech how she wants to befriend everyone which sounded quite bad in Yuichi's ears
'You can't befriend everyone, there are types of people who will always repel each other.' Yuichi thought after her introduction was done.
Many others followed…
Inogashira Kokoro - A bit timid girl with shoulder-length brown hair and yellow-gradient violet eyes.
Then there was a boy named Yamauchi Haruki with short brown hair and red eyes. Apparently he was ace of the baseball team in his Junior High but Yuichi didn't believe him much because despite him having all those clothes on, it was easily distinguished that someone like Hirata is a sport type of guy however Yamauchi guy looked too slim without any muscle mass. Also, his way of breathing was very unsteady and chaotic while Yuichi the first thing he did after joining the basketball and soccer club was learning how to properly breathe.
The introductions went on and on until the guy sitting in front of Yuichi was done so it was his turn now.
Hirata looked at Yuichi with an inviting smile so Yuichi stuffed his right hand into his pocket while letting left hand out to show that he isn't someone uptight before getting up from his seat.
"Hi, my name is Iwamura Yuichi but feel free to use my first name. As Yosuke-kun here, I also like to play all kinds of sports but especially basketball and soccer are my favorite. As for things I don't like…I think I can skip that and hope nothing of the sort will happen here. Pleased to meet you all." Yuichi introduced himself with a bright, relaxed yet confident smile.
'Oi, oi, didn't that last part sound a bit like a threat…or is it just me?' The guy behind Yuichi thought before glancing next to him at his black-haired neighbor who also frowned after hearing Yuichi's introduction.
clap clap
Everyone started clapping as Yuichi introduced himself, well, almost everyone except for some jealous boys who noticed that there is another guy similar to Hirata who garnered the attention of most girls.
"Nice to meet you, Yuichi-kun! I hope you can join the soccer club so we can play together!" Hirata immediately nodded his head with a grateful smile, hearing someone finally call him by his first name without any awkwardness.
There was also a boy who was sitting on the door's side and at the back of the room looking pretty pissed with these introductions and looked like he was about to interrupt but when he heard Yuichi's introduction, a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
"I am planning-" Yuichi wanted to reply to Hirata's quick question but he was interrupted in midway.
"Wait. Are you "that" Iwamura Yuichi?" The guy rudely interrupted Yuichi and asked. Yuichi turned back at him to see a guy with a muscular physique and dyed red hair. The loosened upper buttons of his shirt gave him quite a wild and intimidating look.
"You are…?" Yuichi muttered, trying to remember the guy but he was positive that he never saw him.
"Sudo Ken" He replied shortly. The entire introduction matter got stopped and the attention of all people was turned to their conversation however most people were intrigued by what guy named Sudo meant with his question.
"You know me from somewhere?" Yuichi asked with a confused expression.
"You kidding? You were and are quite famous among the sports clubs in Junior High schools. Iwamura Yuichi, captain of 2 different clubs already at his 2nd-year and also a champion of Junior High nationals in both basketball and soccer while also 2 times champion in soccer. Will you try to join 2 clubs this time too?" Sudo said which caused Yuichi to frown down by being so blatantly exposed.
His words naturally caused enormous commotion within the classroom. It was one thing boasting about yourself which can be a lie but if someone else is boasting about you, it's most likely the truth…that's how most of the people thought.
"EEEH?!!!" Almost everyone exclaimed looking at Sudo before turning to Yuichi with a dumbfounded expression. Even Hirata was staring at him with wide-open eyes.
'This is not like I have imagined the first day to play out…' Yuichi thought with a troublesome expression before he noticed Mei giggling while looking at him.
Chapter 14: #14 Rules
"It seems that my reputation precedes me but I don't think it's something truly grandiose if you will take into consideration that I started playing sports since kindergarten. Although I must say that I had problems with studying due to many missed classes because of the club tournaments." Yuichi said to Sudo once everyone quieted down a bit.
Yuichi sat down, intending to let Hirata resume the introductions but before anyone could say anything…
creak The doors slid open and a younger woman walked in, stopping at the front desk in front of the board. 1
"Everyone, take your seats" She said with quite a stern yet calm tone.
Everyone immediately took their seat and turned quiet. Yuichi observed the woman in front.
She had long brown hair tied in a ponytail with bangs swept to the left, brown eyes, and quite voluptuous body with a serious look on her face. The feeling she was giving was definitely the cold one.
'Convincing someone like that to help me join 2 clubs? I think I have a higher chance of seducing her than convincing her.' Yuichi thought with closed eyes while supporting his chin with his hands, already prepared for the worst. 8
"I am Chabashira Sae and I am a homeroom teacher for Class D for the next 3 years until you graduate. First, I will hand out to you a school rule book, take one and pass it back" She said and handed numerous thin books to the students sitting at the front. 2
When Yuichi received 2 books from the person in front of him, he took one and handed the other to a guy behind him with a nameplate on the desk [Ayanokoji Kiyotaka]. 3
Chabashira started explaining the basic rules of how they have to live in the dorms and can't leave the campus or contact anyone outside without special permission.
While Yuichi was looking through the rule book, he noticed mentions of S-System, Class Points and also Private Points. However, no matter how much he listed it deeper, he couldn't find any explanation.
"Don't worry, even though you will be unable to leave school grounds, there is a lot of facilities that might interest you like karaoke, arcade, and many others. As for the question- "How will we pay for these?" I will now hand out ID cards that are already connected to your phone given by the school respectively. Those cards will serve also as credit cards, in this school, you won't need real money, instead, you will be using currency named Private Points. These are automatically deposited into your account on the first days of every month. Currently, all of you should already have 100.000 points in your accounts." Chabashira said while handing out the ID cards.
"Oh, and just for your imagination, 1 point equals 1 yen" Chabashira added.
The moment she said it, a little commotion broke out in the classroom since 100.000 yen per month for a high schooler was something unbelievable.
'100.000 yen per month for what? For attending the school? No school would waste resources like that, not even the school run by the government. Is she going to even explain how those points are acquired?' Yuichi thought, slightly shocked by the amount of money. Yuichi was aware that 100.000 yen for one person wasn't THAT astronomical amount of money but…there are hundreds of students in this school, he couldn't imagine them paying everyone 100.000 yen a month without students having to do anything.
'Money should serve as motivation, to do a good job in your work then there are also bonuses for surpassing the expectations. If this school is here to nurture students and prepare them for the life outside, they should have a similar philosophy' Yuichi thought however contrary to his expectations, it almost seemed like their own homeroom teacher was slightly baiting them to spend those points by saying that they will lose them all after their graduation.
Chabashira continued talking about the points and when she finally ended with a few final warnings, she looked over the classroom.
"Looks like no one has any questions. I hope that you enjoy your time here as students" Chabashira said before slowly leaving the room.
'Like seriously? Does no one have questions regarding those points? Did all that talk served as a stunner for students not to talk too much about them? Or maybe everyone simply trusts our homeroom teacher's explanation. Unfortunately, Shisho has beaten this sentence [Not everything is as it seems to be] into me too much.' Yuichi thought while getting up and walking to the doors at a quickened pace which slightly surprised everyone since he didn't even take his bag with him.
"Yuichi-kun, where are you going? It would be good if others could finish their introductions." Hirata asked hurriedly before Yuichi could leave.
"Don't mind me, I will be back in a minute, you can continue without me." Yuichi looked at him and said before leaving the classroom.
"What was that?" A few girls muttered, looking for answer at Hirata's side but he just shook his head with a helpless look on his face.
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"Chabashira-sensei!" Yuichi called out with an innocent smile when he caught up to his homeroom teacher which caused her to stop walking and turn around at him with an inquiring look.
"Sensei, not to appear ungrateful or sound presumptuous, however, is Sensei sure that she has given us a proper explanation of how this school works?" Yuichi asked with a polite smile.
"Hm? You are…Iwamura Yuichi, right?" She raised her eyebrow when she heard his question before asking with an interesting look in her eyes.
'So she already researched all of the students. I wonder how much information she was given about me.' Yuichi nodded his head to confirm her statement.
"Alright, Iwamura-kun, why do you think so?" Chabashira crossed her arms right under her well-developed chest and asked with an amused expression.
'Oh? So she isn't all that serious and cold.'
"For example, Sensei has never mentioned how are we going to acquire those Private Points, there was also no mention about the so-called special feature named S-System. What about club activities? This school is surely participating in the tournaments between other schools, usually, students performing well should be rewarded in one way or another." Yuichi said with a confused expression.
"Good questions, unfortunately, I can't answer most of them yet however I can tell you that this school values its students and rewards them according to their performance." She replied with a faint smile.
'Can't answer them, huh?' 1
"I see, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Chabashira-sensei. Although I can't say that Sensei's answers gave me anything related to my asked questions, still, it gave me an answer to my other questions I have yet to ask which I truly appreciate." Yuichi said mysteriously with a grateful smile before lowering his head slightly.
"If you will excuse me now…" Yuichi said and turned around to leave and Chabashira didn't stop him but she still stared at his back for a few seconds before leaving herself.
'That student is a bit strange…From the reports given to me, I only know that he is extremely gifted in athletism. There was also something else but they said that it's secret for now until they confirm it. What could possibly be that secret when even professionals couldn't see through it completely.' Chabashira thought with frowned expression. 3
'This school is deliberately keeping secrets from us. But it's a bit ridiculous how she can't even tell me how are those Private Points acquired. Not to mention there are 3 more classes that are perceived as superiors to us. They must also receive some additional rewards and advantages or it would have lost the meaning to sort the students by their brilliance.' Yuichi thought with stoic expression while walking back to his classroom with his eyes no longer so radiant as before.
When he slid doors open and walked in, he was already wearing his usual smile as his green eyes became radiant once again. The rest of the class introduced themselves and since there was no further program, we could go check the surroundings or return straight to the dorms.
Yuichi walked out of the classroom and Sudo quickly followed after him, Hirata was still getting to know a few people, mostly girls.
"Um, everyone, can you please excuse me? I would like to go talk to someone before he disappears" Mei said to Kushida, Inogashira, and a few more girls who were still talking to each other where they should go next.
"Eh? Hmmm…" One of the girls named Sato Maya actually turned towards the door and then back at Mei with a suspicious expression.
"W-What?" Mei asked a bit uncomfortable by her staring.
"Mei-san, you look very innocent but you are actually quite competitive, right? You want to be first to get to know Yuichi-kun to have a headstart, right?" Sato asked with a grin while placing her chin in the arch between her thumb and index finger.
"W-What?! N-Not at all! We already know each other from Junior High!" Mei's face grew red after hearing Sato's words so she hurriedly explained with a raised voice.
Everyone was surprised by this information even Hirata's group stopped talking as they looked towards their group.
"Eh?! In that case, don't let us stop you, Mei-san. However, we want you to tell us more about Yuichi-kun later!" Another girl named Matsushita Chiaki said with a small giggle at the end clearing the path for Mei.
Mei rushed out of the classroom to caught up to Yuichi.
"Sato-san, how did you even know that Yuichi-kun left the room just recently that you deduced Mei-san wants to talk to him of all people?" Matsushita asked with a smirk.
"Oh? Um, well…you know…" Sato blushed a bit while scratching her cheek with her index finger.
"Matsushita-san, don't act like you are different, you were also paying attention to him when he was leaving the classroom! Hihi" Another girl said while doing her best to suppress her giggles.
"I-ugh, t-that's not true! I just happened to look there at the same moment he left' Matsushita replied with a red face from embarrassment.
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Chapter 15: #15 Exploring 1
"Hey Iwamura-kun, do you mind if I ask a few questions?" Sudo who walked next to Yuichi asked while holding his bag over his shoulder.
"Yuichi is just fine however if you are uncomfortable with that…ask right away." Yuichi replied while looking in front of him to memorize the hallways.
'There are a lot of cameras installed on each corridor, this is quite tight security. As they said…bullying here is a very complicated process however nothing is impossible.' Yuichi thought with a naive smile, while actually exploring the school's hallways.
Sudo started asking some questions regarding basketball and Yuichi always replied without any problem.
After a while Mei caught up to them and looked a bit startled to find that Yuichi isn't alone but she still decided to call out to him.
"Yuichi-kun!" Mei called out while hopping next to Yuichi, the opposite side of where Sudo was walking.
Sudo was a bit pissed off by being interrupted like that since he had more questions for Yuichi however when he saw Yuichi smile at her in a familiar way, he noticed that they already know each other.
"Mei-san, how was it? " Yuichi asked.
"It was good, the girls like to tease a bit but everyone is friendly. Oh, and i-it's nice to meet you…Sudo-kun" Mei replied with a bright smile before she remembered Sudo's presence so she quickly tried to say something not to look like she was ignoring him.
Sudo just nodded his head at her.
"Well, I will be going. Iwamura-kun, I really hope you can join the basketball club if you won't be allowed to join both clubs at the same time." Sudo was feeling a bit weird being near those 2, so he excused himself, quickly disappearing in the next corridor.
"Um, did I cause unnecessary trouble?" Mei asked with a slightly guilty expression as she looked back to where Sudo disappeared at.
"No, he doesn't seem like someone who is great at fitting into already formed groups so it's fine. Oh, by the way, don't buy anything expensive, at least until this first month ends." Yuichi replied before warning Mei.
"Hm? Why?" Mei also felt that 100.000 points were a bit too much but she couldn't see the reason why would school lie to them, therefore she asked as they finally exited the school building.
"There are simply too many things that don't make any sense. This school isn't being completely honest with us. At least that's what I noticed when Chabashira-sensei didn't want to directly answer a few of my questions, however instead of saying that she doesn't want to answer, she said that she "can't". Perhaps as the students are sorted into 4 classes of each being better than another, maybe even teachers have similar rules. Maybe she just isn't allowed to say more because she is that Class D's teacher." Yuichi kept on saying aloud his thoughts for Mei to hear however her brain was slowly getting roasted by the amount of information.
"Yuichi-kun, are you sure that you aren't just a bit paranoid? I understand the matter with those Private Points but what you are talking about here are all theories. Also, it doesn't really make sense if they allow better classes to have additional information. How hard it would be to advance if they favored better classes?" Mei asked with a worried look.
'But that's how it works…people always favor those who are more experienced, those who are more valuable. Why shouldn't they favor those who are already quite brilliant and filled with potential? Why should they favor so-called trash students from the lowest class, Class D? They are actually already favoring us by giving us a chance to overcome others.' Yuichi thought while staring at the clear blue sky.
"…Heh, forget it." Noticing her worried look, Yuichi just smiled with closed eyes before opening them and replying to her.
"Are you sure?" Mei looked still a bit unconvinced.
"Just make sure not to spend your points on pointless things like make-up, haha" Yuichi said before laughing aloud without care.
"Wha-?! Make-up isn't a pointless thing! Take that back!" Mei's womanly side woke up as she took a few steps in front of Yuichi to stop him while pressing her index finger to his heart, giving him a strong stare.
"Heh" Yuichi chuckled and gently moved Mei's finger away with the back of his hand.
"I value natural beauty much more, after all, some grandiose things that weren't created by humans also look many times better. Not to mention make-up will gradually destroy that natural beauty and cause up to serious skin problems." Yuichi said with his index finger pointing up and a provoking smile before he walked past Mei.
"Huh?! Why is it that you are so smart only when it comes to useless things?" Mei turned around and jogged a bit to catch up to him before complaining while pouting.
"What can I say, I am perceptive of things I hear and read but I had no time to seriously study. Anyway, do you want to go somewhere? We can't just wander around without a goal in mind…well, maybe we can because this is like a small town, we can slowly explore it before going to the dorms." Yuichi shrugged his shoulders before asking with a curious expression.
"Are you sure we should walk around together right on the first day? I have already told a few girls that we are friends from Junior High but it will definitely cause a few misunderstandings…" Mei asked and further explained with a worried expression.
"Hmm, that's right I guess…But I don't really care about some misunderstandings. If you also don't mind then we can go look around." Yuichi shrugged his shoulders, to be honest, for him it was much better if there was a rumor that he was going out with Mei because this way, no one would try to confess to him as during the Junior High.
It wasn't as if Yuichi was asexual. He was interested in girls and even that girl who confessed to him at that time looked good and seemed to be a nice person however he simply couldn't find the strength to put in the effort to form a good relationship. Simply put, his philosophy was: One day it will simply happen, no need to put in effort in finding something you don't know how it looks like.
"Huh? Alright…I also don't mind even though girls will probably tease me a bit which will be slightly embarrassing. Let's check out the nearest facilities!" Mei said with a bright smile, dragging Yuichi by his wrist.
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They walked around for a few hours until they stopped at the cafe to get something to drink.
"Wait, I almost completely forgot but shouldn't we also warn others regarding those Private Points?" Mei asked when she suddenly recalled their conversation a few hours ago.
"Well, you can do that if you want to but I don't think they will listen." Yuichi said while sipping on the coffee with closed eyes.
"Huh? Why do you think so?" She asked with a confused expression while tilting her head to the side.
"It's actually not so hard…It's similar to Carrot and stick approach however the school already knows that there will be some students who will lose their reasoning in front of that carrot. At least that's how I see it, they are playing with our minds and giving us temptations, finding out who will find those temptations suspicious and who will succumb to them. Plus we have no evidence that it is like that." Yuichi tried his best to explain it very simply.
"?! Why would they do that? Why misguiding students when their job is to nurture them into better people?" Mei asked with a shocked expression.
"The greatest teacher is a failure itself. This isn't the most elite school for nothing, they are risking it all because those who are at the bottom can only rise by the miracle itself. They need to suffer to realize it, however, then it depends on those at the bottom if they will rise or simply remain at the bottom for the rest of their lives." Yuichi opened his eyes, put down the cup on the table, and looked out of the window at the sunset before replying.
"…" When more than 5 seconds of silence passed, Yuichi glanced at Mei what she was doing just to see her gaping at him.
"What is it? Do I have something on my face?" Yuichi asked with a confused expression.
"No…I-It's just that didn't really sound like you…Anyway, how come you can come up with those things? Are secretly genius who is faking his average grades to stay friends with me out of pity or what?" Mei wasn't sure whether Yuichi's words were true but she had to admit that there was something to them.
"Heh, hardly…I bet there are a lot of students who could see through this school's intentions, plus there are a lot of things that still confuse me. I can hardly be called a genius." Yuichi snickered and replied with a relaxed smile.
"Then what about athletic genius?!" Mei changed her question with narrowed eyes while pointing with her index finger right at Yuichi's face.
"Well…that's not something for me to decide that." Yuichi just shrugged his shoulders with a helpless smile.
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Chapter 16: #16 Exploring 2
"Aren't you being too humble?" Mei asked Yuichi with a confused expression.
"Being humble isn't bad thing, it lowers other people's expectations they have for you." Yuichi said with a cheeky grin.
"Is that how your parents were alright with your average grades despite you being able to get much better grades if you were to study more?" Mei counter-attacked with her own grin.
"…I have no idea what you are talking about. Anyway, we should slowly go back to the dorms." Yuichi said with an oblivious expression before getting up from his seat.
"Alright! …Want to stop at a convenience store on the way?" Mei also got up from her seat and asked.
"That's not bad idea, at this time there shouldn't be many students so no queues for us." Yuichi looked up, thinking for a while before looking at Mei, accepting her suggestion.
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Ding When they walked in the convenience store, they quickly separated. Mei went looking for a shampoo and other essential things while Yuichi went to check out the prices of regular goods. Yuichi also noticed a few students from his class, it was that black-haired girl with a proud look on her face and a brown-haired guy sitting behind him. However, he had no reason to talk to them so he let them argue between each other, well, they weren't exactly arguing but to say that it was a civilized conversation between 2 friends couldn't be said either.
While Yuichi was walking near the counter, he noticed something that made him smile a bit.
'A whole section of daily necessities for free of charge, huh?' Yuichi thought as he wanted to take a few goods from there into his shopping cart however he was interrupted.
"Um, Sir?"
Yuichi looked towards the counter and found out that it was the clerk who called him out.
"Yes? Is there something wrong?" Yuichi raised his eyebrow as he asked, their conversation naturally garnered a bit of attention.
–
"Hey, isn't that guy the one sitting in front of me?" Ayanokoji muttered, looking Yuichi's direction with his slightly dull brown eyes.
"Isn't that good for you, Ayanokoji-kun? You can stop pestering me and go make a friend…you know what? Don't go yet, I still want to ask him something, it would be inconvenient if you were to scare him with your stupid jokes." Horikita said, looking at Yuichi and waiting for him to finish his conversation with the clerk.
"Ouch…If you found my jokes stupid, you could have just asked me to stop much earlier…" Ayanokoji said however his whole act of pretending to be hurt was all dull and emotionless. Showing that he would never become a good actor.
–
"Sir, you are most likely 1st-year, right?" The clerk asked and Yuichi nodded his head.
"I would appreciate if you could leave those free of charge goods to students who actually need them if you have points to spend yourself." The clerk said which made Yuichi put down the goods in his hand back on the shelf.
"Is this some kind of school rule?" Yuichi asked but the clerk shook his head before being busy with another customer wanting to pay.
'So it's unspoken rule…If I were to take it, it would only make me appear bad but I wouldn't be penalized…Well, keeping image is also good and trading reputation for a pack of tissues isn't exactly worth.' Yuichi thought and wanted to go look into another section of the store but suddenly two people appeared on his left and right respectively.
"Hello, would you mind answering my question?"
Yuichi turned to his right and saw that black-haired girl with a shopping cart filled only with necessities.
"You are…Horikita Suzune, and your friend is Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, right?" Yuichi asked for confirmation before replying to her since she asked quite rudely without even introducing herself.
"I would appreciate it if you could refrain from calling that person 'my friend', however, you are absolutely right, how come you know this? I have never introduced myself during class." Horikita first burned Ayanokoji before asking with a raised eyebrow.
"The nameplate on your seat" Yuichi replied with an honest smile.
'The nameplate? I remember him glancing towards me only once and only for a split second…For him to remember this much…he is perceptive' Horikita thought with a furrowed brow.
"Anyway, please ask right away…" Yuichi gestured with his hand for her to continue.
"What did you talk about with Chabashira-sensei, that is if you don't mind telling us." Horikita asked with a curious look in her eyes.
"Interesting, did you assume that I went to talk with Sensei just based on my quick pace while leaving the classroom?" Yuichi first asked his own question with a curious smile.
Horikita nodded her head with a calm and indifferent expression.
"I see…Well, I don't see any problem with telling you. I went to make sure that she explained everything properly because as you probably already know, there are more questions than answers, for example, this new currency, Private Points. We have no idea how to acquire it, the only thing Sensei said is that we will be given those points the first day of the month." Yuichi continued with a furrowed brow to show his suspicion of the school.
"Is that the reason why you wanted to take those things free of charge?" Ayanakoji joined in, he probably felt ignored and left out so he tried to fit in the conversation.
"No matter the quality, free things are always good." Yuichi frowned and said towards Ayanokoji with a serious expression.
'Well, it's not exactly wrong…' Ayanokoji thought while looking at Yuichi's serious expression.
"So you also find this entire situation suspicious?" Horikita asked with crossed arms, completely ignoring Ayanokoji.
"To be honest, I would be more surprised by someone not being suspicious of it. Such an obvious trap, it's like placing money on the ground that is tied to a long string, however, in this case, at least you just lose your stamina and time for crouching down to take that money just to see it disappear in front of your face." Yuichi muttered with a mysterious smile while looking at some vegetables in plastic boxes. After checking the price of one box, he threw a few boxes into his shopping cart.
Ayanakoji who saw this, looked into his own shopping cart to find just 1 cup of instant noodles and he immediately saw from the corner of his eye that Horikita actually looked at him and smiled mockingly.
"Yuichi-kun! I've got everything, what about you-?" When Mei finally found Yuichi, she immediately approached him just to notice that he was once again talking to people from their class.
"You know each other?" Horikita sounded a bit surprised since she actually could remember Mei.
"Well, we came from the same Junior High school. Anyway, if there is nothing else, I will probably go to the counter to pay for all these things." Yuichi said, waiting for a few seconds if they want to ask anything else.
"The last thing, what exactly did Sensei tell you regarding your questions?" Horikita asked her last question.
"…I can't" Yuichi leaned a bit closer to Horikita and tried to mimic Chabashira while saying this before retreating once again with a smirk.
Hearing his answer, both Horikita and Ayanakoji frowned although Horikita's frown looked more genuine. She was most likely thinking hard about the reason why Sensei couldn't tell anything to Yuichi.
"Do you mind exchanging contact information?" Horikita asked with a serious expression.
"Huh?!"
"Eh?"
Both Mei and Ayanokoji were surprised to hear Horikita's blunt words.
"I don't mind, lend me your phone, I will lend you mine" Yuichi said and both exchanged contact information.
"I am done here, I imagine even you are done with your…shopping, Ayanokoji-kun. Let's finish shopping so we don't bother other students." Horikita said while looking into Ayanokoji's cart just to see 1 thing and that was a cup of instant noodles.
All 4 went to the counter to pay for everything however there was already a small queue and it seems like the one who was slowing it down was at front.
"Come on, hurry up. There is entire line of people waiting on you!"
"Yeah?! I will gladly hear out all of their complaints!"
Yuichi immediately recognized that voice responding to complaints.
Ayanokoji probably recognized that voice too so he stepped out of the queue and went to the front to check on the situation.
The one who was slowing down the queue was Sudo who forgot his ID card. Ayanokoji offered to buy him the thing he wanted and Sudo accepted. When Ayanokoji returned to the group of 3, the queue started to move once again very quickly.
"You are also a pushover, huh? Or perhaps that's your way of making friends…" Horikita muttered.
"I just wanted to help, if I were in his position, it would be a bother to go to the dorms just for the ID card and then come back." Ayanokoji said with a calm expression.
'This guy doesn't exactly look like the type of guy who wants to help others but I guess I shouldn't judge the book by its cover yet.' Yuichi thought while paying for his purchase with ID card and everything was ready within a second.
'It really works like normal credit card, let's look at my phone' Yuichi thought while slowly walking out of the store, checking the display on his phone.
[Private Points: 99.480 points]
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Chapter 17: #17 Conflict
"Oh? You were in the store too, Iwamura-kun?"
Yuichi looked to the left and found Sudo squatting with his back against the store with his cup of instant noodles in hand.
"Sudo-kun? …Are you sure you should eat that junk?" Yuichi played surprised to see him and then he asked him while looking at his food with a worried look.
"…Is there something wrong with it?" Sudo asked with a confused expression, although Sudo was very aggressive and short-tempered, he absolutely loved basketball and someone like Yuichi made him even more motivated. Sudo himself didn't know it yet but he actually admired Yuichi for being able to compete in 2 sports on a national level, of course among Junior High schoolers.
Ding
"Of course, there are many problems with eating that junk, not to mention right outside the store. At least eat it at home." Horikita walked out of the store and replied with obvious expression.
"I will be going now, I don't want to degrade myself by staying here any longer. Thank you for your time, Iwamura-kun." Horikita said with her proud look which completely pissed off Sudo.
"Haa?! What the hell do you mean degrade yourself, you from some kind of noble family or what?!" Sudo stood up and shouted at Horikita who was still facing Yuichi and Ayanakoji who just came out of the store.
"What's his problem? Suddenly getting angry like that…" Horikita completely ignored Sudo which pissed him even more as he wanted to approach Horikita but before he could Yuichi went ahead to defuse the situation. 1
"Sudo-kun, it's fine where you decide to eat however there is no need to get angry over a few words. By getting angry it only shows that you truly think that Horikita-san is above you. Sometimes ignoring people is the best response." Yuichi blocked Sudo's path and said with a reassuring smile.
While Ayanokoji tried to talk some sense into Horikita although he ultimately failed.
"Tch!" Sudo looked over Yuichi, Ayanokoji, Mei and Horikita before clicking his tongue in front of Yuichi and going back to his place in front of the store.
"Hmph, well, I recommend everyone not to spend your points mindlessly" Horikita said before throwing her head to the side, slowly leaving the group.
When Yuichi and others wanted to slowly leave too, a few students walked out of the store and approached Sudo and the group of 3 who was standing quite close to Sudo.
"Hey, you guys first years? This is our spot"
"Hah?! I was here first, get lost!" Sudo who was already upset due to the matter with Horikita snapped at them.
"Haha, 'get lost' he says. Aren't you a bit cocky for a freshman?" 3 of the upperclassmen laughed at Sudo's face seeing his short fuse.
"What the fuck did you just-" Sudo put his cup of instant noodles back on the ground before standing up, clearly not afraid of being outnumbered however he was interrupted by Yuichi who stepped between him and 3 upperclassmen.
"Hello, I apologize for taking your place however my friend was already here before you and this is the school's property so this "spot" can't be legally yours. Therefore, first come first served. Please bear with it and choose another place, there are numerous good spots to eat at." Yuichi politely said with closed eyes and a bright smile.
'Is he actually pushover? When I saw him play on the basketball court, he looked like a completely different person.' Sudo thought, slightly disappointed however he could still see that Yuichi got quite a muscle mass so, in the end, he thought that Yuichi just doesn't want to cause any problems right on the first day.
"Another first-year acting presumptuously in front of his Senpais. You guys are surely from Class D, right? You are defects so just get lost and give us our spot, you have no right to make decisions."
Thud
With that said, 3 of them threw their bags on the ground, intending to remain here no matter what.
'What a blatant discrimination' Yuichi thought. He already knew that those guys were here just to make trouble, if they really wanted to eat, they would simply find another spot or waited until Sudo finished eating.
"Actually, you are the ones acting presumptuously, Senpais. You assume the fact that you are older gives you power over us however that superiority over age is just an illusion. There are no school rules stating that we need to listen to the people who are a grade above us." Yuichi said with a wide friendly smile while pointing up with his index finger.
'This guy is pissing me off!' They immediately thought when they saw Yuichi's smile.
"With everything said, can you please finally…buzz off, Senpais" Yuichi said with a bright smile and closed eyes and when they heard him, one of the guys' mouth twitched as he raised his hand to punch Yuichi's face with his annoying smile.
"?!" Everyone was surprised by sudden switch made by Yuichi. One moment he was completely polite and another second later he told them to buzz off with the same polite smile still on his face.
"Yuichi-kun!" Mei shouted with a worried expression while Yuichi's polite smile changed to a sly smile as he opened his eyes, narrowing them as if he was daring them to continue.
thud However before the fist could hit his face, one of those upperclassmen caught his friend's fist in front of Yuichi's face.
"Are you out of your mind?!" He shouted at his friend with a horrified expression and both looked towards the security camera installed on the store building. The one who just almost punched Yuichi had horrified expression as he looked towards the Yuichi who once again had closed eyes and a bright smile.
'This guy was baiting me to hit him…He was intending to take the hit just to cause us troubles…This guy is nuts and dangerous.' The guy who almost punched Yuichi thought with cold sweat on his back.
"Yuichi-kun, are you alright?!" Mei immediately rushed to Yuichi's side to check on him even though she saw with her own eyes that he wasn't hit. Yuichi just nodded his head with a smile at Mei.
"…Whatever, you are just defects anyway. Soon enough you will experience the hell itself." One of them said before dragging his friends away.
'He was intending to take the hit without moving…Everyone would reflexively move even if they wouldn't be able to dodge the punch itself but they would still try to move out of danger's way or put their hands in front of their face to protect themself.' Ayanokoji thought and also went to check on Yuichi while secretly observing him.
"Dipshits!" Sudo muttered before sitting back down
'Still, it looks like Iwamura isn't what he seems to be. To be able to endure so much of their blattering and then tell them to buzz off with the same polite smile takes a lot of patience, however it also shows that even Iwamura can get angry despite trying to hide it. Although I thought that he would at least try to block that punch maybe it was his intention to get hit?' Sudo thought while glancing up at Yuichi who was waving at those 3 upperclassmen. 4
"…Thanks, I guess" Sudo said although no one was aware who he was thanking to…Be it Ayanokoji for buying his instant noodles or Yuichi for standing up for him even though it was unnecessary.
"No problem, we are friends, or not?" Yuichi said towards Sudo.
"…I guess we are…?" Sudo replied with a slightly awkward expression.
"Just make sure not to get angry at every person that will try to taunt you since discrimination seems to be quite a trend here." Yuichi said, preparing to leave.
Sudo nodded his head however it wasn't certain if he was even listening while eating.
"…Ayanokoji-kun, do you want to go back towards the dorms together or do you have other plans?" Yuichi turned at Ayanokoji who was pretty quiet the entire time.
"Hm? You want to go back with me?" He asked with a surprised expression before glancing at Mei who just nodded her head, unfortunately, she didn't get the meaning of his glance.
"If you have no plans, let's go back together" Yuichi said and started to slowly walk towards the 15 story building in the distance. Mei quickly followed after Yuichi and Ayanokoji just watched their backs for a few seconds before releasing a faint smile.
His smile lasted only for a few seconds before he turned at Sudo, nodding his head as a farewell before catching up to those 2.
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"So…What made you come to this school, Ayanokoji-kun? That is if you don't mind telling me." Yuichi asked with a smile.
"Um, I don't have any particular reason other than higher education…" Ayanokoji replied, looking a bit startled by Yuichi's sudden question.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Felix9713 Felix9713
I will probably add a bit of sport into this fan-fic.
Discord server: https/discord.gg/nwMbDq8 (I will also post it in the comments)
I have no experience with managing Discord server so hopefully, it won't end up in flames
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Chapter 18: #18 2nd day 1
"Well, I didn't expect you to tell me right away, after all, we know each other only a few hours." Yuichi nodded his head with his hands behind his head, replying with a relaxed smile.
"Huh? That's not-" Ayanokoji wanted to correct Yuichi but he was interrupted.
"Ayanokoji-kun…every action we take, everything we do has its reasons. We eat because we are hungry, we drink because we are thirsty. Every action has its reason hidden behind it." Yuichi said with a bright smile, showing off his white teeth. 1
"…" Ayanokoji kept walking in silence without responding.
"It's alright, we might appear as friends now but we still can't trust each other, right? Don't act awkward now, I also won't tell you my reason if that will make you feel less awkward, haha" Yuichi reassured him.
'Ever since Nakada-kun disappeared, Yuichi-kun began acting weird, more…mature? more…mysterious?' Mei thought while listening to the conversation of two with an intrigued look. 7
"Oh?! I almost forgot, here you go, Yuichi-kun." Mei suddenly held out 1 plastic bag filled with a few things from their earlier shopping.
Yuichi accepted it and looked at the content of the bag just to find a few essential things as shampoo.
"Hm? …Lemongrass? Why Lemongrass of all?" Yuichi asked which caused Mei to widen her eyes as her cheeks became slightly red. 1
'?! I can't just say that the time he showered at our place and used that shampoo, his hair smelled really nice.' Mei suddenly started panicking.
"Um, you know, I think it might smell nice!" Mei just blurted out, forcing out a smile.
"Oh? I see, well, thanks, how much was it?" Yuichi asked while taking out his phone to transfer the points.
"Nonono, no need to. I picked this fragrance so I don't want any points from you." Mei started waving her hands in front of her to make Yuichi stop whatever he was doing.
However, suddenly, her phone made a sound so she took it out and noticed that Yuichi wants to send her 2.500 points, the only thing she needs to do is to accept it. She looked at Yuichi with a frown.
"Just accept it, I bet it's not even full price what you spent on all those things." Yuichi said with a serious expression, if he were to estimate the price of the things Mei just gave him, it would be around 4.000 points so he wanted to give her at least half of it. He had no idea why would she spend her points so carelessly even for him.
Seeing his serious expression, Mei knew better than to refuse, so she accepted, 2.500 points were immediately sent to her account.
[Private Points: 96.980 points]
'Well, whatever, those things last for a long time so there is no problem buying them even though they aren't cheap. Once I join the club and start playing at tournaments, I believe the school will reward me with points or something similar.' Yuichi thought with a faint smile before putting his phone back inside his pocket.
For the rest of their way, they mostly walked in silence, occasionally asking each other regular questions, and even Ayanokoji sometimes joined the conversation, albeit a bit awkward, he still managed to talk to both without any problems.
.
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"Whoa…this looks more like an apartment building than dorms" Mei exclaimed when they walked in and saw quite a big reception room in front of them.
"Em" Both boys hummed and nodded to acknowledge her statement while looking around the luxurious room.
They were quickly done with looking around and went straight to the reception desk where they received their keycards and guidebooks.
"They even have a pair of elevators with the monitor inside…" Ayanokoji muttered when they boarded the elevator.
Both boys exited the elevator once on the 4th floor, saying goodbye to Mei who had a room at a higher floor.
"They apparently don't subtract usage of water and gas from our points." Yuichi said while slowly walking down the hallway while also reading the guidebook.
"Unhealthy intimate relationships are also prohibited…Ah, this is my room" Ayanokoji muttered, reading out one paragraph aloud and both stopped at the door with a sign [401] 3
Yuichi frowned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow and Ayanokoji looked back at him with oblivious expression.
Yuichi blinked a few times while shaking his head, before taking a deep breath and going ahead.
"Good night, Ayanokoji-kun." Yuichi said while waving at him with the back of his hand.
"Ah, yes, good night to you too, Iwamura-kun."
'…Did I say something unnecessary?' Ayanokoji thought while looking at Yuichi's back before turning to his own room's door.
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Beep When Yuichi pressed his keycard to the lock, the door was unlocked and he opened them, revealing quite a cozy room with everything essential for daily life.
'This is actually quite nice' Yuichi thought while putting his school bag and plastic bag from shopping on the table.
There was a mini kitchen, shower, desk for studying, and next to it laid comfy looking bed, not too big nor small.
Yuichi stopped looking around and started getting ready to shower before going to bed early today.
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It was already past 10 PM
'This actually might be quite nice…Living all alone for the whole 3 years. The only thing that troubles me is this school's behavior. It's like they don't want to reveal anything to us, like they want us to suffer in ignorance before they reveal other essential things. Well, as long as I can have a relaxed life here, who am I to complain?' Yuichi thought with his hands behind his head while lying on the bed, looking at the ceiling with a faint smile across his face.
'Some of the classmates also look like they would make a good friends however for some reason I feel uneasy being near some of them. For example, Ayanokoji, his behavior is like the one who has no idea how to interact with people. As if he was kept in a cage his entire life just to be suddenly put into society. Well, aside from his awkwardness, he seems cool to befriend. To be honest, I don't really care for other people's "defects" as long as there is no bullying, I will be fine with whatever. It might also be good idea to befriend him as he seems like the type of guy who repels those girls who love guys like Hirata.' Yuichi thought before slowly closing his eyes.
Yuichi was aware that his friendly personality and athletic body would attract the attention of many girls but he didn't want to be bothered too much. He doesn't mind being friends with anyone but being approached just because of his personality and looks simply seemed weird to him. Plus, he heard that girls in Senior High Schools tend to be more forward and bolder. This is the problem with meeting new people for only 3 years…there isn't enough time to get to know each other very well so people tend to confess or develop feelings too quickly for their own good. 3
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The second day of the school and 1st official day of classes quickly arrived, however they mostly only went through the course objectives. A lot of students were surprised by warm and friendly most of the teachers appeared, most likely due to Chabashira-sensei's first impression she made on them.
And as expected, a few students already began sleeping despite the fact that classes weren't exactly that boring yet. What made Yuichi frown, however, was the fact that those teachers chose to completely ignore those antics which gave birth to very relaxed atmosphere as it made even other students lose focus during the classes.
The classes went on and on until lunchtime arrived.
Yuichi looked towards Mei and saw her looking at him while being near a few girls from their class.
Yuichi immediately understood the meaning of her look and shook his head with an apologetic smile. Seeing his reply, Mei flashed him a reassuring smile and shook her head before leaving the classroom with her friends.
'I am lucky that Mei is so understanding towards me…' Yuichi thought with a smile before focusing on his current task.
He moved his legs to the side at the gap between his seat and person sitting next to him.
"Hey, don't you two find the behavior of those teachers suspicious?" Yuichi turned at Ayanokoji and Horikita, asking them with a furrowed brow.
However, before anyone could respond to his question…
"Well, I was thinking of going to the cafeteria, is anyone interested in going with me?" It was Hirata who tried to gather as many students as he could who still remained in the classroom and make them interact with each other.
"I will go!"
"Count me in, too!"
A few girls immediately left their seats and went towards Hirata to join him. Hirata was scanning the classroom for more people until his eyes landed on Yuichi's group.
"Yuichi-kun, do you want to join us?" Seeing where he was looking, girls immediately asked with an excited tone. 1
"Ah? Haha, I am sorry but I have something to do first, I promise that I will join you next time." Yuichi responded with an apologetic smile.
"I see, that's alright, good luck!" Seeing his apologetic smile, girls seemed to be even more disappointed but hearing him say that he will join next time made them cheerful once again. With that said, they started dragging Hirata out of the classroom despite him still looking at us as if he wanted to ask us something.
"How troublesome…being popular. Well, at least you get invited to lunches, not like someone else here." Horikita said while reading her book.
"You weren't invited by anyone either." Ayanokoji replied.
"At least I didn't look like I wanted to be invited." Horikita counter-attacked.
"Guys…I hate to ruin your lovey-dovey moment but can you focus on my question?" Yuichi asked with a blank expression.
"Lovey-dovey?" Both Horikita and Ayanokoji turned at Yuichi with blank expressions. 4
'Well, how easy it is to gain their attention…' Yuichi thought with a smile.
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Chapter 19: #19 Cafeteria
"Horikita-san, if you were at least half as serious as you appear to be, you would have chosen to answer my question instead of "harassing" Ayanokoji-kun, however, at least it shows that you are on a halfway to become good friends." Yuichi said with a faint smile.
"Ugh, please don't say such unpleasant things. Anyway, to answer your earlier question…Their behavior is indeed very strange because when some students slack off, it creates a relaxing atmosphere where other students already on the edge get hooked on and start to slack off too." Horikita replied while looking at Yuichi.
"Don't you think we should try to make them stop this behavior?" Yuichi asked with a frown.
"You mean teachers or our classmates? Either way, it is none of my business what they are doing during the classes." Horikita replied with her indifferent tone before focusing on her book once again.
"Are you sure it's none of your business?" Yuichi asked mysteriously which caused both Ayanokoji and Horikita to raise their eyebrow in question.
"We all know that there is some kind of system on how to advance to a higher class however do you think that system is oriented for individuals?" Yuichi asked.
Ayanokoji perhaps wanted to go grab lunch so he stood up from his seat without interrupting their conversation however Yuichi stopped him from leaving.
"This is also for you to listen to, Ayanokoji-kun. We can go have lunch later, there is quite a lot of time left from the lunch break, however, if you really want to go, I won't stop you, just know that you are more than welcomed here." Yuichi said with closed eyes before opening them, looking at Ayanokoji's answer who just sat back down.
"What do you mean by that? Do you know something we don't?" Horikita naturally was intrigued by his question.
"I know nothing about this system but this is the most elite school, I doubt they would just let us slack off. I also noticed those teachers always looking at who was sleeping or playing on the phone, it looked as if they were counting them. Why would they pay attention to them if they wouldn't care about them?" Yuichi said with narrowed eyes and his words caused Horikita to open her eyes wide.
"You observed that much just from a few classes?" Ayanokoji-kun asked.
"When I find something strange and I have no answer to it, it really bothers me. And when I am bothered, I can be very perceptive." Yuichi replied with a nod of his head.
"Then what do you think they will do? And why do you think that this system is not individual-oriented?" Horikita asked with a curious expression.
'Why is someone like him in Class D? I don't understand it, even I ended up here with all these slacking students who do nothing to improve.' Horikita thought while frowning inwardly. 2
"Alright, let's go slowly at it and first say what we know" Yuichi said and closed his eyes, placing his hands on Ayanokoji's desk.
"First, we know that so-called Private Points that serve as our new currency are given to us after the whole month, just like a paycheck in work. Second, we still have close to none information about other things except basic rules what we can't do. What could be those teachers' goals? Observing how we "work" and then give us pay according to our work? However, this is practically a work in one big group, if we mess up our "project" none of us will get rewarded even if only one person messed it up. If this school is here to teach us how to live outside, this is the method they would most likely use." Yuichi said before opening his eyes, revealing the image of Horikita staring at him with a thoughtful expression while Ayanokoji was frowning in a thinking manner.
"What do you think?" Yuichi asked when he didn't get a reply for more than 5 seconds.
"When you say it this way, there indeed is a certain logic to it." Ayanokoji nodded his head with closed eyes.
"…Even if this is true, how do you want us to convince everyone to stop slacking? That's impossible" Horikita said with narrowed eyes. 1
"Heh, I guess it indeed is impossible, even for someone popular like Hirata or me. I can change the mind of a few people but not everyone. I guess we will have to experience hell to rise from there." Yuichi said before getting up, stretching his arms and back in a relaxed manner.
"Experience hell?" Horikita questioned.
"When you left yesterday, a few upperclassmen approached us to make trouble but in the end, they left with the words that we will soon experience real hell" Ayanokoji replied in Yuichi's stead which made him smile.
'Alright, now with what those upperclassmen said, it is more than certain that those teachers don't just ignore those slackers.' Horikita thought with narrowed eyes, trying to think of a solution.
"Well, I took a lot of your time already, sorry about that. Would you two like to go to the cafeteria now?" Yuichi asked with a grin.
"Um, I am in, however, I am not sure about h-" Ayanokoji got up from his seat and said while glancing towards Horikita however before he could finish, he was interrupted.
"Let's go" Horikita closed her book and got up from her seat to go with them.
"Eh?" Ayanokoji looked at her with a bit surprised expression.
"Is there something wrong, Ayanokoji-kun?" She asked with narrowed eyes, indicating him to know better than answer truthfully.
"Um, no." He replied before looking away from her. 7
'It's hard to admit but Iwamura-kun is very perceptive and also quite intelligent. I have no idea why are his grades so average compared to what he has been talking about here right now, however, if this system on advancing to higher classes really depends on the entire class, I might need his help. His popularity might actually make it easier to persuade our slacking classmates.' Horikita thought as the trio made their way to the cafeteria.
When they arrived, they immediately bought themselves a lunch, finding an empty table before sitting down with their trays.
"There are a lot of people buying really cheap meals…" Ayanokoji muttered while glancing around.
Yuichi nodded his head as he also noticed a lot of people with the cheapest lunches that looked really dull. Most of it was just vegetable and even though Yuichi himself didn't mind vegetables at all, he still liked to have a piece of meat together with it. And even the vegetable itself didn't look exactly fresh, at least it looked edible.
"I bet they are upperclassmen from Class D. With this evidence, we might even persuade a few people to stop slacking off." Yuichi muttered. He even though of asking a few of them for how it works here but he quickly abandoned that plan since they most likely can't talk about it. If their own homeroom teacher isn't allowed to disclose more information, other students either.
"At five PM today, we will be holding a student club fair in Gymnasium No. 1. Students who are interested in joining a club, please gather Gymnasium No. 1." A girl announced and repeated a few times for everyone to clearly hear her before wanting to go somewhere else.
"Tsk, please watch over my lunch." Yuichi said before darting off his seat.
"Don't worry, I will make sure Ayanokoji-kun won't take even a bite." Horikita reassured with closed eyes before taking a small bite of her sandwich.
"Hey-" Ayanokoji began to defend himself as both started to argue once again while Yuichi jogged towards the announcement girl.
"Hello, may I ask you one question?" Yuichi asked quite a cute girl, most likely from a higher grade.
"Huh? Sure~! Ask right away, fellow student~!" She turned around with a surprised expression before replying with a cheerful expression.
"Can student join more than 1 club?" Yuichi asked.
"Huh? Well, if you want to join the student council then the answer is no but I am not exactly sure if you want to join for example the Art club and Soccer club. Most students just join one club that is if they do join any because they usually don't have much time to attend more than one club. The best course of action will be to consult this with your homeroom teacher. I hope my answers were of satisfactory" The girl replied with a bright smile. 2
"Yes, thank you for your time. Good luck and the rest of the day to you!" Yuichi said with a friendly smile and one small nod.
"Why thank you! Good luck and the rest of the day to you too~!" The girl said before running off.
Yuichi returned to his seat and resumed eating his meal while listening to Ayanokoji and Horikita arguing with each other.
'Maybe I should really join just 1 club…however I can't decide which sport to abandon because I don't want to abandon either of them.' Yuichi thought while eating his meal. 2
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Chapter 20: #20 Club fair
"Guys, I will go talk to Hirata and try to convince him to help me persuade other students not to slack off." Yuichi stood up wit the tray in his hands while glancing at the group sitting at a faraway table.
"Mm" Both nodded their heads before silence overcame the place.
Yuichi left to return the tray and then he went straight to Hirata's group.
"Hi, I am sorry for interrupting but can I borrow Yosuke-kun here for a moment?" Yuichi interrupted their discussion with an apologetic smile.
The girls who were focusing on Hirata were a bit irritated by the sudden interruption but when they turned around and saw that it was Yuichi, they couldn't be angry after seeing his apologetic smile. 2
"Iwamura-kun, you can just join us! You are more than welcomed here!" A girl of average height with waist-length blonde hair tied in a ponytail and purple eyes said with a welcoming smile while sitting next to Hirata.
"Karuizawa-san, I appreciate your invitation but I wouldn't want to make anyone uncomfortable-"
"Not at all, just sit down here with us" Hirata said with closed eyes and bright smile however to Yuichi it looked more like a call for help. 1
While Karuizawa looked slightly surprised that Yuichi actually remembered her name already, other girls also nodded their heads with an inviting smile.
'Well, whatever…' Yuichi thought, dropping the intention to speak with Hirata alone.
"Alright, if no one minds it…Excuse me" Yuichi said as he sat down opposite to Karuizawa and next to a girl with neck-length blue hair and a pink hairclip.
"Yuichi-kun, have you heard the earlier announcement?" Hirata immediately started the conversation, trying to direct a bit of attention to Yuichi.
Yuichi just nodded his head with a faint smile.
"Do you want to go together? Are you already aware which club you will join, that is if you will join any." Hirata asked with a friendly smile.
"Yeah, we can all go together after school, it will be fun!" Karuizawa said, throwing her expectations at Yuichi with her pleading look.
"Well, I don't see any problem going together however I want to invite one more person if you don't mind. As for which club I will be joining…most likely basketball but I will try to consult the matter of joining 2 clubs at once with Chabashira-sensei." Yuichi replied with a smile at Karuizawa before turning to Hirata.
"That won't be a problem at all! Although I am slightly disappointed that Yuichi-kun chose the basketball club, I pray that your talk with Sensei will go well. Just don't overwork yourself, Senior High school is completely different from Junior High school." Hirata said with a slightly sad smile before turning cheerful once again.
"Anyway, I am sorry for interrupting you like that. You wanted to talk to me about something, Yuichi-kun, right?" Hirata asked with a bit embarrassed smile.
"Yes, you see…" Yuichi tried to explain the situation and his intention to stop most of students from slacking off.
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"Eh? I see…however, I don't think it's good to force anyone to do anything they don't want to. We might be able to change the mind of a few people but not everyone will listen to us…" Hirata replied with a slight understanding expression while girls appeared a bit confused by Yuichi's intentions.
"Well, I am not trying to ask for impossible so just changing the mind of a few people would be great. Also, I recommend you not to spend your points carelessly, this matter might be also related to the one I just talked about." Yuichi explained before shrugging his shoulders.
The girls were once again confused by his words since some of them already spent some of their points on new clothes.
"I understand, I will try to help and warn others however we won't be very persuasive if we won't have any evidence or reason why we want them to listen to our requests. Thank you for telling us everything, Yuichi-kun, you are truly kind." Hirata nodded his head with a determined expression.
'That's fine, I never expected everyone to listen and I told you mostly to prevent most students from spending all their points. It would be troublesome if everyone came to me, begging me to lend them some points.' Yuichi coldly thought while giving Hirata and girls a small nod with a humble smile. 3
"Actually, I am just doing work for somebody else by telling you this" Yuichi said, hinting that not everything was his idea.
In truth, Yuichi couldn't care any less for people he just met yesterday, he only had his own and Mei's well being in his mind, for now, that is. 2
Yuichi spent the rest of the lunch break with Hirata's group before going back to the classroom.
Once the classes had ended for today, Yuichi went to ask Mei if she doesn't want to join him and Hirata's group. She naturally joined and all of them went towards the Gymnasium No. 1.
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"There is quite a lot of people, more than I thought it would be" Hirata muttered while looking around inside the gymnasium filled with more than a hundred students. Nearly all freshmen attended this event even though they weren't obligated to do so.
"A lot of members of these athletic types of clubs look all serious. I bet most of the freshmen will end up as benchwarmers, so-called phantoms of the club." One boy standing near the group said, everyone ignored his words but Yuichi was able to recognize that voice.
Yuichi looked to his left as Mei did the same just to notice Ayanokoji and Horikita together.
"Yosuke-kun, excuse me for a moment, I need to go talk to someone." Yuichi said in low voice to Hirata who also noticed Horikita and Ayanokoji.
"I see, don't you want to invite them to join us?" Hirata asked with a pleading look.
"I doubt either of them accepts this, especially Horikita-san." Yuichi shook his head with a helpless expression.
"Alright, say my thanks to Horikita-san for not keeping all that information to herself and actually sharing it with others." Hirata nodded his head with a faint smile, ready to face all those girls all alone once more.
Yuichi nodded his head and went together with Mei to stand nearer to the pair.
"Hey you two, I see you are getting along more than you make it sound with your words." Yuichi called out to them, his words especially aimed at Horikita. Both of them turned at him with a slightly surprised expression before Horikita's expression changed to one of the disgust.
"Maybe you are only one making it sound more than it is." Horikita said with uncomfortable expression, slightly distorted in disgust.
" sigh I get that we are not friends but could you tone down that rudeness of yours?" Ayanokoji sighed and refuted Horikita's words with both his hands in his pockets.
"Impossible" Horikita closed her eyes and replied with only 1 word. 1
"Thank you all for waiting, first-year students. We will now begin the club fair. A representative of each club will explain their functions and what you can expect from joining them. My name is Tachibana, the student council secretary, and currently the club fair's organizer" A girl of average height with purple hair tied in two buns with bangs hanging over her eyebrows announced with a calm expression.
Therefore, the club fair began and the first one to step up onto the stage was the girl dressed in archery gear. She gave a quick speech and explanation why consider joining the Archery club before stepping down from the stage and leaving the space for others to shine.
Yuichi was mostly talking with Mei however he sometimes couldn't help but comment on those 2 firing at each other with sharp words, debating like little children without a stop.
"Are you two sure that you haven't known each other before attending this school?" Yuichi asked with a strange expression and Mei followed his example, looking at Ayanokoji and Horikita with a particular expression.
"Positively" Horikita replied first and Ayanokoji just nodded his head.
"Ayanokoji-kun, if you will always reply by body language, other people will perceive it as you being rude. If you want to make friends, at least try to use your vocal cords." Horikita said.
"Ugh, Iwamura-kun, are you planning to join any club?" Ayanokoji decided to ignore Horikita's sharp words. 3
"Yes, I have already played during my Junior High so joining one now makes a lot of sense. I wouldn't want that time of training waste away. As for making friends…I think you are thinking about it too much, Ayanokoji-kun."
"Hm?" Ayanokoji raised his eyebrow in response to my words.
"He means that staying alone isn't that bad if you can't make any friends." Horikita said with a smirk.
"Not exactly, you actually can't "make" friends. It simply happens. Ayanokoji-kun, have you ever been in a relationship with the opposite gender?" Yuichi asked with a smile. He was aware that his question was quite rude but he was also slightly aware of Ayanokoji's personality and Yuichi knew that he wouldn't mind.
"Um, no…" Ayanokoji replied, glancing at Horikita but this time, even she fell silent and rather just ignored their conversation while looking towards the stage.
"Me neither~!" Yuichi replied shortly with a cheerful smile while shrugging his shoulders.
"?" Ayanokoji looked at him with a bit surprised expression and even Horikita glanced at him with an intrigued look in her eyes.
'But you could have…liar' Mei thought while glaring at Yuichi, recalling that confession behind the school building. 2
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Chapter 21: #21 Arrogance
"I know, you probably think…How so? How come someone popular, athletic like him had no single relationship?… The matter with making friends, finding a girlfriend…it's not something you can just pursue, it is bound to happen naturally. You might refute it now, but you two are already friends. Maybe not good friends yet but you can't deny that you talk to each other and attend the same event together without tearing each other into bits." Yuichi said with a smile.
Ayanokoji appeared to be thinking hard about his words however Mei and Horikita had a different opinion.
"If you are going to only wait, nothing will be achieved. To get something, you need to work for it." Horikita said with crossed arms without refuting his words since it was practically meaningless to do that now.
"However this is a different matter and by being desperate, you will only scare people away. In the first place, you shouldn't start a conversation with anyone with the reason of befriending them. You can take it as scouting out your surroundings, learning other people's weaknesses and strong points, you can treat it as a game and if you find someone who is fine with being around you, you can consider them a friend." Yuichi replied to Horikita with a faint smile.
However, when Horikita wanted to say something, her mouth shut down while she began staring at the podium. All of them were confused by her behavior so they looked at the podium but they saw only another representative and line of a few people.
After a few more representatives of each club were finished, another boy arrived in front of the microphone. The other upperclassmen went towards the area with plain tables to get ready to accept any new members. The only one who remained on the podium was that boy in front of the microphone, he had sleek gray hair. He was scanning everyone in the gymnasium with his sharp gaze through his glasses however other students misunderstood his silence for nervousness so they started whispering to each other until giggles could be heard.
It was the same boy who had a short speech during the opening ceremony, Horikita Manabu.
'So they really are relatives, considering how she is staring at him…Their relation most likely is not at its best state.' Yuichi thought while glancing at Horikita standing near him.
Horikita Manabu once again introduced himself as student council president and explained that the student council is also looking for potential candidates among the first-years. The most distinguished thing between his speech and others' was that during his speech, none was talking, he was able to silence over 100 students in spacious Gymnasium.
The reception for all applications was open until the end of April, however, if anyone wanted to join any club later, they must bring the application directly to the club they want to join.
"Hey" Yuichi called out to Horikita however she was still in a daze and even when Ayanokoji tried calling her out, she didn't react.
"Hey, guys! You also came here, huh?" Suddenly someone called out from behind them and when they turned around, they noticed it was Sudo with Ike and Yamauchi in a row.
While Ayanokoji started talking with them, Yuichi glanced at Horikita who finally moved.
"Was that your brother?" Yuichi called out to her but didn't try to stop her physically as she began walking towards the crowd in front.
Horikita flinched at his words and stopped moving before turning her head at him.
"Why do you care?" Horikita asked with a frown.
"Just curious, no need to reply." Yuichi said, waving his hand.
"It's not like you don't know already" Horikita replied before disappearing inside the crowd.
"What was that?" Mei asked with a confused expression.
"I guess I hit the sore spot." Yuichi replied with a helpless smile.
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"Oh, by the way, I created chat group just for guys from our class. Do you want to join? You too, Iwamura-kun." Ike said while holding his phone in front of him.
"Ah, I am sorry but it's guys only." Ike noticed Mei standing next to Yuichi so he apologized with a silly smile which only made Mei send a glare at Yuichi.
"It's alright…" 'I wouldn't want to even know what you guys are talking about through that chat group anyway…' Mei replied with a smile while thinking inwardly with a bit disgust.
"Sure" Yuichi had no reason to refuse so he and Ayanokoji joined in the chat group.
"Iwamura-kun, do you want to go apply for the basketball club right now?" Sudo asked with a curious expression.
Yuichi looked at Mei for a bit before he received her answer.
"Well, I don't see any reason why should we rush it but I guess we can go now." Yuichi replied.
Sudo and Yuichi separated from the group and also disappeared in the crowd of freshmen.
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"Iwamura Yuichi, Point Guard. So you are playmaker, huh?" The upperclassman responsible for registrations said with a troubled expression when he received Yuichi's application together with the report from his Junior High with a proof that he was part of the basketball club.
"Is there something wrong with it?" Yuichi frowned and asked as Sudo was listening in since he was waiting for him on the side.
"Frankly? Yes. The point guard is usually considered captain and it's one of the hardest positions since you need not only personal skills but you also need to be perceptive. You must be able to lead your team as a general into battle and see their weaknesses and strengths…" The upperclassman put down Yuichi's application on the table and said with an apologetic smile. 1
"So if I were to join as Point Guard, I would be at most benchwarmer?" Yuichi bluntly asked what his Senior didn't want to tell.
"…Practically, yes" He replied with a bit guilty expression.
"Is there any problem here? The queue stayed in the same position for a while already…" Someone walked out of the crowd and asked the one responsible for the registrations of the basketball club.
"Ah?! No! Not at all, student council president!" The guy replied with a bit startled expression as he suddenly noticed Horikita Manabu who appeared out of nowhere.
"It doesn't seem so…" Manabu said in a soft tone while frowning down and adjusting his glasses. He glanced at Yuichi and then back at the guy sitting at the table.
"Hm? Student council president, there indeed is a problem however it is a problem more about traditions instead of rules." Yuichi turned at Manabu and said with a calm expression, directly staring into his eyes.
"Oh? And you are…?" Manabu seemed a bit intrigued by this problem but he first asked for Yuichi's introduction.
"Iwamura Yuichi, class 1-D." Yuichi introduced himself shortly and lowered his head slightly before raising it back up.
"Alright, tell me what the problem is…" Manabu nodded and gestured with a gentle wave of his hand for Yuichi to continue.
"I would like to apply to the basketball club as Point Guard position which practically means becoming a captain, however, Point Guard position is impossible apparently." Yuichi explained.
"And you think you have what it takes to become captain and playmaker of our core team?" The guy sitting at the table asked, a bit irritated by Yuichi's constantly pushing this matter. And it couldn't be denied that Yuichi was now acting quite arrogant.
"No matter how amazing are your past achievements, here you are starting anew. Students here are older than you, more experienced, and most likely more skillful. Becoming a general isn't an easy thing, even if you were accepted here, none of the 3rd or 2nd years would have respected you as Captain. Just apply as Point Guard for a different division and slowly climb the ladder." Manabu suggested with a soft tone before turning around to leave.
Hearing his words, Yuichi narrowed his eyes as his eyes slowly lost their radiance.
"Wait" Yuichi said before calming down and his eyes once again regained its radiance.
'? What was up with his voice?' Manabu stopped and thought still with his back to Yuichi. He was able to recognize the threatening tone in his voice however once he turned at him, he couldn't see any difference.
Their conversation naturally garnered a lot of attention as even Hirata's group and Ayanokoji were listening to them.
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"Hirata-kun, what is going on here?" Karuizawa asked Hirata with a worried look since she had no idea why was there such a tense atmosphere between Student council president and Yuichi.
"I have no idea…but it looks like there is a little dispute between Yuichi-kun and one responsible for registrations for the basketball club." Hirata shook his head with a helpless expression as he continued to watch.
–
Manabu gestured for Yuichi to continue.
"Students here are evaluated by their abilities, right?" Yuichi asked.
"Naturally" Manabu nodded his head.
"In that case, I want a chance to prove myself, and I won't ask for a long time either…" Yuichi said with a faint smile.
Manabu wanted to tell him that chances aren't given to everyone just like that however it was Basketball club's matter so he turned towards the person sitting at the table.
"Eh? What do you mean by that?" The guy asked after getting a glance from Manabu.
Yuichi smirked when he heard his question and stretched out his hand towards Manabu while showing 3 fingers.
"3 Weeks. Give me your weakest players, so-called substitutes or benchwarmers and in 3 weeks of practicing with them, I will destroy this school's basketball's so-called core team." Yuichi said with a confident smile while staring straight into Manabu's eyes. 11
'On the court, I am not a captain that gives out instructions, I am a king that gives out undisputed orders.' 20
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Chapter 22: #22 Bet
"3 Weeks. Give me your weakest players, so-called substitutes or benchwarmers and in 3 weeks of practicing with them, I will destroy this school's basketball club's so-called core team." 3
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"What?! Who the hell does he think he is? They are all seniors in the core team, they must be all very skilled!" The commotion immediately broke out once Yuichi said those words so confidently.
"Hirata-kun, shouldn't we stop this before it gets too far?!" One of the girls asked.
"I-…I don't think we should…Yuichi-kun seems like he truly means it, it would be rude of us to question his decisions instead of supporting him. Don't you think so?" Hirata shook his head with an uncertain expression.
Manabu walked closer to Yuichi and the other guy.
"These chances usually don't come for free…However, this is not for me to decide…" Manabu said towards Yuichi before turning to the other guy from the basketball club.
The guy from the basketball club was also quite pissed off after hearing Yuichi's words.
"What are you going to give away if you will lose?" The guy said, and although he wanted to say that as long as it would be a close match, he would reconsider letting Yuichi join as Point Guard of core team however he was too pissed off to act so softly.
Yuichi smirked and took out his ID Card.
"All of my points. As long as the Student council president makes sure that it will be a fair match without any sabotages, I am willing to give the Basketball club all of my points. You should realize how many points I have since I am a freshman." Yuichi said while playing with his ID card in his right hand. 2
Another commotion broke out as he finished his statement. Some students were extremely surprised while others started having fun out of this.
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"Mei-san?! Where were you the entire time?" Karuizawa asked with wide-open eyes when Mei finally joined their group.
"I had a problem finding everyone but I heard everything…" Mei replied with an apologetic smile.
"It's alright and all but shouldn't you stop Iwamura-kun? Aren't you two friends from Junior High?" Karuizawa asked with a worried look as she also pulled Hirata's sleeve a few times.
Hirata just looked at Mei to hear her answer since she knows Yuichi the best. Their group only knows him for 1 day, they have no right to stop him if they don't know him good enough.
"Well, no one can stop him now. Yuichi-kun is usually laid back and likes to avoid conflicts however, ever since that incident, his passion for basketball and soccer increased more than tenfold. When it comes to these 2 sports, he doesn't let anyone doubt him or question him and especially not fellow sportsmen. Plus none of you has seen him actually play, he becomes a completely different person when he plays." Mei shook her head with a helpless expression.
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'?! That's Iwamura-kun I saw that day play on the court!' Sudo smiled widely and thought. He was pretty excited if that Senior will really accept this bet, he will play with Iwamura-kun against the core team. 4
'Is that what they call passion or is it perhaps something completely different…?' Ayanokoji thought with his apathetic expression while looking at Yuichi from within the crowd.
"Oho? I like your confidence and decisiveness. If the basketball club accepts this bet, I am willing to oversee the entire match." Manabu actually smiled at Yuichi before turning to the other guy, waiting for his answer.
"We naturally accept, we aren't just any weak team you find everywhere. And if you win, we will accept you as our new captain, I doubt anyone will have a problem with that." He said towards Yuichi with narrowed eyes.
"Then it is decided, I will arrange official paperwork so it can be recognized as an official match. For the time being, good day to both of you." Manabu said and slowly left, however not before throwing the last glance at Yuichi.
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"Kaichou, may I ask why you bothered yourself with such a small conflict?" Tachibana asked while walking down the hallway together with Manabu. 1
"His confidence intrigued me. I know a bit about basketball and if he can win against the core team with only benchwarmers in his team, it makes him a great general. And if he truly wins and will be accepted in the core team, this school's prestige will only increase, attracting more people from all different areas." Manabu replied while adjusting his glasses, looking in front of him with his sharp and calculative gaze. 2
–
After this little incident, Yuichi went to join the others where he had to convince everyone not to worry before he went towards the dorms together with Mei.
"Yuichi-kun, are you really sure about this bet?" Mei asked with a worried look while they were walking back to the dorms.
"Heh, of course." Yuichi smirked and said in complete confidence.
"However you don't even know what kind of players they have in the core team, you also have no information about your future teammates…There is a chance that you will lose all of your points." Mei said her worries.
"You don't understand, Mei, loss or win, I won't lose anything either way." Yuichi said with a wide smile, showing off his white teeth while taking out his phone.
"What are you tal-" Bzzz Before she was able to ask anything, her phone vibrated so she took a look at it, and once she saw the message, her eyes widened as she snapped her head at Yuichi with a shocked expression in the realization of his plan. 18
Yuichi just smiled at her with closed eyes before nodding his head. 1
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A few days later…
Creak Thud "Hey, hey hey!" Ike slid open the door with a bit too much force and made a bit of commotion while entering the classroom but he still had to start yelling while hurriedly walking towards his friend Yamauchi with a beaming smile. 3
"Hey! Good morning, Ike!" Yamauchi immediately greeted his friend.
It has already been a week since the opening ceremony and Yuichi already met up with so-called benchwarmers from the basketball club a few times. He was kinda glad that Sudo volunteered to play with him since he is also a freshman because his team was really lacking. Either way, he has plans to only teach them lay-ups and increase their accuracy while throwing, aside from that, he will spend the rest of the time only by improving their teamwork.
'When players know when and where to set up the screens, they can have an unstoppable offense. Teamwork is the best way how to defeat experienced and better team, of course, there also needs to be at least a good ACE of the team. Thankfully, Sudo is quite a good player so we have an even higher chance than I previously thought.' Yuichi thought while sitting sideways, resting his elbow on his chair's backrest while watching this commotion between Ike and Yamauchi.
"I was looking forward to today so much that I almost couldn't fall asleep last night!" Ike said with an excited tone.
"I get what you mean, man!" Yamauchi replied with a smirking.
"Haha, right?! This school is the best! I really look forward to the swimming classes!" Ike said which reminded Yuichi that today they have officially their first swimming class.
The girls immediately started glancing at their group with disgust filled in their eyes.
Ike's group was currently at the back of the class, discussing today's yet to be swimming class before calling over a chubbier student nicknamed "The Professor" or named Sotomura Hideo. The guy was simple otaku who liked dating sim games with attractive girls. Most of the guys who are part of the "Class D - guys only" chat group already know that much.
"Professor, can you record the girls wearing their swimsuits for us?" Ike asked in a low voice but Yuichi still heard him very clearly since he wasn't currently talking to anyone.
Cough Yuichi coughed out a few times after hearing Ike's bold words.
'At least arrange the plan for this in your guys only chat group, you idiot!' Yuichi felt like walking up to them and smacking Ike for his idiocy.
"Sure, no problem! I hate swimming anyway so I will pretend to be sick." Sotomura replied giving Ike a thumb up with a smile.
'You probably hate even walking' Yuichi rolled his eyes and decided to start talking to someone, therefore he turned at Ayanokoji however Ayanokoji already turned back at the group of boys.
'No! Don't!' Yuichi widened his eyes but it was too late.
"Record? What are you planning?" Ayanokoji asked in low voice out of curiosity.
"The Professor is going to rank the girls' breast sizes for us. We are also opening bets for the biggest rack!" Ike explained.
'Oi, oi, you are still in the classroom.' Yuichi thought, deciding to turn back towards the board.
"Hey, hey, that's pretty dangerous…" Even Sudo backed away from Ike a few steps after hearing his plan.
"Pathetic, isn't it?" Yuichi heard Horikita's voice from behind so he turned his head at her, seeing her looking at him before glancing at Ayanokoji who was still looking at the group of boys at the back of the classroom.
"Well…" Yuichi just released a forced smile with closed eyes, having no way how to reply to her.
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Chapter 23: #23 Swimming class
The swimming class quickly arrived after the lunch break and as it was time for Yuichi to go to the school's pool, he was stopped by someone on his way.
"Iwamura-kun?" Someone called out his name from behind so he stopped walking and turned around.
"Hm? Kushida-san? Is there something you need from me?" Yuichi replied with his regular friendly smile, seeing that it was the most cheerful and probably most popular girl in the entire class. 3
"Well, I noticed that you are quite close to Horikita-san so I wanted to ask you if you have ever seen her smile or laugh. Isn't she feeling lonely?" Kushida asked with a worried expression while closing in the distance between them.
"Hmm. I don't think she is that type of girl who likes to constantly smile, for her, a smile is most likely something that should be treasured and used only in special moments or something like that. Plus I am not that close to her, Ayanokoji-kun is much closer to her due to their blabbering, arguing, and whatever." Yuichi replied with a smile and closed eyes but he was feeling that she wasn't leaving him enough of space as he started to feel her breasts touching him.
"Really? Ayanokoji-kun said an exactly opposite thing but he still tried his best to help me which I am grateful for! You wouldn't know how could I become friends with Horikita-san, right?" Kushida asked while pressing for his answer by pushing her body closer while staring into his bright green eyes.
'…What's her problem?' Yuichi thought, wanting to narrow his eyes but he kept his smile on. He wasn't feeling really comfortable having a girl he knows 1 week pressing against him.
"I have already told this to someone else…You shouldn't try your best to befriend someone…it just doesn't work like that. Just try to sometimes talk to her when there is a chance but don't look desperate or try to force her into conversation with you. That's the best advice I can give to you, now, can you please, um, give me a bit of space?" Yuichi replied before requesting her to move back a bit.
"Oh? Sure! I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, I truly appreciate your advice though, Iwamura-kun!" Kushida said before taking a few steps back.
"Shall we go to the pool together~?" Kushida spun 180 degrees and asked with a cheerful tone glancing back at Yuichi, holding her hands behind her back.
"Sure" Yuichi replied and both went together to the pool where their next class was about to start.
'Her desperation to make friends with everyone…Is she trying to make everyone in this class-no, in this school on her side? But even if she wants to have a backup of many people behind her, why would she be so desperate to make a friend with Horikita of all people?' Yuichi thought when they arrived at the pool and Kushida went towards women's changing room while glancing at her back with dull green eyes.
.
.
'Her approach was also very aggressive. She was using her body to push the positive answer out of me. She might be acting all cute and innocent but there is no way a girl of her age wouldn't realize that she is pressing her huge rack against someone's body. Kushida Kikyo…What is your defect?' Yuichi thought while opening the locker in the changing room with narrowed eyes.
"What's the matter?" Someone's voice woke him up from his thoughts.
"Hm? Ah, Ayanokoji-kun, it's nothing…just something on my mind" Yuichi turned to his right and replied with a bright smile.
"The bet between you and the basketball club?" Ayanokoji asked with a slightly worried tone but his expression remained calm without a change.
"Heh, that's the last thing on my mind." Yuichi snickered and replied with a relaxed smile.
'Even if you have absolute confidence in your skills, anything unexpected can happen…' Ayanokoji thought about Yuichi's confidence.
"Hey, guys! The last chance to place your bets! The one currently in the lead is Hasebe! The minimum bet is 1.000 points!" Ike announced which garnered everyone's attention.
"They are really spending points on bets who have a bigger rack?" Yuichi muttered with a dumbfounded expression before glancing at Ayanokoji.
"Eh…Please don't look at me, I have nothing to do with it" Ayanokoji replied with a bit awkward expression.
"My money is definitely on Sakura!" Yamauchi said with an excited smile.
"I am only telling you guys about this so keep it secret. The truth is, I actually confessed to Sakura." Yamauchi added right after.
'But why?' Yuichi thought why would he say that even though no one asked or seemed interested in the girl named Sakura. It made him feel like he was boasting with lies like before with baseball matter.
'This guy has some kind of tendencies to lie…' Yuichi rolled his eyes while finishing changing into his swimming shorts.
"Wha-?! Seriously?! But isn't she kinda…plain?" Ike was a bit frustrated by this but he still asked with a curious expression.
"Well, she was until I saw her in her regular clothes and man…she is HUGE!" Yamauchi said.
"For real? Even if she has got huge tits, you shouldn't ask her out if she isn't cute. I wouldn't date anyone unless they were in the same league as Kushida or Hasabe." Ike looked at Yamauchi as if he was an idiot before stating with a smug on his face. 1
clang "I am going ahead guys." No longer wanting to listen to this kind of talk, Yuichi closed his locker with a bit more force before leaving the changing room.
"Huh?" Ike and Yamauchi looked at his back with a confused expression before they looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.
The main reason Yuichi didn't want to remain there is that he is aware that there are girls that look kinda plain at first sight next to other more attractive girls like Kushida and Hasebe and he was also aware that Mei was most likely plain in their eyes too, fortunately, she doesn't have a huge rack like Sakura so there was no trash talking about her. 1
"You know Sakura personally?" Ayanakoji shortly followed after him and asked after arriving next to him, looking over the big pool, exactly the same pool used in the Olympics.
"Hm? I have yet to talk to her. She seemed quite timid so I didn't force her to exchange a few words with me." Yuichi replied with his hands placed on his hips.
"…You are really an athletic guy, huh? Under all those clothes, I have never noticed but you might be more ripped than Sudo himself." Ayanokoji probably didn't want the conversation to end so awkwardly so he said whatever came into his mind first. 1
'That sounded a bit weird…?!' Yuichi thought but then he looked at Ayanokoji and noticed his inconspicuous arm muscles. 2
"I wouldn't go that far, he has more muscles, I only have them more refined since I weight a bit less and have less fat than him, making them more visible." Yuichi replied with a humble smile and closed eyes.
'Muscles in those areas are usually from practicing martial arts or practical physical activities…' Yuichi thought before he opened his eyes and secretly checked muscles on Ayanokoji's legs.
'This guy might not be what he seems to be' Yuichi thought with a smirk.
"What about you, Ayanokoji-kun? Have you ever practiced anything?" Yuichi asked with a curious expression.
"Hm? Not really anything sports like, even during my Junior High I was in the Go-home club." Ayanokoji replied immediately with a bit of embarrassed expression. 1
"Go-home club, huh? That must have been nice, having a lot of free time to yourself." Yuichi muttered with a smile.
Ayanokoji wanted to reply to him but he was interrupted as someone threw their arm over his shoulder.
"Whoa! Look at this big pool! This school is definitely the best! Now, where are the girls?" Ike exclaimed while looking all around, taking in sights in front of him before his expression changed to a lewd one as he began glancing around but he couldn't find a single girl.
"They are most likely still changing, they usually take more time to change than boys" Ayanokoji replied with a calm expression.
"I guess you are right…Shit! Now that we are here, waiting for them to arrive…It just struck me!" Ike started fidgeting all over as he began to be more nervous each second before he stopped moving with his eyes wide open.
"What?!" Yamauchi asked with a worried look.
"What if I get a boner in the middle of the class?" Ike exclaimed while covering his private parts with both hands through the swimming shorts. 3
'Is this what Senior High School is about?' Yuichi thought with a faint smile, actually a little amused by their talk.
"If you were fine in front of Chabashira-sensei's big cleavage, you will be fine seeing girls in their swimsuits. Plus they will be wearing school swimsuits, there will be no bikinis" Yuichi replied to him with an amused smile.
"Maan but that's completely different! I wouldn't even dare to fantasize about that demon, however, Kushida for example…heh, that's a different case." Ike shouted at Yuichi with closed eyes before he once again mentioned Kushida with his lewd expression, indicating that his mind was somewhere else.
'Then just don't fantasize about anyone!' Yuichi misunderstood since he thought that Ike would get a boner from just sight in front of him however Yuichi never thought of the possibility that Ike also fantasizes about someone while looking at that person.
"Also, I had no idea you have such tastes, Iwamura-kun" Ike suddenly said with a thoughtful expression.
"What?" Yuichi raised his eyebrow in confusion.
"You know…I don't think you mentioning Chabashira-sensei was just a coincidence…Yep, yep, but don't worry, I don't judge." Ike said with a wide smile, resting his chin in an arch formed between index finger and thumb.
"…Just be careful not to get a boner before even girls arrive, that would be truly disturbing." Yuichi narrowed his eyes and said with a cold smile. 3
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Chapter 24: #24 Competition
"Hey, guys! What are you doing? You seem to be having fun."
Everyone turned to right once they heard a feminine voice and most of the guys froze from what they saw in front of them. It was Kushida in a school swimsuit, leaning forward, revealing more of her cleavage, her boobs were big enough that they started bouncing once she leaned forward enough. Her pose also complimented a lot her curves and despite her having only plain school swimsuit, it was enough to see her voluptuous butt and thighs. The swimsuit has shown even more of her beauty however Yuichi who was quite cautious around her rather glanced to the side where he immediately found Horikita.
"Hm?" Horikita raised her eyebrow in confusion once her eyes met up with Yuichi's.
"K-Kushida-chan!!! N-Nothing, we were definitely doing nothing just now!" Ike quickly replied while waving his hands in front of him in nervous manner.
Most of the guys took a good look at Kushida before averting their eyes except for Ike and Yamauchi who even started chanting her name numerous with satisfied expressions.
'This is actually scary…I really wonder how this girl can take this on without feeling disgusted or embarrassed. It seems like other girls want to kill those 2…better keep my distance' Yuichi thought, taking a few steps away from those 2.
While Kushida looked like ideal waifu material…bright, cheerful, ready to cheer you up after a hard day…Horikita on the other hand looked like an elegant refined lady who would hold a sophisticated conversation with you, however no one really paid her that much attention when Kushida was in their sights.
Horikita's curves were definitely beautiful however she lacked in chest area compared to Kushida although it couldn't be said that she was small there either. 1
Yuichi also found Mei in the crowd of girls who just arrived and saw her hiding behind a few of her friends. Seeing that, he couldn't help but chuckle with an amused smile.
"It seems like we had the same idea" Yuichi muttered with a grin when Ayanokoji also backed away from the main group and went to join Yuichi on the side.
"I just feel safer not being too close to them." Ayanokoji replied.
"Heh, do you mean boys or girls?" Yuichi snickered and asked which prompted Ayanokoji to look at him with an uncertain expression.
"Not sure…" He replied before averting his eyes away from the girls.
"Where are Sakura-san and Hasebe-san?!" Yamauchi asked with an excited expression while searching for them however when someone pointed towards the observation deck right next to the large pool.
"Eh?!!" Both Ike and Yamauchi exclaimed in disappointment when they saw two girls sitting there in their uniforms.
.
.
Horikita approached Ayanokoji and Yuichi as she began observing both of them, making them feel a bit awkward.
"Well, should I say as expected in Iwamura-kun's case? However, Ayanokoji-kun, you, do you do sports?" Horikita said before glancing at Ayanokoji with a bit surprised expression.
Ayanokoji shook his head and said the same thing he said to Yuichi.
"Alright everyone, line up!" A macho-looking guy shouted with a smile, he was their swimming class' teacher.
"Hmm? Alright, after you warm up, I want to see what you are capable of. All of you will swim for me so I can see how many of you can actually swim." He looked over everyone in line with a bit surprised expression, most likely from the number of students who actually decided to attend the class before he stated with a commanding tone yet with a relaxed smile which gave him quite a mixed image. Stern if you won't do as he says, relaxed if you try your best…
"Um, sir, what if I can't swim?" One student raised his hand and asked with an embarrassed expression. 3
"Don't worry, as your teacher I promise you that you will be swimming like a pro by summertime." The teacher said with a reassuring smile. 8
A few students started to complain that there is no reason to force themselves to swim since they aren't really going to the beach but the teacher refuted their words and said that we will definitely find swimming useful, he especially empathized word "definitely"
"Will it also "definitely" come in handy by the summertime?" Yuichi asked with a faint smile.
"Eh?…Of course!" The teacher was a bit startled by Yuichi's question as he also empathized word definitely, however the teacher only smiled back and replied to him.
Hearing the reply, Yuichi couldn't help but frown.
'What has got this school in plans for us?' Yuichi thought that this teacher's words were more of hints than encouraging words.
Everyone got into the pool and started to swim from one end to another at a relaxed pace.
After a few minutes, the teacher finally stopped everyone.
"Alright, I have seen most of you have no problem with swimming so let's hold a little competition. I will separate you into groups by your gender and you will do Fifty-meter freestyle on time."
"Whaat? Competition?!" Ike sounded a bit startled by this announcement."
"Yes, and the one who finishes on the first place, will get a bonus consisting of 5.000 points from me! However, the student in the last place will have to take supplementary lessons. Get ready everyone. Once I call out your name, I want to see you on the block, ready to dive in." The teacher said and clapped his hands a few times as if to say "chop-chop".
'5.000 points for finishing the first? This is the first opportunity to make a profit aside from our monthly income.' Yuichi thought before narrowing his eyes, determined to get those points.
Since there were more boys than girls, boys were divided into groups of 5 and the first one always advanced further.
In the first round, Yuichi swam against Ike, Yamauchi, Yukimura, and another student.
In that round, Yuichi ended up first with a time of 25 seconds. Hearing the results, most of the girls congratulated him, and while at it they also said that they will attend his match against the basketball club's core team.
Yuichi thanked everyone with a friendly smile before focusing on others. Hirata in his group finished with a time of 26 seconds. Sudo was also quite a fast swimmer, finishing with time around 26 seconds too. However there was someone even more abnormal, it was Kouenji who finished in 23 seconds. However that wasn't probably the most bizarre thing, he was wearing a tight type of swimsuit which easily revealed his bulge, making all girls look away.
'To think that he is that fast…I might be able to match him if I go all out but I haven't stretched enough so I might injure myself but I can't just leave him those points' Yuichi thought with narrowed eyes. 1
"Well, the first place has 2 seconds lead in front of the second place…Do you want to hold that final round or is this it?" The teacher asked if Yuichi and others wanted to continue in competing.
"Naturally…" Yuichi said, stepping forward.
"Yeah!" Sudo followed after him while clenching his fist.
"I am alright…" Hirata said while waving his hand with closed eyes and a bright smile.
"Alright, go at the blocks so I can start the final round."
"I am not really interested in another round…winning or losing doesn't matter to me since I already competed once." Kouenji waved his hand and turned around, not interested in another round.
"Alright, if you guys want to win, you have to finish in under 23.22 seconds." The teacher announced as both Yuichi and Sudo got on the block.
'Under 23.22 seconds, huh?' Yuichi thought as his usual smile suddenly disappeared and was replaced by indifferent, serious expression as he was staring at the other end of the pool.
–
"You can do it, Iwamura-kun!" A few girls started cheering Yuichi on.
"Hm? I have never seen him with such serious expression but it suits him the same way as his smile~!" Matsushita muttered with a surprised expression.
Both Hirata and Karuizawa looked towards Mei who was standing near them and she also noticed their stares.
"If Yuichi has such expression, it just means that he is taking it seriously." Mei explained with a faint smile, looking forward to this round.
–
When the whistle blew, both of them dove in however from the start it was visible that Yuichi jumped much further than Sudo which gave him lead right from the beginning. When they finished their race, Yuichi had a few seconds lead from Sudo and everyone just waited for the teacher to announce the results.
"24.46 seconds"
"…22.15 seconds" The teacher announced with a serious expression.
"Yaaaaay!" Most of the girls cheered after hearing the results.
Sudo definitely improved his last time but Yuichi was able to defeat Kouenji's time.
huff huff When Yuichi got out of the pool, he was catching his breath with his hands resting on his hips because he swam the entire race without taking a single breath.
–
"Kya! Isn't he cool? He was able to finish in such a short time!"
"Tch! I really hate handsome guys!" Ike complained to himself on the side after hearing a few girls squeal when Yuichi got out of the pool.
–
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Chapter 25: #25 Suzune Horikita
1-D Classroom…
"Kikyo-chan, do you want to stop by a café on our way back today?" One of Kushida's friends asked.
"Sure~! But wait a minute, please. I would like to invite one more person." Kushida replied to her friend and made her way towards Horikita's seat.
"Horikita-san, would you like to come with us to a café today?" Kushida asked politely with a friendly smile.
"Not interested…how many times do I have to tell you not to bother yourself with me?" Horikita said while focusing on the book in front of her.
"Alright, I will try it next time~!" Despite receiving quite a blunt and rude reply, Kushida still replied with a cheerful smile.
"Wait, Kushida-san" Horikita suddenly called out before Kushida could leave which made her turn back at Horikita with hope in her eyes.
"Don't invite me again, it's a bother to refuse every time." Horikita added salt to the wound however Kushida kept on smiling.
"I will invite you again! Iwamura-kun?" Kushida didn't give up before calling out to Yuichi who was sitting near, reading his own school materials.
"Yes?" Yuichi raised his head as his head was supported by his fist.
"Would you like to go with us to a café?" Kushida asked with a smile.
"I appreciate the invitation however I am quite busy after school, sorry." Yuichi replied with an apologetic smile.
'I wonder if she would invite even Ayanokoji if he wasn't absent at this moment. Anyway, she keeps pestering Horikita and it really gets annoying to watch. Not to mention how suspicious it is…Especially when there is Sakura who doesn't seem to have a deep connection with Kushida either, yet Kushida doesn't force her friendship on her like on Horikita.' Yuichi decided that he better keep his distance away from Kushida, she was too weird to him.
"Ah! You still need to prepare for your game in the basketball club, I am sorry for forgetting!" Kushida apologized with a bit sad expression before saying her farewell and leaving the classroom, however before they left the classroom, Yuichi could hear one of her friends' words:
"Kikyou-chan, why do you bother inviting someone who doesn't want to befriend anyone? Not to mention I kinda hate her-"
Even Horikita must have heard it however when Yuichi glanced at her, she didn't even flinch.
"What is it? Do you perhaps want to invite me somewhere too?" Horikita asked once she noticed Yuichi's lingering stare.
"So even you know how to joke, huh? It was a joke, right?" Yuichi said with a smile before asking with a surprised expression.
"…Yes" Horikita replied shortly before returning her sight towards the book.
"You know, it would be good if you could make a few friends or at least allies." Yuichi said while looking at her, feeling her lonely atmosphere around her, not letting anyone inside, except Yuichi who was already near her and most likely Ayanokoji once he comes back since he sits right next to her.
"Why would I need to make friends or allies?" She asked, flipping to another page of her book.
"You are intelligent, Horikita-san, however, there are simply things that you can't do all alone. Teamwork is also an essential asset in your life. Even the biggest businessmen need to know how to talk properly to people even if they hate it. They even have to wear fake smiles just to please someone for simple cooperation between two firms." Yuichi said while reading through his notes from classes.
"Why are you telling me this? Is this your way of saying that my teamwork is bad?" Horikita asked.
"It's not bad, Horikita-san, it literally sucks" Yuichi said casually with a smile which prompted Horikita to stop reading and raise her head at him with a frowned expression. 3
"You should have already realized by now that this school is completely different from any other public Senior High schools. They will definitely force us into a lot of different situations where we will have to do things we don't like. If this school were only about studying and getting good grades, it would have been the same as thousands of other schools in the entire country." Yuichi said while playing with a pencil in his hand.
"Why are you telling me all of this?" Horikita seemed to accept his words but she still didn't understand the reason behind them.
"To help you…" Yuichi shortly replied with a bit bored expression.
"Why would you want to help me?" Horikita asked with narrowed eyes, full of suspicion.
"Ah, I know that look…Yes, humans are indeed selfish creatures but there are also those who help others when it doesn't cost them anything for good karma or for a good feeling from helping someone." Yuichi glanced behind him and saw Horikita's glare before replying with a smile.
"And which type of person are you, Iwamura-kun?" Horikita asked.
"Neither of them, right now I am doing it so I can get on your better side, having a higher chance of you accepting my request." Yuichi said shamelessly with a bright smile and closed eyes.
"I am amazed at your boldness to come forward with it like that." Horikita sighed and replied with a calm tone and closed eyes. She opened her eyes and stared at Yuichi as if to say "out with it".
"I would like you to go with me to the library if you have free time." Yuichi said.
"Huh? Why?" Horikita seemed quite surprised by his odd request but only now she realized that the "joke" she previously made was the truth in one way or another.
"To help me study…I am still missing a lot of things and studying alone would take a much longer time. I believe that your notes are neatly organized and with your help, it would take a shorter amount of time." Yuichi replied with closed eyes and a calm tone.
"Indeed, if I were to help you study, we would be done much faster than if you were there alone, however, why do you want to study right now? Don't you have your club activities? Not to mention that bet with the basketball club…" Horikita asked with a bit of softened expression. Maybe she approved of Yuichi's intention to improve and study seriously as far as to go ask her for help.
"I have already given instructions to my team, Sudo-kun will be there too so I have nothing to worry about. As for the reason why I want to improve my grades…it's pretty simple, students here are evaluated by their abilities. I already have quite a good physical ability but my grades are at most above average." Yuichi replied with a faint smile.
"You think that our physical abilities are of the same importance as our academic results?" Horikita asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I think that in this school, they evaluate us as the whole person, they most likely even take notes of our personalities, definitely not just academic results. If it was just academic results, why would you, Hirata and Kushida, and a few others be placed in this class full of average people?" Yuichi asked with an obvious expression.
"Hmm…It does make sense, however…Hirata is physically very capable and his grades are also almost perfect, he is even a natural leader who is popular among his peers, why would he be placed here?" Horikita muttered before closing her book and stuffing it into her bag.
She stood up and took her bag into her hand.
"Wait, you didn't answ-" Yuichi thought that Horikita was about to leave so he wanted to hear her reply to his request but before he could mention it, he was interrupted.
"Let's go, I haven't got all day." Horikita said, waiting for Yuichi to get up.
Yuichi nodded his head, stuffed his things into his bag before getting up.
When they exited the classroom, Yuichi glanced at Horikita's bag.
"What?" Horikita asked with an indifferent face while looking in front of her.
"Let me carry your bag since you are going out of your way to help me" Yuichi said extending his hand.
Horikita stopped and turned at Yuichi with narrowed eyes.
"Do I appear to you as some kind of princess or what?" She asked with a harsh tone.
Yuichi wanted to immediately reply but he suddenly imagined Horikita in a fantasy-like setting in the middle ages.
"Um, I guess you would be able to fit that role pretty well." Yuichi blurted out.
"What?" Horikita definitely didn't expect this kind of response as she stared at him with her sharp eyes.
"Come on, no need to be so hostile. It was just a suggestion, I am not trying to act like a gentleman, I am trying to make you feel more comfortable since you have to spend your free time helping me study. If you don't want it then just say so, no need to get upset." Yuichi said with an apologetic smile before resuming the walk.
Horikita stayed behind a few seconds, staring at his back before catching up to him.
"I appreciate your gesture and intentions but it would only create unnecessary trouble if anyone saw you carrying my bag. Not to mention, I myself decided that I would spend my free time helping you study, if I would feel uncomfortable, I wouldn't have accepted it in the first place." Horikita replied with closed eyes and a calm tone before looking out of the windows in the hallway with a very faint smile. 8
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Chapter 26: #26 Library
Both Yuichi and Horikita arrived at an almost empty enormous library where even a single step could be heard.
Both greeted the librarian with the nod of the head before finding a remote place without anyone around.
They sat down opposite each other as they put down their bags on the chairs next to them.
"So, what especially would you like to focus on?" Horikita asked, opening her bag.
"For now, I guess I will go for a perfect score in math." Yuichi said with a faint smile while taking out his own notes and blank papers he can use to practice.
"Hm? Perfect score? You are really confident, even if you have my help, I doubt you can get perfect score…" Horikita replied with a bit surprised expression before taking out her notes from math classes with a calm expression.
"Of course, there is always a chance of a mistake happening so let's say not under 90 %" Yuichi shrugged his shoulders with a smile before reaching out for Horikita's notes however when he touched her notebook, he looked at her for her permission. She nodded her head so Yuichi took it into his hands to take a quick look at how are her notes.
"You are quite carefree despite having a basketball match in just 2 weeks from now with all of your points at stake. If you lose, your win during the swimming class would be completely pointless." Horikita said while taking a look into Yuichi's notebook.
"Thank you for worrying but I have everything planned out, the plan became foolproof from the moment I signed the contract your brother arranged, although I had to point out a few things on it so I guess he already knows my intentions. He is really perceptive." Yuichi said and at first, Horikita frowned from hearing his first words but when he mentioned the contract and her brother, she had a bit confused expression.
"What do you mean by that? What is your plan?" She asked with narrowed eyes, thinking hard about what could be Yuichi's plan.
"How about I tell you a few hints and while I copy a few of your notes, you can think about it?" Yuichi suggested with a playful smile.
Horikita took it as a challenge so she naturally agreed with a serious expression.
"First of all, don't think too hard about it, it is actually very simple, however, this plan requires something you personally don't have." Yuichi said as he started copying her notes.
"Aren't you supposed to say hints? This is more like a riddle…" Horikita immediately complained to him.
"But isn't this way better? Tell me if you won't be able to come up with an answer and I will give you an additional hint." Yuichi said with a smile.
'What I personally don't have…?' Horikita thought with frowned expression.
After more than 2 minutes passed by…
"You don't have it, yet you don't want it" Yuichi added without breaking off his immersion in copying her notes.
"…?" Horikita's eyes widened before she once again narrowed them with a thoughtful expression.
"It is a "friend", isn't it?" Horikita asked hurriedly, she didn't even realize how much she was into this little riddle game.
"Yes, now that you have this information, you can continue guessing my plan." Yuichi said with a smile.
"Wait, that wasn't what you-" Horikita wanted to argue with him but Yuichi just pressed the back tip of his pencil to his lips to quiet her down.
"You are still waiting for me to copy everything anyway…Plus this is a good practice of using your brain, no?" Yuichi said with a soft tone.
sigh Horikita just sighed before she once again started thinking about it.
"At least tell me a little hint what was in that contract that might help me." She asked.
"But if I tell you that, you will immediately guess it but I guess I tormented you enough…The main point written down there is that I can't transfer any of my points from the moment I sign the contract." Yuichi said and Horikita's eyes immediately widened in realization.
"See? That's why I didn't want to give you another hint." Yuichi said with a bit disappointed expression.
"How many points do you currently have?" She asked with a frowned expression.
"I am a little bit broke, hehe" Yuichi showed her his phone with 5.000 points on the display before releasing a silly laugh but for Horikita it sounded more like villain's laugh. 1
sigh "Still, 5.000 points is quite a lot. It would be waste to just lose them" Horikita sighed with a slightly defeated expression before saying with a calm expression.
"Whoever said that I am prepared to lose them? It's more like having a 99.9% chance to win yet still having a back-up plan for that 0.1% chance. Anyway, I am done with copying most of your notes. Can you now explain a few formulas to me? There are a few of them that are interconnected with other formulas so it's a bit hard for me to understand them." Yuichi said with a faint smile before sliding his notes to her while pointing at certain parts with the tip of his pencil.
"Hm? Sure, this one is actually pretty easy…" Horikita said as she started explaining.
Both spent more than an hour in the library before they decided to stop.
"Thanks for today, you are really diligent and have great notes despite having a lot of details that many might view as unimportant." Yuichi thanked with a genuine smile while stuffing all his things into his bag just to be missing one last notebook. He couldn't find it but once he looked at Horikita, he saw her listing through it with an intrigued look. 1
"No need to thank me, you are quite intelligent so it was quite a nice experience teaching someone capable of thinking by himself. Anyway…are all those drawings yours?" Horikita replied with a faint smile before turning the notebook Yuichi's way, showing him his drawings of nature, one half was beautiful plains with animals peacefully running around while other was a dark forest filled with wolves with red glowing eyes. 14
"Haha, yeah, they are…a bit strange. I know, however I also have more…normal drawings." Yuichi released a bit embarrassed laugh while scratching back of his head before replying with a forced smile.
"Yeah, I noticed that most of them are less strange however this one gives me feeling as if it had some special meaning…Still, to think that you can study diligently, do sports, and also draw…you are pretty talented." Horikita said and gave him a little compliment with her expressionless face while handing over his notebook.
"It doesn't really have any special meaning, I just felt like drawing something different. I also appreciate that you recognize my hard work…I hope you can help me with a few more subjects." Yuichi said with a faint smile while getting up and grabbing his bag with him.
"…" Hearing his words, Horikita frowned as she began glaring at him with suspicion in her eyes.
"What?"
"What is your plan by approaching me like that? What are you plotting?" She asked with a serious expression.
"? I see…" Yuichi suddenly realized the problem as he smiled and this time it was Horikita's turn to be confused.
"I don't really "aim" to become your friend or anything. If you want me to say it in blunt words, I want to use you for my improvement in studies however it might also be in your interest to help me so I don't see any problem." Yuichi said with a faint smile while walking together with her towards the exit.
"…It indeed sounds bad when you say it like that." Horikita admitted.
"I think you are trying too hard to keep yourself away from others. You focusing on it so much that you forget other things. I will say it bluntly, I think that with your personality, it is hard to make many friends but to me, you are a calm intelligent person who doesn't say nonsense each second. After a long day, having someone like you nearby to talk to for a few minutes can be quite relaxing. However, would that be still considered as being friends? What even is a friend, to begin with?" Yuichi said before asking while shrugging his shoulders.
"…" Horikita seemed a bit surprised by his sudden words however she still appeared to be thinking about them quite hard.
" sigh Whatever, if I have time, I might consider it. Anyway, I have been thinking about something for a while." Horikita sighed and replied in quite a strange way which prompted Yuichi to glance at her with a questioning look.
"You have mentioned that my biggest problem is my teamwork…If that is my biggest problem, what is yours?" Horikita suddenly stopped when they exited the library building and asked with a furrowed brow.
Her question made Yuichi also stop a few steps in front of her.
"Aren't you supposed to tell me that? Why do you think people can judge others better? Because they see others from a different perspective than the judged person sees himself. Your judgment of yourself is clouded by your belief that you don't need friends therefore you think that teamwork isn't your problem. Usually, our biggest defects are clouded from our view or maybe we try our best to convince ourselves that we are perfect or without any major defect." Yuichi said with his back facing Horikita. 4
Horikita was surprised by his words but she definitely couldn't refute them. However, no matter how much she tried to think about a person named Iwamura Yuichi, she couldn't find any major defect. His grades weren't the best but he was improving and also diligent so there was no defect in that area. He was popular, had good communication skills, his athletic abilities were incredible. As of now, to Horikita, a person named Iwamura Yuichi seemed like an embodiment of a perfect human being. Her confusion was only increased when she heard his serious tone that she very rarely heard from him.
"Even I am not perfect, I know that much" Yuichi turned his head to the side to look at her from the corner of his eye, revealing half of his face that was covered in apathy before he once again turned to the front.
Yuichi began to slowly walk towards the dormitory while Horikita remained there staring at the back of his head with wide-open eyes. Seeing that half of his face, she unintentionally recalled the drawing she saw in Yuichi's notebook. 5
'Iwamura Yuichi…What is your defect?' Horikita thought, having nothing else to do, she followed after Yuichi since they lived in the same dormitory. 10
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Chapter 27: #27 Mock Exam
Days were passing by very quickly and Yuichi kept attending club practices with Sudo and from time to time he went to Library with Horikita, though they haven't really talked much during their times spent there. Still, both appreciated the calm and silent atmosphere so none of them felt awkward.
It's been 3 weeks from the opening ceremony and Yuichi's what many people liked to call "fateful match" will be held in just a few days.
During those 3 weeks, many groups were formed, for example, a group named "The Idiot Trio" with Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudo as members. Unfortunately, even Sudo had to be part of that group but Yuichi mostly ignored it. At this time, it was practically impossible to make friends anew, unfortunately for Ayanokoji who seemed to talk only with Horikita, Yuichi, and sometimes with Idiot Trio. Well, Ayanokoji's talks with Horikita were the same as always, not really exciting and Yuichi was mostly busy so he usually just ate lunch together with Ayanokoji before tending to his things.
Hirata and Yuichi were working hard, trying to convince most people not to slack off and at least have their eyes open and look towards the board. With their influence, a lot of people stopped being absent in many classes and instead of using phones in classes, they were drawing into their notes. Of course, not everyone was able to follow their requests which created quite a chaotic atmosphere within Class D. More than a third of class blaming other individuals who did whatever they wanted despite others doing their best to at least pretend to be awake during classes.
There were also rumors of Karuizawa dating Hirata which slightly confused Yuichi since Hirata never mentioned anything like that. Even if he felt that mentioning it would be just bragging, at least he wouldn't act like he knows nothing even when those rumors reached Yuichi's ears.
What was the most suspicious for Yuichi was the fact that Hirata never officially acknowledged his relationship with Karuizawa yet he also never refuted it. 6
The Class-D for their 3rd period had history class with their homeroom teacher.
When Chabashira-sensei walked into the classroom, the noisy atmosphere quite quickly died down as only a few whispers could be heard from the back. This prompted her to raise her eyebrow in a suspicious manner. Even she began noticing big changes in the behavior of her students, most of them looked bored or uninterested but they still paid attention to her in a quiet manner.
Chabashira-sensei looked towards Yuichi who was sitting, holding his pencil, ready for the class. Despite noticing her stare, he remained unmoved as he stared in front at the board.
"Today's lesson will be a bit serious but I guess most of you should already be ready." She narrowed her eyes at Yuichi but decided to quickly stop and addressed the entire class.
"What do you mean by that, Sae-chan-sensei?"
Some of the bolder students even created a pet name for her but she completely ignored their rudeness. Even Yuichi frowned down upon hearing these students but requesting them to stop even this behavior would be too presumptuous.
'The only reason why she wouldn't care for their respect is that she treats them as nothing…Usually, adults like to be respected by younger people like the previous lady from the bus however there are also those who don't care for other's opinions. For example, Horikita who doesn't hesitate to say something blunt into someone's face because she treats them as if she was above them. However Horikita and Chabashira-sensei are two different age categories, Horikita ignores her peers while Chabashira-sensei ignores those she teaches which is very obscure.' Yuichi thought.
"The end of the month is slowly approaching, we are going to have a short test. Please pass these back." She replied with a calm expression, completely ignoring the pet-name while handing out the papers.
"Wha-?! There was no mention of this! I am not prepared for this!" A student cried out with a dissatisfied expression.
"Yeah!" Yamauchi and Ike quickly joined in to protest in expectations…that she might reconsider…? To be honest, no one was sure what those 2 expected.
"Quiet down, this test is just for future reference. It won't be reflected in your report card, therefore there is no risk involved. Of course, despite all that, cheating is prohibited." Chabashira-sensei replied with crossed arms.
Everyone quickly sighed in relief upon hearing her words.
'Then where it will be reflected in?' Yuichi thought but he didn't even think of asking aloud since she would just say that she can't say or something similar. Yuichi was sure that this test is for something particular if this wasn't the test for normal grades. There would be no reason to hold a short test if there wasn't a clear reason to do so, however, despite knowing all this, Yuichi still couldn't come up with the real reason.
When the test sheets arrived at Yuichi's seat, he took one and handed the last one to Ayanokoji without even looking behind.
Yuichi quickly scanned through the test sheet and saw 20 questions, each one for 5 points, four questions for one subject. While everyone was busy with the test sheet, Chabashira-sensei kept patrolling the classroom, keeping an eye on everyone.
'These questions are seriously easy…' Yuichi thought while he was fairly quickly answering all questions however when he arrived at the end…
"What the…? These last questions are seriously way too hard" The one student muttered and a few others groaned in response as if they agree with him.
'I might be able to solve those math problems but only thanks to those tutoring lessons from Horikita.' Yuichi thought however even all those formulas he learned had to be somehow combined and interconnected to solve those questions. These definitely weren't questions meant for a High School freshmen.
'Well, I will just write something down and see what will happen.' Yuichi shrugged his shoulders and started attempting to solve the math problems on his sheet. 7
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After everyone finished with their tests and bell rang, Yuichi could hear Ayanokoji asking Horikita if she doesn't want to join him for a lunch. She naturally refused and judging by her answer, it seems like Ayanokoji is planning to go eat with Idiot Trio. Yuichi could feel Ayanokoji's eyes on his back but in the end, Ayanokoji never called out to him, most likely because he feared double rejection? Or maybe even he realized that the group he is going to eat with is quite unrefined. He also learned from swimming classes that Yuichi doesn't really like their narrow-minded judging of girls so asking Yuichi to join Ike and Yamauchi for a lunch was definitely a bad idea.
Ayanokoji left the classroom with a quite tired sigh.
"So? Do you think you have got a perfect score?" Yuichi suddenly heard Horikita's voice from behind him.
"I don't know, most likely I have at least one question wrong answered. There were quite hard questions at the end." Yuichi replied with a helpless smile.
Horikita just nodded her head with closed eyes to agree with his statement even though she didn't look like she had any problem answering everything herself.
'Guess I will go clear my head and get some fresh air' Yuichi thought as he pushed himself up from the desk with the help of his hands. He took his bag and went towards the classroom's doors.
"Have you noticed Chabashira-sensei's surprised expression when she arrived?"
Just when he almost passed Horikita's seat, Horikita asked while reading her book.
"It was just for a moment but yes…" Yuichi replied while stopping a few steps next to her seat.
"It must mean that your intention to change everyone's behavior truly holds some meaning." Horikita admitted, in truth, she felt conflicted about this…about Yuichi. After seeing today's sensei's reaction, she was a bit positive that what Yuichi previously talked about was right on the spot. However, she couldn't accept it…she couldn't think of a reason why would he even be able to think of it.
"Then I just hope that they will reveal more information once this month ends or others might not be able to endure it. The upperclassmen from before mentioned hell and it was supposed to come very soon so I think on May 1, we will get answers to the most questions that confuse us all." Yuichi replied with a bit tired tone.
"Why do you sound so tired? And why May 1 of all days?" Horikita also noticed his tired tone so she asked with a frowned expression before also asking an additional question. Although she agreed with him, she still wanted to know his reasons.
"Because that will be the day we are supposed to receive our 100.000 points. And I am not exactly tired, I just feel a bit uneasy. Anyway, I am going for fresh air, feel free to follow me, or just remain here." Yuichi said before going over to the doors and sliding them open.
Horikita just stared at the doors for a few seconds before throwing her head to the side, continuing reading her book. Horikita said to herself that she won't follow him because she doesn't need to be friends with him however, the real reason she wasn't even aware of yet, was that she started feeling inferior to Yuichi despite tutoring him a few times a week. 1
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Chapter 28: #28 Staffroom
Yuichi was walking down the hallway and when he wanted to turn right, someone hurriedly walked out of the corner, by her stature it was definitely a girl however she was carrying a lot of books that were obscuring her vision.
Despite that fact, she was still able to notice Yuichi's hair due to his height so she quickly stopped before bumping into him however that caused the stack of books in her hands to start falling forward.
'Tch, I would have been able to sidestep in time…" Yuichi was a bit upset that the student in front of him caused unnecessary trouble even though it was meant with good intentions. Without thinking further, Yuichi reacted by his instincts and rushed towards the girl, stopping the falling books with his entire body since his hands wouldn't be enough to catch numerous books.
"Ah! I am sorry!" The girl said with a guilt-filled tone.
"Don't move" Yuichi said softly after hearing her guilty voice.
"Alright!"
Yuichi moved very slowly closer to the girl while getting on his tiptoes to balance all books once again.
When the tower of books was once again rebuilt, Yuichi took half of it into his hands, revealing the girl's face in front of him.
"Hi, hehe~" The girl greeted with a bit embarrassed expression and with slightly flushed cheeks.
'Back-length blonde hair, blue eyes, and a friendly smile, this girl definitely isn't from my class.' Yuichi thought immediately after seeing the girl's face, she was highly attractive, he was sure that many would say that she is a league above Kushida or Horikita.
"Hello, it is quite dangerous to walk with the stack of books in your hands in front of you. Not only for yourself but also for other people." However, instead of normal greeting and trying to score a few points by starting small talk, Yuichi actually reprimanded her actions with a polite smile.
"I-I know but I didn't want to bother any of my classmates with this. Once again, I really apologize!" She said with a guilty expression and it seemed like she was really sorry so Yuichi could only sigh.
"Where are you going?" Yuichi asked, still holding half of her books. He also noticed that those were studying materials they were using so she deduced that this girl in front of him is also a freshman.
"To the Staffroom on this floor. Our homeroom teacher asked us if we can't take those there, she should already be waiting there for me." She replied with a friendly smile. 1
'Staffroom? It's still quite far away due to how enormous this school is.' Yuichi thought while taking a look behind him into the long hallway.
"Lead the way" Yuichi said with a faint smile.
"Huh? No, no, it's alright, I can take it alone, you don't have to bother yourself when you were also almost caught up in incident I almost caused." She quickly started shaking her head.
"There are CCTVs and if I will let you walk so irresponsibly and perhaps something happens to you, I might also get in trouble because I didn't stop your dangerous behavior. However, if you don't care for an official reason, I just want to help." Yuichi replied with a smile. He chose those words because he had no idea why she was rejecting his help if it was because she is stubborn like Horikita, or simply still feeling guilty…
"Eh? Hehe, you are funny. Alright, I accept your help and I promise that I will return this favor one day! By the way, my name is Ichinose Honami from 1-B." She introduced herself with a bright smile.
sigh "No need to return anything, I will just help you carry a few books, I am not saving your life. Still, it is nice to meet you, Ichinose-san, I am Iwamura Yuichi from 1-D." Yuichi said with a smile before gesturing with his head for her to lead the way.
"It is nice to meet you too, Iwamura-kun!" She said with a bright smile before turning her eyes in front of her. 1
'This girl doesn't seem to be affected by the fact that I am from Class D. I already noticed a few freshmen from C and A scoffing at class D students. Most of them probably picked it up from their Seniors who behaved the same way.' Yuichi thought while carrying half of the books.
The duo continued walking down the hallway without speaking however there was still merry atmosphere around them since Ichinose was humming something to herself. Overall, she looked like a very friendly and cheerful person, very similar to Kushida however Yuichi couldn't put his finger on the reason why he thought that two of them are very different yet being so similar on the first look. Maybe it was because he was keeping his distance from Kushida…
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"Let me…" When they arrived at the Staffroom, Yuichi bent his knees and gestured her to put down her stack of books onto his so she can knock.
"Ah, yes, thank you." She quickly got the meaning and put down her books before knocking and sliding the door open.
"Ah, Ichinose-san! I was beginning to worry that something happened to you!" A young woman of average height with slightly longer shoulder-length light-brown hair, curled at the bottom with bangs hanging on the right side said with a worried tone and maybe a bit too enthusiastic.
"I am sorry Hoshinomiya-sensei! There was a little delay on the way." Ichinose said with a bit embarrassed expression as she looked behind at Yuichi who just walked into the room.
"Excuse me, where should I put these?" Yuichi asked while looking around.
"Iwamura-kun?" It seems that even Yuichi's homeroom teacher was here as she called out to him with a slightly surprised expression.
"Please put them here…anyway, Iwamura-kun is your name, hmm?" Hoshinomiya muttered with a mischievous expression, invading Yuichi's personal space when he put down the books.
"Eh…Yes, my name is Iwamura Yuichi, it is nice to meet you Hoshinomiya-sensei." Yuichi said while leaning his head back, trying to gain some distance from her without acting rude.
"Hehe, no need to be so polite, you can call me Chie-chan while being here. Anyway, so you are that reckless student Sae-chan told me about, huh? Reckless men are quite popular when they are also confident in particular." Hoshinomiya said with a flirty smile while shamelessly checking out Yuichi.
"Hoshinomiya!" Chabashira said in a harsh tone.
"Oops" Hoshinomiya said when she turned at Chabashira and noticed her glaring, she immediately took one step back.
"I wouldn't say that I am reckless…passionate is a much better word to use." Yuichi corrected her while scratching the back of his head.
"Ah?! That's even better! Women love passionate men!" Hoshinomiya winked at him, she most likely took his words as attempt to flirt with her but Yuichi just wanted to clarify that he isn't reckless.
"Still, I won't be stealing you from Ichinose-san who found herself a boyfriend on the way here, hehe~" Hoshinomiya said teasingly and Ichinose who kept standing there with a smile over her face suddenly blushed after hearing those words.
"Oh, no, that's not it, Hoshinomiya-sensei!" Ichinose quickly refuted her words but she realized that she might have appeared rude by denying it so quickly so she glanced at Yuichi.
"Please believe what Ichinose-san says, I know her only a few minutes longer than you, Hoshinomiya-sensei." Yuichi said with a faint smile and nodded his head, having a few regrets for helping Ichinose.
"So that means, from all 3 women here, you know Sae-chan the most, huh?" Hoshinomiya muttered while looking at Yuichi with a mischievous smile and pressing her index finger against her lower lip. 1
"Hoshinomiya, that's enough. Stop questioning my student" Chabashira finally took a step forward to stop this too passionate teacher.
"So it's "my student" now, huh?" Hoshinomiya said with a teasing smile but the only reaction she got from Chabashira was not so amused glare.
" sigh You are no fun, Sae-chan." Hoshinomiya said and pouted before redirecting her attention to Ichinose who also started to feel a bit awkward.
"Alright, if there is nothing else, please excuse me…" Yuichi threw Chabashira grateful look before saying but he was quickly stopped.
"Wait, since you are already here, I want to talk to you" Chabashira said with crossed arms and a faint smile as if to say "you aren't free yet"
"No" Yuichi blurted out unintentionally after seeing her smile while still giving her that grateful look.
"Huh?" Hoshinomiya and Ichinose turned at Yuichi, hearing his blunt answer, slightly surprised however Hoshinomiya actually smiled.
Chabashira raised her eyebrow in question.
"I mean, I have yet to eat anything so I would like to go and grab a lunch" Yuichi corrected himself with a bright smile and closed eyes.
"You can eat in the kitchen here" Chabashira replied immediately while pointing with her thumb at the door behind her.
"I don't think I have done anything bad, neither do I have any bad grades, I don't see a reason for consultation with a homeroom teacher." Yuichi still wanted to disappear from this Staffroom not to mention, venturing even deeper was a big no for him…
'I wouldn't be surprised if there was a dungeon connected to this Staffroom with that teacher here…' Yuichi thought while glancing at Hoshinomiya. 2
"Are you perhaps planning something, Sae-chan? Look at him how he is scared of you, you should try to be nicer~" Hoshinomiya said with a playful tone.
This prompted both Yuichi and Chabashira to glare at her at the same time.
"Eh? Eeeh?!" She backed away a few steps, a bit surprised that even Yuichi was glaring at her when she was just trying to help him.
"I do have a reason, I want to consult with you your last test from history class." Chabashira said.
"…Alright" 'I don't really have a choice here, she can make up so many excuses not to let me out…' Yuichi replied before thinking inwardly.
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Chapter 29: #29 The Match 1/4
"Close the door behind you" Chabashira said when they changed rooms while Ichinose and Hoshinomiya remained in the Staffroom, debating about something.
thud "Are you planning to murder me here or something, sensei?" Yuichi closed the door and asked with a smile.
"If you think so, why did you close the door first before asking?" Chabashira asked while taking the seat, crossing her legs.
"I don't know, maybe I trust that Chabashira-sensei would never try to do anything bad to her students" Yuichi said politely with a bright smile.
"Take a seat, compliments won't get you out of here sooner than necessary." She replied with closed eyes and a completely calm tone.
"Aww, this atmosphere makes me feel like I have done something bad…Can't Chabashira-sensei smile a bit more?" Yuichi said while taking the seat opposite to Chabashira before asking while showing her a wide smile as if to say "that's how you do it"
"If you answer all of my questions, I might smile a bit more for you" Chabashira said with her serious expression and crossed arms.
"Then please ask right away!" Yuichi replied in an enthusiastic way.
"The change in everyone's behavior…is that your work?" She asked with narrowed eyes, watching Yuichi's smiling face with closed eyes very closely.
"Hm? I am only doing it because Hirata is doing it." Yuichi replied with a smile. 1
"So it is your work…"
"Not exactly but you could say that I am helping."
"And whose plan was it?" She asked with a furrowed brow, she knew that something was off about Yuichi's answers.
"Um…Sensei, I promised that person not to tell a single soul, therefore, unfortunately, I can't answer this question however I can tell you that the student who came up with this plan has only everyone's well-being in mind." Yuichi said with a bright smile and closed eyes.
Chabashira's eyes widened when she heard his answer, recalling their conversation after their first homeroom class.
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"Good questions, unfortunately, I can't answer most of them yet however I can tell you that this school values its students and rewards them according to their performance." Chabashira said to Yuichi who came looking for answers to his questions the 1st day at this school
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'Heh, this student…"If you aren't being honest, why should I?" huh?' Chabashira thought having an urge to even laugh a bit from Yuichi's boldness.
"From your surprised expression upon seeing the changes, were we perhaps supposed to not do that? If that is so, I am really sorry to sensei for creating unnecessary trouble" Yuichi said with a confused expression before bowing down, sounding all sincere.
"…Forget it, I have already gotten my answers. How is your practice with the basketball club going?" She said with a faint smile before asking with a curious look.
"It's alright, I think there is some chance for me to win. Will sensei come to cheer on us?" Yuichi asked innocently with an expectant look in his eyes.
"I see…I will be watching from afar" She frowned down and replied.
"Thank you, sensei! Anyway, what's the problem with my last test from history class?" Yuichi asked with a worried look.
"…You can leave" Chabashira-sensei said with closed eyes and slightly tired expression.
"But what about-" Yuichi wanted to continue to play ignorant just to make her more uncomfortable but before he could finish, she opened her narrowed eyes and looked at him sternly.
"You can leave, student Iwamura." She said and Yuichi decided to leave it for now. He got up, bowed down, and left the room.
He politely nodded towards Ichinose and Hoshinomiya however before he left, he heard their voices.
"Farewell, Iwamura-kun!"
"I will attend the basketball match held in a few days and cheer on you~!" Hoshinomiya said playfully.
"Thank you, I appreciate it. Have a nice day, Ichinose-san, Hoshinomiya-sensei." Yuichi said with a helpless smile before leaving the Staffroom.
–2 days later–
It was already after today's classes yet Gymnasium was filled with quite a lot of people, mostly the students who have heard rumors of one freshman's bet. Most of them came here just to have a look at how someone loses all of their points, such is human nature. Most of the students would rather see Yuichi lose all his points instead of winning. Even a few teachers attended and naturally even student council president was present, sitting on the side, observing the court from a high position.
'I have never imagined that even my brother would have attended this small event…Well, he was the one arranging it so I guess it makes sense for him to be here-' Horikita thought while looking at her brother with a weak expression. She was planning to actually just go home or to the library but when she remembered that today was Yuichi's match, she decided to have at least a quick look at it despite Yuichi having no risk of losing anything.
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"Iwamura-kun, how big is our chance to win in your opinion?" Sudo asked with a curious expression while stretching. Even the other members looked towards Yuichi once they heard Sudo's question. In those 3 weeks of practice, they have gotten to know what kind of player Yuichi was and they were literally scared. It wasn't as if he was extremely amazing and skillful that he would stand a chance in 1 on 1 against a professional player. The aspect that scared them was in a completely different direction.
"Hm? Well, I have seen them play a few times. And judging by how we play, we have a good chance for a win but no pressure everyone, just play like you always do, if you mess something up, don't think about it for too long. As long as you will be focused we can win." Yuichi said with a smile. He didn't say that they have guaranteed victory so they won't slack off however he also didn't say that there is a small chance to not discourage them.
All of them were wearing white jerseys with their own numbers in black color together with white shorts. Yuichi was currently putting on two black wrist sweatbands.
"I am kinda nervous to be completely honest with you…I am not sure if I will be able to throw any threes despite attending this club the whole year…" Their Shooting Guard (SG) said with an embarrassed expression. He was the second year of class D like Yuichi and many others.
However, they also had 1st year from Class B who played Small Forward (SF) and another 2nd year from Class C playing Power Forward (PF).
Sudo himself was playing Center (C) due to him being quite tall and strong.
"I have heard that quite a lot of people came to look at how I will lose my points" Yuichi muttered with a relaxed smile, hearing muffled voices of many people outside of the locker room.
"No need to worry about that, we will win!" Sudo said with an excited smile while clutching his fist.
"Alright, let's go, don't get nervous when you will see too many people." Yuichi said before getting up with a faint smile. He was aware that these people never played in any tournaments, even those 2nd years never played in any tournament, at most they were sitting on the bench however once on the court, the pressure is completely different under the eyes of many people.
"Yeah!" All 4 other members shouted at the same time, following Yuichi out of the locker room.
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"Ugh…" Their SH immediately groaned when he noticed so many students looking at the court. 2
Yuichi quickly found a few guys from Class D and when he noticed Mei looking at him, he sent her reassuring smile with closed eyes. 4
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When they greeted the opposing team which was the basketball core team of this school, they quickly got to their positions for the tip-off. Most of the members from the opposing team were either friendly, indifferent, or curious about Yuichi however there was one guy glaring at Yuichi with determination. It was their Point Guard (PG) who took Yuichi's challenge very seriously and maybe a bit personally.
'I guess he will be the one guarding me all the time…I might use this chance to tilt him and make him do basic mistakes.' Yuichi thought with a faint smile while looking straight into the opponent's PG's eyes.
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Chapter 30: #30 The Match 2/4 1
[A/N: I have never written a basketball match so it might not be good/exciting but please be gentle and understanding.] 9
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When the whistle blew and the ball thrown up reached the highest point, Sudo jumped up for the tip-off but he was still slightly short compared to a 3rd year that was against him.
The ball immediately went to opponent's PG, trying to quickly drive in and surprise Yuichi's team however Yuichi quickly stopped him in his way. He stopped and started to dribble on the spot while looking at the opportunity to pass the ball.
'Not bad, his ball-handling skills aren't bad. He is able to even dribble quite profoundly without looking at the ball.' Yuichi thought and decided to not attempt to steal the ball. 1
"Tch" PG in front of Yuichi clicked his tongue as he passed the ball to the SG that was guarded by Yuichi's teammate however he reacted a bit too late and the opponent's SG was able to score 3-pointer.
"Heh" The guy in front of Yuichi snickered and jogged back. Yuichi just smiled at his back before going for a ball.
.
Yuichi was dribbling the ball towards the opposite team just to be stopped by the same guy who was smirking at him.
"You aren't actually bad, your ball-handling skills are good enough." He said to Yuichi. 1
Seeing that he wasn't taking him seriously, Yuichi attempted to pass him from the right however he reacted fast enough.
"Too slow" He said with spread arms.
Yuichi made a feint to the left before passing the ball to his own SG. Yuichi quickly passed his defender and ran towards the post. Yuichi's SG caught the ball but was guarded by another guy however he saw that Yuichi was now free so he passed the ball back.
"?!" His defender immediately left his mark, intending to stop Yuichi before reaching the post however, Yuichi once again passed the ball back to his SG who made an attempt for the 3-pointer without anyone obstructing his shot.
whoosh
Ball sink in nicely and the score was 3-3. Seeing their play, the core team members frowned.
Yuichi's team jogged back and Yuichi could hear a relieved sigh from his SG which made him release a faint smile.
Once again, the face-off between opponent's PG and Yuichi, it seems like they intend to also test him out this way.
The guy started to dribble the ball between his legs before he made a feint to the right while intending to pass Yuichi from left. He was able to pass the Yuichi however when he passed him, he suddenly stopped feeling the ball and instead saw it bouncing away in front of him.
"Wha-?!"
"Whoa! He speared the ball out of that guy's hand without even looking behind him!" A few students exclaimed when they saw this play however most of them didn't really understand basketball and were there just for the show. 2
Yuichi ran towards the post even without looking back who is going to catch the ball since he didn't just spear the ball out of that guy's hand, he also passed it towards Sudo while at it.
When Sudo caught the ball, he threw it in a high arc towards Yuichi who caught the ball and jumped for the lay-up however he noticed hands blocking his way towards the basket so he took the ball into both hands and leaned forward and once he passed the post and defender, he threw the ball behind him while still in mid-air. The ball bounced off the backboard right into the basket.
"…" Their Center that intended to block Yuichi only stared at him in surprise.
'A double clutch? This guy's decision-making is incredibly fast…what the hell?' Opponent's C thought while looking at Yuichi's back who was returning to defend.
It was 5-3 for Yuichi's team and core team.
The entire first quarter continued in a pretty calm and relaxed pace, sometimes even a slow pace. Both teams were just testing the waters, keeping close to each other's score.
During the little 2 minutes break after the 1st quarter ended even more students arrived at the Gymnasium, most likely other students texted them.
"We are doing a pretty good job, 27-24 in our favor is really good. We just need to keep it up." Sudo said with a wide smile, looking at Yuichi who drank from water from the bottle before splashing a bit of the water on the top of his head.
"They are just playing with us, they will play for real from the 2nd quarter onwards." Yuichi said with an indifferent expression while looking on the other side where their bench was stationed.
"Seriously? What are we gonna do? I was having a hard time keeping up until now…" Their SF said with a bit scared expression.
"We are gonna play the same way as the 1st quarter, maybe even slower pace. We will try to be in possession of the ball for the longest time possible." Yuichi replied without even looking at him.
"Wha-?! Why?! Can't we also try to go all out? I had absolutely no problem keeping up with them until now." Sudo protested against Yuichi's plan.
"Sudo…" Yuichi called out in low voice yet for Sudo it felt as if he was being shouted on.
" gulp What is it?" Sudo said, acting strong.
"Who is the captain here?" Yuichi asked calmly without even looking at Sudo.
"…You" Sudo replied with a displeased expression.
Yuichi glanced at him and saw his expression.
"If you have the problem with me being the captain, we can forfeit and I can leave immediately." Yuichi said calmly however his expression indicated that he was serious about this.
All of the other members, including Sudo, opened their eyes wide open as they stared at Yuichi with surprised expressions.
'But won't you lose all your points that way?! Why do you sound so casual about it?' All thought the same thing at the same time.
.
.
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As Yuichi expected, their opponents started to move faster and even their passes began to take regular pattern yet no one was able to steal the ball due to the speed of those passes.
Yuichi once again had the ball and once he passed hid defender, the ball suddenly disappeared from under his hand.
"You think that you are the only one who knows this trick?" PG said with a smirk before sprinting towards the post, Yuichi ran after him but he didn't catch up to him in time. Sudo came in to block the PG but the guy just passed the ball to his SG who jumped up for a 3-pointer. Yuichi's own SG jumped up to block the shot however he was too slow and only tip of his finger touched the ball, the ball hit the rim but still sink in the basket.
–Class D's group of students–
"What is Iwamura-kun doing? If he won't try his best, he will lose all his points…" Karuizawa said with a worried expression.
"I don't know what he is doing, however, I know that this isn't his full speed…maybe he is preserving the energy." Hirata said before glancing at Mei who was sitting near them.
"Don't look at me, I have no idea about his plans. I am glad to know a few rules about basketball, that's all." Mei replied hurriedly also confused by Yuichi's playstyle since he was usually much more skillful.
––
The core team was destroying Yuichi's team during the 2nd quarter and a lot of students left seeing this, sure of the result except for students who knew the players in Yuichi's team, even Horikita was still watching however she was also occasionally reading from her book.
When the 2nd quarter ended with the core team's SG scoring 3-pointer, the current score was 37-51.
"Don't you want to stop this match? You have already shown that you are a capable player but with your team, you will never defeat us." Their Center came to Yuichi and asked with a bit concerned expression.
"Hah?! Like hell we will surrender!" Sudo stepped forward with his fist clenched, he was thinking that the guy was mocking them but he was most likely just pitying them.
"Sudo, let's go, we have longer break time, let's use it to the fullest." Yuichi said and turned Sudo around with his hands before pushing him towards their bench.
"By the way, the match hasn't started yet, there is no need to mention the end yet." Yuichi replied to the C while glancing behind at him.
'The match hasn't started yet…?' The C was confused by Yuichi's words but he shrugged it off and went towards his own bench.
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Chapter 31: #31 Match 3/4
Yuichi was currently sitting his forearms resting on his thighs and towel over his head.
"Iwamura, we need to start playing before the gap widens even more." Sudo said with a bit upset expression.
"And we will. I have them all figured out together with their most optimal pace adapted to our slow pace." Yuichi replied swiftly taking the towel off his head, revealing his slightly dull green eyes. 1
"Eh? What do you mean?" Sudo asked with a confused expression.
"It's time for us to change the pace as we practiced the last 3 weeks" Yuichi replied and got up to his feet. He quickly wiped the sweat off his face with the towel and when was the time to start the 3rd quarter they went back on the court.
Yuichi massaged back of his neck before placing his hands on his hips, looking up at the ceiling.
–
"Oh?!" Mei exclaimed with a bit surprised expression.
"What is it?" Karuizawa asked with a curious expression.
"I have already seen this a lot of time, this is Yuichi-kun's habit. Whenever he does it, he apparently clears his mind of any unnecessary thoughts and completely focuses on the game in front of him."
"Clear his mind of any unnecessary thoughts…?" Matsushita muttered with a curious expression while redirecting her look at Yuichi. 3
–
" sigh I guess everything is fine" Yuichi muttered however no one heard him.
Yuichi was in possession of the ball, slowly dribbling it towards the post with an indifferent expression. He was stopped on the mid-court line by opponent's PG.
"Bring it!" The guy taunted Yuichi however Yuichi's expression never changed a bit.
He was dribbling on the spot, his eyes were focused only on his defender and suddenly without any motion beforehand, he went to the right.
'?! So fast?! But…' His defender was surprised by this however he was still able to keep up and block his path, however, when Yuichi noticed that the guy's entire balance was on his left leg, he dribbled the ball to his own left making the guy slip on the ground. 8
"Wha-?!" The guy exclaimed when he was suddenly passed by so easily and even put on the ground.
'Crossover! But that speed was completely different from the 2nd quarter!' Opponent's C thought, leaving his mark to block Yuichi's path.
Yuichi quickly stopped in front of the guy and suddenly took a small step back while bending his knee for the jump.
'He is going for 3-pointer!' Center thought and quickly took a large step to Yuichi before jumping up, however, he was still a bit slow.
"I won't let you!" Suddenly the guy who slipped was behind Yuichi with his hands up ready to block Yuichi's shot.
Yuichi's expression never changed as he quickly grabbed the ball with both hands and passed it to the right while mid-air. Sudo caught the ball and made his way towards the post, dunking the ball.
The score changed once again 39-51.
It was once again face-off between Yuichi and their PG, however, before the guy could pass the ball or try to dribble past by Yuichi, Yuichi cut the ball out of guy's hands, completely surprising him.
'He was never so aggressive! He always waited for me to do the first move!' The guy thought as he quickly sprinted after Yuichi who was dribbling towards the post.
Yuichi noticed 2 guys right in front of the post with their arms spread wide, however, Yuichi didn't stop, he ran up to them as close as he could before suddenly stopping, dribbling the ball between his legs, taking a step back and jumping for the shot. The 2 guys were a bit out of balance due to an abrupt change of Yuichi's pace so they never had a chance to jump up for the block.
41-51
––
The students watching this were greatly surprised by Yuichi's change and it seemed as Sudo was also moving much faster, giving opponents a bit of trouble adapting.
"I see, quite an interesting strategy…" The student council president who was watching this muttered with an amused smile.
"What do you mean, Kaichou?" Tachibana asked with a confused expression.
"He was purposely playing at the slow pace first half before changing it to a much faster pace."
"But won't that disrupt even his entire team's pace?"
"Not necessarily, not if they trained playing like this specifically" Manabu replied, adjusting his glasses with a serious expression.
––
Yuichi was once again in possession of the ball with opponent's PG in his way. He suddenly smirked and started dribbling behind his back and occasionally between his legs at a very fast pace.
'?! What a ball-handling skills, he doesn't even look at the ball from his peripheral vision!!!' PG thought, having problem following the ball with his eyes.
Suddenly, he lost the sight of the ball.
"Behind!" One of his teammates shouted and he looked behind him to see the ball falling down, he immediately wanted to run towards it but he was quickly passed by Yuichi who sprinted towards the ball.
'Not again!' Their C immediately left his mark once again to block Yuichi's path.
Yuichi who was dribbling the ball in sprint suddenly slowed down his pace so much that even his previous defender caught up to him however he couldn't stop immediately and passed him by a few steps which gave enough of time for Yuichi to make a shot.
'That's quite a distance from the 3-point line!' Center thought, having no time to block Yuichi. Yuichi's ball flew in a high arc right next to the basket where Sudo was already ready to dunk the ball in.
'What?! He wasn't aiming for the 3-pointer right from the beginning?!' The core team started to feel a bit uneasy by Yuichi's playstyle. 1
.
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In the end, the 3rd quarter ended with a score of 61-65.
–Core team's bench–
"What the hell is up with that guy? His playstyle is completely confusing. At one moment he is dribbling so fast that I have a problem watching the ball and another he is so slow that it makes me do premature moves." PG said with a frustrated expression.
"Hey, have you noticed something strange, guys?" C asked while frowning down.
"Yeah, during the first 2 quarters he was the one scoring but in the 3rd quarter, most of the points were scored by his teammates…" SF said before rehydrating himself.
"Yes, he is the most dangerous player out there even though he doesn't score that much, if this was 1 on 1, then only their Center and that guy playing Point Guard would have a chance to win." SG said with narrowed eyes.
"Let's double-team him during the last quarter. I will defend right under the rim to not let any lay-ups or dunks pass by. If he won't be able to pass the ball, they can't make plays." C suggested and others nodded their heads although PG wasn't exactly happy that he had to double-team his competitor.
––
The 4th and last quarter has begun and the core team was in the possession of the ball.
'I won't take any risks here…' PG thought while drilling behind his back in front of Yuichi. When he saw the opportunity, he immediately passed the ball to his SG.
SG caught the ball and dribbled past his defender with a bit of effort before jumping for a 3-pointer.
"Wha-?!" However, when he released the ball, a hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere and blocked the shot. It was Yuichi who blocked the shot and quickly took the possession of the ball and started dribbling towards the post however he was suddenly stopped by PG and in the next moment even their SG joined in defending him.
'?! It's as Iwamura predicted…Anyway, I won't let them stop him, just as planned' Sudo was surprised by this double-teaming but he quickly went to his position behind the PG.
When Sudo arrived, Yuichi feinted to the left while doing crossover to the right. He almost passed his 2 defenders but PG was still able to follow, however…
Thud 'Screen! Shit!' He was stopped by Sudo's screen, winding his eyes as he watched Yuichi dribble towards the post.
Yuichi stopped right in front of the 3-point line and jumped for the shot when SF sprinted to him and jumped with him to block his shot.
Yuichi narrowed his eyes and leaned a bit back, throwing the ball in a higher arc.
'Fadeaway shot?! No…this is a bit different' SF thought as his fingers didn't even come close to touch the ball.
whoosh The ball landed perfectly into the basket without touching the rim. 10
64-65
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Chapter 32: #32 The Match 4/4 1
'We have to start scoring too, they are stealing too many of our passes, we should forget playing around our PG even though it was our idea to test that guy this way.' C thought while slowly dribbling the ball near the mid-court line.
He glanced to the right where he saw his SG who was completely free and the most distance away from Yuichi. He passed the ball however mid-pass the ball was stolen by someone.
'Impossible!!' C thought as all of his teammates watched this with wide-open mouths.
Yuichi once again scored another 3-pointer with no one in his way to stop him.
"Those passes are so obvious that it hurts my eyes." Yuichi said while passing the C back to his half.
Yuichi wasn't necessarily trying to act arrogant here, he simply meant to say that the abandonment of their PG was far too obvious.
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The game continued and more Yuichi's team scored points, more students started cheering, getting into the game.
The score was currently 82-73 in Yuichi's favor however Yuichi started to notice changes in his teammates. They started to relax their minds and were laxer than previously with the wider point gap got.
Suddenly Yuichi's SF who had a clear shot for 2-point did a very basic mistake and tried to go for a lay-up where their C was waiting to block him. The guy under the rim naturally blocked him with ease and they quickly counter-attacked. Yuichi got back fast enough but he was a few of his teammates getting back too slowly, however, he was sure that they weren't exhausted due to slow pace during the 1st half.
With only Yuichi and Sudo on the defense, they had a lot of passes opportunity but Yuichi didn't even try to stop them and just stood there while looking down, his bangs were obstructing the view of his current expression.
"?" The PG in front of Yuichi was surprised by this change so he feinted to the left before moving to the right however Yuichi never reacted to either his feint or real move.
The PG took the chance and scored 3-pointer while standing right behind Yuichi.
whoosh
82-76 with 5 minutes remaining until the end of the 4th quarter.
"What the hell, Iwamura?" Sudo asked with an angered expression since he was defending the rim and Yuichi could have handled any 3-pointers.
"And why the hell do you guys run so slow?!" Sudo shouted at his other teammates.
"We are sorry about that…We should have returned much faster" They replied collectively with sorry expressions.
"Pass it back" Yuichi went for the ball and passed it to his SF before saying with a serious tone.
SF passed it back and they began their attack in a very slow pace which prompted Yuichi's 2 defenders to stop him even before his own 3-point line.
Yuichi kept dribbling the ball very slowly right next to his body but none of them went for the steal and only waited for him to move since they were in advantage there.
Yuichi watched his teammates run around like headless chickens, no one coming to set up the screen or make himself free for the pass, all of them were waiting for him to do all work and pass his 2 defenders. Of course, Yuichi could do that, however, he doesn't like it when his pieces acted unorganized and did not listen.
" sigh I won't play on this kind of chaotic court" Yuichi muttered before turning to his own basket and throwing the ball. 3
whoosh
82-78
"What the-hell…?" Everyone was completely surprised and the sounds of cheering or anything in general completely died down.
"Timeout" Yuichi called out, walking towards his bench ignoring everyone's stares.
––
'?! What is he doing?' Even Horikita who endured being in this noisy atmosphere was drawn away from her book as she watched Yuichi throw his own-goal and then walking in a relaxed way towards his team's bench.
"What…was that?" Karuizawa asked while glancing at Hirata.
"…" Hirata didn't even hear her question as he stared with his shaky wide-open eyes at Yuichi's back.
"Hirata-kun?!" Matsushita called out when she noticed his expression.
"Ah, I have no idea…" He replied with a confused expression when he finally woke up from his own world.
––
"Iwamura, what the hell was that?!" Sudo's short temper started to show off as he grabbed Yuichi's jersey and pulled Yuichi closer.
"Heh" Yuichi actually released a smile.
"What the fuck is funny her-?!" Sudo questioned while shaking with him before Yuichi's bangs finally fallen on the sides, revealing his dull green eyes, emotionlessly staring at Sudo.
"Eh" Sudo instinctively released his grip and took a step back.
"Have all of you finally calm down? If not, I am not playing anymore and promise between us naturally also falls." Yuichi said while observing his teammates' faces.
"…" No one was replying to him so Yuichi sighed.
"Don't lose the focus like previously, just because we are in the lead doesn't mean you can relax, if I have to, I will help them to close that gap so you can focus and be under more pressure." Yuichi said while staring at his teammates.
Everyone nodded but Yuichi wasn't convinced. Yuichi turned towards the court and took a few steps before stopping and glancing behind at his teammates.
"If they score a single point during these last 5 minutes, we will forfeit this entire match." He said before going to the court.
"W-What?! That's impossible!" Everyone except Sudo exclaimed with a disbelieving expression.
"Then you better make it possible. All you need to do is to support Iwamura so he can pass the ball around and create opportunities for us." Sudo said with narrowed eyes and serious expression. Yuichi's talk completely cooled him down and he realized his past mistakes before Yuichi threw his own-goal.
With this matter finished, everyone returned on the court once their timeout ended.
–
"Hmph. Splendidly done." Manabu muttered with a serious expression and crossed arms when he saw Yuichi's team returning to the court.
"? Was there a meaning in throwing his own-goal?" Tachibana asked with a confused expression.
"Look at their expressions carefully." Manabu replied.
"?! How?" Tachibana widened her eyes when she focused on this aspect. Before Yuichi's team started playing, all of them had uncertain expressions, during the 3rd quarter, their expressions changed to a more confident while in the last quarter they looked relaxed before Yuichi threw his own-goal.
Currently, all of them had serious expressions, neither confident nor relaxed.
––
Yuichi got the ball and dribbled to the mid-court line before he was once again stopped by his 2 defenders.
"What had happened to you, guys?" SG asked with a confused expression.
"I am sorry you had to see that pathetic scene, we will try to make it up to you by not letting you score a single point during those last minutes." Yuichi said with a calm expression.
"Hah?!" PG's face immediately distorted in anger when he heard his words so Yuichi used that chance to get past them from his side.
"Focus!" SG shouted at his teammate but it was too late and Yuichi was halfway past him.
Yuichi continued dribbling the ball towards the post before he was stopped by their C, he dribbled the ball a few times behind his back before passing it to his left from behind without tearing his eyes away from his defender.
The ball was caught by Yuichi's SF who was now free and dribbled close to the post to get lay-up however opponent's C was fast enough to get back and block him mid-air, however, Yuichi's Sf instead of trying to throw the ball into the basket, he threw it slightly in front of it and Yuichi who was already expecting such play was ready for a one-hand dunk.
"Ugh" The opponent's quite large C was knocked down on his ass while Yuichi remained swaying in mid-air while still holding onto the rim for a few seconds before he jumped down. Yuichi extended his hand with an indifferent expression to help him get up and the guy accepted although he was a bit startled from seeing Yuichi's face from the lower angle.
84-78
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Only 3 minutes remaining from the 4th quarter yet every time the core team tried to attack, their passes were intercepted and it was no longer just by Yuichi. Everyone now could steal their passes despite having their individual skills much lower than them.
'Why the hell can they steal our passes so easily?! …That guy's position?!!' Their C who was still focusing on the game without panicking noticed how Yuichi was changing the positions always, obstructing more than 2 pass options.
'What the hell is he?! Does he see the entire court from above or what?!' 9
The core team's morale quickly dropped down as they started to panic. The moment they started to panic, they lost the match since their passes were even more readable.
The last 15 seconds…
Yuichi had the ball and dribbled towards his defender, by this time, they completely abandoned double-teaming him since he was still able to get past them anyway. When he was near enough his defender, he passed the ball between his legs to his other hand and performed a quick spin around his defender who had no morale or time to even react.
He was quickly stopped by two other people so he had now a few free teammates to pass the ball however instead of passing he faked the pass and then dived into the right while leaning forward, getting past his second defender right under his spread arm.
He was almost at the post where he was stopped by their C as the last part of their defense.
While running, Yuichi bent his right knee, ready to jump for the lay-up which C immediately noticed as Yuichi's body lowered so he jumped up, however that was his mistake. Yuichi spun around the C who was mid-air and then gently threw the ball into the basket right from the under the rim. 2
'Tch, fake!'
The match ended with final score 101-78 2
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Chapter 33: #33 Aftermath 4
When the match ended, both teams went to the locker rooms and to the showers.
AT that time, most of the students began leaving, including Horikita and Chabashira-sensei who was watching the entire match from quite a distance. 2
However before Chabashi left the Gymnasium, she gave a last glance at Yuichi with a faint smile. She was able to see that the personal skill wasn't the only thing that Yuichi used during this match.
'What a strange student…and even stranger reason for his placement into class D…' She thought with an amused smile while leaving the Gymnasium.
'Looks like it was indeed waste of time…' Horikita thought with a calm expression however despite thinking this, she still remained till the end. 6
–In the locker room–
Both teams were in the same locker room and everyone was already after the shower so they were getting ready to leave.
However, before the core team left with their defeated expressions, they congratulated Yuichi, saying that he will be their new PG and even their previous PG didn't protest despite having dissatisfied expression.
"It was kinda hard but we really destroyed them at the end" Sudo said with a broad smile while looking at Yuichi.
"Yeah! You are amazing PG, Iwamura-kun. And about that promise…" The SG said before mentioning the promise with an uncertain expression.
"I am not that great, really… When you finally decided to play serious, we really destroyed them. And don't worry, I will train each one of you and try to get you into the core team." Yuichi said with a humble smile.
'…Iwamura is really strange…At that moment when he smiled…those dull green eyes that were staring at me in full apathy…what the hell was that? I knew that he was completely different person when on the court but not this much…' Sudo thought about the moment he grabbed Yuichi by his tank top and instinctively let go since he felt as if his wrist would break if he kept holding him. Recalling that scene, Sudo shuddered a bit.
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When Iwamura walked out of the Gymnasium with his hair still a bit wet, he was immediately greeted by Hirata and many other classmates.
"Yuichi-kun! Where is Sudo-kun?" Hirata waved at Yuichi before asking with a confused expression, looking behind Yuichi.
"He said that he has something to do and that I shouldn't wait for him." Yuichi replied.
"Anyway, that was an amazing match! I didn't know you were so skilled at basketball!" Karuizawa exclaimed with an impressed tone, completely disregarding matter with Sudo.
"Yeah, it kinda pains me that you didn't join the soccer club…" Hirata said with a bit sad smile.
"Sorry about that…I actually wanted to ask Chabashira-sensei about it but…I rather focus on my studies instead of chasing after two sports once again. Even if I will try to become pro in the future, I can't be the pro in both sports at the same time." Yuichi said with an apologetic smile. 2
Hirata's eyes widened before he widely smiled at Yuichi.
"I see…It's alright if you know what you want to do! That's the most important thing." Hirata said with a genuine smile.
"We wanted to go hang out at the cafe, would you like to go with us?" Karuizawa asked with a smile.
"Hmm…Sure, I could use a bit of caffeine, however, let's not go crazy with the cakes, they-" Yuichi replied with a smile however before he could finish, he was interrupted.
"Yeah, they are pricey, don't worry, I still have more than half of what was given to us!" Karuizawa said before pushing Hirata to go towards the cafe while the rest of the girls followed.
Mei remained behind and approached Yuichi.
"Good match!" Mei replied with a wide grin while typing something on her phone.
"Thanks for cheering!" Yuichi replied when his phone vibrated so he took a look at it and saw that his 94.000 points were back. As for why 94.500 instead of his previous 96.980…someone had to pay for his meals and daily necessities.
Yuichi looked at his current amount of points.
[Private Points: 99.500 points]
"May I interrupt you two?" Someone approached them and asked.
"Hm? Secretary Tachibana?" Yuichi turned around and saw Tachibana, holding a few notes, looking at him with a calm expression. He nodded his head and let her talk.
"No need to add Secretary, just call me Tachibana. Iwamura, would you be so kind as to come with me? The student council president wishes to speak to you." Tachibana asked politely.
"Eh? …Mei, would you be so kind?" Yuichi turned at Mei, asking with an apologetic smile.
"Don't worry, I will inform everyone else!" Mei said before saying farewell, following after Hirata's group.
Yuichi followed after Tachibana who led him back into the Gymnasium and then into one of the empty rooms where he saw Manabu watching something on the projector.
'That's our match, what is he trying to look at?' Yuichi thought with a smile still on his face.
"Student council president, I have heard that you are looking for me." Yuichi announced his arrival but Manabu just glanced at him before returning his sight to the screen. Tachibana went to stand right next to Manabu.
"Splendid match. To be honest with you, at first, I thought that you just wanted to make fun of them however you have skills to win yet you created that back up plan…" Manabu said with crossed arms and a faint smile.
"Thank you, I am glad you liked the match and I think it's only the right move to have a back-up plan no matter how you are confident, isn't that so?" Yuichi replied with a smile, holding his hands behind his back.
"To be honest, I don't fully understand your assortment into Class D. You had everything planned out, didn't you?" Manabu's faint smile disappeared as he turned at Yuichi and asked with a serious expression.
"Huh?" Yuichi looked at him with a confused expression.
"Your strategy, your teammates' mental state, your opponent's mental state. EVERYTHING went according to your plan…Take a look at this, for example." Manabu said before showing footage of the match from above. 2
It was the minute when Yuichi's teammates also started stealing passes which was for them previously completely impossible. Yuichi was always moving towards the position where he would be able to steal most of the passes which left the other team with a small number of options where to pass the ball. 1
"Hm? That's just called high basketball IQ, knowing when and where to be." Yuichi explained with a bit of confused expression. 2
Hearing his answer, Manabu just frowned down.
Yuichi and Manabu talked for a while, mostly it was Yuichi defending himself before Yuichi was finally free to leave.
–
"Kaichou, why is it so important?" Tachibana asked when Yuichi left.
"This entire match was played on the palm of his hand…He must have studied everyone's behavior, I bet even that own-goal was planned from the beginning. He was aware that they will stop playing seriously once he shows his skill. The entire strategy with the slow pace during the first half and then changing the paces between fast one and slow one. He made his opponents feel confident and careless and then finally he let them panic. The bigger they are, the harder they fall…this is what exactly happened to the core team's PG who is mostly to blame for this defeat." Manabu replied with a calm expression.
–
Yuichi went to join up with Hirata's group and Mei, spending the rest of the day with them.
"Yuichi-kun…The end of the month is just around the corner, do you really think what Horikita told you is going to happen?" Hirata asked while walking towards the dormitory together with Yuichi.
"I think it's highly probable." Yuichi nodded his head.
What he was doing by using Horikita's name wasn't meant to hide behind her name but to force her into more social interactions.
"Still, it's kinda strange how she refuses any invitation I give her…What is your secret that she speaks to you so easily, Yuichi-kun?" Hirata asked with a confused expression.
"She is sometimes tutoring me in the library so we have to sometimes communicate there. After a few days, she was fine with having a small talk with me despite it not being relevant to the school." Yuichi replied with a smile.
"So do you think she will talk to me if I join you two at the library?" Hirata asked with a curious expression.
"Hmm…You know what, it's bad to try to chase her like that. It's better if you wait until there are more people around her and then try to talk to her from time to time. If what she said is going to happen and she really saved a lot of people's points, a lot of people will most likely try to approach her, to at least thank her." Yuichi said with a thoughtful expression.
"Alright…So you say it's better if it's going to happen in a natural way…" Hirata muttered, thinking about something.
"Anyway, I noticed your grades going up, Horikita must be a good tutor. Maybe we could have her help other people." Hirata suggested.
"Eh…I wouldn't exactly say that she is a good tutor…"
"Huh?" Hirata looked at Yuichi with a confused expression.
"She isn't exactly understanding so if you can't understand something that is very simple to her, she will most likely call you out on being an idiot. She can't take it when people don't know basic things, at least that's what I observed from studying with her. She is fine tutoring me only because I have no problem keeping up with her." Yuichi explained with a forced smile.
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Chapter 34: #34 First month 1
May 1 quickly arrived and Yuichi currently arrived at the classroom where everyone was sitting in a quiet manner. Yuichi was a bit surprised by this since it was still a few minutes before the class but not even Ike or Yamauchi talked to each other.
When he arrived, a lot of people turned his direction and most of them had relieved expressions when they saw him. Yuichi already checked his account this morning when he woke up and he saw that his points went up by 19.700 which was a very particular number and he couldn't exactly believe that his entire class lost the remaining 80.300 points. At that time, he was a bit suspicious if it's really all about behavior and grades, he was thinking whether his assumptions were wrong.
[Private Points: 116.200 points]
Yuichi sank down into his seat, loosing up his tie a bit while looking out of the window with a thoughtful expression on his face.
He felt someone staring at him and he was pretty sure it was either Ayanokoji or Horikita but he decided to ignore it unless they call out to him.
The bell rang for the first class which woke Yuichi up from his thoughts. After a few seconds, Chabashira-sensei slid doors open and walked in with a rolled-up poster in her hand. The entire manner she carried herself, her expression, all indicated that she was much more serious than previously when she was even ignoring students calling her Sae-chan-sensei.
"…" She was a bit surprised at how quiet the classroom was.
"Alright, the morning homeroom is about to begin. Before we get started, does anyone have any questions?" Chabashira finally said while glancing at Yuichi who tilted his head at her with a confused expression.
"Sensei, may I?" Hirata raised his hand.
"Go for it…" Chabashira nodded her head.
"The points we were supposed to given this morning…Why did we get just 19.700 points out of all 100.000?" Hirata asked, wanting her to explain properly. 3
Hearing his question, Chabashira faintly smiled before opening her mouth.
"To be honest, I am quite surprised you were able to get that many to begin with. You should really thank the one who warned you all." She said before narrowing her eyes at Yuichi, observing everyone's reaction.
Hearing her words, everyone widened their eyes as the front seats turned behind to glance at Horikita with grateful expressions despite not truly understanding Chabashira's words.
'?!' Horikita immediately frowned when almost everyone looked at her before she sharply glared at Yuichi. 2
Seeing this chain of reactions, Chabashira released a faint smile once again while looking at Yuichi who just closed his eyes. To him, it didn't matter if the teacher realized that he was the one who gave the idea away. As long as he would force Horikta into more social interactions it would serve its purpose. Plus if he were to take credit for it, he wouldn't gain anything, he has the trust of a lot of classmates, he is already quite popular, there was no reason for him to take that credit so he gave it to Horikita who seemed to have some kind of problem with being near people and forming a friendship. Yuichi thought that she was either too proud or she might have been betrayed by someone dear to her, however, he didn't want to jump to a conclusion.
Still, he opened his eyes and smiled at Chabashira as if to say "You caught me red-handed".
"But didn't sensei say that we will receive 100.000 points each month? Was that a lie?" Someone asked.
"Did I? I don't really remember saying "You will receive 100.000 points each month", I said that this month's points were already allocated which was 100.000 points. You were the only one who perceived my words wrongly. Did you truly think that you would be given so much money for not doing anything? Not to mention your absences, bad grades, and your behavior on campus." She said with crossed arms and stern expression.
"Basically, it is similar to scholarship…?" Yuichi asked with closed eyes and crossed arms.
"Basically, yes. That's the most ridiculous thing. Most of you weren't even suspicious of such sum of money given to you for nothing…Some of you might have been a bit suspicious but you haven't done anything about it until the said person stepped out and took action. All those points are practically that person's points and not yours. You might think that you have all helped out but you were only the herd of sheep led by one shepherd." Chabashira said while resting her hands on her desk in front of the board with a faint ridiculing smile. 2
"W-wait, wait, wait! Sensei never explained that even absences are reflected in our monthly points. I can accept our grades but behavior and absences?" Although most of the students were behaving as good as they could, without any motivation or clear reason why to behave, it was impossible to make everyone behave.
"For crying out loud…Did they not teach you at elementary school not to be late? Just because you are at higher education, do you think you can skip classes however you want? You are trying to blame me for not explaining to you that you can't be late and can't talk during classes? If you have behaved like any regular student, your points wouldn't be so low. Unfortunately, one shepherd isn't enough to watch over the entire herd when there are some skittish sheep in the herd." Chabashira said, visibly irritated by a few students. 5
From her expression, it even seemed like she would be happier if they lost all of their points to reform themselves.
"…Sensei, can you explain to us in detail how are points deduced and added?" After a long silence, Hirata once again asked.
"I cannot tell you. We cannot disclose the methods behind our student evaluation. When you enter a company, it is the company's choice whether to tell you how employees are evaluated or not." Chabashira said with a calm expression. 9
'So I was right, comparing this school with the real-world outside was the right choice.' Yuichi thought and was glad that he didn't view this school as any regular Senior High school. The most suspicious thing that told him that this wasn't just normal school was how Chabashira-sensei told him that she can't explain everything in detail regarding those points. Not to mention, why use points instead of money if everyone was to receive the same amount and there was nothing else behind it. With that being said…Yuichi stared at the rolled-up poster still on Chabashira's desk, expecting something big.
'There must be some kind of system to those points…that S-system…what is it? Why was it never mentioned during the whole month?'
Chabashira continued explaining how even if they regulate the absences to zero, it won't get their lost points back, however, they can still lose those they saved, giving them a lot of pressure this way.
And before anyone knew, the bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom.
Chabashira was a bit surprised by how fast time flew so she quickly spread the rolled-up poster and pin it to the board with a few magnets.
"These are the results of each class…?" Horikita muttered with an uncertain tone.
Class A…940
Class B…650
Class C…490
Class D…197
The moment Yuichi saw number 197 next to his class he immediately understood why they got such obscure sum of points…19.700.
'Which means, 1000 equals 100.000 points.' Yuichi thought before glancing outside of the window.
"But why is there such a difference in our point values from other classes?" Hirata asked even though he already heard a few theories from Yuichi, well, "from Horikita".
Chabashira began explaining how students are sorted into classes and that Class D is most defective.
'That actually wasn't so hard to figure out with all that discrimination and students from class D buying free meals…'
"Still, I have to say that I am impressed by how much you indulged yourselves. I must applause the person who was able to save so many points despite you morons doing whatever you wanted." Chabashira said with an amused smile while fake applause resounded in the entire classroom.
Sudo began gritting his teeth when he heard all those words since it was apparent that they might start looking down on him in the basketball club.
"Anyway, I should also mention that your class's points aren't just linked to the money you receive each month. They are also indicative of your class rank." Chabashira said, meaning that if Class D were to get 500 points, they would become Class C.
"Now then, I have one more a bit of bad news to tell you" Chabashira said and pinned another sheet of paper onto the board. Everyone's name was there with a number next to it.
"Judging from theses, I can tell that we have quite a few idiots in this class. These are results of the short test you took some while ago. Can you explain to me what in the world did you study when you were in junior high?" Chabashira continued humiliating others with a ridiculing smile.
"If this were an actual test, the seven of you would have had to drop out." She added with a fake relieved expression while placing her hand on her heart.
Even Yuichi was surprised how many people had so low scores. There were a few indeed very hard questions but most of them were completely easy, even for someone like Yuichi who skipped a lot of classes due to his club activities and tournaments during his junior high.
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Chapter 35: #35 The rooftop talk
"D-Drop-out? What does that mean?" Ike asked since he was below the red line Chabashira-sensei draw.
"What do you think? If you fail on a midterm or final exam in this school, then you have to drop out." She replied with a sarcastic tone.
"W-What?!" Ike and other failures exclaimed.
'Sudo is the last one with only 14 points…Did he even take it seriously? If yes, we have a big problem here…' Yuichi thought with a furrowed brow.
"The teacher is right. There seem to be a lot of morons here." Kouenji said while polishing his nails.
"What the hell are you saying Kouenji?! You would have failed too." Sudo immediately shouted at him without even giving the sheet a proper look and Kouenji quickly corrected him while pointing at the board with his nail file.
Sudo's mouth opened widely as he finally looked carefully and saw Kouenji's name on top of the list with 90 points.
"And one more thing, all of you most likely know that this school operated by government boasts with 100% employment and college entry rate. Maybe a lot of you wanted to attend this school for this well-known fact and because you want to go for higher education in the future however there is a little problem, well, for you most likely a very big problem." Chabashira said with an amused smile.
"Nothing comes easily to mediocre people like you, definitely not after what you have shown during this month. You would have to be naive if you think you can get into college or the workplace of your choice simply by graduating from here." She continued.
"Does that mean we have to at least surpass Class C?" Hirata asked.
"No. To make your dreams come true, you have to overtake Class A. Dreams don't come true so easily. Aside from Class A, this school doesn't guarantee anything for other students." She replied with crossed arms.
"Wait! That's completely absurd! We were never told this and why were for example I, Kouenji, Horikita, and many others placed into this class?" Yukimura who scored on par with Kouenji stood up and said aloud his doubts.
"I can't disclose such information but can you yourself say that you are a perfect human being?" Chabashira asked Yukimura while staring at him with her sharp eyes. 2
Hearing her question, Horikita glanced at Yuichi who kept looking out of the window without getting involved in this entire talk, as if he wasn't dissatisfied with being placed into Class D.
"I…At least I have much better grades than many others. I doubt every single person in Class C or B managed to get so many points. Or did they have a different, harder test?" He replied with a bit uncertain expression.
"I didn't ask you for your academic performance, that is indeed very impressive, however, my question was "Can you yourself say that you are a perfect human being?". " Chabashira replied, still sharply staring at him with crossed arms.
"No one is a perfect human being! That's simply impossible…" Yukimura muttered before sinking back into his seat.
Upon hearing this, Kouenji immediately released dissatisfied snort before starting his own a little narcissistic speech. 1
"Let me give you a little hint…Do you think you are better than Hirata or Iwamura who are right below you in this test, yet their athletic ability is numerous leagues above you? Are you the one being able to convince people to side with you? Yet! They are here with you, I hope this cleared your doubts a little." Chabashira said with a gentle smile but the manner she said this felt like she wanted to put him into his place.
"But what athletic ability has got to do with the school?!" Yukimura asked with a confused expression, not denying her previous words.
"You have PE classes too, no? Why should you not be evaluated in the same way from PE as from History for example?" Chabashira replied before looking at the clock.
"Alright, we should wrap this up if you have no other questions. Your midterm exams are in 3 weeks. Please think things over, and do your best not to drop out." Chabashira said a few more encouraging words after all that trash talk before walking out of the classroom.
When she left, there was silence for a long time before a lot of students stood up and went towards Horikita to thank her.
"I am really sorry saying a few mean words about you, Horikita-san! Thanks to you I didn't use up all my points and we even received some this month!" The girls that previously badmouthed Horikita while being with Kushida apologized with a deep bow.
"I…" Horikita was overwhelmed by too many people so she didn't know what to say, instead of saying anything, she glared at Yuichi's back. 1
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Yuichi went to the rooftop to clear his head and think about a few things however, someone followed right after him.
"I am amazed at how fast you were able to get past our classmates." Yuichi said to the air while looking from the rooftop at the entire campus with his hands in pockets.
"You used me…" Horikita replied, standing near the exit door, sharply glaring at Yuichi's back.
"Have I?" Yuichi muttered while looking up at the clear sky with a faint smile.
"Why did you throw the credit of all those theories and ideas at me? Are you trying to hide? But from who?" Horikita asked a few questions in a demanding tone.
"I have no reason to hide…Why should I hide?" Yuichi turned his head halfway towards her, looking at her from the corner of his eye.
"Then why?" She asked with crossed arms.
"To help you" Yuichi replied with a faint smile while his hair was dancing in the quite strong wind before he turned back in front of him. 6
"I don't need your help…Why would you even want to help me? What is your problem? What are you plotting?" She once again bombarded him with questions with narrowed eyes before taking a few steps closer to him.
"You helped me by tutoring me, I will return it by forcing you into social interactions. Even you can't just tell to the person who is sincerely thanking you to fuck off. I have spent enough time with you to know that. Even if this won't be enough for you to make any friends, it will make you have a relevant role in our class and your opinion will be more valuable. Don't you want that? You have heard Chabashira-sensei, if we won't work together, we can't advance further, you can't do anything alone."
"…Right, Ayanokoji-kun?" Yuichi said before asking still with his back facing Horikita and exit door.
"What?" Horikita swiftly turned around at open exit door just for Ayanokoji to walk out in the next few seconds.
"Eh, I am sorry for interrupting, I just wanted to get some fresh air…Anyway, Iwamura, your sight is really abnormal, even during your match…" Ayanokoji said while awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
"I haven't seen you nor heard you, I just took my chance since you are quite close to Horikita. Anyway, you saw my match? Thanks." Yuichi finally turned around and replied with a bright smile.
Both of them tried to deny his words which made him only smile more.
"Ayanokoji-kun, can I tell you something probably a bit rude?" Yuichi asked with a faint smile.
"Hm?" Ayanokoji looked at him with a confused expression before gesturing with his hand to go ahead.
"You are a really weird person, do you know that, Ayanokoji-kun? Your grades are average, everything about you screams average, yet you are so passive and you lack at showing your emotions. For example when you are surprised, under the pretext that you are truly surprised that is. When I called out your name, you didn't look surprised, nor when I said that I just took the guess out of nowhere…you never showed any genuinely surprised expression. Don't take it as if I am saying that you are creepy or something, I just had to say it aloud…I apologize if I wronged you." Yuichi said with an apologetic smile. 2
"I have always been like that…so don't worry, I don't mind you saying that." Ayanokoji replied.
"Then Schizoid personality disorder is it? I am sorry…" Yuichi muttered with a curious expression before apologizing again.
"Anyway, I think we should return, the break is about to end very soon." Yuichi said with a smile, walking towards the exit door.
'Was he just stalling for the time?' Horikita frowned and thought when Yuichi walked past her. 1
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Chapter 36: #36 Frustration
"Aren't you frustrated that she called us the herd of sheep?! Plus the way she talked, it was completely apparent that she was talking down to us. Not to mention, we have to get to Class A to be able to get to the college we want!!" Yukimura was slowly losing it when the trio returned back to the classroom. 1
"Let's calm down, I am sure we can figure something out together." Hirata tried to calm him down from a safe distance.
"Calm down?! How am I supposed to calm down after that everything happened? I still don't agree with how we were sorted!" Yukimura went to Hirata and grasped his collar.
However before Hirata was able to say anything, Yukimura felt hand on his shoulder. He let go of Hirata and turned around.
"Iwamura?" He called out with a bit of confused and upset expression.
"If you will continue whine about it, nothing will change. You are only making it harder for yourself. If you were to start thinking about how to get to the Class A instead of acting all hysterical, it would be more productive. Maybe you were sorted here because of that fact…Something messes up and you are already panicking and losing your cool. What if something like that happens in the future in your workplace? Will you just whine around, waiting for the consequences?" Yuichi asked with a serious expression, applying a bit more strength to his grip on Yukimura's shoulder.
"…" Everyone who was also panicking a bit turned quiet when they heard Yuichi's words.
"…I am sorry, you are absolutely right…What I did here was just a waste of time and breath. It was in no way productive." Yukimura apologized with his head down.
Clap "Everyone, it has been just 1 month, we still have 197 points, thankfully, Horikita-san shared her worries with everyone and we were able to save a lot of points. If we will continue working together, I believe we will be able to accumulate more points." Kushida said with an encouraging tone and smile.
The atmosphere in the classroom wasn't that bad since Class D managed to save some points and most people didn't waste all their private points or at least had little reserves to use for daily necessities. Not to mention, they still got 19.700 private points this month which was really good for them. However, despite all that, it was still a bit moody after Chabashira's trash talk, not to mention the information she revealed was simply too overwhelming for some students.
"Horikita-san, what do you think we should do to regain more points?" Yukimura asked with a thoughtful expression and everyone turned at her.
"Huh?" She was a bit startled from all the stares before she glared at Yuichi as if to say "This is your fault" 1
"Everyone, first of all, I would like to ask all of you if everyone was taking their tests seriously, including that mock test." Yuichi decided to help out a bit and requested.
"Well…Sae-chan-sensei said that it won't be reflected anywhere so I kinda answered everything hurriedly…"
"Yeah…"
"I wasn't really studying seriously ever since coming here."
A lot of people awkwardly admitted.
"This is lost" Yukimura muttered, burying his face into his hands.
"Yukimura-kun, remember that Chabashira-sensei said that academic results aren't the most important thing. However, I would definitely start at grades before doing anything else. Also, can we please stop with that Sae-chan-sensei…It's weird and she might take it badly and reduce our points because of it…it's not worth to risk it." Yuichi placed his hand on Yukimura's shoulder to comfort him.
"Yeah, it's really weird" A few girls agreed while throwing particular looks at boys who were calling her like that.
"Anyway, I would like to hold a discussion after today's classes end, will everyone be able to attend?" Hirata asked while looking around.
"I won't be able to participate…" Horikita threw Yuichi a look before she said this.
Sigh 'It's not like I didn't anticipate it but she looks more nervous and shaken up than usual. Is what Chabashira-sensei said that overwhelming to her? I get that she is proud and all but there were a lot of hints that Class D is the worst class of all. Maybe…' Yuichi sighed hearing her words but then he thought about her behavior after Chabashira left the classroom. He also thought about her brother who is 3rd year Class A, well, he wasn't exactly sure if Manabu is her brother but by her reactions, it was more than safe to assume that. Yuichi thought that maybe she has some kind of complex, the rivalry between her brother and now that she was placed into Class D…
Students were a bit surprised by her answer but Hirata accepted her excuse with an understanding smile.
"There is no need for me to attend" Kouenji said, fixing his hair.
"I have club activities…so I won't remain for more than 15 minutes." Sudo said while glancing at Yuichi. Hirata nodded with a grateful expression towards Sudo since he never expected him to agree to remain to begin with.
'There is simply not enough information for me to assume anything about Horikita's behavior but she definitely is dissatisfied with being sorted into this class…' Yuichi thought before his phone vibrated in the pocket.
[What would you do if I just revealed that it was all you?]
The message came from Horikita so he glanced at her, seeing her sitting in her seat, waiting for the next class.
[Nothing, you probably don't fully understand why I have done it yet. Let me tell you once more, I did it to force you into more social interactions, I have no problem taking that credit for myself neither I want to hide from anything. I don't care if you will reveal it.] Yuichi typed back before turning off the display.
"Tch"
Yuichi could hear Horikita click her tongue after reading his message but she never replied and the next class quickly arrived.
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The classes quickly ended for the day and Hirata currently stood at the podium in front of the board, preparing for the big discussion. Unfortunately, Horikita already left, without saying anything to Ayanokoji or Yuichi, neither she typed him a message. This almost prompted Yuichi to follow after her but he had to be here or people like Sudo might leave without him being present.
Ayanokoji was stuffing his things into his bag, getting ready to leave before an announcement came, telling Ayanokoji to come to see Chabashira-sensei in the Staffroom. Yuichi suddenly stood up after hearing Staffroom and stopped Ayanokoji by placing his hand on his shoulder.
"Iwamura…?" Ayanokoji called out with a confused expression.
Yuichi closed his eyes before opening them after a few seconds with a serious expression.
"If you will meet a teacher with wavy shoulder-length hair there, run away if you can. If not, don't make any sudden moves and don't try to make eye contact with her. I am telling you this so you can avoid unnecessary trouble." Yuichi said with a serious tone.
"…Is she a dinosaur?" Ayanokoji asked with a slightly startled expression, most likely trying to crack a joke. 2
" Much worse…A vixen. I am surprised she wasn't kicked out of her position yet." Yuichi whispered with narrowed eyes.
"…Now you are making me want to ditch that announcement…" Ayanokoji replied with a bit worried expression. 1
"Well, Chabashira-sensei is the one looking for you so I guess she will be there too, still, be careful. Unfortunately, ditching something like that would result in more than just a reduction of our points. Well, good luck!" Yuichi said before clapping his back a few times with a bright smile.
Ayanokoji gave a few worried looks at Yuichi before slowly leaving the classroom.
When he arrived at the Staffroom, he indeed met the teacher Yuichi described but he couldn't find Chabashira-sensei anywhere so ignoring Yuichi's warning he asked her where Chabashira-sensei is.
Hoshinomiya replied to his question before starting to bombard him with her own questions while getting closer to him each second.
'I should have listened to Iwamura's warning…' Ayanokoji thought.
Thankfully, Chabashira arrived to help him very quickly.
"This is the second time you are doing this…Can't you just leave my students alone?" Chabashira asked with narrowed eyes.
'The second time? …Iwamura' Ayanokoji thought with closed eyes.
"It's not my fault…you have too interesting students plus I haven't done anything to them…" Hoshinomiya replied before shrugging her shoulders.
"Plus, you are acting a bit suspicious Sae-chan…First it was Iwamura-kun and now it is Ayanokoji-kun…Have you perhaps discovered a new kink?" Hoshinomiya asked with a silly grin and Chabashira looked ready to kill someone.
'Why do I have to be the one to suffer? Did Iwamura already predict something like this? I guess, he did since she is still throwing all kinds of remarks despite Chabashira-sensei's presence' Ayanokoji thought but his fate was much worse, he was forced into a kitchenette to wait there until Horikita came, demanding answers around her being sorted into Class D.
She argued how she solved all problems on the entrance examination. Chabashira agreed with her being smart but then she dropped the bomb by mentioning that being smart doesn't mean to be superior.
When Horikita heard her words, she fell silent for a while recalling someone's words.
"Would you say that you are superior to Iwamura?" Chabashira asked with an amused smile. 8
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Chapter 37: #37 Ambitionless?
"Would you say that you are superior to Iwamura?" Chabashira asked Horikita with an amused smile.
Hearing this question, Horikita frowned.
"In academic terms, yes." Horikita replied with a confident tone.
"You still don't understand. I think I have explained it more than enough in Yukimura's case. Being smart doesn't mean you are superior, if that was the case, why would we have admitted Sudo if we were taking people only based on their academic merits? His grades are very bellow average yet he was admitted here, just try to think about it for a while. Everyone can study if they want to, however, there are also things they can't just learn, that are much more valuable than being smart."
"Horikita, do you know the main difference between being smart and intelligent?" Chabashira asked with closed eyes and Horikita nodded her head with an obvious expression.
"A lot of you might have had suspicions about those private points you received, about the class you were sorted into, yet only one person acted upon his suspicions, while you were only waiting just to be used. Would you say that you are superior to the person who saved so many people from living without any monthly allowance? You were clearly useless during this entire month compared to that person." Chabashira said harsh words directly into Horikita's face which made her flinch a bit.
'Maybe I should have called for Iwamura too…' Chabashira thought while seeing Horikita being so adamant.
"Alright…" Horikita crossed her arms, wanting to ask something that's been on her mind for some time.
"Let's say that person who threw all that credit on me is superior to me…Why was that person sorted into class D when they were the only one who acted upon their suspicions." Horikita asked with narrowed eyes.
"Haha, you know that I can't tell you student's personal problems. However, I believe you will find it out sooner or later since you are spending a lot of time with that person. There are many other students that might be more intelligent than you but they aren't dissatisfied with being sorted into Class D…" Chabashira said with a faint smile. 2
"Tch…That's hard to believe." Horikita clicked her tongue upon hearing this answer.
"You don't have to be so disappointed, I can assure you that your evaluation was done without a mistake but you can still advance to the Class A if it's so important to you." Chabashira said.
"I think that's clearly impossible with those students in Class D." Horikita said, not calling them even her own classmates.
"Is that so…? You alone certainly won't be able to achieve that, maybe if you will ask for the help of that person…Nevertheless, if you were to say "that's impossible" in your future workplace towards what was asked of you, no one would have any faith in you. Anyway, there is still something I wanted to discuss with another person with you being present." Chabashira said before calling for Ayanokoji.
She revealed his scores on all tests.
"50s in everything…What a big coincidence. Being able to solve one of the hardest math problems while not being able to solve one of the easiest…" Chabashira said with a sarcastic tone while Ayanokoji insisted that it was a coincidence.
"Do you know what a coincidence is? Look at this…" Chabashira said before sliding Yuichi's test sheet from a recent mock exam.
Horikita looked at it and couldn't help but widen her eyes.
"What the…He clearly has no idea about that complex formula but he still solved it by using numerous basic formulas…" Horikita muttered while checking the hardest math problems on that exam.
"He tried to do the same on the second math problem but unfortunately, he did a little mistake which led him to a completely wrong answer." Chabashira said, giving Horikita look 'What do you think?'
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When their talk ended and Chabashira finally let them out, Ayanokoji wanted to leave but he was stopped.
"Wait! Your test scores…are they really just coincidence?" Horikita asked which made Ayanokoji sigh before replying like he always does, denying that he did it on purpose.
'…Were previous Iwamura's words somehow connected to this matter or was he really just stalling for time? His words felt as if he was suspicious of him however he didn't want to say it outright. These two, what are they plotting, both of them are suspicious.' Horikita thought while staring at Ayanoukouji's back before catching up to him. 3
"Maybe what Iwamura said is the truth. Maybe what he did for you was the right decision. Right now, your words will have value in our class. Isn't that a good start if you want to get to Class A?"
"Hm?! I never asked for his help" She threw a glare at Ayanokoji before replying.
"He just repaid you for tutoring him…You can't exactly call it the help. And I also think you should stop acting so proud, it's not as bad as Kouenji's case but it probably makes a lot of people think that both of you were sorted into Class D because of that." Ayanokoji replied.
'If I want to prepare everyone on midterms…I won't be able to do it alone' Horikita thought with a disappointed expression.
'Absences and tardiness aren't that bad thanks to Iwamura but we could still work on that…Do I really have to ask him for help?' Horikita thought with a displeased expression. 9
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It has been nearly a week since the 1st day of May where "everything" was revealed to the freshmen. Students in Class D completely limited tardiness or absences, even previously it wasn't that bad however, now with the reason in mind, even those few that didn't exactly behave, started reducing their misbehavior.
During the classes, there was complete silence and only teacher's voice could be heard. Some paranoid students took it so far that when someone coughed a few times, they sent him sharp glares.
"Iwamura-kun, what do I lack?" During the break, Horikita suddenly asked out of nowhere.
"Eh? Hmm…friends?" Yuichi tilted his head in a thoughtful manner before replying with a bright smile with closed eyes.
"…"
When he opened his eyes, he found Horikita's expression to darken with math compass in her hand, holding it as a dagger from one of the video games he played in the past. 1
"…"
Both continued staring at each other, Yuichi's smile already disappeared, ready to strike back once she makes a move.
"I wasn't asking you to crack a joke…by the way, it was horrible one" Horikita replied while putting down the weapon.
"But it's the truth, isn't it? Friends aren't a burden as you might think, sure, you need to know who to trust and not but that's already your job. If you can make a good reliable friend, everything in your life can become easier, I am not trying to say that you won't be lonely or whatever…They can help with many and many things that you can't do alone." Yuichi replied with oblivious expression while shrugging his shoulders.
"Sometimes they might even pretend to be happy and fine just to not worry you which is one of the reasons why there can be such a drama around friendship." Yuichi added with a slightly sad smile and slightly dull green eyes while looking down however after a few seconds, his sad smile widened into a big grin as if his "plan" just worked out which slightly startled Horikita. 1
'What was that?' Horikita wondered about this sudden change of moods.
"Yes, I agree with you that having allies might be useful. That's why I want you to be one of my allies." Horikita said.
"What do I get from being your ally?" Yuichi asked, supporting his head with his fist while resting his elbow on the desk.
"? Don't you want to work together? Don't you want to advance to Class A?" Horikita asked with a surprised expression, she was pretty much sure that he would have agreed to her request but she was wrong.
"What if I don't want to? What if I just want to have enough monthly allowance to get by each month for the next 3 years? Both allies should profit from their cooperation" Yuichi asked with closed eyes.
"Are you really so ambitionless?" Horikita asked with a raised eyebrow.
"With my talents, the most optimal way for me is the most likely professional basketball. Chabashira-sensei said that only those who graduate from Class A are guaranteed their college or workplace of their dreams however she never said that other students won't get anything. There are people scouting for young talents and this is the most elite Senior High school in Japan. Colleges have to be filled somehow, do you think that students from other less prominent schools will get priority over us who were able to graduate from here? This school is more like a battlefield, just by graduating from here means that you survived the war, even if you are the loser, you still survived." Yuichi said with a calm expression.
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Chapter 38: #38 Study group
"…I am planning to form a study group, I would appreciate it if you could do something for me." Horikita said and Yuichi's first thoughts were 'Please don't!' when he heard her goal.
"Are you sure? Who are you planning to invite and is it really so hard to say "Can you help me please?" Yuichi asked with a confused expression.
"Yamauchi, Ike, Sudo, and a few others. Will you do something for me or not?" Horikita asked, clearly not amused by his last question.
"You make it sound like you are queen ordering her vassal…However, I can't say that your phrasing didn't make me interested in what you have prepared in mind for me." Yuichi said with a bit weird expression before he changed it to an amused smile.
"I have already someone taking care of Yamauchi and Ike, however, you are the most suitable person to convince Sudo who apparently holds you in high regard." Horikita replied, ignoring his first comment.
"Wait, I hope you are not talking about Ayanokoji who is supposed to convince them…" Yuichi said with a skeptical expression.
"Yes, why? Is there any problem with that?" Horikita asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, there is. Even though they look like friends, they most likely don't want to be near you when it comes to a study group. Despite you saving their points, they won't be happy being around you. If you want someone to convince Ike and Yamauchi, I would recommend someone like Kushida or Hasabe, maybe the presence of Sakura would also help." Yuichi replied with a helpless expression. 2
"That's disgusting, are you aware of that?" Horikita replied, knowing why Yuichi suggested this.
"They are…don't lump it on me or my idea." Yuichi replied with his hands up as if to say that he is completely clear.
"Both of them are simple guys, have one of the girls they like to attend that study group and they will even join on their own. It's like fishing, you need to have the right bait." Yuichi said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Alright, now you comparing the girls to bait is completely on you…besides, I don't want to have anything to do with Kushida" Horikita said with narrowed eyes and Yuichi just released an apologetic smile.
"Alright, alright, however, even you can lure them into your study group all by yourself." Yuichi said confidently with a faint smile.
"How?" Horikita raised her eyebrow and questioned with a curious expression.
"Smile, all of them admitted that you are attractive so maybe you can lure them with your smile" Yuichi put his index finger and thumb on the corners of his mouth before forming a smile with help of them with closed eyes. 2
Yuichi quickly sensed the danger and put his forearms in front of his ribs, blocking Horikita's chop attack, still with closed eyes.
"What kind of martial arts are you practicing?" Horikita asked with narrowed eyes.
"What do you mean? I only have a superpower named "Knowing the consequences of your words". I know, pretty lame name but it's a quite powerful and very useful ability. I felt that attack of yours even before I finished my sentence." Yuichi opened his right eye and replied with a proud smile. 2
"So you already knew what I was gonna do but you still said those words…" Horikita said with an upset expression before redirecting her attention to her book, completely ignoring him.
"Ugh, so even you can get upset when being made fun of? I thought you don't care about anyone's opinions, you clearly didn't care when one of the girls badmouthed you. Don't worry, I will take care of Sudo, I already had that in mind anyway. I might also ask a few more people while at it." Yuichi said with a guilt-filled expression.
Hearing Yuichi's guilt-filled voice, Horikita actually smirked.
"You think that you will be able to tutor Sudo and other people?" Horikita asked, obviously with a skeptical voice.
"Is that an insult?"
"Why do you think so? Are you perhaps the one who thinks that you won't be able to tutor others and perceived my words this way? That's not my fault for you not being self-confident." Horikita replied with a faint smile.
"Oh? Is that a smile I see? Very faint but it's still there…you indeed look more attractive with the smile despite the reason behind that smile is belittling someone." Yuichi said with a bright smile before getting up from his seat, leaving her without giving her time to respond. 1
He just glanced behind to see Horikita glaring at him with a very faint blush.
'She must be even angrier by how casually I left without giving her a chance to counter-attack.' Yuichi thought before looking for his target.
He found his target sitting in her seat so he decided to approach his target.
"Hello, I hope I am not interrupting you, Hasabe-san" Yuichi called out with a low voice not to startle her however his initiation of approaching Hasabe garnered the attention of a few classmates,
"Eh? N-Not at all, is there something I can do for you, Iwamura-kun?" Hasabe who was playing around with her hair with bored expression was startled when she was suddenly called out to and she was even more startled when she turned to the side and saw Yuichi's polite smile.
" Um…if you have time, could you hear me out? Maybe outside of the classroom…?" Yuichi whispered with a helpless smile.
'Is this what I think it is?!' Hasabe was startled by his suggestion but when she noticed how many people were paying them attention, she truly wanted to continue any type of talk with Yuichi outside of the classroom so she nodded her head.
Both left the classroom together and when they were out of hearing range, everyone started talking about what just happened.
"Mii-chan! Do you think that Iwamura is going to confess to Hasabe?! They never really talked to each other that much, not to mention walking somewhere together!" Matsushita asked with a shocked expression.
"Eh?! No…I don't think he will. To be honest…I don't imagine him confessing to anyone." Mei said her honest thoughts aloud. 1
"Heeh? Why is that?" Karuizawa asked with a confused expression.
"Well, I don't know…We have spent a lot of time together and it's simply feeling I have. There is no logical explanation." Mei replied with a bit uncertain expression.
"I see, so it's your intuition!" Sato said with a confident tone.
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"Hasabe-san, I noticed that your grades in Science and Math are pretty good so I wanted to ask you if you would be up to joining a study group to help out others and in case of other subjects, others could help you out." Yuichi asked with a smile while they were walking down the hallway.
'Eh? That's it?' Hasabe stopped walking and looked at Yuichi with a bit surprised expression.
"Feel free to refuse of course." Yuichi also stopped and added to comfort her due to her surprised expression.
"Uh, that's not it…Can I ask who would be in that study group?" Hasabe asked with a bit nervous expression.
'…Shit! I messed up, I forgot that she actually ditched a lot of swimming classes so she must be quite uncomfortable around boys. I can't tell her it will be Yamauchi and Ike but I also can't lie. I guess I will have to say it's my own study group, Sudo should be fine. He is an idiot but not as perverted as those two.' Yuichi immediately thought when he noticed her nervousness.
"Ah, it's actually my own study group I am planning to form. However, right now, the only member I have in mind is Sudo. Also, feel free to suggest other people if you want someone to join us. I have a lot of copied notes from Horikita so it should go smoothly despite me not having perfect grades." Yuichi explained with a faint smile.
"Horikita's notes? I noticed that you two are pretty close despite having completely opposite personalities…Do you two…perhaps-" Hasabe couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
"No, there is absolutely nothing between us. Are there any rumors about us around the class?" Yuichi quickly waved his hand in denial before asking with a curious expression.
"Well, not exactly rumors but people say that you two are quite close. But then again, you apparently worked as a middleman when Horikita warned us about our private points. I am sorry for assuming anything…" Hasabe said before she apologized.
"No offense taken, anyway, what about that study group? Would you like to join us? I would like to start this afternoon at 5 PM, you can invite whoever you want." Yuichi said with an inviting smile, not too desperate or forceful.
"Umm…Alright, where are we supposed to meet up?" She replied after a short pause of thinking it through.
"At the library, 1st floor. If you want, I can give you my number in case something unexpected happens." Yuichi suggested.
"That might turn useful." Hasabe nodded her head with a faint smile before both exchanged numbers even though Yuichi intended to give her just his number to not stress her out.
After that, both decided to turn around and return to the classroom for the next class.
'He is not exactly how I imagined him to be…He isn't trying to befriend everyone as hard as Hirata. He is just…normal yet there is something special about him.' Hasabe thought with a faint smile while glancing at Yuichi as they were returning to the classroom. 3
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Chapter 39: #39 Sudo's enlightenment
[Sorry but Hasabe is big no. I tried to invite her to your study group but she probably doesn't want to be anywhere near Yamauchi and Ike.] Yuichi sent a message to Horikita during the lunch break. 3
bzz The reply came almost immediately.
[I understand her reasoning. Then the only option is Ayanokoji convincing them.]
Yuichi looked weirdly at the display for a few seconds before he decided to write something he previously didn't want to.
[No, Kushida is the only option left…You know it very well. Anyway, what do you have against her? Is there any special reason why you don't like her?] (Y)
[Do I need to have a reason not to like somebody? It's Ayanokoji's problem to solve, there is no need for you to meddle any further] (H)
[Ay, ay, your Highness!] (Y)
[…-_-] (H)
[Hey, that's you!] Yuichi replied seeing Horikita's face in her last message and it indeed became her last message as a sign read appeared but she never replied back. 1
'Did I take it too far?' Yuichi thought scratching the back of his head.
Yuichi had the urge to send her last smiley face but he decided that he wants to be free from surprise attacks during classes.
Yuichi went to the cafeteria while typing another message to Sudo since he didn't know where he is right now.
[Yo, do you want to join my study group?] (Y)
[Eh…A study group? We will have to skip club activities because of it, won't we? I am not sure, man…] (S)
'Well, I didn't expect him to agree outrightly'
[Come on, Sudo! You had Four-fucking-teen points from that mock test. I am not letting you drop out so be prepared to study today. 5 PM at the library, don't reply to this message, thank you.]
[What the hell?! Iwamura! I never agreed to this!] (S)
[I apologize but right now I am too busy to reply to your message. This is an automatic reply.] (Y)
[Like hell it is! Iwamura, reply to me!] (S)
[I apologize but right now I am too busy to reply to your message. This is an automatic reply.] (Y) 3
'Fuck!' Sudo thought while gripping his phone tightly.
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At almost 5 PM, in the library, on the 1st floor.
"Hi, everyone! I am sorry for being the last one to arrive despite organizing all of this." Yuichi said with an apologetic smile when he approached the desk occupied by 3 people.
"Hi, no problem Iwamura-kun."
"Hello, yeah, it's not even 5 PM yet"
There was another student with dark short hair named Miyake Akito. 1
"Iwamura, what the hell was that?!" Sudo immediately demanded answers.
"What do you mean? Anyway, since you are here, I will help you get at least 50 points in midterms." Yuichi said before sitting down next to Sudo, opposite to Hasabe.
"That sounds like a lot of work to do…" Sudo sounded unconvinced.
Yuichi took out his textbooks and put them in the middle of the desk.
"I have copied most of Horikita's notes so feel free to look into my textbooks." Yuichi said and everyone except for Sudo nodded.
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After a while of studying in the group and Yuichi controlling Sudo that he studies seriously…
"Ugh, I don't understand this!" Sudo groaned before raising his voice in frustration.
"Psst, this is the library, tone your voice down, Sudo. Plus, raising your voice won't help you get the right answer, instead of doing that, just ask me for help next time." Yuichi said before looking at Sudo's problem.
[A, B, and C collectively have 2.150 yen. A has 120 yen more than B does. 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?] 21
When Yuichi read the question, his eyes widened as he had no idea that Sudo is so…stupid. 2
"Um, guys, can you please continue without me? I will focus a bit more on Sudo now." Yuichi said towards Hasabe and Miyake and both nodded their heads with understanding expressions.
"Alright, Sudo, let's start with the easiest task, write all the information you know down in your textbook." Yuichi said and Sudo started writing down, literally copying the question.
"No! Wait!" Yuichi quickly stopped him and explained to him how he should get rid of unnecessary words and information.
[A B C = 2.150
A = B 120
B 2/5*C = A 220]
After more than 7 minutes of explanations, Sudo was finally able to finalize the start.
"Ok, now, there are probably more ways how to solve this and don't get scared by the 3rd line, it might be confusing at sight but it's really easy" Yuichi quickly comforted Sudo before he could run away from this.
"I know that it's easy for you, tch." Sudo replied angrily. 4
" sigh No, it isn't, Sudo. I can't solve it by looking at it, even I have to write a few steps to solve it." Yuichi sighed and replied.
"First of all, you need to get rid of one person with an unknown value. Do you see that 2nd line? You can replace everywhere where is [A] with [B 120]. As for why…because A EQUALS B 120, that's why you can simply replace it. Do you understand this?" Yuichi asked, maybe acting as if he was talking to an idiot but Sudo never really called out on him treating him like an idiot because…he is one and thanks to that he couldn't detect it. Sudo was just thinking that Yuichi is really good at explaining these things, unfortunately, those 2 sitting opposite to them were also listening. They were occasionally throwing Sudo pitying glances but they never meant anything bad by it.
"Good, so replace all As" Yuichi replied, letting Sudo write everything down.
[B 120 B C = 2.150
B 2/5*C = B 120 220]
"Good! This is the second step." Yuichi looked at the results and lightly clapped his hands, making Sudo feel a bit embarrassed as he frowned down.
"Now what?" Sudo asked, tapping with his pencil against the desk in a nervous manner.
"Sudo, you do know the rules behind equations, right? When you move something from the right to left and otherwise." Yuichi asked with an uncertain.
"O-Of course!" Sudo replied with an upset expression, maybe Yuichi went too far this time.
'I guess he isn't that lost…'
"Good, now you have 2 people with an unknown value, look at both lines and try to see if you can get rid of 1 person in any of the lines. Also, you can simplify the line where you can't get rid of any person" Yuichi said and waited a few minutes before Sudo finally written something down.
[2*B C = 2.030
2/5*C = 340]
Sudo looked uncertainly towards Yuichi who just smiled and nodded his head.
"You should be able to solve everything by yourself now if you know the rules behind equations. Once you solve 1 person, others will be easy." Yuichi said and Sudo sighed in desperation before burying his head into his textbook, trying to solve everything else by himself.
After more than 7 minutes, he finally showed his textbook to Yuichi.
[2*C = 1700
C = 850
2*B 850 = 2.030
B = 590
A = B 120
A = 710] 4
'Thank god! I don't know what I would have to do if he did something wrong…' Yuichi sighed in relief before giving Sudo a thumb up.
Both Miyake and Hasabe who was watching the entire process couldn't help but smile, holding in the laugh when they saw Yuichi's relieved expression.
"Thanks, Iwamura…It wasn't that bad." Sudo said with a faint smile, having the feel of success in him made him happier before Yuichi dropped the bomb.
"Good, now let's move onto something harder" Yuichi said with a bright smile and closed eyes.
"H-Harder?!" Sudo exclaimed with a disbelieving expression. 1
"Of course, that was the easiest math problem from the mock test. We will go probably until mid-difficulty, there is no need for you to know how to solve complicated math problems yet." Yuichi said.
"…Yet?" Sudo muttered as the corner of his mouth started twitching.
"Of course, don't tell me that you thought that this math problem was one of the hardest out there, haha. We still have a long way in front of us and I am not letting you out of here until you learn everything." Yuichi laughed and said with a bright smile which made Hasabe and Miyake look at each other with surprised expressions before they faintly smiled.
"Oho? So you will keep me here, huh?" Sudo said with an amused smile while rolling up his sleeves.
"Heh, try me" Yuichi glanced at him and snickered.
'Letting him have a taste of success and mood is immediately better. Let him understand something he never understood and he will think that studying might even be fun, though it is very short feeling, very similar to adrenaline.' Yuichi thought with a faint smile.
This is something Horikita would never be able to do…She only sees the goal in front of her and she never truly thinks how to get to that goal. Yuichi is aware of Sudo's opinion on studying so instead of forcing him to study, at first, he is trying to set the right mood and slowly improve Sudo's opinion about studying.
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"Still, Iwamura, I don't get why you put so much effort into studying…Don't you want to become a professional basketball player? I also think that I have learned today more than enough to get through the midterm when it comes to math." Sudo said after another hour of studying.
The whole group was mostly quietly studying the entire hour but when someone wasn't sure about anything, everyone tried to input their thoughts.
"I want but where is it written that anyone will take me into the team? Where is it written that I won't be injured before becoming one? It's good to have some kind of back-up plan. Of course, I admit that knowledge you learn at school is usually useless in the outside world but school teaches you how to use your brain and not to apply when "that" guy wrote "that" book and when he died. I completely agree that it's completely irrelevant when we are learning about someone's life who is already dead but you should at least have a basic knowledge. No need to know everything but at least know his name and in which century he lived. The past is what forms the future, from humans' mistakes and accomplishments." Yuichi replied 3
"Hmm…" Sudo just hummed to acknowledge hearing Yuichi's words but he never really replied. He just kept reading Yuichi's notes. 1
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Chapter 40: #40 Horikita's Study Group
When they were about to stop for the day, Yuichi felt his phone vibrate a few times so he took a look at it.
[How did your study group go?] It was Horikita, however, Yuichi found it weird for her to message him first.
[Actually, I think it went excellently. We had some fun and Sudo learned a lot of things, if we will continue like this for a few days, I am confident that he will get average scores in all subjects.] Yuichi replied while slowly stuffing his textbooks into his bag.
"Eh? Looks like Ike and Yamauchi are upset with Horikita…I told them not to attend her study group, sigh" Sudo muttered while reading something from his own phone.
[I guess your attempt wasn't successful] Yuichi sent another message before Horikita could reply.
[How do you know? Kushida-san?] (H)
[Sudo…Apparently you had a small fight with Ike and Yamauchi. I told you that you need to stop looking down on people…And this time it was just my guess because I don't see any other reason why would they leave with Kushida being present.] (Y)
[They are dead weight anyway. If they don't want to study, we will be better off without them] (H)
Yuichi could already imagine her calm expression while typing that.
"Guys, you can go ahead without me, I still have someone to meet." Yuichi said before waving to Hasabe, Miyake, and Sudo
[Where are you? Are you still in the library?] (Y)
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[Yes] There was a little delay before her reply arrived together with her exact location. The whole library was enormous so a lot of students could fit in here therefore it wasn't surprising that 2 study groups missed each other.
"What the-? What are you doing here all alone?" Yuichi asked when he found Horikita sitting at the desk without anyone around.
"What do you mean? The study group already ended and I am waiting for you." She replied with obvious expression.
"But what about Ayanokoji-kun? I thought that he will remain here with you." Yuichi admitted.
"He went after his worthless friends…Still, I am surprised that your study group went well. I guess I underestimated Sudo." Horikita said with closed eyes.
Hearing her words, Yuichi couldn't help but sigh.
He approached her side and abruptly took her hand into his while standing above her.
"What are you-?!" Horikita immediately narrowed her eyes and snapped her head at Yuichi.
"Shut up. I want you to listen to me." Yuichi said in a very unfamiliar tone to Horikita while looking down at her with slightly dull green eyes.
Horikita could only stare at completely different Yuichi she knew from the classes in disbelief as her heartbeat increased due nervousness.
"It's not that they don't want to study, it's you being too arrogant. You think you are better than them but in the truth you are not, you are in the same way worthless as them. If you can't carry those dead weights than you are dead weight yourself. "We will be better off without these dead weights". That's a very mature view of the problem, Miss Horikita, I think you deserve to be promoted. You blame them for giving up so quickly yet you did the same, you gave up on them the moment they left. Is there even a difference between you and them?" Yuichi said in harsh tone while tightly holding her hand, making sure that she won't slip off and that she will listen to everything he has to say.
"I-" At this point, she completely stopped trying to slip out of Yuichi's grasp.
"Don't reply, please remember these words tonight before you will go to bed. For now, let's go out to a café." Yuichi said and before she could reply, he took her bag.
"Hey, wait! I haven't agreed to go with you! Plus, give me my bag back, I already told you not to carry my bag around." When she finally woke up from her daze, she quickly started barking at Yuichi who was already slowly walking towards the exit.
Yuichi stopped and glanced back with a smirk.
"I don't remember ever asking for your opinion." Yuichi replied before resuming his walk which prompted Horikita to follow him while glaring a hole into his head.
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"Here you go, your Highness" Yuichi said, placing a cup filled with hot chocolate in front of Horikita.
"…What are you doing?" Horikita asked with a weird expression, still without her bag which was the only thing keeping her here.
"Helping you relax. I know that I might not be the ideal company but at least you can discuss some things with me that troubles you. By the way, it's my treat" Yuichi said with a faint smile, making himself comfortable.
"I don't need to relax and there is nothing troubling me. However since you already paid for my drink, I will finish it and I would appreciate it if you could return my bag by then. Also don't expect my gratitude since you led me here without my consent." Horikita replied with closed eyes while holding the cup with both hands, feeling a nice and calming warm temperature from it.
"Interesting…" Yuichi muttered with a thoughtful expression while holding his chin.
"What is?"
"Is this like a date without consent? Does it even exist? Does that make me a bad guy?" Yuichi muttered but all he received from Horikita was her icy glare.
"Haha, come on, don't be like that. Is it really so insulting for you to even joke about such things?" Yuichi asked with a curious expression.
"Not insulting, more like childish without a meaning." Horikita said.
"But we are children, aren't we? Plus, not everything has to have meaning. For some, not even their entire life has meaning." Yuichi asked with a bit sad smile while looking at his cup of tea.
"How can you be like that?" Horikita asked after a long silence and Yuichi looked at her with a confused expression.
"A few minutes ago you were literally telling me to shut up and trash-talking me and right now you are all friendly as if nothing happened." Horikita explained.
"I am just a human, even I can get angry and when I saw you acting like that, I was already holding pent-up frustration. All of what I told you was my honest criticism of your person, take it positively or negatively, that's for you to decide but I already mentioned not to think about it right now. " Yuichi said with a helpless smile.
"However If you want to act all upset and that my words hurt you, feel free to do so."
"That's not it…What do you even want to talk about? We aren't that close to talk about each other's lives." Horikita said while frowning down.
"How about you explain to me what happened in your study group and I will tell you what happened in mine." Yuichi suggested and Horikita nodded her head after a few seconds of thinking about it.
Sigh Horikita sighed before she explained what happened.
"Haha! And you expect them to try harder because you trash-talked them? Haha" Yuichi couldn't help but put his hand on his stomach as he began laughing right into Horikita's face who kept her expressionless face.
"You missed a very important fact." When Yuichi stopped laughing, he said with a smirk before sipping on his tea.
"What?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You never tried to understand them."
"Not interested." Yuichi received an immediate answer.
"Then you can't tutor them. They aren't as proud as you, for you when someone better than you trash-talk you and doesn't believe in you, it makes you only stronger and more determined. They aren't you, they don't like it when someone is looking down on them, they can't take it. When they see someone better than them, instead of trying to catch up to them, they try to distance themselves from that person." Yuichi explained with a faint smile.
"What a weak mindset, they won't accomplish anything in their lives with that kind of mindset. Judging by your words, even you think that they are weaklings." She said with closed eyes. 3
"I won't refute your words but such people exist everywhere, some chose to live like that and some simply don't even notice it. You need to learn how to treat such people to not scare them away." Yuichi said before explaining how his study group went.
"Oh my god…He spent more than 15 minutes on that easy math problem?" Horikita asked in disbelief. 2
"Yeah but he solved it, how many math problems did your group solve? Zero, right?" Yuichi said with a faint ridiculing smile. 2
"…" Horikita frowned upon hearing his ridiculing tone.
"You also ridiculed my view of letting them drop-out if they don't want to study, why?" Horikita crossed her arms and asked with narrowed eyes.
"We literally have no idea how to gain points for our Class. What if losing anyone will make us lose the points? We need to be careful about everything we do. If you were to abandon one of your colleagues in your workplace, it also wouldn't be an exactly mature or heroic act. This school is trying to prepare us for the future, your view on this problem is completely immature and you are practically running away from it by choosing an easier way out." Yuichi said.
"I am not running away, they are the ones who don't want my help!" Horikita said in a harsh tone.
"Then let me ask you this…If you were to see a person you know in front of you attempting suicide, would you just watch because they "don't want your help"?" Yuichi asked with a serious expression. 13
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Chapter 41: #41 "Peaceful Night"
"Then let me ask you this…If you were to see a person you know in front of you attempting suicide, would you just watch because they "don't want your help"?" Yuichi asked with a serious expression.
"What kind of question is that?" Horikita asked with narrowed eyes.
"Just answer…"
"But comparing someone you know trying to kill themself with studying doesn't make any sense." She said with crossed arms.
"I am still waiting for your answer." Yuichi said back with closed eyes and calm expression.
"…I would have helped as much as I could." Horikita replied after a little pause.
"Forcing something onto someone isn't exactly a nice thing to do but sometimes it can be good, sometimes that person can thank you for forcing them into something. It sounds a bit similar to Stockholm syndrome. For example, you are angry at me for forcing all the credit onto you which caused a few "inconvenient situations" when people started slowly approaching you even if it's just greeting you every morning. I don't hold it against you that you are feeling angry but you might even thank me later." Yuichi said with a faint smile.
"I don't think I will." Horikita replied with a calm expression. 1
Yuichi suddenly pulled out his phone and clicked something on the display before the sound recording started, ending with "I don't think I will".
Horikita's expression darkened when she discovered that Yuichi was recording the entire conversation.
"Calm down, there is nothing harmful to you in that recording. I just want to keep this recording in case you will thank me one day." Yuichi said with a bright smile.
"Still, I don't appreciate you recording our conversation without my permissi-" Horikita suddenly stopped as she looked at her own phone before her eyes widened. She quickly recovered from her shock.
"Anyway, I have already finished my drink so I would appreciate it if you could return my bag to me." Horikita demanded with a serious expression.
"Sure! Here you go!" Yuichi said with a bright smile while handing her bag over.
"Th-Mm." She wanted to say something but she quickly stopped and nodded her head before getting up however when she took a few steps towards the exit, she stopped and glanced back at Yuichi.
"Are you not going back to the dorms?" Horikita asked with a confused expression.
"Sure I am, I just didn't think you would have wanted to go back with me, after all, it's already pretty dark." Yuichi said with a smile.
"What does dark have anything to do with this? Are you going or not?" Horikita asked with an obvious expression before asking in an impatient tone.
Yuichi drank his tea to the last drop before he got up and followed Horikita with a bright smile.
'What is she planning?' Yuichi thought behind that bright smile, he knew that she would have never asked him to go with her back to the dorms unless there was a reason to do so.
Even when they arrived at the reception, that reason never showed up.
"Good night" Yuichi said with a faint smile before exiting the elevator on the 4th floor.
"…Good night" Horikita replied right before the doors were about to close and the elevator continued up to the 7th floor.
Yuichi remained standing in front of the elevator's doors while looking at the display with slightly narrowed eyes. Yuichi's cheerful smile completely disappeared by now and he decided to go back to the reception by stairs. He never met anyone on the way down since it was already quite late and most people were using elevators if they were still returning from their club activities or whatever. 1
bzz His phone suddenly vibrated as he got to the reception.
[Yo, can I invite Ike and Yamauchi to our study group?] It was a message from Sudo. Yuichi couldn't help but smirk when he saw "our study group"
[So it is OUR study group now, is it?] (Y)
[Shut up and reply to my original question!] (S)
'I mean, I could do that but…' Yuichi thought before looking towards the elevator that was still on the 7th floor.
'I want to see what she will do.'
[I don't think I will be able to tutor more than 1 idiot] (Y)
[Fuck you. Still, I appreciate your fast answer, I guess they will have to join Hirata's group or study alone. See you tomorrow.] (S)
[Sure, sorry I couldn't be of more help. Cya!] Yuichi sent the last message while walking out of the dorms before closing the chat with Sudo and focusing on another function on the phone.
'You can track someone's position who is in your contacts. Very interesting but isn't that illegal? I mean, they have absolutely zero privacy. It's obvious for school to monitor us but why would the students be allowed to monitor other students?' Yuichi thought while checking if Horikita is still within the dorms while walking around, near the dorms.
'That sudden pause and surprised expression, her impatient tone when she wanted to leave…Who contacted you, Horikita? Is it Chabashira-sensei? Maybe it could be Ayanokoji…Hmm' Yuichi thought while walking around in the park with an amused smirk.
Yuichi found a bench in the park and sat down on it with spread legs and arms, in a completely relaxed way. After a few minutes, he noticed that Horikita really exited the area of dorms so he quickly went back and it didn't take him too long to find her together with another person.
'Is that Manabu-senpai? So they indeed are siblings but it looks like Manabu isn't exactly happy to see his little sister.' Yuichi thought as he watched and eavesdropped on their conversation.
Their conversation was getting more dangerous until Manabu pinned his sister to the wall, telling her to leave this school.
Yuichi narrowed his eyes and began recording the entire thing, he knew that he had nothing to say since it was between 2 siblings but if it got out of hand, he would immediately stop them.
'Still, Horikita is showing her weaker side right now…' Yuichi thought.
The situation only got worse as Manabu probably planned to throw Horikita down on the hard concrete. At that moment, Yuichi was about to turn on the flashlight on his phone however before he could do that, he saw another person rushing towards them, stopping Manabu from what he was planning to do.
'Ayanokoji…? That speed definitely wasn't the average speed of high school student.' Yuichi thought with narrowed eyes. 7
After that, when Ayanokoji finally let go of Manabu, he was immediately attacked by him but Ayanokoji managed to dodge a few of his attacks before slapping his hand away that was most likely supposed to perform some kind of grappling technique. After that, both gained some distance from each other.
Witnessing all of this, Yuichi's face was now covered in shadows of the night together with a wide grin across his face.
'Ayanokoji, Ayanokoji…I knew you were lying back then in the swimming class, still, to be able to lie with a straight face…' Yuichi thought while gripping his heart as if he was hurt by Ayanokoji's lies. 2
'Well, I wanted to interfere but looks like there is no need to join in, still, this recording might be useful in blackmailing both Ayanokoji and Manabu…but I am not that type of guy.' Yuichi thought while shaking his head with a helpless smile. He looked towards the leaving figure of Manabu before he decided to do something just out of fun, to test out how perceptive and intelligent this student council president is.
.
.
"Oh? Good evening, Student council president!" Yuichi joined him after a few minutes of walking away from the dorms.
"…Iwamura. Good evening, why aren't you in the dorms yet?" He immediately questioned with a sharp glare, visibly still a bit irritated by the previous situation.
"I thought that I might go for a walk and then I noticed you so I thought of greeting you at least." Yuichi replied with a bright smile.
"…And was that a few minutes ago or did you just happen to notice me a few seconds ago?" He asked while glancing next to him at Yuichi's bright smile.
"Umm, I have no idea…The night is pretty peaceful so it's easy to forget such details, wouldn't you say so, senpai?" Yuichi asked with an innocent smile while emphasizing the word "peaceful".
"Is your entire class full of eavesdroppers?" Manabu asked with expressionless face.
"We aren't Class D for nothing. D stands for degenerate" Yuichi said cheerfully while winking at him. 6
Manabu glanced towards Yuichi's hand and noticed him holding his phone instead of keeping it in his pocket which prompted him to narrow his eyes.
Manabu stopped walking and turned to Yuichi, grabbing him by his collar and pulling him closer, however instead of getting a confused or surprised reaction from Yuichi…All he got was a wide smile.
"Peaceful night indeed" Yuichi muttered with closed eyes and a wide grin while being pulled by his collar. 4
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Chapter 42: #42 Discovery
"Peaceful night indeed" Yuichi muttered with closed eyes and a wide grin while being pulled by his collar.
"Don't push your luck too far" Manabu said with narrowed eyes.
"I am not really…" Yuichi's wide smile quickly changed to a faint one while looking sideways, avoiding eye contact with Manabu.
"Hm, you are a really interesting student. Tell me why you are here, you wouldn't have come here if you had no reason to." Manabu actually faintly smiled and let go of Yuichi before asking.
'"Don't push your luck"…I know that blackmailing someone like Student council president can backfire very easily and I never really had the intention to do so' Yuichi thought while fixing his clothes with a calm expression.
"I just came to greet senpai, is that wrong?" Yuichi asked.
"I know that you are more intelligent than that. You must be the one behind those class points. I am aware that my little sister would never be able to do that. I wonder what is she to you?" Manabu asked with a furrowed brow.
"I think student council president overestimates me…If I were intelligent I would have never approached you, senpai. As for who Suzune-chan is to me…She is my girlfriend~" Yuichi explained while fixing his tie before replying to his last question with a bright smile.
"…Impossible" Manabu showed almost no reaction to his words but Yuichi noticed that there was something in his eyes… 1
"Why? We were just on the date at the cafe. I bought her hot chocolate and we had a nice talk." Yuichi explained with a smile however Manabu only continued staring at him with his expressionless face.
"Alright…we aren't dating and we are hardly considered friends but I indeed bought her hot chocolate so not everything was a lie! Senpai, you actually care for your little sister and want only the best for her, right?" Yuichi admitted with a slightly sad smile before asking with a serious expression.
"…I am surprised you can say that after seeing what almost happened back then. Why do you say so?" Manabu said with a faint smile.
"Once you look up to someone, you can't overtake them." Yuichi said and his words actually caused Manabu to widen his eyes a bit before he closed them and faint smile appeared on his face.
"In addition, in your conversation…you were hiding hints for her. You were trying to tell her something. I am not going to meddle in between siblings' problem but she is still your little sister, I doubt you truly hate her. Still, it's just my opinion, no need to explain or reply to it." Yuichi said with closed eyes before turning around, ready to return to the dorms.
"What are you going to do with that?" Manabu said, most likely talking about the recording.
"Nothing but in exchange, I would appreciate it if senpai could sometimes help me, answer a few of my questions or things like that. Is that acceptable?" Yuichi asked with his back facing Manabu.
"I won't answer anything about S-system but if you need any advice or question related to something else…I might help you" Manabu replied.
"Thank you, senpai." Yuichi said, preparing to leave but he was quickly stopped.
"One more thing, Iwamura." Manabu said which prompted Yuichi to turn at him.
"Hm?"
"I am not doing it because of your little recording, I am doing it because I find you interesting." Manabu corrected him while adjusting his glasses in case he thought that he can blackmail him.
"Or is it because you noticed small changes in your little sister's behavior, senpai?" Yuichi asked with a faint smile.
"Farewell…" Manabu ignored his question and walked away.
' sigh I guess it could have gone better…' Yuichi thought while looking up at the stars before deciding to return to the dorms.
When Yuichi went back, he made sure that nor Horikita or Ayanokoji were still there, after confirming it, he went back to the dorms and to his room. When he closed the door to his room, he quickly went towards his bed and dropped down on it with back first.
'Why is Ayanokoji hiding his physical ability? Is he hiding something else? If he indeed is hiding his abilities, what if anyone else is hiding their abilities? To be honest, I don't see Ike or Yamauchi hiding their abilities but maybe from girls…There are a lot of average girls. I happen to start hating anyone who is average, it's much easier to measure abilities of people like Horikita, Hirata or Kushida. In this school…can I even trust anyone except for Mei?' Yuichi thought while motionlessly lying and looking at the ceiling with slightly dull green eyes. 2
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.
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Days passed by quickly until only a week and a few days were remaining until the midterm exam.
"So, how are you doing? I have heard that you were able to get those 2 idiots to study with you once again." Yuichi asked Horikita during the break.
After their talk at the cafe, they barely talked since Yuichi wasn't forcing any conversation with her but he still heard a lot of things from Sudo who heard those things once again from Ike and Yamauchi.
"I have thought a lot about your words…And you were right, if I can't carry those who I call dead weighs, I am useless." Horikita said in low voice and with closed eyes.
"…I see." Yuichi faintly smiled before looking out of the window.
"…Thanks" She said in a monotonous voice. 2
Yuichi put his hand into the pocket after hearing that, wanting to take out his phone but he was quickly stopped.
"Don't you dare"
He glanced behind at Horikita and saw her holding once again a math compass with a darkened expression.
"What? I just want to look at the time" Yuichi replied with a confused expression.
"There is a big round wall clock right above the board, are you blind?" Horikita asked with narrowed eyes.
"I like digital numbers better" Yuichi said with an oblivious smile.
Hearing him, Horikita has hidden the compass and let him awkwardly look at the time on his phone's display before putting it back to his pocket.
"Ok, that was awkward. Where are you even hiding that compass? Is it a trend for girls to carry a math compass around with them instead of pepper spray?" Yuichi asked with a weird expression.
"I don't need a compass to protect myself but it's easier to threaten people with it" Horikita replied with a calm expression.
"How can you be so calm while saying that you are carrying it around to threaten people however you want?" Yuichi shook his head with a hopeless smile before turning towards the board once again.
"I am pretty sure it's just Horikita thing…" Ayanokoji replied in Horikita's stead which prompted her to pull that compass out once again.
Thankfully for Ayanokoji's sake, Kushida arrived near him and invited him on lunch which made Yuichi raise his eyebrow without even looking at them.
'Did they become such close friends through that study group? Hard to believe when I think of how much Kushida is popular…Either she has a crush on him or she has something important to talk to him about. She has numerous friends, I doubt she would go voluntarily on the lunch with Ayanokoji who isn't exactly a big talker. ' Yuichi thought while frowning down, looking out of the window and listening to their conversation.
Kushida asked Horikita and Yuichi if they don't want to join but both declined. Horikita apparently already has plans and Yuichi didn't feel like joining two of them, making the 3rd wheel. If Horikita were to come, he would reconsider since he wouldn't be the only one between Kushida and Ayanokoji.
Despite the fact that both rejected her invitation, Kushida retained her cheerful smile, maybe she became even slightly happier upon hearing them reject but Yuichi wasn't exactly sure about that.
When they left the classroom, Yuichi turned at Horikita with a confused expression.
"Were they always so close?"
"…Not really, but after the day, my study group failed, Kushida started acting a bit more friendly around Ayanokoji than usual." She replied while glancing towards the open doors.
"Are you jealous?" Yuichi asked with a grin which prompted Horikita to glare at him without any amusement.
"If not…I don't see any reason for you to reveal all of that to me. You must be either jealous or it must trouble you." Yuichi continued with a calm face.
"It indeed troubles me…It's a bit weird but I can't come up with the reason why." Horikita replied with a serious expression.
"…Are you not going to make any joke?" Horikita asked after a while when Yuichi didn't comment on it.
"Do you want me to?"
"I am all right." Horikita closed her eyes and regretted her earlier question.
"Maybe he is plotting something against you, together with Kushida's help" Yuichi suggested with a faint smile but Horikita couldn't tell if he meant it as a joke or serious suggestion.
"Do you believe that that "Kushida" would plot against someone?" Horikita asked a rather odd question or more like her phrasing was a bit odd to Yuichi.
"Anyone can plot against someone, it doesn't matter what kind of personality they have. After all, if they can get what they desire, that's all that matters in the end." Yuichi said before stuffing his textbooks into his bag.
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Chapter 43: #43 Suspicion
"I am going to grab lunch in the cafeteria, do you want to go with me? Or do you really have your so-called plans for a lunch break?" Yuichi asked while getting up from his seat.
"…" Horikita didn't refuse or accept his invitation, maybe she felt weird to accept it after telling Kushida that she already has plans.
"No need to feel awkward or weird, just say yes or no. There is nothing complicated about it." Yuichi said, hinting that he would like to hear her decision as soon as possible.
"Hmph" Horikita didn't say anything but she still stuffed her textbooks into her bag before getting up.
Seeing this, Yuichi just started walking towards the classroom's doors without even checking if Horikita is following him.
When they arrived in the cafeteria, they took the trays and bought the meal with their points. Yuichi chose the set of vegetables with meat and a few eggs because it was his diet, occasionally eating other stuff to get other nutrition. Thanks to this, his meal's price was relatively low.
Horikita somehow took the charge and decided on the spot where to sit at so Yuichi just followed after her but when he was walking past numerous tables filled with students, he noticed someone familiar. And that someone familiar was also reciting something from classes to other people sitting at the table.
Yuichi stopped right behind that person and looked curiously at the table to see all kinds of textbooks, obviously, this garnered him a lot of attention from people around the table which in return prompted that person to turn around in confusion.
Horikita also stopped to wait for Yuichi while wearing a confused and slightly impatient expression.
"Hm? Iwamura-kun? Hi!" It was Ichinose who quickly greeted with a bright smile when she noticed him.
"Hello, Ichinose-san. I am sorry for interrupting your studying session, it's just that something caught my interest." Yuichi apologized with an apologetic smile and closed eyes.
"Oh? It's alright, alright! If you want, we have a room for another 2 people, that is if you want to join us, right everyone?" Ichinose said while sliding her chair to the left, making more space for another chair.
Everyone looked at Yuichi and nodded with a welcoming smile on their faces.
"I am going ahead." Horikita suddenly said before leaving towards her chosen spot, very far away from all others.
"Eh…I am sorry" Yuichi said with a forced smile while looking at Ichinose but she just shook her smile with a smile as if to say to not worry about it.
"Can I ask what exactly are you reviewing right now?" Yuichi asked with a polite smile.
Ichinose immediately replied to him, completely confusing him however he didn't let it be seen on his face.
"Well, thank you for the invitation but I should go join her soon if I don't want her to harass me with her math compass once again." Yuichi said with a helpless smile, slightly confusing others with his words but Ichinose just nodded with an approving face as if she felt it was the right thing to do…to join his own classmate who was lonely right now.
"One more thing…Could I talk to you after I am finished with my lunch?" Yuichi asked with an apologetic smile while scratching back of his head, visibly telling them that he is sorry for interrupting them from studying for so long.
"Of course! I have yet to return the favor so I will definitely wait for you however I won't treat it as returning the favor since I would have accepted regardless" Ichinose replied with a bright smile which prompted Yuichi to release a genuine smile with softened emerald green eyes.
"Thanks, good luck everyone, and once again sorry for interrupting!" Yuichi said and waved at the other people sitting at the table since they seemed like they weren't looking down on him despite being from Class B.
"Bye!"
"Don't worry about it!" All of them waved back and some girls even sent him that kind of smile "don't worry~!"
Yuichi went towards the spot where Horikita was eating her lunch.
'That girl…Ichinose. She is a kind girl but still, that's just her outer appearance. We are still something similar to enemies so she might be acting nice just to befriend me and have me tell her all kinds of secrets. Now that I think about it…Kushida is pretty popular among 1st years, even upperclassmen know about her.' Yuichi thought, telling himself to be careful around anyone who is not from his class-no, to be careful around everyone and in particular students from other classes.
"I thought you would sit down with your friend." Horikita said calmly when Yuichi joined her across the table.
"But I did, or not?" Yuichi said with a grin.
"Please don't force that role onto me." Horikita replied with closed eyes.
"Still, you sounded like jealous girlfriend back there and this time I am not joking." Yuichi said with a serious expression.
"If you haven't noticed it yet, I always talk this way…" Horikita replied normally since she noticed that Yuichi truly wasn't joking this time.
"Right…" Yuichi muttered with an unconvinced expression before digging into his meal.
"…What were you talking with her about? She isn't from our class." After a while of silence, Horikita asked while frowning down.
"Nothing really, there is something that caught my interest…All 1st years should take the same exam, right?" Yuichi replied before asking with a curious expression.
"Naturally, despite them being "superior" class, we are the same grade so we have to take the same exams as all other classes. What did you find out?" Horikita replied while giving Yuichi a strange look before she asked with a suspicious expression.
"They were studying something completely different than what should be on the exam. I doubt they would be studying things that might only confuse their knowledge of the materials that should be on the exam." Yuichi frowned down and replied with folded arms.
"…Should we verify this with Chabashira-sensei?" Horikita also found this strange so she suggested.
"Not yet, I am planning to talk to her after I am finished with lunch. I will ask exactly why are they studying those materials." Yuichi shook his head.
"Then eat faster, still, it has its perks having someone popular who can move around and bring me information." Horikita muttered with a thoughtful expression.
"Oi, I can hear you. If you want someone to be your lapdog, call Hirata, I have heard that he would like to cooperate with you." Yuichi remarked while pointing his chopsticks at her.
"Don't point at me with the chopsticks you already used. There is no need to "befriend" Hirata, there are too many people hanging out around him while you indeed are popular for your communication skills, at least you aren't surrounded by numerous people." Horikita replied.
"Yeah, can you tell why I am not surrounded by many people?" Yuichi asked while casting a glance to the side. Horikita followed his line of sight and noticed 2 girls from their class holding tray, looking towards them but when they noticed Horikita looking, both quickly sat down at the random free spot.
"Am I perhaps obscuring your potential love life?" Horikita asked with a smirk as if she was even happier if it's the truth. 3
"Not really, just saying if you were to approach Hirata, I bet a lot of people would also stop hanging around him when you are present." Yuichi said with a bright smile. 2
"Well, I am done and it looks like Ichinose is the only one waiting for me now, so I better go before she leaves." Yuichi said, getting up with the tray in his hands.
"I see…" Horikita muttered while looking towards Ichinose who was sitting at the table all alone, waiting for Yuichi.
"I am going, see you later in the class." Yuichi said and Horikita nodded at him with a calm expression.
Yuichi carried the tray away before approaching Ichinose.
"I am sorry for the wait, can we talk now? It will be fast." Yuichi said with a smile while pulling the chair out, waiting for her reply before sitting down.
"No problem at all and please feel free to take a seat, no need to be so polite" Ichinose said despite her speaking politely.
"You say that but you are the one who is also speaking politely. Thanks." Yuichi commented with a smile before taking the seat.
"Hihi, I guess you are right. Then let's both of us stop with it. Anyway, you wanted to ask me something, Iwamura-kun?" Ichinose giggled and admitted with a smile before asking with a curious expression.
"May I ask you what were you studying? These materials shouldn't be on the midterm exam, no?" Yuichi asked and when Ichinose heard his questions, she immediately looked at him with a confused expression.
"These things are supposed to be there…The topics of almost every subject changed around a week ago…Have you perhaps written it down wrong? If you happen to be in need of help, I will be more than happy to tutor you. You are always welcome in our class." Ichinose asked with a concerned expression before reassuring Yuichi with a bright smile.
"I see…Looks like I had wrong information, thank you for your help and for your offer but I think I will be fine. I wish you luck on midterms, Ichinose-san." Yuichi thanked her before wishing her luck with a soft smile. 1
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Chapter 44: #44 Naive
Yuichi went back to Horikita with a slightly darkened expression.
"What is it?" Horikita asked with slightly surprised expression after seeing Yuichi's face.
"I am going to the Staffroom, just wanted to let you know so you wouldn't wonder where I disappeared to." Yuichi said with a toneless voice.
"Huh? Wait! What exactly happened?" Horikita stopped him from leaving by grabbing his hand.
"That's what I am going to find out." Yuichi replied without even turning at her but he wasn't trying to slip out of her grasp.
sigh Horikita knew that she wouldn't get any more answers from Yuichi so she let go of his hand and let him leave.
The entire way to the Staffroom, Yuichi kept having stoic expression, maybe slightly angry.
When he arrived in front of the door, he knocked a few times before sliding the door open without waiting for a few seconds. He walked in and scanned the entire room with his eyes, unfortunately, he found only Hoshinomiya-sensei at her desk, resting her head on the desk.
"Hm? Oh! Iwamura-kun! Is there something I can help you with?" Hoshinomiya quickly woke up from her drowsy state when she noticed Yuichi standing in the doorway with a stoic expression. Despite seeing his stoic expression, she was sure that he was currently very angry.
"Good morning, Hoshinomiya-sensei, do you know where I can find Chabashira-sensei?" Yuichi said without smiling a bit.
"I-I wasn't sleeping! As for Sae-chan…she should arrive soon so how about you remain here and we can talk in the meantime." She said, slightly flustered when Yuichi said "Good morning".
"Will do, thank you" Yuichi nodded his head and sat down on the chair designed for students in case they had to wait here. He folded his arms and closed his eyes, he currently wasn't in a mood to deal with this teacher in front of him.
"Iwamura-kun? May I ask what made you so angry?" She asked and when Yuichi heard her question he sharply opened his eyes, revealing a cold glint.
"Not sure yet…Chabashira-sensei or the entire school" Yuichi released a faint cold smile and said while glancing at her.
"Hmm…So you are angry with Sae-chan, huh? I don't think she would do anything unnecessary to make one of her students hate her." She said with a slightly unconvinced expression.
"I haven't said that it's necessarily her, maybe she is just following rules like we all do, right?" Yuichi's smile once again disappeared as he asked with narrowed eyes.
"Following rules here, is very important indeed, Iwamura-kun. Even for us, teachers." She said with a comforting smile and closed eyes.
"Is it really the truth though? Why should teachers be unable to slightly bend the rules even if it's just by a bit? Anyway, may I ask something, Chie-sensei?" Yuichi asked with a bit improved mood, still, once he would see his homeroom teacher, it would quickly change.
"Oh? Finally, someone who has the balls to use my first name! Ask right away, I will try my best to give you a satisfactory answer." She said cheerfully.
'Is it really alright for her to use that kind of language? Well, I guess it's more about morality than rules…And considering her morals…yeah, it's fine' Yuichi thought.
"Are you perhaps thinking something rude about me, Iwamura-kun?" She asked while pouting.
"Of course not. I was just glad that you aren't angry with me for using your first name. Anyway, I was wondering if the student and his homeroom teacher can cooperate on something…" Yuichi replied without any delay as if he truly did what he just made up.
"Eh? There is no way I would be angry with someone cute calling me by my first name~! Anyway, your question is rather odd, what do you mean by cooperation? Unfortunately, an unhealthy intimate relationship between teacher and student is prohibited." She said in a flirty manner before replying slightly more seriously before once again acting all flirty.
'Unfortunately? Seriously, how can she still be a teacher when she says such things outright?' Yuichi thought inwardly with a confused expression.
"What I meant is…can teachers sell information about other students?" Yuichi asked with a relaxed smile while observing her reaction.
Hoshinomiya's eyes widened a bit before she opened her mouth to reply but before she could say anything, someone walked in the Staffroom.
"No, this is a prohibited act."
"Sae-chan? Well, here you have your answer Iwamura-kun. Still, it's not nice to eavesdrop on people talking, especially not when it is the conversation between 2 people of different sexes." Hoshinomiya exclaimed in surprise before turning to Yuichi with a bright smile and finally turning back to Chabashira, reprimanding her for eavesdropping on them.
"I am not the one who was eavesdropping on you…" She replied before giving a particular look towards Yuichi.
"…Horikita?" Yuichi rolled his eyes and asked.
"Oh! So you knew, huh? Don't worry, I have sent her back to the classroom, anyway, what are you doing here?" Chabashira asked with a curious expression and folded arms.
"Just a wild guess…I happened to be with her during lunch so it was my first suspect. I am here to ask sensei something important." Yuichi's relaxed smile disappeared and his tone once again turned a bit more aggressive.
"Then ask right away, you better hurry because the lunch break is ending in a few minutes." Chabashira said but Yuichi glanced at Hoshinomiya.
"Haha, no need to be so cautious, Iwamura." Chabashira laughed after seeing this which prompted Hoshinomiya to point at her face as if to say "Why am I the problem here?!"
"All right, then since there is not much time left from the lunch break, I will be blunt. When are you planning to share with us that very crucial information?" Yuichi got up and asked with a stoic face.
Chabashira was a bit confused by his words so Yuichi decided to help a bit since there must be more things she is hiding so she doesn't know exactly which one he means.
"The midterm exam's topics" Yuichi said.
"The midterm exam's topics…? Oh?! I forgot to inform you, thank you for reminding me, Iwamura. Can you please inform everyone else?" Chabashira played like she completely forgot about it but Yuichi observed this woman more than enough to know that she would have never done such a mistake. 2
Yuichi narrowed his eyes and looked at Hoshinomiya who had the same expression which meant that she already knew about this.
"Are you telling me that I tutored Sudo for numerous days for nothing?" Yuichi questioned.
"It wasn't for nothing, or was it? I think that by learning something new, he only gained. There is no way you can say that it was all for naught." Chabashira replied, narrowing her own eyes at Yuichi.
"There is only a week before the midterms…It's impossible." Yuichi said with folded arms. 1
"One week should be more than enough for anyone to learn everything necessary." Chabashira denied his words.
"Anyone who is not already falling behind… Chabashira-sensei, may I ask you whether this was your own decision to make this harder for those falling behind, or was this actually the school's plan right from the beginning." Yuichi asked with a stoic expression.
"I don't understand what you are talking about…I already told you that I forgot and the time you have left is more than enough."
'Do you really think Sudo will like the idea that he has to study once again something completely different? Even I might not be able to convince him to do that.' Yuichi thought, he had a good idea why was this happening, however, he couldn't accept this, because it was reminding him something from the past he wanted to forget by coming here, to this isolated school.
"There is only one thing I regret not being able to finish before leaving Junior High…I came to this school, thinking that things might change here but even in this school established by the government…it is the same. I understand the concept of superiority, I understand that superior people should be favored but those who are inferior to them shouldn't get disadvantage instead." Yuichi looked at his right palm while saying this before closing it into a fist.
"That's just how society works, Iwamura. If you thought otherwise, you are still too naive to advance further." Chabashira dropped her act after hearing Yuichi's words.
"Eeh…I will go to the kitchen to make myself a tea." Hoshinomiya excused herself awkwardly but Yuichi completely ignored her.
"N-Naive…?" Yuichi muttered with his head down, making it hard for Chabashira to see his expression but she could feel the tension rising up in the air.
"Heh, maybe you are right, sensei." Yuichi released a short laugh with a ridiculing smile but she wasn't sure whether he was ridiculing himself or someone else.
"Maybe it wasn't enough…yes…Thank you for your advice, sensei." Yuichi muttered something before he raised his head, revealing a soft smile with dull green eyes while looking at sensei with gratitude. 1
"…No need to thank me. I am your homeroom teacher after all." Even Chabashira flinched a bit after seeing his expression. She herself couldn't believe the fact that someone who can release a genuine soft smile with half-dead eyes can exist out there, yet it was happening right now, right in front of her.