running away from the past

by vamer

ok

Running away from the past (Year 1)Author: Arisu appreciatorPublished: 2020

You are (Y/N) (L/N), a new student at Koudo Ikusei Highschool. You were told that this highschool is the only place where you could escape from a certain someone and you decided to go there, not only because of that but also because you want to experience a normal student life, and you will probably be able to meet your goals there, or at least that's what you think. Will you be able to finally be free or will your past hunt you down? DISCLAIMER: I don't own the pictures I use in each chapter nor classroom of the elite, if you enjoy this story, please support the official release.

Info

Name: (Y/N) (L/N)

Age: 15

Birthday: 16th june

Appearance:

I don't think I'll make Y/N as emotionless as Ayanokouji is (or maybe I will if that's what people want) but he will still be cold and see people as tools.

(Y/N) was one of the best ''products'' of the white room, you will find out more details as the story goes on.

There will be some girls falling for you, I've got some of them in mind but you can comment who is your favourite one, I'll keep it in mind for future episodes.

Ayanokoji will also be in the story, but not at the beginning.

This is my first fanfic, so let me know if there are any mistakes.

I'll upload the first part as soon as possible.

1 - A new beginning

(Y/N pov)

''L/N - kun, do you have a moment?''

She came. She was here. It was terrifying.

Standing next to me was my neighbor, Horikita Suzune.

When I first met her, I thought she was a cute girl, and she looked like a nice person.

How foolish of me.

She has long black hair, and is trying to talk to me.

If I did not know her, I would respond immediately, I mean, who wouldn't want to talk to such a cute girl, right?

That was what I thought when I met her, and now I regret it from the bottom of my heart.

Right now, my brain is desperately trying to find a way to avoid her

Should I get up and run as far away as possible?

No... I might get away from her this way, but my classmates would think that I am a weirdo.

If I just casually walk away, she will grab me and I do not want to think what will happen next.

In the end, the best option is keep pretending to be asleep.

Between animals, when preys are being chased, they might pretend to be dead in order to get rid of their hunter.

Maybe if I do that she will just walk awa-

Horikita: ''If you do not awaken within three seconds, you will be punished.''

(Y/N): ''What is that supposed to mean?!''

I instantly abandoned my 'Sleeping Stragety', because she was the kind of person who wouldpunish you.

Horikita: ''See? You were awake after all.''

(Y/N): ''I know enough that I'm afraid to make you angry.''

Horikita: ''Glad to hear it. Well then, may I have a little of your time?''

(Y/N): ''If I refuse?''

Horikita: ''If you did that I would be exceptionally displeased, and when I'm displeased, then I will prove a major obstacle to your student life, L/N - kun.''

(Y/N): ''You...''

Horikita: ''For example, it would be a shame if a great number of thumbtacks were placed on your chair, or if you were stabbed by the needle of my compass.''

That last one sounds oddly familiar...

(Y/N): ''That's nothing but harassment!''

I reluctanly sat up, because I did not want to be stabbed.

Now that I think about it, it all started one month ago, my first time in a school and the beginning of my student life.

--

One month ago

(Y/N pov)

I was sitting on a crowded bus, most of the passengers were wearing the same uniform as I was.

I was a bit nervous, I didn't have much experience in talking with people.

Where I came from,there was no need in interacting with people, I just had to do what I was told.

Who knows? Maybe in a few weeks I will be very popular and have lots friends... Nah, I highly doubt that.

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

I looked around and spotted someone being scolded.

A young, well-built blond man who looked more or less my age was sitting on one of the priority seats.

I also saw an elderly woman standing beside him, and a younger woman next to her.

The latter seemed to be an office worker.

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

''That's a really crazy question, lady'' The blonde said.

''You're seating on a priority seat. It's natural to offer up those seats to the elderly.''

''I do not understand, I don't have any legal obligation to move. Since I'm currently occupying this seat, I should be the one to determine whether or not I move. Am I supposed to give the seat just because I 'm young? Don't make me laugh.''

Now that's a way of thinking no one would expect from a high school student.

''I am a healthy young man and I wouldn't find any trouble standing up, but I would spend more energy by standing than by sitting, so I have no intention of giving up my seat.''

''Um... I think that the lady is right.''

The office woman recieved unexpected support from a young girl standing alongside her.

''Hoho, it seems a new challenger has appeared, and this time is a pretty girl, eh?''

...What is wrong with this guy?

''This poor woman appears to have been suffering, I think if you gave your seat you would be contributing to society.''

''A contribution to society, you say? Well that is a rather interesting opinion, but unfortunately, I have no interest in contributing to society an-' '

I decided not to listen to that guy anymore, I more or less agreed with him, but their argument was starting to annoy me.

I looked around, and no one seemed to be eager to give up their seat.

Sitting next to me was a black haired girl, wearing a uniform, who was reading a book. It looked like she couldn't care less about the current situation.

I sighed and raised my hand.

(Y/N): ''Hey, you can have my seat''

Everyone looked at me, it made me feel uncomfortable.

''Thank you very much!'' The short brown haired girl seemed to be really happy.

To be honest I wouldn't usually give my seat, but if this makes them stay quiet then I'll stand up for the next of the ride.

A few minutes later, the bus finally reached its destination.

In front of me, there was a stone gate, welcoming all the new students who were happily walking in.

'Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School' a school created by the Japanese government with the purpose of developing future leaders.

This would be my school from now on.

As I was about to walk in, I was stopped by someone suddenly talking to me.

''Wait!''

It was the girl who'd sat next to me on the bus.

''You were looking at me. Why?''

Well excuse me young lady, I didn't know that looking around would be a motive to start scolding someone.

(Y/N): ''Sorry about that, I was checking if someone would give their seat to that woman back there.''

''In the end you gave her your seat, but you didn't seem to want to. Are you the kind of person who does that to give a good impression?''

(Y/N): ''No. I don't care what other people think about me. It was just that they were annoying me so I gave my seat for them to stay quiet.''

The girl frowned a bit.

(Y/N): ''It seems that you didn't want to give up your seat either.''

''Don't compare me to someone like you. I didn't give up my seat because I did not find any sense on giving it.''

Hey, doesn't that make you look worse?

''Well, I don't want to waste my time speaking with you, I'm leaving.''

...Then why did you talk to me in the first place?

Great, this was my first time speaking to a stranger, and I already have a headache, I hope I don't have to speak to her again.

I could tell she was smart just by looking at her, so she will probably be placed in the higher classes.

I, on the other hand, was placed in class D.

(Timeskip)

I walked inside the classroom, a few students were already there, talking to each other or just sitting around.

I walked up to the desk with my nameplate, which was located at the back, near the window. The perfect place to take a nap and stay unnoticed.

I sat down and looked at the person sitting next to me...

(Y/N): ''You've got to be kidding me...''

''What an unpleasant coincidence''

The girl who I'd met in the bus was sitting next to me, with a serious expression.

...

Our god is not a merciful one...

--

So, part 1 is finished, let me know what you guys think.

2- Class D

(Y/N) pov

A few minutes later, the first bell rang. At that precise moment, a woman entered the classroom. At first sight, she gave me the impression of someone who firmly belives in discipline. If I had to guess, I'd say she was about 30 years old.

She wore a suit and had delicate features. She had long hair tied into a ponytail.

''Ahem. Good morning, students. I'm the instructor for class D. My name is Chiyabashira Sae. I usually teach Japanese history. However, at this school, we do not change classrooms for each grade. For the next three years, I will be acting as your homeroom teacher, so I hope to get to know all of you. It's a pleasure to meet you. The entrance ceremony will be in the gymnasium one hour from now, but first, I will distribute written materials with information about this school's special rules. I will also hand out the admission guide.''

The students that were sitting in the front passed back the familiar documents I'd recived after being accepted.

This school was different from others in many ways. Here, students have to live in dormitories located in the school premises. Students were also forbidden to contact anyone outside the school. Leaving school grounds without permission was also forbidden.

I guess that some students wouldn't like this, and it's normal, they wouldn't be able to talk to family and friends for three years.

I didn't have any problem with that though, there wasn't anyone out there who would miss me.

However, the campus also came equipped with many excellent facilities. With its own karaoke spot, theater, café, boutique, and more. You could easily compare this school to a small city.

Chiyabashira: ''I will now hand out your student ID cards. By using your card, you can access any of the facilities on campus, purchase goods from the store, and so on. It acts like a credit card. However, it is imperative that you pay attention to the points that you spend. At this school, you can use your points to buy anything.''

In other words, these points work as money.

Chiyabashira: ''Your student cards can be used simply by swiping them through the machine scanner. Points are automatically deposited into your account on the first day of every month. You should have all recived 100,000 points already. Each point is worth one yen, keep that in mind.''

The class erupted.

So, we had recieved a 100,000 yen monthly allowance from the school. I guess that's to be expected from a school run by the Japanese government, but still, 100,000 yen is too much for a bunch of high schoolers.

Chiyabashira: ''Shocked by the amount of points you've been given? This school evaluates its students' talents. Everyone here has passed the entrance exam, which speaks for your value and potential. The amount you've received reflects the evaluation of your worth.''

As bewilderment spread among students, Chiyabashira-sensei looked over the room.

Chiyabashira: ''Well, it appears there are no questions. I hope that you enjoy your time here as students.''

After saying that, she left the classroom.

This school doesn't seem as strict as I thought...

Horikita: ''This school is extremely lenient, isn't it?''

What a surprise, apparently my neighbor has decided to grace me with her presence.

Horikita: ''The school is giving us such a good treatment that it's almost frightening.''

As she spoke, I realized that I felt the same way. We knew basically nothing about this school, but since this school could make any wishes a reality, I thought there would be some kind of risk.

''Everyone, can you please listen to me for a moment?''

A student with the air of an upstanding young man raised his hand.

''Starting today, we're all going to be classmates. So, I think it would be good for us to introduce ourselves and become friends as soon as possible.''

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

Hirata: ''My name is Hirata Yosuke. Feel free to use my first name! My hobby is sports in general, but I specially like soccer, I'm planning on playing soccer here, too. Nice to meet you!''

Oh god, I'd say that hearts had just appeared in the eyes of the girl sitting next to Hirata. Is that all you need to conquer a girl's heart? A cute face and the ability to talk with people without any problem?

Great then, I'd say I'm the exact opposite of that guy. I'm not the most handsome person alive, but I wouldn't say I'm ugly either.

The problem is my communication skills. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I'm one of the most awkwardly-social people around.

Someone like Hirata, on the other hand, would probably end up dating the cutest girl in class.

Hirata: ''Well then, I'd like everyone to introduce themselves, who wants to be next?

''I do!'' The cheerful girl who stood up was the same one who'd helped out the elderly woman on the bus this morning.

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

She looks like the kind of person who can get along with everyone.

Kushida: ''My first goal is to become friends with everyone. So, after we're finished with introductions, I'd love for you to share your contact information with me!''

What kind of goal is that?!

Kushida: ''So, after school or during vacations, I want to make all sort of memories with lots of people. Please feel free to invite me to lots of events! Anyway, I've talked for a long time, so I'll end my introduction here.''

I don't like her.

Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with nice people, but she was too nice. While I would like to belive that this kind of people, who are apparently full of good intentions and who just want to make everyone happy actually exist, I think it's impossible. Everyone has hidden intentions, and there's nothing wrong with that, that's what makes us humans after all.

What I am trying to say is that everyone has hidden intentions, and when someone tries really hard to make a good impression like this Kushida girl, it just makes me think that they are planning something.

Horikita here seems to be an exception though, she just says what she thinks not minding what other people think. I have to respect that.

As I was thinking, another guy stood up, apparently his name was Yamauchi. He started talking in a very proud tone and said that he was the ace of his baseball team in middle-school, but apparently got hurt during the inter-high school championship and he was now undergoing rehab.

Wait... The inter-high championship is a national sports competition for high school students, junior high school kids aren't allowed to participate...

I guess he was just trying to look cool and lied about that.

Ike: ''It's my turn! My name is Ike Kanji. I love girls and I hate pretty boys. I'm currently in the market for a new girlfriend. It's nice to meet you! All the better if you're a cutie or a beauty!''

I can't tell if he's joking or not... But if he is talking seriously, then this guy is the dumbest person I have ever met.

''Wow, you are so cool Ike-kun'' a girl said with an emotionless voice.

''Oh, wow. He's so cute, huh, everyone? He's looking for a girlfriend!'' The girls instantly started to laugh.

Ike: ''S-seriously? Oh, man. I mean, I thought that I wasn't bad or anything, but... heh heh.'' He said while blushing.

Dude, they are making fun of you.

Hirata: ''Hah hah... okay, next one is...''

Don't you dare looking this way

Hirata: ''You.''

Great, he is now looking at me.

(Y/N): ''Huh? Me?''

Hirata smiled, encouraging me to stand up and introduce myself. This is bad, if this continues I will probably make the most awkward introduction that the human race will ever witness. Please, let something happen that lets me escape from this situation...

I was about to stand up, but suddenly a loud noise was heard from the other side of the classroom.

''What, are we a little bunch of kids or something? There's no need in introducing ourselves. That's just ridicolous!''

Apparently, this red-haired scary looking guy was fed up with the introductions and decided to calm his anger by kicking his poor desk, which didn't do anything to deserve such treatment.

Hirata: ''I can't force you to introduce yourself, but I think it's important to get to know each oth-''

''Don't make me laugh. I'm leaving.''

That's right! You show 'em scary-looking guy whose name I don't know!

After he left, some students followed his example and left the classroom, Horikita between them.

Hirata looked disappointed, and a girl decided to cheer him up.

''Don't worry Hirata-kun, they are just a bunch of weirdos, let's just keep introducing ourselves with the people who didn't leave.''

Everyone focused their attention on me once again, making me feel uncomfortable.

Fortunately for me, the bell rang and I managed to avoid making an awkward introduction.

Hirata: ''Oh, well. Don't worry, you can introduce yourself another time.''

(Y/N): ''S-sure'' I really hope I don't have to...

(Timeskip)

(Y/N) pov

The entrance ceremony was really boring, I didn't listen to anything that was said and just took a look around to see all the new students.

I actually was glad I wasn't placed in class C, there was this guy who looked like a delinquent with a creepy smile on his face, and a really tall guy with sunglasses standing next to him. It gave me the impression of someone with his bodyguard.

Class B seemed nice though, everyone was smiling and it almost looked like they were all friends.

Class A was in the other side of the gymnassium, so I couldn't get to see them. I was curious of how would the most valued students of this year look like, but apparently that would have to wait.

(Timeskip)

After the entrance ceremony, I decided to head to some random store and buy something.

Inside the store I spotted Horikita. She was looking through the cosmetic section, and noticed me walking in.

Horikita: ''Another unpleasant coincidence.''

(Y/N): ''You don't have to be so rude, we are classmates after all. Why don't we try to get along? My name is (Y/N) (L/N), what's yours?''

She gave a tired sigh and looked at me.

Horikita: ''It's Horikita Suzune.''

(Y/N): ''Horikita? Like the student's council president?''

I was completely ignored.

She started picking some products, and I was surprised that she chose the cheapest ones.

(Y/N): ''Don't you think you should pick better quality items? Look, this one is better and the prize difference is no-''

Horikita: ''I don't need it.''

(Y/N): ''Bu-''

Horikita: ''I said I do not need it.''

(Y/N): ''Fine...''

I left the product in the same place where I picked it and looked back at Horikita, who was now looking at one of the shelves. I was surprised when I saw that the items in said shelf were for free.

(Y/N): ''They must be emergency relief supplies for students who use up all their points. This school is so incredibly lenient.''

''HEY! SHUT IT! I'm looking for it, okay?! Just wait a minute!''

I looked at the direction where the voice came from, only to see the red-haired guy who saved me from introducing myself to the class before. Saying it this way makes me look like trash...

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

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

(Y/N): ''What's going on here?''

''Huh?! Who are you?''

I tried to be nice, but the red-haired guy scowled at me.

(Y/N): ''I'm (Y/N) (L/N), from your class. I asked because you seemed to be in trouble.''

''Oh, yeah. I saw you before. I forgot my student ID card in the dorms and I can't pay.''

Apparently he was trying to buy some snacks, but since he couldn't pay, he started leaving.

(Y/N): ''I can pay for you. I mean, it would be annoying if you had to go all the way back to the dorms. I don't mind.''

''That's right, It'd be absolutely annoying.''

... Isn't this the part when you are supposed to say 'Thanks'?

I payed for him and we both left the store.

Sudou: ''My name is Sudou. Thanks man, I owe you one.''

(Y/N): ''Nice to meet you.''

I looked around trying to find Horikita, but apparently she had already left.

Sudou started munching his snacks and offered me some.

(Y/N): ''Nah, I'm fine.''

We talked for a while, and suddenly three upperclassmen came to us. Apparently we were sitting on their usual spot.

As expected, Sudou exploded and started screaming at them.
My ears were asking for mercy because all those loud voices.

In the end, they left and said something about true hell being about to start for us.

Nope, buddy, I've already been in 'true hell' and contrary to most people's beliefs, it's not a desolated place with lava and demons torturing souls.

It is a white room, nothing more, nothing less. Although I'd say that the people who work there could be the demons, and the children who live there the tortured souls.

After the upperclassmen left, Sudou got mad and kicked a trash can that was nearby. The trash that was inside it spreaded out all over the floor as a result.

He just left without saying anything else. I better remember not to make this guy angry...

I looked to the ceiling and saw a security camera, which probably recorded everything that had just happened.

I sigh and put the trash can back up, throwing all the trash back in.

(Timeskip)

Still (Y/N) pov

I was now in the dorms, about to enter in my room.

As I walked in, I took a look around and sat on my bed.

(Y/N): ''So, this is what people call youth? I guess I could get used to this...'' I said that as my lips curved into a smile.

(Y/N): ''Unfortunately, this peace won't last forever. That man won't let things stay like this. It's just a matter of time before he starts making his move.
Well, no use worrying about that now. For now, I'll enjoy my stay here as much as I can.''

That's right. This is the life I have chosen, and I will do anything to protect it.

--

Phew, this chapter is longer than the first one.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and remember to tell me what you guys think.

3- Making friends is more difficult than I expected

(Y/N) pov

It was Monday. A week had passed since the beginning of my school year, and, as always, I was sitting alone in class.

It was the lunch break, so students were either hanging out with friends or having lunch.

Lately, most of my classmates have been doing whatever they wanted during classes. At first, everyone was wary of the teachers, I mean, this was a school of the government and we were supposed to behave correctly, or that's what we thought. People started using the mobile phone during class and the teachers wouldn't say anything. After a few days, no one even payed attention to the teacher's explanation, only a few people would behave correctly in class. The others would be talking, playing with their mobiles or ditching class.

I had a bad feeling about that, of course this school wouldn't let the students do whatever they wanted, so I kept paying attention in class, just in case.

Hirata: ''So, I was thinking of going to the cafeteria, who wants to come with me?''

Oh, the perfect opportunity! If I accept his invitation I will finally make a frie-

''Me!''

''Sure, Hirata-kun, I would love to!''

Hirata was suddenly surrounded by girls, and I had to look elsewhere a bit frustrated.

Horikita: ''Oh, what a shame...'' She said while laughing.

She's making fun of me...

Horikita: ''Please, someone invite me! Don't leave me alone here guys! You are an open book.''

(Y/N): ''Look who's talking. At least I try to make friends.''

Horikita: ''I don't need any friends. I'm better alone.''

(Y/N): ''Yeah right, I bet you are scared of not being able to make friends and you're just acting cold to look cool.''

Horikita sent me an emotionless look

Horikita: ''No I'm not, do you want me to kick you?''

(Y/N): ''I do not want to be kicked.''

I tried to tease her a little to see how she would react, but I guess it was a bad idea.

Hirata: ''Is anyone else coming?'' I guess he felt a bit lonely because no boys joined him.

Our eyes met for a second and he noticed me wanting to join them.

Hirata: ''Hey L/N- kun, wanna co-''

''Hurry up Hirata-kun!''

A girl grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the classroom, leaving me with my arm awkwardly streched, still trying for them to notice me.

You know what?! Fine! I'll go by myself! I don't need any of you!

God, I'm so childish...

I got up and headed to the cafeteria, but I was stopped by someone.

Kushida: ''Um... L/N – kun?''

(Y/N): ''Uh, yeah, that's me. You are Kushida, right?''

There was something in her eyes that made me be wary around her, maybe I was just imagining things...

Kushida: ''Yes! I'm glad you remembered!''

Well, I don't wanna talk to her and I'm hungry. I'll try to get this done with as soon as possible.

(Y/N): ''Do you want anything?''

Kushida: ''A-ah, yeah... I wanted to talk about something...''

I guess I was a bit rude, she was looking at me timidly now.

(Y/N): ''I think there's no problem.'' I tried to sound nicer this time.

Kushida: ''Thanks!'' Her cheerful voice returned.

Kushida: ''You seem to be very close to Horikita-san.''

Where did you get that from? She's just mocking me all the time!

(Y/N): ''No I'm not. She's just my neighbor, we talk from time to time but we're not friends.''

Kushida: ''Really? But she only talks to you!''

I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing...

(Y/N): ''Anyway, why did you ask?''

Kushida: ''You see, during the introductions she left without saying anything, right? I was worried about her, she won't make any friends if she keeps trying to be alone!''

(Y/N): ''You're right, if she keeps acting like that she will end up alone, but that's her problem.''

She looked surprised for a second

Kushida: ''T-that's cruel L/N-kun! We need to help her before it's too late!''

She seemed very interested in helping her, and it kept giving me the impression that she was plotting something.

(Y/N): ''Listen... We shouldn't stick our noses into other people's busin-''

She suddenly cut off the distance and grabbed my hands

Kushida: ''You will help me, right?''

Get off me woman! I will not be fooled by your puppy eyes and that big pair of... nevermind

(Y/N): ''Sorry, even if I wanted to help, Horikita and I aren't so close to begin with.''

She looked disappointed but backed away eventually.

Kushida: ''Okay, I was sure you would cooperate... You even gave up your seat to that woman in the bus last week...''

Well Kushida, you just learned a valuable lesson. Don't judge people by how they act the first time you see them. You might get disappointed.

Kushida went back inside the classroom and I checked the time. Class would start again in five minutes.

(Y/N): ''Great, I'll have to wait until the end of class to eat something.''

I sighed and came back to my seat.

(Timeskip)

Last period was about to start and we had to go to the swimming pool.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited, I really wanted to see the girls of my class wearing swimsuits.

Let's just say that some girls were a bit grown up for someone our age, and I couldn't help but feel curious.

But I was alone again... I better make friends soon...

Sudou:'' Oi! L/N! What are you doing there? Come on, join us!''

(Y/N): ''Huh? O-okay''

I was a bit hesitant at the beginning, after all, I was invited by one of the 'three idiots'

That's right, Sudou, Yamauchi and Ike formed a group and people started calling them that. Apparently because of Sudou's violent actions and Ike and Yamauchi being two perverts.

I don't know about Ike and Yamauchi, but Sudou was nice once I got to know him in that store last week. He will start kicking things if he gets mad though.

In the end I accepted his invitation and we both headed to the boy's locker room.

There, we changed to our swimsuits and waited near the swimming pool for the teacher (and the girls) to arrive.

Ike: ''What about the girls? Aren't they here yet?''

(Y/N): ''They take a while to change, so they probably aren't ready yet.''

Ike: ''Hey, I wonder what would happen if I suddenly jumped into the girls' locker room?''

(Y/N): ''They'd gang up on you, beat the crap out of you, and then file charges, probably.''

Ike: ''Oh, come on L/N, you're no fun.''

(Y/N): ''What do you want me to say? That they would start hugging and kissing you?''

Ike: ''That would be nice...'' He said while drooling.

(Y/N): ''This guy...''

At that moment, the girls came out from their locker room. I must say that it was a beautiful sight.

Ike: ''Oh man! Here they are! What am I gonna do if I get a boner?''

I wisely decided to stay as far away as possible from that guy. I didn't want the girls to think that I was a pervert too.

I leaned against the wall and watched everyone else interacting.

Some girls weren't there, I guess they didn't want to expose their bodies. It's not like the teacher would say anything anyways.

Kushida was happily talking to her classmates. I must say she looks cute, and has a perfect body. Maybe I'm just overthinking things and she just wants to get along with everyone. I should give her an opportunity next time.

I kept watching the girls and eventually the inevitable physiological reaction kicked in. It was quite a terrible shock.

Horikita: ''Why the pained expression?'' Horikita examined my face closely, with a suspicious look.

(Y/N): ''I'm currently in the midst of an internal battle.''

Horikita was in a swimsuit too, and she didn't look bad at all. But if I kept staring, something bad would happen to me, so I averted my gaze.

Horikita: ''...''

For some reason, Horikita was checking me out all over.

Horikita: ''L/N – kun, do you exercise?''

(Y/N): ''No, why?''

Horikita: ''Well, you say that, but... judging from the development of your forearms and your back muscles, you seem above average.''

I shrugged

(Y/N): ''I guess my parents blessed me with good genes?''

Horikita: ''I don't think that's the only reason...''

I decided to tease her and grinned.

(Y/N): ''Wow Horikita, I didn't know you had a muscle fetish, are you into boys with developed muscles?''

Horikita: ''...''

A shiver ran down my spine

(Y/N): ''H-hey look! The teacher has arrived!''

Great one Y/N, you are the master of escapism.

(Timeskip – The next day)

''Kikyou-chan! Do you want to stop by a café on our way back home today?''

Kushida: ''Sure, let's go! Oh, but wait just a minute, okay? I want to invite one more person.''

Kushida headed toward Horikita, who was putting her textbook into her bag.

Kushida: ''Horikita-san, would you like to come with us to a café today?''

Horikita: ''Not interested.'' She just threw Kushida's invitation right back in her face.

Kushida: ''I see. Well then, I'll try inviting you again another time.''

Horikita: ''Wait, Kushida-san.''

Surprisingly, Horikita called out to her. Had she finally given in?

Horikita: ''Don't invite me again. It's a bother.''

Nevermind.

Kushida: ''I'll invite you again.'' She smiled as she answered.

''Kikyou-chan, just stop inviting Horikita-san. I hate her-''

Just before the door closed, I heard one of the other girl's words. Horikita, who was right next to me, must have heard as well, but it seemed that she didn't care at all.

Horikita: ''You won't try to invite me places, will you?''

(Y/N): ''Nope. I understand your personality well enough. It's pointless to even try.''

Horikita: ''I'm relieved to hear that.''

After she finished getting herself ready, she walked out of the classroom by herself.

Hirata: ''L/N – kun, do you have a moment?''

Hirata came to my desk, which surprised me.

Hirata: ''It's about Horikita – san actually. I was wondering if something was wrong. Some of the girls were talking about it earlier. Horikita always seems to be alone.''

(Y/N): ''Yeah, that's just how she is.''

Hirata: ''I was wondering if you could tell her to try to get along with people a little?''

(Y/N): ''Well, that's up to the individual, right? Besides, it isn't like she's causing trouble for anyone else.''

Hirata: ''You're right, of course. However, many people have voiced out their concerns about it. I absolutely do not want any bullying in our class.''

Bullying? Well, I guess there were signs of it.

(Y/N): ''Well, I think it'd be better for you to tell her directly rather than talk to me, Hirata.''

Hirata: ''You have a point. Sorry for bringing it up.''

Horikita was always alone, day after day. If this continued, within a month she'd probably be like a tumor in our class. However, this was Horikita's personal problem and something that I shouldn't get myself involved with.

(Timeskip – Next month)

It was May 1, a month had already passed since I joined the school. Nothing really important happened in this period of time, my classmates kept sleeping in class and wasting all their points like it was nothing.

However, the mood of my classmates was different today. They seemed to be nervous about something.

''Hey, did you get your points yet?''

''No, and I spent all my points last month! I can't wait to get my 100,000 points any longer.''

I took my phone out and checked it. The screen showed 82,945 points. I had a bad feeling about the school being so nice, and apparently I was right.

The bell rang and Chiyabashira-sensei walked in.

Chiyabashira: ''All right, your morning homeroom is about to begin. Before we get started, does anyone have any question?''

''Um, I checked my point balance this morning, but I didn't see any deposits. Points are given on the first day of every month, aren't they?''

Chabashira: ''I already explained this before, didn't I? Points are deposited on the first day of the month. I've confirmed that the points of this month have already been delivered.''

''Um, but... Nothing was deposited into my account, though...''

Everyone exchanged glances, they seemed to be confused.

Chiyabashira: ''Are you kids really that dumb?''

Yamauchi: ''D-dumb? What?''

As Yamauchi stupidly repeated her words, Chiyabashira-sensei looked at him sharply.

Chiyabashira: ''Sit down, Yamauchi. I'll explain once more.''

''S-sensei?''

Yamauchi, taken aback by her unusually strict tone, slumped in his seat.

Chiyabashira: ''Points were deposited. There is absolutely no chance that we forgot about anyone in class, understood?''

''Well, even if I tell you that we understand, we haven't received any points...''

Kouenji: ''Hah hah hah! I see. So it's like that then, teacher? I think I've solved the mistery.'' Koenji said, laughing.

He got up from his seat and kept talking.

Kouenji: ''It's simple. We're in class D, so we didn't get a single point.''

Yamauchi: ''Huh? What are you talking about? They said that we'd get 100,000 points every month-''

Kouenji chuckled

Kouenji: ''I don't remember hearing that, though. Do you?'' He bodly pointed at Chiyabashira-sensei.

Chiyabashira: ''While he certainly has an attitude problem, Kouenji is exactly right. For crying out loud, barely anyone seems to have noticed the hint I gave you.''

This is getting interesting...

Hirata: ''Sensei, may I ask you a question? I'm afraid I still don't understand. Can you please tell us why didn't we get any points? We won't completely understand otherwise.''

Chiyabashira: ''A total of 98 absences and late arrivals. 391 incidences of talking or using a cell phone in class. That is quite a few infractions over one month. In this school, your class results are reflected in the points that you receive. As a result, you wasted all of the 100,000 points that you should have received. That's what happened.''

So, I was right after all. I would be lying if I said I felt bad for them. You reap what you sow.

Chiyabashira: ''I should have explained this all to you on the day of the entrance ceremony. This school measures its students' true abilities. This time, you were evaluated as being woth nothing. That's all.''

The class was completely silent. The only thing I was able to hear was a pencil moving against a paper. Horikita seemed to be copying everything that Chiyabashira-sensei just said. I guess she was trying to understand the situation.

Hirata: ''Chiyabashira-sensei. I do not recall hearing you explain that to us before-''

Chiyabashira: ''What? Are you incapable of understanding something unless it's explained in detail?''

Hirata: ''We didn't know anything about our points being reduced. I'm sure that if we knew we would have avoided being late or talking during class.''

Chiyabashira: ''That is a rather bizarre argument. It's true that I haven't told you anything but, didn't you learn in elementary school not to be late or talk in class?''

''T-that's''

Everyone went silent again. They couldn't say anything to refute that, and they finally noticed that it was their own stupidity which led them to this situation. Now it was time for them to face the consequences.

(Timeskip)

Everyone stayed completely silent for the rest of the day. Even after school finished, no one moved.

Hirata: ''L-listen guys, we can't let this get to us. We have to work hard for this month to get those points back.''

As expected from the class leader, he would still look up for his class, even in this situation.

However, this time he wasn't able to cheer anybody up, not even the girls that always follow him.

Kushida: ''T-that's right everyone! I'm sure we will get out of this one!''

Ike: ''Man... How am I supposed to go through this month without money..?''

Hirata: ''Listen everyone, we are going to talk and come up with a plan to-''

I closed my eyes and stopped listening. To be honest, I couldn't care less about the current situation. With the points I have, I should be fine for a few months.

According to what Chiyabashira-sensei said before, this doesn't mean that we will stay like this forever. If we change things and start acting like an actual class, we will start getting points again.

On the other hand, people who don't pass the exams from now on, will be expelled. The 'three idiots' must be having a rough time.

Anyway, I'll let them handle things for now, they should be able to improve the situation by themselves.

--And another chapter done. Hope you are enjoying the fanfic so far.

4- Wolf in sheep's clothing

(Y/N) pov

Class had ended for the day. Hirata got up and stood in front of the class, probably trying to discuss how to get our points back. I decided to leave before the discussion even started so I didn't have to get involved with it but...

Yamauchi: ''L/N!''

Yamauchi suddenly came out from under my desk, with a deathlike expression, which startled me.

I had to restrain myself from kicking him in the face for what he just did.

(Y/N): ''What?!''

Yamauchi: ''Hey, buy this from me for 20,000 points. I can't buy anything!''

Yamauchi placed a game console on my desk.

I stared at it for a few seconds and then looked back at Yamauchi.

(Y/N): ''I'll buy it for 1,000 points.''

Yamauchi: ''Come on man, I need those points!'' He looked at me all teary-eyed, which grossed me out.

(Y/N): ''I'm not spending 20,000 points.''

Yamauchi finally gave up and switched targets.

Yamauchi: ''Hey, buy this game console! It's only 22,000 points!''

Did he just raise the price?

Kushida: ''Things must be really tough for the people who used up all their points...'' She said as she observed Yamauchi.

(Y/N): ''What about you, Kushida? Do you have enough points?''

Kushida: ''I'm okay. For now, anyway. I've used up about half of my points. What about you, L/N-kun?''

(Y/N): ''I've barely used any of my points, to be honest. I haven't really needed to buy anything.''

Kushida: ''Because you don't have any friends?''

Jeez woman, don't say it that way... Even though you might be right.

(Y/N): ''That hurts, you know?''

Kushida: ''Ah, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to offend.'' She apologized with a giggle, which made her look really cute.

At that moment, the loudspeaker made an announcement.

''L/N- kun from class D. Please come see Chiyabashira-sensei in the faculty office.''

Kushida: ''Looks like the teacher wants to see you.''

(Y/N): ''Yeah, sorry. I gotta go.''

I was sure I hadn't done anything to get me called to the office. As I exited the classroom, I felt the cold stares from my classmates, like if they were blaiming me for getting called to the office.

Oh, so now I'm the bad guy? You are the ones to blame for the loss of points, idiots.

(Timeskip)

After a few minutes, I found the faculty office and entered. I looked around, but I didn't find Chiyabashira-sensei anywhere, so I decided to ask.

(Y/N): ''Excuse me, is Chiyabashira-sensei here?''

''Hmm? Sae-chan? Oh, she was here a moment ago.''

The teacher who responded had wavy, shoulder-length hair. Wait, did she just call her Sae-chan? That's funny, Chiyabashira-sensei looked like someone who would punch anyone who called her that.

''She must have stepped away for a minute. Do you want to wait here?''

(Y/N): ''No, thank you. I'll wait in the hall.''

I left the room, but the teacher decided to follow me.

Hoshinomiya: ''I'm Hoshinomiya Chie, and I'm in charge of class B. Sae-chan and I have been friends since high school, that's why we call each other Sae-chan and Chie-chan.''

So they knew each other?

Hoshinomiya: ''Hey, why did Sae-chan call you? Huh? Huh? Why?''

Was this woman really a teacher? She was more childish than my classmates.

(Y/N): ''No idea.''

Hoshinomiya: ''Well, you wouldn't be called here without a reason, right? What's your name?''

(Y/N): ''... (Y/N) (L/N)''

Hoshinomiya: ''L/N-kun, huh? That's a cool name! You must be really popular!''

Why does everyone have to remind me that I don't have any friends?!

Hoshinomiya: ''Hey, do you already have a girlfriend?''

(Y/N): ''No, I'm not really popular.''

An awkawd silence fell between us.

(Y/N): ''Do you have a boyfriend?''

She grinned after I asked.

Hoshinomiya: ''Huh? Huh? Are you interested? I'm a teacher, you know?''

(Y/N): ''You just asked the same question to a student! We are in the same boat here, you know?''

She started laughing and after a few seconds she wiped off her tears.

Hoshinomiya: ''You are a funny one-''

She couldn't finish what she had to say because Chiyabashira-sensei appeared out of nowhere and smacked Hoshinomiya's head.

Chiyabashira: ''What are you doing, Hoshinomiya?''

Hoshinomiya: ''Ouch! What was that for?!'' She cried.

Chiyabashira: ''For getting involved with one of my students.''

Hoshinomiya: ''I was only keeping him company while he waited for you, Sae-chan.''

Chiyabashira: ''It would have been better if you just left him alone. Thanks for waiting, L/N. Let's go to the office.''

(Y/N): ''The guidance office? I don't think I've done anything to get called here, right?''

Chiyabashira: ''You'll find out soon.''

I started following Chiyabashira-sensei, and so did Hoshinomiya, smiling widely. Chiyabashira-sensei noticed this and turned around with a scary expression.

Chiyabashira: ''You stay.'' She ordered.

Hoshinomiya: ''Come on, don't be so cold! Besides Sae-chan, you're definitely not the type to give one-on-one guidance. Putting a new student like L/N-kun into the guidance office out of nowhere... Are you after something, I wonder?''

Grinning, Hoshinomiya-sensei scooted behind me and placed her hands on my shoulders.

I can't say I'm not enjoying this, but I can sense a storm brewing.

Hoshinomiya: ''So, Sae-chan, are you looking to be dominated by a younger man?''

Wait, what's that supposed to mean?!

Chiyabashira: ''Don't say such stupid things. That wouldn't be possible.''

Suddenly, a female student came up to us, a beautiful girl with light-pink hair.

''Hoshinomiya-sensei, do you have a moment?''

Chiyabashira: ''All right, you have someone who needs you. Get to it.'' Slap! Chiyabashira-sensei smacked Hoshinomiya-sensei on the butt with her clipboard.

Hoshinomiya: ''Aw! She'll get mad at me if I hang around any longer. See you later, L/N-kun! All right Ichinose-san. Let's go to the faculty office.''

With that, she and the beautiful girl whose name was apparently Ichinose headed to the faculty office.

Chiyabashira: ''Ugh... Sorry about that, Hoshinomiya can be a bit clingy at times.''

(Y/N): ''Yeah, I've noticed...''

Chiyabashira: ''Anyway, let's go. It's getting late.''

We kept walking and soon after we entered the guidance room.

(Y/N): ''So, why did you call me here?''

Chiyabashira: ''Well, about that... Before we begin, please come here.''

She opened a door and told me to go in.

Chiyabashira: ''Don't make any unnecesary moves. Shut up and get in there. Understand? Don't make a sound and stay until I tell you it's okay to come out. If you don't, you'll be expelled.''

(Y/N): ''Wha-?''

She closed the door without any explanation.

(Y/N): ''What is going on...?''

I took a look around and sat on the floor. It wasn't very comfortable but whatever.

Soon after, I heard the door of the guidance room being oppened.

Chiyabashira: ''Ah, come in. So, what did you want to talk about, Horikita?''

Horikita: ''I will be frank. Why was I sorted into class D?''

Apparently Horikita wasn't happy with being sorted to class D. In fact, I was probably the only one who was happy with being in class D.

Horikita: ''You said that the school sorts superior students into Class A and that Class D was full of leftovers.''

Chiyabashira: ''That's true.''

Horikita: ''I solved nearly every problem on the entrance exam. I didn't make any mistake in the interview either. At the very least, I shouldn't have been sorted into class D.''

Chiyabashira: ''I see. Well, I happen to have your answer sheet here...''

Horikita: ''You're incredibly prepared, almost like if you knew that I was going to come here...''

Chiyabashira: ''You had the third highest test score among the first-year students and were close to the highest and second highest scoring students. You did incredibly well. And you are right, we found no particular problems in your interview.''

Horikita: ''Thank you very much. Then, why?''

Chiyabashira: ''You are a capable student, I don't deny that. However, this school's goal is to produce superior people. Who told you that the sorting is decided by the score rankings? If that was the case, the school wouldn't have admitted someone like Sudou, right?''

Horikita: ''Tch...''

Chiyabashira: ''You say that you're not happy with being sorted into class D, right? Well, some students are happy with being evaluated at a lower level.''

I don't like where this is going...

Horikita: ''You're joking, right? I can't understand such a person.''

Chiyabashira: ''Is that so? I think that class D has some of those students. Strange students who would happily be set at a lower level.''

It was like if she was directly talking to me.

Horikita: ''Well, if you aren't going to answer me I will ask the school again at another time.''

Of course she wouldn't give up so easily.

Chiyabashira: ''You'll get the same answer from anyone in a higher position.''

For a few moments, both of them stayed quiet. I could feel the pressure even if I was in another room.

Chiyabashira: ''Oh, that reminds me. I have brought another student to the guidance room. It's someone relevant to you.''

Horikita: ''Relevant to me? No, you can't mean...''

Chiyabashira: ''Come out, L/N.''

Have I mentioned how comfy is in here by the way? In fact, so comfortable that I do not want to leave right now.

Chiyabashira: ''If you don't come out, I'll have you expelled.''

God dammit

I relunctantly stood up and left the small room where I was in.

Horikita: ''Were you listening to our conversation?'' She asked in a somehow menacing tone.

(Y/N): ''No, I knew someone was talking but I couldn't hear anything.''

Chiyabashira: ''That's not true. You can perfectly hear everything from the other room.''

Horikita: ''Sensei, why would you do this?'' Apparently she noticed that this had all been set up and was crearly angry now.

Chiyabashira: ''Because it was necessary. Now, L/N, I'll tell you the reason why I called you here.''

Horikita: ''Well then, if you excuse me...''

Chiyabashira: ''Wait, Horikita. If you stay here you might get a hint on how to reach class A.''

Horikita stopped and turned around.

Horikita: ''Please, keep it brief...''

Chiyabashira-sensei turned her attention to me once again.

Chiyabashira: ''You're an interesting student, L/N.''

(Y/N): ''I don't think so...''

Chiyabashira: ''When I checked the entrance exam test results, I saw yours and I was quite shocked.''

She put my entrance exams on the table.

Chiyabashira: ''You scored 50 points in every exam you did, even the last one. Do you know what this means?''

(Y/N): ''That I am a lazy student who doesn't like to study?''

A stunned Horikita looked over my test results and then shifted her focus to me.

Chiyabashira: ''You really are a strange student. Listen, only 3 percent of the students solved the fifth math problem succesfuly. However, you solved it perfectly, and used a complex formula to do so. However, the tenth problem on the test was solved by 76 percent of the students and you failed. Was it on purpose?''

(Y/N): ''Really? Oh man, I was convinced that I solved it correctly...''

Chiyabashira: ''What do you think, Horikita?''

Horikita: ''Why are you playing dumb?'' She asked with a serious expression.

(Y/N): ''It was a coincidence, stop looking at me like that.''

Chiyabashira: ''I wonder. He may be even more intelligent than you, Horikita.''

(Y/N): ''I don't like studying and I don't plan to try hard. That's why I get those scores.''

It looked like Horikita didn't believe that at all. Dammit, she will start asking questions and getting annoying now...

Chiyabashira: ''Well, we better leave things like this. I have a meeting with the other teachers now.''

She seemed satisfied with the course of events and decided to leave things like this.

She pushed us to the hallway and closed the door before leaving.

Don't just leave like if you didn't do anything!

(Y/N): ''Well, see you tomorrow I guess.''

I tried to leave, but of course Horikita wouldn't let me escape that easily.

Horikita: ''Wait.''

I didn't stop, I didn't want to deal with her at that moment.

Horikita: ''Was your score... really a coincidence?''

She started walking and matched my pace.

(Y/N): ''I already said that, didn't I? Or do you have any proof that I got those scores on purpose?''

Horikita: ''I don't but... I also don't understand you. You don't seem interested in reaching class A at all.''

(Y/N): ''And you seem to be completely obsessed with it.''

Horikita: ''Shouldn't I?''

(Y/N): ''Of course you should. It's completely natural.''

Horikita: ''That's why, I need to fix our class before trying to reach class A. I'm not even at the starting line.''

(Y/N): ''It seems that you are going to have lots of troubles with that.''

Horikita: ''Yes, I would have a lot of trouble if I did that alone, but luckily I have you.''

(Y/N): ''Wait wha-?''

Horikita: ''You are going to help me fixing the class, and then we'll reach class A.''

(Y/N): ''No I'm not. Don't decide things by yourself.''

Horikita: ''I always knew you'd help. Thanks L/N-kun, I'm grateful.''

(Y/N): ''I didn't say that!''

Horikita: ''No, I heard the voice inside your head. You said you'd help''

(Y/N): ''I don't even know how I could help you.''

Horikita: ''Don't worry L/N-kun, I don't need your brain power. I just need you to act as I say.''

(Y/N): ''Act as you say...?''

Horikita: ''In other words, I'll be the one who comes up with the plans and you the one who puts them into action.''

(Y/N): ''There are more people in our class, you know? Ask them, not me.''

Horikita: ''Unfortunately, no one else is as easy to manipulate as you.''

Did she just say that like it was nothing?!

(Y/N): ''Well, sorry but I don't have the intention to be anyone's pawn. Now leave me alone.''

I hurried my pace and left her behind. You know, I agree that a pawn is perfect for this kind of situations, but I absolutely have no intention of being manipulated.

(Timeskip – next day)

Horikita: ''Are you free for lunch? Do you want to eat together? I'll treat you.''

While I would love to be invited by a girl, the fact that Horikita was the one inviting me made me nervous.

Horkita: ''What's wrong, L/N-kun?''

(Y/N): ''...What are you plotting?''

Horikita: ''Why are you looking at me like that? Can't I invite a classmate to have lunch?''

I didn't trust her, but in the end I accepted. A free meal is a free meal after all.

Once in the cafeteria, I looked over the menu. A girl was inviting me, so I should be considerate and order a cheap meal, so that she doesn't spend too many points.

But it was Horikita who we are talking about so... The most expensive one it is.

We sat on an empty table and I was about to start eating, but Horikita was glaring at me, like if she was waiting for something.

Horikita: ''What's the matter L/N-kun? Come on, eat.''

I sighed and looked back at my meal.

As soon as I took a bite, she started talking.

Horikita: ''I want you to listen to me.''

I tried to get up and leave, but she grabbed my arm and pulled me back down.

Horikita: ''Hirata-kun has started taking action so everyone passes the next exam and no one gets expelled.''

(Y/N): ''Yeah, I heard that. He has created study groups, right?''

Horikita: ''Yes, but there are some people who haven't joined the study groups.''

(Y/N): ''Let me guess, the three idiots, right?''

Horikita: ''Exactly. And if they don't study I am afraid they will be expelled.''

(Y/N): ''...And you want me to convince them to join a study group, right?''

Horikita: ''Exactly, L/N-kun, you understood quite fast.''

Don't give me that surprised tone! You are acting like if I was an idiot.

Horikita: ''I decided to help too, and I want to make a study group myself. But I need your help for those three to join.''

The fact that Horikita decided to help others was quite surprising, even though she was probably doing it for her own sake.

(Y/N): ''I'll help you just this time. Once we are done with this, I don't want you to keep asking for my help, understood?''

Horikita: ''Thank you L/N-kun, I really aprecciate that. Here's my phone number, call me whenever you are done.''

That was the first time I got a girl's number in my entire life. I can't say I wasn't happy, even if it was Horikita's...

(Timeskip)

After the classes ended, I decided that it was time to start acting.

(Y/N): ''Now, I'm not gonna ask them directly because they won't accept. I need someone else to ask them to join, and I know who that person is.''

I waited for that person to leave the classroom and walked up to her.

(Y/N): ''Hey Kushida, do you have a moment?''

Kushida: ''Ah, L/N-kun. Sure! What do you need?''

I explained her the situation and she nodded in agreement.

Kushida: ''I see... Sure! I'll help. But I want something in exchange.''

(Y/N): ''And what would that be?''

Kushida: ''I want to join the study group too!'' She said with an innocent voice.

(Y/N): ''Huh? That's all? I mean, yeah, sure. You can join.''

Kushida: ''Thank you very much! Here, this is my phone number. I'll let you know when I'm done talking with them.''

And that was it, my second girl's number.

(Timeskip)

I got to the dorms and as soon as I entered my room my phone rang. It was Kushida.

Kushida: ''Hey, L/N-kun, I talked to them and they have already accepted!''

That fast?! I mean, I wouldn't expect less from one of the most popular girls in our school but... Jeez.

(Y/N): ''Thank you, Kushida.''

Kushida: ''Have you talked with Horikita-san about me joining the study group?''

(Y/N): ''Not yet. I'll call her later.''

Kushida: ''Oh, okay. Anyway, see you tomorrow L/N-kun!''

(Y/N): ''See you.'' I ended the call and sighed.

Explaining Horikita that Kushida is joining the study group is going to be a pain...

I decided to take a shower and call her later.

As soon as I finished taking the shower, my phone rang again. This time it was Horikita.

(Y/N): ''Oh, hey Horikita. I was just thinking about you.''

Horikita: ''...You better have your clothes on...''

(Y/N): ''Nope. I'm completely naked.'' I said in a proud tone.

Horikita: ''... I'm hanging up-''

(Y/N): ''I was joking, joking. I just got out of the shower and you called, that's why.''

Horikita: ''Ugh... Anyway, did you manage to convince them?''

(Y/N): ''Yeah, they will gladly join.''

Horikita: ''That's weird. I thought it would be more difficult, what did you do?''

(Y/N): ''Actually I...''

I explained her that I asked for Kushida's help and that she was the one who convinced them, and that in exchange she was joining the study group.

Horikita: ''No.''

(Y/N): ''Why not?''

Horikita: ''I didn't give you permission to invite her.''

(Y/N): ''But that was the only option I had, if I was the one who asked them they wouldn't have joined.''

Horikita: ''I don't care, they are going to join, right? Just tell Kushida-san that I don't want her to join.''

(Y/N): ''If they come to the study group and don't see Kushida they'll just leave...''

Horikita: ''Then find another way to convince them.''

As annoying as ever...

(Y/N): ''Listen, I have done my part. If you don't like it, then convince them yourself.''

Horikita: ''Wai-''

I ended the call and turned off my mobile, I didn't want her to start calling me again.

(Timeskip – next day)

After class ended, Ike, Yamauchi, Sudou, Horikita, Kushida and I were in the library about to start the study session. Everything was going fine until Horikita got tired of Sudou failing every single problem that she gave him and told him that he was an idiot.

Of course, Sudou got angry and started screaming. After that, he left the library.

Ike: ''Yamauchi and I are also leaving. We don't have anything against you, Horikita, but if we are going to get insulted then we'd rather study on our own.''

And just like that, the study group failed completely.

Kushida: ''Horikita-san, don't you think you were a bit rude?''

Horikita: ''I shouldn't have even helped them in the first place... They would have failed anyway.''

Kushida: ''What do you mean?''

Horikita: ''It's better to get rid of the dead weight.''

Kushida: ''I-I see...'' She grabbed her bag and stood up. ''I'm going to do something. Well, I'll try. I definetely don't want everything to fall appart so quickly.''

Horikita: Do you really feel this way, Kushida-san?''

Kushida: ''Is it wrong? I don't want to to abandon Sudou-kun, Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun.''

Horikita: ''Even if that was how you truly felt, I wouldn't particularly care. But I don't think that you actually want to save them.''

It seems that Horikita and I both suspect Kushida. I'm glad I wasn't the only one...

Kushida: ''What? I don't understand. Why do you say things like that, Horikita-san? Why do you try to antagonize people? That's... very sad.''

She hung her head briefly, then looked up at us.

Kushida: ''Well then. I'll see you two tomorrow.'' She whispered.

And with that, Kushida left.

(Y/N): ''Well... That was a complete failure.''

Horikita: ''Looks that way.''

I looked at the library entrance and decided to follow Kushida. I guess I'll at least thank her for helping.

Once outside the library, I spotted Kushida, but she wasn't leaving the building, she was going upstairs.

(Y/N): ''Maybe she forgot something in class...''

I followed her and ended up in the entrance of the roof. The door was locked, and Kushida just stood there, without doing anything.

I said nothing and just looked at her from the distance, where she couldn't see me. Something told me I shouldn't talk to her at that moment.

Kushida: ''Ahh! So annoying!''

Her voice was so loud that it didn't sound like Kushida at all.

Kushida: ''She's seriously annoying! God, how irritating. It'd be better if she just died.''

Hohoho, it seems that I was right after all. Well, I can't let this opportunity escape. I took out my mobile phone and started recording.

Kushida: ''Ah, she's the worst! She's just the worst, the worst, the worst! Horikita, you're so annoying! You're so damn annoying!''

She started kicking the door with all her strength. After a few seconds, I stopped recording. I had everything I wanted.

I was about to leave but...

Bzzzz

I got a phone message.

You've got to be kidding me! Who the hell has to send me a message at this specific moment?!

Kushida suddenly stopped and turned around, spotting me trying to leave. I must look like an idiot...

Kushida: ''What... are you doing here?''

(Y/N): ''I got a little lost, sorry. My bad, I'll be leaving now.''

Kushida looked straight at me, clearly seeing through my obvious lie.

Kushida: ''Did you hear?''

(Y/N): ''Yes.''

Kushida: ''I see...''

She walked down the stairs, placed her forearm against the base of my throat and pushed me against the wall.

Kushida: ''If you tell anyone what you just heard, I won't forgive you.''

(Y/N): ''What if I did?''

Kushida: ''In that case I'll tell everyone that you raped me.''

(Y/N): ''That's a false charge, you know.''

Kushida: ''That's okay. It wouldn't be false.''

As she spoke, she grabbed my right wrist and slowly opened my hand. Before she could do anything else, I grabbed her wrist with my free hand.

Kushida: ''W-what are you doing?!''

She tried to punch me so I would release her, but I didn't let her.

I forced my grip on her wrist and her face twiched in pain.

Kushida: ''S-sto-''

Her legs started shaking and she fell on her knees due to the pain she was feeling.

(Y/N): ''Well Kushida, it seems that we have reached a little disagreement.''

I released her from my grip and she grabbed her wrist in pain.

Kushida: ''Y-you...''

I took out my mobile phone and played the video that I had just recorded.

(Y/N): ''If you try to do anything against me, all the students will have this video in no time, understood?''

Kushida, still on her knees, looked up at me with an angry expression.

(Y/N): ''From now on, you will do as I say. I'm gonna need your help for this upcoming test. If you don't, I'll spread this video.''

Kushida: ''Ugh... F-fine, I'll do whatever you w-want. Just... d-don't show that video to anyone.'' The pain wasn't letting her speak fluently.

Perfect, now I can use Kushida whenever I want, with her I should be able to help the three idiots pass this text.

I smirked darkly.

Kushida didn't have that menacing expression anymore. It had been replaced by another emotion. Fear.

--

After Kushida left, I checked my mobile phone to see what message I recieved. It was from Horikita.

L/N-kun, you left in a hurry and forgot your pencil case here. You should come back and get it.

I sighed.

My original plan was to create a fake e-mail adress and blackmail Kushida. This way I could still use her and she wouldn't know it was me, but if she knows who I am or not doesn't really matter.

From now on, I'll be able to pull the strings behind the scenes.

5- The path to reach Class A

(Y/N) pov

After the incident with Kushida, I returned to my room.

The summer was getting closer, and it was a bit hot inside, so I decided to open the window. After opening it, I was welcomed by the night breeze and the sound of insects buzzing from the nearby trees.

(Y/N): ''Even if those three study, they will still have problems to pass the exams, what should I do...?''

I sighed.

(Y/N): ''Ugh... What am I even doing...? I said that I wouldn't do anything and here I am, trying to come up with a plan to help those three.''

''Y/N, only a fool wouldn't use his innate abilities.''

Those words stuck in my head.

(Y/N): ''A fool, huh? Yeah, I guess that's what I am after all.''

--

I couldn't get to sleep, so I got up and left.

(Y/N): ''I guess I'll get something to drink.''

I bought some juice in the lobby's vending machine and headed back for the elevator.

(Y/N): ''Huh?''

The elevator had stopped in the seventh floor, which was the girl's floor. I cheched the CCTV which showed what was happening inside the elevator. I saw Horikita, still in her school uniform. Seeing her might be awkward now, so I hid behind the vending machine.

She exited the building without noticing me.

(Y/N): ''Where is she going this late at night?''

Feeling curious, I followed her and when she finally stopped, I instinctively hid in the corner. For a moment I saw the silhouette of another person.

''Suzune. I didn't think you'd follow me this far.''

Horikita: ''Hmph. I'm far different from the useless girl you once knew, niisan. I came here to catch you.''

''Catch me, hmm?''

Niisan? I hope he doesn't have the same personality as Horikita...

''I heard you were placed in Class D. So I guess that nothing has changed since I left.''

Horikita: ''T-that's not true! I'll show you how different I am now, I'll reach class A and-''

''It's pointless. You will never reach class A. In fact, your class will fall apart soon enough. Things at this school aren't as simple as you think.''

Horikita: ''I will definitely, definitely reach-''

''I told you. It's pointless. You really are a disobedient little sister.''

Horikita's brother stepped closer to her and I could finally see him plainly. It was the Student Council President. He displayed no hint of emotion, it was like he was staring at an uninteresting object. It kind of reminded me of someone I knew...

''If people learned the fact that my sister was placed in Class D I would be humiliated. Leave this school immediately.''

Horikita: ''I-I can't do that... I will definitely reach Class A. I'll show you!''

''How stupid. Do you want to relive the pain of the past?''

Horikita: ''Niisan, I...''

''You possess neither the abilities nor the qualities needed to reach class A. Get that through your head.''

He moved foward and grabbed her by the arm. She didn't offer any resistance.

Before I knew it, I was running toward her brother and grabbed his arm, which was about to hit Horikita.

''What? You...'' He stared at his arm and slowly turned to me with a menacing expression.

Horikita: ''L/N-kun!''

(Y/N): ''You really were going to do it, weren't you? Let her go.''

Horikita: ''S-stop it, L/N-kun.'' Her voice strained. I'd never heard her voice like that before.

Reluctantly, I released her brother, and he instantly tried to backhand me in the face. I took a step backwards to dodge. Afterwards, he tried to kick me and I dodged again.

This guy knew what he was doing. If I was hit by him only once it wouldn't end up well for me.

''Hmm?''

He looked surprised for a second, and then extended his arm and opened his hand.

I grabbed him by the arm before he could even touch me. I could easily throw him to the ground, but he was the Student Council President, and I could be expelled if I hurt him. Horikita would know that it was self defense, but she would support her brother before me.

I pushed him away from Horikita and stood between the two brothers.

''Good reflexes. I didn't imagine you could evade all of my blows so quickly. Have you been taught?''

(Y/N): ''I participated in a race once. Does that count?''

''You are in Class D too, aren't you? What an unique boy, Suzune.''

(Y/N): ''Nah, unlike Horikita, I'm pretty incompetent.''

''Suzune, is this boy your friend? I'm honestly surprised.''

Horikita: ''He's... not my friend. Just a classmate.''

''As always, you confuse independence with solitude. I'll keep an eye on you, L/N. With you around, things might get interesting.''

(Y/N): ''I would appreciate if you didn't...''

He walked past me and left.

I looked at Horikita, who was now sitting on the floor.

Horikita: ''...I'm going to drag myself to Class A, even if it kills me.''

I was about to return to the dorms when Horikita called out to me.

Horikita: ''Did you hear everything? Or was it just a coincidence?''

I'm not going to say that I followed her, otherwise she will be mad.

(Y/N): ''I was walking around to clear my thoughts and saw your brother attacking you. I didn't really hear anything.''

She didn't seem to believe me, but she couldn't say it was a lie either.

Horikita: ''You really are something, you fought with my brother and got away without a bruise.''

I shrugged

(Y/N): ''Guess I was lucky.''

Horikita: ''My brother is ranked fifth dan in karate and fourth dan in akkido. Luck wouldn't save you from him.''

I didn't say anything.

Horikita: ''You purposefully get lower test scores, and you are able to fight evenly with my brother. I really don't understand you.''

(Y/N): ''Don't worry about it. You should be trying to do something for Sudou and the others instead, right?''

Horikita: ''...Why are you asking me? I was the one who proposed holding the study group in the first place. Besides, I got the feeling that you considered it a hassle. Am I wrong?''

(Y/N): ''I didn't want to participate, but I don't want them to leave the school either.''

Ugh... The lies were coming out so easily... I was ashamed of myself.

Horikita: ''It's better if they drop out now. Eventually, our class will only have the more quallified students and it will be easier to reach class A.''

(Y/N): ''Are you sure about that?''

Horikita: ''What do you mean?''

(Y/N): ''We don't know what are the consequences of someone dropping out. Points could be deducted. Maybe 'no students expelled' is a condition to reach class A.''

(Y/N): ''Besides, you never know how useful they will be. For example, you are better in the exams, but if the school ever makes an exam related to sports, Sudou would contribute more than you, right?''

Horikita: ''That's...''

(Y/N): ''You won't be able to contribute much to the class in sports so, does that make you incompetent? No. Every individual has his or her own strenghts and weaknesses. That's what it means to be human.''

She couldn't say anything against that logic.

(Y/N): ''Your flaw is that you think of everyone else as a burden and don't let anyone come close. Don't you think that's the reason why you were placed in class D?''

Horikita: ''...Fine. I'll make another study group, but only to reach Class A, I don't care whether they are expelled or not. But it's going to be difficult to make them join again.''

(Y/N): ''I'm sure that Kushida will be glad to help if we ask her.''

Horikita: ''You seem to rely on her a little bit too much, don't you think?''

(Y/N): ''What, are you jealous?''

Horikita punched me in the gut with an angry expression.

I had it coming.

(Timeskip - next day)

Horikita: ''Kushida - san, do you have a moment?''

Kushida: ''O-oh, Horikita - san and L-L/N - kun, what do you guys need?'' She tried to sound as cheerful as always, but didn't succeed.

Horikita looked at me suspiciously for a second and continued talking.

Horikita: ''We are going to need your help again, I'm trying to make another study group for Ike - kun and the others, but they won't join without your help.''

Kushida: ''S-sure! I'm glad you changed your mind, Horikita - san.''

Horikita sighed.

Horikita: ''I really appreciate your help. I'll see you in the library after classes.''

She left, leaving Kushida and I alone.

Well, this is awkward.

Kushida: ''If that's all, I'll be leaving now.''

(Y/N): ''Wait, Kushida. I need you for something else. Do you have something to do during lunch time?''

Kushida: ''N-no.''

(Y/N): ''Alright. I'll see you later in the cafeteria then.''

(Lunch time)

I looked over the cafeteria looking for someone. If everything goes as planned, the 'three idiots' should be able to pass the exam without any problems.

(Y/N): ''I found him, let's go.''

Kushida nodded.

We both sat in a table with another student, who was probably an upperclassman from Class D.

''What are you doing?''

(Y/N): ''Hello, I'm Y/N L/N, from class D of the first year. The free meal doesn't look very tasty, you must be looking for points, right?''

He frowned.

''What do you want?''

(Y/N): ''Do you still have the problems from the midterm test from the first semester of the first year?''

''Do you even understand what you're asking?''

(Y/N): ''It's not particullary strange, is it? I didn't think it was against the school rules to study using old test problems.''

''...How much are you going to pay?''

(Y/N): ''10,000 points. That's as high as I'll go.''

''I don't have the problems, but I know someone who does. If you want him to help you though, you'll need to offer up at least 30,000 points.''

(Y/N): ''That's too much for me. I don't have 30,000 points.''

''How much do you have?''

(Y/N): ''20,000 points.''

''Then 20,000... No, 15,000 should do. Nothing under that.''

(Y/N): ''Deal, I'll pay 15,000 points. Here's my email adress. Send me the questions once you have them.''

(Timeskip)

Kushida and I were now sitting on a bench, waiting for the message from the upperclassman.

(Y/N): ''You know, you don't have to pretend when we are alone.''

Kushida: ''I can't. Someone could see me and I don't want anyone else to know how I really am.''

(Y/N): ''Mmm...''

Kushida: ''Besides, I'm not the only one hiding their true self. Right, L/N-kun?''

I looked at her and she was wearing her usual smile.

(Y/N): ''You don't have to worry. As long as you are with me I'll make sure that nobody else finds out about your true self. I'll protect you.''

Kushida: ''H-huh?''

Her eyes widened and she averted her gaze.

Kushida: ''Y-you can't just say that to a girl like it is nothing...''

(Y/N): ''What do you mean?''

I tilted my head to one side, feigning ignorance.

Kushida: ''A-are you serious?'' Her eyes widened again, but when she noticed I was teasing her she lightly hit me in the arm, flustered.

Kushida: ''Baka''

I smirked at her reaction.

(Y/N): ''I was being serious though.''

Kushida: ''Y-you can't ask me to trust you after what you did yesterday. No one could trust you after that...''

(Y/N): ''Yeah, and I'm sure that you were full of good intentions when you grabbed my hand, right? What were you trying to do anyways?''

Kushida: ''I...''

At that moment my phone rang. It was an image with the midterm exam that I paid for.

There was also another image with the first exam that we did. They were exactly the same. Not a single question changed.

Kushida: ''How is it?''

(Y/N): ''They are exactly the same. I'm sure that the next exam will have the same questions.''

Kushida: ''Great! Now we can give it to them and-''

(Y/N): ''No, not yet. If we give it to them now they won't join the study group. It will be better if we hand the old test the day before the exam.''

Kushida: ''Right, they will desesperately try to memorize the questions and the results will be better.''

(Y/N): ''Yeah. Also, I want you to be the one to take the credit. I prefer to stay unnoticed for now and our classmates trust you more than they trust me.''

Kushida: ''Got it. If that's all, I'll be leaving now.''

(Y/N): ''Yeah, see you.''

I looked at Kushida as she left.

(Y/N): ''She doesn't fully trust me yet, and I need her to trust me. I'll have to do something about it, but I guess it will have to wait until we finish the exams.''

(Timeskip)

Today was the day we were going to be given the results of the exams. My classmates seemed to be nervous, but after Kushida gave everyone the old midterm exams, everything should be fine.

After the bell rang, Chiyabashira -sensei came in.

Hirata: ''Sensei, we were told that the results would be announced today, but when?''

Chiyabashira: There's no need for you to get so worked up, Hirata. You should have passed quite easily.''

Hirata: ''So, when will the results be released?''

Chiyabashira: ''I'll give the results right now, but before that...''

Everyone tensed up.

Chiyabasira: ''Honestly, I'm impressed. I didn't think that you'd score so well. Many students tied with perfect scores. More than ten of you, actually.''

She revealed the details simultaneously and collectively. She stuck a large, white sheet of paper with everyone's names and test scores onto the blackboard.

Some of the students shouted in joy and delight.

Chiyabashira: ''You all worked really hard, I recognize that. However...''

Chiyabashira-sensei held a red pen in her hand and Sudou unintentionally let out a ''Huh?''

She drew a red line right above Sudou's name.

Sudou: ''Wh- what is that? What does that mean?''

Chiyabashira: ''You failed, Sudou.''

That idiot! You literally had the questions of the exam the day before! How is it even possible to fail?!

Chiyabashira: ''Although your time here was short, you struggled valiantly. You'll be asked to fill out a withdrawal form after class. As for the rest of you, good work. You all passed without any issues. Work hard so that you can pass your final exam as well.''

The class was silent, Sudou was completely shocked. Chiyabashira - sensei was about to leave the class, but just before closing the door, she looked at me, as if waiting for me to do something.

No. I'm not going to do anything. I already got them the questions of the exam, I'm not their babysitter.

As the class was discussing what to do for Sudou, I looked through the window and, some memories that I tried really hard to forget came to my mind.

(Flashback - 6 years ago)

No one's pov

There is a group of 20 kids standing in a white room. There, a 9 year- old Y/N can be seen talking with a boy and a girl, the same age as him.

Y/N: ''I'm so tired... It keeps getting more difficult to complete the physical tests lately...''

Boy: ''Yeah, how many of us collapsed today?''

Girl: ''I tried to help them, but they didn't let me...''

Boy: ''You shouldn't do that, if you help them, you will surely be punished...''

(Y/N): ''Yeah, besides, they wouldn't help you if you were the one who collapsed. Here everyone looks after themselves...''

Girl: ''What's gotten into you guys?! Don't you remember our promise? We will get out of this place with everyone, and when we are older, we will help a lot of people! Together!''

Y/N and the other 2 met in that place. Even in a place like that, they got along and considered each other friends.

Y/N smiled

(Y/N): ''You're right, we will definetely, definetly get out of this place together.''

Y/N and the girl looked at the boy with a smile. He was serious, but eventually his lips curved into a small smile.

Boy: ''Yes, we will do it together.''

(Flashback end)

Y/N pov

Y/N: ''Ugh...''

Horikita: ''What's wrong?''

After all this time, I'm still an idiot.

I slowly got up from my seat and headed toward the door.

Kushida: ''H-hey! L/N - kun? Where are you going?''

Y/N: ''Bathroom.''

I closed the door behind me and saw Chiyabashira - sensei in the hallway, looking through a window.

Chiyabashira: ''What are you doing here, L/N? The second period is about to start.''

(Y/N): ''I'm doing what you wanted me to do, sensei.''

Chiyabashira: ''Huh?''

I took out my student ID card and handed it to her.

(Y/N): ''Sell me 1 point of Sudou's test. This way he will pass and won't have to be expelled.''

She looked surprised for a moment and then started to laugh.

Chiyabashira: ''You definetely are an interesting student, L/N. First, you get the old tests from an upperclassman and now you want me to sell you Sudou's score?''

(Y/N): ''You said it the first day. There's nothing that we cannot buy with points.''

Chiyabashira: ''Yeah, you're right. But that doesn't mean that you can afford it.''

(Y/N): ''How much do I have to pay for it?''

Chiyabashira: ''Let's see... If you give me 100,000 points now, I'll sell you Sudou's point right away.''

(Y/N): ''That's cruel, sensei...''

Chiyabashira: ''That is also within the school rules.''

Horikita: ''I'll pay too.''

I looked behind me and saw Horikita, who apparently followed me.

Chiyabashira: ''I see... You two definetely are interesting students. Very well, I'll sell you Sudou's point. You can tell him that he won't be expelled. As your homeroom teacher, I'll keep an eye on both of you. I can't wait to see your development.''

She left after saying that, and Horikita and I headed back toward the classroom.

(Timeskip)

''Cheers!''

I let out I sigh.

Sudou: ''What's with the long face, L/N? We are here to celebrate!''

(Y/N): ''I don't particulary mind that you're holding a celebration party, but why in my room?''

Ike: ''Mine's a mess. So are Sudou's and Yamauchi's. And we can't go to a girl's room, right? I mean, yeah, I would've loved to go to Kushida-chan's room, but your plain and empty room is the best option.''

Kushida laughed sheepishly and Horikita rolled her eyes.

Yamauchi: ''By the way, L/N. You went after the teacher before and convinced her, right? How did you do it?''

Everyone looked at me waiting for an explanation.

(Y/N): ''It wasn't me, it was Horikita.''

Horikita: ''H-huh?''

(Y/N): ''I have never seen her like that before, she started shouting and saying that they couldn't expel someone without a reason, the teachers couldn't say anything to refute her.''

Horikita glared at me with a sharp gleam in her eyes, and Kushida looked at me suspiciously, she probably knew that I was the one who did it. The other three seemed to believe me though.

Ike: ''Wow! Really, Horikita?''

Sudou: ''Y-you did that for me?''

Horikita: ''I-I only did it to reach class A, don't get ahead of yourself.''

Kushida: ''Can I say something? We're all friends here, after all. Horikita - san, L/N - kun and I are all working together to get into class A. If you're okay with it, I want you three to help us.''

Ike: ''Get into... Class A? A-are you serious?''

Kushida: ''Yes. I absolutely am. Increasing our points is an inevitable part of getting to the top as well.''

Ike: ''B-but, isn't the idea of reaching Class A kind of ridiculous? They're all smart, right? It'd be impossible for us to win against those guys by studying.''

He is right. In fact, everyone in that class was probably on Horikita's level.

Horikita: ''It doesn't matter. We will definetely reach Class A.''

Horikita seriously planned on getting into Class A. Her will was unshakeable. However, the path would not be an easy one. I wasn't particulary interested in reaching Class A, but I guess I could help her from time to time. I wouldn't mind to see Horikita smile.

--And that's it for this chapter. Before starting the next arc I'll make a special chapter with Kushida, which should be done for next week.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed and tell me your opinion, It's my first fanfic and I probably messed up somewhere.

6 - Maybe we aren't that different

Kushida's pov

It was Friday, a week had passed since Sudou – kun almost got expelled. The class seemed to be fine with it, and we got 87 class points, which means we got 8,700 private points. It wasn't much, but it was still better than 0 points.

''Kikyou – chan, wanna hang out?''

Kushida: ''Sorry, I've got something to do today, maybe next time, okay?''

That was a lie. To be honest, I didn't feel like going out with anyone. Lately, I have been really stressed, being nice to everyone was stressful enough by itself, and now, one of my classmates knows how I really am, something that I have been trying to hide.

His name is Y/N L/N, and to be honest, I don't know what to think of him. If it wasn't for that incident in the rooftop, I would think of him as an average guy, who doesn't know how to socialize.

But after seeing how he really is, I can't help but being wary of him.

''Oh, okay. See you, kikyou – chan!''

At that moment, I only wanted to get to my room and rest. I was about to leave but...

(Y/N): ''Hey, Kushida.''

I was approached by the last person who I wanted to talk to. I faked a smile and answered.

Kushida: ''Yes, L/N – kun?''

The class wasn't empty yet, so I had to pretend.

(Y/N): ''Do you have something to do today?''

What is he trying to do?

Kushida: ''No, but I am a bit tired. I was about to go to the dorms and-''

(Y/N): ''Great then, we are going to the cinema today.''

Huh?

(Y/N): ''I'll wait for you in the lobby at 6 pm.''

Kushida: ''Huh?''

(Timeskip)

L/N – kun and I were now heading to the cinema.

Kushida: ''What are you plotting, L/N – kun?''

(Y/N): ''What do you mean?''

Kushida: ''We both know that you wouldn't call me if you didn't have an ulterior motive.''

(Y/N): ''Wow Kushida, that's what you think about me? That really hurts...''

Kushida: ''Stop pretending and tell me what you really want.''

(Y/N): ''You know, back in middle school I wasn't the most popular guy around. In fact, I didn't have any friends.''

Yeah, I can tell.

(Y/N): ''So I wanted to experience how it was to hang around with someone, and you were the only one who I could call. Horikita would kick me if I asked her...''

That's all? I'm wasting my Friday afternoon because of this?

(Y/N): ''Don't give me that face! You literally hang out with everyone! And you probably don't even like them-''

Kushida: ''Shhh!''

This guy... But he wasn't entirely wrong.

Kushida: ''Fine, I'll do it.''

(Y/N): ''Thanks.''

Kushida: ''By the way, don't you have any clothes besides the school uniform? Every time I see you, you are wearing it.''

I went to my room before, and changed to my casual clothes. But I have never seen L/N – kun without his school uniform.

(Y/N): ''No, I don't.''

Kushida: ''What?!''

L/N – kun was a really strange guy. First, his room is completely empty, without any personal belongings, and now this?

(Y/N): ''What?''

Kushida: ''Ugh... nothing.''

We finally arrived at the cinema and checked what films were available. There were horror movies, romantic and some comedies.

L/N – kun seemed to be struggling to choose a film.

(Y/N): ''What kind of films do girls usually watch when they go to the cinema?''

Kushida: ''Um... We would probably watch a romantic one.''

(Y/N): ''I see. This one, then?''

He pointed at a romantic film.

Kushida: ''N-no!''

(Y/N): ''Why?''

Is he serious?!

(Y/N): ''You just said that girls like romantic films, right?''

Kushida: ''Girls being the key word! If a boy and a girl watch a romantic film together...''

I averted my gaze and felt my cheeks heat up a bit.

(Y/N): ''O-oh. I see.''

He went back to choosing a film.

(Y/N): ''Shoud we see a funny one then?''

Kushida: ''Y-yeah. Whatever.''

We paid and went inside the cinema. The film was actually really funny. I laughed many times, but L/N - kun remained serious most of the time. I couldn't tell if he didn't get the jokes or if he just didn't find it funny.

Once the film finished, we went outside the building. The sun was almost gone and the sky was a beautiful orange.

(Y/N): ''We should go to a restaurant or something to get something for dinner.''

Kushida: ''Okay.''

We started walking.

Kushida: ''L/N – kun, can I ask you something?''

(Y/N): ''Mmm?''

Kushida: ''How was your life back in middle school?''

(Y/N): ''Nothing special I guess. I didn't have any friends, so I spent most of the time home.''

Kushida: ''But even if you hadn't got any friends, you would at least talk to someone, right?''

(Y/N): ''I guess...''

I was curious because he didn't know how to make friends at all. It was almost like if it was his first time in a school.

(Y/N): ''And how was yours? You probably were as popular as now, right?''

Kushida: ''Y-yeah, I guess...''

(Y/N): ''Did something happen?''

Kushida: ''...''

He looked at me for a few seconds and then averted his gaze.

(Y/N): ''You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I won't force you.''

Kushida: ''T-thanks.''

Silence fell between us, so I talked again.

Kushida: ''Why don't you show your true self to the class? I bet that you would probably become the leader of the class in no time.''

(Y/N): ''I'm not interested in reaching Class A. Besides, Hirata is doing a good job so far. And he has something that is very important when you are a leader. People's trust.''

Kushida: ''I see...''

We arrived at the restaurant and sat in an empty table and ordered the meals.

I got a phone message, and took my phone out. It was from the girls' group chat. They were talking about how cute Hirata - kun was, and also making fun of Ike – kun, Yamauchi – kun, and Sudou – kun.

I sighed. Some of them were so childish...

(Y/N): ''I guess being popular also has its disadvantages.''

Kushida: ''Yeah, the girls are always talking in the group chat.''

(Y/N): ''Mmm...''

He seemed curious, and it looked like he was about to ask something, but he didn't in the end.

Kushida: ''Do you want to know what girls talk about?''

(Y/N): ''Maybe.''

Kushida: ''Well, nuh-huh, its a secret. I bet you wouldn't tell me about boys' private conversations, right?''

(Y/N): ''I actually would, but you wouldn't like to know.''

Kushida: ''Huh?''

(Y/N): ''Let's say that most of them are... 'competitions' between girls.''

Kushida: ''What kind of competitions?''

(Y/N): ''Erm...''

I was really curious now. So I put my cute face and asked him.

Kushida: ''Come on, tell me!''

(Y/N): ''...''

Kushida: ''Please...?'' I tilted my head to one side.

(Y/N): ''...Sizes.''

Kushida: ''...''

I gave him a deadpanned look.

Kushida: ''Gross.''

(Y/N): ''Hey! Don't give me that look! You were the one who asked! Besides, I don't participate in those conversations.''

I laughed a liitle bit. His reactions were funny.

(Y/N): ''I told you what boys usually talk about. Now is your turn to talk about girls.''

Kushida: ''Well... I guess you could say that we also talk about competitions between boys.''

He smirked.

(Y/N): ''I see... Also size?''

Kushida: ''N-not that kind of competitions! Pervert!''

I showed him my phone, where there was an online list that the girls of first year made. It was called ''The ikemen list''.

Kushida: ''L/N – kun is the top 5 actually. Hirata – kun is the top 4.''

He looked surprised. I bet he didn't expect that girls actually noticed him.

Kushida: ''You are also one of the highest rankings in the list 'Most pessimistic guys.''

(Y/N): ''Wait, there is a list called 'boys who should die'. I bet Ike is one of the highest rankings.''

He wasn't wrong.

Kushida: ''You know, I think that you could be popular if you tried to talk more to people.''

(Y/N): ''I bet talking to people is easy for someone as popular as you or Hirata, but I'm probably just a lost case.''

I laughed sheepishly.

(Timeskip)

After having dinner, we left the restaurant. It was already dark outside.

(Y/N): ''Well. I had a nice time. I'll try to remember to buy casual clothes next time I hang out with someone, so at least they don't think I'm a weirdo.''

I started laughing.

(Y/N): ''Do you feel better now?''

Kushida: ''Huh?''

(Y/N): ''You seemed to be a bit off lately, so I thought that hanging around with someone would help you feel better.''

My eyes widened and my cheecks heated up a bit.

Kushida: ''Y-you did it for me?''

He looked at me with his usual stoical face and I averted my gaze flustered.

I didn't think about it until now, but I actually had a good time. It helped me lose some stress.

Kushida: ''T-thank you.''

(Y/N): ''You know, making everyone happy is impossible. I think that you shouldn't try so hard. Even if you don't act as nice as always, you won't lose your place in the class. Everyone likes you. Well, I guess Horikita is an exception.''

Kushida: ''I-I can't. I do what I do because I don't like my real self. I'll do whatever it takes, even if I have to pretend to be someone I'm not.''

He shrugged

(Y/N): ''In the end, you are the one who decides. But I still think that you shouldn't try so hard. I'm not my number 1 fan either, you know?''

He wasn't the best person comforting, but I still appreciated it.

(Y/N): ''Well, It's getting late. I think we should go back now.''

Kushida: ''Y-yeah.''

L/N – kun was a really strange person. He was always alone and gave the impression of someone who didn't want to get along with anyone because of that serious expression he always has. And I also think that there's something off with him. When he looks at me in the eyes I can't help but feel a bit scared. Those eyes, It's almost like if he could see right through you.

But after spending the day with him, my opinion of him has changed.

I also learnt that we weren't so different. We both hide our real selves from other people, and don't want them to know how we really are.

It might seem stupid, but finding someone similar to you is actually really comforting.

Kushida: ''M-maybe we could...''

(Y/N): ''Mmm?''

Kushida: ''Nothing.''

I hopped next to him and smiled.

Kushida: ''Let's go back, L/N – kun.''

(Y/N): ''Yeah.''

--And another chapter done. I hope I didn't make Kushida too out of character, but I thought that since they know how each other are, she could act a bit differently.

Anyways, next chapter will start the next arc.

Remember to tell me what you think.

7- The troubles keep coming

(Y/N) pov

Mornings in Class D were always lively. However, today my classmates seemed to be even more active than usual, even though it was Monday.

I took my mobile phone out and checked the school's app. There, you could do many things, like checking the points that each class has or checking your private points.

I checked my personal balance and couldn't help but sigh. I had to buy 1 point for Sudo's test with Horikita, and we both spent 50,000 points each, and I also spent another 15,000 points to get the old mid-term exams. At that moment I barely had 10,000 points.

The bell rang and Chabashira-sensei came in.

Chabashira: ''Good morning, everyone. You all seem more restless than usual today.''

Ike: ''Sae-chan sensei! Do we have zero points again this month?! When I checked this morning, I didn't see a single point deposited into my account!''

Chabashira: ''Oh, so that's why you're all so restless?''

Ike: ''We worked ourselves half to death this past month! We passed the midterm, so why are we still at zero points?! No one's been late or absent, and no one's talked during class, either!''

Chabashira: ''Don't jump into conclusions. Listen to what I have to say first. You're correct, Ike. You have all worked harder than ever before. I recognize that. Naturally, the school understands full well how you all feel.''

After being admonished by the teacher, Ike shut his mouth and sat back down.

Chabashira: ''Well then, here are this month's totals.''

She put a paper up on the board that listed the points values, starting with Class A at the top. Excluding Class D, all of the other classes had nearly 100 points more than last month. Class A now had 1004 points, slightly above where everyone had started when we were admitted.

Horikita: ''This isn't good. Could they have figured out a way to increase their point total?!''

Horikita seemed to be only focused on other classes. However, Ike and most of the other Class D students didn't care much about the other classes' points. They only worried about our class' points.

Written next to Class D was our point total: 87 points.

Ike: ''Huh? Wait, 87? Does that mean we actually went up? Yahoo!''

Ike started jumping up and down the moment he saw our score.

''But then, why didn't we get any points yet?'' Another student said.

Chabashira: ''Well, this time there was a little trouble. The first-year students' point distribution has been delayed. I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait a bit longer.''

Great. Just great.

Ike: ''Huh? Seriously? If this is the school's fault, then shouldn't we get some kind of bonus as compensation?''

The students grumbled in discontent. Once they found out that they wouldn't be getting their points, their actitude completely changed. And it was normal, there was a significant difference between 87 points and no points.

Chabashira: ''Don't blame me. This was the school's decision, there's nothing I can do about it. Once the trouble has been resolved, you'll recieve your points. If there are still points left, that is.''

I don't like this...

(Timeskip)

After classes ended, I was getting ready to leave.

Chabashira: ''Sudo, I have to talk to you about something. Come to the faculty room.''

What has he done this time...

Sudo: ''Huh? What do you want with me? I've got basketball practice now.''

Chabashira: ''I've already spoken with the advisor. You don't have to come with me if you don't want to, but you will face the consequences later.''

Chabashira-sensei's threatening words set Sudo a little on edge.

Sudo: ''What? Will it be over quickly?''

Chabashira: ''That depends on you. The longer you stand there, the more time you waste.''

Sudo reluctantly left the classroom with Chabashira-sensei. I exchanged glances with Horikita. This probably had something to do with the points.

(Timeskip)

After a nice dinner in the dorm cafeteria, I headed back to my room. There, I layed on my bed and looked at my point balance once again.

(Y/N): ''It would be nice if I could get some points...'' I muttered.

As I was playing with my phone, my door suddenly swung open.

Sudo: ''Save me, L/N!'' Sudo stood there, his face beet red.

(Y/N): ''Why are you here? Actually, forget that. How the hell did you get in?!''

Sudo: ''This is the room where our group meets, isn't it? Ike and the rest of us made duplicate keys. Didn't you know that? Everyone else in the group has a key, too.''

...

(Y/N): ''Since when am I even part of your group?! Give me that key!''

Sudo: ''Anyway, forget about that right now. I'm in serious trouble! You have to help me!'' he cried.

(Y/N): ''Hey! Don't ignore me-!''

The doorbell rang as I was scolding Sudo. It was Kushida, who poked her head through the entrance. She looked as cute as ever.

Kushida: ''Oh, Sudo-kun is already here.'' She looked at me and smiled.

(Y/N): ''Hey, Kushida. I want to ask you something. Do you have a duplicate key to my room, too?''

Kushida: ''Yeah, I do. That's so we can meet up here... Wait, did you not know about that, L/N-kun?''

(Y/N): ''Who had the brilliant idea to make the duplicate keys? I might have a little chat with them.''

Sudo: ''That's not the important thing right now! Listen to me!''

I sighed annoyed, and Kushida patted me on the back, probaby trying to calm me down.

Sudo: ''You know how our homeroom teacher called me today? Well, it's... Uh... The truth is... I may be suspended. For a long time, actually.''

Kushida: ''S-suspended?''

(Y/N): ''Did you insult Chabashira-sensei, by any chance?''

Knowing Sudo's short temper, he might have insulted her after she stopped him from going to basketball practice.

Sudo: ''That's not it.''

(Y/N): ''Then what? Did you grab her by the collar and threaten to kill her or something?''

Sudo: ''That's not it, either.''

Another denial. I hadn't expected that.

Sudo: ''It's probably worse than you're thinking...''

Even worse?

Kushida: ''Oh, I got it, L/N-kun! He viciously beat Chabashira-sensei and then he spit on her!'' Kushida cried.

(Y/N): ''I see... It does sound like Sudo...''

Kushida giggled and Sudo got mad at us.

Sudo: ''What do you mean, it does sound like Sudo?!''

Kushida: ''Ha ha, we're only joking! Sudo-kun wouldn't go that far.''

I actually wasn't.

(Y/N): ''Anyway, what happened?''

Sudo: ''To tell you the truth, I beat up some kids from Class C yesterday. Then, I got suspended. The suspension is probably my punishment.''

Kushida was shocked and shot me a look. I couldn't immediately process the fact that Sudo had gotten himself into trouble again.

(Y/N): ''You beat them up...? Why?''

Sudo: ''Just so you know, it wasn't my fault, okay? The jerks in Class C started it and tried to pick a fight with me. I just responded to the situation and turned the tables on them. Then they said that I started the fight. They're a bunch of liars.''

I understood the gist of what he was saying, but I still didn't know the fight's details or how it started.

Kushida: ''Just wait a minute, Sudo-kun. Can you please start over, and go a bit more slowly?''

Sudo: ''Sorry, I guess I just kind of skipped to the end and left a lot out.''

He took a deep breath and started over.

Sudo: ''I was talking with the club advisor about being a regular for the summer tournament.''

I'd heard Sudo was good at basketball, but I hadn't expected him to become a regular already.

Kushida: ''A regular player? That's amazing, Sudo-kun! Congratulations!''

Sudo: ''Well, nothing's set in stone yet. It's just a possibility for now.''

(Y/N): ''What happened next?''

Sudo: ''When I was on my way back to the dorm, Komiya and Kondou, who are in the basketball club with me, called me over to the special building. They said they wanted to talk about something. When I got there, there was this Ishizaki guy, waiting for me. He's Komiya and Kondou's friend. They said that they couldn't stand that someone like me from Class D had been chosen as a regular. They threatened me, and said to quit basketball or there'd be a lot of pain in the future. I refused to quit, I beat them up, and now I'm here.''

It was a rather hurried explanation, but I got the gist. Apparently Sudou was satisfied with his story.

Kushida: ''So then they painted you as the bad guy, Sudo-kun.''

Sudo nodded.

Kushida: ''If Class C started this, then Sudo-kun isn't at fault.''

That's not exactly right. Sudo could be lying and trying to get us to his side. But even assuming that what he was saying was the truth, he still had part of the fault.

(Y/N): ''And what did the school say when they heard what happened?''

Sudo: ''They said that they would give me until next Tuesday to come up with proof. If I can't do that, they'll say I'm at fault and I'll be suspended until summer. On top of that, the whole class will lose points too.''

Apparently the school had decided to wait for evidence.

Sudo: ''What should I do?''

Kushida: ''Sudo-kun, you didn't lie to the teacher, did you? I mean, it seems strange. They didn't believe you even though you said that you didn't do anything wrong, right?''

(Y/N): ''I wonder about that. I don't think it's quite that simple.''

Sudo: ''What do you mean, you wonder? You're not doubting me, are you?''

(Y/N): ''Calm down. Even if the other party is at fault, it's still highly likely that you will take some of the blame.''

Sudo: ''Huh? Why? It was legitimate self defense, wasn't it? Huh?!''

Sudo, clearly unable to understand, smacked the table. Kushida's shoulders stiffened in response.

Sudo: ''I'm sorry, I just got a little mad.'' After seeing Kushida's frightened expression, Sudo sheepishly apologized.

Kushida: ''But... Why would Sudo-kun still take some of the blame?''

(Y/N): ''Sudo hit them, but they didn't hit Sudo. That makes it difficult to claim it was self-defense. If they had approached you with a knife or a metal bat it would be another story. That's why I don't think we can really claim it was self-defense.''

Sudo: ''I-I don't understand, though. I was up against three people. Three! That seems pretty dangerous.''

That's the reason why I think it was all set up. Even Sudo would have problems fighting against three people. It's almost impossible to get away from a fight like that without a bruise.

(Y/N): ''I think that the school might have offered an extension because they found it difficult to make a judgment at this time.''

Sudo: ''There might be something, though. This might be just a misunderstanding on my part, but when I was fighting those guys I felt something... odd. Like if someone was nearby, watching me.''

(Y/N): ''So there might be an eyewitness?''

Sudo: ''Yeah, I think so. I don't have proof anyone was there, though.''

This might be good or bad. If the witness is from our class he or she will probably help us, but if he or she is from Class C then that's it. If it's from class A or B I don't really know what would happen. They could cooperate or maybe they wouldn't want to get involved in other classes'problems.

Sudo: ''What should I do?''

Kushida: ''There are two ways we can prove your innocence, Sudo-kun. The first way is simply get those boys in Class C to admit they lied. Since you weren't at fault, it's probably best to get them to acknowledge that.''

Sudo: ''That's impossible. They won't admit they lied.''

Kushida: ''The other idea is to find the eyewitness you talked about, Sudo-kun. If someone happened to see the fight, then we should be able to get to the heart of the matter.''

(Y/N): ''And how do you intend to look for this eyewitness?''

Kushida: ''Asking people one by one? Or we could simply ask each class as a whole.''

(Y/N): ''It would be great if someone just stepped forward, but...''

I don't think that the other classes would get involved. They are probably focused on reaching Class A or keeping their spot at the top.

Sudo: ''This might sound kind of shameless, but... can you guys not tell anyone about this?''

Kushida: ''H-huh? You don't want us to tell anyone?''

Sudo: ''If a word gets out, it'll definetely get around the basketball team. I don't want that to happen. You understand, right?''

(Y/N): ''Even then, I-''

Sudo: ''Please, understand, L/N. If I can't play basketball, I have nothing.'' He pleaded, placing his hands on my shoulders.

Kushida: ''But won't the students in Class C talk about how Sudo-kun was violent? I mean, that would work in their favor, I think.''

Sudo seemed worried and closed his fists.

Kushida: ''Sudo-kun, I think it would be better if you kept your distance.''

(Y/N): ''Yeah. It wouldn't be good if the accused tried anything.''

Sudo: ''...All right. I know this is a bother for you guys, but I'll leave it to you.''

He finally seemed to understand.

Sudo: ''Well. We'll head back to our rooms. I'm sorry for barging in here.''

(Y/N): ''I'll accept your apologies if you give me that key back.''

Sudo: ''What? I can't hear you.'' He said as he put his shoes on.

(Y/N): ''...''

Sudo opened the door to leave with Kushida behind him, but he was surprised when he saw Horikita about to ring the doorbell.

Sudo: ''H-hey Horikita! What are you doing here?''

Horikita: ''I had something to talk about with L/N-kun.''

Sudo: ''Is that so...?

He glared at me and I averted my gaze.

Sudo: ''Anyway, I've got to go. Are you coming, Kushida?''

Kushida: ''Um... I actually have something to talk with L/N-kun too. I'll stay a bit longer.''

That's weird. She already had her shoes on, I'd say she was also going to leave.

Horikita didn't seem to be happy with Kushida being around, but she still walked in. Sudo left afterwards.

(Y/N): ''Do you want coffee? I'll make some for you two.''

Horikita: ''Yes, thank you.''

Kushida: ''Sure!''

I went to the small kitchen that was in the dorm, opened one of the drawers and took out the necessary stuff. I had bought some things when everyone came to celebrate that Sudo didn't get expelled.

(Y/N): ''So, what did you want to talk about?'' I said as I prepared the coffee.

Horikita: ''It was about Sudo-kun. I wanted to know what did you think was the reason for him getting called to the office, but apparently he already told you.''

Kushida: ''Yes, he told us! He said that-''

Horikita: ''So, what did he say?'' She completely ignored her and asked me instead. I felt bad for Kushida.

I gave them two cups with coffe and started explaining her what happened.

(Timeskip)

Horikita: ''I see, so that's what happened.''

Kushida: ''It seems that Sudo-kun got into trouble again...''

Horikita: ''I guess that's also the reason why we didn't get any points this month.''

(Y/N): ''Yeah.''

They already finished their cups and I made a hand gesture for them to give me the cups, but they said that they would help me tidy up.

After washing the cups, Horikita opened one drawer to put them back, but she opened the wrong one. She widened her eyes after seeing what was inside.

I quickly closed it and opened the right one.

Kushida: ''What's wrong?''

Horikita: ''...Are those yours?''

I sighed. I really didn't want anyone to know about this.

Kushida: ''What was in there?''

(Y/N): ''Just some medical pills. A doctor prescribed them for me.''

Kushida: ''H-huh? Are you ill, L/N-kun?''

(Y/N): ''No, there's nothing to worry about. Just a medical condition.''

Kushida: ''W-well, if you say so...''

Horikita: ''I don't think it's as simple as that...''

Horikita was still suspicious. But I wasn't lying.

Horikita: ''L/N-ku-''

(Y/N): ''I would appreciate if you two didn't tell anyone.''

Kushida: ''Yeah, don't worry.''

Horikita: ''I won't.''

(Timeskip - Next day)

The bad news just kept coming. During homeroom the following morning, as Chabashira-sensei was about to leave, she assaulted us with one of her infamously brief and off-hand announcements.

Chabashira: ''I have an announcement for you all. There was a bit of trouble the other day, an incident between the student sitting there, Sudo, and some students from Class C. In short, there was a fight.''

The classroom erupted.

Hirata: ''Um... So why hasn't this issue been resolved already?''

Chabashira: ''The complaint came from Class C. They claim that the fight was one-sided. However, when we spoke to the accused, Sudo said that their claims were false. He insists that the students of Class C called him over to and started the fight.''

Sudo: ''It wasn't my fault! It was self-defense! Self-defense, I tell you!''

Chabashira: ''But there's no evidence of that. Am I wrong?''

Sudo: ''Tch...''

Chabashira: ''So in other words, we don't yet know the truth. Therefore, we have put our decision on hold for now. Our response, and the punishment, will come when we find who was at fault.''

Sudo: ''All I know is that I'm innocent. If anything, I ought to receive a settlement for my trouble.''

Chabashira: ''So speaks the accused, but I wouldn't say that you have a high level of credibility right now. If there is an eye-witness, as Sudo seems to believe, then the situation may change. If anyone here witnessed the fight, please raise your hand.''

No students raised their hands in response to her question.

Chabashira: ''Too bad, Sudo. It appears there are no witnesses in this class.''

Sudo: ''Looks that way.'' He grumbled.

Chabashira: ''In order to find witnesses, every teacher will inform their classes of the details of this incident.''

Sudo: ''Huh? You're telling everyone?!''

The school probably had no say in the matter. Because Sudo had insisted it was a false charge and brought up a potential witness, the school had to be for sure.

Sudo: ''Dammit!''

Sudo's plan had already fallen apart. But it wouldn't be a big difference even if the teachers didn't say anything. The rumor would spread sooner or later.

Chabashira: ''Anyway, that is all. We'll make our final judgment next Tuesday, taking into account eyewitnesses and evidence. With that, let's end homeroom for the day.''

Chabashira-sensei left and Sudo followed right after her. He probably realized that if he stayed any longer he'd lose his temper with someone.

Everyone exchanged glances, most of them pretty annoyed.

I sighed.

(Y/N): ''It seems that there's another problem to take care of.''

8- The search begins

(Y/N) pov

After Chabashira-sensei's announcement, every student started sharing their opinions about the matter.

Ike: "Man, isn't Sudo just the worst?"

And you are supposed to be his friend?

"If we lose points because of Sudo, will we be at zero again this month?"

Everyone was visibly annoyed and things started to get out of hand. If we didn't get any points that month, Sudo would become the target of everyone's frustation. Of course, Kushida wouldn't let that happen.

Kushida: "Everyone, can you please listen to what I have to say?" She stood and tried to calm the commotion.

Kushida: "What our teacher said seems to be true. Sudo-kun may have been in a fight. However, Sudo-kun was dragged into it."

"Kushida-chan, what do you mean? Do you believe Sudo?"

Kushida shared the story that Sudo told us the day before to the whole class. Most of the class listened to her in silence. If Sudo or I had tried to explain the situation in the same manner, we wouldn't have gotten the same result at all. However, not everyone in the class believed the story, after all, it was Sudo who we were talking about.

Kushida: "I'd like to ask you all again. If anyone knows someone who saw what happened, whether it's someone in class, a friend, or an upperclassman, please tell me. You can contact me at any time. I would sincerely appreciate it."

Even though she'd bassically say the same thing as Chabashira-sensei, the class had a very different response. She had an innate ability to connect with people. At moments like that, I was really glad to have her around.

However, some people weren't fully convinced yet.

"Kushida-chan, are you sure that Sudo is innocent? I saw him grab a kid by the collar just because they bumped into each other in the hallway." One of my classmates said.

"I saw him cut in the line in the cafeteria and lash out when someone tried to tell him that it wasn't okay."

Hirata: "I want to believe him."

Hirata, the class hero, uttered those words as he stood in support of Kushida.

Hirata: "If a student in another class were casting doubt on him, I could understand it. But I think it's wrong to doubt a fellow classmate right away. Shouldn't friends do everything within their power to help someone in need?"

Karuizawa: "I agree!"

Karuizawa, heroic Hirata's girlfriend, called out in agreement, brushing her bangs aside with her hand as she spoke.

Karuizawa: "If it were a false charge, that'd be a problem, wouldn't it? In any case, you'd feel bad for him if he were innocent, right?"

If Kushida lived by the softness of her heart, then Karuizawa lived by the strength of her will. Perhaps it was because of Kushida and Karuizawa's influence that many girls started to express their support.

Kushida: "I'll try asking my friends!"

Hirata: "Well then, I'll try asking the upperclassmen I know in the soccer club!"

Karuizawa: "I'll ask around, too."

And just like that, the class divided in teams to search for clues. The almost full of girls Hirata's group and the ones who didn't like Hirata. Of course they were Ike and Yamauchi. Kushida seemed to see them alone and decided to help them.

Everything was going fine, so I decided that I wouldn't do anything. There was nothing I could do at that moment, anyway.

(Timeskip)

The last bell rang, and the students started to leave the classroom to help in Sudo's case. I, on the other hand, had a nice film to watch on Netflix, so I got ready to go back to the dorms.

Kushida: "L/N-kun."

I had tried to exit the classroom without being noticed, but failed. Kushida probably wanted to invite me to their group to search for evidence.

(Y/N): "Yes?"

I'm sorry, Kushida. I'm going to steel my heart and refuse your invitation. And then I'll go back to the dorms.

Kushida: "You will... help us out, won't you?"

(Y/N): "Of course."

I couldn't refuse. Slightly upturned eyes pleading = lethal. I couldn't help but feel like Kushida was also controlling me. What a strange relationship we had.

She smiled and I sighed. Then, I joined her, Yamauchi and Ike.

Ike and Yamauchi looked at Kushida approaching and their expressions lightened up.

Ike: "So, Kushida-chan, what should we do?"

Kushida: "Let's see... Hirata-kun's group went outside, so we should stay in the building and ask the students who didn't leave yet."

Yamauchi: "So we'll have to ask other classes... Man, I'm a bit nervous, I mean, Class B and Class A... They are the students who are at the top of the school..."

(Y/N): "I think that we should ask Class B first, they'll most likely help us."

Ike: "You seem convinced, why is that?"

(Y/N): "If Class B helps us and we win Sudo's case, Class C will most likely get some kind of punishment. And Class C is the one that is directely bellow Class B. They'll get rid of an enemy. I don't think that Class A really cares about other classes' problems."

Yamauchi: "That's probably true."

Kushida: "Okay! Let's go to Class B then."

We left our classroom, and I got the impression that someone was looking at me. But I couldn't really tell who that person was, because there were still some students in the classroom.

After arriving at Class B, I took a look around. This class had a slightly different atmosphere. Although it looked fundamentally the same as ours, it felt as though we came to an alien place. It was like soccer, clearly the difference between a home and an away game in soccer was no trivial thing. We also didn't know if the students around us were friend or foe. Even Ike and Yamauchi appeared to be shaking in their boots. They simply stood frozen in the classroom doorway, unable to move.

Kushida was the only one who remained unfazed. In fact, she found her Class B friends and, with a smile on her face, waved to them and headed over. I wanted to learn how to be like that. She chatted with people regardless of gender, exactly how she acted in Class D.

No one was more jealous of this than Ike and Yamauchi. Kushida was happily chatting with people who were clearly more handsome than they.

As Kushida talked with everyone and Ike and Yamauchi muttered something, I went back to the hallway and looked through a window.

(Y/N): "I wanna go back to the dorms..."

From outside the window, I could see the Track and Field club running and working up a sweat.

Ike: "Wow, those guys in the sports club really work hard, huh?"

Ike joined me in looking out the window. He was an especially capricious person, so waiting probably bored him.

Ike: "Wait, what's going on there?"

I frowned and spotted Hirata and his group. I also saw other students talking to Hirata, but it didn't look like a normal chat. It almost looked like if he was being threatened.

Kushida: "What's wrong?"

(Y/N): "Hirata seems to be in trouble over there."

Kushida's eyes widened and she nervously spoke.

Kushida: "Oh no, we need to help him!"

Yamauchi: "Erm..."

Ike: "I mean, I don't really like him..."

Kushida: "How can you say such a thing? He's our friend!"

After seeing Kushida like that, Ike and Yamauchi suddenly tried to make themselves look better, but it was probably too late for that.

Ike: "I-I mean, he's Hirata! The great lider of our class! He can take care of himself, right?"

Yamauchi: "T-that's right!"

Kushida sighed and shifted her focus to me

Kushida: "Let's go, L/N-kun!"

(Y/N): "Huh?"

I couldn't respond, Kushida grabbed my hand and pulled me. We left together, but she didn't release my hand. Not that I complained.

For some reason, I thought I heard Ike and Yamauchi angrily yelling at me, but it must've been my imagination... Heh.

(Timeskip)

We hurried to the place where Hirata's group was. Apparently they were taking a break, because they were next to a bar with some drinks on their hands. However, their attention was now focused on Hirata and other three guys talking to him. By their looks, I guessed that they were more or less our age.

"Why are you so determined to help that guy? I already told you, didn't I? Sudo called my classmates and beat them."

So they were Class C's students. They gave me the impression to be short-tempered, like Sudo. Probably not as much as him, though. I might try to do something.

Kushida: "W-what's going on, Sinohara-san?"

Kushida asked one of the girls of Hirata's group. She had dark, shoulder-length hair.

If I remember correctly, she was good friends with 2 other girls, I think one of them was called Satou or something like that.

Sinohara: "Kushida-san! We were taking a break and these guys of Class C suddenly came to us saying that we shouldn't keep searching for clues!"

I shifted my attention back to Hirata.

Hirata: "Well, it's only natural that we try to help a friend out, right?" Hirata kept his usual smile, but he looked a bit nervous. It was normal, those three guys looked strong. Kushida looked worriedly at me.

(Y/N): "Hey, Sinohara. Lend me your drink for a moment."

Sinohara: "W-what?"

The girls of Hirata's group looked at me like if I was some kind of pervert. I felt really umcomfortable.

(Y/N): "I'm just trying to help Hirata out. I'll pay for your drink later if that's what you want."

She didn't seem to trust me, but she still passed me her drink.

Well, here goes nothing.

I approached the guy who was talking to Hirata and pretended to stumble. As a result, the drink spread all over his uniform.

He turned at me with a really annoyed expression. I could hear some of the girls gasp behind me and Hirata looked at me worriedly.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

I pretended to look scared and apologized.

(Y/N): "I-I'm so sorry, it wasn't my intention, I swear!"

"Huh?! Wait, you're also in Class D, right? You did it on purpose!"

(Y/N): "I d-didn't! Please forgive me!"

I took a step backwards. I knew that one of the other two guys was behind me, and stepped on his foot.

"Ouch! Hey, be careful!" He shouted.

(Y/N): "S-sorry!"

"You're clearly doing it on purpose! Come here!" He approached and tried to grab me. I dodged his arm, but also pretended to stumble again. I wanted to make it look like I got away by coincidence, so I don't call more attention than I already have.

"Huh?"

I took some steps backwards and got near one of the other guys. The one who tried to grab me tried to catch me again, but I stepped aside at the last moment, causing him and the other guy to collide and fall to the floor.

A crowd was starting to form around us, I saw some upperclassmen with an amused look on their faces.

"Come on! Show them what you've got!" One of them yelled, encouraging me. They were having a good time, and I wasn't an exception. Seeing these three idiots making a fool of themselves was really amusing. But I kept my afraid expression on.

The first guy was even more mad now and gritted his teeth.

"H-hey, let's leave man! People are starting to crowd!" One of them told him. But he wasn't paying attention.

"This is now personal! I've got to beat the crap out of this guy!"

(Y/N): "D-don't do that! Violence is never the right choice!"

Behind me was the wall. It looked like I was trapped. He smirked and tried to punch me in the face, but I crouched down and he hit the wall with a loud 'thud'.

"Argh!"

He grabbed his fist in pain, I wouldn't be surprised if he actually broke one of his fingers.

"H-hey! Let's leave now!" One of his friends came into his aid and grabbed his shoulders.

"T-this isn't over yet!" The three of them ran off. The crowd was really amused, and some of them even clapped.

I sighed and relaxed. As I thought, they could be easily angered.

Karuizawa: "Yosuke-kun! Are you okay?" Karuizawa and the other girls immediately ran to Hirata.

Yeah... You're welcome, it was nothing...

Kushida: "Are you okay?" Kushida came to me concerned, which made me happy.

(Y/N): "Yeah, luckily they didn't hit me."

Sinohara: "Are you sure?"

(Y/N): "Y-yeah." The girls were actually looking at me concerned now.

Hirata: "Thank you very much, L/N-kun. You saved me there."

As we talked, we heard another student's voice.

"Okay, there's nothing to see here! Get back to what you were all doing!"

A short, female student with purple hair appeared and the students started to leave. She looked like a first year student, so the fact that the upperclassmen obeyed her surprised me.

(Y/N): "Who is her?"

Hirata: "Oh, she is Tachibana-senpai. She's the secretary of the student council."

(Y/N): "I see... Wait, senpai?"

Tachibana: "Yes, senpai. Something wrong with that?"

Tachibana approached us and looked at me suspiciously.

(Y/N): "N-nothing." She was really short. It was hard to believe that she was a third year.

Tachibana: "I saw the croud and three students running away, one of them seemed to be in pain. Did you do it?"

(Y/N): "I didn't lay a finger on them. You can ask any of the students who witnessed the scene."

Tachibana: "Mmm..."

She looked at me, probably trying to find out if it was a lie or not.

Tachibana: "You're all Class D students, aren't you? It seems that you're causing troubles all the time."

Hirata: "It wasn't our fault, Tachibana-senpai. We were trying to search for a witness for Sudo-kun's case and those three Class C students approached us, they didn't want us to search for clues."

Karuizawa: "That's right!"

Karuizawa supported her boyfriend and the other girls nodded in agreement.

Tachibana: "I see... Okay. I'll have to inform the president about this incident. Try not to cause any more troubles."

We all nodded and Tachibana left. With that, everything went as I planned. Class C didn't look so innocent now that they tried to attack me. We can use this incident against them next Tuesday.

I can't tell if someone witnessed Sudo's fight or not, but this incident will definetely help.

I looked back at the group and they were talking about what happened. They asked me if I was okay many times, but in the end I was able to convience them that I wasn't hurt.

Sinohara: "Those guys of Class C were really violent, I'm starting to believe Sudo's story."

Satou: "Yeah. Besides, if they had nothing to hide, they wouldn't mind that we looked for witnesses, right?"

Hirata: "We can't let our guard down. We haven't won the case yet. We have to keep looking for the witness."

"Yes!"

Hirata thanked me again and left with the other girls, leaving Kushida and I alone.

(Y/N): "Hey, Kushida."

Kushida: "Hmm?"

(Y/N): "I think you should let go my hand before we call too much attention."

Kushida: "H-huh?"

When she asked me if I was okay, she grabbed my hand. Probably unconsciously.

Kushida: "S-sorry! It's just that... after knowing that you have to take medication... I got really worried when those guys attacked you..."

(Y/N): "I'm pretty sure that those three ended up worse than I did..."

Kushida: "Just... Don't do that again, okay?"

She wasn't pretending. She was genuinely worried. I can't say that it didn't comfort me, a lot of time had passed since someone actually was concerned about me.

(Y/N): "Sorry if I worried you."

Kushida: "It's okay." She said smiling.

Ike: "H-hey guys! What happened?"

Great timing, idiot.

Kushida also looked disappointed and sighed, but immediately turned at them with a smile on her face.

Kushida: "Nothing! L/N-kun solved everything by himself! It was a pity you guys weren't around..."

Yamauchi: "Y-you see... We got lost! That's it! We tried to follow you but..."

Kushida: "Really? But we aren't that far away from class B..."

As the two idiots tried to make themselves look better, I went back to the dorms. I had done more than enough for that day.

I can't say I wasn't happy. Last time I felt like that was probably...

"Y/N! Come join us!" A small girl's voice echoed in my head and her image appeared in my mind.

I shook my head trying to get rid of those memories.

There was no point in remembering her. I hadn't seen her in a lot of time, and I would never see her again.

9- Sakura Airi

(Y/N) pov

The next morning, students busily exchanged information with each other. Those from Hirata's group and those with Kushida had spent the previous day searching for the witness. Ike and Yamauchi hated ladies' men like Hirata, but seemed excited about all the girls who hung around him. They happily tried to chat them up.

I, on the other hand, was sitting alone as always, but that time it was different. Some of my classmates occasionally glanced at me, and some of them even asked me if I was alright.

Apparently the rumor of yesterday's fight had already spreaded, but it was fine. It would benefict Class D.

As I was seating, I heard Hirata's and Kushida's group conversation.

Ike: "Man, can we even prove that those Class C guys were in the wrong?"

Kushida: "As long as we can find a witness, it's not impossible. Let's keep trying our best, Ike-kun."

Ike: "Before we try our best, though, is there even a witness in the first place? Didn't Sudo only say that he thought someone might've been there? Wasn't that a lie? I mean, he is violent, and he does provoke people."

Hirata: "If we keep doubting him, we won't make any progress. Am I wrong?"

Ike: "I guess, you're probably right about that, but... If Sudo is in the wrong, then our hard-earned points are all going to be stripped away, right?"

Hirata: "Then it would be a good idea for everyone to start saving up again. It's only been two months since we started here."

Our classroom hero didn't waver as he delivered his magnificent speech. The girls immediately blushed in response. Karuizawa wore a particularly proud expression, perhaps because she was the one he'd chosen to be his girlfriend.

Karuizawa: "I do think our points are important. They're tyed to our motivation, right? So, I will defend our class points to my last breath. Even if it's only 87 ponts."

Hirata: "I understand how you feel. However, it can be dangerous to cling to our points and lose sight of reality. The most important thing is to treasure our friends as much as possible."

Ike: "Even if Sudo was at fault?" Ike, who considered Hirata a goody two shoes, eyed him suspiciously.

Being punished when you'd done nothing wrong was horrible. That much is obvious. However, Hirata nodded without hesitation. Ike immediately looked downward, as if pressed by Hirata's noble intentions.

Karuizawa: "I think that what you're saying is reasonable, Hirata-kun, but I still want my points. The students in Class A get nearly 100,000 points every month. I'm super envious of them. There are girls in their class who buy lots of stylish clothes and accesories. Aren't we just the bottom of the barrel compared to them?"

People looked bitter when she pointed out the difference between our classes.

"Why couldn't I have been in Class A from the start? If I were in Class A, I'd probably be loving every second of my student life." A female student said.

Before I knew it, the meeting to save Sudo transformed into a grievance session.

Ike: "It would be awesome if there was some secret trick we could use to switch Class A in an instant. Saving up class points is way too hard."

There was a 1000-point difference between Class A and us. An absurdly huge difference.

Chabashira: "Then cheer up, Ike, because there is one way to instantly reach Class A."

Chabashira-sensei spoke from the classroom entranceway. She'd arrived just five minutes before class started.

Ike: "Wait. What did you say, sensei?" Ike nearly fell off his chair before recomposing himself.

Chabashira: "I said there's a way to reach Class A without class points."

Horikita, who was reading a book until now, looked up at Chabashira-sensei.

Ike: "Come on, now. Don't tease us, Sae-chan-sensei!"

Chabashira: "It's true. At this school, there are certain methods you can use."

"And what are this methods?" Another student said.

Chabashira: "I told you on the day you arrived. I said there's nothing you cannot buy with your points at this school. In other words, you can change classes by using your personal points."

Chabashira-sensei shot a quick glance over at Horikita and me, like if she was leaving that hint for us. But I couldn't care less. Because of her, Horikita knew about my test scores and was now asking me to help her reaching Class A. The battle between classes had never called my atention since I joined this school, and I wasn't the only one. There were other students who couldn't care less about that.

Ike: "Seriously?! How many points do we need to save up for that?!"

Chabashira: "Twenty million. Do your best to conserve points. Do that, and you can enter whichever class you like."

After hearing that absurdly high number, Ike tumbled out of his chair.

Everyone in the class started booing. Their dissapointment was to be expected.

(Timeskip)

After school we resumed the search for a witness. I hung behind Kushida, Ike and the others, trailing them like a ghost. I was impressed, surprised and in awe of their natural conversation skills. How could they talk with people they'd never met before and behave like old friends? Monsters.

Kushida: "Looks like we didn't have any luck today, either."

Everyone went back to my room to reevaluate our stragety. Sudo came by shortly afterward and joined our discussion.

Sudo: "What happened today? Did you make any progress?"

Ike: "None at all. Sudo, are you sure there was a witness?"

Sudo: "Huh? I never said there was someone there. I said that it felt like someone was there."

Ike: "Huh? Is that so?"

Kushida: "It's certainly true that Sudo-kun didn't say he saw anyone. He said that he had a feeling that someone was there."

Ike: "Maybe Sudo was hallucinating? He must be taking some pretty potent drugs or something."

He has just signed his own death sentence.

Sudo got up and put Ike into a headlock.

Ike: "Gyahh! I give, I give!" He cried.

While the two of them messed around, Kushida and Yamauchi were wracking their brains. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. It was Horikita.

Horikita: "Have you made any progress finding the witness?"

(Y/N): "No, not yet."

Horikita: "I'm only telling you this because it's you, but I may have found out something-"

While she was talking, Horikita noticed that there were several pairs of shoes lined up by my door. She stopped and made a hard heel turn, apparently ready to run. Kushida peered over at the entrance, probably concerned that Horikita wouldn't return.

Kushida: "Ah, Horikita-san!"

Kushida smiled and waved at Horikita. Horikita, upon noticing Kushida, let out a sigh.

(Y/N): "Looks like your only choice is to come in, huh?" I said with a smirk.

Horikita: "Looks that way." She grumped.

Sudo: "Oh, Horikita!"

Of course, Sudo was the happiest to see her. He paused the game that he had been playing until now on his mobile. It was a basketball game, something about 'The Generation of Miracles'.

Sudo: "Did you decide to help out? I'm super glad you're here."

Horikita: "I didn't particulary plan on helping. You don't appear to have found the witness yet, right?"

Kushida nodded

Kushida: "If you didn't plan on helping, then why did you come?"

Horikita looked at me and kept talking.

Horikita: "I'll give you just one piece of advise. It's hard to see what's just in front of you. If someone actually witnessed Sudo's incident, then that person is close by."

She was speaking like if she had already found the witness.

Sudo: "What do you mean, Horikita? Are you seriously implying that you found this person?"

He appeared more shocked and doubtful than joyous.

Horikita: "That person is Sakura-san."

Kushida: "Sakura-san? From our class?"

Yamauchi and Sudo exchanged looks. They didn't seem to know who Sakura even was. To be honest, even I had to wrack my own memory for a moment.

Horikita: "She's the witness. She saw the incident."

(Y/N): "Why do you say that?"

Horikita: "When Kushida-san said that she was looking for a witness in class, Sakura looked down. A lot of students were staring at Kushida-san. Sakura was the only one who didn't appear interested. She wouldn't have acted that way without some connection to the incident."

Horikita really impressed me there. I hadn't noticed at all.

Horikita: "Since you were one of the people who also stares at Kushida-san, it's not surprising you didn't notice." She said to me, her tone heavily sarcastic.

(Y/N): "That means that you were also staring at me back in the classroom, right?" I said with a smirk.

Horikita flustered for a moment. I would have loved to tease her more but I heard Sudo slowly approaching me. I might have to run for it.

Kushida: "H-hey, let's calm down." She said, trying to calm Sudo.

He sighed and spoke.

Sudo: "So you're saying that there's a high posibility that this Sakura is the witness?"

After clearing her throat, Horikita spoke.

Horikita: "No, Sakura-san is undoubtedly the witness. Her actions confirmed it. Although she may not admit it, she's definetely the one."

Most of us were still doubtful, but we were convinced by Horikita's security.

Sudo: "Did you really do this for me, after all?!" He looked especially moved.

Horikita: "Don't misunderstand. I just didn't want to waste more time looking for a witness, and letting other classes see us in a shameful light. That's all."

Sudo: "Umm. But still, the point is that you saved us, right?"

Horikita: "You are free to interpret things however you wish, but I'm telling you that you're wrong."

Ike: "Come on, don't lie! You're a tsundere, Horikita!"

Ike went to hit Horikita's shoulders playfully, as if teasing her. Horikita grabbed his arm and tossed him to the ground.

Ike: "Oww!"

Horikita: "Don't touch me."

She put him on a headlock and Ike started screaming in pain.

As Ike was dying on the floor, I started thinking.

Sakura, though. Of all people, the witness was from Class D. It was difficult to know whether this was good news or bad news.

Yamauchi: "Isn't this great, Sudo? If the student's from Class D, we can definetely get her to testify!"

Sudo: "Yeah. I'm happy there's a witness, but who's Sakura? Do you know her?"

(Y/N): "...She's the girl who sits besides you."

Sudo: "Mmm... I'm not quite sure yet. Can you tell me about her?"

Ike: "Well, I suppose there's one thing. Would it help if I said she has the biggest boobs in class? Her boobs are insanely huge." Ike, having returned to the land of living, said. Personally, I couldn't identify her based on that information.

Sudo: "Oh, she's that plain girl with glasses, right?"

How did you jump to that?!

Kushida: "It's not good to remember people based on something like that, Ike-kun! That's pathetic!" She cried.

Ike: "N-no, no, it's not like that, Kushida-chan. It's just, you know. I wasn't trying to say anything indecent or anything. You know, it's like how you can remember a tall guy because of his height, right? It's the same kind of thing, but just remembering her based on another physical characteristic!"

Kushida was rapidly loosing faith as Ike frantically tried to smooth things over.

Ike: "Damn it! No, it's not like that, it's not! I absolutely do not like plain girls like her! Don't get the wrong idea!"

I doubted that anyone had the wrong idea. While Ike was down in tears, the rest of us started talking about Sakura.

Kushida: "Then we should see how much Sakura-san knows. Any ideas?"

Yamauchi: "None. We just have to confirm with her directly."

Kushida took out her mobile and called her, but she didn't answer.

Kushida: "No luck. She didn't pick up the phone."

Ike: "So she's kind of like Horikita?"

Why would you say something like that when the person you're talking about is standing right in front of you, Ike?

Horikita didn't seem to care, though.

Horikita: "Goodbye."

Kushida: "Ah, Horikita-san!"

Horikita stood up quickly and headed for the door. By the time I managed to get up, the door had already clicked shut.

Ike: "What a tsundere."

Sudo wore a happy smile, chuckling and scratching his nose with his finger.

Kushida: "I get the feeling that Sakura-san's just a shy person. That's my first impression of her."

Yamauchi: "She's plain, that's it. Talk about a waste, man. Like pearls before swine."

Ike: "Yeah, for sure. Her boobs are huge, though. It's really cute!"

Ike seemed to have already forgotten the shame of his earlier remarks, and was now excited again. Kushida gave another bitter smile while the other three talked.

I went to the small kitchen to get some water.

Kushida: "What should we do, L/N-kun?" Kushida said in a low tone. Apparently she had followed me.

(Y/N): "Even if Sakura agrees to help, that won't really help Sudo's case. But I guess that the witness is the only thing in our favor right now, so we'll have to convince her."

Kushida: "What do you mean?"

(Y/N): "Class C will use the fact that the witness is from our class against us. So, unless Sakura has any proof that what she's saying is the truth, we'll just be walking in circles."

Kushida: "I see..."

This was a strange case. According to what I had heard, Ishizaki and the other two who were beaten by Sudo weren't exactly what you would call smart. It was obvious that everything was set up by them at that point, but I didn't think that they were the ones who came up with the plan.

It was probably somebody else's plan, that someone convinced those three to let Sudo beat them up.

And that person probably used violence to convince them.

(Timeskip)

Class was over. Kushida stood up right as homeroom ended and walked over towards Sakura, who was quietly preparing to leave.

Kushida: "Sakura-san?"

Sakura: "Wh-what?"

The bespectacled girl peered up with a timid expression. Apparently she hadn't expected someone to talk to her.

Kushida: "I wanted to ask you something, Sakura-san. Do you have a moment? It's about Sudo's case."

Sakura: "S-sorry. I... I have plans so..."

Kushida: "Can you please make some time? This is important, so I'd like to talk to you. When Sudo-kun was involved in the incident, were you perhaps somewhere nearby?"

Sakura: "I-I don't know. I already told Horikita-san. I really don't know anything..."

Her words were weak, yet she vehemently tried to deny it.

Sakura: "So... is it okay? If I go back..." She whispered.

Kushida: "Can't you please spare a few minutes now?"

Sakura: "Wh-why though? I-I don't know anything..."

If Kushida failed, we'd gain nothing from their conversation. Of course, the longer the awkwardness dragged on, the more attention they'd attract. This seemed like a complete miscalculation on Kushida's part.

Sakura: "I'm really bad at being social. I'm sorry..." She muttered.

Sakura had clearly rejected Kushida. No... rather, it looked like she was running away.

Sakura: "G-goodbye."

She decided to run and snatched her digital camera from her desk, and started to walk away. Just then, she ran into a boy from our class.

Sakura: "Ah!"

Sakura's digital camera tumbled to the floor with a loud clack.

He simply kept walking, attention still focused on his phone. He apologized as he left. "My bad." He called.

Sakura, flustered, rushed to pick up her camera.

Sakura: "No way. There's nothing on the screen..."

She put her hand over her mouth in total shock. The camera seemed to have broken on impact.

Kushida: "I-I'm sorry. It's because I came up and talked to you so suddenly that..."

Sakura: "No, that's not it. I was just careless, that's all... Anyway, goodbye."

Kushida, unable to stop Sakura, could only watch her leave with regret.

--

And that's it for this chapter. This arc is going more slowly than I would like to, so I'll try to hurry the pace from now on.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed and remember to tell me what you think.

10- Allies

(Y/N) pov

After Sakura left in a hurry, the other students also left, leaving Horikita, Kushida, Sudo, Ike, Yamauchi and me in the classroom.

Sudo: "Why is a gloomy girl like her my witness? This sucks." He crossed his legs and leaned against the chair, sighing in exasperation.

Kushida: "Sorry... I couldn't convince her..." She said looking down.

Ike: "It's definetely not your fault, Kushida-chan!"

I looked around the classroom and Horikita noticed.

Horikita: "Looking for something?"

(Y/N): "It's just that all this seems weird to me."

Horikita: "Mmm?"

(Y/N): "Sudo's fight wasn't recorded by any security cameras, right?"

Horikita: "No, there aren't any security cameras in the building where the fight took place."

(Y/N): "That's weird. There are cameras everywhere." I said as I pointed at the ceiling of the classroom, where there was a security camera.

Everyone looked up

Yamauchi: "Wait, has that camera been there since the beginning? I haven't noticed."

Kushida: "That camera is well hidden, when did you notice, L/N-kun?"

(Y/N): "The day when Chabashira-sensei told us that we wouldn't get any points. She said the exact number of incidences that took place during that month. I thought that it would be impossible for her to know the exact number unless there was some kind of recording."

Ike: "That makes sense! I thought that Sae-chan-sensei was some kind of alien that could see everything around her or something."

Yamauchi: "I haven't dismissed that option yet..."

Horikita rolled her eyes and Sudo started to lose his patience.

I decided to go check something and picked my bag.

Horikita: "Are you going back to the dorms?"

(Y/N): "I was going to check something on my way back."

Horikita: "I'll go with you."

My eyes widened and I put my hand on her forehead, checking if she had a fever or something

Horikita: "...I'm not sick."

Ike: "Hey, that's not fair! You let L/N touch you but when I get closer you just hit me!"

Sudo: "L/N..."

A shiver ran down my spine and I suddenly felt the urge to leave as soon as possible. I looked at Kushida, waiting for her to do something, but she was just looking at me with a smile on her face. That wasn't a normal smile though.

Somehow I was more afraid of Kushida than Sudo.

As me and Horikita were leaving the classroom, one student called out to me.

"Sorry for interrupting, but can you come with me?"

I didn't know her at all, she looked like someone our age, so she was probably in one of the upper classes.

(Y/N): "Do I know you?"

She kept staring at me, but didn't answer.

Horikita: "You're from Class A, aren't you?"

As expected from Horikita, she paid more attention to students in other classes than in her own classmates.

The girl sighed and spoke

Kamuro: "My name is Kamuro Masumi."

That's a name that I had definetely not heard before. What did she want?

Kamuro: "Can you spare a little bit of your time, then?"

(Y/N): "Sorry, we are a bit occupied with matters inside our class."

My priority at that time was to make Horikita notice something related to Sudo's case, so I had to refuse.

Kamuro: "When will you have time?" She didn't seem to give up.

(Y/N): "I don't know, I can only say that I'm definetely not going to be able during this week."

Kamuro: "Next week, then?"

I nodded hesitantly.

Kamuro: "Okay. I'll be looking forward for it."

She turned around and left.

Horikita: "What was that?"

(Y/N): "No idea."

Horikita looked at me suspiciously

(Y/N): "I'm telling the truth, I literally just met her."

I had no idea what business Class A had with me, but I was sure that they didn't call me for something like 'You're in trouble, right? Don't worry, Class A will gladly help you!'

(Timeskip)

(Y/N): "It's hot..."

Horikita and I walked to the special building where the fight took place. There wasn't air conditioning like in the other buildings, so it was really hot there.

Horikita: "So, what did you want to check?"

I looked around, and as I suspected, there weren't any security cameras around.

(Y/N): "There aren't any..."

Horikita: "Security cameras? Yeah, it's weird." She said as she also looked around

(Y/N): "If there were cameras, we wouldn't be struggling like this."

As we were talking, I heard footsteps behind us. I turned back and saw someone who I didn't expect to be here at all.

Sakura: "A-ah..." Apparently she didn't expect us to be there either.

(Y/N): "Sakura?"

Sakura: "Ah, L/N-kun and Horikita-san. Well, you see... My hobby is taking pictures, so..."

She showed me her phone's screen. I hadn't really planned on asking for details. Sakura had probably though that we were returning to the dorms and was wondering why we were here.

(Y/N): "You said it's your hobby? What kind of pictures?"

Sakura: "Things like the hallway... and the view outside the window. Stuff like that, I guess..."

Horikita: "I have something I'd like to ask you, Sakura-san."

Sakura appeared uncomfortable, but Horikita, never one to pass up on opportunity, stepped closer to her. Sakura backed away, seemingly frightened. I tried to gently restrain Horikita, gesturing for her to stop chasing Sakura.

Sakura: "G-goodbye."

(Y/N): "Sakura." I called as she tried to hasten away. "You don't have to force yourself."

Sakura stopped, but didn't turn around.

(Y/N): "You shouldn't feel obligated to appear as the witness, Sakura. It'd be pointless to force you to testify. But if someone scary is trying to intimidate you or something, please talk to us. I have no idea how much I can help, but I'll try."

I said that without thinking. She was really shy, and I couldn't help but think that she was hiding something.

Horikita: "Are you talking about me?" She muttered.

Ignoring her, I decided to let Sakura go.

Sakura: "I didn't see anything. You've got the wrong person..."

(Y/N): "Then that's fine. However, if someone else tries to hound you about it, please tell me."

Sakura went meekly down the stairs.

Horikita: "That was probably our big shot, you know? She probably came here because she was still thinking about the incident."

(Y/N): "Since she denied it, we can't force her to do anything. Besides, you do understand, Horikita? A Class D witness wouldn't help our case much."

Horikita: "Yeah, I suppose."

Sakura would act according to her logic. However, I didn't know what in the world she was thinking. That was why our investigation was at a standstill.

"Hey, you two. What are you doing?"

We turned in response to the unexpected voice. A beautiful girl with strawberry-blonde hair stood behind us. I recognized her, though I hadn't ever spoken to her before. She was a student from Class B, Ichinose. Rumor had it that she was a superb student.

Ichinose: "Sorry for interrupting you like that. Do you have a moment? Oh, if you happen to be in the middle of a so-so date, though, I would like you to break it up right away."

(Y/N): "It's nothing like that."

Ichinose: "Ha ha, I see. This place is a little too hot to be a date spot."

I had no connection with Ichinose. I couldn't be sure, but she probably didn't even know my name. Was she a friend of Horikita or something? No, that's impossible.

Horikita: "Do you have some business with us?"

Horikita was on guard after Ichinose's sudden appearance. She probably didn't think that it was a coincidence Ichinose was trying to talk with us.

Ichinose: "Business, huh? Well, it's more like, 'What are you doing here?'"

(Y/N): "Nothing. We're just wandering around for no reason."

I would've liked to answer honestly, but the pressure of Horikita's gaze made me fib.

Ichinose: "For no reason, huh? You're from Class D, aren't you?"

Horikita: "Do you know us?"

Ichinose: "I've seen him talking with your homeroom teacher. I also saw you in the library once."

It seemed that she somehow remembered me. Perhaps I left a good impression on her.

Ichinose: "I have a good memory, you know."

Did she mean that if her memory weren't good, I wouldn't have much an impression? I'd been a little happy, but my levity died at her backhanded coment.

Ichinose: "I thought that surely there'd be something here related to the brawl. I wasn't there when Class B heard about the witness. Later, I heard that Class D was looking for evidence of Sudo's innocence and that someone in your class was attacked by three Class C's students, is he alright?"

Horikita: "He's just in front of you."

Ichinose looked at me.

Ichinose: "Oh, so you're L/N-kun?"

(Y/N): "Yeah."

Ichinose: "Are you okay? You must be nervous because of those guys in Class C, right?"

(Y/N): "Totally."

Ichinose: "I'm trying to join the student council, so if you have any problems with them in the future, be sure to tell me." She said with a smile.

(Y/N): "I'll keep that in mind." So she was trying to join the student council...

Horikita: "If we did happen to be here because of an investigation, what's your connection?"

Ichinose: "A connection? Well, I'm not connected. When I heard about what happened, I had some doubts. So I thought I'd come here myself to take a look. Would you mind filling me in?"

Was she really just simply interested? After a brief period of silence, Ichinose sheepishly spoke.

Ichinose: "Guess not, huh?"

(Y/N): "We're not saying no, but..."

Horikita:" I can't help but think there's an ulterior motive." Horikita snapped.

I'd tried to handle this situation peacefully, but Horikita had promptly obliterated that plan. Ichinose, sensing the hostility behind Horikita's words, tilted her head and smiled.

Ichinose: "Ulterior motive? You think we're working in the shadows to undermine both Class C and Class D?"

Horikita: "I don't want to talk with someone who is 'just curious'. Do what you want."

Horikita tried to put some distance between them. She peered out the window.

Ichinose: "Please tell me something. All my teachers and friends say that there was some kind of fight."

I hesitated briefly, but since there wasn't much information to be gained anyway, it may not have been worth keeping quiet, so I told her the situation.

Ichinose: "So that's what happened. This story hasn't made its way to Class B yet. Hey, isn't this a pretty big problem, though? Shouldn't you be hurrying to uncover the truth?"

(Y/N): "That's why we came here to look. But we haven't really found much."

Ichinose: "So you believe Sudo-kun because he's your classmate and friend, but what would you do if he was the liar? Suppose that evidence come out that proved his guilt. What then?"

(Y/N): "I'd report honestly. After all, covering for a lie would only come back to haunt us later."

Ichinose: "Yeah, okay. I think so too."

Even so, it wasn't like our struggles would have any impact on Ichinose.

Horikita: "Are you finished? You heard what you wanted." She spoke with a sigh, trying to drive Ichonose away.

Ichinose: "Hmm. Yeah, how about I help you out? To look for the witness, or whatever. You're bound to get further with more people, right?"

Obviously more people would have been better. That was true. However, it wasn't as though we'd gone up and said to her, "Please help us, we're in trouble!"

Horikita: "Why would a student from Class B offer to help?"

Ichinose: "Are Class D and Class B completely unrelated to each other? We don't know when these cases will spring up, or whom they'll involve. Since the classes are in constant competition, there's always the chance that this will happen. This was the merely first case. If the party that lied wins, that'd set up a bad precedent. Also, I personally can't turn away now that I know what happened."

I couldn't tell whether Ichinose was serious or joking.

Ichinose: "If Class B works with you, wouldn't that dramatically improve your credibility? Though I suppose that the opposite could be true, too. Class D may suffer greater consequences if the truth is uncovered..."

In other words, if Sudo lied, then that'd prove Class C's assertion. In that case, Sudo would unquestionably be suspended, and Class D might suffer fatal damages.

(Y/N): "What do you think? I don't believe it's a bad suggestion."

I glanced over to see what Horikita thought. However, she was still looking out the window, unmoving.

Horikita: "Let's accept her help, L/N-kun."

Horikita had made a decision, and Ichinose smiled, showing off her white teeth.

Ichinose: "Then it's decided! Umm..."

Horikita: "Horikita."

Ichinose: "It's nice to meet you, Horikita-san. And you too, L/N-kun."

We had unexpectedly made Ichinose of Class B an ally, but there was still the risk that this could lead to bad things.

(Timeskip)

Horikita and I were now heading back to the dorms. I couldn't wait to get back to my comfy, air conditioned dorm.

(Y/N): "Oh, just to check. Do you have one too? A spare key to my room?"

Horikita: "For your room? Ike-kun asked me earlier if I wanted one. I refused."

Just as I'd expect from her. It seemed that she was the only one with common sense.

Horikita: "L/N-kun, I want to hear your thoughts on Sudo-kun's case once again. Also, I find Kushida-san's actions a bit concerning."

She didn't trust Kushida yet, but I was sure that she wouldn't do anything against us. In fact, I didn't even have to ask for her help.

(Y/N): "I don't think that she will do anything against us."

Horikita: "Really now? So you're saying that she believes Sudo-kun and that she's just helping without any ulterior motive?"

(Y/N): "Kushida understands that Sudo has part of the fault, at least a little bit."

Horikita: "A little bit? So she realized it by herself, then?"

(Y/N): "Huh? Well, no, it..."

Horikita: "You knew that Sudo had also part of the fault and explained it to Kushida-san, didn't you? You're definetely smart, but you try to hide it."

She cornered me with her words. It was like being interrogated.

Horikita: "You came up with the idea of getting the old test questions, and purchasing exam points. I can't say I'm surprised. You do seem cunning at times, but... I'm dissatisfied."

Those who want to someday live honestly, must sometimes be cunning, too.

(Y/N): "Don't keep overestimating me." I replied.

Although it wasn't my intention, Horikita laughed. However, her smile immediately faded.

Horikita: "Honestly, there's so much about you that I don't understand. You're a mistery. You're the most difficult person to predict in our class. You're versatile, yet you often idle your time away. You never seem to stay still. It's as though you cannot be categorized."

(Y/N): "All of those are really questionable ways to describe someone..."

Horikita: "I guess what I should say is that you're just blending in hiding your true talents. You're hiding in plain sight."

(Y/N): "You're exaggerating. If all that was true, why am I in Class D, then? I'm just an average student trying to live his days peacefully."

Horikita hurried her pace and stood in front of me.

Horikita: "Why do you think you were placed in Class D, then?"

I shrugged.

(Y/N): "As most of our classmates, I have no idea." Horikita sighed in exasperation and gave up.

Of course, what I said was a lie.

I know myself better than anyone else.

I know how rotten I am inside.

If there's anyone who truly deserves to be in Class D, that's me.

11- A weird weekend

(Y/N) pov

There were four dorm buildings in our campus. Three were for students, who stayed in the various dorms to which they were assigned from first through third year. In other words, our dorm building this year was the same one where last year's third-year students had lived. The fourth building housed the instructors and school employees.

What I'm saying is that since all of the first year students lived in the same building, inevitably we would meet students from other classes. Someone entered my field of vision. Our eyes naturally met.

"Thank you very much. It's been a pleasure." The girl spoke this greatful words to the dormitory manager, then called out to me.

Ichinose: "Hey, L/N-kun! Good morning. You're early."

(Y/N): "I woke up a little earlier today. What were you talking about with the manager?" I asked.

Ichinose: "Some people from my class wanted to make requests about their dorms. I gathered everyone's thoughts on the matter and told the dorm manager. Stuff like water usage, noise and stuff."

(Y/N): "You did all that, Ichinose?"

I thought that individuals handled their own room issues. Why would Ichinose go through all that trouble?

"Good morning, Class Rep Ichinose!"

Two girls who were getting off the elevator called out to Ichinose. She greeted back.

(Y/N): "Class Rep? Why Class Rep?"

I hadn't heard of any "class rep" position before.

Ichinose: "I'm my class' representative. It seems like that, anyway."

(Y/N): "Your class' representative? Do all classes except for D have someone like that, too?"

Ichinose: "No, that's just something Class B set up on its own. I think it's good to have some assigned roles, right?"

(Y/N): "Seems like you have taken the lead of your class."

Without meaning to, I expressed my honest feelings.

Ichinose: "Do you think it's weird? It's all purely informal. Besides, there are quite a few troublemakers. We have to deal with a lot of stuff."

As she said "We have to deal with a lot of stuff" she laughed. The two of us started walking to school together.

Ichinose: "Aren't you usually a little late? This reminds me that I've never seen you around at this time."

(Y/N): "I guess I'm kind of a sleepyhead."

Ichinose laughed.

"Good morning, Ichinose!"

"Good morning, Ichinose-san!"

Ichinose, who was walking next to me, monopolized all the girls' attention.

(Y/N): "You sure are popular." I said.

Ichinose: "I just stand out because I'm the class rep. That's all."

It didn't seem like she was trying to act modest. Apparently that's how she truly thought. She had this charismatic force that pulled everyone's focus.

Ichinose: "Ah, that reminds me. Did you hear about summer break, L/N-kun?"

(Y/N): "Summer break? No. I mean, isn't it just summer break?"

Ichinose: "I've heard rumors that we might be taking vacation to a tropical island."

(Y/N): "Hmm..."

Ichinose: "I can't believe it, though. Could we really go on a vacation?"

I really didn't think our school was going to be so good to be true. They had to be keeping something from us.

Ichinose: "It's suspicious, after all. I think that it's going to be a turning point."

(Y/N): "In other words, you think that our class points could fluctuate wildly over summer break?"

Ichinose: "Yeah, yeah. I think there might be a hidden task, one that has bigger impact on us than the midterms or the final exams. Otherwise, the difference between Class A and us wouldn't close much."

(Y/N): "What's the difference between you and Class A?"

Ichinose: "We have 600 points, so our classes are around 400 points apart."

Class A really took the lead.

Ichinose stopped, almost as if she'd just remembered something.

Ichinose: "Hey... There's something I want to ask you, L/N-kun. Is that okay?"

(Y/N): "If it's something I can answer, I will."

Ichinose: "Has a girl ever confessed her feelings to you?"

That was a question that I didn't expect.

(Y/N): "There was... someone, yeah."

Ichinose: "Really? So you do have experience when it comes to romance, right?"

(Y/N): "...Not really."

Ichinose: "Huh?"

(Y/N): "I'd rather not talk about it."

Ichinose apologized and we kept walking.

(Y/N): "Did someone confess to you?"

Ichinose: "Huh? Yeah. Kind of."

I wasn't surprised, there were probably a lot of students willing to be her boyfriend, or girlfriend.

Ichinose: "Well, if you're okay with it, can you spare a little time after class? I have some questions about confessions."

(Y/N): "Sure, that's okay. I don't really have much to do."

Ichinose: "Thank you, I'll be waiting at the school entrance after class."

(Timeskip)

As the last bell rang, I walked to the entrance of the school building. There, I spotted Ichinose surrounded by other students.

I decided to wait for their conversation to end and leaned against the wall.

After a couple of minutes, Ichinose finally noticed me.

Ichinose: "Ah, L/N-kun! Over here!"

Pretending like I'd only just arrived, I casually raised my hand.

(Y/N): "So, what should I do next?"

Ichinose: "I plan to finish this as soon as possible. Follow me."

I put my shoes and followed Ichinose to the other side of the building. We arrived at the spot right behind the gymnassium.

Ichinose: "Now then..."

Ichinose took a breath, and faced me.

Ichinose: "I think..."

No way... Is she going to-?

Ichinose: "I think someone will confess their feelings to me here!"

(Y/N): "...Huh?"

With that, Ichinose took out a letter and showed it to me. It was a cute love letter adorned with a heart sticker. Although she wanted me to read it, it felt rude to look. The handwritting was pretty, much like the letter's exterior. The handwritting was cute, definetely not like a boy's.

I noticed something that concerned me. The meeting time and location were written in the letter. Friday at 4:00 pm, and it was already 3:50 pm.

(Y/N): "Wouldn't it be better if I weren't here?"

Ichiniose: "Love is kind of alien to me. I don't know how to respond without hurting her feelings. I also don't know if we can stay good friends afterwards. I want you to help me."

(Y/N): "...No one has ever confessed their feelings to you before her?"

Ichinose: "N-no." She answered and looked away flustered.

Does that mean that people was afraid of being rejected? I could understand that, but you never know until you try.

Ichinose: "So... Will you pretend to be my boyfriend?"

Ah... That old cliché...

(Y/N): "I understand that you don't want to hurt anyone, but won't it be worse if they found out you lied?"

Ichinose: "I could say that we broke up, or that you left me or something."

I didn't think that was the solution here...

(Y/N): "Honestly, I think it would be much better for you to talk with this person one-on-one. Truthfully."

Ichinose: "But- Ah!"

Ichinose seemed to have noticed something, and awkwardly raised her hand. Apparently the person in question had arrived earlier than expected.

"Um, Ichinose-san... Who is this person?"

The new girl seemed a bit unnerved by the unexpected appearence of a male student.

Ichinose: "This is L/N-kun, from Class D. I'm sorry for bringing someone that you don't know, Chihiro-chan."

Chihiro: "Is he by any chance... your boyfriend, Ichinose-san?"

Ichinose: "Ah, well..."

Ichinose probably meant to say yes, but the guilt over lying seemed to stop her.

Chihiro: "So why is this L/N-kun person here?"

Confused by this unexpected situation, Chihiro began to cry. Tears welled up her eyes.

Chihiro: "Um, do you mind going somewhere else, please? I have something important that I need to talk with Ichinose-san about."

Ichinose: "P-please wait a minute, Chihiro-san. That's, um... Well, to tell you the truth, L/N-kun is..."

Ichinose was trying to make the first move and turn her down. She probably thought it would be harder if Chihiro directly said, I like you.

Chihiro: "What is it?" She asked

Ichinose: "So, L/N-kun, he's... he's my-"

There was only one thing I could do in that situation.

(Y/N): "I'm just a friend."

I cut Ichinose off before she could finish.

(Y/N): "Ichinose, I don't think it's a good idea for you to call me here. In the end, you're just trying to avoid the problem."

Ichinose: "H-huh?"

(Y/N): "Confessing your feelings isn't easy, you know? Besides, you said that you were trying to join the student council, right? You're going to face lots of problems there, and you won't just be able to avoid them."

Ichinise looked at me, her face showing regret.

(Y/N): "You might think that the problem will just dissapear and everything will go back to normal, but that won't happen. It will come to haunt you down later. And then you will really regret not solving it from the beginning."

That's something that I sadly had to learn by myself.

I left before she could say anything, leaving the two of them alone. I decided to sit on a bench that was nearby.

A few minutes later, I saw Chihiro running while covering her face with her hands.

Ichinose came to me with a sad expression.

Ichiniose: "I was wrong. I didn't respect Chihiro-chan's feelings. I just wanted to avoid hurting her, and run away. That was my mistake. Love is really tough, huh?" She muttered and leaned against the handrail next to me.

(Y/N): "You made the right choice."

Ichinose: "I know, but... I asked her if we could carry on like usual... but I don't know if we can go back to how things were."

(Y/N): "That depends on you both."

Ichinose: "Yeah... Thanks for today. For coming along with me for such an odd request."

(Y/N): "It's okay. Days like this happen, anyway."

Ichinose: "I guess our positions got reversed, huh? I planned on helping you, but you ended up helping me."

(Y/N): "I'm sorry for acting so full of myself back there."

Ichinose blinked a couple of times, as if I'd said something odd.

Ichinose: "There's no need to apologize, L/N-kun. None at all."

She streched her arms towards the sky, and hopped off the railing.

Ichinose: "Now it's my turn to help you. If there's anything I can do, I will."

I wondered how Class B's Ichinose Honami planned to resolve this difficult situation. I had to admit, I was looking foward to it.

(Timeskip)

That evening I got a call as I was doing some online shopping. Caller ID displayed the name: Kushida Kikyou.

Kushida: "I'm sorry for calling you so late. You still up?"

(Y/N): "I was thinking of going to bed in a little bit. Did you need something?"

Kushida: "Sakura-san's digital camera was broken, right? I feel like I'm partially to blame since I made her so flustered. So I wanted to take responsability for that..."

(Y/N): "I don't think you should feel responsible, Kushida. Besides, she's going to get it fixed, right? Since it's so important to her, wouldn't she get it repaired no matter what?"

However, as I spoke I realized it probably wasn't that simple. Sakura was extremely inept at social interaction, and probably lacked the self-confidence to go to a store by herself.

(Y/N): "So, did you offer to help her?"

Kushida: "Yeah. She seemed a bit hesitant at first, but then said that she'd be fine with the day after tomorrow."

Kushida had done a wonderful job taking the proper first steps to earn Sakura's trust.

(Y/N): "But why are you telling me this? Won't it go more smoothly if it's just the two of you?"

Kushida: "Umm..."

There was a small silence.

Kushida: "I mean, you did say that you wanted to make friends, right? I think that if our classmates saw you hanging out their impression of you might change."

Was she trying to help me socialize? Wait, what was their impression of me in the first place?

(Y/N): "Well, if you don't mind I guess I can tag along."

Kushida: "Sure! I'll see you on Sunday then."

With that, we ended the call.

(Timeskip)

On Sunday afternoon I went to the shopping mall to meet Kushida. For someone who generally spent his weekends lounging in his room, this place made me nervous.

Kushida: "Good afternoon!"

I turned around and spotted Kushida, with a big smile on her face.

(Y/N): "H-hello."

I had already seen Kushida wearing her casual clothes, but I couldn't get used to it. She was really cute.

Kushida approached me and checked me out all over.

Kushida: "You finally bought casual clothes."

I actually had a hard time choosing what to buy. The fact that I didn't have many points didn't help either.

In the end I chose a blue, short-sleeved jacket and jeans.

(Y/N): "I don't have a good fashion sense, but I couldn't buy anything expensive with my points anyway."

Kushida: "Y-you actually look good."

Her cheecks redened and probably mine did too.

(Y/N): "T-thank you."

After a really awkward silence, I decided to change the subject.

(Y/N): "Anyway, where's Sakura?"

Sakura: "Um... hello."

I heard a low voice and looked behind me.

Kushida: "Hello, Sakura-san. H-how long have you been there?"

Sakura: "I'm sorry, I don't stand up much, I suppose... Good afternoon."

(Y/N): "No, I don't think you blend in to much. I definetely felt your presence."

Sakura: "Oh, you don't need to say that for my sake, L/N-kun."

Sakura bowed her head apologetically, and slowly straightened.

Sakura: "So anyway, about my digital camera. Is it okay if we go to the electronics store in the mall?"

(Y/N): "Well, yes. We did certainly come to get the camera fixed."

Sakura: "I'm sorry... for making you come along with me."

Sakura bowed apologetically, as though begging for forgiveness from the bottom of her heart. For some reason, I felt sorry for coming here.

(Timeskip)

There were some incredibly famous, nationally known stores that did business with our school. Even though their customers were only students and the stores themselves weren't to big, they sold ítems for everyday use and electronic appliances.

Kushida: "Let's see, I'm sure that they have a repair counter somewhere. Let's check it out."

Sakura: "I wonder if they'll fix it right away..."

Sakura looked rather anxious as she took out her digital camera and held it tight.

(Y/N): "You really love your camera, don't you?"

Sakura: "Yeah. It's weird, isn't it?"

(Y/N): "No, not at all. It's a good hobby to have, isn't it? I feel like there's a great story attached to that camera. It'd be great if they fix it soon."

Sakura: "Yeah."

Kushida: "There it is! The repairs counter."

Sakura: "Ah..."

For some reason, Sakura suddenly stopped in her tracks. When I glanced over her, I noticed that she looked scared.

Kushida: "What's the matter, Sakura-san?"

Sakura: "Ah, umm... Well..."

It looked like she was about to say something but in the end she shook her head.

Sakura: "It's nothing."

She started walking toward the counter. Kushida and I exchanged looks, but decided to follow her.

Kushida talked to the store clerk and asked him to repair the digital camera. Meanwhile, I checked out the appliances on display.

As they were talking, the store clerk appeared to be pretty fired up. He aggressively enganged Kushida in conversation, without even pausing for a breath. Kushida looked quite uncomfortable.

Kushida, trying to end the conversation as soon as possible, urged Sakura to hand over the camera. When the store clerk opened up the camera, he saw that part of it had been damaged from the fall. Fortunately, because Sakura still had the warranty card, the ítem could be repaired for free.

Sakura only had to fill out her contact information, but her hand suddenly stopped as she filled out the form.

Kushida: "Sakura-san?"

Kushida, thinking that something strange was going on, called out to her. The store clerk now stared directely at Sakura. She seemed to be hesitating for some reason.

(Y/N): "Can I see it for a second?"

Sakura: "Huh?"

Standing next to Sakura, I reached for the pen she was holding. She didn't seem to understand why I wanted it, but she anxiously handed it over.

(Y/N): "When the repairs are finished, please contact me."

"H-hey, wait a minute. Contact you? She's the owner, isn't she? That would be..."

(Y/N): "The manufacturer warranty explicity shows where the ítem was sold and the date of purchase. Also, I doubt there'd be any legal problems."

Before the clerk said anything else, I'd entered my name and my dorm room number into the required fields.

(Y/N): "Or is there a reason why she specifically has to enter her information?"

"N-no, not at all. I understand. There's nothing to worry about."

Sakura gently patted her chest and sighed in relief. Shortly after, we left the store.

Kushida: "That clerk sure was something else. He talked with such incredible passion, I was just so shocked."

Sakura: "Didn't you feel kind of disgusted?"

Kushida: "N-no, I wasn't disgusted by him. Do you know something? About the clerk?"

Sakura gave a meek nod.

Sakura: "What do you think, L/N-kun?"

(Y/N): "Well, he had this sort of vibe, like he's kind of hard to approach. Especially for girls."

Sakura: "That was what I was trying to get at before... I was scared to go to the repair shop alone because of that..."

Kushida seemed to notice something and looked at me with wide eyes.

Kushida: "Did you know about this?"

(Y/N): "I just thought that she might be reluctant to give her adress or cell phone number."

Sakura: "Th- thank you, L/N-kun. You really... saved me."

(Y/N): "Nah, I didn't do anything. I just wrote down my adress."

Sakura still thanked me and we kept walking.

(Y/N): "Oh, hey. Sorry to ask, but since we're here, is it okay if I look around the store?"

Kushida: "Was there something you wanted?"

(Y/N): "The two of you can wander around, if you want."

Kushida: "I think we'll come in, too. Right?"

Sakura: "S-sure. After all, I feel bad you both had to come with me..."

I didn't exactly wanted them there, but they'd decided to come along. When I looked at them walk side by side, I realized that they'd managed to grow closer in just one day.

Since they seemed to be having a girl talk, I decided to leave them alone and went to look for what I wanted. I went to my phone's contacts. I selected the name "Sotomura". He's a good friend of Ike and Yamauchi.

(Y/N): "Hey, Proffesor, do you have a minute?"

Sotomura: "Hmm? It's rare to get a call from you, L/N. What do you need?"

Sotomura's nickname was Proffesor, which made it sound like he was rather intelligent. In reality, he was just a huge otaku. He gathered information daily, spinning a wide variety of topics, from dating sims to anime and manga.

(Y/N): "Proffesor, did you buy your laptop computer from the school, with your points?"

Sotomura: "Yes, it costed me 80,000 points. But what of it?"

(Y/N): "I'm looking for something."

I explained him what I was looking for.

Sotomura: "L/N. Though I am considerably well-versed in that particular electronic field..."

(Y/N): "It's okay if you don't know."

Sotomura: "Please wait, I do know. In fact, I have two of them at my parents' home."

(Y/N): "No way! You've had them since junior high? Isn't that bad?"

Sotomura: "Do not misunderstand me. They were only for experimentation, for the sake of my language studies."

(Y/N): "Well, could I trouble you to help me set it up?"

Sotomura: "Puh. Leave it to me. I'm sure that someday I will have something to ask you in return."

Clearly, he was the man for the job. When entering a subject that I didn't understand, it was important to find an expert.

"Oh, hey L/N-kun. What are you doing there?"

When I finished the call, I heard a voice behind me.

As I turned around, I spotted three girls of my class.

(Y/N): "O-oh, hey." I awkwardly greeted them back.

Damn it! Come on, you're better than that!

They were Sinohara, Satou and another girl whose name was Matsushita, if I remember correctly.

Sinohara: "Did you come here to buy something?"

(Y/N): "I was just looking around, I came here to accompany someone."

Matsushita: "Uh? Are you on a date? I bet it's Horikita-san, right?"

(Y/N): "What? No way."

Satou: "Really? But you spend a lot of time with her, right? You even walked with her back to the dorms the other day..." She said with a grin.

(Y/N): "How do you...? Nevermind. Does she look like someone who spends her free time with other people, anyway? There's no way she would accept to come to the mall."

Sinohara: "Huh? So you do know her pretty well."

How did I even end up like that? A few days ago no one would approach me except for Kushida, Horikita and the three idiots.

(Y/N): "Anyway, you three also came here to buy?" I tried to change the subject and actually keep a normal conversation.

Satou: "We were going to see the new movie that came out yesterday."

Sinohara: "Don't try to change the subject, though." She said with a grin.

(Y/N): "... I don't like being interrogated."

Satou: "If it's not Horikita-san, who is it then?"

(Y/N): "Why are you so interested? I already said it's not a date."

Apparently girls were really interested in things related to romance.

As I was thinking of something to run away of that awkward situation, Kushida and Sakura came.

Kushida: "Oh, there you are L/N-kun. Where did you go?"

The other three saw Kushida and happily started to talk with her. I sighed and quietly went a few steps back, hoping for them to forget that I was there.

Sakura: "L/N-kun, y-you're quite popular, right?"

(Y/N): "No way, I barely made any friends since I joined the school."

We stayed silent for a few seconds until Sakura spoke again.

Sakura: "I... I lied."

(Y/N): "Hmm?"

Sakura: "I-I did see Sudo-kun's fight, but... I was afraid to say it..."

Apparently Sakura finally decided to confess.

Sakura: "Umm... What do you think would be the best to do, L/N-kun?"

(Y/N): "I think that you should do what you want, Sakura."

She probably wanted more concrete guidance, but that was the best I could do.

Sakura: "I see. Well, I suppose it's probably bothersome to ask you for help like that... I'm just no good. It's probably why I can't even make a single friend myself."

Sakura shrugged and smiled bitterly. She seemed disgusted with herself.

(Y/N): "Sakura, I think that you will be able to make friends with someone in no time."

Sakura looked up at me.

(Y/N): "It might be presumptuous for me to say this, but I think that we're like friends. We are."

Sakura: "We're friends? Really?" She whispered.

(Y/N): "If you don't think so, Sakura, then that's different."

Sakura: "No... It does make me happy... to hear you say that." She replied while looking somewhat perplexed.

(Y/N): "If you want a piece of advice, I can tell you this. For Sudo. For Kushida. For your classmates. Throw all of those thoughts away."

Sakura: "Huh? Throw them all away?"

(Y/N): "If you decide to testify, you will do it for yourself. As someone who tells the truth of what she saw, as a witness."

Sakura looked surprised, she probably didn't expect me to say something like that.

(Y/N): "Tell the truth for your own sake. Do that, and Sudo will be saved. That's enough."

I didn't know how effective my advice would be, it was probably just meaningless blather, actually. But perhaps it was right to encourage Sakura to speak for herself. Maybe I did it because I understood how it felt to be wanted. Because I needed someone to know I understood the pain and anguish of battling lonliness.

Sakura: "Thank you, L/N-kun."

Hopefully, my words had found purchase somewhere in Sakura's heart.

12- Trial

(Y/N) pov

One day before the trial. Somehow, Sakura decided to testify, which boosted our class' confidence. However, we still didn't have definitive evidence.

(Y/N): "So hot..."

As I exited the dorms, I was welcomed with a really hot breeze. Global warming sucks.

I glanced over a group of students that were near the bulletin board. There, I saw a paper which said that they were looking for people who had information related with Sudo's case.

(Y/N): "This-"

It seems that somebody was trying to help.

Ichinose: "Good morning, L/N-kun!"

(Y/N): "Did you post this?"

Ichinose also looked at the paper.

Ichinose: "Hmm. I didn't think of this method."

(Y/N): "Huh? This wasn't you?"

Ichinose: "No, it was probably- Ah, there he is! Good morning, Kanzaki-kun."

Ichinose waved at a male student that was passing by. He approached us.

Ichinose: "Was it you, Kanzaki-kun?"

"Yeah. I posted it on Friday. Is there something wrong?"

Ichinose: "Oh, no. My friend here just wanted to know who did it. Ah, I'll introduce you two. L/N-kun, this is Kanzaki-kun, from my class."

(Y/N): "Nice to meet you, Kanzaki."

He was tall and had a stiff demeanor, but still looked like a serious student.

Ichinose: "Ah!"

(Y/N): "What's the matter?"

Ichinose: "It looks like I just got two messages regarding the post. There might be a little information."

Ichinose checked her phone and smiled.

She showed me her phone so I could also see.

Ichinose: "Apparently Ishizaki-kun from Class C was violent back in middle school and had had many fights with the locals."

Kanzaki: "Interesting."

Ichinose: "Anyway, we'll have to transfer points over to anyone who provides information. Ah, but this person did it anonymously, how can I transfer the points?"

(Y/N): "I know how."

Ichinose suddenly drew close and handed me her phone. Apparently, she didn't know about personal space. Not that I complained.

I transfered the anonymous person their points, but I saw something that shocked me.

Ichinose: "Thank you!" She said as I gave the phone back.

(Y/N): "..."

Ichinose had over 2 million private points. How was that even possible? Apparently she was going to be a great obstacle for Horikita.

(Timeskip)

In the afternoon, I returned to my dorm and watched TV. The doorbell rang and I checked who it was.

Kushida, Ike and Yamauchi were there. Apparently it was time for another of our 'group's' reunion.

Ike: "So. Has there been any progress, Kushida-chan?"

Kushida: "Yes. But I have also found something incredible. L/N-kun, can I use your computer?"

(Y/N): "Sure." Kushida went to my desktop computer.

Kushida: "Okay. Have a look at this!"

Kushida accessed somebody's blog.

Yamauchi: "Isn't that Shizuku?"

(Y/N): "Shizuku?"

Yamauchi: "She's an idol who has been featured in a men's magazine."

Certainly, I couldn't complain about her looks.

Kushida: "Do you recognize her?"

Ike: "Am I supposed to know her?"

Kushida: "Take a closer look."

Kushida clicked on another picture. Ike looked at her for a while and then...

Ike: "She's cute."

Kushida: "No, not that! This is Sakura-san, right?"

Ike: "Huh? Sakura? No way, no way." Ike laughed, but Yamauchi's had a serious expression.

Yamauchi: "Hey, Ike... You know, I think that she does look like Sakura.."

Ike: "But her hair is different, and she isn't wearing glasses."

(Y/N): "You can't just identify someone like that..."

After taking a closer look, I realized that this was definetely Sakura.

Ike: "Come on, Sakura can't be Shizuku. Look how happy and bright Shizuku is. Right, L/N?"

(Y/N): "No, Kushida is right. Look."

I pointed to one of the pictures.

(Y/N): "You can barely see it, but the door to her dorm room is in this picture."

Yamauchi: "It's like the doors in our dorms."

Apparently she took that photo in the dorms of the school.

(Y/N): "Good job, Kushida." If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't notice that Sakura was actually an idol.

Ike: "So we have a gravure idol in our class? That's great!"

Yamauchi: "Shizuku disappeared when she started to become popular, though. I wonder why."

To be honest, if someone came to me and told me that Sakura was an idol I wouldn't believe them. I wonder why did she have this double life.

(Timeskip)

Finally, the day of the trial came. As I entered the classroom, I saw Sakura sitting alone.

(Y/N): "Is everything okay?

Sakura: "Yeah, I'm fine."

(Y/N): "Don't forget what I told you the other day. Testify for your own sake."

Sakura: "Yeah, I'll be okay."

(Timeskip)

As the last bell rang, Horikita and I stood up.

Horikita: "Are you ready, Sudo-kun?"

Sudo: "Yeah... I was born ready."

As if he was preparing for what was to come, Sudo closed his eyes and folded his arms.

Sudo: "You might call me a complete idiot and make fun of me, but that's just how I am. If you have something to say, say it now."

Horikita: "Stay quiet and don't lose your temper. Listening is the wise thing to do right now."

Sudo: "Ugh, why do you always have to act so high and mighty?"

They looked like cats and dogs fighting. However, Sudo definetely didn't hate Horikita.

Hirata: "Do your best, Horikita-san, Sudo-kun."

Horikita didn't even bother to respond. Sudo rased his fist to show resolve. Meanwhile, I approached Sakura to see if she was okay.

Sakura: "Yeah... I'm okay. Thank you..."

Sakura was far tenser that I'd expected.

Horikita: "Let's go. We'll make a bad impression if we're late."

When the four of us got to the faculty room, a teacher waved at us..

Hoshinomiya: "Yahoo! Hello, Class D students!" The homeroom teacher for Class B greeted us with her usual smile.

Hoshinomiya: "It seems that something incredible has happened, right?"

Her eyes sparkled, as if she enjoyed sticking her nose into other people's business. Well, she did.

Chabashira: "What are you doing this time?" Chabashira-sensei muttered.

Hoshinomiya: "Aw... You got me."

Chabashira-sensei glared over at Hoshinomiya-sensei.

Chabashira: "The moment you sneak out, that's around the time I start to feel suspicious."

Hoshinomiya gave a cute wink.

Hoshinomiya: "Can I join you guys?"

Chabashira: "Of course you can't. You know that the rules don't let outsiders participate."

Hoshinomiya: "Aw, that's too bad. Well, whatever. The results should be out in an hour."

Chabashira-sensei pushed Hoshinomiya-sensei back into the faculty room.

Chabashira: "Well then, shall we be going? The sudent council president is waiting for us."

Horikita froze as soon as she heard the words 'student council president'. Chabashira-sensei glanced sharply at Horikita.

Chabashira: "You still have time to leave, Horikita."

Horikita: "I'll go. I'm fine."

Everyone started walking.

(Y/N): "This isn't good..."

--

We entered the room. Inside, long tables had been arranged in rectangular formation. Three students form Class C had already arrived and were seated. Beside them sat a bespectacled male teacher in his 30s.

Chabashira: "Sorry we are late."

"It's before the scheduled start time. There's no need for apoligies."

Chabashira: "Have you already met?" She asked while glancing at us.

Sudo, Horikita and I didn't know the teacher.

Chabashira: "This is Sakagami-sensei, the homeroom teacher for Class C. Now then."

One lone male student seated in the back of the room attracted everyone's attention.

Chabashira: "This is the student council president."

Horikita's older brother, without so much as even a glance at his sister, pored over the documents at his desk. Horikita looked at him, but after noticing that he wasn't paying attention to her, she lowered her eyes and sat down in front of the Class C students.

Manabu: "Well then, I would now like to discuss the violent incident that occured last week with the members of the student council, the involved parties, and their homeroom teacher. You may begin proceedings, student council secretary Tachibana."

Secretary Tachibana, who I'd met the other day, gave a slight bow.

Chabashira: "Of course, considering the magnitude of this dispute, there are times when the student council president will take over. There are several unusual things about this incident. Other than that, the proceedings will be handled only by Tachibana, as usual."

Manabu: "Because I'm quite busy, there are certain agenda topics upon which I will defer. As a general rule, though, I would prefer to attend to these issues, as I'm entrusted to lead this student council."

Chabashira: "So, this is all by chance?" She smiled as she said that, but Horikita's older brother never wavered.

Manabu: "Exactly. Well then, Tachibana. You may begin."

Secretary Tachibana summarized the situation from both sides in an easy-to-understand manner.

Sudo: "What those guys said was a lie. I was the one that got called over to the special building. That day, after practice, Komiya and Kondou asked me to go to the special building."

Normally, Horikita would have been disgusted by his casual way of speaking, but judging from her trembling she didn't hear him at all.

Komiya: "That's a lie, Sudo-kun called us over to the special building."

Sudo: "Don't screw with me, Komiya! You were the one who called me, you jerk!"

Sudo, irritated, impulsively struck his desk. Immediate silence followed.

Tachibana: "Please calm down, Sudo-kun. Right now, we're merely listening to what both parties have to say. Komiya-kun, we ask you to please show some restraint, and not interrupt."

Sudo: "Puh... Fine."

I felt the stare from Horikita's brother. Was he expecting me to do something?

Tachibana: "Both parties insist that the other called them over, so the accounts conflict. However, the stories share some commonality. There was a dispute between Sudo-kun, Komiya-kun and Kondou-kun, correct?"

Komiya: "I wouldn't call it a dispute. Sudo-kun's always picking fights with us."

Tachibana: "Picking fights?"

Komiya: "Sudo's better at basketball than we are, so he's always bragging about it. We practice with everything we've got, but it doesn't exactly feel good when he makes fools out of us. So we often butt heads."

I didn't really know the details of Sudo's club activities, but when I saw veins popping on his forehead, it was rather obvious that they were lying. Tachibana asked if Sudo had something to say.

Sudo: "Not one bit of what Komiya said was true. Those guys are just jealous of my talent. When I practice, they constantly get in my way. That's the truth."

Naturally, both sides claimed that the other party was at fault.

Tachibana: "Both sides have given their grievances, but now we have to come to a judgement with the collected evidence."

Komiya: "Sudo-kun beat us senselees. It was a one-sided fight."

Sudo: "That's a lie. They attacked me first. It was self-defense."

(Y/N): "Hey, Horikita." I whispered to her, who remained mute and kept her head down. Clearly, this situation was really bad.

Tachibana: "If Class D has no further proof to offer, would you mind if we continued the proceedings?"

Silence.

Manabu: "It would seem there's no objection, given the arguments we've heard this far." The student council president finally spoke. It looked like he wanted to draw a conclusion as soon as possible.

I might get killed for this, but...

I slowly got up from my chair and stood behind Horikita. I streched my arms out and grasped her sides as hard as I could.

Horikita: "Hyah?!" She cried out in an abnormally girlish voice. Since she hadn't yet regained her sanity, I grabbed more forcefully and tickled her.

Horikita: "W-wait. S-stop, stop!"

No matter how upset or dazed a person was, if you stimulated the body enough, they'd come back to their senses. Even if they didn't like it. Everyone looked shocked at me.

I could have stopped by now, but seeing Horikita's expression change between laughter and murderous looks was really funny. Plus, she's always making fun of me, so this was a personal payback.

When I believed I'd roused her enough, I let go. Horikita, looking like she was about to cry, glared at me with startling intensity.

(Y/N): "Get a grip of yourself, Horikita. We're going to lose at this rate."

Horikita: "Tch..."

She sighed and looked at her brother.

Horikita: "Excuse me. May I ask a question?"

Tachibana: "Do you mind, president?"

Manabu: "I'll allow it. However, please answer more quickly next time."

Horikita slowly rose out of her chair.

Horikita: "Earlier, you said that Sudo-kun called you over to the special building. But who exactly did he call, and why?"

Komiya and the other Class C students looked at one another, as if saying, Why is she asking that question now?

Horikita: "Please answer."

Komiya: "Kondou and I don't know why he called us over. When we'd just finished up for the day and were changing, he said he wanted to talk to us for a minute. Wasn't the reason just that he didn't like us?"

Horikita: "So then, why exactly were you in the special building, Ishizaki-kun? You're not on the basketball team, so you have no connection to this case. I'd think your presence there would be rather odd."

Ishizaki: "That's... I came as a precaution. There were rumors that Sudo was violent. He's also in better shape than we are, physically. I had to go, didn't I?"

Horikita: "So in other words, you felt that the situation might turn violent?"

"Yeah." They answered in unison, almost as if they'd expected these questions.

Horikita: "I do have some knowledge of martial arts, if only to a certain extent. I understand that when you're fighting against multiple enemies, victory becomes exponentially more difficult. So I don't understand how you were defeated so handily, how the fight could be so one-sided, when you had a skilled fighter like Ishizaki-kun with you."

Komiya: "Because we didn't intend to fight."

Manabu: "Are you finished with your claims now, Class D?" He said coolly.

Horikita: "It's true that Sudo injured the other students. However, Class C started the fight. There is one student witness who saw the entire incident and can atest to this."

Sakura, looking worried and restless, walked into the student council room. She looked down at her feet, as if scared of danger.

Sakagami: "I thought I'd heard something or other about a witness, but you're a Class D student?" He snickered while wipping his glasses.

Chabashira: "Is there a problem, Sakagami-sensei?"

Sakagami: "No, no, please. Go ahead."

Tachibana: "You may begin your testimony if you don't mind, Sakura-san."

Sakura: "Y-yes, okay... Well... I..."

She stopped speaking. A period of silence followed. Ten seconds. Twenty seconds. Sakura steadily looked further downward, and her face became increasingly pale.

Horikita: "Sakura-san..." Her words didn't seem to reach her.

Sakagami: "Apparently she didn't witness anything. More of this would just be a waste of time."

This teacher was getting on my nerves, so I decided to speak.

(Y/N): "Why are you in such a hurry, Sakagami-sensei?"

He looked at me and frowned a bit, but I ignored him. I glanced at Sakura and she noticed. She looked at me and took a deep breath.

Sakura: "I... I definetely saw what happened! The students in Class C threw the first punch. There's no mistake about that!"

Sakura's words had a force that belied the image she'd presented at first.

Sakagami: "Excuse me, but may I ask something?"

Tachibana: "Normally, teachers are asked to speak as little as possible, but this situation is just too pitiful. Student council president, do you mind?"

Manabu: "I'll allow it."

Sakagami: "In regards to what you've said, Sakura-kun, I do not necessarily doubt you. However, I have one thing to ask. You've stepped forward to testify as a witness, but you were rather late in doing so. May I ask why? I would think if you really did see something, you would have come forward much earlier."

Sakura: "That's... Well, that's... I didn't want to get involved..."

Sakagami: "Why didn't you want to get involved?"

Sakura: "Because I'm not very good at talking with other people..."

Sakagami: "Is that so? I think that Class D secretly put a story together and are having you act as a false witness."

After conferring together, the Class C students answered that they'd thought so, too.

Sakura: "That's... I'm just... telling the truth..."

Sakagami: "No matter how poor your communication skills might be, I can see you haven't testified with much confidence. Is that because you're tormented with guilt, because you know what you are saying is actually a lie?"

Sakura: "N-no, that's not it..."

Oi... That teacher is doing all the work for that idiots... Couldn't Chabashira-sensei lend a hand, too?

I glanced over Chabashira-sensei, but she didn't look like she would do anything.

Sakagami: "I'm not blaming you. You were probably forced to lie for your classmates, right? I bet that Sudo-kun and L/N-kun threatened you and-"

Great, now I'm the bad guy.

Sakura: "No!"

Sakagami: "Huh?"

Sakura: "L/N-kun would never do something like that! I came here because I wanted to!"

Sakura had her eyes closed while she said that, apparently Sakagami-sensei's coment made her angry. What was this happiness that I felt for a second there?

Sakura: "If you want proof... I'll give it to you!"

Sakagami-sensei froze in response to Sakura's words.

Sakagami: "Please, let's not force this situation to continue. If there really was evidence, you would have presented it at an earlier stage-"

Sakura loudly slammed her hand on the desk and threw down what looked to be a few small, rectangular pieces of paper.

Sakagami: "What are those?"

Because she'd produced something other than words, Sakagami-sensei's expression stiffened for the first time.

Sakura: "This is proof that I was in the special building that day!"

Tachibana walked over to Sakura. Though she hesitated at first, she then reached for the paper. No, those weren't pieces of paper like I'd thought. They were photos.

Tachibana: "President."

After looking at the photographs, Tachibana handed them over to the student council president. Horikita's older brother, after looking at the pictures for some time, laid them out on the desk so that we could see. We saw Sakura in those pictures, but this Sakura wore a lovely expression that looked both similar and dissimilar to the Sakura with us now. It was the idol, Shizuku.

Sakura: "I'm... I was looking for places where no one was around so I could take pictures of myself. The pictures also show the date and time, which proves that I was there when I said."

We began to see changes in the three Class C students, who up until now had been playing the part of victims. They were visibly shaking.

Sakagami: "What did you use to take this photos?"

Sakura: "A digital... camera."

Sakagami: "You can alter the date rather easily with a digital camera, though."

Manabu: "But Sakagami-sensei, don't you think this photo is different?" He slid one of the photos we hadn't seen yet, and handed it to the teacher.

Sakagami: "Th-this?!"

The photo showed the fight itself; clearly there was no need to nitpick the time. The setting sun bathed the hallway in dusky light. The picture seemed to show what had happened immediately after Sudo hit Ishizaki.

Sakura: "I think that you'll believe I was there after seeing... this."

Horikita: "Thank you, Sakura-san."

This picture had absolutely saved Horikita as well. We were in an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation.

Sakagami: "I see. Well, you do seem to be telling the truth about witnessing the incident. That much I simply must accept. However, I can't ascertain how the situation started from the picture. This doesn't prove that you saw the entire incident."

It was certainly true that this picture made it look like the fight had already ended. We couldn't call this definitive evidence.

Sakagami: "So, what do you think, Chabashira-sensei? Why not look for a compromise here?"

Chabashira: "Compromise?"

Sakagami: "I'm convinced that Sudo lied in his testimony."

Sudo: "You jerk!" Sudo stood up, looking ready to fly out of his chair, but finally grabbed hold of his own hands and pinned himself down.

Sakagami: "No matter how long we go back and forth, we'll never reach an agreement. I do think that the students from Class C are responsible for some of the blame here. So how about two weeks of suspension for Sudo-kun, and one week of suspension for my students? The weight of the punishment is different, of course, but I think that matches the difference in sustained injuries."

Horikita's older brother stayed silent as he listened to Sakagami-sensei. It seemed that Class C was willing to compromise only halfway.

Sudo: "Don't screw around! This isn't a joke!" He raged.

Sakagami: "Chabashira-sensei, what do you think?"

Chabashira: "We seem to have already reached a logical conclusion. There's no reason to refuse Sakagami-sensei's proposal."

His proposal was certainly a reasonable compromise. I looked at Horikita to see what she thought.

(Y/N): "Horikita, are we really out of options?"

Horikita: "..."

Horikita didn't respond. Well, did she even have any words left?

(Y/N): "I'm not very smart, so I can't really come up with a solution. I do, however, think that we should accept the compromise that you have offered us, Sakagami-sensei."

Sakagami: "Right." He replied with a smile, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

Horikita cast her eyes down. I wondered what she was thinking. If she gave up here, that would be a great disappointment.

Sakagami: "So that's it, yes? Well, Class D representative Horikita-san. Please give your opinion on the matter."

Horikita: "I understand..." She answered, slowly looking back up.

Sudo: "Horikita!" He cried. It was the roar from a man who, more than anyone else, did not want to admit defeat.

Horikita: "I think that Sudo, who caused the incident, has a problem. He doesn't ever stop to consider his actions, which inconveniences everyone around him."

Sudo: "H-hey!"

Horikita: "You need to understand, Sudo-kun. Your attitude caused all of this."

Sakagami: "A very honest answer. The matter seems settled, wouldn't you say?"

Tachibana: "Thank you very much. Please, take your seat now." She said to Horikita.

Horikita didn't sit back down.

Horikita: "He should reflect on his actions. However, not in this particular case. In regards to this incident, I don't think that Sudo-kun did anything wrong. I'm convinced that this was a deliberate move made by Class C. I have absolutely no intention of meekly accepting defeat."

Manabu: "So then... What do you mean?" Horikita's older brother looked at his sister for the first time.

Horikita: "If you did not understand, I will say it once again. We claim that Sudo-kun is completely innocent. Therefore, we cannot accept his suspension from school, even just for one day."

Ishizaki: "Ha ha... What can I even say? We did this intentionally? What a bizarre claim. Apparently the student council president's young sister can't help but spew nonsense."

Horikita: "Sudo-kun is the victim, just as the witness testified. Please do not make any errors in your judgement."

The Class C students began to shout insistently

Sudo: "Don't screw around! I'm the victim here!"

Sudo, compilled by the shouting, raised his own voice again.

Manabu: "That's enough. Continuing this discussion would just be a waste of time."

He looked at us with a sharp gleam in his eyes.

Manabu: "What I've learned today is that each side has an exact opposite claim. In that case, one side is propagating an extremely malicious falsehood. I'll ask you, Class C. Have you lied to us today?"

Ishizaki: "Of... of course not!"

Manabu: "Well, what about you, Class D?"

Horikita: "I haven't lied. Everything we've said has been the truth."

Manabu: "Then, we will regroup here for a retrial tomorrow at 4:00 pm. If by then it hasn't been clearly established which party has lied, we will pass judgement based on the evidence we have. We may have to consider the posibility of an expulsion too. That is all."

We were told to leave. Everyone looked dissatisfied as they exited the student council office. Sakagami-sensei approached Sakura, who seemed to be on the verge of tears. He said something very cold to her.

Sakagami: "I want you to reflect on the fact that many students will be involved in this due to your lies. Also, if you think that we'll go easy on you if you start crying, then I am afraid you are being foolish. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Sakagami-sensei and his students left, leaving those words hanging in the air.

(Y/N): "I tried my absolute hardest to speak up during the discussion, but do we even have a chance, Horikita?"

Horikita: "I won't give up. I will keep fighting to support Sakura-san's testimony until the end."

(Y/N): "You understand that we won't solve this problem just by being stubborn. Won't that just hurt more people in the process?"

Horikita: "I have no intention of losing. Well then, I must excuse myself."

With that, Horikita turned and left. Sudo followed, leaving Sakura and I alone.

Sakura: "I'm sorry, L/N-kun... If I'd only stepped forward in the very beginning, everything would have been fine, but... Everything turned out this way because I didn't have the courage."

(Y/N): "It would have ended the same way even if you had stepped forward at the beginning."

Sakura: "But..."

Manabu: "You're still here?"

Horikita's older brother and Tachibana came out the student council room. Tachibana began locking the door with a key.

Manabu: "What are you planning to do?"

(Y/N): "What do you mean?"

Manabu: "I thought that when you came here with Suzune, you'd unveil some kind of master plan."

(Y/N): "A master plan? I'm not smart enough to come up with something like that."

Manabu: "So does that mean when Suzune claimed Sudo was completely innocent, she was merely getting carried away?"

(Y/N): "Hyperbole, you mean? I don't think so."

Manabu: "I see."

He shifted his focus to Sakura.

Manabu: "Then there's what you said, Sakura. If you can't prove what you said, it's a lie."

Sakura: "I-I... I just... told the truth..."

Sakura hung her head low in frustration, and started to cry.

(Y/N): "I believe her. I believe Sakura's testimony."

Manabu: "Since she's a Class D student, it's only natural that you would want to believe her."

(Y/N): "I didn't say that I want to believe her, I said I believe her."

Manabu: "So can you prove it? Can you prove she's not lying?"

(Y/N): "That's not up to me. Your sister will prove it."

Horikita's older brother chuckled, and then smiled. As if saying that such a thing couldn't be done.

After Horikita's brother and Tachibana left, I approached Sakura, who wasn't able to move.

(Y/N): "Come on. Chin up, Sakura. There's no use in crying forever."

Sakura: "But... it's all my fault... Hic."

(Y/N): "You didn't do anything wrong. You just told the truth. Right?"

Sakura: "But... I..."

(Y/N): "I'll say it one more time. You didn't do anything wrong."

I crouched slightly so I could meet Sakura's eyes.

(Y/N): "I believe in you. I'm grateful that you came here today. Thanks to you, we now have a chance to save Sudo and our classmates."

Sakura: "But... I... Wasn't completely useless?"

Just how little confidence did this girl have in herself?

(Y/N): "I believe in you because you are my friend."

I put my hand on her shoulder. I repeated it with conviction. I told her: "Do it for yourself."

(Timeskip)

Sakura: "I let you see something embarrasing..."

Sakura, walking next to me, had stopped crying. She now wore a sheepish smile.

Sakura: "It's been such a long time since I cried in front of someone. I feel a little relieved, actually."

(Y/N): "I'm glad. When I was a kid, I used to cry in front of people all the time."

Sakura: "I had no idea that you were like that, L/N-kun. That's completely unlike the image I have of you."

I'd been frustrated and embarrassed, but I'd been unable to stop crying. However, people who cried could grow stronger and move forward.

(Y/N): "I think that you should cry when you need to. Otherwise, you won't be able to cry, even when you have a reason to."

Sakura: "I was really happy... when you said that you believed me."

(Y/N): "It's not just me. Horikita, Kushida, and Sudo do, too. All of our classmates believe you."

Sakura: "Yeah... But you came out and told me directely, L/N-kun. You said it."

Sakura wiped her eyes once again, probably because the tears blurred her vision.

Sakura: "You gave me the courage. I was happy." She said with a small smile.

Ichinose: "Yahoo! You're really late, huh?"

Ichinose and Kanzaki were waiting for us by the entranceway.

(Y/N): "Were you waiting for us?"

Kanzaki: "We were wondering what happened."

I stopped and turned to Sakura.

(Y/N): "Sorry, Sakura. Can we continue this later?"

Sakura nodded and left.

I described the events that had transpired in the student council room.

Ichinose: "I see. So you rejected the compromise, huh?"

(Y/N): "Well, if Sudo even got as little as one day of suspension, Class C would win."

Ichinose: "Are you still going to fight? Even without new evidence or testimony?"

(Y/N): "Our leader gave us her decision. We'll fight to the bitter end."

Ichinose: "I see..."

(Y/N): "You're still willing to help us?"

Ichinose: "We're in too deep now. Besides, it's like we said before. We can't forgive liars."

Kanzaki nodded. They were really good people.

Horikita: "I sincerely appreciate the offer, but it's not necessary."

Horikita, who I'd thought had returned to the dorms, suddenly stood alongside us.

Ichinose: "Not necessary? What do you mean, Horikita-san?"

Horikita: "We cannot get Sudo acquitted. Even if a new witness were to come from Class A or B, it would be impossible. However, there is something I would like you to prepare for us. It is the only possible solution."

Ichinose: "Preparing something?"

Horikita: "That's-"

Horikita explained to us what she wanted.

Ichinose: "Oh... That's going to be a really hard request, but it should be within the range of what we can do. When did you come up with this?"

Horikita: "Just before the deliberation ended. Only by chance, though."

(Y/N): "It might be contrary to your ethics and morals, Ichinose."

Ichinose: "Ha ha, yeah. You might be right. It's a change for me. But it's certainly one way of doing things."

After everything was settled, I was about to go back to the dorms.

(Y/N): "Okay, let's g-?!"

I recieved a shocking blow to my side. The pain was sudden and intense. I tumbled into the corner.

Horikita: "Ichinose-san, Kanzaki-kun, would you mind to get back ahead of us? I have something I would like to talk about with L/N-kun."

Ichinose: "Huh? O-okay..."

Please don't leave me here...

Horikita: "Well then. I believe it's time for payback."

Kanzaki and Ichinose left. I was alone with the devil now.

(Ichinose's pov)

Kanzaki-kun and I started heading toward the dorms. To be honest, the plan that Class D came with really surprised me.

Who came up with it? It was probably Horikita-san, but... I had some sort of feeling that made me feel nervous. Could it have been him?

I was snapped back to reality by L/N-kun screaming in pain in the room where we left him and Horikita-san. Kanzaki-kun looked back with a terrified expression.

Ichinose: "Horikita-san can be really scary at times..."

Question

This isn't a new chapter, just a question I want to ask you regarding to the story.

Do you want me to make (Y/N) join the student council? I would create a new arc, but it would take place after the special exam on the island.

Yes

No

By the way, we are almost at 5 thousand views. Thanks, you're amazing.

13- The biggest liar

(Y/N) pov

Wednesday morning. I was hurrying to school since I was almost late. The road that lead to the school was completely empty, all the students were probably inside the school building.

I was able to arrive 1 minute before the bell rang. I sighed in relief.

Sakura: "Good morning L/N-kun."

(Y/N): "Good morning."

I was really surprised, that was probably the first time I heard Sakura greeting someone.

I went to my seat and got ready for class.

Horikita: "She also greeted me when I arrived, what's with her?"

(Y/N): "Maybe she is a bit more mature because of what happened yesterday?"

Horikita: "It's not that easy. People doesn't change in one day."

I was no idealist myself, so I thought that Horikita was right. There was no truly major difference between the today's Sakura and yesterday's.

But it wouldn't be right to say that she was the same either.

Horikita: "She should be fine as long as she doesn't overdo it"

(Y/N): "Overdo it?"

Horikita: "If she tries to do something that she isn't able to do yet, she will just fail"

Somehow, it gave me the impression that she was talking about a personal experience.

(Y/N): "It seems that you're quite experienced on that topic."

Horikita: "Do you want to die?"

Why do I keep teasing her if I know what will happen next?

(Timeskip)

Classes ended at 3:30 pm. The discussion would start again in 30 minutes.

I was about to leave, but I decided to speak with Sakura before that.

(Y/N): "Are you heading back?"

Sakura: "We're having the trial again..."

(Y/N): "I'm not participating. Horikita asked me to do something."

Sakura: "I see..."

Sakura looked down, as if she had something in mind. She looked nervous.

(Y/N): "What's wrong?"

Sakura: "Huh?"

(Y/N): "There's no need to be nervous, right? You don't have to testify today."

Sakura: "It's because everyone is doing their best. I thought I'd do my best too."

(Y/N): "What are you talking about?"

Sakura: "Well, there's something I need to do in order to move forward, and I'm going to do it."

Sakura didn't give a clear answer. I wanted to ask her why she looked uneasy, but the cell phone in my pocket vibrated. My alarm told me the time, I couldn't stay any longer.

Sakura: "See you later, L/N-kun."

Sakura's words and bright smile seemed so unlike her. They left me with an unpleasant feeling.

(Timeskip)

It was 3:40 pm. With classes over for the day, I went to the special building. Shortly after, three guys showed up. They appeared happy.

That was because the three of them got an email from the class sweetheart, Kushida. When they saw me, their expressions changed.

Ishizaki: "Why are you here?"

(Y/N): "Kushida won't come. I asked her to send you that message."

Ishizaki looked incredibly angry and closed the distance between us.

Ishizaki: "Why did you do that? Huh?"

(Y/N): "You seem to be quite different from yesterday. Are you okay?"

Ishizaki: "This isn't funny, answer me!"

(Y/N): "Would you come if I asked directely? I just want to talk to you."

Ishizaki: "And why would we listen to you? Has the heat scrambled your brain or something?"

I don't know whose brain is scrambled.

Ishizaki: "There's no point in trying, Sudo called us and then beat us. Case closed."

(Y/N): "I'm not going to waste my time arguing."

Ishizaki: "So why did you do this? Are you going to kidnap us so we miss the trial? Or are you going to threaten us with violence? It won't be different from that time with Sudo."

That's a rather interesting idea, but it wouldn't work with these people.

Ishizaki: "Just give up. We're leaving."

Ichinose: "I think that you guys might want to reconsider that, actually."

Ichinose, who had been waiting for them to show up, walked toward them.

Ishizaki: "I-Ichinose?! What are you doing here?"

The Class C boys were shocked.

Ichinose: "What if I said that I'm here because I'm involved with the case?"

Komiya: "Ichinose, you're a celebrity."

Ichinose: "Ha ha. I guess I'm well known between the students of Class C."

Ishizaki: "This had nothing to do with Class B, right? So butt out..."

Their threats sounded weak, unlike when they were talking to me.

Ichinose: "How does it feel to involve so many people in your lies?"

Ishizaki: "It's not a lie. We're the victims here."

Ichinose: "So troublemakers remain adamant until the very end, huh? You lied. We can all see through you. If you don't want everyone to know, withdraw your complaint."

Ishizaki: "Huh? Withdraw? Don't make me laugh."

(Y/N): "Did you know that this school is one of the leading government-sanctioned institutions in Japan?"

Ishizaki: "Of course we know. That's why we tried to join."

Ichinose: "Why don't you try to use your heads a bit more, then? Your lies were obvious from the beginning." She walked slowly towards the three of them, like she was a detective who just found the culprit from an investigation.

Ichinose: "Didn't you find the answer of the school strange?"

Ishizaki: "Huh?"

Ichinose: "When you reported to the school, why wasn't Sudo-kun immediately punished? Why give him an opportunity to escape by granting a grace period of several days?"

Ishizaki: "How am I supposed to know? They went crying to the school or something, I guess."

Ichinose: "Is that really true? I wonder if you're the ones lying here."

The windows in the hallway were all closed. The sun was increasing the heat and humidity.

Ishizaki: "What are you talking about? Ah, it's so hot!"

Your ability to concentrate will decrease a lot when you are exposed to high temperatures. We took that in our advantage.

Ishizaki: "That's it. I'm getting out of here."

Ichinose: "Are you sure about that? You might regret leaving for the rest of your lifes."

Ishizaki: "...What do you mean?"

Ichinose: "Don't you understand? The school knows about your lies."

They looked at each other and then laughed.

Ishizaki: "That's a funny one, Ichinose."

Ichinose: "Ha ha ha ha. You guys are so funny. You've been dancing on the palm of my hand all this time."

Ishizaki: "Just give up, we're not falling for that."

Ichinose: "Look behind you."

Ishizaki: "Huh?"

A security camera hung in the hallway and occasionally swung from left to right, capturing everything.

Ichinose: "That's to bad, next time you try to incriminate someone, make sure there aren't any security cameras around."

Ishizaki: "Buh, wh-what camera?! You're lying! There weren't any cameras when we came here!"

Komiya: "D-dammit! It's over!"

Komiya leaned against the wall and slid down to his knees.

(Y/N): "Today, the student council president will tell you that the school knew everything from the beginning. Remember how he said that he would consider expulsion yesterday? He was talking about the three of you."

Ishizaki: "Wha-!"

Komiya: "W-wait, expelled?!"

(Y/N): "The school is testing us. They're testing to see if we can solve problems, and what kind of conclusions we draw."

Kondou: "Dammit! I can't get expelled!"

Komiya: "H-hey, Ishizaki. It's not too late to tell them we lied! If we do, the school might forgive us!"

Ishizaki: "D-damn it..."

(Y/N): "There's only one way to save both Class C and Class D. Tell the school that you want to withdraw your complaint. If there's no complaint, no one can be punished."

Ishizaki: "Ahh, ahh... Just... let me call..."

An exhausted Ishizaki took out his cell phone. However, Ichinose wouldn't give him time to think.

Ichinose: "You're not being very cooperative, right? We'll have to report to the school and get you expelled."

I nodded in agreement. Kondou and Komiya grabbed Ishizaki's arms.

Komiya: "Come on, let's just accept their idea, Ishizaki!"

Ishizaki: "W-wait. If I don't check with him, it'll be bad." He murmured.

Kondou: "We've already lost! I don't wanna get expelled! Please, Ishizaki!"

Ishizaki fell to his knees.

Ichinose: "Well, let's head to the student council room right away. We'll go together."

We went to the student council room, the three Class C students sandwiched between us. If we took our eyes off them for a second, they might contact someone for advice. When we finally reached the student council room, we pushed the three inside. Horikita had put everything together really well.

(Timeskip)

Ichinose: "Whew! I feel so much better! Thanks for giving me such a huge role, I was so happy!" She cried.

(Y/N): "I think that you just do what you pleased..."

Ichinose: "Ha ha ha, yeah. I guess so. But the case is closed, eh?"

Yeah, it really was.

Ichinose: "I was wondering what you were up to when you asked me to lend you some points yesterday."

We returned to the special building and set up a stepladder to uninstall the cameras.

Ichinose: "I couldn't believe you wanted to install security cameras."

That's right. The school hadn't actually installed those security cameras. Ichinose and Kanzaki bought them, and together with the Professor, installed them during our lunch break.

I was surprised at first that the school sold such equipment. But it could be useful in other ways different than lying, I guess.

Ichinose: "When the day comes, you guys will probably become formidable rivals for Class C, L/N-kun."

(Y/N): "If that day ever comes, I guess."

Actually, Ichinose could be in Class A by then.

Ichinose: "You know, if you or Horikita-san were in Class B, we might have gotten to Class A right away."

(Y/N): "Me? I would be more like a burden, I just do what Horikita tells me."

Ichinose: "Is that so...?"

I suddenly remembered seeing Sakura. She said that she wanted to do something. I started feeling uneasy.

Ichinose: "Oh yeah, that reminds me. I have something to tell you, L/N-kun."

Before Ichinose could say anything, though, I was already running away. Whatever she wanted to tell me, it was going to have to wait.

Ichinose: "Huh?! W-wait a minute!"

Even though she couldn't understand what was happening, Ichinose ran after me.

My phone's data tracking data displayed the entrance of the electronic store. Ichinose stuck close. When we arrived, I hid behind a corner and signaled Ichinose to be quiet.

Sakura: "Please, don't contact me anymore!"

"Why would you say something like that? You're my treasure... Ever since I first saw you in a magazine, I've loved you. Meeting you again here, I felt like it was destiny. I love you... I can't stop feeling this way about you!"

I recognized that voice. It was the store clerk.

Sakura: "Stop... Please stop it!" She shouted and took something of her bag. Letters. It looked like dozens... no, hundreds of letters.

Sakura: "How do you know my room number? Why do you keep sending these?"

"Why? Of course I would know your room number and send you letters. It's because our hearts are connected."

This man deeply disturbs me.

Sakura: "Please stop it. It's bothering me!"

She threw all the letters to the floor, rejecting the man's unreturned love.

"Why... Why would you do that? Even after I wrote out my feelings to you!"

Sakura: "S-stay away!"

The man closed the distance between him and Sakura. He grabbed Sakura's arms and shoved her up against the store's shuttered door.

"I'll show you just how much I love you... If I do that, then you'll understand."

Sakura: "No! Let me go!"

Ichinose tugged on my sleeve. I wanted to wait until we could catch him in the act with something definitive, but it looks like I had no choice. Taking Ichinose's arm, we strutted out like a delinquent couple. While walking by, we took pictures with our phones.

(Y/N): "Got'em! That old guy's doing something naughty!"

Sakura: "Huh?!"

Sakura was completely dumbfounded after hearing me speak like a delinquent. It was really embarrasing, but I dealt with it.

(Y/N): "Ohh, 'Adult harasses high school girl.' I can't wait to see the headlines tomorrow. It'll be a huge scandal!"

"N-no! That's wrong. You're wrong!"

Ichinose: "Hmm? It doesn't sound wrong to me. Actually, it looks that way, don't you think?"

Ichinose's tone was cruel. The store clerk, now flustered, hurriedly pulled away from Sakura.

Ichinose: "Woah, look at all those letters! Gross. Are you a stalker?"

She pinched her nose as she picked up the letters, as if grabbing someone else's socks.

"You're wrong. She said that she wanted someone to teach her to use a digital camera, so I said I'd teach her. That's all."

(Y/N): "Hmmm."

I drew closer to the man, and he took some steps back looking afraid.

(Y/N): "Me and my girlfriend saw everything and took pictures. If you show your face to that girl again, or send any more disgusting letters, we'll expose you. Got it?"

"Ha ha ha ha! What are you talking about? I really don't... know what you're talking about."

(Y/N): "You don't know what I'm talking about? You're not getting away, old man. If you raise a hand or even just gawk this idol, I'll beat the shit out of you. Got it?"

"Eek!"

After he completely lost his will to fight, I deliberately gave him some time to escape.

"G-goodbye! I won't do that ever again!"

The store clerk raced back inside the store to get away from us. I looked back at Sakura.

(Y/N): "You did really well."

I'd preached at her a lot, but that was probably unnecesary now. She'd been trying to vanquish the suffering she'd faced on her own. I had to consider her feelings.

Sakura: "L/N... kun. Why are you here?"

(Y/N): "I'm really glad that I exchanged contact information with you." I took out my phone, which showed Sakura's location.

Sakura: "I'm just... no good. I can't do anything on my own."

(Y/N): "That's not true. It was really cool when you threw all those letters" I pointed to the mess of the floor.

Ichinose: "Hey, hey. Who's this idol you mentioned?" She tossed one of the disgusting letters to the ground, tilting her head in confusion.

(Y/N): "That's..."

I didn't want to hide anything from Ichinose, but I wasn't going to speak without Sakura's permission. However, Sakura met my eyes and gave me a slight nod.

(Y/N): "Sakura was an idol back in junior high. Her name was Shizuku"

Ichinose: "Huh?! Idol?! That's amazing! Ohh, shake my hand, shake my hand!"

Sakura: "I never appeared on TV or anything, though..."

Ichinose: "Still, that's so amazing! I never thought of becoming an idol."

I didn't know about that. I thought that Ichinose had the face and figure for it.

Sakura: "When did you realize, L/N-kun?"

(Y/N): "A little while ago. Sorry. Some of our classmates know, too."

Sakura looked down, I felt sorry for her.

(Y/N): "At any rate, you were way too brave. I was going to have to step in if something happened."

Sakura: "Ha ha... Yeah, you're right... I was so scared."

The girl who had cried in front of me the day before was now laughing in a particular way. She laughed, but also looked like she was about to cry.

Sakura: "L/N-kun... Don't look at me with such strange eyes." She said that, but somehow looked happy.

(Y/N): "Huh? Come on, this is how I was born..."

I pretended to look down and Sakura laughed.

Sakura: "Do you think that people would notice if I changed my hairstyle and I didn't wear glasses anymore?"

I suddenly pictured a beautiful and popular girl with lots of people following her.

Ichinose: "Whoa... You're really cute! You look completely different without your glasses!"

Apparently Ichinose had looked up Shizuku on her phone.

Sakura: "Sorry for not telling you..."

(Y/N): "You don't have to apologize. We don't have to talk about it. However, I think that now we can talk about things. If you're suffering or if you feel lost, you can talk to me."

Sakura: "Okay. " She said with a bright smile.

Ichinose: "Ah, I'll help out too." Ichinose didn't really know Sakura, but she still smiled at her.

Ichinose: "I'm Ichinose Honami, from Class B. Nice to meet you."

Sakura looked a bit hesitant, but shook Ichinose's outstreched hand.

(Y/N): "By the way, what did you want to tell me before?"

Ichinose: "Ah, that's right. There was something important I wanted to tell you."

Ichinose took a moment to catch her breath, and then adopted a serious look.

Ichinose: "There was someone pulling the strings behind this whole Sudo incident."

(Y/N): "Pulling the strings?"

Ichinose looked so serious, apparently it wasn't another hunch of hers.

Ichinose: "To tell you the truth, We had problems with Class C students before. the school didn't get involved back then, though. Someone named Ryuuen-kun was behind all that."

(Y/N): "Ryuuen? I've never heard that name before."

Ichinose: "That's because he doesn't have any reason to reveal himself yet. That's why you don't know him."

Ichinose, who always looked so bright, now appeared somber and grim.

Ichinose: "I think that he set up Sudo-kun to look like a liar, and instigated the dispute with Class B. This was all his handiwork. He doesn't hesitate to hurt other people for the sake of his own interests."

(Y/N): "Did you reach a peaceful solution?"

Ichinose: "Somehow. But you should be careful."

Whoever this Ryuuen was, he seemed really dangerous.

Ichinose: "If you ever need help, you can come to me."

(Y/N): "I'll keep that in mind."

(An hour before)

Horikita's pov

Sudo-kun and I arrived at the student council room before the discussion started again. Tachibana-san was the only person there..

Sudo: "Argh, I'm so nervous. What about you, Horikita?"

Horikita: "I feel the same as ever."

A short time later, the doors opened. My heart started pounding at double the speed. My older brother... Just like yesterday, I couldn't say anything.

Sakagami: "Where's that boy from yesterday?"

Sakagami-sensei and Chabashira-sensei walked in shortly after.

Chabashira: "Where's L/N?"

Horikita: "He's not participating."

Chabashira: "Not participating?"

Chabashira-sensei turned to the empty seat with a doubtful look. She seemed concerned by his absence, as if everything would be meaningless without him.

Horikita: "Well, even if he's not here, the results will be the same." I didn't want to admit it, but I did it almost as if to shake the shadow.

Chabashira: "Well, whatever. It's up to you to decide."

Both teachers took their seats. When the Class C students arrived, they were all sweating, as if they'd been hurrying.

Sakagami: "You're almost late."

Tachibana: "Well then, we would like to resume from where we left off yesterday. Please take your seat."

Tachibana-san urged the students from Class C to sit down, but they didn't move..

Ishizaki: "Umm... Sakagami-sensei."

Sakagami: "What is it?"

Ishizaki: "Would it be possible not to hold this trial?"

Sakagami: " What in the world do you mean?" Sakagami-sensei stood up.

Manabu: "What's that supposed to mean?" My older brother gazed sharply at the Class C students.

Ishizaki: "We realized that our complaint was a mistake, so we would like to withdraw it."

Chabashira: "You're withdrawing your complaint?" Chabashira-sensei said while chuckling.

Sakagami: "What's so funny, Chabashira-sensei?" He didn't seem to like her attitude and was glaring at Chabashira-sensei with irritation.

Chabashira: "Oh, excuse me. I was just surprised because I didn't expect this turn of events."

Ishizaki: "We apologize for taking your time. However, after careful consideration this is the conclusion we reached."

Sakagami: "No. You did nothing wrong. Sudo-kun caused all of this through one-sided intimidation and violence. Do you plan to just quietly sit there and take this?!"

Sakagami sensei glared at me and Sudo-kun.

Sakagami: "What did you do? Threaten my students in order to get rid of the complaint?"

Sudo: "Huh? Don't screw around. I didn't do anything."

Ishizaki: "Sakagami-sensei... Our decision won't change, there's nothing you can do about it."

Manabu: "If you wish to withdraw your complaint, we won't refuse. However, according to regulations, you will have to pay in order to cover of various expenses ocurred over the course of deliberations. Are there any objections to this?"

Ishizaki: "We understand... We will pay."

Manabu: "Very well. We will now call this discussion closed."

The Class C students and Sakagami-sensei left.

Chabashira: "I'm glad, Sudo." She said sounding grateful.

Sudo: "Heh heh. Well, of course!"

Chabashira: "I think you should have been punished, though." She added.

Sudo: "I understand... If I hadn't acted that way in the first place, it wouldn't have been such a big deal. I knew that, somewhere. I won't cause problems again, sensei, Horikita."

Chabashira: "You shouldn't make promises so casually. You'll cause trouble soon again."

Sudo: "Tch!"

Our teacher, who was rather perspective about Sudo-kun's shortcomings, rejected his promise.

Sudo: "Well, I'm gonna get going. I have club activities. See you later, Horikita."

With those words, Sudo-kun hurriedly left the room.

Horikita: "I'll be taking my leave too."

Chabashira: "Wait a moment, I want to ask you something. You two leave first, though."

Chabashira-sensei urged my older brother and Tachibana-san to leave.

Once they were gone, she spoke

Chabashira: "So, what did you do, Horikita?"

Horikita: "What do you mean?"

Chabashira: "Don't try to dodge the question. They wouldn't withdraw their complaint without a reason, would they?"

Horikita: "I'll leave that to your imagination."

We fabricated a lie because we were backed into a corner.

Chabashira: "So it's a secret. Well, I'll change the question then. Who came up with the stragety that defeated Class C?"

Horikita: "..."

Chabashira: "L/N isn't here, so you can speak."

Chabashira-sensei had been rather preoccupied with L/N-kun ever since we started school. I could somewhat understand why, now.

Horikita: "I don't want to admit this, but L/N-kun... might have something exceptional to him."

Chabashira: "I see. So you recognize that, hmm?"

Horikita: "You were the one who put us together. You did it because you couldn't overlook his potential, right?"

Chabashira: "His potential, hmm?"

Horikita: "Though he does try to hide his ability by pretending to be an idiot, for some reason."

Chabashira: "There are many things to consider. But if you want to reach Class A, I'll give you one bit of advice."

Horikita: "Advice?"

Chabashira: "The students in Class D all have some kind of defect, more or less. To borrow an expression used by others in this school, Class D is an assemblage of people that could be called 'defective products'. You already understand this quite well though, don't you?"

Horikita: "I am not going to say that I have a defect, but I understand."

Chabashira: "What do you think is L/N's defect?"

L/N-kun's defect... One thing immediately came to my mind.

Horikita: "If I had to say something, is that he dislikes trouble." For some reason, I felt some kind of discomfort as I said this.

Chabashira: "He dislikes trouble, hmm? Is that what you perceive when you look at L/N?"

Horikita: "No... It's because he said it himself."

Chabashira-sensei snorted and chuckled. She spoke again, her tone firm.

Chabashira: "Well, Horikita. Let's try to learn as much as we possibly can about the boy called L/N, shall we? Otherwise, it will be too late. You already seem to have fallen into L/N's trap."

Horikita: "What do you mean?" Fallen into his trap? That was nonsense.

Chabashira: "Why do you think L/N purposefully got scores of 50 points across on the board on his entrance examination? Why is L/N helping you? Why doesn't he put himself forward as a superior student, despite having superior ability? Is Y/N L/N really someone who 'doesn't like trouble'?"

Horikita: "That's..."

Chabashira: "In my personal opinion, L/N is the most defective student in Class D."

As she said that, I remembered something that happened back when L/N-kun told me about Sudo's incident.

(Flashback)

Horikita: "I see, so that's what happened. I guess that is also the reason why we didn't get any points either."

(Y/N): "Yeah."

L/N-kun made a hand gesture for us to give him the cups of coffee so that he could clean them, but Kushida-san and I refused and offered to help him tidy up.

Once I was done with mine, I opened one drawer to put the cup back, but my eyes widened after seeing what was inside.

L/N-kun closed the drawer quite fast, as if he didn't want anyone to know what was in there.

Kushida: "What's wrong?"

Inside, there was a small box with antidepressants. I was completely shocked.

Horikita: "...Are those yours?"

L/N-kun sighed.

Kushida: "What was in there?"

(Y/N): "Just some medical pills. A doctor prescribed them for me."

Kushida: "H-huh? Are you ill, L/N-kun?"

(Y/N): "No, there's nothing to worry about. Just a medical condition."

He talked as though it wasn't such a big deal, but he didn't convince me.

Horikita: "I don't think it's as simple as that..."

I wanted to know why he had them, although I probably already knew the answer.

Horikita: "L/N-ku-"

(Y/N): "I would appreciate if you didn't tell anyone."

He cut me off before I could say anything else.

Kushida: "Yeah, don't worry."

Horikita: "I won't."

I decided not to ask him anymore. He chose not to let anyone else know and I had to respect his choice.

(Flashback end)

Horikita: "The most defective... Is that the reason why he has antidepressants?"

Chabashira: "Did he tell you?"

Horikita: "No... I found it by chance."

Deep inside I was worried about him. He doesn't show emotions at all, and he might be suffering, even though he doesn't show it.

Horikita: "I tried to ask him, but he won't tell me anything."

Chabashira: "It's his own choice, after all. But try to get an answer to those questions. There's definetely an answer there."

Why was Chabashira-sensei telling me such things? As our homeroom teacher, she didn't seem to be interested in her class.

But if someone so disinterested thought this way, then...

Chabashira-sensei said nothing more.

(Y/N) pov

I waited outside the student council room until the meeting ended. The students from Class C and Sakagami-sensei left first, with Sudo following a few minutes later. He wore a bright, cheerful expression.

(Y/N): "Looks like it went well."

Sudo: "Man, I don't understand what happened. Horikita did something, right?"

I nodded.

Sudo: "I knew it. I knew she'd come to help me. Heh heh heh." He looked really happy. "Well, I gotta go to my club. We should have a party tonight."

(Y/N): "As long as it isn't in my room..."

The next people to exit were the student council president and Secretary Tachibana.

Manabu: "Excellent work." I thought that he wouldn't say anything, but the president stopped and spoke. "I have approved Class C's request to withdraw the complaint."

(Y/N): "Is that so?"

Horikita's brother remained still and looked at me in the eyes.

Manabu: "Was this your way to prove that Sakura wasn't lying? If Sudo or Sakura weren't the liars, then Class C was."

(Y/N): "I guess that the students in this school would do anything to get rid of their enemies and reach Class A. Even coming up with a lie."

Tachibana: "I must say I'm impressed." She said as she clapped.

Manabu: "Tachibana, do you still have one seat open for secretary?"

Tachibana: "Yes. A first-year Class A student applied the other day, but was rejected after the first interview."

Manabu: "L/N. If you wanted it, I would appoint you to the position."

I was surprised, but Tachibana appeared even more shocked than me.

Tachibana: "S-student council president... Are you for real?"

Manabu: "You refuse?"

Tachibana: "N-no. If it's your choice, then..."

Join the student council, huh? If I wanted to stay at this school and lessen the risk of dropping out, I would need to know about the school as much as possible. Joining the student council would definetely help, but...

(Y/N): "Wouldn't people think badly of the student council if a student from Class D joined?"

Manabu: "I only choose students who are capable for the role. Besides, you don't seem like someone who really cares about what other people think, right?"

(Y/N): "I see. I'll need some time to think about it, though."

Manabu: "I understand. Contact me when you reach a decision. I'll be looking forward for it."

The older Horikita and Tachibana left after we exchanged contact information.

As long as it helps me to stay in the school...

Chabashira-sensei left shortly after. She glanced at me and left without saying anything in particular.

(Y/N): "Hey." I raised my hand as I greeted Horikita, but she sent me an intense look.

(Y/N): "What were the results?"

Horikita: "You already know, don't you?"

(Y/N): "Everything went fine, then. I'm glad."

Horikita: "Hey, L/N-kun. Am I just your puppet?"

(Y/N): "What's that supposed to mean?"

Horikita: "You took me to the special building and pointed out the lack of cameras. Then, you guided me to the idea of setting fake security cameras. You made sure that I reached that idea."

(Y/N): "It was a coinc-"

Horikita: "Who are you?"

(Y/N): "What do you mean, who am I? I'm just a student like anyone else, right?"

I realized that I had gotten involved a little to much this time.

Horikita: "A student like anyone else. If that's-"

As Horikita started to speak, a male student approached us. We didn't want anyone to overhear this conversation, so Horikita and I fell silent. We waited for him to pass, but he stopped in front of us.

He had long, black hair. He was a little taller than me. I glanced at his side and noted that he wore a wide grin. His smile looked ominous.

"Setting up a camera? You really did something funny, huh?" The boy didn't turn as he spoke.

Horikita: "... You are?"

"Next time, I'll be your oponent. I look forward to it."

The boy walked on without answering Horikita's question. We never got a clear look at him.

(Y/N): "Well, It's getting late. I'm heading back."

Horikita: "Wait. We're not done talking, L/N-kun."

(Y/N): "I'm done talking, though." I didn't look back as I spoke.

Horikita: "I want to know what you're thinking."

(Y/N): "I'm thinking 'This is annoying' and 'I don't have time for this.' Stuff like that."

Horikita: "If you didn't want to, you wouldn't make this effort to get involved. But you still act unenthusiastically when you help. Why?"

Apparently Chabashira-sensei told her something unnecesary. Chabashira-sensei probably knew about my past.

(Y/N): "I guess I just wanted to help my friends. Probably."

I didn't want to say anything unnecesary, so I walked faster.

Horikita: "...Liar."

(Y/N): "Stop accusing me. Everyone lies, even you."

That's right, everyone lies for a reason, and I know what that reason is.

The reason why Horikita is so obsessed with being acknowledged by her brother.

The reason why Sakura doesn't want anyone to know the fact that she's an idol.

The reason why Kushida hides her true self from others.

People lie because they want to be accepted.

But in the end, the biggest liar of all...

Is me.

--

And that's it for this arc. Most people are voting to join the student council, so (Y/N) will join.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed and see you next time.

14- His first friend

(8 years ago – Y/N pov)

"Line up!"

It was time for another physical test. All of us did as we were told. The fear could be seen in our eyes.

I tried to restrain the tears from coming out. I lost count of the kids that I saw collapsing before my eyes. What if I was the next one? What would happen to me then?

Inside a really huge room, a man looked at us with merciless eyes.

We were told to run around the room. As always, no further explanation. There were cameras monitoring everything we did.

We started running. 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes... I ended up loosing track of the time. It was getting hard to breathe. I felt like giving up many times, but the fear made me keep running.

After a while, I could hear the other kids sobbing and falling down behind me.

Time kept passing by, and most of us were already down. I could only hear another person's steps.

I glanced over that person and saw a boy with brown hair running beside me. He looked just as tired as I was.

I averted my gaze and kept running. No matter what, I had to keep running. I had to be the winner. I couldn't end up like the other kids.

Inside the room, a man was talking with one of the workers, who was writing down something on a clipboard. Meanwhile, other workers were taking the other kids out of the way so they wouldn't obstruct us.

Most of the kids were breathing heavily and seemed to be in pain.

My sight began to blurry and the pain of my chest and legs increased. I was reaching my limit.

Unfortunately, I could still hear the other boy running beside me.

This has to be a joke... How much stamina does he have?

That was it. I couldn't take it any longer. I suddenly stopped and let my tired body fall down.

However, I was surprised when I didn't hear anyone running. I looked up and saw the other kid also lying next to me and breathing heavily.

(Y/N): "I-it seems like it's a tie."

"I t-thought that I was going to be the last one standing..."

As we catched our breath, that man approached us with his usual emotionless expression. The fear that I felt before came to me again.

He looked at us for a few seconds and then spoke.

"You did well. You two are much better than those other kids. Rest here and then we will continue."

I was surprised by his words. Usually, they would put a time limit in this kind of tests, and whoever collapsed before we were told it's okay to stop, would fail.

(Y/N): "B-but we didn't reach the time limit..."

The man smirked.

"You surpassed the time limit long ago, but I wanted to see who would resist longer myself."

He didn't care about any of us. He just wanted to see who would be more useful for him. This man was really a monster.

He turned around and left. Me and the other boy were given some time to rest.

After a few minutes, I decided to speak.

(Y/N): "You're really good, I thought that I would lose there."

The boy looked at me.

"I could say the same thing. What's your name?"

The fact that someone actually asked for my name in that place surprised me. We were enemies, we had to be the best so we weren't thrown away like trash. No one would even bother to ask for anyone's name, but...

(Y/N): "I'm Y/N L/N."

Maybe I could make a friend...? Everday I asked myself these questions. Why me? Why do I have to go through all this? I don't want to be alone...

(Y/N): "How about we become friends?"

The boy looked at me with his yellow eyes, not showing any emotion.

I streched my arm so we could shake hands.

He stared at me for a few seconds, but eventually took my hand.

It made me really happy, maybe I wouldn't be alone anymore now that I made a friend.

(Y/N): "What's your name?" I asked with a smile.

"... Kiyotaka Ajanokoji."

(Y/N) pov

I slowly opened my eyes and found myself in my bed.

(Y/N): "That dream again..."

I slowly woke up and looked at my watch. Luckily, I still had enough time before school started.

I made coffe and dressed up with my school uniform. Once I was done having breakfast, I went to one of the drawers and took out a pill from a small box.

I stared at it for a few seconds and sighed.

I'd rather not take it, but it was necessary. I had to take them in a daily basis, otherwise bad things would happen.

However, there were still some problems. One of them was that they produce sleepiness. This wouldn't be the first time that I had to run to school because I woke up late.

Once I was ready, I left my dorm and headed toward the elevator. As I was waiting for the doors to open, I heard someone grumping. When I looked at him, I immeadiately recognized that student.

It was the guy who tried to punch me the other day. I noticed that he had one hand bandaged.

When I looked at him, he gritted his teeth.

(Y/N): "Good morning."

He immediately turned away and went down stairs. Apparently he didn't want to use the elevator anymore. Maybe he wanted to do some morning exercise?

The elevator finally arrived and when I was about to enter, I was greeted by Horikita giving me a deadpanned look.

Strange. Suddenly I want to join that guy in using the stairs...

Horikita: "Are you coming in or what?"

(Y/N): "Ah, yeah. Sorry."

I reluctantly entered the elevator.

Kushida: "Good morning, L/N-kun. Ah, your hair is all messy."

(Y/N): "Huh?"

I suddenly remembered that I forgot to comb my hair. I should go to the hairdresser, but I didn't have many points.

Kushida: "Here."

She opened her bag, took a comb and reached to my hair.

(Y/N): "Wha-"

Before I could say anything, she started combing my hair. I can't say that I wasn't enjoying it, but I was really embarrassed. I could feel Horikita's stare from behind me.

Once she was done, she stepped back, her cheeks red.

(Y/N): "Th-thank you." I said as I scratched my cheek.

Kushida: "It's nothing." She said with a smile on her face.

When the doors of the elevator opened, the three of us left.

Sakura: "G-good morning, L/N-kun."

Sakura was in the lobby and spotted us. I greeted her back.

And so, a strange group formed by Horikita, Kushida, Sakura and I started walking to school.

(Y/N): "I've never seen this combination before. This is certainly a strange group."

Horikita: "Kushida-san was waiting for me outside my door."

Kushida gave us a cute smile.

Kushida: "By the way, what do you guys have planned for the trip? We're going in a cruise in two weeks!"

Horikita: "Nothing in particular."

Kushida: "Is that so? Me and my friends are going to enjoy our trip as much as we can, how about you join us?"

Horikita: "No."

Kushida: "Huh? But-"

Ichinose: "Good morning, Kikyou-chan, Horikita-san. Oh! Sakura-san and L/N-kun are also here!"

As a result of the sudden appearance of a vigorous girl, Sakura hid behind me.

Ichinose: "Huh? Huh? This is a really strange combination. What are you talking about? Let me join."

Another girl joined the group. I started to feel nervous.

Kushida: "We were talking about the trip that will take place in two weeks and were discussing what we would do. How about you come with us, Honami-chan?"

Ichinose: "Wah, really? I'll go, I'll go!"

Even if they were from different classes, they called each other by their first name. Apparently they became good friends.

Ichinose: "I also want to speak with Horikita-san and Sakura-san. Maybe we can become good friends!"

Apparently Ichinose was really planning to get along with students from other classes. Her eyes were sparkling.

Horikita: "I won't join you."

Ichinose: "Huh? Why not?"

Horikita: "I'm not interested in getting along with anyone."

Even if it was Ichinose, Horikita's usual attitude didn't change.

Ichinose: "Hahaha, I see, It really sounds like Horikita-san. However, if you have time, you can contact me."

Horikita: "...You really are a good person. Wouldn't it be better if you just ignored me?"

Ichinose: "Ignore you? That's not something that a student trying to enjoy her youth should say, right?"

Horikita: "Don't worry. I don't want to enjoy youth."

Kushida: "Precisely because Horikita-san says things like that, that's the reason why I'm worried."

Ichinose: "Haha. Horikita-san is a bit arrogant, but it's not a bad thing. But Horikita-san, even if you said that you don't want to enjoy youth, I think that you're wrong. This moment, for example. Walking to school with your classmates. This is youth."

Horikita listened to Ichinose's words.

On the other hand, Sakura, who didn't join the conversation, murmured something.

Sakura: "This moment... This is youth...?"

Someone who doesn't have many friends can't enjoy her youth. I guessed that was what she was thinking.

The girl who thought that she didn't need it and the girl who thought that she couldn't enjoy youth. Even if they had a different reason, they reached the same conclusion. Ichinose grabbed Kushida's arm and closed the distance between her and Horikita.

Ichinose: "Right now I'm here. Kikyou-chan is here. Sakura-san and Horikita-san are also here. Talking about random stuff while we walk to school. In the future, we will definetely think that this is youth. There's no point in trying to deny this."

Horikita stopped trying to reject Ichinose. No, she just gave up.

To be honest, I couldn't understand the meaning of youth, but the scene that was ocurring before my eyes... This had to be one of those 'pages of youth.'"

How should I put it? This was an incredible scene.

Now that I think about it, I'm a boy walking with four girls. I felt really out of place.

(Y/N): "I really can't understand this..." I muttered.

Thinking that I shouldn't be there, I stopped walking. I felt that this four girls would become good friends in the future. That's why I shouldn't bother them.

That's what I thought, but...

Kushida noticed that I wasn't walking with them anymore and looked at me. The other three also noticed.

Kushida: "What's the matter, L/N-kun? Did you forget something?"

(Y/N): "Huh? Ah, no..."

Sakura: "Are you not feeling well?"

Horikita: "You have been distracted all this time. What's wrong?"

Each girl from Class D showed their concern in their own way.

Watching everything, Ichinose smiled.

Ichinose: "Do you feel excluded?"

(Y/N): "..."

Ichinose: "I hit the bull's-eye, right? You don't have to worry, L/N-kun. You're also a part of our youth."

She came to me, grabbed my wrist and lightly pulled my arm.

Ichinose: "Let's go. If you don't hurry, we'll leave you behind."

Maybe, without noticing, I had already joined that youth they're talking about.

(Timeskip)

After classes, I went to the school's entrance to meet someone.

(Y/N): "Sorry, did I make you wait?"

Kamuro: "No, I have just arrived."

As I promised, I met with this girl from Class A.

(Y/N): "So, what did you want?"

Kamuro: "Follow me."

I followed her and we ended up in the special building.

You've got to be kidding me. This place again?

I tried to ask her, but she murmured something.

Kamuro: "Can I go back now?"

"Yes. You did well, Masumi-san. I'll be counting on you in the future."

Kamuro: "...Sure."

Kamuro nodded and then left. The other person revealed herself slowly.

With a walking stick in her hand, she looked at me with a smile. She had white hair and purple eyes.

(Y/N): "Did you call me?"

I asked her, but she didn't answer. For a few seconds, we stared at each other's eyes.

(Y/N): "What's the matter? I would like to head back to the dorms as soon as possible."

She came closer and stood in front of me.

"It's been a long time, L/N-kun. 8 years and 187 days, to be exact."

(Y/N): "You're kidding, right? I don't know you."

"Fufu, that's normal. It was an unilateral reunion, after all."

I didn't have time for this, so I decided to leave.

"White room."

As soon as I heard those words, I unconciously stopped walking. I suddenly started asking myself how and why did she know.

"It's unpleasant, isn't it? To be cornered by the information that only the enemy possesses."

(Y/N): "...Who are you?"

Sakayanagi: "I'm glad you asked. My name is Arisu Sakayanagi. This is a rather nostalgic reunion, so I thought that I would greet you."

Reunion?

I looked back at Sakayanagi. I definetely hadn't met her before.

Sakayanagi: "Of course you would feel confused. You don't know me, after all. But I know you. To be honest, I thought that I would never see you again. But with this, the mistery is solved. Now I know why Class C suddenly withdrew their complaint."

(Y/N): "What do you mean? There are quite a few strategists in Class D, you know?"

Sakayanagi: "Do you mean Horikita Suzune-san? Or maybe Hirata Yosuke-kun? Anyway, it doesn't matter. Now that I know you're here, I don't care who did it."

She isn't lying. Apparently she really knows me.

Sakayanagi: "Please, calm down. I don't have the intention of telling anyone about your past."

(Y/N): "Wouldn't it be easier for you to do so?"

Sakayanagi: "I don't want anyone to interfere. I'm the only one who can defeat the false genius, after all."

Clonk. Her cane hit the floor.

Sakayanagi: "I finally found some fun in this boring school life."

(Y/N): "Can I ask you something?"

Sakayanagi: "It's an honor. Please, ask. If you want to know why I know you, I would gladly tell you."

(Y/N): "No, I'm not interested in that. I only want to know one thing."

Sakayanagi and I made eye contact.

(Y/N): "Can you really defeat me?"

Sakayanagi laughed.

Sakayanagi: "Fufufu. I apologize. I know really well how amazing you are. I'm starting to enjoy this. I will fulfill my life's desire by destroying that man's masterpiece."

I would like to believe that.

After all, my defeat would be that man's defeat.

From the bottom of my heart, I wished that such a thing happened.

15- Special test

(Y/N) pov

Ike: "Woah! This is amaaaazing!"

Here, in the midst of the Pacific Ocean, we didn't feel the midsummer heat due to the sea breeze kissing our bodies.

Karuizawa: "What an incredible view! I'm super moved!"

Kushida: "Seriously, this is just amazing!"

After we finished the final exams without any incidents, the school arranged a two-week trip in a cruise.

Yamauchi: "Aren't you glad, Ken? If you got expelled, you wouldn't be here."

Sudo: "Heh. I told you there was nothing to worry about. With my skills, I had everything under control."

While everyone messed around, I just stood still while looking at the sea.

At 5 AM, the first year students went to Tokyo Bay by bus and the ship departed once we got there.

After having breakfast, we were allowed to move freely and use all the ship's facilities. If I had to guess, I'd say that we would have to pay 100,000 yen to take this cruise. However, the school covered all the costs.

Plus, we were able to use the ship's facilities for free. Which was great, because Class D barely had any points.

Kushida: "I wonder where Horikita-san is..."

Kushida stood next to me. She looked even better than usual with the ocean and the blue sky behind her.

(Y/N): "Horikita probably doesn't enjoy this kind of things, so I guess she's just in her room or something."

Kushida: "Probably."

Thanks to my incredible social skills, silence fell between us. I tried to say something, but nothing came to my mind.

Kushida: "Did you know? Apparently, this afternoon we can go to the island's private beach. I can't wait!"

The school owned a small island, that's where the ship was heading to.

"Kikyou-chan, look!"

A female student called Kushida.

Kushida: "I'm coming!"

Ike: "Kushida-chan is so cute..."

Yamauchi: "She's completely out of our league, though. Maybe I should start looking for another girl."

Ike: "I've made a decision. I will ask Kushida-chan out today."

Yamauchi: "Wait, really?!"

Ike: "Kushida-chan is on a whole different level, that's why people is afraid of confessing their feelings to her. Which means that she isn't used to love confessions, right? Her heart will be shaken by my declaration of love, and she will totally accept!"

That poor guy doesn't know where he's getting himself into.

Yamauchi: "I see... So you've made up your mind."

(Y/N): "Huh?"

Yamauchi: "What's wrong?"

Knowing him, I thought Yamauchi would say something like 'Hey! Don't steal my Kushida-chan!' or something like that.

(Y/N): "Err... Nothing."

Ike: "Hey, hey, Kushida-chan. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Kushida: "Hmm? What is it?"

Ike: "W-well... We met like four months ago, right? That's why I was wondering..."

Kushida tilted her head in confusion.

Ike: "C-can I... Can I call you by your first name?"

To be honest, I was disappointed. I really wanted to see what would happen if he asked her out.

Kushida: "Of course you can! Should I call you Kanji-kun, then?"

Ike: "Whoooooaaaaaa! Kikyou-chaaaaaaan!" Ike cried out while raising his arms in victory. Kushida chuckled.

Sudo: "First names, huh? Hey, what's Horikita's first name?"

(Y/N): "Suzune."

Sudo: "Suzune, huh? That's a cute name. Hehe."

(Y/N): "Are you going to call her by her first name too?"

Sudo: "Suzune. Suzune..." He ignored my question and appeared to be deep in thought.

Yamauchi: "Airi-chan... Airi-chan..."

(Y/N): "What's wrong with them...?"

Sudo: "Oh, hey. Help me practice saying Suzune's name."

(Y/N): "Huh?"

Sudo: "Pretend to be Horikita or something. I need to be prepared for the moment when I talk to her."

(Y/N): "Okay, I'll do my best."

Sudo glared at me intently, probably trying to make me look like Horikita in his mind. It really grossed me out.

Sudo: "Hey, Horikita. Can I talk to you for a sec? I want to talk to you about-"

As soon as he started talking, I turned around and started to walk away.

Sudo: "Hey! Didn't you say that you would pretend to be Horikita?!"

(Y/N): "That's what I'm doing. This is exactly what Horikita would do if you talked to her."

Sudo: "What did you say?!"

Sudo approached me with heavy steps. I was about to run away, but the speakers made an announcement.

"Attention, students. You will be able to see the island soon. Please take your time to take in some rather significant scenary."

After that rather strange announcement, students began to crowd. Once we were close enough, the ship began to circle the island.

Kushida: "Hey, L/N-kun."

(Y/N): "Hmm?"

Kushida: "I was wondering... Your first name is Y/N, right?"

(Y/N): "Y-yeah. What about it?"

Kushida's cheeks reddened a bit.

Kushida: "Well, since I call most of my friends by their first name, I thought I could call you by yours, too. Is that okay?"

(Y/N): "There's no problem, I think."

Kushida: "Okay! I'll call you Y/N from now on."

She looked really happy, but inmediately after she looked at me with a serious expression, as if she was waiting for me to say something.

(Y/N): "W-what?"

Kushida: "Now you have to call me by my first name, too."

(Y/N): "Do I?"

Kushida: "Of course!" She said pouting.

(Y/N): "Erm... Kikyou." I was really embarrassed for some reason, but Kushida seemed satisfied, so I let it be.

"We will disembark in 30 minutes. Please change to your jerseys and assemble on the deck. Please, keep all personal items in your room."

Apparently the private beach was near. I started heading toward my room, changed into my gym clothes and returned to the ship's deck.

"We will disembark now. Cell phone's are proihibited on the island, so please hand them over to your homeroom teacher."

The students went down the stairs and gave their cell phones.

I spotted Horikita, who seemed a bit cold and unconsciously rubbed her arms.

(Y/N): "What were you doing?"

Horikita: "I was just reading in my room. For Whom the Bell Tolls. You wouldn't know."

(Y/N): "Hey, come on now. That book was Ernest Hemingway's masterpiece, of course I know."

Horikita: "Huh? You read it?"

(Y/N): "Yeah. It might not look like it, but I really like reading."

We went to Chabashira-sensei and waited for the rest of the students to arrive. A few minutes later, a teacher stood in front of all the first year's students.

He was Masahima-sensei, Class A's homeroom teacher.

Masahima: "First of all, I'm happy that you've arrived safely. However, it's unfortunate that one of you was unable to participate due to illness."

I guessed it was Sakayanagi.

Ike: "Poor guy." He spoke lowly so the teachers didn't hear him.

Masahima: "Well then. Now, let's begin this year's first special test."

"Huh? Special test? What's that supposed to mean?"

Almost everyone in our class started asking questions.

Masahima: "The test starts now and lasts for one week. This test will determine if you are able to live on a deserted island as a group."

"Living on a deserted island? So we aren't staying in the boat?"

Some students from Class B and C voiced their concerns.

Masahima: "That's right. During this test, you will not be able to board the ship without a justifiable reason. Each student will be provided with one toothbrush. As a special case, girls will be allowed to have as many femenine sanitary products as they wish. As a major part of this test, we will give each class 300 points. With those points, you can buy products for your stay. We have prepared a manual for this purpose."

The teacher showed us a booklet.

"This manual lists the ways you can obtain points. Also, it shows everything you can buy with your points."

The students expressions began to grow calmer.

"So, we can do whatever we want with the points?"

Masahima: "Yes. In addition, I assure that this test won't have any negative effects on your second semester."

"So we can just have fun for the entire week?"

Masahima: "Yes. However, once the special test is over, the remaining points of each class will be added to their class points."

In other words, if we spent 120 points, we would have 180 points added to our class points.

Masahima: "Now, we will give one copy of the manual. Also, according to the rules, Class A will lose 30 points due to the absence of one of their students."

It didn't affect our class, but the penalty was merciless. The students of Class A were trembling and the other classes appeared shocked.

Masahima-sensei told us that our respective homeroom teacher would give us supplementary instructions, so we went to Chabashira-sensei.

Chabashira: "I will now hand wristwatches to everyone. You are not allowed to take them off until the end of the test. If you remove it without permission, you will be punished."

Chabashira-sensei explained that the wristwatches not only told the time, they also checked our body-temperature, pulse and our movements. It was also equipped with a GPS.

Chabashira: "Well then. I will now explain the aditional rules. There are designated spots around the island. Each class will be able to occupy those spots, however only for 8 hours. Once the time expires, you will be able to claim that spot again, but other classes will also be able to claim it. Also, you will gain one bonus point each time you occupy a spot."

In other words, if we are able to claim one spot and keep it for the entire week, we will get 21 aditional points.

Chabashira: "In order to claim the spots, each class will have to choose a leader. That leader will receive a keycard with his or her name on it. You will use that keycard to claim spots. In addition, if you are able to guess the identity of other classes' leader, that class will pay you 50 points as compensation. However, if you are mistaken, you will lose 50 points."

Guessing the identities of the leaders was pretty risky.

Chabashira: "There will be two roll calls per day. One at 8 am and the other at 8 pm. If someone is absent during roll call, the class will lose 5 points as a whole."

Once Chabashira-sensei was done explaining, the class started discussing how we would go through the week. I planned to just listen without getting involved.

Chabashira: "L/N, come with me for a moment." She spoke lowly so the others didn't hear.

Chabashira-sensei and I walked away from my classmates.

Chabashira: "The school determined that I will be keeping your medication. You will take medicine once a day and I'll have to be there each time you to take it."

I guessed something like that would happen. I appreciated that Chabashira-sensei told me in private so the others didn't hear.

Chabashira: "If you don't feel well at some point, tell me. I understand that you want to keep it a secret from your classmates, but your well being is the priority here."

(Y/N): "I understand."

"Yoo-hoo!"

A piercing voice was heard in the distance. Its owner rushed at her target and hugged Chabashira-sensei from behind.

Chabashira: "What are you doing?"

Hoshinomiya: "What, can't I be friendly? I wanted to see what you're doing." Hoshinomiya said as she caressed Chabashira-sensei's arms. "Your hair is so smooth, Sae-chan!"

Chabashira: "Shut up. Just hurry back to your class."

Hoshinomiya: "Ah, isn't that L/N-kun? It's been so long!"

I gave her a slight bow.

(Y/N): "Summer is the season of love. If you want to confess your feelings to the girl you like, maybe it'd be more effective while standing before the ocean."

Chabashira-sensei glared at me, she probably got the hidden meaning behind my words.

Hoshinomiya: "The ocean may be beautiful, but I can't do that during class." She said that as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Hoshinomiya: "Hey, hey, what were the two of you doing here?"

Chabashira: "Should I report you to the school for behavioral problems?"

Hoshinomiya: "Aww. Fine, fine, I get it. See you later, L/N-kun!"

(Y/N): "B-bye." I really can't understand how this woman became a teacher.

Chabashira: "Anyway, you should go with your classmates. Remember what I told you."

I nodded and headed back.

I could tell that the test was going to be a pain. Sakayanagi wasn't here, but I still was wary of that Ryuuen guy.

He was probably going to focus in our class after what happened with Sudo's incident, so I decided to take measures before it was too late.

--

I'm finally done writing this. I kept the explanations from the teachers as short as possible so the chapter didn't get boring.

I already began writing the next chapter and it should be done for next week.

Hope you enjoyed and see you next time.

16- Troublesome situations

(Y/N) pov

After discussing what to do for a while, Class D walked into the forest. Hirata, who was carrying a tent, lead the group.

"Wow, Karuizawa-san. Hirata-kun is really amazing, isn't he?"

Karuizawa: "Oh, yeah. The other guys are pathetic, so it's great to have him, right?"

I glanced over Horikita, who was isolated from the other girls. She looked tired.

(Y/N): "Not in a good mood?"

Horikita: "To be honest, I'm depressed. These kinds of things just aren't for me."

(Y/N): "Maybe you should try to join the other girls. This is going to be a long week, and you'll get bored if you're alone."

Horikita looked at me with a deadpanned expression, as if saying "Don't you know me already?"

(Y/N): "Reaching Class A isn't something that you can do alone. You need allies."

Horikita: "I don't need anyone. I'll reach Class A by myself, and then..."

Horikita hurried her pace and left me behind. Apparently she was still obsessed with her brother.

I looked behind me and spotted Sakura. She had been behind me for a while now, but didn't seem to find the courage to speak.

(Y/N): "Hello Sakura."

Sakura: "H-huh? H-hi."

I slowed down and we started walking together. After a while, everyone stopped.

Hirata: "Okay everyone. I think we should start searching for a spot. Any volunteers?"

Hirata raised his own hand. A few students also raised their hands, but the others still seemed reluctant.

I was surprised when I saw Kouenji raising his hand. Kushida was the next one. The three idiots and some other male students raised their hands right after her.

I raised my hand, and Sakura, who was beside me, raised her hand right after.

Hirata: "Thanks, Sakura-san. We are twelve, so we will go in groups of three people. Regardless of the results, I want everyone to reunite here in two hours."

The volunteers began to gather in groups of three. Hirata went with Karuizawa and another girl. Kushida with two of her friends, and the three idiots also went together.

I, on the other hand, was alone with Sakura. I wondered who would join us, and then, he came.

Kouenji: "The sun certainly is refreshing. My body needs energy."

You've got to be kidding me.

(Timeskip)

(Y/N): "Kouenji?"

Kouenji: "Ah, so beautiful. As I stand here amongst such vast nature, with an air of composure, I really am too beautiful. The pinnacle of beauty!"

I thought that it would be a good idea to get to know Kouenji, but I couldn't keep a proper conversation with him. I doubt that anyone could.

(Y/N): "Are you okay, Sakura?"

Sakura: "Huh? Y-yeah."

We had been walking for half an hour while trying to keep Kouenji's pace, which was rather fast if you ask me.

(Y/N): "How about we take a break? We've been walking for a while now and it's really hot." I raised my voice so Kouenji could hear me. Surprisingly, he actually stopped.

Kouenji: "May I ask you common folk a question?"

(Y/N): "...Common fol-?"

Kouenji: "What do you think of this place? What do you see when you look around?"

Sakura: "H-huh? Wh-what does he mean, L/N-kun?"

Sakura hid behind my back due to Kouenji's sharp glare. I tried scanning the surroundings, however nothing seemed especially notable. It was just a forest.

Kouenji: "Good. I understand. You do not need to worry. Common folk are simple, after all."

Kouenji sat down under a tree and closed his eyes.

(Y/N): "Sakura, do you have a handkerchief with you?"

Sakura: "Yeah."

(Y/N): "If you don't mind, can I borrow it? It might get a little dirty though."

Sakura: "Sure, that's perfectly fine." She said as she handed me the handkerchief.

I tied it to a nearby tree branch and then sat down next to Sakura.

(Y/N): "I was surprised when you raised your hand before."

Sakura: "Y-yeah. I'm a bit surprised myself."

(Y/N): "Why did you decide to help?"

Sakura: "Well, that's... I felt kind of uncomfortable when everyone got so fired up..."

Before entering the forest, the class discussed whether we should use our points to get a toilet and a shower. The girls wanted to, but the boys didn't want to "waste" our points. It ended up with most of our classmates screaming at each other.

(Y/N): "Well, this won't be easy either, even if we're a small number of people."

Sakura: "But L/N-kun, you raised your hand so..." Sakura suddenly raised her head in surprise, growing flustered. "Th-that's not what I mean!"

I tilted my head feigning ignorance.

(Y/N): "What do you mean?"

Sakura: "Ah... N-nothing." She sighed in relief.

I looked where Kouenji was sitting, but he wasn't there anymore.

(Y/N): "Wait... Where did he go?"

Sakura: "Huh?"

We looked around for a while, but he wasn't anywhere to be found. I sighed.

(Y/N): "I just look away for a minute and he's gone..."

For a moment, I thought I heard someone screaming "BEAUTIFUL!" in the distance.

(Timeskip)

We kept walking trying to find Kouenji, and we ended up finding a cave.

Sakura: "Could this be... a spot?"

(Y/N): "Probably."

I tried to approach the cave to check, but then I saw someone coming out of it. I grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her to hide in the shade.

"We should be able to fit two tents inside this cave, Katsuragi-san. We sure are lucky."

I listened to their conversation while hiding.

Katsuragi: "Lucky? I figured that there was a cave here before we landed."

When the boat circled the island, I was able to see many spots. This cave was one of them.

Katsuragi: "As the leader, I have a responsability. Be sure you don't make any mistake."

"S-sorry."

Katsuragi: "Let's go to the next spot, Yahiko. We already claimed this one, but I saw one or two spots that way."

The more spots you claim, the more points you will get.

Yahiko: "Y-yeah! If we're able to get through this test, Sakayanagi will have no choice but to be quiet!"

I thought that no one opposed to Sakayanagi in Class A, but apparently I was wrong.

Katsuragi: "Enough chit-chat. Let's go, Yahiko."

I couldn't hear footsteps anymore, but I still waited another two minutes.

Sakura: "Are they gone?" She whispered.

I peeked out to check, but they were nowhere to be seen. I noticed that my hands had grown warmer, apparently I grabbed Sakura's hands in panic.

(Y/N): "Sorry, Sakura. Sakura?"

Sakura: "Whaa?!"

Sakura seemed to be fine, but her face was completely red.

(Y/N): "Are you okay?"

Sakura: "I-I-I-I'm o-okay..."

I waited a bit till she calmed down.

(Y/N): "I think that those two were from Class A."

Sakura: "H-hey L/N-kun. Could that person be... the leader?"

Judging by their conversation, it's only normal to think that Katsuragi is the leader.

Sakura: "What should we do? We just found out something really important!"

(Y/N): "I'll tell Hirata later."

Sakura appeared relieved. She probably wouldn't be comfortable speaking with other people.

(Timeskip)

When we got back to the camp, I told Hirata that we lost Kouenji and waited for the other groups to return.

Ike: "Hey guys! We found a spot! It's near a river, and only ten minutes from here!"

Horikita: "If we're able to secure a spot, our situation will be better."

We decided to follow Ike and the others to the spot they found.

While we were on our way, I spotted Kushida. Making sure that no one noticed, I called her.

(Y/N): "Hey, Kushida."

Kushida looked at me and started walking beside me.

Kushida: "Kikyou." She said with a pout.

(Y/N): "R-right. Kikyou." I'm never going to get used to this, am I?

Kushida: "Yes, Y/N?" She said with a smile.

(Y/N): "I need you to do something for me. We're going to need a leader in order to claim a spot. Hirata would be too obvious, so I want you to suggest Horikita to be the leader."

Kushida: "Sure. Can I ask why?"

To be honest, I wanted Horikita to know that no matter what, she won't be able to reach Class A by herself. She needs allies. If Class D got into a desperate situation where she was the leader and couldn't do anything, she would finally understand. Of course, I can't tell this to Kushida.

(Y/N): "I think that Horikita is one of the best candidates to be the leader, that's all."

Kushida: "Hmm..."

For some reason, Kush- Kikyou stared at me.

(Y/N): "What is it?"

Kushida: "Do you like girls like Horikita-san?"

(Y/N): "Huh?"

Kushida looked at me impatiently.

(Y/N): "We're just classmates. Nothing more, nothing less."

She is certainly beautiful, but her personality would take anyone aback.

Kushida: "But you spend a lot of time with her, right? The girls are really interested.

(Y/N): "...Why would they even be interested? I'm not as popular as you or Hirata to begin with."

Kushida: "Actually, after you helped Hirata back then, the girls have started talking about you."

(Y/N): "They'll probably forget about it in a few weeks."

Kushida: "I wonder... Some of them seem to be really interested in you." She said sounding irritated.

Didn't Karuizawa say that everyone except for Hirata is pathetic though?

Ike: "There! We found the spot! It's amazing!"

We finally arrived at the river. There was a mechanism installed on a boulder.

Hirata: "Okay. The water is beautiful and the sunlight is blocked by the shade. This might be the ideal place for our camp. Amazing, Ike-kun!"

Ike chuckled proudly.

Karuizawa: "So how do we claim this spot?"

Kushida: "I think that Chabashira-sensei said that we need to name a leader first."

Karuizawa: "So who will be the leader, then?"

Kushida: "I thought about it, and I think that Hirata-kun and Karuizawa-san stand out too much. The leader has to be someone with a sense of responsibility, right? I think that Horikita-san is the perfect student for the role, what do you think?"

Horikita looked like she didn't expect Kushida to recomend her, but her expression didn't change.

Hirata: "I agree with Kushida-san, Horikita would be a good leader."

After Kushida and Hirata voiced their opinions, most of our classmates seemed to agree.

Hirata: "What do you think, Horikita-san?"

Horikita stayed silent, she was probably thinking whether she should accept.

Sudo: "You don't want to do it though, right? Don't make her do it, I will take her place."

Sudo stepped forward, as if to protect Horikita.

Horikita: "I accept."

Personally, I was relieved that someone like Sudo wasn't the leader.

Ike: "Okay! So we have resolved the problems of the leader and drinking water!"

Sinohara: "Wait, do you mean that we will drink from the river? Are you insane?"

Apparently Ike wanted to use the river for drinking, but Sinohara and the other girls didn't seem to agree.

Satou: "It would be great for swimming, but... to drink from it?"

Ike: "What the heck? Look at the water! It's perfectly pure and clean!"

Sinohara: "Well, yeah. It looks like you can drink from it, but..."

"Hey, Hirata-kun. It isn't normal to drink from a river, right?"

Several uneasy girls gathered around Hirata to ask for advice.

Karuizawa: "I don't think we can drink from that."

Ike: "What's wrong with you? The water is perfectly clean!"

Sinohara: "Then you drink it, as an experiment."

Ike: "Fine, whatever."

Ike took some water from the river with his hands and drank.

Ike: "See? It's perfectly fine!"

Sinohara: "No way, you actually drank from it? Gross!"

Ike: "Hey! You were the one who told me to drink!"

Aaand here we go again.

Sinohara: "Ugh, I hate barbarians like you the most!"

Ike: "What the hell?"

Yamauchi: "I heard that hatred is close to love. Could that be true between these two?" He whispered.

(Y/N): "That... Really doesn't seem to be the case here." I whispered back.

Hirata: "Let's think about the water issue later, okay? There's no point in fighting right now." He said, desperate for peace.

After everyone calmed down, Hirata told Chabashira-sensei that Horikita would be the leader, and claimed the spot afterwards.

(Timeskip)

Hirata: "Excuse me, L/N-kun? Can I talk with you for a minute?"

(Y/N): "Sure."

Hirata: "It's going to get dark soon. I thought that we could make a bonfire, and I was hoping that you'd collect branches."

(Y/N): "Okay. I'll pick the ones that look good."

Hirata: "Thank you! Ah, but it's dangerous to go alone. You should invite someone else."

I pretended to go alone so I could take a look around the place alone, but it was true that it would be dangerous.

I started to look for someone to go with me.

(Y/N): "Hey, Sudo. I'm going to collect branches to make a bonfire. Can you help me?"

Sudo: "I'm going to swim in the river now, so I'll pass."

Well then

Kushida was with her group of friends looking for food and Horikita was nowhere to be seen, so I couldn't ask them.

I saw Yamauchi near the tent, and decided to try again.

(Y/N): "Can you help me collect some branches for the bonfire?"

Yamauchi: "Sorry, but I'm tired. I'm gonna pass."

That's it. At least I tried.

Sakura: "Um... I-is it okay if I go with you?"

Apparently Sakura listened to me and decided to help.

(Y/N): "Sure, thanks for the help."

We started heading to the forest, but...

Yamauchi: "Hey!"

Yamauchi approached us.

Yamauchi: "I'll go with you, after all!"

(Y/N): "..."

(Timeskip)

We decided to collect branches nearby so we didn't get lost.

Yamauchi: "H-hey L/N. I'm going to tell you something, but be sure to keep it a secret, okay?"

(Y/N): "What is it?"

Yamauchi: "I think... I'm gonna go for Sakura."

(Y/N): "What?"

Yamauchi: "I mean, Kushida-chan is out of my league. And after thinking about it, I think that Sakura is the perfect candidate."

(Y/N): "...Why are you telling me this?"

Yamauchi: "Well. You seem to be friends with Sakura, but since you are already with Horikita I thought that I could ask you for advice."

(Y/N): "What in the world makes you think that I'm with her?"

Yamauchi: "Please, help me out. For example, leave me alone with Sakura for a while."

(Y/N): "I don't think that even counts as helping."

Yamauchi: "Wait... Are you after Sakura too?! Those boobies!"

(Y/N): "You know what? Nevermind."

After a while, we decided to head back with the branches we collected.

Yamauchi: "Hey, carry these branches for me."

He gave me most of his branches and headed toward Sakura.

Yamauchi: "Hey Sakura. Do you want me to help you carry those branches?"

Sakura: "I-I'm fine. L/N-kun is carrying a lot, though. Can you help him?"

Yamauchi: "Ohh! Sakura, you're so kind! Jeez, aren't you being greedy, L/N? Carrying all these branches by yourself?"

(Y/N): "..."

After walking for a few minutes, I spotted a lonely girl sitting under a tree. She wasn't from Class D. She had a red, swollen mark on her face.

Yamauchi: "Hey, what's the matter? Are you okay?"

"Leave me alone. It's nothing."

Yamauchi: "It doesn't look that way. Should I call a teacher?"

"Just a class dispute. Don't worry about it."

(Y/N): "What are you going to do then? We can't just leave you here."

Yamauchi: "We are Class D students. How about you come to our camp?"

"...Is it really okay? I'm from other class, after all."

Yamauchi: "Huh? What do you mean?"

Yamauchi didn't understand what she was saying.

"I can't believe what an incredible idiot you are! Are you serious?" She said looking shocked.

(Y/N): "Don't worry. I don't think there'd be any problem."

The girl sighed and got up. I noticed that she had dirt on her hands.

Yamauchi: "I'm Yamauchi, and these are my classmates L/N and Sakura. Nice to meet you!"

Ibuki: "... My name is Ibuki."

(Timeskip)

Once we got back to the camp, I told Hirata about Ibuki. He went to talk to her as Yamauchi and I started the bonfire.

After discussing the matter for a while, my classmates decided to let Ibuki stay with us for the week.

A few hours later, we started to have dinner.

The boys sat together, but the girls were divided in two groups. Karuizawa's and Kikyou's. There were only two girls sitting alone, Horikita and Sakura.

Yamauchi: "Poor Sakura, all alone. Should I eat with her?"

Ike: "Huh? You decided to go after her, after all?"

I looked around and spotted Chabashira-sensei next to her tent. According to what we were told, our respective homeroom teacher will be with us for the entire test.

Hirata: "Come to think of it, where's Kouenji-kun?"

Chabashira: "Oh, Kouenji complained about being ill and returned to the ship. Of course, that means that you've had thirty points deducted."

"Whaaaaaaaaat?!"

Screams sounded throughout the night.

Sudo: "You've got to be kidding me! Kouenji, you jerk!" Sudo screamed to the night sky with all his might, as if Kouenji would hear him.

"Goddamit! We lost 30 points... This sucks!"

For some reason, Kouenji's loud, haughty laughter reverberated in my mind.

17- Different strategies

(Y/N) pov

The next morning, I woke up quite earlier than I anticipated. The heat and humidity stole most of our sleep.

I looked around the tent and made sure that everyone was still asleep. After that, I quietly left the tent.

We left our luggage outside the tent. Each class was given numerous bags, with one color for each class. For example, our bags were blue and Class C's bags were green.

After making sure that no one was around, I picked the only green bag that was there. It was Ibuki's.

I opened it and checked what was inside. There were towels, a change of clothes, underwear, and a digital camera.

(Y/N): "Hmm?"

We were forbridden to bring any electronical items, I wondered how did she manage to avoid being caught at the beginning of the test.

I put the camera back in the bag and quietly went back to the tent.

Hirata: "Good morning, L/N-kun."

Hirata was awake. He turned around and greeted me.

Hirata: "Ah, did I wake you up by any chance?"

(Y/N): "No, I was already awake. The heat and mosquitoes didn't let me sleep."

Hirata sheepishly laughed, but his smile faded.

Hirata: "To be honest, I'm stressed. Yesterday we spent 100 points to buy a toilet and pay for Kouenji-kun's absence." He said as he showed me the manual that we were given the day before in the boat.

(Y/N): "It certainly is a difficult situation, even for you."

Hirata: "I only do this because I want to make everyone happy. I'm sure that if we reach Class A, everyone in class will be satisfied. But it's more difficult than I imagined."

Make everyone happy, huh?

(Y/N): "Then, if some students in our class want to reach Class A, but there are others who want to stay in Class D, what would you do?"

Hirata: "That's a difficult question... If that was the case, then I would be forcing some students who didn't want to reach Class A... I'm sorry, but I need time to think about it."

It's quite shocking to see how a teenager cares more about the feelings of other students than a certain teacher.

Hirata: "So, L/N-kun. Do you want to reach Class A or are you fine with being here in Class D?"

(Y/N): "If I had to choose, having a normal school life is my priority." I don't care whether I am in Class D or A as long as I can live my days peacefully.

Hirata: "I see."

After a brief period of silence, I asked Hirata if he could hand me the manual. He accepted and said that he would go to wash his face in the river.

Once I made sure that he was gone and everyone else was still sleeping, I cut out one of the pages of the manual.

(Timeskip)

(Y/N): "Hey Horikita, you around?"

After morning roll call and breakfast, I approached the girls' tent and called her.

Horikita: "...What?"

A faint voice came from the tent. Horikita slowly came out looking tired.

(Y/N): "Didn't sleep well?"

Horikita: "I doubt that anyone was able to sleep well in this enviroment."

That was certainly true, but she still looked worse than our classmates.

Horikita: "What is it?"

(Y/N): "I was thinking about checking what other classes were doing, but didn't find the courage to go by myself."

Horikita: "It's true that we should keep track of other classes but... I'm staying this time."

(Y/N): "Huh? Why?"

Horikita: "..."

She seemed reluctant, but I needed her there.

(Y/N): "Aren't you curious about what other classes are doing? Besides, we won't be able to find the identity of other leaders if we stay here, right?"

Horikita: "...Fine, I'll go."

(Timeskip)

We were going through the forest, following a small path that lead to the beach. Since that was the place were all the classes separated in the beginning of the test, we decided to start looking from there.

Horikita: "It's strange to see you take the initiative."

(Y/N): "There was nothing to do back in our camp and I was getting bored, that's all."

Horikita: "..."

As we approached the beach, we started hearing voices. When we finally got there, we were welcomed with a rather shocking view.

Horikita: "What... What in the world are they doing?"

Apparently, Class C didn't even bother to find a spot and stayed in the beach. But that wasn't all.

They had installed temporary toilets and shower rooms all over the place. They also had a tarp to protect them from the sunlight, a barbacue, chairs and a parasol. They also had drinks and snacks.

I couldn't tell for sure, but they probably spent most of their points.

I spotted one guy talking to someone who was seating on a chair. After that, the guy came rushing over us.

"Um, Ryuuen-san has requested your presence" He seemed to be frightened. After saying that, he went back with his classmates.

Horikita: "He rules over his classmates like a king... What should we do-? Where are you going?"

I started heading over where Ryuuen was.

(Y/N): "It's rude to refuse an invitation."

Horikita: "W-wait."

We approached the student, who was apparently Ryuuen.

Ryuuen: "I thought that someone was sniffing around. It was you, huh? What business do you have with me?"

Horikita: "It's seems that you're doing well. What an extravagant party."

Ryuuen, tanned and wearing a swimsuit, grinned.

Ryuuen: "That's right. We're enjoying our summer vacation."

He spread his arms, proudly showing us their situation.

Horikita: "This is a test. What in the world are you doing? You don't seem to understand the rules."

Ryuuen didn't seem happy after hearing Horikita's comment.

Horikita: "How many points did you even use?"

Ryuuen: "Well, I didn't make a precise calculation." He responded sounding uninterested. "Hey, Ishizaki. Bring me some cold water."

Ishizaki, who was playing volleyball with his classmates, rushed over here with a bottle of water.

Ryuuen: "As you see, we're just enjoying our summer vacation. We're not your enemies."

Horikita pressed her fingers against her forehead and wrinkled her brows as if she had a headache.

Horikita: "We are trying to warn you, you're an idiot."

Ryuuen: "Which one of us is the idiot? Me? You?"

Ishizaki handed the bottle to Ryuuen, however he threw it back at Ishizaki.

Ryuuen: "I said cold water."

Ishizaki: "B-but"

Ryuuen: "Hmm?"

Ishizaki's body stiffened and ran back to get another bottle.

Ryuuen: "This is the way I do things. No more, no less."

Horikita: "Well then, do as you please. It's convinient for us, after all."

Horikita probably thought that Class C wasn't going to be our enemy, so they weren't a problem.

(Y/N): "Do you know Ibuki?" I decided to talk and Ryuuen looked at me for the first time.

Ryuuen: "Yeah, she's a member of our class. What about her?"

(Y/N): "We found her yesterday. Her face was swollen, I wonder what happened."

Ryuuen: "...So she ran to other classes for help? What a pathetic girl. A ruler doesn't need useless subordinates. She didn't like the fact that we used our points like this and tried to defy me, that's why she got a light punishment." He made a gesture like slapping someone's face as he said that. Ryuuen had indeed hit her.

Horikita looked shocked for a moment, but then turned back to her serious expression.

Horikita: "You... Used up all your points in the first day, didn't you?"

Ryuuen: "Yes."

He admitted it without a hint of regret.

Horikita: "...Fine. Let's go back, L/N-kun. I don't want to waste more time here."

I took a quick glance over the table next to Ryuuen, making sure that he didn't notice. There was a walkie-talkie.

Ryuuen: "See you later, Suzune."

Horikita: "I don't know where you found that out, but don't call me by my first name so casually."

Apparently Ryuuen had made some investigating.

Ryuuen: "Well, I rather like forceful women. You'll submit to me eventually. When that happens, it will be the ultimate pleasure."

Ryuuen touched his 'parts' as he said that, clearly to provoke her. Horikita, eyes full of contempt, turned her back and walked away.

After we walked away from Class C, Horikita spoke.

Horikita: "Class C is irrelevant. I thought they were better than this."

(Y/N): "I don't think it's a good idea to let our guard down, you never know what might happen in the future."

Horikita: "Even if you say that... How are they going to go through this week without points?"

(Y/N): "They'll probably do the same as Kouenji. They will complain about being in poor physical health and go back to the ship."

As Masahima-sensei said, this test won't have any negative effects in our points.

Horikita: "I guess you're right... Anyway, let's head to Class B."

Horikita started walking and I turned around to take a last look to Class C.

A zero points strategy, huh? Interesting.

(Timeskip)

A few minutes later, we arrived at Class B's camp. Their way of living was completely different from ours.

(Y/N): "Well, I guess it's to be expected from Class B."

Their class had made practical use of their spot. They didn't have enough space to place three tents, so they made good use of the space by putting hammocks.

Ichinose: "Huh? Horikita-san and L/N-kun?"

Ichinose called out to us as she was trying to tie a string around a tree to put a hammock.

Horikita: "Your class seems to be doing well."

Ichinose: "Ha ha, yeah. But it was really difficult at first!"

She smiled and invited us to their camp. Apparently she didn't mind that we were from another class.

Horikita: "If you don't mind, I would like to enter a cooperative relationship like last time."

Ichinose: "I was about to ask you the same question."

Maybe she wanted to help us so we didn't get stuck at the bottom. If Class D lost this special test, reaching other classes would be nothing but a pipe dream.

Horikita started asking Ichinose about how many points they used and how did they manage to do so well.

As they talked, I took a look around their camp. Ichinose's classmates gladly helped each other, unlike Class D.

One lone bespectacled student approached Ichinose as she was talking with Horikita.

"Pardon me, Ichinose-san? I'm sorry to interrupt, but do you know where Nakanishi-kun is?"

Ichinose: "I think Nakanishi-kun headed down to the shore. Why do you ask?"

"I thought I'd offer help, if you don't mind."

Ichinose: "I'm glad you're willing to help, Kaneda-kun. Do you see Chihiro-chan's group over there? I would be glad if you helped them. Tell them that I told you to do so and it'll be okay."

"Okay, thank you very much!"

After that, the student named Kaneda headed to a group of girls. I recognized Chihiro, who was talking with her friends.

Horikita: "He sounded incredibly formal to be a classmate."

Ichinose: "Ah, he's-"

(Y/N): "A Class C student?"

I spoke before Ichinose could finish answering. She nodded.

Ichinose: "Do you know him? Apparently there was some kind of dispute in Class C and they chased him off. He said that he would be alright, but we couldn't leave him alone. It could be dangerous."

Since there were Class C's students in both Class D and Class B, I wondered if there would be another one in Class A.

Horikita: "We picked up another student from Class C yesterday. She also escaped from Class C."

Horikita told everything about Ibuki, as well as how we were doing and how many points did we use.

After that and promising that we would help each other from now on, both Horikita and Ichinose seemed satisfied.

(Y/N): "Hey, Ichinose. Can I ask something?"

Ichinose: "Sure."

(Y/N): "What do you know about Sakayanagi?"

Sakayanagi knew about my past and seemed to rule Class A. If I didn't handle things cautiously, I could regret it in the future.

Horikita looked at me suspiciously and Ichinose put her finger on her chin, as if trying to remember something.

Ichinose: "Sakayanagi-san, huh? Well, I heard that she and Katsuragi-kun are constantly fighting to get the control of their class. They are completely opposite."

(Y/N): "Opposite?"

Ichinose: "Liberal and conservative? Offense and defense? Persecute and protect? Those kinds of things, I think."

In other words, Sakayanagi wouldn't doubt to attack other classes in order to win while Katsuragi would prefer not to risk too much and assure their points.

Apparently Class A had many internal problems.

Ichinose: "Why do you ask?"

(Y/N): "Ah. I heard rumors about Sakayanagi, so I was just curious."

Ichinose: "I see."

Since Sakayanagi wasn't participating in this test, if Class A lost, Katsuragi would probably lose influence and Sakayanagi would gain more power in her class. I didn't want that to happen. But if Class D lost, we wouldn't be able to reach other classes since the gap between us and the rest of the classes would only widen.

Things weren't looking too good.

(Timeskip)

Horikita and I reached Class A's spot. It was the same cave that I saw the first day, and had two temporary toilets and one shower room nearby.

(Y/N): "I can't see anything from here."

We planned to sneak around and gain information, but I decided to step forward.

Horikita: "W-wait, what are you planning? We gain nothing by carelessly exposing ourselves."

(Y/N): "We gain nothing by staying hidden either."

Horikita: "You're really calm. Do you have something in mind?"

(Y/N): "I don't. I wish I had though."

Horikita: "Ugh."

Horikita gave up. Apparently she finally understood that she wouldn't get any answers from me.

As we approached the cave, we saw several vinyl sheets forming one giant tarp, probably so other classes didn't see what was inside.

There was a male student guarding the entrance of the cave. He was Yahiko, who I'd seen the day before.

Yahiko: "Who are you guys? What are you doing here?"

Horikita: "We came to snoop. Any problem?"

Yahiko frowned.

Horikita: "I'm Horikita, from Class D."

Yahiko: "Hah, of course you're from Class D. You are a bunch of stupid failures."

Horikita: "Stupid, huh? Well, then there won't be any harm if we look inside."

Horikita tried to enter the cave, but Yahiko stopped her.

Yahiko: "W-wait! You can't just come here and do whatever you want!"

Horikita: "We're just looking inside. That isn't a violation of the rules, right?"

Yahiko was visibly panicking, but he received help from a classmate.

Katsuragi: "What are you doing, Yahiko? I don't recall giving you permission to invite guests."

A particularly tall boy passed behind me and continued walking toward Horikita.

Yahiko: "Katsuragi-san! These two came to snoop around our camp! They're a bunch of filthy losers!"

Horikita: "You're exaggerating. It's just vinyl, show us around a little."

Katsuragi: "Well then. Feel free to look inside. However, prepare yourself. The moment you touch anything I will notify the school. I can't guarantee what will happen to Class D then."

Although he was probably bluffing, there seemed to be some genuine danger hidden in his words.

Katsuragi: "One class occupies a spot and protects it. If you decide to go inside, then Class A will tresspass Class D's camp. I think that we should avoid trouble."

Horikita seemed to be cornered by his words.

Horikita: "Well, fine. I look forward to seeing the results, and Class A's abilities."

Katsuragi: "We also expect things from you, Class D. And by that I mean your futile struggling."

They'd cut all options for Horikita. The only thing we could do was to leave. I had to admit, Katsuragi did a wonderful job.

However, despite their efforts, I was able to gain something from this small interaction.

18- Cute and clumsy

(Y/N) pov

It was already the third day of the test. Before noon, I quietly left the camp.

Chabashira-sensei, who was reading a book next to her tent, stared at me for a few seconds. I pretended not to notice.

"What do you think of this place? What do you see when you look around?"

For some reason, Kouenji's words left me pensive. It was almost as if he found out something when he said that.

Sakura: "Ahh, ahh, ahh... Where are you going now, L/N-kun?"

I looked at Sakura, who was out of breath. Apparently she saw me leaving the camp and decided to chase after me.

(Y/N): "Remember how I tied a handkerchief around a tree? I wanted to check something."

Sakura: "I-it's probably not okay for me to come with you, right?" She said smiling bitterly.

I was planning to go alone, but I would feel bad for her if I refused.

(Y/N): "You can come if you want. People might start talking if they see us alone, though."

Sakura looked up at me and her eyes seemed to lighten up.

Sakura: "T- that doesn't bother me at all."

(Y/N): "Then that's fine."

We started walking, looking for the place where I tied the handkerchief.

(Y/N): "Are you getting along with the other girls?"

Sakura: "N-no... We don't really talk or anything." She muttered.

I'm sure that Kikyou and her group of friends would gladly accept Sakura, but a bunch of girls suddenly talking to Sakura would be too much for her.

(Y/N): "It's okay, Sakura. You'll make friends soon. And then school will become much more fun."

Our eyes met for a moment and Sakura quickly averted her gaze. The fact that she wasn't able to look to another person's eyes showed that she was still far from her goal.

Sakura: "It seems like he resigned... That guy from the store."

Sakura was relieved that he was gone. Apparently that guy did have some decency, after all.

Sakura: "Thank you for everything... Everything worked out thanks to you, L/N-kun."

(Y/N): "I'm glad I was helpful. Remember that you can talk to me if something else happens."

Sakura smiled happily and nodded.

After walking for a while, I finally spotted the handkerchief tied on a tree. I took it and handed it back to Sakura.

I once again scanned the surroundings, but nothing stood out at first sight.

(Y/N): "Did you notice something?"

Sakura: "No... It looks the same as the first day."

(Y/N): "Let's look around for a bit."

Sakura: "Okay."

We made use of our five senses, trying to find something out of the ordinary.

Sakura: "Wha-?

Sakura, who had been searching behind some bushes, shriecked in surprise.

I approached her to see what she was looking at.

Sakura: "Is this... corn?"

(Y/N): "Seems like it."

It was obvious that this was unnatural. This corn had to be cultivated artificially.

(Y/N): "So this is what Kouenji saw..."

He'd noticed the corn at first sight. I thought that he was just an idiot at first, but I better keep an eye on Kouenji Rosuke from now on.

(Y/N): "We should take these to our camp."

Sakura: "B-but how? We didn't bring any bags- Wh-what are you doing?!"

I took my shirt off. If we tied the openings we could use it as a bag. However Sakura's cheeks reddened a lot. I thought that a girl her age wouldn't really mind seeing a topless guy.

Sakura: "I-it's way too soon for that!"

(Y/N): "Ah, sorry. I thought we could use this to carry th- Wait wait, too soon for what?"

I was worried that other classes found this place, so I wanted to carry the corn as soon as possible.

Sakura: "A-ah, okay." She calmed down a bit, but still had her hands covering her face.

We were about to leave with the corn, but two unexpected visitors came.

Yahiko: "Look Katsuragi-san! There's a lot of food here!"

Sakura jumped in surprise and hid behind my back. Katsuragi apologized after seeing this.

Katsuragi: "I'm sorry. We didn't mean to startle you. Please forgive us."

He apologized and shot Yahiko a stern look, which made him apologize in low spirits. When he looked up, he bodly pointed at me in an accusing manner.

Yahiko: "Hey! You're that spy from yesterday!"

Sakura jumped in surprise once again. Seeing this, Katsuragi dropped his clenched fist on Yahiko's head.

Katsuragi: "I'm Katsuragi, from Class A. This is Yahiko. Since is the second time we've met, I think it's time for a proper self-introduction."

(Y/N): "I'm L/N, from Class D, This is Sakura."

After a brief greeting, Katsuragi glanced at the corn.

Katsuragi: "You found this? Don't worry, we're not going to steal this from you. If someone else finds this place they'll probably steal it, though."

I shrugged.

(Y/N): "There's only two of us, so we can't do anything about it."

Yahiko: "You idiots. One could stay here while the other went back to your base camp. Isn't that right, Katsuragi-san?"

Katsuragi: "You're the one who doesn't understand, Yahiko. It's really dangerous to move through the forest alone."

That's why Katsuragi didn't go alone.

Katsuragi: "We'll help you."

Yahiko: "A-are you serious Katsuragi-san? Helping Class D is..."

Yahiko wanted to refuse, but Katsuragi's sharp look made him stay quiet.

(Y/N): "I'm sorry, but our class told us to be careful. They'll be mad if we ask for help to other classes."

That was a lie, but Katsuragi could only accept quietly.

Katsuragi: "I see. Can I ask you to trust us?"

I don't know where Katsuragi was trying to get at, but I couldn't just trust him all of the sudden.

Katsuragi cleared a path so we could leave. Sakura hurriedly left first, and I started walking behind her, both carrying corn. I stopped and looked at Katsuragi before leaving.

(Y/N): "Oh, and... Katsuragi."

(Timeskip)

When we got back to the camp, Hirata cheerfuly thanked us for finding the corn and sent a group of students to retrieve it.

When the group came back, they told Hirata that Katsuragi and another student were around, but didn't interfere.

Apparently Katsuragi stayed there so no one stole the corn. What a good person.

Fourth day

Around 3 pm, I left the camp with the paper I took from the manual and a ballpoint pen in my pocket.

In said paper, I drew (more or less) the outline of the island. I also noted where the cave and other important places were located.

After a while, I was near the cave. Making sure that Class A's students didn't see me, I quietly surrounded the cave and kept going.

I walked around a cliff and spotted several facilities. Once I was close enough, I noticed that they were already claimed by Class A.

After I marked this place on my map, I put the paper back inside my pocket.

(Y/N): "I saw a tower around here when the boat circled the island..."

I relied on my memory and kept walking. When I finally found the tower, the first thing I did was checking if it was occupied.

Strangely, it wasn't.

(Y/N): "I thought that Class A also found this place... Maybe they claimed it more than eight hours ago and the time lapse has already ended."

I tensed up a bit. If that was true, then they were probably already coming this way to claim it again.

"I think it was around here..." A faint voice was heard in the distance.

I instinctively threw the paper and pen behind a bush that was nearby.

"Hey, what are you doing here? This place is being used by Class A."

Two guys approached me and asked with a menacing tone. One of them quickly checked if I had occupied the spot.

"Who are you? I haven't seen your face before."

(Y/N): "I'm L/N, from Class D."

"Search him. In case he has anything suspicious."

They put their hands in my pockets, as if I was some kind of criminal searched by the police.

"This isn't an act of violence, understand?"

I didn't want to have problems with them, so I just nodded. They didn't find anything suspicious and I thought that they would just lose interest in me, however they didn't leave.

"What's your goal? Are you acting alone?"

(Y/N): "Actually, I went to search for food with my classmates and got lost. Have you seen a scary looking guy with red hair around here?" I said that trying to sound as innocent as possible.
--

Sudo: "Achoo!"

Ike: "Huh? Did you catch a cold, Ken?"

Sudo: "For some reason I really want to punch someone..."
--

"There's one more thing I want to talk to you about. If you tell us who your leader is, we'll reward you."

(Y/N): "Tell you the identity of my leader?"

"You don't have to worry, no one in your class will know if you tell us."

(Y/N): "Even if I did tell you, what would I get as a reward?"

"That depends on your attitude, but we could give you 100,000 or 200,000 points."

That's certainly a tempting offer.

(Y/N): "I'm sorry, but I can't just believe that you will pay me like that. Could I have someone more trustworthy settle things? For example someone like Katsuragi, or perhaps Sa-"

The moment I said Katsuragi's name, one of the boys expression changed.

"Why Katsuragi?"

(Y/N): "I mean, isn't Katsuragi Class A's representative?"

"Don't make me laugh. Sakayanagi is Class A's representative, not Katsuragi. You can go now."

Apparently they lost interest in me and left the place. On the other hand, I confirmed that Class A indeed had an internal fight, just as Ichinose said. I quietly picked the map and pen from behind the bush and left.

(Timeskip)

It was getting dark as I made my way back to our camp. The camp was at the other bank of the river, and normally I would have to walk around the river till I found a place where the water wasn't very deep to cross to the other edge. However, if I did that, I would probably be late for roll call.

As I wondered what to do, I spotted some rocks in the river. The water was deep, but I should be able to get to the other side by jumping those rocks.

Once I made up my mind, I saw a female student carrying fruits. I recognized her, she was one of my classmates. Her name is Mei-Yu-Wang, which makes it rather obvious that she's from China.

Her name was difficult to pronounce, so our classmates just call her Mii-chan.

Mii-chan: "Uh, L- L/N-kun? What are you doing here?"

She was rather short and had purple hair tied in two pigtails. Now that I take a closer look at her... She's really cute.

(Y/N): "I was searching for food, but didn't find anything. Here, let me help."

I helped her carry some fruits. It looked like she was having trouble carrying them.

Mii-chan: "Th-thank you, L/N-kun." She responded shyly. Somehow, she reminded me of Sakura.

Mii-chan: "Wh-what should we do? We're going to be late for roll call... What if they get mad at us?"

(Y/N): "Hmm... If we cross the river by jumping those rocks we should get there in time."

Mii-chan: "H-huh?! No way, no way. What if we fall to the water?"

As long as we know how to swim, it should be fine. However it would be a problem if our clothes got wet.

(Y/N): "If we don't do that we'll be late for roll call, though."

Mii-chan: "B-but..."

(Y/N): "Listen, we should leave the fruits here for now. We'll probably fall down if we try to jump while carrying them."

Mii-chan: "What if they get mad at me for not bringing them?"

(Y/N): "Being late for roll call would be worse, right?"

Mii-chan: "..."

She thought about it for a moment, but in the end I was able to convince her. We left the fruits there and headed toward the rocks.

The rocks seemed big enough to stand on them, but I decided to go first, just in case.

(Y/N): "I'll go first to check if it's safe."

Mii-chan: "O-okay."

I carefuly jumped from one rock to another. It was easier than I initially thought. Once I was at the other side, I called her.

(Y/N): "Okay. It's safe, you can go now!"

Even though I told her it was safe, she still looked scared. She nervously stared at the rocks. Maybe it was inconsiderate going first? But if I asked her to go first, she would think that I was using her to check if it was safe, right?

I started jumping back and stood next to her. She looked up at me as I streched my hand.

Mii-chan: "H-huh?"

(Y/N): "Come on, I'll help you."

Her cheeks reddened a bit, but she still took my hand. It was probably more dangerous to jump like this, but we couldn't afford being late.

Mii-chan clumsily jumped next to me, I was starting to feel like this wouldn't end well.

(Y/N): "Okay, this is the last jump. We're almost there."

Mii-chan: "O-okay."

We both jumped and finally reached the other side. I got there safely, however Mii-chan slipped and was about to fall backwards. If that happened she would fall to the water.

I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward me. In the end I was able to prevent her from falling, but the one that ended up falling to the river was me.

Mii-chan: "L-L/N-kun!"

(Y/N): "I'm okay, don't worry."

I got out of the river, but now I felt heavy because of my clothes being all wet.

Mii-chan: "I'm sorry! If I wasn't so clumsy..."

Mii-chan looked downwards and it looked like she was about to cry. If I let a girl this cute cry because of me, my pride as a man would be gone.

(Y/N): "Hey hey, there's nothing to worry about. It's just water, I didn't get hurt or anything."

Mii-chan: "B-but..."

(Y/N): "I'm fine, see?" I said that as I streched my arms.

She finally calmed down, but still apologized another two or three times.

(Y/N): "Let's get going, it will get dark soon."

Mii-chan: "Y-yeah."

We started making our way to the camp, but none of us said anything for a while.

Mii-chan: "T-thanks for the help, L/N-kun." She said that as she looked up at me with puppy eyes.

How can she be so cute?!

(Y/N): "It's nothing, Mii-chan- Wait, can I call you that?"

Mii-chan: "It's perfectly fine. I prefer that than being called by my chinese name."

To be honest, it was really embarrassing calling her that, but I shrugged it off.

In the end, we got back to the camp before roll call. Once we got there, Horikita looked at me and covered her mouth with her hands while looking elsewhere, probably- no, totally laughing.

(Timeskip)

Sudo: "-y, Hey L/-, wake up!"

The next morning, I was awaken by Sudo.

(Y/N): "What?" I said as I rubbed my eyes.

Sudo: "Man, you finally wake up! I've been trying for a long time!"

(Y/N): "I'm... Kind of a heavy sleeper. Anyway, what's the matter?"

Sudo: "Hell if I know. The girls came to our tent and told us to wake up, they look angry."

(Y/N): "...Ike, what have you done?"

Ike: "Why me?!"

We reluctantly left the tent. The rest of the boys stood outside looking sleepy, and the girls were talking about something a few meters away.

Hirata: "What's going on? Why did you wake us up so early?"

Sinohara: "Sorry, Hirata-kun. This doesn't involve you but... we want to confirm something."

Sinohara looked at us suspiciously.

Sinohara: "This morning... Karuizawa-san's underwear went missing."

Hirata: "U-underwear?"

Even Hirata appeared shaken. Well, it was his girlfriend after all.

Sinohara: "Karuizawa-san is crying in our tent. Kushida-san and the others are with her, but..."

Ike: "Huh? Huh? Why are you looking at us like that?"

Sinohara: "It's obvious, isn't it? Someone stole her underwear."

The boys, still sleepy, exchanged looks.

Ike: "You're saying that it was one of us?!"

Sinohara: "Who else would be?"

Ike: "Stop accusing us, we didn't do anything!"

"Come to think of it, Ike. You were pretty late getting back from the toilet yesterday."

Ike: "It was dark outside, of course it would take me time!"

"Is that so? You stole the underwear, didn't you?"

Ike: "Y-you're wrong! I didn't do it!"

The boys started blaming one another. Meanwhile, Sinohara started talking to Hirata.

Sinohara: "Hirata-kun, can you help us find the culprit?"

Apparently the girls wanted Hirata to check the boys' luggage. Of course, everyone refused at first, but in the end Hirata said that he trusted us and that it was just to prove our innocence so the girls could be calm.

We went to our tent to pick our luggage. Once I picked my bag, I headed back to where everyone was. However, I stopped when I saw Ike nervously glaring at his bag.

Yamauchi: "Kanji?"

Ike's face was pale and his body stiff.

Yamauchi: "What, you're the one who stole the underwear?" He said half-jokingly.

Ike: "O-of course not!"

Yamauchi: "Wait, don't tell me..."

Ike: "What, don't you believe me?!"

Yamauchi: "Show me what is in your bag."

Ike: "Ah, wait!"

Yamauchi snatched Ike's bag and opened it. Inside there was... White underwear, definetely not a man's.

Ike: "That's not mine! Someone must have put it in my bag, somehow!"

Yamauchi: "Come on, don't give me that excuse." He looked at Ike with pity.

Ike: "L/N, you believe me, right?!"

(Y/N): "I wonder..."

Ike: "L/N!"

(Y/N): "I mean, you would have to be an idiot if you hid it in your own bag after stealing it."

Ike: "See, see? It definetely wasn't me!"

No, Ike. You got it wrong. The fact that only an idiot would hide it in his own bag actually increases the posibility that it was you.

Sudo: "What are you guys doing? Hurry up!"

Yamauchi: "Good luck." Yamauchi smiled and gave the underwear back to Ike. After that, he joined Sudo in the queue.

Ike: "Wh-what am I gonna do? I'm in serious trouble!"

(Y/N): "There's no time. Hide it somewhere. Now."

Ike: "Hide them?! Where?!"

(Y/N): "Put them into your pocket."

That's the only advice I could give. If we hurried into the tent or the toilets, the girls would grow suspicious and they would demand to search that area.

Ike: "I-I can't do it! I'm already panicking!"

(Y/N): "Do you want to get caught?"

Ike: "I'll leave it to you, L/N!"

Ike hurriedly put the underwear in my hands and left.

(Y/N): "..."

(Timeskip)

Hirata: "We searched our bags. None of us did it."

Sinohara: "Really?"

Hirata: "Yeah, there's no doubt. None of the boys are the culprit."

Sinohara: "Wait a moment."

Sinohara checked the inside of our tent. Of course, there wasn't anything there. After that, she went back to the other girls and started talking about something.

Sinohara: "Hey, Hirata-kun. Could they have it hidden in their pockets? Those three were whispering earlier."

Hah hah, great.

Ike: "Jeez, enough is enough!"

The girls started to attack him.

"Wasn't Ike-kun acting a little suspicious earlier? Maybe he's hiding something."

Ike: "I-I'm not hiding anything! Search me if you want to!"

He spreaded his arms wide, proclaiming his innocence.

Sinohara: "Let's search him, Hirata-kun. Can you do it?"

Hirata nodded and approached Ike. This was the worst possible outcome. The pat down started while the girls suspiciously looked at us. Hirata started with Ike, then Yamauchi and finally it was my turn.

Sinohara: "I don't think that L/N-kun did it, but we better make sure."

Hirata: "I'm sorry, it will be over soon."

Hirata started to search my upper body. Then he put his hand into my back pocket, where I had placed the underwear.

However, he didn't say anything and kept acting natural. After that, he turned to the girls.

Hirata: "L/N-kun doesn't have them either."

Ike and Yamauchi exchanged shocked looks. I kept my neutral face, but I was quite shocked too.

I followed Hirata and we both entered the tent.

(Y/N): "Why didn't you tell them?"

Hirata: "Just as I thought... That was the underwear, wasn't it?"

(Y/N): "Yes."

Hirata: "Did you... Steal it, L/N-kun?"

(Y/N): "No."

How would he respond to my denial?

Hirata: "I believe you. You're not that kind of person. But why did you have it in your pocket?"

I told Hirata everything.

Hirata: "I see. So it definetely wasn't you, But I don't think it was Ike-kun or Yamauchi-kun either."

It was a rather hurried conclusion, if you ask me.

Hirata: "If it's alright with you, may I keep the underwear?"

(Y/N): "Sure, but... Is it really okay?"

Hirata: "If I got caught, I would take the least amount of damage since I'm her boyfriend."

That was certainly true, but if that happened the girls wouldn't think of Hirata the same way, either.

Hirata: "I believe you, L/N-kun."

(Y/N): "Ah, thanks."

Hirata: "But that's not all. I want you to help me find the real culprit."

Hirata took my hand as he made his request.

(Y/N): "You want me to find the culprit? I don't think it will be easy to find someone who hides things in Ike's bag."

Hirata should know that finding the culprit would be difficult.

(Y/N): "Well, I'll do my best."

Hirata: "Thank you! Thank you, L/N-kun!" Hirata said almost hugging me and bowing his head deeply. I thought that his reaction was a bit excesive.

Hirata: "If you find the culprit, I would like you to tell me right away. I definetely don't want you to tell anyone else."

(Y/N): "So you're asking me to hide the truth?"

Hirata: "Hide the truth, huh? I guess you could say it that way. But I definetely don't want everything to fall apart. That's why I don't want anyone else to know."

(Y/N): "I understand. I'll tell you first if discover something. Is that good?"

Hirata: "Thank you. Well, I'll be getting back to work."

With that, Hirata left. Class D was starting to cooperate until now, but with this incident, our classmates probably wouldn't trust each other anymore. Things would only get more difficult from now on.

19- What I was looking for

(Y/N) pov

2 weeks ago

It was the last day of school before summer vacation started. My classmates were really happy and wouldn't stop talking about their plans for holidays.

Classes had ended for the day and I was about to leave to the dorms. However, someone had other plans for me.

Chabashira: "L/N. Before you leave, I have to talk to you. Come to the faculty room." Chabashira-sensei said that right after homeroom ended and left the class.

Sudo: "Why? Did you do something?" Sudo approached me with his bag on his shoulder.

(Y/N): "I don't think so...?" I haven't really done anything, at least yet.

Horikita: "Yeah. You're not good or bad. You're just an average student living his plain, boring life."

(Y/N): "Why did you sound all sarcastic?"

Horikita: "Sarcastic? That wasn't my intention. I do sincerely apologize."

Yeah, right.

Sudo: "Hey, Horikita. Since it's summer vacation, do you have some free time? We could hang out."

Sudo's feelings for Horikita were rather obvious at this point.

Horikita: "...Why?"

Sudo: "Because it's summer vacation. It'd be too bad if you didn't have fun. We can go to the cinema or to the shopping centre."

Horikita: "Not interested." For a moment, I thought I heard Sudo's heart cracking from my seat.

Horikita stood up and left the classroom. I also decided to leave, since I shouldn't make Chabashira-sensei wait for too long.

As I arrived at the faculty room, I saw Chabashira-sensei waiting for me in the doorway.

Chabashira: "Come in."

(Y/N): "I don't understand why I was called here."

Chabashira: "We'll talk inside."

My "incoming depression" meter was over the clouds as Chabashira-sensei evaded my questions.

Chabashira: "You might expect bad things to happen when you're suddenly asked to come to the faculty room, but this is actually a fine place. There aren't any eyes watching here."

I noticed that the security camera, which was installed last time I was called here, wasn't there anymore.

(Y/N): "So what did you want to talk about? I'm really busy planning my summer vacation right now."

Chabashira: "That's funny. I thought that you didn't have any friends."

Come on, even the teacher is making fun of me?!

(Y/N): "Hey hey. I have at least a few friends." Right?

Chabashira-sensei chuckled, but soon turned back to her serious expression.

Chabashira: "I've called you here because I want to tell you my personal story."

Her personal story? I didn't know why would she want to tell me that, nor I was interested.

Chabashira: "I haven't told this to anyone since I became a teacher. It's silly, but please listen."

(Y/N): "Before that, should we have some tea? You must be thirsty after classes."

I got up and opened the door that lead to the small office where I hid back then. There wasn't anyone inside.

Chabashira: "Don't tell this story to anyone else."

(Y/N): "Okay." I reluctantly sat in front of her.

Chabashira: "How do I appear as Class D homeroom teacher?"

(Y/N): "Hmm. If you don't mind being compared to other teachers, I'd say that you don't care about the future of your class, and that you have no interest in your students."

She wasn't as friendly as Hoshinomiya, and she wouldn't help her students as Sakagami does.

(Y/N): "Am I wrong?"

Chabashira: "No, it's as you say. However, the truth is different."

Chabashira-sensei looked at the ceiling, as if she was remembering something.

Chabashira: "I was once a student of this school, just like you. I was also placed in Class D."

(Y/N): "Is that so? I thought that you would be in the higher classes."

Chabashira: "Well, back then, the class difference wasn't as extreme as now. The difference between Class D and Class A wasn't even 100 points."

She wasn't bragging. She seemed regretful about something.

(Y/N): "I guess that someone made a mistake, then?"

Chabashira: "Yes. Because of my mistake, my class collapsed. My goal of reaching Class A was shattered."

So after that incident, she just lost interest and doesn't even bother helping her class anymore?

(Y/N): "What does this have to do with me?"

Chabashira: "I think that your presence will be really important to reach Class A."

(Y/N): "You're joking, right?"

Chabashira: "A few days ago, a certain man contacted the school. 'Expel (Y/N) (L/N)', he said."

She made a complete change of topic. Apparently this was what she wanted to say from the beginning.

(Y/N): "I wonder why would someone from the outside want me to be expeled, but I guess that you just ignored his request, right?"

Chabashira: "Of course. We can't just expel someone that easily. As long as you're a student of this school, the rules will protect you. However, if you cause any problems, your expulsion would be unavoidable."

(Y/N): "I don't intend to cause any trouble, so I should be fine."

Chabashira: "It has nothing to do with your intentions. If I determine that something seems like an issue, then it will be an issue."

(Y/N): "Is that a threat?"

Chabashira: "Here's the deal, L/N. You're going to aim for class A for me. In exchange, I will protect you from now on. A good offer, isn't it?"

I never imagined that she would blackmail a student. I couldn't help but laugh.

(Y/N): "I won't listen to any more of this. Can I leave now?"

Chabashira: "That's too bad, L/N. Once again, Class D won't reach Class A, and you'll be expelled."

She was placing her unachieved dreams on my shoulders.

Chabashira: "I will ask once again, L/N. Will you aim for Class A?"

I slammed the table with my hands and grabbed her by the collar. I was done with people deciding my future for me.

(Y/N): "And here I thought of you as a decent person. You're really blackmailing a student?" I couldn't see my face at that moment, but it was proably showing more emotions than I would've liked.

Chabashira: "Right." Chabashira-sensei laughed in self-deprication. "I'm surprised myself. Apparently I haven't given up on reaching Class A."

She grabbed my arm, my hand still grasping her collar.

Chabashira: "When you joined the school, I thought that you would voluntarly lead Class D, but there's no time. You have to decide here and now."

If it was for me, I wouldn't even have joined this school. I would've chosen a normal school, where I could experience an average student life. However, if I did that, that man would have already gotten me expelled by blackmailing the principal, or whatever methods. This school lead by the government was the only place where I would be safe, or that's what I thought.

I released Chabashira-sensei from the grasp and started to leave.

(Y/N): "You're going to regret trying to use me."

Chabashira: "Relax. My life is already full of regrets."

Throwing away my freedom to protect my freedom... This is just ridiculous.

Present

Hirata: "Could everyone please gather around for a moment?"

When I exited the tent, Hirata called out to everyone. I spotted Karuizawa next to him, trembling with anger.

Karuizawa: "We can't trust the guys. I'm absolutely not staying in the same place as them!"

Hirata: "But there would be problems if the boys and girls lived apart, right? We need to believe each other and cooperate."

Sinohara: "You might be right, but... We can't stand being in the same place as underwear thieves!"

Karuizawa shook her head, dismissing the option of staying with the boys. Sinohara took a tree branch and drew a line.

Sinohara: "We think that the thief is a boy, so we're drawing a dividing line. Boys are absolutely prohibited from entering our side."

Ike: "What the hell? We're being treated like criminals, even though we let you check our bags and give us pat downs!"

Sinohara: "Maybe it wasn't hidden in the bag. Men are perverts, after all. Anyway, don't enter the girls' territory until the culprit is found."

With that, the girls demanded us to move our tent. Of course, none of the boys agreed.

Sudo: "If you doubt us, then move your own tent. We're not going to move our tent, and we're not going to help you moving yours either."

Our class unity had completely broken down.

Sinohara: "Hey Hirata-kun. Can you help us? For Karuizawa-san's sake?"

Hirata: "Okay, I'll help. It might take a long time, though."

Sinohara: "Thank you. Aren't you glad, Karuizawa-san?"

Karuizawa: "Yeah, we can only trust Hirata-kun."

Horikita: "Wait, I would like to make an objection."

Karuizawa: "What is it? Don't you agree with us?"

Horikita: "I don't mind dividing the areas for men and women. However, I don't trust Hirata-kun. He might be the underwear thief, after all."

Karuizawa: "Hirata-kun would never do that. Can't you at least understand that?"

Horikita: "That's your personal opinion, isn't it? Don't force your way of thinking on me."

Karuizawa stepped closer to Horikita, clearly not approving her attitude.

Karuizawa: "Hirata-kun is definetely innocent. You don't even have friends, let alone a boyfriend. You wouldn't understand."

Horikita: "Don't make me repeat myself. Nothing you say will convince me."

Karuizawa: "Well then, let me ask you something. Would you say there are no other guys as trustworthy as Hirata-kun? Or are there?"

Hirata: "Karuizawa-san, it would be great if we could have another guy help me. Is that okay?"

Karuizawa: "B-but... How can I trust anyone other than you?"

Horikita: "I've thought it over carefully, and I'm going to choose someone who can't be the culprit."

Karuizawa: "Who? Is there someone other than Hirata-kun?"

I started wondering who could it be. Maybe Yukimura? He always had good marks and didn't seem to be a pervert.

Horikita: "You. L/N-kun."

Wait wait. Why me? How me?! My mouth fell open and I just stood there shocked.

Everyone turned towards me.

Karuizawa: "L/N-kun is your only friend, isn't he? The fact that you trust him doesn't mean that all of us will."

I could feel the girls' eyes judging me, probably seeing through my soul.

Horikita: "Do you have someone better?"

Karuizawa: "..."

Hirata: "I think that we can trust L/N-kun. He wouldn't do anything bad."

Some of the girls seemed to relax once Hirata voiced his opinion. It seems that Horikita got me into trouble once again.

Sakura: "I-I think so too."

I heard Sakura say that from somewhere, but as soon as we looked at her, she shrieked and hid behind a tree.

Karuizawa: "Well, I suppose that out of all the guys he seems to be the most harmless."

Sinohara: "I don't think that L/N-kun would do anything bad either. Besides, Hirata-kun won't have to do all the work if we let him in."

Once Hirata and Karuizawa agreed, most of the girls decided to give me an oportunity. And so, it was decided that boys and girls would live separately.

(Timeskip)

Hirata: "I'm sorry. I've got you into trouble again."

Hirata and I were now in the girls side, setting their tent up.

(Y/N): "Nah, don't worry. I didn't have anything to do, anyways."

I spent most of the time doing nothing this past few days, except when I left the camp.

Karuizawa: "Hirata-kun! Come here for a minute!"

Karuizawa and a group of girls called to Hirata, however he didn't seem to want to go.

Hirata: "Ah, but I still have work to do..."

(Y/N): "Go. I can take care of this myself."

Hirata: "Are you sure?"

Karuizawa: "Hurry up Hirata-kun!"

Hirata reluctantly joined the group of girls. Setting up the tent was more difficult than I had expected, but in the end I was able to do it myself.

Ibuki: "Do you have a minute?"

I planned to rest for a while, but apparently it wasn't going to be possible.

Ibuki: "What you were talking about before seemed really serious. The underwear incident..."

I shrugged.

(Y/N): "I guess that Class D will have to face trouble until the very end of the test."

Ibuki: "The reason doesn't matter, stealing a girl's underwear is unforgivable."

She was right, but why was she telling this to me? Yamauchi was the one who got her into our camp, not me.

Ibuki: "Are you the culprit?"

(Y/N): "No."

Ibuki: "Okay, that's good. Well, it's not like I have evidence or anything. Apparently some of the girls trust you and that boy Hirata, so it probably wasn't you."

I stared at her for a few seconds.

(Y/N): "So, are you the culprit?"

It was a dumb question to ask. It didn't matter if she was the culprit or not, I just wanted to see her reaction.

Ibuki: "Of course you'd suspect me... I'm from another class, after all. However, I'm not the culprit."

There was some kind of determination in her words.

(Y/N): "I trust you. I don' t think that you stole Karuizawa's underwear."

I spoke without hesitation. She looked surprised, and probably wanted to verify if what I said was the truth. When our eyes met, she averted her gaze.

Ibuki: "Th-thank you. I didn't think you would say something like that."

(Y/N): "I just answered honestly."

Ibuki said nothing more.

(Timeskip)

After Ibuki left, I started making a bonfire for the night.

Horikita: "It must be tough. Doing all these tasks."

(Y/N): "Well, this wouldn't have happened if you didn't recomend me unnecessarily."

Horikita: "I had no other option. I can't trust Hirata-kun."

(Y/N): "You're probably the only one in class who doesn't trust Hirata. Life's better when you stop believing that everyone is two-faced."

Horikita: "I suppose that's true. I'm certainly not two-faced."

That was true. Horikita always says what she thinks, she doesn't care whether the other person likes it or not.

Horikita: "However, most create distinction between their public persona and how they really are on the inside. Like you."

Being a part of the majority isn't a bad thing, right?

Before our conversation went deeper into this topic, I decided to speak.

(Y/N): "Hey, Horikita. Don't you think it's about time you confessed?"

Horikita: "Cofessed? Confessed what?"

Although she pretended to be calm, she was sweaty.

(Y/N): "You've been ill since the beginning of the test."

Horikita: "No. I've been the same as usual."

(Y/N): "Liar."

I extended my hand to touch her forehead. It was clear that she had a fever. Horikita tried to escape, but her movements were dull and it was easy to stop her.

Horikita: "When... did you notice?"

(Y/N): "Back in the ship, when I asked you what you'd been doing."

Horikita: "Yeah, and I told you I'd been reading in my room."

(Y/N): "You were already sick then, and you had been sleeping in your room."

Horikita: "..."

(Y/N): "Do you intend to hide your condition?"

Horikita: "I just need to hang there for another few days. If I give up now, it'll all be for nothing."

So she intended to fight till the bitter end. She had an iron will.

(Timeskip)

It was already nightime. Most of the girls were sleeping. I was sitting next to the bonfire, still in the girls' side.

The reason why I was still in their side was that some of them still felt uneasy because there was an underwear thief on the loose. Hirata immediately offered to make guard outside, but since he was tired of leading the class all the time, I told him to get some rest and offered to make guard outside.

With nothing to do, I looked up at the night sky. It was a beautiful sight.

In the city, you wouldn't be able to see the stars because of the buildings and the streetlights. However, here in the open nature, you could see everything without any problem. I found it strangely relaxing.

I heard steps behind me and turned around to check who it was. I was surprised to see that it was Mii-chan.

(Y/N): "Hello."

Mii-chan: "H-hi."

She wasn't looking at me directly, but it seemed that she wanted to say something. I decided to speak first since she wasn't saying anything.

(Y/N): "Can't sleep?"

Mii-chan: "Ah, no... It's..."

I tilted my head waiting for her to speak. Mii-chan took a deep breath, as if she was going to say something really important.

Mii-chan: "Y-you helped me yesterday so I thought that I would stay with you a little bit so you don't feel lonely!" She said it rather hurriedly, it was a bit difficult for me to understand.

Once she said it, her cheeks immediately grew red and she looked elsewhere flustered. I also felt my cheeks grew warmer after she said that.

(Y/N): "S-sure."

She timidly sat down relatively close to me and stared at the bonfire. However none of us said anything.

What an awkward silence... Okay Y/N. This is your time to make a good impression. I should start a conversation. The proffesor said that shy girls usually grow less timid when talking about something that they like. I have to choose very carefully what I'm going to say.

(Y/N): "I read about this situations in books. Camping in a forest in the midle of the night, now we would usually start telling spooky stories, right?"

...

What the hell is wrong with me?!

Mii-chan: "S-spooky stories?! N-no no no, anything but that!"

Mii-chan looked scared and desperately shook her arms, what a cute reaction. After that, silence followed once again. I smiled bitterly at my own dumbness.

Mii-chan: "It seems that I misjudged you, L/N-kun."

(Y/N): "Misjudged me?"

Mii-chan: "W-when I saw you the first day in class, I thought that you were kinda scary. You were always alone and didn't really talk to anyone."

Now that I think about it, Mii-chan sits in front of Horikita in the classroom. We're not that far away from each other.

Mii-chan: "But after a while I noticed that you were just trying to make friends like everybody else, and that you were actually nicer than I thought."

(Y/N): "Apparently I always give that impression to people. I'm glad that you think otherwise."

Mii-chan: "M-most of the girls used to think of you as a plain, serious guy. But that's not what I think."

(Y/N): "...What do you think, then?"

Mii-chan: "I-It's kinda weird. For some reason when I look at you... I get the impression of someone who is sad."

That's something that I didn't expect her to say. That was probably the first time that someone told me this. When Mii-chan noticed what she had just said, she widened her eyes and apologized.

Mii-chan: "I-I'm sorry! I was rude, wasn't I?"

(Y/N): "A-ah? No no, it's fine."

For some reason, I started feeling uneasy. Mii-chan noticed and apologized many times. I tried to tell her that it was okay.

"Hey hey, what are you talking about? Can I join?"

I turned around to where the familiar voice was coming from. I was glad to see Kikyou standing there.

Mii-chan: "Ah, Kikyou-chan!"

Kushida: "Hello Mii-chan, (Y/N)."

I noticed that Mii-chan was in a first name basis with Kikyou. It was natural, since they were from the same group of friends.

(Y/N): "Hey, just in time, Kikyou. We were about to tell some spooky stories."

Mii-chan: "No we weren't!" She said that and puffed her cheeks.

Kikyou sheepishly laughed as she scratched her cheek. After that, she sat next to me.

Kushida: "How are you guys doing? This test is getting harder everyday."

Mii-chan: "Yeah... I was really scared at first. But now we're almost at the end, just 2 more days and we can go back."

Most of us thought the same way. Some students like Kouenji and most of Class C, already gave up and went back to the ship.

Kushida: "Yeah, I can't wait for this test to end, too. What about you, Y/N?"

(Y/N): "I can't wait for this test to end either. I'm not used to this."

Kushida: "Really? But you know how to make a bonfire and how to set up a tent. You really haven't gone camping before?"

(Y/N): "I read a lot of books. One of them was about camping and stuff."

Mii-chan: "And you remember how to do it just by reading it? That's amazing!"

I remember reading a lot back then. Books about how the outside world was. I always wondered how it would be to have a family, make friends, go to school... Actually, I thought that I would never be able to experience it myself.

Kushida: "By the way, did you hear the rumors? Apparently a girl confessed her feelings to Hashimoto-kun from Class A-"

Kikyou started to talk about other students, and Mii-chan appeared really intererested. I wondered if all the girls were this interested in romantic stuff.

I wasn't really interested, however I somehow enjoyed listening to their conversation.

Enjoying my time talking about unimportant stuff with others. Being able to forget about everything else, even if it's just for a moment. It somehow made me happy.

Mii-chan: "Hey L/N-kun, are you listening?"

(Y/N): "Huh?"

Kushida: "See? I told you he was distracted."

(Y/N): "No, you're wrong. I was totally listening."

Mii-chan pouted.

Mii-chan: "Hey, don't lie!"

Maybe this is what I was looking for.

20- Broken

(Y/N) pov

A strange feeling on my cheek woke me up the morning of the sixth day. It was strangely warm, which instantly grossed me out. I tried to stand up, but I couldn't. Someone's arm was holding me in place.

(Y/N): "W-what?"

I started to get really scared and desperately tried to stand up and leave.

Sudo: "Suzune... I can't hold back anymore..." He moaned.

(Y/N): "AHHHHH!"

I shrieked and escaped from Sudo's iron grip.

Sudo: "Gah, shut up... The hell L/N? Don't wake me up like that."

(Y/N): "Stay away from me."

Sudo: "Wha-?"

I left the tent before he could say anything else. After that terrifying experience, I needed some air.

I checked my wristwatch and it wasn't even six in the morning yet. However, thanks to Sudo, my drowsiness was completely gone.

I noticed that the skies were cloudy and grey. It looked like it was going to start raining hard, probably in the early afternoon.

People started leaving the tent. I probably woke them up when I screamed. When they noticed the weather, they panicked and started getting ready for the incoming storm.

Hirata started sorting people into teams to go out and search for food. If we got enough food, we wouldn't need to spend any points.

Ike: "Should I go too?"

Hirata: "No. I want you and Sudo-kun to continue fishing. There isn't anyone else in our class that knows how to do it."

Hirata asked for volunteers. I didn't raise my hand, but Hirata still sorted me into a group. The members were Horikita, Kikyou, Sakura and Yamauchi. When I looked at Horikita, I noticed that she was still ill.

Horikita: "Why were you left behind? Where's your group of friends?"

Kushida: "Ah, yeah. Well..."

Kushida whispered something into Horikita's ear. She probably didn't want anyone else to know.

Kushida: "To tell you the truth, Mii-chan is having her time of the month. She always feels awful when it happens, so her other friends stayed with her in the tent."

I didn't want to overhear, but I was standing next to Horikita. I couldn't do anything.

(Y/N): "Hey, Ibuki. Why don't you come with us?"

Ibuki: "Huh? Me?"

(Y/N): "I won't pressure you if you don't want to."

Ibuki: "Okay. Your class accepted me in your camp, so I should show gratitude. I'll go."

Ibuki slung her bag over her shoulder. Yamauchi looked happy about this.

No one refused, so we stepped into the forest. Yamauchi stood next to Sakura, as if to protect her. What a gentleman.

Kushida: "The forest is kinda scary..."

The sky was cloudy, which made the forest more dark. It was completely different from the last few days.

Yamauchi: "Aren't you hot, Sakura?"

Yamauchi had been trying to start a conversation with Sakura, but his eyes were focused on her breasts. It was quite easy to figure out what he really wanted.

Sakura: "E-eh? No, I'm fine."

Sakura leaned forward, probably trying to avoid Yamauchi's gaze. It's said that girls are sensitive to the lascivous male gaze.

(Y/N): "Hey Yamauchi. Remember what you told me the first day? When we were looking for branches. I think I might help you, after all."

Yamauchi's eyes widened.

Yamauchi: "R-really?!"

(Y/N): "Yup. Let me handle this."

Yamauchi: "O-okay."

Sakura, who was nearby, tilted her head in confusion. I approached her.

(Y/N): "Hey Sakura, can I ask you something?"

Sakura: "S-sure."

(Y/N): "You see, Yamauchi over there told me the other day that he really li-" I couldn't finish what I was about to say because Yamauchi grabbed my arm and pushed me away from Sakura.

Yamauchi: "What is wrong with you?!" He whispered.

(Y/N): "What do you mean? The best way to know if she likes you or not is to confess your feelings." I whispered back.

Yamauchi: "T-that's probably true, but it's too early!"

I tilted my head and Yamauchi sighed.

Yamauchi: "I think I'll keep my distance for now. You can't just go to a girl who you started talking to a few days ago and confess your feelings."

(Y/N): "Sounds complicated."

He released me and walked away from Sakura.

Sakura: "Wh-what was that?"

(Y/N): "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Sakura: "O-okay."

That should prevent Yamauchi from gazing lustfully at Sakura. I was quite proud of my ability to fake ignorance.

(Timeskip)

Horikita: "Rain clouds are coming from the southwest. The storm will be here even sooner than I imagined."

(Y/N): "Hmm..."

We looked for food while walking quietly. Kikyou alterned between looking at Horikita and me, while appearing lost in thought. Of course, Horikita just ignored her.

Yamauchi: "What's the matter, Kushida-chan?" Apparently he noticed Kikyou's odd behaviour.

Kushida: "Y/N and Horikita have been on pretty good terms from the beginning, right? I was wondering what the reason might be."

Yamauchi: "That's true..."

Kushida: "Why are you two close?" A shiver ran down my spine.

Kikyou and Yamauchi looked at us impatiently, and I could feel Sakura's stare from behind. Although I thought that Ibuki didn't really care, she was also looking this way.

(Y/N): "I wonder." I didn't really know how to answer, so I passed the buck to Horikita. When I looked at her, she averted her gaze, seemingly annoyed.

I started shivering again. Horikita's reaction apparently made someone angry, and that person was glaring at me. However, the beast calmed down soon after.

Kushida: "Ah. I think I might have found something that Y/N and Horikita-san have in common"

Yamauchi: "Something in common?"

Kushida: "Look at them closely. Don't you notice anything?"

Yamauchi: "Hmm?"

Yamauchi got in really close, until he was about a centimeter away from my face. After that, he rushed over to Horikita and peered into her eyes.

You idiot. Don't you know who you're staring at-?

Slap! Yamauchi's cheek got smacked. What a wonderfully vicious slap, the kind you'd see from a humiliated actress in a searing drama. Yamauchi crouched and grabbed his cheek in pain. He didn't use any words, but his eyes seemed to ask Horikita "Why would you do that?!"

Horikita: "You got too close. Stay out of my personal space."

Kushida: "Ha ha... S-sorry Yamauchi-kun. I started trouble. Are you okay?"

Yamauchi: "You're so kind, Kushida-chan..."

Yamauchi took Kikyou's outstreched hand and stood. His cheeks were still as red as a tomato.

Yamauchi: "Wh-what's that thing in common that you were talking about?"

Kushida: "Well, don't you know? I hardly see the two of them laugh! Actually, I don't think that I've seen Y/N or Horikita-san smile. Not even once."

(Y/N): "Hey hey, I've never seen Horikita smile, but I've smiled."

Kushida: "I've seen you with a bitter smile, sure, but never a genuine grin, something from the bottom of your heart. I've never seen you laugh, Y/N. Or perhaps you've never shown that side of yourself to me?"

She looked dissatisfied as she peeked up at me. Even though we were on a deserted island, a lovely, perfumed scent tickled my nose. I averted my eyes.

(Y/N): "A lot of it is due to genetics, I suppose."

Kushida: "Hmm. I don't think I really like that reason."

Of course, that wasn't the only reason. The enviroment where someone grows up can heavily influence that person.

Horikita: "Let's search for food in pairs. Let's go, L/N-kun."

Apparently Horikita didn't want to talk about this anymore and called me. I started walking behind her.

Sakura: "Ah... Ah..."

(Y/N): "Hmm?" Sakura was behind us, and it seemed that she wanted to say something.

Yamauchi: "Come search with us, Sakura!" He yelled.

Yamauchi flashed me a thumbs-up gesture. Apparently he wanted to take advantage of this oportunity.

Horikita: "I didn't know that you were in a first name basis with Kushida-san."

Another uncomfortable situation. Great.

(Y/N): "Well, she calls almost everyone by their first name. Even Ike."

Horikita: "She doesn't call Sakura-san our Yamauchi-kun by their first name, though."

(Y/N): "...She probably will once she gets to know them better."

Horikita sighed in annoyance. Apparently this wasn't the answer she was expecting.

(Y/N): "Anyway, how are you keeping the key card?"

Horikita: "I always have it on me." She put her hand in her pocket to show me that she had it.

(Y/N): "Can I see it for a second?"

Horikita: "Huh? Here?"

(Y/N): "It's actually convenient to do it here. It'd be too suspicious in the camp."

Horikita: "Maybe, but what do you plan to do after I show you?"

(Y/N): "I was keeping it a secret, but the first day I saw a student with something like a key card. I'm not sure, though. That's why I want to check how the key card is."

Horikita: "...Right."

Horikita turned her back on Ibuki and took out the card. I took it and checked the front and back.

Horikita: "So?"

(Y/N): "I'm not sure. The color might have been different."

When I tried to return the card, I accidentally dropped it.

(Y/N): "Ah!" I let out a panicked shout, but Horikita quickly snatched the card back and put it back in her pocket.

Kushida: "What's wrong?" Kikyou and Ibuki approached us. We had attracted atention.

(Y/N): "Ah, it's nothing. There was a bug that surprised me, sorry."

While I apologized Horikita shot me a terrifying glare.

(Y/N): "S-sorry..."

Horikita kept her distance from me for the rest of the time.

Yamauchi: "Did she dump you?" He asked with a grin.

(Y/N): "Look, Yamauchi. I'm going to ask you something."

Yamauchi: "Hmm?"

(Y/N): "The ground in this area is all muddy, right? I want you to take this mud and smear it on Horikita's hair."

Yamauchi: "What?! No way. Do you want her to kill me?!"

(Y/N): "If you do this for me, I'll give you Sakura's email adress."

Yamauchi: "Whaa?!"

(Y/N): "Well?"

Yamauchi: "Sakura's email adress? Urgh... I guess I have to do it now."

Woah, this was easier than I thought.

Yamauchi gathered up a lot of mud and approached Horikita from behind. Kikyou and Ibuki noticed Yamauchi's strange behaviour and looked at him.

He did it. He covered Horikita's beautiful black hair with mud. Then he patted and smeared it on her with both hands.

Yamauchi: "Ha ha ha ha! You're all covered in mud, Horikita! Hilarious!"

Horikita quietly stood up and grabbed Yamauchi's arm. He let out a confused "Huh?" As Horikita threw him.

(Timeskip)

We returned to the base camp before noon.

Kushida: "You'd better wash up right away, Horikita-san. You're really muddy..."

Horikita: "What a pain..." She muttered.

Horikita, her head and clothes completely covered with mud, couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

Horikita: "I'm going to hold a grudge against you for the rest of my life. You better prepare yourself."

Yamauchi, after being viciously beaten, hid behind my back.

Yamauchi: "I... I did it! Y-you better keep your promise!"

(Y/N): "Don't worry. I'll tell you once the test is over."

Kushida: "Oh no... It looks like it's imposible to use the shower room..."

The girls who'd returned from exploring were gathered in front of the shower, waiting in line.

(Y/N): "What about the river? That'd be easy and fast."

Horikita: "Right. Looks like I don't have any other choice."

Kushida: "I think I'm going to go for a swim. Ibuki-san, do you want to come with me? I got pretty sweaty."

Ibuki: "I'll pass. I don't really like swimming, so I'll wait in the shower room."

Sakura: "W-well. I will, too." Apparently Sakura didn't want to swim either and decided to wait in the queue for the shower.

Yamauchi: "I'm going to rest for a while. The parts where I got punched really hurt..."

Yamauchi went inside the tent. With nothing to do either, I decided to rest for a while too.

(Timeskip)

Horikita: "L/N-kun. Could you please come here for a moment?"

(Y/N): "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Horikita: "Follow me. We can't talk here."

With that, Horikita walked toward the forest.

(Y/N): "What's wrong? Are we going to search for more food?"

Horikita stopped in front of me, but didn't turn around.

Horikita: "This happened because of my carelessness. I am aware that I made a mistake. Okay?"

(Y/N): "...A mistake?"

Horikita: "It was stolen."

(Y/N): "N-no way. Your underwear was stolen too?"

Horikita: "Even worse. The... key card." She looked completely disgusted with herself, a look I had never seen on her face before.

Horikita: "I wanted to talk to you because I trust you. I... made such a huge mistake."

(Y/N): "The one who stole it is to blame, not you."

Horikita hung her head.

Horikita: "I wasn't supposed to let go of the card for a single second. But I..."

(Y/N): "Don't blame yourself. You did your best."

Horikita: "I suspect two people. Either Karuizawa-san or Ibuki-san."

(Y/N): "I don't think it was Karuizawa. She was in front of the shower all the time. Same for her flunkies."

Horikita: "If that's the case, then it must have been Ibuki-san."

(Y/N): "I'll try to talk to her."

Horikita: "Okay. I'm sorry, but can you go back to the camp first?"

(Y/N): "Sure."

I guess that Horikita just wanted to be alone because of her mistake. I didn't say anything and started heading back toward the camp.

(Timeskip)

Horikita returned about ten minutes later, joining the camspsite unsettling atmosphere. There was dark smoke coming from behind the temporary toilet.

Ike: "What's with that smoke? What in the world happened?!"

(Y/N): "What's going on?"

Ike: "This is serious. There's fire! Fire! Something is burning behind the toilet!"

All of the girls who had been lined up in front of the shower were gone now. They approached us, probably because of all those screams.

Horikita: "I can't see Ibuki. The fire is probably her doing, where is she?"

(Y/N): "She's probably there."

I rushed behind the temporary toilet and saw Hirata with some of my classmates. Ibuki was also there. Horikita looked ready to call out to her, but hesitated when she saw Ibuki's shocked expression. It was genuine.

(Y/N): "T-the manual is burning."

Hirata and the others rushed to the river for some water. Once the fire was gone, I saw Hirata's dark expression.

Hirata: "Why? Who could do something like this? Why can't we all get along?" he crushed one of the plastic bottles he used to take water with all his might. The shift in his personality was terrifying.

(Y/N): "I don't think you need to take so much on yourself."

Hirata: "Thank you."

We returned to the camp, most of us were really shocked.

Karuizawa: "Hey, who did this? Is there a traitor in our class?" Karuizawa and the other girls glared at the boys.

Ike: "Why do you suspect us? Isn't this a completely different issue from the underwear incident?"

Karuizawa: "I don't know about that. You might have burned something to mislead us."

Hirata: "W-wait a minute, everyone. Let's talk about this." He cried. However, his words didn't reach anyone and our classmates started blaiming each other.

A few water droplets fell on my head. I looked up.

(Y/N): "Rain, huh?"

Ike: "L-let's discuss later. It'll be awful if we all get soaked."

Ike and the others panicked and began shoving the food and luggage inside the tents.

"Hirata, tell us what to do!"

One of my classmates called out to Hirata. However, he didn't seem to hear.

Hirata: "Why... why is this happening? It's just like back then..." He muttered. This certainly wasn't the calm and composed Hirata at all.

Hirata: "Why was I doing this? Why was I doing this until now?"

He's broken.

Ike: "Hey, Hirata! What are you doing?!" He shouted.

I placed my hand on Hirata's shoulder. He looked surprised and slowly turned around.

(Y/N): "Ike is calling for you."

Hirata: "Huh?"

Hirata's face was pale. He finally noticed that it was starting to rain.

Hirata: "Rain..."

(Y/N): "It'd be good for you to help Ike and the others. We have to keep our stuff dry."

Sudo: "L/N. Is Hirata okay?"

(Y/N): "Yeah, he's fine."

Hirata: "For now, let's take care of our luggage."

Everyone started helping Hirata. I looked around, and Ibuki was gone. She took the oportunity to escape.

(Y/N): "And now..."

I left the campsite and started heading deeper into the forest.

21- The ruined childhood

(7 years ago – No one's pov)

A year had passed since Y/N L/N met Kiyotaka Ayanokoji. Usually, the children wouldn't be allowed to interact with each other. However, the man in charge of the White Room made an exception with these two boys.

The reason was that they were the most outstanding kids of the bunch. He thought that if he gave these two boys some kind of reward, they would improve even more.

Even though it was getting more difficult to overcome the tests, both physical and theorical, knowing that he had a friend he could talk to at the end of the day somehow gave Y/N the strength to keep going, proving the man's assertion.

The time they spent together was nothing special. They would just read books or play chess. However, the two kids looked forward to being able to see each other everyday.

Right now, it was one of those moments. They were in a large room, concentrated reading their own books-

Ayanokoji: "I'm telling you, it's impossible."

(Y/N): "Huh?! Why not?"

More or less.

Ayanokoji: "No matter how you look at it, a fifteen year old can't do that."

(Y/N): "You don't know that, you've never seen a fifteen year old to begin with!"

Ayanokoji: "I don't need to see one, I know I'm right."

They stared at each other in silence, Y/N pouting while Ayanokoji wore his usual blank expression.

(Y/N): "Then I'll show you!"

Ayanokoji: "Huh?"

(Y/N): "Once I'm fifteen, I'll score a basket from the other side of the court!"

Ayanokoji: "Hey hey..."

(Y/N): "If he can do it, I can do it too."

Ayanokoji: "He's not even a real person-"

(Y/N): "I can't wait to see your face when I do it."

Ayanokoji was about to say something, but in the end didn't. He didn't want to discourage the boy who was happily day-dreaming in front of him with the fact that once they are fifteen, they would still be in that place.

Ayanokoji: "Hmm. Will you also dye your hair green and wear glasses? That would be cool."

Y/N thought that he was teasing him, but couldn't tell. He gave up in trying to read Ayanokoji long ago. He could never tell what he was thinking and would always end up with a headache.

The two boys kept talking for a while, unconscious of the two people who were about to enter the room.

When they heard the door open, both of them inmediately fell silent and shifted their focus to the two unexpected visitors. A tall, brown-haired man who Y/N and Ayanokoji were quite familiar with. His eyes, sharp as ever, looked at the two boys. Y/N wished from the bottom of his heart that he never met that man.

"I see you're both having fun."

The man talked, as if to start a normal conversation. Not that he was expecting a response from the two boys. Seeing that they stared at him in silence, he smirked.

"I've brought someone with me today. From now on, she will be joining the White Room. I hope you get along well."

Once the man left the room, Y/N and Ayanokoji shifted their focus to the little girl standing near the entrance. She nervously stared back at the two boys in front of her. No one talked. The silence in the room only made the atmosphere more uncomfortable.

"H-hello."

The girl desperately tried to start a conversation, but to no avail. Y/N didn't trust her. The reason was simple, every thing that man did was for a reason. There was always an ulterior motive. Y/N couldn't just believe that he brought a new girl for them to meet her and become friends.

Seeing that no one talked, the girl looked downwards. After what she'd been through, the only thing she wanted was someone to talk to. However, for both her and Y/N's surprise, the other boy spoke.

Ayanokoji: "My name is Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, nice to meet you."

The girl looked upwards and her eyes seemed to lighten up. Y/N couldn't hide his surprise and looked at Ayanokoji.

He stared back at Y/N, who sighed and scratched his cheek.

(Y/N): "Y/N L/N. It's nice to meet you."

The lips of the girl turned into a genuine smile. She couldn't hide her happiness. Y/N wouldn't admit it, but his heart might've skipped a beat after seeing that smile.

The girl, with brown, shoulder-length hair, happily nodded and introduced herself.

"I am Akane Tanigawa. It's nice meeting you two!"

--

Horikita's pov

I forced my body to chase Ibuki-san while the hard rain fell. My health had worsen after having a bath in the river. Inside the dark atmosphere of the forest, I quietly followed the footsteps of the ground.

After a few minutes, I located Ibuki-san standing still, as if she was waiting for someone.

Ibuki: "What are you doing, Horikita?"

She spoke without even turning around. Her calm voice cut right through the sounds of the falling rain.

Ibuki: "Why are you following me?"

Horikita: "You don't know?"

Ibuki: "No, I don't know."

Ibuki-san faced me, looking at me straight in the eye.

Horikita: "The underwear incident and the fire. Class D is in a quite desperate situation."

Ibuki: "So what?"

Horikita: "Do you realize that some people suspect you?"

Ibuki: "I suppose. I'm from another class, after all."

Horikita: "That's what I am saying."

Ibuki: "You're saying that I'm the culprit? Do you have any proof?"

Horikita: "Unfortunately, I don't have any proof. However, I still think that it was you."

Ibuki: "That's a terrible thing to say. You have no evidence, yet you suspect me?"

I had to admit, Ibuki-san handled things quite well until now. She stayed low until day five and didn't really interact with Class D. That's why most of my classmates didn't suspect her.

Horikita: "I want you to return something you stole from me."

Ibuki: "I don't know what are you talking about."

After giving that short answer, Ibuki-san walked away. I followed.

Horikita: "Where are you going?"

Ibuki: "Who knows?"

It was difficult to walk straight. My head hurt and I couldn't see where we were going. However, I refused to give up. I had to keep going. Everything was my fault. From the beginning, I only wanted my brother to acknowledge me. If I could show him that I could do things by myself... Overcome this test, reach Class A... He would recognise me. He had to.

However, I started noticing how far away I was from my goal. It was foolish for me to think that it would be easy. If I could just-

Ibuki: "How long are you going to follow me? Don't you think enough is enough?"

Horikita: "Once you return what you stole from me."

Ibuki: "Why don't you calm down and try thinking? If I stole the keycard, would I have held onto it? If someone saw me with it, it would be inmediate disqualification."

I only asked her to return what she stole. I never said it was a keycard. Ibuki-san had just confessed. I was about to speak, but she gave a thin smile that showed her white teeth.

Ibuki: "You thought I just confessed to something, didn't you? You're wrong."

Horikita: "What do you mean?"

Ibuki: "I'm tired of talking with you."

Ibuki-san crouched and started digging in the ground using both hands.

Horikita: "Ah, agh..."

Wracked by intense dizziness and nausea, I leaned my back against a nearby tree.

Ibuki: "Your condition has gotten a lot worse, hasn't it?"

She looked at me for a few seconds, and then returned to digging.

I was trying to manage breathing, but I couldn't anymore. My jersey, soaked from the downpour, leached my body heat away. I wanted to just lean down and rest, but I couldn't. My only choice was to fight.

Horikita: "I'm going to investigate your bag."

Ibuki: "Whatever."

Ibuki-san dropped her bag and raised her arms in the air, posing as if surrendering. I reached to take the bag.

Instantly, Ibuki-san's slender leg went right toward my face. I flew backwards, avoiding her kick.

Mud splashed me, and I struck a defensive pose.

Ibuki: "Oh, you're good."

Horikita: "An act of violence means inmediate disqualification..."

Ibuki: "Someone might see us, you mean? There isn't anyone around here."

While I wondered why she had such a sly grin on her face, she suddenly grabbed my shoulders and threw me down. I wasn't able to react and collapsed onto the muddy ground.

Ibuki: "Would you like a moment to rest?"

As I was on the ground, already wounded, she sneered from above. She grabbed my collar and yanked me up. If she hit me, I would definetely lose consciousness. I slipped out of her grip and rolled, escaping from her.

Ibuki: "Oh? You can really move, surprisingly. You practice or something?"

Horikita: "It was you... Wasn't it? You stole the card."

Ibuki: "...You've been trying really hard until now. I'll tell you the truth, as a reward. I stole the card."

Ibuki-san thrust her hand into her pocket and slowly took the card out. She showed the side with my name engraved upon it.

Horikita: "You gave up the truth pretty easily."

Ibuki: "It doesn't matter if I admit it or not now. There's no evidence I used violence against you. The school can't make a judgement here."

She was certainly right. However, her fingerprints were on the card. If I could get it back and give the card as evidence...

Ibuki-san rushed over me and attacked. I dodged, took advantage of her momentum and applied a little force. She lost her balance, but not enough to make her fall over. I mustered up the last of my strength and drove my left fist into her solar plexus.

Ibuki: "Ah!"

Ibuki-san couldn't breathe, and fell to her knees in agony. However, my attack wasn't enough to leave her unconscious.

Ibuki: "I don't understand... I thought you were involved."

Ibuki-san stood, wiping the mud off her face.

Horikita: "Involved? In what?"

Ibuki-san seemed to hesitate, but then muttered

Ibuki: "I didn't burn the manual."

Horikita: "You intend to keep lying even now?"

Ibuki: "What would I gain by burning it? It was inevitable that people would begin searching for the criminal after the uproar. Besides, people would suspect me rather strongly. There was nothing to gain and a lot to lose."

Horikita: "That's..."

I certainly agreed with what Ibuki-san said. But then, who did it? What did burning the manual mean?

Ibuki: "I talked to you in a roundabout way to confirm something. Do you think he's in Class D? There's a guy who figured me out before you did."

Ibuki-san sighed, as if exasperated.

Horikita: "Y-you can't mean..."

His image appeared in my mind. He stared at me the same way as he always did, with no emotions in his face.

I noticed that Ibuki-san had disappeared. In the next instant, a blunt instrument slammed me in the head, knocking me down hard.

Ibuki: "This conversation is over."

I tried to stand up again, but she raised her leg and kicked me in the face. I had done everything I could to fix my mistake, but I couldn't.

I'm useless.

--

2 years ago

(Y/N) pov

After another long, tiring day, it was finally time to meet Kiyotaka and Akane. I started thinking that we already were thirteen years old, and sadly didn't leave the White Room yet. We had promised that one day, the three of us would be out of this place and live a normal and peaceful life. However, the older we grew, the less likely we thought that it would happen.

Ayanokoji: "I still don't understand what's the point of wearing cat ears inside an establishment."

Lately, our conversations were about how the outside was. Akane joined the White Room when she was eight years old, which means that she knew many things about it.

Akane: "Well, they were quite popular. I don't know if they still exist, but they were crowded most of the time." Apparently people/men really loved pubs where the waitress was a girl with maid outfit and cat ears on her head.

In the last five years, the three of us had many changes in our physical appearance. I was a bit taller than Kiyotaka. Akane's brown hair was longer, as well as other... physical features. I was wary around her the first days, but both Kiyotaka and me ended up accepting her. Now she was one of the two people I ever considered a friend.

Akane: "What do you think Y/N?"

(Y/N): Well, I would certainly prefer to be attended by a cute girl with cat ears than a grumpy old man."

Akane gigled and Kiyotaka rolled his eyes.

(Y/N): "Hey, come on. I know that you would go to one if you had the oportunity."

Ayanokoji: "I can tell for sure that I would do other things with my free time."

(Y/N): "Yeah right."

It might not look like it, but I really enjoyed this senseless conversations. They were probably the only thing that made me feel something that wasn't disgust or anger.

Akane: "Don't you think it's about time you both see it for yourselves? The outside world?" She spoke in a low tone, making sure that the security camera didn't catch her voice.

(Y/N): "What do you mean?"

Akane: "I mean that it's time for us to leave this place."

Both Kiyotaka and I stared at her in shock.

Kiyotaka: "Hey hey..."

(Y/N): "Are you insane?!"

The only idea of us succesfuly escaping that place was impossible. How would three teenagers escape from a completely monitored place full of people watching our every move?

Akane: "We made a promise, didn't we?"

Kiyotaka: "Listen, we were kids back then... We wouldn't know."

Akane: "So you're just going to give up?"

Back in 1961, Stanely Milgram proved that people would obey whoever had the power. "Obedience to authority" For example, back in the second World War, the Nazis chased the Jewish people. Once they were captured, they wouldn't do anything. They just waited for the end with resignation. Whether they gave up or not, they knew that they wouldn't be able to escape.

Although our situation wasn't as extreme as that, it wasn't completely different. I didn't know what would happen to us if we got caught, nor did I want to know.

Although we refused, Akane didn't give up. The determination in her eyes didn't waver.

Ayanokoji: "It's impossible. No matter how you look at it."

Akane: "Once the three of us give up, then it will certainly be impossible. However, as long as we still have hope, there will still be a posibility that we make it. Even if it's very small."

I always wondered how she did it. How was she able to not show any fear. I had been desperate myself many times. However, she always had that smile on her face. She was always there for me every time I thought that I wouldn't be able to keep going. That's probably the reason why I started seeing her as some kind of older sister. If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't be there.

After she said that, that small hope that I once had somehow came back to me. I definetely didn't want to spend my days in that place anymore.

(Y/N): "I... I want to escape."

Kiyotaka stared at me dumbfounded, as if I had lost it. Maybe I did, actually. To be honest, I didn't know anymore.

Ayanokoji: "Listen Y/N, I want to leave too, but... Do you realize that it's impossible?"

(Y/N): "We won't know until we try. I... I definetely don't want to be in this place anymore."

I stood next to Akane and looked at Kiyotaka in the eyes. There was no point in thinking whether we could do it or not. We needed to believe that we could do it. This way of thinking was the exact opposite of what we were taught until now, but I didn't care.

Akane smiled at me and then looked at Kiyotaka. We both patiently waited for his answer.

Ayanokoji: "I..."

(The next day)

The three of us stood in the same room as yesterday. I tried to ignore my trembling hands and my fast heartbeat. After all, everything would be decided in a few minutes.

Akane: "Are you scared?"

Apparently Akane had noticed. There was no point in trying to hide it. However I still tried to look confident.

(Y/N): "I'm fine."

Of course, that wouldn't convince her. I wasn't even able to convince myself.

Akane: "Don't worry. It's okay to be scared. I am terrified myself."

Her voice was shaky, this was the first time I had ever seen her like this. I looked at her. She was staring at the door with a small smile, but her eyes were watery, as if she was about to cry.

If this was some kind of movie, I would hug her and tell her that everything would be alright. But this wasn't a movie, it was the real world. Cruel and unfair.

I finally noticed. Although she always tried to hide it, she was as scared as I was, if not even more. Who wouldn't? I probably already knew it deep inside, but didn't want to admit it. I didn't want to admit that the person who I admired the most was not different from me.

Thinking about how she had to feel all this time, being there for others while hiding her own feelings, made me feel disgusted with myself for not noticing before.

Ayanokoji: "It's time."

(Y/N): "Y-yeah."

We stood up and looked at the security camera.

Akane: "Excuse me, is anyone in there?"

After a few seconds, a man's voice came from a loudspeaker.

"What's wrong?"

Akane: "I need to use the toilet."

Normally, a security guard would come and accompany her to make sure that she didn't do anything suspicious. However, this time was different. It was lunch time, and all the kids were eating. Since they weren't allowed to interact with each other, they were in diffetent rooms and the guards were occupied watching them.

"A guard should be able to go in a few minutes."

If that happened, our plan wouldn't succeed. We needed the guy who watched the security cameras to come. It was difficult, but after saying that she was having her time of the month and that she couldn't wait, we convinced the guy.

The door of the room opened soon after. The guy wasn't very tall, which made things easier for us.

With no one watching over the security cameras, we were able to knock the guy down without no one else noticing.

Once he was unconcious, we picked all the keys that he had on him. After making sure that there wasn't anyone nearby, we exited the room and locked the guy inside. They would end up noticing, but hopefully we would already be outside of this place when that happened.

The three of us silently made our way through the corridors, trying to avoid the few security guards that we found in the way. That was probably the first time I was thankful of the training we'd been through.

Just when I started to think that we might actually make it, the alarm went off. My heart was bursting out of my chest. Apparently they had found the guy even sooner than we expected.

Ayanokoji: "Run!"

There was no point in hiding anymore. We started running as fast as we could toward the exit of the building. I was ahead with Kiyotaka and Akane following close behind.

I finally saw the door. The door that lead to the outside, just a few steps ahead. I only needed to-

Akane: "Argh!"

Looking behind, I saw Akane and Kiyotaka surrounded by four guards. They were able to get rid of the first one but, despite all the training we had been through, three guards were too much for a bunch of teenagers.

Kiyotaka and Akane were pinned down by the guards, with me watching everything from near the entrance.

Ayanokoji: "Y/N! Run!"

Kiyotaka and Akane desperately screamed, trying to convince me. I was so close, I just had to turn around, open the door behind me, and then I would be free.

This was what I always wanted, wasn't it? Then why? Why wasn't I moving? What was that feeling that made me stand there and wouldn't let me open that door?"

Akane: "Y/N!"

My mind was telling me to run. Run as fast as I could without looking behind. However, would I leave them there? Would I betray them for my own sake?

And so, I ran. I ran as fast as I could. Leaving the closed door behind me and getting ready to punch the security guard holding Akane.

The guy couldn't defend himself and fell to the floor. Once Akane was free, Kiyotaka took advantage of the situation and elbowed the guard, who was distracted looking at his unconscious partner, in the face.

Kiyotaka and Akane stood up and got ready to face the last guard and make a run for it. However, it was too late. By the time we ended the fight, more guards had arrived.

Surrounded by eight men, we could hear the footsteps of another group coming down the hallway.

There was nothing we could do anymore.

(Timeskip)

"I must admit, you have let me down."

After being caught, Akane, Kiyotaka and I stood inside a large room. This time, we were properly guarded by three men.

In front of us stood the man in charge of the White Room.

"I hope that you know what I should do to you. I have let you three interact with each other, a privilege that the other kids don't have. And yet, you decide to betray my trust."

I wasn't looking at his face, and his voice was as calm as ever. He didn't seem to be annoyed. However, the truth was different. Only us, who had known him for more than five years, knew that he was far from being calm.

"However, I am a kind man. I will only punish one of you."

He was just playing with us.

"Who came up with the plan to leave this place? Whose idea was it? If you confess now, the other two won't have to be punished."

None of us said anything. My first thought was to stay quiet. That's what I should do.

However, I knew the person standing next to me very well. I knew what would happen if I didn't say anything. I glanced at her. She was biting her lower lip as tears streamed down her face. She was really going to do it.

Akane: "I-"

(Y/N): "I did it."

Every person inside the room looked at me. I couldn't let her sacrifice herself more than she already did. This time, I would save her.

Akane: "Y/N! No, he's lyin-!"

"Take Kiyotaka and Akane back to their rooms."

The men behind us nodded and forced them out of the room. Kiyotaka and Akane struggled to get rid of their grip, but to no avail.

Akane: "Y/N! Y/N!"

The last thing I saw before the door closed was a crying Akane being forced out of the room. Silence followed after the door closed.

"So it was you, huh? Honestly, I hoped that you would stay quiet."

I looked at the man standing in front of me for the first time.

"You just threw everything I have taught you until now away. I told you, didn't I? Look after yourself and don't let others influence you."

Certainly, we were taught to always look after ourselves. It doesn't matter if the rest suffers as long as I win in the end. That's the main thing we were taught.

However, I threw away that reasoning the moment I refused to open that door and helped them. Funny thing is, I wouldn't doubt to do it again. I couldn't believe what an idiot I was.

"You have sacrificed yourself for them not one, but two times. It seems that you haven't learnt anything despite all the time you've been here. To be honest, I let the three of you be together to test you. I didn't expect you would go as far as trying to escape, but this situation is enough for me to know. You are a failure."

So he only let us be together to see if we would follow his teachings once the time came? Somehow, it didn't surprise me.

(Y/N): "I don't care. You promised that you won't hurt them, right?"

He smirked.

"Yes. I am a man of my word. As I promised, only one person will be punished."

I ignored the fear that I was feeling at that moment. I ignored the urge to scream and ask for help. Whatever happened next, I wouldn't let that man see the fear in my eyes. I wouldn't give him that pleasure.

I looked at him with a defiant glare. He wouldn't see the slightest trace of fear in me.

I don't really remember what happened after that. I can only recall pain. Intense pain. I wouldn't even wish what was happening to me to my worst enemy. Human brain is certainly fascinating. My memories regarding to that day are mostly blocked, probably so they don't disturb my mental health more than it already is.

However, that event left me completely broken. My mental health was more affected than my physical health, to the point where I have to take medications everyday. Otherwise, the memories of that day would start appearing in my mind and I would lose it. Without those pills, I would probably hurt myself and the people around me. I can't control myself anymore.

That day left me completely traumatized.

--

Present

Katsuragi's pov

I'm currently in the middle of the forest. It has been raining heavily for a few hours now. I should be heading to a certain place, since I accorded to meet with someone from Class C. However, something unexpected happened and I'm not heading there yet.

I heard footsteps behind me and turned around. The person I was waiting for approached me.

To be honest, he was the last person I had expected to talk to that day.

Katsuragi: "So, what did you want to talk about...?"

The face of the student finally came to view.

Katsuragi: "L/N?"

--

(A/N)

By far the most difficult chapter to write until now. This arc will end in the next two or three chapters.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed and see you next time.

22- True colors

Ibuki's pov

I let out a deep breath while I stood over Horikita, who was unconscious. Had she been in a better health, the match could've gone either way.

I resumed my work, and soon I'd dug up a flashlight and a wireless transceiver.

Ibuki: "What?"

Something made me feel uneasy. Somehow, the items seemed slightly different from when I had burried them.

Ibuki: "...It's probably because of the rain."

I decided that I was overthinking things. After that, I waited about half an hour until I saw the gleam of a flashlight. It blinked twice, then three times. Morse code.

I responded with the same signal, using the flashlight I had with me. Then I saw an irritating face that I didn't want to see. Ryuuen appeared.

Ryuuen: "Yo. Excellent work, Ibuki. You did well."

Ibuki: "Naturally, yes?"

Ryuuen: "Naturally? If you hadn't made any mistakes I wouldn't have to risk coming over here."

Ibuki: "That couldn't be helped. I didn't think that the digital camera would break."

If the camera hadn't broken, I would've just taken a picture of the keycard and that would be the end of it. But instead, I'd had to take a huge risk and hold onto the card, which led to Horikita discovering me.

Ryuuen: "So, where's the card?"

Ibuki: "It's here."

I took it from my pocket and handed it over. Ryuuen shined his flashlight on the card and confirmed that the name "Horikita Suzune" was clearly engraved upon it.

Ryuuen: "You come over here and confirm it too. That was your condition, wasn't it?"

A man appeared from the shadows. Katsuragi, from Class A. He was definetely the calm and dependable type, the complete opposite of our leader. However, this time it was different. He didn't appear to be calm at all. Ryuuen noticed this strange behaviour too.

Ryuuen: What's wrong?"

Katsuragi: "It's none of your business."

Ryuuen frowned, but didn't say anything. It was clear that there was something wrong with Katsuragi.

He took Horikita's card from Ryuuen and looked over it carefully.

Katsuragi: "It looks like the real thing."

Ryuuen: "Are you convinced now?"

Although he'd been show definitive proof, Katsuragi's expression didn't change.

Katsuragi: "I'll be heading back now." He said as he handed the keycard back to Ryuuen.

Ryuuen: "I also know who Class B's leader is. Are you sure you don't want me to tell you?"

It was a tempting offer, but Katsuragi ignored him and walked away.

Ibuki: "What's wrong with him?"

Ryuuen: "I don't like this."

For the first time since I met him, Ryuuen seemed to be nervous about something. He rules our class and apparently made some kind of deal with Class A behind the scenes. However, seeing Katsuragi's behaviour, something must've gone wrong.

Ryuuen: "Let's go." He glanced at Horikita, who was still unconscious and started to leave.

I walked toward her and, after carefully wipping my fingerprints from the keycard, stuck it back in her hand. There was nothing this girl could have done. All she could do now was endure and keep silent until the end of the test, all while knowing that Class C knew she was the leader.

This girl didn't trust anyone. Even after she knew the keycard had been stolen, she hadn't reported it to her classmates. She seemed to get along with L/N, but he was a loner too.

I more or less understood Horikita's nature. She was patient and stubborn, the type of person who didn't listen to other people's opinions. In other words, no matter how painful something was, she would endure it silently.

Ibuki: "Use your smarts to protect yourself."

Then we disappeared quietly into the dark woods.

(Y/N) pov

I could only see a few meters ahead because of the pouring rain. However, two pairs of footprints remained in the muddy ground and made it easy for me to reach my destination.

Near a large tree lay a muddy Horikita. She'd collapsed, unsconcious. A single keycard lay on the ground near her hand. After picking up the keycard, I lifted Horikita into my arms.

Horikita: "Ngh..."

Horikita let out a small sound. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open.

(Y/N): "Are you awake?"

Horikita: "L/N... kun?"

She sounded dazed, as if she couldn't understand the situation.

Horikita: "Agh... My head... hurts..."

(Y/N): "You have a high fever. Don't push yourself."

Horikita: "Ibuki-san... she stole the card."

(Y/N): "I see."

I started walking in the direction where I thought the beach was, Horikita still in my arms. My heart was starting to beat really fast and my vision was getting blurry.

This is bad. I have to get back to the camp soon.

Horikita: "What... have you been doing these last days?"

(Y/N): "What do you mean?"

Horikita: "Ugh... stop playing dumb. You've left our spot many times and you wouldn't come back until it was almost dark outside. And... don't you dare say something like 'I just wanted to admire the nature' or I'll hit you."

Even though Horikita was in a terrible condition, she still threatened to hit me. Scary.

(Y/N): "I... wasn't going to say that."

Horikita: "Then answer the question."

I did do some things behind the scenes, but I certainly wasn't going to tell her. She wouldn't like my methods. In fact, two years ago I wouldn't even think of using these methods. However, my way of thinking has changed since back then. Can you blame me? No. Whatever happened, I didn't want to go through what happened to me two years ago. The methods didn't matter anymore.

Horikita: "I'm sorry..."

While I was silently lost in thought, Horikita apologized.

(Y/N): "Why are you apologizing to me?"

Horikita: "There's no one else I can apologize to except for you..."

Hmm.

(Y/N): "If you think things are bad, then make some reliable friends. Start there first."

Horikita: "That's difficult advice... No one would want to be with me."

Apparently she'd resigned herself to unhappiness. I laughed.

Horikita: "It's unpleasant to be made fun of, though..."

(Y/N): "No, no, that's not it. It's just that you've started to sound like you need allies."

Normally, Horikita would have been insulting me, but this time she didn't, or maybe she just couldn't.

Horikita: "I should have understood this a long time ago..."

(Y/N): "Don't talk. You're sick."

Horikita: "I'm going to try to get up to Class A using my own abilities. I'll definetely recover from this failure..." Horikita weakly grabbed the collar of my shirt as she appealed to me. "I'm prepared to be hated by everyone else... This was all my mistake."

(Y/N): "Haven't you noticed already? You won't be able to do that by yourself. The school system is made so students who fight by themselves don't succeed."

Horikita closed her eyes, as if lacking the strength to keep them open.

Horikita: "I can't accept that. No matter how hard it is, I'm still... alone."

(Y/N): "Ah, shut up already! Stop talking. Right now you won't be able to convince anyone."

I took a deep breath to calm down.

(Y/N): "You can't bear every responsability. You're not that strong, unfortunately."

Horikita: "So you're telling me to give up? I have a dream to reach Class A, a dream for my brother to acknowledge me."

(Y/N): "No one said you have to give up. If you can't fight by yourself, it's better to fight with a partner. I'll lend you a hand."

Horikita: "...Why? You're not the kind of person who would... say that..."

Her energy was spent and Horikita lost consciousness. I kept walking without being noticed.

(Y/N): "Hmm... Did I pick the wrong path?- Oh no, oh no!"

My route had ended in a steep, sheer slope. If I took one step further, I would fall. I tried to change direction slowly, but the soil underneath me collapsed, making me lose my balance. I curled up into a ball so I could protect Horikita as we went trumbling down the slope. For several seconds, it was like flying.

Once I hit the floor, I slowly stood up and made sure that Horikita wasn't hurt. Fortunately, she was fine.

It would be impossible for me to crawl back up with an unconscious Horikita. My only option was to find another path to get back to the beach. However...

(Y/N): "Okay... Where the hell am I now...?"

I had no idea where I was, so it would be difficult for me to get back.

Hirata's pov

After roll call, everyone went back inside the tents so we didn't get wet. I couldn't help but notice that Horikita-san and L/N-kun were absent, but I made sure that no one else noticed. We already were in a really bad situation, and I didn't want the rest of my classmates to panic.

Chabashira: "Hirata."

I turned around and spotted Chabashira-sensei standing there.

Hirata: "Yes, Chabashira-sensei?"

For the first time, I saw Chabashira-sensei without her serious expression. She looked nervous.

Chabashira: "Do you know where L/N is?"

Hirata: "I-I'm sorry, but I have no clue. Maybe he had to stop somewhere because of the rain, and is waiting for the rain to stop to come back."

Chabashira: "I see. Please, let me know if L/N comes back."

Strangely, Chabashira-sensei didn't mention Horikita-san's name. She appeared to be really worried about L/N-kun for some reason, but I couldn't guess why.

(Y/N) pov

Why do I have to keep doing this? I'm tired.

I kept walking with Horikita on my back. My aching head wouldn't let me concentrate, and I was starting to lose my patience.

I was already late for roll call, and I should've taken my medications at least an hour ago. Things weren't looking good.

Why was I doing this again? Why am I babysitting them? Can't my classmates take care of themselves? Ah, of course they can't. Those idiots are too occupied blaming each other and discussing whether to spend a few points to get a toilet. They wouldn't notice that there's a spy infiltrated in our class.

I couldn't help but laugh.

And then, my teacher comes to me asking for help. Like I care about what happened to her in the past or the future of Class D.

I stopped walking.

There's no need for me to do this, right? I can contact someone inside the school and tell them that my teacher is blackmailing me. Then I can go back to how things were when I joined this school.

Or even better, what's the point in hiding anymore? If I show my true self to the class I would become the ruler. They would all kneel before me!

However, I still knew that things wouldn't be that easy.

No... If I do that, I wouldn't have the normal life that I have been looking for. Besides, even if I say something about Chabashira-sensei, it would be my word against a teacher's word.

I wasn't thinking clearly. I needed to calm down. I laid Horikita down under a tree and sat next to her.

I can't screw things up now. If I fail, everything I've done until now will be for nothing.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. After a while, I started to calm down and my heartbeat was getting back to normal. However, when I opened my eyes, I wasn't in the forest anymore. Everything around me was white, a place that I was quite familiar with.

In front of me there was a crying boy sitting in the corner of the room, his head hidden behind his knees.

"Get up!" A man ordered.

Between sobs, the little boy reluctantly stood up, his face finally coming to view. He was me.

This was probably a memory of the first years I spent in that place. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down once again.

This isn't real... this isn't real... Once I open my eyes again, I will be back in the forest.

Or that's what I would've wanted. Many voices started echoing in my head, making me panic.

"Only a fool wouldn't use his innate abilities." The words of the man who I hated the most.

(Y/N): "I... don't want to be alone..." The words of a small boy who waited for someone to help him, someone who would take him out of that place. A person who would never come.

"L/N!"

Akane: "One day, the three of us will be out there together. It's a promise." A promise that now I knew would never come true.

Horikita: "L/N, L/N!"

I opened my eyes to see a worried Horikita grabbing my shoulders. I glanced around, and I was glad to see that I was back in the forest.

Horikita: "Are you okay? What's gotten into you?" She was still in bad health, but somehow managed to stand up.

(Y/N): "Ah, sorry. I spaced out." I avoided looking at her directly. "How do you feel?"

Horikita: "I'm... fine." She was clearly lying. "Where are we?"

(Y/N): "I was taking you back to the beach, where the test started."

Horikita: "...Why? Are you planning to make me retire?"

(Y/N): "That's what I was going to do, yes."

Horikita: "N-no... I can still... make things right."

The stubborn princess didn't seem like she was going to give up. Wonderful. Yes, I thought it was wonderful.

Horikita looked like she was about to lose consciousness again. I had to hold her so she didn't fall down.

Horikita: "Go back to the camp. I'll stay here, and come back by myself."

(Y/N): "Can you really make it back by tomorrow morning?"

Horikita: "...Yes. Please, go. You're someone important to me so please... listen to my request."

After Horikita said that, she covered her mouth in surprise. Probably realising what she had just said.

(Y/N): "Why do you think that we've been backed into a corner?"

Horikita: "...Class D failed due to my negligence. That's all."

(Y/N): "You're wrong. You are completely wrong."

Horikita: "...P-please, just go..."

She fell unconscious again.

(Y/N): "It would have been easier if you'd just retired of your own free will."

You were almost right. But unfortunately, Horikita, you were wrong about one thing. Right now, for this moment, I'll tell you.

I have never thought of you as my friend. I've never cared of you as a classmate. Your methods don't matter. I don't care what needs to be done. I don't care what needs to be sacrificed. In this world, winning is everything. And in the end, I'm going to win. That's all that matters.

You, Kikyou, Hirata- no, all other people are nothing but tools. If Class D is in this situation is because I wanted things to be this way. So don't blame yourself, Horikita.

You were useful to me.

23- Result

(Y/N) pov

(Y/N): "It was close, after all..."

Eventually I had reached the beach. The ship was floating nearby and I could see some tents. The teachers should be there.

I approached the tent with Horikita resting on my back. When I got there, I heard a teacher's voice.

"You're prohibited from being here. You'll be disqualified."

(Y/N): "This is an emergency. She's got a high fever and has lost consciousness, Please let her rest."

Once I explained the situation, the teacher skipped the instructions and brought a stretcher. I laid Horikita down.

"Is she okay with retiring?"

(Y/N): "Yes."

At that moment I just wanted to leave that place and return to the camp as soon as possible due to my headache getting worse. But I didn't know if I would be able to come back by myself in my current state.

(Y/N): "Is Chabashira-sensei here? I would like to talk to her."

"Yes. I'll call her, wait a moment."

With that, the teacher took Horikita inside the ship. I waited around five minites until Chabashira-sensei finally appeared. I thought that she would act as usual and say something with her serious expression.

However, for my surprise, she approached me and hugged me. I was taken aback by this and didn't know how to react.

(Y/N): "S-sensei-?"

Chabashira: "Are you okay? Where have you been?"

She was completely different from usual. It was difficult for me not to look surprised.

(Y/N): "Horikita wasn't feeling well, so I decided to come here with her just in case."

I took a step backwards to break the hug.

(Y/N): "Anyway, I need to-"

Chabashira: "Yeah, I know. Follow me."

We went inside the ship and there I was given my medication. Chabashira wanted me to retire as Horikita, because she said it would be too dagerous for me. It took me a while, but I was able to convince her that I was fine. She still made me stay inside the ship for an hour to be sure though.

After that, I left the ship.

(Timeskip - Next morning)

Finally, the special test was about to come to an end. I got back to the camp quite late at night and managed to enter the tent without anyone noticing.

The lack of sleep took its toil on me and my classmates had to wake me up.

Chabashira-sensei came shortly after with a paper on her hand. There, we had to name the leaders of each class. We were given the oportunity not to write a name if we weren't for sure though.

After that, all the classes gathered in the beach, the exact same place where the test had started.

Masahima: "We're now tallying up the test results. Please wait."

After that short announcement, we sat in the rest area provided by the school. There were tents, tables and chairs for us to use.

Sudo: "L/N. You work pretty well with Horikita, don't you? How close are you really?"

Rather than sounding angry or upset, it gave me the impression that he genuinely wanted to know.

(Y/N): "There's nothing between us, we're just classmates."

Sudo: "I don't know, to be honest I think that you two are good friends."

(Y/N): "I don't know what's your definition of friend... You have no idea how many times she has threatened me."

As we were talking, Hirata approached us.

Hirata: "Good work, both of you. Thank you for everything you did this week. You really saved us."

(Y/N): "I shoud be thanking you. You covered me when I was late for roll call yesterday."

Hirata: "I couldn't blame you when I heard the reason. Besides, Horikita-san gave us very important information."

I looked up at Sudo, who was glaring at a certain Class C student. It was normal, since almost everyone thought that every single student from Class C had retired. However, Ryuuen Kakeru stood there as the only student from Class C remaining. Which meant that he never retired to begin with.

Ryuuen: "Oh, hey there, sycopaths. What happened to Suzune?" He said as he drew closer, a paper cup in his hand.

After Sudo heard Ryuuen using Horikita's first name, he shot him a glare.

Ryuuen: "I know you've been chasing Suzune's ass. We were together before, you know?" It was obvious that he was lying and only wanted to make Sudo angry. Once Ryuuen drank the water, he crushed his paper cup and threw it at my feet.

Ryuuen: "Throw the trash for me."

Of course, I didn't move and I kept looking at Ryuuen. He smirked.

Ryuuen: "What's wrong with that look? Something you want to say?"

(Y/N): "Actually yes. You told me to throw the trash, but I don't see how you would fit inside a trash can."

Sudo didn't even bother to hold his laughter while Hirata looked between me and Ryuuen nervously. Ryuuen's smirk didn't disappear though.

Ryuuen: "Heh, I see we have a blabbermouth here. Maybe I should teach you to show some respect."

Hirata: "L-let's calm down guys. Here, I'll throw it for you."

Just then, we heard a click of the megaphone being turned on. Masahima-sensei appeared on the beach.

Masahima: "Over this past week, we, your teachers, have closely watched your efforts during this special test. Many things have happened, but overall, the test results were splendid. Good job."

The students looked relieved after Masahima's words.

Masahima: "Well then. I will now announce the test results."

Ryuuen put a hand on my shoulder as he smirked.

Ryuuen: "Pay attention, Y/N. You're about to hear something interesting."

Masahima: "The lowest class is Class C, with zero points."

Sudo: "Bwah ha ha ha! Hey, check it out! You've got zero points after all!"

I faked a surprised look as I felt Ryuuen's grip on my shoulder loosen.

Ryuuen: "Z-zero?"

(Y/N): "I mean, yeah. It was certainly interesting."

Ryuuen didn't seem to understand the situation. Masahima-sensei continued the announcement.

Masahima: "In third place is Class A, with 120 points. Coming in second place is Class B, with 140 points."

A commotion broke out. No one expected these results.

Masahima: "And then, Class D..."

For an instant, Masahima-sensei's expression stiffened. However, he kept speaking.

"...has come first with 220 points."

All of the students of Class D save Hirata and me were completely confused.

"What's the meaning of this, Katsuragi?!" I looked at the spot where Class A was. Katsuragi was glaring at me, but then sighed and faced his classmates.

Ryuuen: "Something is strange... What happened?"

Sudo: "Yahoo! We did it! In your face!"

As Sudo shouted in joy, the students of Class D gathered together.

Karuizawa: "Hey hey, what happened?"

Hirata: "I'll explain everything. Well, Ryuuen-kun, if you'll excuse us."

With those final words, Hirata walked toward our classmates. Sudo raised his midle finger while sticking out his tongue. Ryuuen could do nothing but watch in silence.

The exam was over and the first year students scattered. The ship would depart in two hours, but I still walked aboard. I couldn't wait to take a shower and get a well earned sleep.

Koenji: "Hello ladies and gentlemen. How was your week on the deserted island?" Koenji, on the ship's deck and with a drink in hand, greeted us.

Ike: "Koenji, you jerk! We lost 30 points because of you!"

Koenji: "Calm down, little boy Ike. I was in poor health, so I had no other choice."

While most of us glared at Koenji, Horikita appeared. The students gathered around her.

Sudo: "S-suzune. Are you feeling better now?"

Suzune: "I feel better now, but I'm not back at full health. More than anything else, retiring was a big mistake on my part."

Sudo: "Don't worry about it."

Yep, she definetely isn't back at full health. If she was, she would already have said something to Sudo for calling her by her first name.

Horikita: "By the way, Sudo-kun. Don't just go around calling me by my first name without my permission. Understand?"

Sudo: "Y-yeah."

Nevermind.

Horikita: "But... what happened? Why was Class D ranked first?"

Sinohara: "Th- that's right! What happened, Hirata-kun?! I don't get it at all!"

Hirata: "Well, before that... Karuizawa-san, I think that you should talk to Horikita-san first, right?"

Karuizawa drew closer to Horikita.

Karuizawa: "I'm sorry."

Karuizawa said it bluntly, but with sincerity.

Karuizawa: "Ibuki-san stole my underwear. L/N-kun told us everything."

Horikita: "Huh?"

Karuizawa: "Horikita-san, when you noticed that Ibuki-san was the culprit, she tried to run away. But you chased her, that's why you ended up collapsing and getting sick..."

Horikita turned toward me, shocked by Karuizawa's words. I averted my eyes.

Karuizawa: "I heard it from hirata-kun first. You found out the leaders of Class A and C. That's why we have so many points. So, I'm sorry for everything I said."

Horikita: "H-hold on. You said that I found out the leaders? But I retired-"

Hirata: "There's no need to be so humble, Horikita-san. We won because your answers were absolutely correct."

I turned around and started to leave them.

Horikita: "Wait, L/N-kun. What did you do-?"

Horikita called out to me, however she was surrounded by our classmates and couldn't escape.

"Horikita-san, you were so incredibly awesome! You're seriously a genious, you know that?!"

Horikita: "W-wait a second!"

I ignored her and kept walking back to my room. However, I heard steps behind me, which made me turn around. Kikyou matched my pace and started walking with me.

Kushida: "I didn't expect that we would win, it really surprised me!"

(Y/N): "Hmm."

I really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now. I just wanted to sleep.

Kushida: "It was you, right? You made our class win."

I would deny it, but there was no point. She already knew me quite well.

Kushida: "Thank you."

I glanced over at her.

(Y/N): "It really wasn't that much."

Kushida: "Even though you aren't interested in reaching Class A, you still help us. You are a good person."

(Y/N): "Trust me, I'm not."

Hearing Kikyou say that didn't make me happy at all. It only made me feel even more disgusted with myself. I am many things, but definetely not a good person.

Kushida: "Hey... If you..."

(Y/N): "Hmm?"

Kushida: "If you... if you had to choose someone to help you between Horikita and me, who would you choose?"

That was a difficult question. While Horikita was more capable, she didn't have the same influence in the class as Kushida or Karuizawa. It would be a difficult choice. I knew that in reality she was just asking me who I liked the most, Horikita or her. But I never let my feelings interfere in my choices.

It's not a matter of who I like the most. It's a matter of who's more useful.

Kushida tilted her head, waiting for my answer.

I'll just tell her what she wants to hear.

(Y/N): "I showed you my true self, didn't I? I never showed my other side to Horikita. I already chose you."

Kikyou's eyes lightened up as her lips curved into a big smile. Although she usually fakes many smiles around our classmates, I could tell that this one was genuine. This was probably the first time that I saw Kikyou this happy.

This only made me feel worse. She was this happy because of my lie.

Chabashira: "May I have a word with you?"

Kikyou and I were about to go upstairs, but Chabashira-sensei stopped us. Apparently she wanted to talk with me.

(Y/N): "I don't really feel sociable right now. Is it okay if I refuse?"

Chabashira: "If you really don't want to, I'll start talking here."

And just like that, the usual Chabashira-sensei was back. I couldn't help but sigh as Kikyou looked at us and blinked in confusion.

(Y/N): "Sorry, I've got to go. See you tomorrow."

Kushida: "H-huh? Yeah, see you." Her smile came back as she waved at me and left.

Once we made sure there wasn't anyone listening, I spoke.

(Y/N): "Well then. I suppose that you're happy with the results."

Chabashira: "Yes. Let me tell you that you did wonderfully."

(Y/N): "Tell me something then. Did he really demand that I get expelled from school?"

Chabashira leaned against the wall and looked up.

(Y/N): "Do you have any proof that what you say is true?"

Chabashira: "I know quite a lot about you. Isn't that enough proof? Don't worry, I won't tell other teachers about your true abilities. But I have no doubts."

Well, I definetely had my doubts.

Chabashira: "I'm sure that you've heard about this famous myth, the wings of Icarus."

(Y/N): "Why do you bring that up?"

Chabashira: "Icarus flew out the tower he was imprisioned in order to get his freedom. However, that wasn't achieved by the person alone. It was because his father, Daedalus, had constructed wings and instructed him to fly. He didn't fly because of his own intentions. Don't you think that's quite similar to your current predicament?"

(Y/N): "I can't understand."

Chabashira: "That man said this: 'Sooner or later, Y/N will gladly choose to leave the school.' You're welcoming your end, much like Icarus fell into the sea and died after his wings burned."

The wings of Icarus, huh?

Chabashira: "So, what do you plan to do?"

(Y/N): "You should know already. Icarus didn't listen to Daedalus' warnings."

Even though his wings burned, Icarus flew as high as he could in search of his freedom.

(Timeskip)

I entered my room and spotted my mobile phone placed on my bed. I turned it on and found that my call history had filled up. All the calls were from Horikita. Scary.

She wouldn't leave me until I explained everything, so I decided to meet her in the lounge. When I got there, I spotted an angry Horikita waiting for me.

Horikita: "What do these test result mean? What in the world happened?"

(Y/N): "I'll tell you everything if you promise me that you won't tell this to anyone."

She nodded.

(Y/N): "What would you like to ask?"

Horikita: "What were you doing during this test?"

(Y/N): "When the special test was announced, I didn't focus on anything except for the aditional rules. I more or less understood how to manage the 300 points we were given. First, I volunteered to join the search for the base camp. Once I was able to move freely, I planned to search out spot locations ahead of the rest."

Horikita: "You make it sound simple, but it wouldn't be easy to find the spot locations."

(Y/N): "That's not true. You can't understand because you were ill in your room back then. The ship surrounded the island before we disembarked. That was a hint for us to find out where the spot locations were."

Katsuragi had also noticed this.

(Y/N): "Then, I reached the cave. I thought that it was the most important location. There were two spots near the cave: the hut and the tower. It was the perfect spot to gain more points."

As we were told, we would gain 1 point each 8 hours for each spot we claimed. In other words, if we were able to claim the cave and the other two spots for the entire week, we would get 63 extra points. That was Class A's plan.

I told her how I saw Katsuragi with a keycard, and how he wasn't the leader. Katsuragi wouldn't be that careless to show the keycard outside of the cave. It was all an act to hide that Yahiko, the guy who's with him all the time, had claimed the spot without his permission.

I knew this because when I checked how long the spot had been claimed for, the machine showed that it was claimed a minute ago. Normally I would have suspected that he chose a random classmate instead of the leader for that act, but the spot had been claimed only a minute ago. He didn't have enough time.

In other words, the person that was with him, Yahiko, was the leader.

(Y/N): "I originally planed to get points by secretly claiming spots, but I changed my opinion. When we visited class C, I saw Ryuuen with a wireless transciever. Then, when Class C's students retired from this test, I went back to the spot where we found Ibuki for the first time. She had dirt on her hands when I first saw her, which means that she probably had been digging. I dag in the spot were she was seating and found that she had another wireless transciever, which meant that Ryuuen was still on the island, and that Ibuki was a spy."

Horikita narrowed her eyes.

(Y/N): "I only had to wait for Ibuki and the guy who was infiltrated in Class B to retire. At that point, the leader had to be Ryuuen."

Horikita: "B-but still, they figured out that I was the leader. We shouldn't have been given any special points."

If a class named our leader correctly, all the extra points we were to be given (both the ones for naming the other leaders and the ones from claiming spots) would be cancelled, but...

(Y/N): "You're not the leader, Horikita."

Horikita: "H-huh?"

I showed her the key card that I had in my pocket, my name engraved on it.

Horikita: "B-but how?"

(Y/N): "There's a rule which says that the leader can only be changed under a justifiable reason. The bad health of the leader is a justifiable reason."

Horikita: "T-then..."

(Y/N): "Class C thought that you were the leader, so they were wrong."

I knew that Class C and Class A were secretly cooperating, but I already took care of it.

(Y/N): "I chose to leave Class B alone, since you and Ichinose decided to cooperate from now on. Besides, they already had a spy in their class. Class C named Class B's leader, which made them lose their extra points."

In other words, only our class got extra points. That's why we won.

I purposefully skipped a certain event that took place the day before.

1 day ago

Katsuragi: "So what did you want to talk about... L/N?"

I stared at him without answering.

Katsuragi: "I don't have much time, so..."

(Y/N): "I'm sure that Ryuuen won't mind waiting one minute or two."

Katsuragi looked surprised and confused.

Katsuragi: "W-what? How do you-"

(Y/N): "I don't have much time either. I just wanted to tell you that you made a big mistake. You shouldn't trust Ryuuen."

Katsuragi: "I don't know what are you talking about."

(Y/N): "Really? I think that you know quite well though. What did he say? That he would tell you the identities of the other leaders?"

Katsuragi: "..."

I suspected that Class C was cooperating with another class. If they weren't, Ibuki wouldn't need to bring a digital camera. She would just tell the identity of the leader to Ryuuen and that would be it. However, she still wanted to take a picture of the keycard. Which means that Ryuuen would show that photo to whoever he was cooperating with in order for them to trust him.

It could be either Class B or A, but it was definetely Class A. The reason was simple. A spy was sent to both Class B and D, but not to Class A.

(Y/N): "I don't know what did he ask in exchange for telling you the identity of the leaders, and I don't care either. I came here to tell you that Ryuuen tricked you."

Katsuragi: "W-what?"

(Y/N): "He knows the identity of your leader. Someone inside your class told him."

Katsuragi: "W-what did you say?!"

I couldn't tell for sure if that last thing I said was true or not though. Since his class was divided, I suspected that someone who was in Sakayanagi's side would do something like that.

Katsuragi: "You don't have any proof, or do you?"

(Y/N): "Well, I know that Yahiko is your leader. That is because I heard someone from your class telling that to Ryuuen."

That was a lie, and I could tell that Katsuragi didn't trust me. But since we were going to name his leader, they would lose their extra points anyway. Once he found out that his class didn't get any extra points, he would know for sure that someone named Class A's leader.

He would know that Class D was one of the classes who guessed it correctly, but he would always have the doubt of not knowing whether Class C guessed it or not.

That is because Class C got zero points. If Class C guessed the other 3 leaders correctly, they would get 150 points (50 points for each leader). But since Class C got zero points, Katsuragi will never know.

Katsuragi was visibly shaken at this point.

Katsuragi: "Why... why are you telling me this? Did Horikita-"

(Y/N): "Horikita doesn't know about this. I'm acting by myself. What I'm trying to say here is that you chose the wrong person to cooperate with."

Katsuragi: "..."

(Y/N): "I can cooperate with you from now on. We both have the same goal."

Katsuragi: "...What goal?"

(Y/N): "Get rid of Sakayanagi. You want to rule your class entirely, don't you?"

The result of the test would hurt Katsuragi's influence in his class, but I was lending him a hand. Once Sakayanagi was out, he would be able to become the only leader of his class.

My reason to attack Sakayanagi was quite simple actually. She knew about my past, and if she decided to tell anyone, then my normal life would be gone.

Katsuragi: "Even if I decide to cooperate with you, I don't know what you're capable of."

(Y/N): "Of course, that's normal. But I'll show you."

Katsuragi: "Huh?"

(Y/N): "Class D will get the highest score in this special test."

With that, Katsuragi should be convinced that I was capable enough. Of course, he could try to change leaders at the last moment like I did, but there was one problem.

He didn't have a justifiable reason. Horikita was sick, but Yahiko was perfectly fine.

Katsuragi was cornered. His only option was to wait till the end of the test knowing that he already lost.

Present

Horikita: "I don't like this. You used me, like a pawn."

(Y/N): "Yeah, I can't deny that. I wouldn't be surprised if you never want to speak to me again."

I was aware of what I'd done.

Horikita: "I have... another question."

(Y/N): "What?"

Horikita: "Why did you decide to help me? You said that you don't want to get involved."

If Chabashira-sensei didn't blackmail me, then I wouldn't have done anything. However, I can't afford being expelled, that's why I decided to act.

Of course, I wasn't going to tell this to Horikita.

(Y/N): "That isn't important. What matters is that I'll lend you a hand from now on."

Horikita wasn't looking at me in the eyes anymore.

Horikita: "Th-thank you." She muttered.

(Y/N): "What was that?"

Horikita: "I... said thank you for helping me. Even though you didn't want to."

Apparently she noticed that I never wanted to participate in the battle between classes to begin with.

(Y/N): "You don't have to be grateful. Really, you don't."

Each time they thanked me it only made me feel worse with myself.

Horikita: "I look forward to cooperate with you from now on."

(Y/N): "Same."

The first semester had already ended, and the second one would begin soon. The battle between classes had only started.

--

A/N

First of all, let me make this clear. I know that Class D got 225 points in the original story, but there's a reason why here they got 220.

Each time someone's late for roll call, 5 points are deducted. In the original story, Ayanokoji made Horikita retire before 8 pm. Which means that at 8 pm, when roll call took place, only Ayanokoji was late since Horikita wasn't in the test anymore.

They were probably supposed to get 230 points, but lost 5 because of Ayanokoji being late.

In this story, Horikita retired after 8 pm, because Y/N spent time talking to Katsuragi. Which means that at 8 pm, when roll call took place, Horikita was still in the test. Therefore both Horikita and Y/N were late, and Class D lost 10 points instead of 5.

I hope I was able to explain things well. If you have any doubts, you can ask and I'll try to answer them.

So with this the arc of the deserted island ends. Hope you enjoyed and see you next time.

24- A day of "rest"

(Y/N) pov

Two days had passed since the end of the special exam on the deserted island. I lazily opened my eyes and found myself in the room of the ship I was assigned to.

Yesterday was supposed to be a day of rest. However, many things happened and I can tell for sure that I did not rest at all.

(Y/N): "I'm not going anywhere near them ever again..." I muttered.

As I rubbed my eyes to take away the drowsiness, I heard someone snoring next to me. I slowly turned to the direction where the noise was coming from, only to find Sudo sleeping next to me.

What?

I wisely decided to wake up and calmly analize the situation, but when I was about to stand up I spotted Ike and Yamauchi sleeping on the floor.

(Y/N): "...What?"

I heard Sudo groaning behind me, apparently he just woke up.

Sudo: "Morning..."

...

(Y/N): "WHAT?!"

(The day before)

When I woke up, I was glad to see that I wasn't in that tent anymore. I hadn't slept slept on an actual bed for a week.

I checked my phone for messages, and noticed that I had many from Hirata. Apparently he wanted to celebrate our success in the test and invited our classmates to have lunch in one of the restaurants of the cruise.

Since everything was for free here, we wouldn't need to spend any points.

I doubted that everyone would go though, since there were people like Horikita and Kouenji in our class.

I also had another message from Sakura asking me if I would go.

I told both Hirata and Sakura that I would go and, a few seconds after sending her the message, Sakura told me that she would go too.

Twenty minutes later, I was ready and headed toward the elevator. As I was making my way, I saw a girl by the elevator door. She had her blonde hair tied into a long ponytail.

I knew her quite well. She was one of the most popular girls in my class and Hirata's girlfriend, Karuizawa Kei.

(Y/N): "Good morning."

She glanced over at me with a bored look on her face.

Karuizawa: "Morning."

That reaction made me feel uncomfortable. But since that was Karuizawa's usual attitude toward people she doesn't usually interact with, I shrugged it off.

Karuizawa: "So you're also going to have lunch with us?" She asked sounding somewhat surprised.

(Y/N): "Yeah."

Karuizawa: "Ehhh. I didn't think that you would come, since you are a loner and all."

(Y/N): "I'm not a lone-"

Karuizawa: "Yes you are. Ah, I know! You are here, which means that Horikita-san is also coming, right?"

(Y/N): "...First, Horikita isn't my babysitter, so she isn't everywhere I go. Besides, I don't think that she likes this type of events so-"

Karuizawa: "You know her really well I see. Well, it's to be expected. Loners like each other after all."

...

(Y/N): "That's it. I'm going downstairs."

Karuizawa widened her eyes and then started laughing.

Karuizawa: "Hahaha, I was just kidding! Did you really take it that seriously?"

(Y/N): "..."

The door of the elevator opened and I reluctantly entered with her. I decided not to say anything else so she didn't make fun of me anymore.

When we arrived at the lower floor, I saw Hirata and the others waiting near the elevator. Karuizawa rushed to Hirata and greeted him happily.

I spotted Sakura nearby, but she didn't join the others. I appoached her and she timidly raised her hand.

(Y/N): "Good morning, Sakura."

Sakura: "G-good morning."

She looked as shy as ever. However, she still found the courage to come here, which was great. The next step for her would be to interact with more people, so I decided that I would lend her a hand.

Kushida: "Good morning, everyone!"

Kikyou appeared with her group of friends and greeted us with her usual smile.

Mii-chan: "Hello, L/N-kun."

Mii-chan, who was walking behind Kikyou, greeted me shyly.

(Y/N): "Hi." I didn't let that oportunity escape. "By the way, do you know each other? Sakura, this is Mii-chan."

I took a step back so they could talk to each other.

Sakura: "H-hello. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Mii-chan: "I-It's nice to meet you too."

I have to admit, that scene was quite amusing. Seeing these two shy girls talking to each other

I glanced back and noticed that the group was getting bigger as more of our classmates arrived. I looked around but, as expected, Horikita wasn't there.

The last ones to come were the three idiots.

Ike: "Sorry, are we late?"

Hirata: "No, you're just in time."

While Ike and Yamauchi talked to Hirata, Sudo approached me.

(Y/N): "Hello."

Sudo: "Yo."

Sakura and Mii-chan stopped chatting and tensed up when Sudo came. I wanted them to talk more and maybe become friends, but at least they got to know each other.

Sudo: "Where is Suzune?"

(Y/N): "No idea."

It's funny how everyone asks me about her as if I knew where she was all the time.

Hirata: "Okay, apparently no one else is going to come. Should we get going?"

We all nodded and started heading toward the restaurant.

As we were walking, Yamauchi put his hand on my shoulder and looked at me with a creepy smile.

Yamauchi: "Hey hey, you remember our promise, right?"

(Y/N): "Y-yeah..."

I promised to give him Sakura's email adress during the special test, so I would have to give it to him at some point.

(Y/N): "I'll tell you later, we'll arrive at the restaurant soon."

Once we got there, the waiters prepared the table for us. At least of the class had come, so we occupied quite a big spot.

This was a luxury restaurant, so everyone remained quiet and tried to behave. Well, except for three certain idiots.

Ike: "Hey hey, what should we order?"

We all sat down when the table was ready. Sakura sat on my left and Ike on my right. Sudo was in front of me and Yamauchi beside him. We were on the right side of the table, so the rest of our classmates were on our left.

I was happy to see that Mii-chan sat on Sakura's left. This way they would be able to talk and I wouldn't have to make sure that Sakura didn't feel lonely.

We looked at our menus, and the three idiots couldn't hide their surprised expressions.

Ike: "F-fromage de tête? What is this?"

Yamauchi: "No idea..."

Sudo: "What the heck? They don't make hamburgers here?"

As I was deciding what to order, they discussed what to do.

Yamauchi: "I think I'll just order what our classmates pick the most."

That was actually a wise idea. If you don't know what you're going to eat, pick what the others order the most.

"Hahaha, you are such fools."

I heard someone laughing as some kind of anime villain and turned to see who it was. It was the professor (Sotomura), who was sitting beside Sudo.

Yamauchi: "What?"

Sotomura: "You guys want to make a good impression in front of everyone?"

Ike: "I mean, yeah, but-"

Sotomura: "In that case, show everyone that you are smart! If you order first, all of them will think that you know what all these things in the menú mean, and they will see you with other eyes."

(In Sotomura's fantasies)

He's currently surrounded by girls who are looking at him with sparkling eyes.

"Woah, Sotomura-kun, you're so clever!"

"And so handsome too!"

The professor chuckled proudly.

"H-hey Sotomura-kun, do you have a girlfriend-?"

"Hey, don't steal him! I was here first!"

The girls started fighting between each other in order to gain the professor's attention.

Sotomura: "Hahaha, don't fight for me girls! I have time for all of you."

"Kyaaaa! So cool!"

(Back to reality)

The professor was drooling as his mind had a walk through dreamland. Ike and Yamauchi looked at each other with a serious expression.

Ike: "He's right Haruki, we can't let this oportunity escape!"

Yamauchi: "Let's do it!"

Mii-chan: "A-are they serious?" She whispered.

Sakura and Mii-chan, who apparently had overheard their conversation, looked confused.

(Y/N): "Don't worry about it." I whispered back.

Sudo: "Urgh... There's no way I'll be able to say this. What does tête mean?"

The professor came back to reality and answered him.

Sotomura: "That's french. It means head."

Sudo: "I guess I'll order this then."

Ike and Yamauchi turned to Sudo.

Ike: "Remember Ken, act confident and pretend to know what you're doing."

Sudo nodded and raised his hand.

Sudo: "Excuse me, waiter!"

Being the idiot that he is, Sudo didn't notice that this wasn't a place where you should act that way. Everyone in the table looked at him disapprovingly.

But still, he had a chance to fix his mistake. I wondered how things would turn out.

Waiter: "Yes sir. Have you decided what you will order?"

Sudo nodded confidently.

Sudo: "Yes. I would like to order a head with fromage."

The waiter's eyes widened and everyone looked at Sudo with horrified expressions.

Sudo: "W-what?"

Ike/Yamauchi/Sotomura: "YOU IDIOT!"

(Timeskip)

After we had lunch, we headed to the swiming pool. Ike, Yamauchi and the professor looked really excited, probably because they would see the girls in their swimsuits.

However, Sudo looked down.

Yamauchi: "What's wrong Ken? Aren't you excited?"

Sudo: "How am I supposed to be excited when Suzune isn't here to begin with?"

Ah, the struggle of a man in love.

Ike stood in front of Sudo with a solemn expression.

Ike: "Chin up, Ken. We are going to help you."

Sudo looked at him.

Sudo: "R-really?"

Ike: "Of course, what are friends for? We are going to bring Horikita-san out of her room, even if we have to drag her."

Sudo: "K-kanji..." He covered his mouth and wiped the tears threatening to come out.

I was wondering how would they do that, so I decided to go with them.

When we got to the hallway where Horikita's room was, we hid behind a corner.

Sotomura: "Okay. Now, Sudo-kun, it's your time to shine."

(Y/N): "You've got this."

Sudo; "Hehe. Here I go!"

Sudo knocked on Horikita's door and nervously waited for the door to open.

Horikita: "What are you doing here...?"

The door opened and I could hear Horikita's apatic voice.

Sudo: "G-good afternoon. I was wondering if you would come with me to the swiming poo-"

Horikita closed the door on Sudo's face.

Sudo: "Come on, at least listen to me!"

Sudo came to our hiding spot looking defeated.

Sotomura: "Worry not Sudo-kun. We still have our trump card."

Sudo: "Do we?"

Ike, Yamauchi and the Professor turned to me.

...Dammit.

(Timeskip)

Knock knock.

I reluctantly knocked on Horikita's door.

Horikita: "L/N-kun? What are you doing here?"

(Y/N): "I was wondering if you would like to hang out with me for a bit."

Horikita looked at me, but didn't answer. Was she actually considering to accept my offer?

This is bad. I was hoping that she would refuse right away so the others stop asking me to do this, but...

Horikita: "Mmm. Where do you want to go?"

I could see Ike and the others giving me thumbs up.

(Y/N): "Ike and the others wanted to go to the swimming pool, so-"

Horikita closed the door the moment she heard their name.

Oops. Seems that I accidentally said that Ike and the others would be there and she refused.

I walked back to our hiding spot.

(Y/N): "Sorry guys. I failed."

Sudo: "L/N!"

Sudo was looking at me with a really scary expression.

Ike: "We almost had it!"

Sotomura: "L-let's not panic yet. We'll come up with another plan-"

Sudo: "I'm tired of this!"

He stood up and headed toward Horikita's door.

Sudo: "Suzune, listen to me!"

He started knocking on her door again, desperately trying to make her come out.

Ike: "Hey hey..."

We're calling too much attention...

Some students nearby were looking at us as the bunch of weirdos we were. The minutes passed and Horikita didn't even bother to come out. However, Sudo refused to give up.

I heard the professor yelping behind me. I glanced over at him to see what was going on, only to see a man in his forties who had a security guard's uniform.

"So you are the guys who were harassing that girl, right?"

Apparently someone called security. Great.

"I would like all of you to come with me."

(Timeskip)

Somehow, the three idiots and me managed to get rid of that guy. However, the professor didn't share our luck.

Ike and Yamauchi nervously looked around as we ran trying to find a hiding spot.

We stopped to catch our breath and Ike pointed at one door.

Ike: "Let's hide in there!" Yamauchi tried to stop him from entering such a dangerous place, but it was too late. Ike didn't see the sign saying "Girls' bathroom."

I turned around and started to run again before Ike even opened the door. I could hear many girls yelling in anger and Ike desperately trying to apologize as he ran away with Sudo and Yamauchi.

I hid behind a corner. The three idiots didn't notice me as they ran past with a group of furious girls behind them.

I sighed and took a moment to catch my breath.

One day. I decide to spend my time with them one day and I've already been chased by the security guard and those scary girls.

I decided that the wisest thing to do was to go back to my dorm and don't come out.

And so, I spent the rest of the time hiding inside my room.

(Present)

I remembered the events of the day before, but I couldn't guess how on earth did they end up sleeping in my room.

(Y/N): "What are you doing in my room?!"

Ike: "We had no choice! Those girls and the security guards were lurking near our rooms!"

(Y/N): "And you decide to hide in my room?! What if they saw you?!"

Yamauchi: "We're friends right? If one of us has a problem, all of us have a problem."

...

(Y/N): "Just get out of my room. And don't come back."

Ike: "Wait-!"

I pushed them out of my room and closed the door.

Definetely, I'm not going anywhere near them ever again.

25- The days that will never come

(Y/N) pov

Three days had passed since the end of the exam on the desert island. We were still on the cruise and, to be honest, I couldn't complain at all.

This was my first time on a ship, and even the first time I was able to see the ocean.

You don't realize what you have until its gone.

I didn't know when, or if, I would be able to leave the school without worrying of someone taking me back to that man. That's why I decided to enjoy every moment I spent on that ship.

At that moment I was just walking around, exploring every part of the ship and watching how the other students spent their time.

Back in the White Room, we just learnt what was considered necessary. At the age of eleven, I already had the same knowledge as a college student, but had absolutely no experience in social interaction.

Sure, I knew Akane and Kiyotaka, but it was easier for me to interact with them since we were in the same situation. We faced the same suffering every single day, which made it easier for us to open towards each other.

However, since the moment I joined the school, I was surrounded by people who were entirely different from me. I was completely lost at the beginning and didn't really know what to do.

But now some months had passed since I joined the school and my situation had changed. Sakura was my friend and I had a strange relation with Kikyou, but I guess I also considered her a friend.

I interacted with Horikita quite often, but I wouldn't say she was my friend, at least for now. The main reason was her obsession with Class A.

She first approached me with the goal of using me in order to fight with the other classes. If one day she left that obsession aside, I would be glad to become her friend.

That aside, I was very happy with my current life. I didn't have many friends, but I still treasured those calm days.

But something happened at the end of the first semester. My homeroom teacher, Chabashira-sensei, told me that someone from the outside wanted me to be expelled and she blackmailed me. As long as I aimed for Class A, she would protect me from him.

I never believed that story though. If that man really made contact with the school, he wouldn't talk to a mere teacher. However, I didn't have enough evidence to determine that Chabashira-sensei was lying. For now, I would have to aim for Class A against my will.

But I wouldn't let her use me for much longer.

I put those thoughts aside and focused on my surroundings. I didn't have much time to enjoy the view and those kind of things because I was too focused on the special exam. But now that it was over, I just relaxed and enjoyed my time there.

I was quite excited, like a little child opening his Christmas presents.

The other students were either hanging out with their friends or spending time with their boyfriend/girlfriend.

After a while I returned to my dorm and layed on my bed. I had tried to go to the swimming pool, but it was crowded and I didn't find the courage to go alone. I could ask someone to come with me, but...

Sakura was too shy for that, Horikita was out of question, Kikyou was way too popular and I absolutely wasn't going to go with the three idiots.

While I was wondering what to do, someone knocked on my door. It was Hirata.

Hirata: "Good morning, L/N-kun."

(Y/N): "Morning."

I wondered what Hirata had to do with someone like me.

Hirata: "I'm going to have lunch with Karuizawa-san now, would you like to come with us?"

Wait wait, isn't she his girlfriend? Why would he invite me?

(Y/N): "Is it just going to be Karuizawa and you?"

Hirata: "Not exactly. Another three girls from our class are coming too. Aren't you okay with that?"

To be honest I had wanted to talk with Karuizawa for a while, but I wouldn't do it if her friends were around. If she was alone with Hirata, though, I would probably come out with another excuse like "They're on a date, I shouldn't bother them." That's the kind of coward I am.

(Y/N): "I'm going to pass. I don't really get along with Karuizawa's group."

Hirata stayed silent for a few seconds, but didn't give up.

Hirata: "I can understand that you don't want to, but... I want you to count on me."

Hirata seemed quite adamant to help me make friends, or maybe he just had hidden intentions.

(Y/N): "Lunch time is going to start in ten minutes. I think you should go."

Hirata: "There's no need to hurry." He replied quickly.

Even if he really was that interested in helping me, I was fine with my current situation. It was my decision whether to make more friends or not. He had nothing to do with it.

Hirata: "What if it's just the two of us then? Will you come?"

Apparently he wasn't going to give up until the end.

(Y/N): "I probably shouldn't say this, but... I think you should consider Karuizawa's feelings."

Hirata: "It's fine. I can have lunch with Karuizawa-san whenever I want, but I don't have many opportunities to have lunch with you."

(Y/N): "If Karuizawa discovers that you cancelled your plans because of me she will hate me."

Hirata: "Don't worry, Karuizawa-san isn't the kind of person who would be mad for something like that."

No, Hirata. Karuizawa is exactly the kind of person who would be mad for something like that.

Hirata: "I'm going to call Karuizawa-san."

(Y/N): "Wai-"

I tried to stop him, but it was too late. I had to reluctantly see how he cancelled his plans with Karuizawa. I couldn't hear her through the call, but I guessed that she was angry since Hirata had to end the call forcefully.

Hirata: "What do you want to eat?"

(Y/N): "I guess I'm fine with something light for now."

Hirata: "Let's go to the deck then."

I sighed and reluctantly followed Hirata, hoping that Karuizawa didn't see us.

The restaurant was practically full when we got there, but we managed to find a free table and sat down.

The restaurant was near the swimming pool, so most of the students were wearing their swimsuits. If the three idiots were here, they would be drooling because of the girls. I was quite surprised when Hirata kept his gaze completely locked on me though. I don't consider myself to be a pervert, but even my gaze would divert from time to time when a girl walked nearby.

Hirata: "To be honest, there's something I would like to talk to you about."

(Y/N): "What is it?"

Of course there were hidden intentions, it didn't really surprise me.

Hirata: "I want you to help me come into contact with Horikita-san. I think that she will be very important if we want to reach Class A."

So that's what he wanted.

Hirata: "If it wasn't for her, we would have completely lost in the exam on the deserted island."

(Y/N): "I guess so."

I didn't feel any bad intentions coming from Hirata and I wouldn't particularly mind helping him.

Hirata: "I think that if Horikita-san cooperated with everyone else, we would be able to reach Class A in no time."

(Y/N): "It won't be easy, though. Horikita is really hard to approach."

Even if I helped, Horikita would just see Hirata as an obstacle in her way.

Hirata: "Of course, I understand. Horikita-san only opens to you. That's why I would like you to become the bridge that connects her with me."

Thinking about it, if I managed to convince Horikita to cooperate with Hirata, I wouldn't need to act much from now on. I'm pretty sure that they would be able to make Class D reach other classes by themselves. Of course, Horikita wouldn't be easy to convince.

(Y/N): "I can try, but she probably won't accept."

I needed Hirata to understand. Horikita wasn't the kind of person who would accept help from others. However, Hirata still smiled.

Hirata: "Thank you very much, L/N-kun!"

Hirata was always there for any of us if we needed help and didn't ask for anything in exchange. This is the least I could do for him.

I was about to start eating the sandwich I ordered, but I heard a voice from behind and a shiver ran down my spine.

Karuizawa: "Ah, there you are! Let's have lunch together, Hirata-kun!"

Karuizawa approached us with her friends. I didn't miss the glare that Karuizawa shot me when she saw me.

Hirata: "Erm, Karuizawa-san... Didn't I call you to cancel our-"

Karuizawa ignored him and put another table next to ours with the help of her friends.

The appearance of these vigorous girls made me feel uncomfortable. Hirata noticed and sent me an apologetic look.

There was nothing to worry about, though. I was quite proud of my observation skills. I patiently waited for them to focus on Hirata (which didn't take long by the way) and silently started to leave. However...

Karuizawa: "Ehhh? L/N-kun, are you going somewhere?"

Dammit.

Karuizawa: "You haven't finished your food yet, why would you leave? Or is it that you don't want to be with us?"

(Y/N): "I-It's not like that..." I said awkwardly.

Karuizawa: "Sit down then."

That smile didn't fool me or Hirata though. She was mad because Hirata cancelled their plans because of me and this was her revenge. She probably knew about my poor social skills.

Karuizawa: "What are you waiting for?" She asked with an innocent smile.

Come on, that's just evil!

(Timeskip)

After one of the most awkward lunches I ever had, I tried to escape and go back to my room. Karuizawa didn't let me though, and I somehow ended up in a clothing shop with Hirata, Karuizawa and the three other girls.

Karuizawa: "Woah, Hirata-kun! Look at that swimsuit!"

She dragged Hirata forcefully somewhere in the shop. It didn't look like I would be leaving any time soon, so I decided to look around.

Everything was for free, so I decided to get something as well.

I bought two T-shirts and shorts, as well as a new swimsuit.

Once I was done, I checked what Hirata and the others were doing. Karuizawa wouldn't stop bringing clothes for Hirata to try on while the other three giggled.

Being too popular definetely has its disadvantages...

Satou: "Huh, L/N-kun?"

I turned around and saw Satou, Sinohara and Matsushita standing there.

(Y/N): "Hello."

This was quite a similar to the first time I met them. At least this time I managed not to stutter.

Sinohara looked at the bag I was carrying.

Sinohara: "You came here to buy too?"

(Y/N): "More or less. Those four dragged me here with them." I pointed at Karuizawa and her friends.

The three girls in front of me glanced at them and giggled.

Satou: "You are only buying that?"

I looked at my bag in confussion for a moment.

(Y/N): "Erm... Yes?"

Satou: "Don't be silly, everything is for free! Take the oportunity!"

(Y/N): "I don't really need to buy anything else-"

Satou didn't let me say anything else. She grabbed my arm and pulled me with her, the other two giggling behind us.

(Timeskip)

I left the shop with three bags full of clothes. Funny thing is, they were all mine. Satou, Sinohara and Matsushita happily chatted beside me, carrying one or two bags each.

"Oh, it's Sinohara and the others!"

Hirata, Karuizawa, and the other three girls approached us.

Karuizawa: "Ehh, so you didn't escape after all."

Karuizawa looked at me feigning indifference, but it was quite obvious that she was satisfied after making me go through all this.

Satou: "Why would he run away?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Karuizawa shrugged while grinning "Dunno."

The girls happily talked to each other and Hirata approached me.

Hirata: "Sorry again, L/N-kun. But hey, at least you are friends with Satou-san and the others now, right?"

(Y/N): "I guess so."

Making friends was nice, but also really tiring.

(Y/N): "Do you have to go through this everyday?"

Hirata scratched his cheek as he laughed sheepishly. I took that as a yes.

Still, it was nice to spend time with other people. Hirata was right, after all.

When I joined the school I tried to make friends, but I didn't really have high hopes. I gave up soon after and spent most of my time alone.

There was always something to do, like reading or watching the TV. But eventually I started to get bored.

When Hirata talked to me this morning I suspected that he had hidden intentions but... Maybe he also wanted to help me making friends after all? I couldn't tell for sure, but I would like to think so.

(Timeskip)

It was already night time when I started getting back to my dorm. I looked up and saw a beautiful sky filled with stars.

(Y/N): "Woah..."

I had recently learned that I really liked the night sky. Sure, I had seen pictures before in books and stuff, but it was nothing compared to the real one.

There were many students from both genders around too, enjoying the beautiful sight.

Kushida: "Y/N?"

Kikyou approached me.

(Y/N): "Hello." I took a look around. "Are you alone?"

Kushida: "Yeah, why?" She tilted her head.

(Y/N): "Ah, it's nothing." I thought she would be here with her friends or maybe someone called her here to confess their feelings to her.

Kikyou looked at the bags I was carrying.

Kushida: "Did you-"

(Y/N): "Don't ask."

I shook my head with a deadpanned face, which made her giggle.

She stood beside me and looked up.

Kushida: "What an amazing view..."

I couldn't help but notice that she didn't sound as cheerful as usual. I looked down at her.

(Y/N): "What's wrong?"

Kushida: "..."

She suddenly jumped to my chest.

(Y/N): "K-kikyou?"

She didn't respond immediately and my heart started razing.

Kushida: "Sorry. It's just that... sometimes I feel really stressed." I didn't see her face, but she sounded exactly like when I saw her real self for the first time.

I put my hands on her shoulders.

(Y/N): "I told you, didn't I? You don't have to force yourself."

Kushida: "..."

I let her stay like that for a while.

(Y/N): "It's not good to retain your real self all the time. I'll be there if you need to talk to someone, you don't have to pretend when we are alone."

Kikyou took a step back and looked me in the eye.

Kushida: "Isn't that what you do all the time though?"

I didn't respond.

Kushida: "You tell me to trust you, but you don't really trust me, do you?"

(Y/N): "I trust you."

Kushida: "No you don't. You know that we are the same and keep asking me to trust you, but you never trusted me to begin with."

(Y/N): "..."

Kushida: "Ryuuen-kun is trying to contact me."

(Y/N): "...Is he?"

Kushida: "I don't know what he wants, but it definetely won't do any good for Class D. You know that, right?"

I nodded.

Kushida: "I am telling you this because I trust you. So, will you tell me about your own problems now? Will you trust me?"

Kikyou knew that there was something wrong when she met me. She probably didn't find the courage to say this until now.

She smiled bitterly when I didn't say anything and started to walk away.

Kushida: "Good night." She said with a shaky voice.

I stayed quiet with nothing to say.

It's not like I wanted things to be this way.

Since I joined the school, I wanted to find someone I could tell my problems to. Someone I could rely on. Someone that made me change.

But I knew it was impossible.

No matter where I hid, no matter how far away I ran, that man would never let me escape.

I accepted it long ago.

Those peaceful days I always dreamt with would never come.

26- Exam on board

(Y/N) pov

I was lying on my bed, still in the ship with nothing to do when my phone buzzed. It was an email from the school.

I read it and couldn't help but frown.

"A special test will commence soon. Please gather at the designated hour in your designated room. The students who arrive late will be penalized. Go to the room 204 in the second floor at 18:00 today."

I glanced at the clock. It was already 17:40. I decided that I would text Horikita before leaving.

(Y/N): "Did you get the email?"

Horikita: "Yes."

(Y/N): "I was told to go at 18:00, what about you?"

Horikita: "I'll have to go at 20:40. Apparently we have different schedules."

I didn't have a good feeling about this. We had just finished the special test on the deserted island, and now another test was about to start. I didn't even have time to convince Horikita to cooperate with Hirata.

Horikita: "I would like to discuss some matters, but there's no time right now. Please tell me about the reunion later."

(Y/N): "Okay."

After that short exchange, I turned my mobile off and headed toward room 204.

(Timeskip)

I got there five minutes earlier. Some students from other classes were also reluctantly walking nearby, heading to their designated rooms.

I knocked on the door.

"Come in."

I opened the door and immediately saw Mashima-sensei, Class A's homeroom teacher, seated on a chair.

Sotomura: "Greetings L/N."

(Y/N): "...Hello."

There was another student from my class next to the Professor (Sotomura). His name was Yukimura, one of the most clever students in Class D. He always got the highest test scores in Class D, with Koenji getting the second place and Horikita the third.

Yukimura: "Isn't this strange, L/N?"

I nodded without looking at him, because I noticed that there were still one chair unoccupied. Apparently there was another student coming, probably from our class.

The clock struck 18, but the other student didn't show up. I glanced over at Mashima-sensei, who had his arms crossed, but he didn't say anything.

Another 2 minutes passed and the door finally opened, the last student showing up. Karuizawa Kei.

Karuizawa: "Ehh? Why are L/N-kun and the others here?"

Mashima: "I thought the email told the students to be punctual. You are late."

Karuizawa: "Sorry." She apologized without sounding sorry at all and took the seat next to me.

I met Karuizawa's eyes for a moment and quickly averted my gaze.

Mashima: "Sotomura, Yukimura, L/N and Karuizawa. I will now explain the contents of this test."

Karuizawa: "Okay, wait a moment. I can't understand this. What do you mean with test? I thought that the special test had already ended."

She just wasn't able to stay quiet and let the teacher explain.

Mashima: "I will not answer any questions at this point, so listen in silence."

I heard rumors that Mashima-sensei was cold and strict.

While Chabashira-sensei was an indulgent and calm teacher, Mashima-sensei was always decisive and flat with his tone.

Mashima: "In this special test, all first-year students will be divided in groups according to their signs of the zodiac and the entirety of the exam will be held in groups of students who share the same sign of the zodiac, as the four of you. This exam will test out your 'ability to think.'"

In other words, 12 groups will be formed with all the first-year students. Therefore, Class D will be divided in 3 groups which will be added to the combination of groups from the other classes in order to form the 12 groups.

Mashima: "The four of you will be considered part of the same group from now on. Right now, other students are receiving the same explanation as you. Those students could become part of your own group in the future."

I didn't understand what he meant with that. Maybe the purpose of this exam was to cooperate with people from other classes?

Karuizawa: "W-wait wait. Does that mean that we are going to team up with other classes? The other classes are supposed to be our enemy, right?"

Yukimura: "I agree with her. We have been fighting with them until now, we can't just accept this all of the sudden."

Mashima: "You should not think that way, Yukimura. Your life in secondary school has just begun. Do not think about competing all the time and be more reflexive about the future."

Yukimura: "...I apologize."

Mashima: "The group you have been assigned to is called Rabbit. I will now hand you a list with the names of all the students who are part of this group. Please return the list once you are done."

And so, Mashima-sensei handed us a paper with many names written on it.

Class A: Takemoto Shigeru, Machida Kouji, Morishige Takuro.

Class B: Ichinose Honami, Hamaguchi Tetsuya, Beppu Ryouta.

Class C: Ibuki Mio, Manabe Shio, Yabu Nanami, Yamashita Saki.

Class D: Karuizawa Kei, L/N Y/N, Sotomura Hideo, Yukimura Teruhiko.

Out of all the students from other classes I only recognized Ichinose and Ibuki.

Mashima: "All differences between classes will be ignored from the beginning. From now on, you are not students from Class D, but students from the group 'Rabbit.'"

Apparently they want us to cooperate with other classes, that's why Mashima-sensei told us to forget about Class D for the time being.

Mashima-sensei handed us more paper sheets, this time with the rules of the exam.

In this test, one student from each group will be chosen as a 'target'.

-Tomorrow at 8 am you will receive another email from the school, telling each student whether they are the target or not.

-The exam itself will take place principally between 4pm and 9pm tomorrow. (The students will be able to act freely the rest of the day)

-For an hour each day, the students will have to reunite with their assignated groups and talk.

-The content of the talk will be left to the discretion of the students.

-At the end of the exam you will have to identify the target of your group. This will be done between 21:30 and 22:00. Each group will only be allowed to do this one time.

-You must only write the identity of your group's target. Any other answer will be marked as invalid.

-The details of the results of the test will be sent to each student via email before 23:00 on the last day.

Apparently these were the basic rules of the exam. After those rules was another section with the possible outcomes of the exam.

Result 1: If the target is named correctly at the end of the test, all the students from the group will receive private points.

Result 2: If the target is named incorrectly at the end of the test, the target will receive 500,000 private points.

Mashima: "In other words, if Yukimura was chosen as the target and cooperated with the rest of the group, you would reach the first result and everyone in your group would receive 500,000 private points. Except for the target, who would receive 1 million private points."

Karuizawa: "O-one million? Whoa..."

Mashima: "Now, if the target is named incorrectly at the end of the test, only said student would receive 500,000 private points and the rest will get nothing."

That would be the "Result 2."

I read the last possible outcomes.

Result 3: If someone names the leader correctly before the designated time at the end of the test, his or her class will reveive 50 class points from each participant belonging to that class. In addition, the student who named the target correctly will get 500,000 private points.

In other words, let's say that Ichinose is the target of my group. If I secretly went to the teachers before the designated time (The last day of the week at 21:30) and told them that Ichinose is the target, Class D would get 200 class points, 50 from each participant of my class (Karuizawa, Sotomura, Yukimura and me.) In addition, I would get 500,000 private points. If this happened, the rest of the students including the target would gain nothing.

Result 4: If someone names the leader incorrectly before the designated time at the end of test, his or her class will lose 50 class points from each participant belonging to that class and the target will receive 500,000 private points.

In other words, if I named the target incorrectly before the end of the test, Class D would lose 200 class points and the target would get 500,000 private points.

Now I understood the gist of it. The target could come out and tell everyone his or her identity and try to reach the first result. However, there's always the possibility that the students from other classes betray him or her in order to get the third result.

Each group would gather to "talk" each day until the end of the exam. The school probably wanted us to find the identity of the target in those reunions.

Karuizawa, Yukimura and Sotomura nodded. Apparently they understood everything.

Mashima-sensei left the room after his explanation and told us that we had time to talk about the test.

Yukimura: "Since we are part of the same group, I think we should talk and make some strateg- Oi! Are you listening?"

Karuizawa stood up and started to leave without even listening to him.

Yukimura glanced at the Professor, who also started to leave.

Yukimura: "Dammit. My group is full off airheads!"

I didn't bother to hide my sigh and started to leave too.

(Timeskip)

I dialed Hirata's number as I made my way through the corridors.

Hirata: "Hello?"

(Y/N): "Hey, Hirata. I'm about to meet Horika and talk about this exam. Why don't you join us?"

Hirata wanted to start cooperating with Horikita, so I decided to invite him.

Hirata: "Ah, yes! Thank you!"

Hirata told me that he had to go at 20:40, so he was in Horikita's group. I told him that we would meet at the door of their group's room in a few minutes and ended the call.

(Timeskip)

Once I got there I couldn't help but notice that there was already a group of people there. I spotted Hirata and approached him.

Hirata: "There are a lot of students... Some of them definetely aren't from my group." He whispered.

We approached the crowd in silence.

"You... Are you in the group of 20:40?"

Hirata and I turned around after hearing a familiar voice belonging to Katsuragi, from Class A. However, he was only talking to me.

(Y/N): "No, I only came to accompany Hirata."

Hirata glanced curiously between Katsuragi and me, having noticed that Katsuragi appeared uncomfortable. This was because of what happened in the deserted island. Katsuragi now knew that I wasn't what I seemed and was wary around me. I proposed to cooperate in order to defeat Sakayanagi, but he didn't respond yet.

There was no need to hurry, since Sakayanagi hadn't come due to her health. Besides, I was sure that Katsuragi would accept eventually.

Horikita: "What does that have to do with you anyways?" A sharp answer came from Horikita, who joined us.

Katsuragi: "Nothing in particular. I just wanted to talk."

Horikita: "You want to talk now? That's funny. You completely ignored us the other day."

She was talking about the second day of the exam on the deserted island, when she and I went to gather information of other classes.

Katsuragi: "I didn't really pay attention to your class before, but now I know that not everything is what it seems." He said, looking at me for a second. Horikita and Hirata didn't miss this.

Before either of them could say anything else, their attention shifted to another student approaching us with a grin on his face.

Ryuuen: "Kukuku, there are a lot of weaklings here. Let me have some fun."

Katsuragi: "Ryuuen, huh? Are you also in my group or just walking by?"

Ryuuen: "Unfortunately, I'm in your group." He replied nonchalantly as three Class C students joined him. It gave the impression of a king with his servants.

Ryuuen: "Let's make a play. The title should be The Beauty and the Beast. He said while looking at Horikita and Katsuragi.

Katsuragi: "I thought that our group would be formed by students with good academic ability, but that doesn't seem to be the case since you're here."

Ryuuen: "Academic ability? That's nonsense. The academic ability has nothing to do with this test."

Katsuragi: "That's a shame. The academic ability is the most important factor which determines your success in life. Furthermore, it's said that Japan is constructed over an academic society."

Katsuragi scolded Ryuuen for his previous observation, but he didn't seem to care at all. Telling something like that to an idiot like Ryuuen would have no effect.

Katsuragi: "I will not forget your insult."

Ryuuen: "Huh? Insult? I don't remember doing something like that. Can you refresh my memory?" He mocked.

Katsuragi: "It doesn't matter, since we are in the same group. We'll have plenty of time to talk.

Katsuragi probably was talking about what I had told him of Ryuuen betraying him on the deserted island. To be honest I had no idea if Ryuuen actually betrayed him or not, it was just something I came up with. But after seeing Ryuuen's reaction, apparently he did betray him after all.

I turned to Horikita and Hirata, hoping to be able to talk to them. However, it was already 20:40.

Horikita: "Apparently we won't be able to talk today."

(Y/N): "I guess so, we'll have to wait."

With that, Horikita and Hirata entered the room with the rest of their group. I saw Kikyou, who was apparently part of their group too.

Our eyes met but she quickly averted her gaze and entered the room with the rest of the students.

I sighed and headed back to my room.

--

A/N: New arc, new test. I found it difficult to understand the rules of this test the first time I read the light novel, so you can ask me if you don't understand something.

Hope you enjoyed and see you next time.

27- A dangerous foe

(Y/N) pov

Breakfast time.

I avoided a popular buffet of the cruise that was always crowded and headed toward a café called "Blue Ocean", which was located on the ship's deck.

I arrived got there at 8:05 AM. I was supposed to meet Horikita there five minutes earlier, but I overslept. I spotted her seating nearby and joined her.

Horikita: "You are late."

(Y/N): "Sorry."

I thought that she would scold me or something, but she just sighed and changed the topic.

Horikita: "Anyway, let's resume yesterday's talk."

(Y/N): "I suppose that you received the same explanation as my group."

Horikita: "Yes, it's as you told me. 12 groups with 4 possible outcomes and the 'target' being announced today at 8 AM."

Just as she said, I had already received the email from the school five minutes earlier.

(Y/N): "Who are the members of your group and how many are them?"

Horikita took out a piece of paper from her pocket and showed it to me.

Class A: Katsuragi Kohei, Nishikawa Ryouko, Shita Shinji, Koharu Yano.

Class B: Ando Sayo, Kanzaki Ryuuji, Tsukabe Hitomi.

Class C: Oda Takumi, Suzuki Hidetoshi, Sonoda Masashi, Ryuuen Kakeru.

Class D: Kushida Kikyou, Hirata Yousuke, Horikita Suzune.

This was Horikita's group, called Dragon. Names like Katsuragi, Kanzaki, Ryuuen, Horikita and Hirata stood out.

This group was formed by many notable students, while mine was formed by more average students. But there was something strange here. Why would Ichinose be in my group and not in this one? She was probably the best student out of all from my group.

Horikita: "You are worried about Ichinose-san, aren't you? At this moment, only her class knows what her true abilities are. The most outstanding student of a class isn't always the leader."

There was definitely a reason why Ichinose was sorted into my group, but I decided that I shouldn't worry about it for now.

Horikita: "Anyway, you received the email from the school too, right?"

(Y/N): "Yeah."

Horikita showed me her phone, with the email from the school in the screen.

After a period of exhaustive consideration, you have not been chosen as the target.

The exam will last 3 days starting today.

If you belong to the group (Dragon) please head to the designated room on the second floor at 1 PM today.

It was the same message I had received, the only difference being the name of the group. (Mine was Rabbit.)

I showed her the email I had received so she could confirm that I wasn't the target of my group either.

Horikita: "Apparently none of us has been chosen as the target. I don't know if I should be happy or sad."

I have to admit, I wanted to be the target. Out of four possible outcomes, there are three where I would get at least 500,000 private points. But there was no point in thinking about that right now.

(Y/N): "There's something weird on this email, don't you think?"

Horikita: "What do you mean?"

(Y/N): "At first I thought that the target would be chosen randomly, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The way it's written... It says after careful consideration, which means that there is something we don't see. There must be something that determines whether a student meets the criteria to be the target or not."

Horikita seemed to be lost in thought.

Horikita: "I don't like it. It's like the school is telling me that I'm not good enough to be the target."

Although Horikita was placed on a group with brilliant students, she still thought that she was the best. I suppose that's to be expected of her.

I did think that the targets had something that the other students hadn't, but that "something" wasn't necessarily something good. Someone like Ichinose was different from others in a good way, but I was also different from others, and not in a good way.

Horikita looked at me in the eye while I was debating internally.

(Y/N): "What?"

Horikita: "What happened to you back in the island?"

She suddenly changed the topic completely.

(Y/N): "What do you mean?"

Horikita: "Don't try to dodge the question. I'm talking about your odd behaviour after my fight with Ibuki-sa-"

I put my index finger on my lips for her to be quiet, since there were two students approaching us.

Ryuuen: "What a beautiful weather. Right, Suzune? What are you gonna have for breakfast?"

Two students from class C suddenly joined us. Ryuuen and Ibuki.

Horikita: "Don't say my name so casually, Ryuuen-kun. And you, I can't believe that you dare to show yourself after what you did, Ibuki-san."

Horikita attacked them both. Ibuki seemed to be annoyed by this, but she didn't say anything and just bit her lower lip.

Ryuuen, on the other hand, smirked as if he was enjoying the situation. Horikita and Ibuki had a fight on the deserted island and Ibuki won. Horikita insisted that she lost because she was sick back then, but I didn't really care which one of them was the strongest.

Ryuuen: "The school has just sent the email. How did it go? Are you the target?"

Horikita: "There's no way I would tell you."

Ryuuen: "Whatever."

He sat on the chair next to Horikita. Ibuki didn't sit down, not wanting to join us. However, Ryuuen told her to sit down and she reluctantly sat next to me.

Ryuuen: "I'm a bit curious. Tell me how you managed to get that result on the deserted island."

Horikita: "I have nothing to tell you."

Horikita was completely calm. Apparently Ryuuen's presence didn't make her nervous at all.

Ryuuen: "It doesn't matter anyway, but according to what Ibuki said, you didn't do much during the exam on the island."

Horikita: "Then that means that you should look for a better spy next time."

In response to that provocation, Ibuki stood up looking annoyed. However, Ryuuen shot her a glare and she reluctantly sat down again.

Ryuuen: "I don't think that a serious person like you would be able to come up with that strategy."

Horikita: "Huh? You know what our strategy was, then?"

Ryuuen smirked.

Ryuuen: "You changed leaders before the end of the test. Therefore, we named your leader incorrectly and we lost."

He didn't seem to be affected by what happened on the island.

Ryuuen: "And as I said, I don't think that you were the one who came up with that strategy. The important thing is that the person who became the leader at the end of the test is the one who pulls the strings behind the scenes."

Ryuuen said that while looking at Horikita, but he occasionally glanced at me. He was convinced that there was someone pulling the strings behind Horikita, and I was clearly a suspect.

He was dangerous. I would be in trouble if he got me here.

Horikita: "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have many friends I can talk to. The only one I can consider close to me is L/N-kun, but he never wants to cooperate."

Horikita lent me a hand there. By saying that, she made me seem as someone irrelevant.

Ryuuen: "I wonder. You fought with three of my classmates a while ago, didn't you?"

(Y/N): "You mean those bullies who attacked me and threatened Hirata? It was more like a one-sided fight."

Of course, that incident made me stand out, but I never attacked those guys.

Ryuuen: "That might be true. I was told that you just ran away, like a coward."

That was a clear provocation. Maybe he was testing me to see how I would react, but he would get nothing from this.

(Y/N): "They would have slaughtered me if I tried to fight back." I said with a shrug.

Suddenly, Ryuuen stood up and grabbed my arm without warning. I didn't react at time and my face twitched in pain as he applied more force in his grasp.

Horikita: "Hey!"

Ibuki: "O-oi."

Horikita and Ibuki stood up at the same time, trying to stop Ryuuen. He didn't seem to care though.

Horikita looked as if she was about to hit him, but he released me before she did. I rubbed my arm trying to ease the pain.

Ryuuen: "Tch. What a boring reaction."

Since the café we were in wasn't popular, we were the only ones there. No one saw what had just happened. Ryuuen lost interest in me and focused back on Horikita.

Ryuuen: "Remember this, Suzune. I'm going to find whoever is pulling the strings behind you and crush them. Then I'll crush Class B, and Class A in the end. This is nothing but a game to me." His voice grew darker as he spoke.

Having said that, he turned around and started to leave. Ibuki glanced over at me one last time and followed him.

Horikita glared at them as they left, then she looked at me.

Horikita: "Are you okay?"

(Y/N): "Yeah, don't worry."

Horikita's usual serious expression changed to a worried one.

Horikita: "What are you going to do from now on? If he finds out that you are the one hiding behind me, you are going to be in danger."

(Y/N): "I'll worry about that when the time comes."

Horikita: "How can you be so calm? Don't you see what he's capable of? What if he-?

(Y/N): "We have to focus on this test. There's no point in worrying about the future right now."

Horikita wasn't convinced but nodded in the end.

Ryuuen Kakeru was a dangerous person. He ruled over his classmates like a king and didn't hold back against anyone. If he was going to focus on Class D from now on like he had said, we were going to face many difficulties.

(Timeskip)

Sotomura: "Sorry to keep you waiting. I ate way too much."

Yukimura and I had been waiting for the Professor for a while. The reunion would start in a few minutes.

Yukimura sighed in annoyance.

Yukimura: "Let's go."

We made our way to the room assigned to our group (Rabbit) and got there just in time. Yukimura opened the door and everyone glanced over at us. Apparently, we were the last ones to arrive.

Karuizawa stared at us and sighed.

Karuizawa: "It doesn't matter how I look at it, my classmates are pathetic."

Yukimura frowned and Sotomura looked down at the floor. I, on the other hand, glanced around trying to recognize the rest of the students. Besides Ichinose and Ibuki, I only recognized a male student from Class A. He was one of the two who talked to me during the exam on the deserted island trying to convince me to betray Class D.

The three of us sat near the rest, but there were two students who were isolated, as if to avoid the crowd. Karuizawa and Ibuki.

Yukimura: "What's wrong L/N?"

(Y/N): "Ah, nothing."

I thought that Karuizawa would jump down Ibuki's throat the moment she saw her. I mean, she was the one who stole her underwear back on the deserted island. However, Karuizawa stayed quiet and played with her phone. She showed no sign of anger, even though Ibuki was close by.

"The first group discussion will begin now." A short announcement came from the loudspeakers.

Even though the discussion was supposed to start, no one said anything.

Well, this is awkward.

But this didn't last for long. Ichinose Honami, from Class B, stood up with a smile on her face after seeing that no one would take the initiative.

Ichinose: "I already know most of the people here, but I think that it would be a good idea for us to introduce to each other."

Taking the initiative in a group like this, with people from other classes, was not something easy. However, Ichinose didn't seem to have any problems and acted as always.

No one refused, so she started introducing herself, and so did the rest of the students. However, these introductions were different from the ones back on the first day. Here, students talked for a short period of time, and didn't say anything about their interests.

I remember that back on the first day, my classmates would talk about their interests and shared more personal information.

I guess that the presence of students from other classes was the main reason for this change. This was better for me anyways, I wouldn't have to talk for a long time.

(Y/N): "Hello, my name is Y/N L/N. Nice to meet you."

Short and boring, but that's how the rest of the students had introduced themselves. There was nothing to worry about.

Ichinose: "Ya-ho! It seems we're in the same group, L/N-kun."

I nodded awkwardly and sat back again. Some of the boys glared at me because of Ichinose.

Once everyone introduced themselves, Ichinose spoke again.

Ichinose: "So, how should we proceed from now on? If someone doesn't want me to act as the leader, could you tell me?"

Ichinose talked with a friendly tone. Of course, no one wanted to be the leader of a group with people from other classes. Ichinose probably knew this when she asked this.

Since nobody opposed, Ichinose became the leader of our group.

Ichinose: "I'm going to ask this ignoring the fact that the target is one of us. Would you like to cooperate in order to reach the first result of the exam?"

Apparently, Ichinose was aiming for the first result, where everyone gains something. (A/N: In the first result everyone on the group gets 500,000 private points, except for the target, who gets 1 million. To reach this result everyone in the group must know who the target is and wait until the end of the exam to tell the teachers.)

A male student from Class B, Hamaguchi Tetsuya I think, raised his hand.

Hamaguchi: "I agree with her. Cooperating with each other is the obvious course of action here."

Ichinose's question might seem meaningless, since people didn't trust each other. In fact, she probably didn't trust people from other classes herself. However, you can discern who isn't the target by watching the other students' reaction.

Karuizawa, Yukimura and a student from Class C, agreed with Hamaguchi's statement.

The students from Class A observed the situation in silence.

"That's not fair, Ichinose. You are putting all the group against the target. You are basically painting the target in a bad light, and no one dares to oppose to you because they would immediately be marked as someone suspicious." Machida, from Class A, said.

He acted completely different from the students from Class D and C, who just went with the flow. Of course, he looked suspicious by saying this, but maybe that's what he wanted.

Hamaguchi: "Ichinose-san didn't do anything bad. After all, this exam focuses on finding the target. Besides, she didn't threaten anyone. If people decide to cooperate is because they want to. If you don't want to cooperate, then you only have to stay quiet."

Machida's expression didn't change at all, as if he was expecting him to say that.

Machida: "In fact, we have the right to stay quiet. And that's exactly what we are going to do."

Apparently, Class A didn't want to participate in the discussion. Some of the other students followed their example and stayed quiet.

Ichinose: "In that case, even if I don't agree, we'll have to choose the target by majority of votes. Students who don't cooperate will be suspicious, are you okay with that?" Ichinose tried to pierce Class A's defences.

To be honest, Ichinose had the support of most of the students in the room on her hands since the moment she took the initiative. She could get people on her side without effort, something that people like Ryuuen or Katsuragi couldn't do. I doubted that even Hirata could compete with her in this aspect.

Machida: "...Are you threatening us?"

Ichinose: "Don't misinterpret me, we just want to talk with you. You are free to decide whether to participate or not. But I would like everyone to participate in the discussion."

Machida: "This exam... Do you think that it can really be overcome just by talking? Or are you going to lower your head and ask for the target to reveal themselves?"

I see. Apparently, someone told Class A not to participate in the discussions and keep a low profile, probably because of their result on the last exam. However, Machida didn't seem to share this point of view.

I guessed that Katsuragi was the one who told them to keep a low profile. Probably the rest of the students from Class A in other groups were also refusing to participate in the discussions.

Ichinose: "Do you think there's another way to overcome this test?" She asked.

"...Yes. There is a way."

Both Ichinose and Hamaguchi couldn't hide their surprise.

Ichinose: "Could you explain us your strategy?"

Machida: "Of course. We are a group after all, so it's natural to share information."

Class A came up with an extremely simple strategy.

Machida: "The strategy we came up with is... Not talking at all. From the beginning till the very end."

He said that loud enough for us, who weren't participating in the discussion, to hear.

Hamaguchi: "That's quite a unique plan, but how will we overcome this test without talking? Are you suggesting that the identity of the target should stay hidden until the end of the test?"

"You are really making us think that the target is in your class." Another student from Class B said.

Machida: "It doesn't matter in which class the target is. If we simply don't talk to each other we can win. This is the strategy that Katsuragi-san devised for us."

Ichinose: "Katsuragi-kun...? I see."

Now I understood Class A's strategy. If the discussion goes on, then we would probably figure out who the target is. But that also has its short comings, since a traitor could appear. (A/N: By traitor I mean that someone secretly went to the teachers before the exam ended. That someone would be a traitor, and if he or she names the leader correctly then his or her class would gain class points and private points, but the rest of the group would get nothing [Result 3]. If he or she names the leader incorrectly then his or her class would lose class points, and the rest of the group would get nothing [Result 4]. In other words, the moment a traitor appears, the group loses. That's why Class A doesn't want to talk to each other.)

Machida looked at the students from Class C and D.

Machida: "I suppose that you all understand. If we start talking to each other, we would only raise suspicions and the possibility of a traitor appearing would increase."

Apparently Katsuragi's strategy was to get defensive, but Ichinose wouldn't let them.

Ichinose: "Wait a moment, Machida-kun. I admit that that is a pretty good strategy, but in the long term the only class who wins would be Class A."

Machida: "What is that supposed to mean?" He said, feigning ignorance.

Ichinose: "No one wins, and no one loses. In other words, everything stays the same. That would mean that the point gap between classes wouldn't change at all. Don't you think that's a bit unfair for the rest of us?"

Machida: "T-that's-!"

Ichinose was right. What Class A really wanted is things to stay the same. This way, the gap between them and the rest of the classes wouldn't close.

Machida: "Wait a minute, Ichinose. Even if we reach the first result, everyone here gets points. In other words, nothing would change either."

Ichinose: "That's not right. Look at the number of students from each class. 3 from Class A, 3 from Class B, 4 from Class C and 4 from Class D."

Since each student receives 500,000 private points with result one (except for the target who gets 1 million), Class C and D would gain more points than Class A and B. She was getting Class C and D on her side with this.

With that, Ichinose's plan won. Class A seemed frustrated, but they still didn't change their opinion.

Machida: "Do as you wish. Class A won't take part in the discussion."

Ichinose had tried to convince Class A, but she couldn't in the end. The loudspeaker made another announcement.

"The discussion period has finished for now. You are free to leave if you wish."

And so, the first discussion had ended. We didn't really make any advancement though, it was basically Class A and B fighting between each other to get Class C and D on their side.

Most of the students started to leave, including me. However, I stopped when I heard someone talking to Karuizawa.

"You are Karuizawa, right? There's something I want to ask you." Manabe, a female student from Class C said.

Karuizawa: "What is it?"

Manabe: "Maybe it's a misunderstanding but, you had a quarrel with Rika, didn't you?"

Karuizawa: "What's that supposed to mean? Who's Rika?"

Manabe: "She's from our class. The one wearing glasses? She wears her hair like a Dango? You don't recall her?"

Karuizawa: "No I don't. You've got the wrong person."

Manabe took out her phone and pointed the camera towards Karuizawa.

Manabe: "Then you don't mind if I check again with Rika, will you? If you didn't do anything, then you surely won't have any problem with it." She said while taking a photo of her.

Karuizawa suddenly stood up and grabbed the phone from Manabe's hand. She used quite a bit of force and threw her mobile away.

Manabe: "What the hell are you doing?!"

Karuizawa: "That's my line, don't take photos of me without my permission, I already said I didn't do it!"

Manabe picked her mobile phone up, checking if it was broken.

Manabe: "I had precious photos in that phone. What are you going to do if it's broken?" She said with resentment.

Other two students from Class C stood next to Manabe, as if trying to intimidate Karuizawa. I glanced over at Ichinose, but she was looking between Karuizawa and Manabe, as if trying to guess who was right.

Karuizawa: "Are you trying to say that I'm the bad one here?"

Manabe: "If you really are innocent, why are you on the defensive? Let me take a photo of you."

Karuizawa: "I... don't want to." She spoke with a weak, almost afraid tone.

Manabe: "Aren't you just trying to hide what you did?" She said as the other two girls laughed maliciously.

There was only one student from Class C who didn't take part in this, Ibuki. She looked at Manabe with a disgusted look on her face, but didn't do anything to stop her.

Manabe: "Anyway, I'm going to take that photo."

Karuizawa: "No!... Please, do something to stop her!" She suddenly turned to me. I didn't plan to do anything, but...

(Y/N): "Stop it. If you take that photo, I will personally report you to the school. There are witnesses here, so Class C would only end up losing. I think it's better to avoid all that trouble."

The three girls glared at me, but I didn't retreat. They had a lot to lose and nothing to gain.

Manabe: "Tch. Let's go."

With that, the three of them left, followed by the remaining students in the room. Ichinose looked at me somewhat puzzled before leaving.

I turned to Karuizawa.

(Y/N): "Are you okay?"

Karuizawa: "Y-yeah. Thank you, L/N-kun."

I didn't miss Karuizawa's shaking hands. She seemed to be afraid, the encounter with Manabe had affected her more than I expected.

(Y/N): "Out of all the people, why did you ask me for help? There are more trustworthy people around. Like Ichinose or even that guy from Class A."

I was just a plain guy who she barely knew. Ichinose was known for her kindness and was a much more reliable person.

Karuizawa: "Does it matter?"

(Y/N): "It does."

She averted her eyes, looking ashamed. If she didn't have a boyfriend, I would be getting the wrong idea.

Karuizawa: "It's nothing important. I just remembered that you helped Hirata-kun back then and thought that you would lend a hand."

So, she thought she could rely on me. She trusted me a bit, apparently. I had wanted to get Karuizawa on my side for a while now, but I didn't know how to approach her.

But if she already trusted me, even if it was just a little bit, I wouldn't have to take "drastic" measures, after all.

Before that though, I would have to know why she was so afraid of Manabe and the others. Judging by their interaction, this was the first time they met, so there shouldn't be a reason for Karuizawa to act like this.

However, humans can be severely affected by past experiences. Maybe something happened to her in the past that was influencing her now, just like me.

Karuizawa and I left the room together without saying anything else.

28- Let's work together

(Y/N) pov

After the first discussion, I checked my mobile to kill some time until the second one started. Two people had messaged me. Sakura and Yamauchi.

Yamauchi: "Hey man, you promised! When are you going to give me Sakura's email address?!"

I accidentally marked the message as spam and ignored it. Then I checked Sakura's message. She wanted to see me and tell me something. I decided that it would be a good idea to check how she was doing in her group, so I accepted.

I headed toward the ship's deck. It was better to meet there since it shouldn't be crowded at that time of the day. It didn't take me long to spot Sakura, who was kind of hidden behind a pillar, even though there wasn't anyone there besides us.

Sakura: "S-so... What do you think?" She spoke lowly. "W-would you like to g-go on a date with me?"

I stopped cold. I was sure that Sakura didn't want me to hear that.

Sakura murmured something, this time I couldn't hear everything she said. Something about that she needed to be braver. I decided to wait a few more seconds and call her.

(Y/N): "Hello Sakura."

I tried not to startle her, but she still stiffened.

Sakura: "A-ah! H-hello, L/N-kun."

Sakura was too shy and I wasn't the best person socializing, so I chose to ask that cliché question and try to start a conversation with her.

(Y/N): "Did I make you wait?"

Sakura: "N-no, I just got here."

That probably wasn't true, but I let it be.

(Y/N): "Are you enjoying your time here? Did you get to talk more to Mii-chan?"

Sakura's lips curved into a small smile.

Sakura: "Mii-chan is really nice. We exchanged contact information and we chat from time to time."

That was good to hear, this was the first step for Sakura to make more friends. I couldn't tell for sure how I was feeling at that moment. Maybe like a proud father watching his daughter take her first steps. But at the same time, I thought that I shouldn't feel that way.

Sakura: "Th-thank you."

(Y/N): "For what?"

Sakura: "For helping me. I made a new friend thanks to you."

(Y/N): "What are you talking about? I only introduced you two. Instead of grateful, you should be proud for making a new friend on your own."

Normally she wouldn't be brave enough to start a conversation with others and would often hide behind me when someone talked to her. Now she was able to interact with others without me being there. It was a huge step.

Sakura nodded, this time with a big smile on her face.

(Y/N): "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Sakura: "Ehh... That's... I was feeling nervous because of this test." She gave me a piece of paper with names written on it.

Class A: Sawada Yasumi, Shimizu Naoki, Nishi Haruka, Yoshida Kenta.

Class B: Kobayashi Yume, Nihomiya Yui, Watanabe Kihito.

Class C: Yuuki Yuuya, Nomura Yuuji, Yajima Mariko.

Class D: Ike Kanji, Sakura Airi, Sudo Ken, Matsushita Chiaki.

Her group was called "Cow."

I could understand why Sakura felt nervous. There wasn't anyone she could really talk to in her group.

(Y/N): "I'm kinda envious. Seeing Sudo and Ike struggling to find out who the target is must be funny."

My comment earned a small laugh from Sakura.

(Y/N): "How are the other classes dealing with the exam?"

Sakura: "I-it's kind of weird. Class A doesn't want to participate at all, as if they are hiding something."

Just as I suspected, Class A's plan seems to be the same in all the groups.

(Y/N): "By the way, has Yamauchi tried to contact you lately?"

Sakura: "Yamauchi-kun? N-no. Why?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion.

I averted my eyes.

(Y/N): "Nothing, just curious."

She didn't understand and looked confused, but didn't say anything else.

We talked for a while before leaving. There were periods of silence where none of us would say anything, but we didn't feel uncomfortable. It was weird. When I talk to other girls, I desperately try to keep talking so they don't get bored or something. But Sakura's eyes showed that she was happy when she talked to me. Even when these periods of silence came, she still looked genuinely happy.

And knowing this, I didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

I was glad that she didn't say anything about that date she was talking about. I'm not going to lie, I was almost sure that she was referring to me. But for the time being, I wanted things to stay the same.

Sakura thought of me as a good person and friend who she could rely on. But what would happen if she got to know me better and discovered how I truly was? Knowing that the person who she probably trusted the most in this school was a monster would shatter her.

Besides, knowing that she thought of me as a friend and someone she could rely on made me feel good. I didn't want this to change.

Was I being selfish?

(Timeskip)

The second discussion had just started. As expected, Class A didn't participate at all and stayed away from the rest. This time though, Karuizawa wasn't sitting far from the rest like in the first discussion.

She sat next to me, avoiding the glares of Manabe and her other two friends. I looked at them and when they noticed they quickly averted their eyes.

(Y/N): "Do you know them?"

Karuizawa: "I met them this morning."

She answered without looking away from her mobile.

(Y/N): "And what about that Rika they were talking about? Do you know her?"

She glanced over at me, looking slightly annoyed.

Karuizawa: "Are you dumb? You really believe those three?"

Yup, she's back to normal.

She looked like a completely different person before, but everything was fine now, apparently.

Ichinose: "So, since this is the second time we gather and the number of reunions is limited, I think that we should start working together as soon as possible."

Yukimura: "I agree. We won't find out who the target is unless we start talking."

In my opinion, with one entire class not cooperating, even if we talked, we were still going to have many problems.

Karuizawa: "Can we really find the target just by talking, though?"

Some of the students looked down. Even if Ichinose was encouraging everyone, finding the target in this situation was really difficult.

Ichinose: "What do you think, L/N-kun?"

Ichinose asked for my opinion, but that probably wasn't what she was interested in. I hadn't participated in the discussion until now, so it was natural for her to think that I was suspicious. Sadly, I wasn't the target.

(Y/N): "It would be nice if we could get the first result, I need private points. But it's impossible unless everyone cooperates." I said, pretending to be depressed.

Ichinose smiled.

Ichinose: "It's too soon to give up. Let's work together to get the best possible outcome!" She said, trying to cheer me up.

Machida: "You can do whatever you want, but you aren't going to find the target like that. Besides, the target might be in your own class. Can you really trust them?" He said while glancing at Ichinose's classmates.

Ichinose: "I could say the same to you, Machida-kun."

Machida: "That's right..." He broke eye contact with Ichinose to glance over at one of his classmates, Morishige if I remember correctly. However, he quickly went back to normal.

Machida: "We receive 100,000 private points from the school each month, so nobody is interested in the 500,000 points from this exam."

Ichinose: "Really? So, you're telling me that you don't want any extra points? The school doesn't put any kind of limitations to the number of private points you can earn."

Machida: "That's just stupid. You can rave as much as you want, but don't just accuse us like that."

Machida had said that they wouldn't participate, but Ichinose kept him talking. And as long as he talked, some information would leak inevitably.

Meanwhile, Karuizawa kept sighing and playing with her mobile. The rules obliged us to be present at the discussions, but we didn't have to participate if we didn't want, so there was nothing I could do about that.

And so, the second discussion ended. Just like the first one, we didn't make any notable progress.

I didn't stand up. Everything was important in order to find out who the target was, even the order in which people left the room.

Class A were the first ones to go, followed by Ibuki. Then Yukimura and the Professor, Ichinose's classmates, Manabe and her classmates.

The only ones left were Karuizawa, Ichinose and me. Apparently Ichinose was also checking on the people who were leaving. Our eyes met for a moment and I quickly shifted my attention to Karuizawa.

She was still playing with her mobile and it didn't look that she was going to leave. I stood up and started to leave.

Ichinose: "Hey, can we talk?"

(Y/N): "Sure."

Ichinose approached me with her usual smile.

Ichinose: "Ah... These guys from Class A really are giving me trouble."

For someone who aimed for the best outcome like Ichinose, people who didn't cooperate were naturally a pain.

Ichinose: "If you had to guess, who do you think is the target?"

(Y/N): "I don't know. Class A looks really suspicious, but maybe the real target is taking advantage of this situation and hiding while Class A make themselves look suspicious."

Ichinose: "Yeah, that might be true."

The school really liked to confuse us. They told us that we should cooperate, but in an exam like this it was impossible to trust each other.

Ichinose: "Why don't we work together? I'm sure that we will be able to find the identity of the target if we cooperate." She said and tried to shake hands.

I looked at her, but didn't take her outstretched hand.

(Y/N): "Are you sure you can trust me? I could be the target."

She put her hand back, but the smile didn't leave her face.

Ichinose: "So, are you the target?"

(Y/N): "What would you do if I was?"

I thought that she would at least think about it for a while, but she surprised me with a fast response.

Ichinose: "I wouldn't do anything. Because I want to cooperate with everyone and get the first result."

Of course, I couldn't believe her just like that. But it really looked like she was being serious.

I heard footsteps behind me. Karuizawa was leaving the room.

Ichinose: "Besides, Class B is in a cooperative relationship with Class D. I wouldn't betray you."

(Y/N): "Your class would gain a lot though-"

Ichinose: "I already said it, I won't betray anyone."

It was very hard for me to think that she was lying. When I first met her, I thought that she was someone like Kikyou, but their eyes were different. It's hard to explain, but the first time I saw Kikyou I felt some kind of discomfort. Something that wouldn't let me trust her.

But Ichinose was different.

(Y/N): "In that case, I'll tell you the truth. I'm not the target." I took out my mobile phone and showed her the message I had received from the school.

Ichinose nodded, seemingly satisfied. Then she took out her phone and showed me the message that she had received from the school. And so, I confirmed it. She wasn't the target either.

Ichinose: "So now that we both know; I would like you to help me find the target. Let's work together!" She smiled and extended her arm for us to shake hands again.

For a moment, the person standing in front of me wasn't Ichinose. The way Ichinose talked and tried to help everyone... I couldn't help but think of her.

Ichinose's pov

Ichinose: "What's wrong?" I asked, tilting my head.

L/N-kun was staring at me, but it looked like his mind was elsewhere. Just as I thought, he wouldn't accept. Well, I couldn't blame him for not trusting me.

(Y/N): "You know? You remind me of someone I used to know."

Ichinose: "Huh? Really?"

He surprised me with that change of topic. His usual serious expression didn't change, but somehow, he looked sad. That's the impression I got when I looked at his eyes for some reason.

I tried to lighten up the mood.

Ichinose: "That person must be very cool then." I said with a grin.

For the first time, I saw L/N-kun show emotions. A small, but sad smile formed on his face.

(Y/N): "One of the brightest and most compassionate individuals you could ever care to meet."

I tried to smile, but I couldn't for some reason.

Why do I feel this way? He's smiling, but... Why does he look more sad than happy? I wanted to see him smile but- Wait wait, why did I want to see him smile?!

I noticed that my hand was still outstretched. I was about to move it away, but L/N-kun surprised me again when he shook my hand.

(Y/N): "Let's work together, Ichinose."

Ichinose: "Huh? Y-yeah."

This was a side of him I had never seen before. Whoever that person was, she had to be very important for him.

29- Revelations

(Y/N) pov

I met Hirata on the way back to my dorm. Yukimura, who was also in my group, was with him.

Hirata: "Hello, L/N-kun. There's something I wanted to talk to you about, is that okay?

(Y/N) "Yeah, sure. Actually, I'd like to talk to you too."

I wanted to ask Hirata about Karuizawa, but it was better to do it when it was only the two of us, so I let him start.

Hirata: "To be honest, some girls from our class have told me that two of our classmates are the targets of other groups."

Yukimura: "What? That means that-"

Hirata: "I can't tell you, but they gave me that information because they trust me."

So, at least two of our classmates were the targets in other groups. That was very important information, but my options were limited. As someone who had been acting alone until now, I couldn't take action in other groups. Still, this kind of information was always welcomed.

Yukimura: "Are you implying that you don't trust us, Hirata? If you know, I have the right to know too."

Hirata: "Yeah. You're right, but..."

(Y/N): "I think that you should tell us, Hirata. Maybe we could come up with a plan to overcome this test."

Hirata was lost in thought for a few seconds, but in the end, we were able to convince him. He took a look around before speaking again.

Hirata: "Kushida-san (Dragon) and Minami-san (Horse) are the targets of their respective groups."

Yukimura: "I see."

I already knew that Kikyou was the target of her group, but I didn't know anything about Minami. Normally, I would give Kikyou instructions, but things between us hadn't been going well lately. I decided that I would let things happen without me intervening.

(Y/N): "I think that the best option right now is for them to stay quiet and not to reveal themselves."

Hirata: "Yeah, I agree. There are many risks in coming out too soon."

Suddenly, I heard footsteps of someone who was approaching us. I turned around to see Koenji humming.

Yukimura: "Hey, Koenji. Can you promise us that you will participate until the end of this exam? Don't drop out like you did in the exam on the deserted island. And could you please stop humming that annoying song?"

Koenji: "There was nothing I could do. I was in bad health back then."

Yukimura: "Geh... You're lying."

Koenji: "But thinking that this exam will last for another two days... It really annoys me."

Yukimura: "You probably aren't even taking it seriously..."

Koenji: "There's no point in participating in such boring exam, after all."

Yukimura was about to say something, but our phones buzzed at the same time.

Yukimura: "Koenji, what did you do?!"

I hurriedly checked the email that I had just received.

The test has ended for the group (Monkey). The students of the group (Monkey) are not obliged to take part in this test anymore. Please, be sure not to disturb the rest of the students.

Yukimura: "That's your group, Koenji!"

Koenji: "Exactly. Now, I'm free to do whatever I want again. Adieu."

Koenji started walking again, leaving us with dumbfounded faces. What had this guy done?

Yukimura: "This is bullshit! We are all doing our best to overcome this test and this guy just..."

Hirata: "We don't know yet, maybe he did something..."

If the exam had ended for him already, that meant that a traitor appeared in his group. In other words, they could have reached the third or the fourth result.

Yukimura: "Tch. I'm leaving."

Koenji had made Yukimura angry and he decided to leave. I turned to Hirata, but his phone buzzed again.

Hirata: "Ah, sorry. I've got to go, but I'll listen to you next time, okay?"

(Y/N): "Yeah, don't worry."

As long as I asked him about Karuizawa before the test ended, it should be fine.

(Timeskip)

It was getting late, but before returning to my dorm I decided to get something to drink. There were vending machines on the first floor, so I decided to go there.

But just as I was about to arrive, I spotted three people sitting nearby. Chabashira-sensei, Hoshinomiya-sensei (Class B) and Mashima-sensei (Class A) were seating on a sofa next to the vending machine. I decided to hide and listen to their conversation.

Hoshinomiya: "You know? It's been forever since we last spent time like this together."

Chabashira: "It is the destiny. After all, the three of us chose the teacher's path."

Mashima: "There's no point in talking about that right now."

Hoshinomiya: "Ah, that's right! I saw you on a date. New girlfriend? Mashima-kun, you're surprisingly motivated in that aspect."

Mashima: "Tch. What about you? What happened with your ex?"

Hoshinomiya: "Haha, we broke up after two weeks. You see, I'm the kind of girl who 'does it' with a man and breaks up with him before our relationship gets serious."

Mashima: "That's something that men are more likely to say, you know?"

Okay. Let's forget about the image that just appeared in my mind-

Hoshinomiya: "Ahh, but I'm not going to do it with Mashima-kun. You're my best friend after all, I would hate to destroy our friendship."

Dammit Hoshinomiya, you're not helping!

Mashima: "Relax. It's not about that."

It was quite shocking to see how Hoshinomiya-sensei filled her glass with whiskey and emptied it in one swallow. She was completely wasted.

Chabashira: "Most importantly. What are you going to do, Chie?"

Hoshinomiya: "What are you talking about?"

Chabashira: "Generally, the representatives of each class are placed in the group Dragon. However, Ichinose-"

Hoshinomiya: "There's no point in talking about that. Regarding to attitude and marks, Ichinose-san is the best one in my class. However, her probability of success in society can't be measured just by that. I decided that there's another obstacle that she must overcome before graduating. Besides, placing her in the group Rabbit is appropriate, right? A rabbit is cute, just like her."

Chabashira: "I wonder if there's a hidden meaning behind those words."

Hoshinomiya: "I don't want you to judge me based on personal grudges."

Mashima: "Are you talking about what happened 10 years ago? I thought that we already overcame that..."

Chabashira: "You are the kind of person who isn't satisfied unless you're one step ahead of the rest. That's why you put Ichinose in the group Rabbit, right?"

Mashima: "What are you talking about? Hoshinomiya, care to explain?"

Hoshinomiya: "I just thought that Ichinose-san needed to learn a lesson, so I didn't place her in the group Dragon. Besides, Sae-chan has been quite obsessed with L/N-kun, right? Is that a coincidence? Coincidence, coincidence... Sae-chan was quite happy when L/N-kun resulted to be the leader of Class D on the last exam."

Chabashira: "That has nothing to do with this."

However, Mashima-sensei nodded, apparently agreeing with Hoshinomiya.

Chabashira: "There isn't a rule that obliges us to place the representatives of each class in the group Dragon, but I would like to preserve our morality."

Hoshinomiya: "Hey, maybe you don't trust me, but don't blame me. Besides, Sakagami-sensei is also a problem, right? Class C has a pretty bad reputation since another student should have been sent to the group Dragon, but Ryuuen-kun was placed there instead."

I decided to leave before I got into trouble. I wanted to get something to drink, but that wouldn't be possible for now. Besides, I got really important information. Now I knew why Ichinose was placed in my group. Apparently, Hoshinomiya-sensei was wary of me and sent her to get information.

(Timeskip)

After the first discussion of the next day, which was pretty much the same as the two previous ones, Horikita and I were having lunch on the ship's deck.

Horikita: "Are you kidding me?"

(Y/N): "Nope. Koenji did something and the exam for his group ended."

Normally I would think that Koenji got tired of this exam, picked a random person and told the teachers that he or she was the target. However, I noticed that Koenji was a very observant person back on the deserted island. Who knows? Maybe he would surprise us.

Horikita: "I'll scold him the next time I see him. I would like to avoid this kind of incidents in the future."

(Y/N): "You know how Koenji is... He will just ignore you."

He was just a 'free soul'.

I would ask her how things were going in her group, but I didn't really care at that moment. There was another thing that was worrying me more.

I needed information about Karuizawa Kei. I should probably ask Kikyou, but I decided that it would be better to keep my distance from her at that moment.

She was upset because of my lack of trust.

However, that's how I was. The sooner she understood that, the better.

That's why I kept my distance from her, she needed time to think. It didn't matter if she liked it or not, her only choice was to accept it.

So, with Kikyou dismissed, there wasn't many people I could ask beside Hirata. Horikita probably didn't know much about her, so it was better not to ask.

"Hmm? Are you two on a date?"

An annoying voice came from behind me. Ryuuen approached us like he did the other day, but this time Ibuki wasn't with him.

Horikita: "You can do whatever you want, but there's no point in interrupting our conversations like this. You will gain nothing."

Ryuuen: "I am the one who decides that. Anyway, did you manage to discover the target's identity?"

Just like the day before, Ryuuen sat with us without permission.

Horikita: "It doesn't matter if I did or not. I'm not going to tell you anything."

Ryuuen: "That's a shame. I thought that I could discuss it with you. But apparently you didn't make any advancement yet."

Ryuuen smirked. Judging by his expression, I'd say that he already knew who the target of their group was. In other words, he knew that Kikyou was the target.

Horikita: "Are you implying that you already know who the target is?"

Ryuuen: "'I know who the target is'. Would you believe me if I said that?"

Horikita: "No, I wouldn't. You aren't someone like Ichinose-san or Katsuragi-kun, who have allies in their side. You only have enemies. Nobody would give you that kind of information."

Ryuuen: "That's not true. Maybe I'm not in the 'making friends club' like them, but making friends and gathering information are two different things."

He was certainly right. You can get information from someone without being their friend. And Ryuuen, who ruled over his classmates like a king, knew that better than anyone else.

Ryuuen: "Unfortunately for you, I have already taken action. Class C is going to win."

Horikita: "No way."

It sounded crazy, but Ryuuen was probably right.

Horikita: "... If you already know the target's identity, why haven't you told it to the school yet?"

Ryuuen shrugged, with a smirk on his face.

Ryuuen: "Who knows? Maybe I'm just joking."

Horikita: "Someone else might discover the target's identity too. You're being careless."

I doubted that. If Ryuuen was being this 'careless' is because he was sure that the rest wouldn't be able to guess the identity of the target. Horikita didn't seem to know that Kikyou was the target of her group. Only Hirata, Yukimura and I did.

If Hirata went to the teachers and told them that Kikyou was the target, his answer would be counted as invalid since the target is in his own class. The school wanted us to take risk, that's why they didn't let us do that.

This exam would be too easy otherwise. The target would just tell a classmate of his or her group that they are the target, his or her classmate would tell the school and the exam would end in a very short time.

Ryuuen: "What about you? Do you know who the target of your group is?"

(Y/N): "Yup. The target is Manabe, from your class."

Horikita looked at me with a shocked expression, while Ryuuen looked at me quizzically. Then, he burst out in laughter.

Ryuuen: "Really now? How did you come to that conclusion?" He asked, trying to hold his laughter.

I shrugged.

(Y/N): "Who knows? Maybe I'm just joking."

Ryuuen: "You better be. If you aren't, then you are just an idiot."

I just picked a random person. Well, maybe not that random. Let's say that I just picked a person from his class. Someone like Ryuuen, who used violence to rule over his classmates, would already know if his classmates were the targets in other groups. In other words, if Manabe was the target, he would already know.

Apparently Ryuuen had nothing else to say. He got up and started to leave, still laughing at my comment.

Horikita: "Why did you say that?"

(Y/N): "I was just messing around. I already knew that Manabe wasn't the target. If she was, I wouldn't have said her name."

Ryuuen was obsessed with finding the person hiding behind Horikita and, as long as I was a suspect, he would keep approaching me. Acting this way maybe made me look like an idiot, but it should also make him notice that, no matter how many times he tried, he wouldn't get any information from me.

Horikita: "Do you believe him? Do you think that he really knows who the target of my group is?"

(Y/N): "I can't tell for sure. But to be honest, I think that if he knew, he would have already sent his answer to the school."

Horikita: "Yeah, that's probably true." She said while nodding in agreement.

However, I knew that Ryuuen was in fact telling the truth. He knew who the target was.

(Timeskip)

After having lunch with Horikita, I decided that I would kill some time in my dorm until the next discussion started.

However, I bumped into Yukimura on my way back. He looked at me with a severe expression.

(Y/N): "What's wrong?"

Yukimura: "It's about our group. Why does it have to be Karuizawa and Sotomura?"

(Y/N): "You don't like them or something?"

Yukimura: "You don't know? The best students are assigned to the group Dragon. And still, I have to be in this group."

I more or less understood why he was angry. Yukimura always had the best marks on the written exams, even above Horikita.

Yukimura: "I'm going to ask this just to make sure. L/N, are you the target?"

(Y/N): "No."

It was his decision whether to trust me or not. However, if he wasn't able to trust his own classmates, then he shouldn't complain about being placed in the same group as Karuizawa and Sotomura.

Yukimura: "Hmm. You better not be lying and trying to get all the points for yourself."

(Y/N): "As I said, I'm not the target. What about you?"

Yukimura: "No, I'm not the target. I asked Sotomura and Karuizawa too, apparently they're not the targets either."

(Y/N): "I don't know about you, but I think that they're telling the truth."

Yukimura: "How can you be so sure?"

(Y/N): "Well, I can't tell for sure, but I prefer to trust them. After all, there's no way to overcome this test if we aren't able to trust our own classmates."

Yukimura: "You might be right, but... they could still be lying for their own sake."

(Y/N): "So you don't trust them?"

Yukimura: "..."

(Y/N): "That might be the reason why you weren't placed in the group Dragon, you know? Just think about it. Hirata, the leader of our class was placed there. Horikita, who came up with the plan that lead us to victory on the deserted island and Kikyou, who has a great influence in our class are also there. The three of them have contributed in our class success in their own way. But, what have you done to help our class? It doesn't matter if you have good marks, because right now you can't lead or help our class."

That was what I honestly thought.

He didn't like what I said, but didn't complain. Because he knew that what I was saying was the truth.

I'm not the kind of person who tells others what I really think about them, but this situation was different. I had a goal.

Chabashira-sensei wanted to reach Class A and used me. However, as long as Class D reached Class A, she shouldn't care whether I participated or not.

I had to act back on the deserted island because if we had lost, the other classes would be very far and reaching Class A would become a pipe dream.

However, the situation was different now.

My main goal was to change my classmates into people who could fight against the other classes without my help in the future.

The first step for them to change was to make them realize their own shortcomings.

It was Yukimura's decision whether to take my advice or not, but he certainly had potential. If he decided to change, he could become someone as important as Hirata.

I had to admit, I would like to see the day when Horikita, Hirata and the others were able to surpass Class A by themselves.

30- A troubled past

A/N: Before you start reading, I want you to know that this episode is very dark. It has violence and mentions bullying and a suicide attempt. If you are sensitive, please refrain from reading it. The next episode will go back to normal.

Read at your own discretion.

(Y/N) pov

I was the first one to arrive at the room where the discussion would take place. I still didn't know who the target was, so I decided to get there early to see who arrived first.

The target of my group hadn't said anything yet, which meant that the target didn't want anyone to find their identity. If that was the case, then he or she wouldn't be looking forward for these reunions, and probably wouldn't be the first one to come.

The door opened, Manabe and her two friends coming in. They were happily talking, but they immediately shut up when they saw me. I ignored them, thinking that they would just sit down somewhere as far away from me as possible. However, I heard their footsteps approaching. I looked up at Manabe and the others, who were now standing in front of me.

Manabe: "Your name is L/N, right?"

I really didn't know where she wanted to get at. I thought that she hated me because I defended Karuizawa the other day, but now she was talking to me in a friendly tone.

(Y/N): "...Yeah. You are Manabe, right?"

Manabe: "Yes, I'm glad you remembered my name."

She was talking with a smile on her face, but it was undoubtedly fake.

Heh, advantages of knowing Kikyou I suppose. I can tell when someone is pretending just by looking at them.

Manabe sat beside me.

Manabe: "I wanted to talk about something with you, is that okay?"

(Y/N): "Sure."

Manabe: "It's about Karuizawa. You see, I understand that you want to protect her. She's your classmate, after all. But we feel the same way about Rika."

I see. They are playing the victim's role now.

Manabe: "We want to protect our classmate, just like you. That's why we talked to Karuizawa in the first discussion." The two girls behind her nodded, agreeing with Manabe.

(Y/N): "Really? To me it looked like you were harassing her." I tilted my head feigning ignorance.

Manabe: "N-no! You're totally wrong. W-we just wanted to talk, right?" She turned to her other two friends, who nervously nodded in agreement.

Did they really think I was that dumb?

Manabe: "I understand if you don't want us to talk to her, but-"

(Y/N): "No, that's totally fine. It's natural that you want to protect your classmate. I'm sure that Karuizawa will understand."

Manabe's eyes widened.

Manabe: "So... You're letting us talk to her?"

(Y/N): "Yes. I think that the best way to solve this situation is for you to talk."

Manabe: "Thank you! I'm glad that you understand."

An evil smiled formed on her face, her true intentions slipping through it.

The door was opened again. After a few minutes, all the students from my group arrived. Yukimura sat on my right and Karuizawa was about to take the seat on my left, but stopped when she saw Manabe sitting there.

Karuizawa: "Hey, that's my seat."

Manabe looked up at her with a smirk on her face.

Manabe: "Oh yeah, sorry about that." Then she turned to me. "See you later, L/N."

After that, Manabe and the other two girls stood up and left. Karuizawa looked at them suspiciously and then turned to me, as if she wanted to ask something.

However, she didn't say anything in the end and sat down next to me. After that, Ichinose stood in front of everyone and started to talk. Another long and boring discussion was about to begin.

(Timeskip)

As expected, no advancements had been made when the discussion ended. I chatted with Yukimura while everyone else left, and after a few minutes the only ones left in the room were Karuizawa, Manabe and her two friends, Yukimura and I.

Karuizawa looked annoyed for some reason, as if she was waiting for something. But then she seemed to give up. She picked her bag and left. Manabe and her group stood up too, leaving the room behind Karuizawa.

(Y/N): "Ah, I almost forgot. I have to talk to Horikita, so I'll be leaving now."

Yukimura: "Okay. I'll see you later."

I stood up and left in a hurry. Once I was out of the room, I saw the door of the emergency exit closing. I silently opened said door and heard what was going on inside.

Karuizawa: "What are you doing? Why did you take me to a place like this?"

Manabe: "Don't play dumb with me. You shoved Rika, didn't you? Start talking."

Karuizawa: "W-why are you accusing me? I already said that you got the wrong person." The other girls cornered her.

Karuizawa: "I have something to do. Can I leave now?"

Manabe: "Let me confirm it then. I'm going to call Rika. If it really wasn't you, I'll forgive you."

Karuizawa: "I don't know what you're talking about. I'll call the teachers."

Manabe: "You will tell the teachers, huh? We haven't used violence, though. If you tell them, we'll say that you pushed Rika and then you will get in trouble." After saying that, she grabbed Karuizawa's arm and pushed her against the wall. Another girl took her mobile and dialled someone's number, probably Rika's.

Karuizawa: "W-wait a minute."

Manabe: "Mmm?"

Karuizawa: "... I just remembered. I accidentally bumped into her the other day."

Manabe: "You filthy liar. You remembered from the beginning, didn't you? Well, I don't care anyways. I want you to apologize to her."

Karuizawa: "No. It was her fault. That girl is an airhead."

Manabe: "You really are annoying me. I would forgive you if you apologized, but it doesn't matter anymore. I won't forgive you now." With that, she pushed Karuizawa against the wall.

"You weren't going to forgive her to begin with, right?" One of her friends said.

Manabe: "You really know me well, Shino-chan." She said with a smirk.

Once again, she pushed Karuizawa. This time using more strength. I used my mobile phone to take a picture.

Karuizawa's pov

Manabe: "I won't forgive you."

"I always hated Karuizawa's face. Don't you think that she's really ugly?"

"I know right? Do you want to cut her face?"

Karuizawa: "S-s-stop."

Manabe: "Huh? What happened with the determination you had a few seconds ago?"

I was shaking in fear, unable to move.

Wh-what am I going to do?! I can't go through this again! I just can't!

My mind went back to my days in middle school. It was just like back then. I thought that I would be able to overcome it when I joined this school, but my hopes were shattered.

Why does it have to be me?! It's not fair! Haven't I suffered enough already?!

Slap!

Manabe slapped me, making the other two imbeciles laugh. Tears started to stream down my face.

I-it's not fair...

The door suddenly burst open, startling everyone. I looked up hoping that he had come, but the person standing there wasn't the one that I was expecting.

Yukimura: "What are you doing?!"

Manabe: "W-w-what... What? I was just talking with Karuizawa-san, right?" She looked at me with a menacing expression. But she was an idiot if she thought that I would let this opportunity escape.

I regained my composure and turned to him.

Karuizawa: "Hey Yukimura-kun, do something. They threatened me and started to push me out of nowhere. They are the worst, right? I asked them to leave me alone, but..."

Manabe: "We're talking about the quarrel she had with Rika."

Yukimura: "...You should let it pass. I don't think that Karuizawa is the one to blame here."

Manabe: "Shut up. This has nothing to do with you."

Karuizawa: "Leave me alone. I will call someone if you don't."

Manabe: "Call? Who will you call? Hirata-kun? Oh oh, don't tell me. L/N-kun?" The other two laughed at that for some reason. "That guy really is an idiot. It was so easy to trick him."

...What are they talking about?

Yukimura: "Okay. That's enough. I want you to leave right now."

Manabe: "I told you to-"

Yukimura: "There are teachers nearby. We are going to get in trouble if they find out what's going on."

Manabe and the others looked upset but obeyed in the end.

Manabe: "Remember this. I'm going to make you bow before Rika."

Having said that, she left with the other two girls. I slid down to the floor and hid my face behind my knees, tears threatening to come out.

Yukimura: "Are you alright?" He offered me his hand to help me get up.

Karuizawa: "Leave me alone!" I yelled, slapping his hand.

Yukimura: "What the heck?! I came here to help you because I was worried!"

Karuizawa: "Shut up! No one asked for your help!"

I didn't even know what I was doing anymore. The only thing I wanted to do was leave that place. I got up and left without saying anything else. Once in the corridor, I sent a message to Hirata. In the end, he was the only one who I could trust.

(6 years ago - No one's pov)

After another exhausting day, Y/N L/N, who was now nine years old, was heading back to his room. His legs felt very weak and it looked like he would fall down any second.

He looked around as he walked, the security cameras monitoring him all the time. He kept walking, but at one point his legs gave in and he fell.

Not finding the strength to stand up again, he sat down leaning against the wall and hiding his face behind his knees.

A tear slid down his face, but he was quick to wipe it and tried to calm down.

He didn't want to cry. In his opinion, crying was for the weak. As a result, he bottled up his feelings.

But that wasn't helping at all. Hiding his feelings was only making him feel very stressed and his performance in both physical and theorical tests was falling. Kiyotaka was worried about him and asked what was wrong many times, but Y/N just shrugged it off and said that he would be alright.

However, Y/N was scared. Very scared. He didn't want to think about what would happen to him if things kept going this way.

Still sitting on the floor, he heard footsteps approaching. He looked up, expecting someone to scold him because he didn't return to his room. But the person standing next to him wasn't the one he was expecting.

Akane Tanigawa, the girl who he had met a year ago, sat next to him.

(Y/N): "W-what are you doing?"

Akane: "I was going back to my room."

She looked at him with a warm smile.

Y/N didn't trust her at all though. The man in charge of that place was the one who introduced them, and he thought that there were hidden intentions behind that. That's why he avoided her as much as he could.

However, for some reason he didn't understand, Kiyotaka didn't have any problems in interacting with her at all. Almost as if he trusted her.

(Y/N): "Why are you sitting here?"

Akane: "Because I want to."

(Y/N): "Go somewhere else."

Akane: "No."

She looked at him with a stoic expression. Y/N just wanted to be alone at that moment, but seeing that she wouldn't leave, he sighed and looked somewhere else, avoiding eye contact.

Akane: "Why did you stop crying?"

Y/N stiffened, not expecting that question. What was that question anyways? Asking something like "Why were you crying?" would be more normal, he thought.

(Y/N): "I-I wasn't crying." He tried to hide it, failing miserably.

Akane: "Yes you were. Your eyes are all red and watery."

Y/N quickly rubbed his eyes again.

(Y/N): "I said I wasn't, okay?! Crying is for the weak. I'm not weak."

The girl tilted her head.

Akane: "Why do you say that? People who cry aren't weak at all. In fact, I think that you have to be very brave to cry in front of others."

Y/N looked in the opposite direction, not wanting her to see the tears that were starting to come out.

Meanwhile, Akane looked at the ceiling, remembering the words that her mother had once told her.

Akane: "Besides, I think that you should cry when you need to. Otherwise, you won't be able to cry at all. Even when you have a reason to."

He didn't want to, but her words were affecting him. At this point, Y/N began to sob.

Akane: "That's why you shouldn't avoid it. Once you start, make sure that you don't stop crying until you feel alright."

(Y/N): "I-it's not fair."

Akane scooted over next to him and used her hand to rub his back. That's what her mother used to do to comfort her when she was crying, and it usually worked.

(Y/N): "Seven billion. There are seven billion people on earth. And out of all of them, why me?! Why do I have to go through all this?! Why does it have to be me?! It's not fair! I don't want to be here anymore! I-I-I want to see mum and dad!" He said, finally breaking down in sobs.

She used her other hand to gently stroke his hair. The minutes passed with Y/N crying and Akane sitting next to him trying to comfort him. After a while, his sobs began to cease.

Akane: "See? I told you that you would feel better."

(Y/N): "I-I'm so tired... It's just a matter of time. Soon I will end up like the others."

Akane: "You can't give up now. What would happen to Kiyotaka-kun then? You're his best friend. He will be sad if you aren't here and maybe he would fail too."

Although Akane said that, Y/N couldn't imagine Kiyotaka Ayanokouji having any kind of trouble.

Akane: "He is very worried about you, you know? Even though he doesn't show it."

(Y/N): "Kiyotaka wouldn't have any trouble if I wasn't here. He is strong. I've never seen him cry, not even once."

Akane: "I'm sure that even Kiyotaka-kun cries. Because there is no such thing as a person with no emotions."

The time kept passing, and he eventually stopped crying. The two of them were still sitting on the floor.

Y/N felt much better, but now he was ashamed for crying in front of someone. Still, he was grateful. Maybe Akane Tanigawa wasn't a bad person like he initially thought.

Akane: "I want to leave this place, just like you. I'm sure that Kiyotaka-kun wants to escape too."

(Y/N): "Y-yeah. He is always reading books about the outside world."

Akane: "Soon he won't have to read about it. Because he will be able to see it with his own eyes."

Y/N's eyes widened and he looked at Akane as if she had gone mad.

(Y/N): "W-what are you talking about?"

She turned to him with a smile on her face.

Akane: "Don't you want to leave too? You could have a normal life. Go to school like everyone else, make friends..."

(Y/N): "Of course I do, but it's impossible."

Akane: "If we never try then sure, it will be impossible for us to escape. But we can't just give up and stay here."

She stood up and helped Y/N to stand up too. His legs were still shaking, but he managed to stay still. After that, she put her hands on his shoulders.

Akane: "One day, the three of us will be out there together. It's a promise."

That day was a turning point for Y/N. He learned that crying wasn't a bad thing, and it actually helped him to get better results in the white room. He also regretted treating Akane like he had until now. Thanks to her, he was able to keep fighting. And he would always be grateful for that.

Unbeknown to them though, there was another person nearby. He had heard everything and laughed darkly at these children's innocence.

Present

(Y/N) pov

After leaving Karuizawa and the others behind, I headed toward my room. After a few minutes, the doorbell rang.

Hirata: "Hello L/N-kun. Did I make you wait?"

(Y/N): "No, I've just arrived."

Hirata looked as cheerful as always.

Hirata: "So, what did you want to talk about?"

(Y/N): "I would like you to tell me about Karuizawa."

Hirata: "...Why?"

(Y/N): "She isn't the same as always. It looks like something is bothering her."

Hirata: "I see... So you noticed, huh?"

(Y/N): "I'm in her group, after all."

Hirata nodded, but he seemed to be doubting whether to tell me or not.

(Y/N): "You can trust me, Hirata. I want to help. Apparently some girls from Class C are harassing her."

This information shouldn't be new for Hirata, though.

Hirata: "I see. Okay, I'll tell you. But you have to promise me that you won't tell what I say here to anyone else."

I nodded and prepared to start asking him questions.

(Y/N): "Did Karuizawa suffer bullying in her past?"

Hirata: "Straight to the point huh... Yes. Karuizawa-san had problems back in her middle school days. When our school year started, she came to me and asked for help."

I wondered how Hirata could help her but I soon reached a conclusion.

(Y/N): "I see. She asked you to pretend to be her boyfriend."

Hirata's eyes widened.

Hirata: "You knew?"

(Y/N): "Well, you have been together for more than four months, but I haven't seen any kind of advancement in your relationship."

Everything made sense now. Karuizawa thought that if she pretended to be the girlfriend of someone as popular as Hirata, she would be protected against bullying.

Hirata: "You are really observant, L/N-kun. You are completely right."

Karuizawa usually acted as a spoiled girl, but that probably wasn't her real self. She feared going through the same pain again, so she changed her attitude. It was a defence mechanism.

(Y/N): "There's still something I don't understand. You met Karuizawa when you joined this school, right?"

Hirata: "Yes."

(Y/N): "Why did you decide to help her? You had just met her, and there was nothing to gain from that."

Hirata: "Knowing that Karuizawa-san would be able to live her days peacefully was enough for me."

(Y/N): "..."

Hirata smiled bitterly.

Hirata: "But... There's another reason. I... I know someone who suffered bullying. That's why I accepted."

I only intended to get information about Karuizawa, but now I wouldn't miss this opportunity.

(Y/N): "What happened?"

Hirata: "Until my second year in middle school, I was an average student. I was shy and had a small number of friends."

(Y/N): "That's... very difficult to imagine."

Hirata: "I had a friend who was just like me. His name was Sugimura-kun. We had been in the same class until middle school, but then we went to different classes. At the beginning we still spent time together, but eventually I made friends in my new class and I started to spend less time with him."

He kept talking with a nostalgic voice.

Hirata: "However, Sugimura-kun was being harassed. I saw him injured many times, but instead of helping, I ignored him and spent my time with my new friends. I was too afraid, because maybe I would get bullied too if I tried to help him. One day, at the start of our second year, I decided to talk to him. But it was too late. I... I saw it with my own eyes. After classes, he jumped out of the window of his class."

(Y/N): "He jumped out? Is he dead?"

Hirata: "The doctors said that he had a brain death. But even now, his parents have the hope that one day he will recover. However, that day I noticed. If I had helped him, he would be fine. It was all my fault."

And that was how the Hirata I knew was born.

Hirata: "I don't want that to happen again. That's why I decided to help Karuizawa-san."

(Y/N): "I see."

That had to be the reason why Hirata looked so broken back in the deserted island, when our classmates started to fight against each other.

Hirata: "But now everything is getting out of control again. I'm very worried about Karuizawa-san."

(Y/N): "Would you believe me if I told you that I know how to stop this?"

Hirata: "Really?"

(Y/N): "I need you to trust me, though. Right now, Manabe and the others are harassing Karuizawa. Yukimura should take care of it though."

Hirata: "W-what?! What are you doing here then?"

I took my mobile phone and showed him a picture I had taken. Hirata couldn't hide his surprise, but he managed to calm down.

(Y/N): "Do you understand now?"

Hirata: "I... I don't like the way you made it, but I'll let it pass. Only because it will save Karuizawa-san."

I nodded. Now that I had Hirata's permission, there was only one thing left to do.

Hirata: "Before you leave... There's something else I was hiding from you. I know the identity of another target."

(Timeskip)

I started looking for Karuizawa once I was done talking with Hirata. I spotted Manabe and her friends walking nearby and hid behind a corner. They didn't seem to see me.

After that, I heard someone screaming in the distance.

"Leave me alone!"

"What the heck?! I came here to help you because I was worried!"

"Shut up! No one asked for your help!"

A few seconds later, Karuizawa passed by. Half crying half cursing.

I followed her without letting her notice. After a few minutes, we ended up in the lower floors of the ship. The dorms were upstairs and she could have bumped into someone on her way back, which wouldn't be good in her current state. There wasn't anything interesting on the lower levels of ship, so there wasn't anyone there at that moment. It was a good place if you wanted to be alone.

Still not noticing me, she leaned against the wall and slid down. After that, she used her hands to cover her face and began to sob.

I couldn't blame her. She was probably remembering the trauma of her middle school days because of Manabe. I walked closer, making her stiffen when she heard me.

Our eyes met for a moment, her face clearly showing that she wasn't expecting anyone to be there. Without saying a word, I sat down on the floor next to her.

Karuizawa: "W-what are you doing here?"

She rubbed her eyes trying to hide the fact that she was crying.

(Y/N): "Just passing by."

Karuizawa: "Why are you sitting here?"

(Y/N): "Because I want to."

Karuizawa wiped her tears and avoided eye contact with me.

Karuizawa: "I want to be alone right now."

(Y/N): "There's something I have to tell you first."

Karuizawa: "Can't you just wait? I don't want to talk to anyone right now."

She was completely shaken and didn't even bother to say something rude. If this was the usual Karuizawa, she would probably have found some way to make fun of me or make me look like an idiot at this point.

(Y/N): "I know about your past."

Her eyes widened.

Karuizawa: "Wh-what are you talking about?"

(Y/N) "There's no point in trying to hide it from me, Karuizawa. Hirata told me everything about how you got bullied in middle school"

Karuizawa: "B-but why would he tell you?! I thought I could trust him!"

At this point, the tears started to stream down her face without stopping. But that was a completely normal reaction after everything that had happened to her. First, Manabe starts harassing her, bringing back the trauma of her middle school days and now Hirata, who was the only person she could rely on, had told everything about her to someone that she barely knew.

(Y/N): "Listen, I just want to help. You asked Hirata for help, but he can't protect you right now. You know how he is; he will look for a way to reach an agreement with Manabe and the others by talking, but you and I both know that they won't accept it."

In my opinion, there was only one way to solve this and stop Manabe and the others from harassing Karuizawa in the future.

(Y/N): "I can stop Manabe right now. But I need you to trust me from now on. I will ask for one thing in exchange."

Karuizawa: "... And how will you stop them exactly?"

I showed her my mobile phone, the picture I had taken before in the screen.

In said picture. Manabe was grabbing Karuizawa's arm and shoving her against the wall.

(Y/N): "I only need to send this picture to Manabe and tell her to leave you alone. If she doesn't, the school will get involved and she will probably get expelled in the end."

I created a fake email account in order to do this. This way, Manabe wouldn't know that I was the one who was blackmailing her.

Karuizawa: "B-but how did you get that picture?"

(Y/N): "That's not important. What matters is that I can stop Manabe and her friends right now. But I want something in exchange."

She eyed me suspiciously.

Karuizawa: "And what would that be?"

(Y/N): "It's quite simple actually. I'll have to help Class D from now on, so I'm going to need your help. You have a big influence in the girls from our class. You will do what I say from now on, and I'll protect you in exchange. You won't have to worry about Manabe or anyone else anymore."

Karuizawa: "You're trying to use me, aren't you? What if I refuse?"

(Y/N): "I'll delete this photo and your chance of being saved will be gone."

Karuizawa: "Did you really just say that?! How can you be so cold-hearted?"

(Y/N): "You can call me whatever you want, but this is the best offer you're going to get. The choice is yours."

She stared at me but didn't say anything. I stood up and started to leave to make her nervous.

Karuizawa: "W-wait! I'll do it, okay?! Just... help me."

I took my mobile phone and used the fake email address I had created before to send the picture to Manabe. The way I got her email adress is a story for another day though.

Karuizawa, who stood next to me, saw it and visibly relaxed.

(Y/N): "Okay. Now that I've taken care of this, it's time to come up with a plan to overcome this test. I'm going to need your help."

Karuizawa: "F-fine. But I don't think that I'll be of much help in this one."

(Y/N): "Don't worry, you will. And Karuizawa, now that we've reached an agreement, there's no point for you to keep hiding it from me."

Karuizawa: "W-what are you talking about?"

(Y/N): "I know that you are the target."

--

A/N: First of all, I want to apologize. I wrote this part a while ago, but I have had to rewrite it because when I was about to upload it I found out that I forgot to save my progress. ;-; Now I'm probably going to click the save button a thousand times every time I finish writing an episode.

But hey, here is still Thursday so I managed to stick to the weekly update schedule.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed and see you next time.

31- Last day (Part 1)

(Y/N) pov

Last day of the exam. It was already dark outside when Horikita sent me a message saying that she wanted to talk. The last discussion would start in an hour and I had nothing else to do, so I accepted.

Horikita: "The exam is about to end. How are things going in your group?"

(Y/N): "Class A doesn't talk at all, so we haven't made any progress. What about you?"

Horikita: "I will win."

She surprised me with that statement.

(Y/N): "So you know who the target of your group is?"

Horikita: "I don't know who is listening, so I can't tell you the details. But everything will be fine."

(Y/N): "Hmm."

I didn't know if I should trust her or not. It didn't really matter to me anyway.

(Y/N): "By the way, Hirata is in our side now. He wanted to cooperate with you in order to reach Class A."

Horikita: "I don't need him."

(Y/N): "Ugh, come on. I thought we already talked about that. You can't fight alone... Don't you remember what happened in the deserted island?"

Horikita: "Of course I remember. But it seems that you are the one who is forgetting something. You promised that you would help me from now on, didn't you?"

She glared at me, as if seeing through my soul. I felt like a mouse in front of a cat.

Horikita: "You aren't planning on breaking your promise, are you?"

(Y/N): "O-of course not."

Horikita: "That's what I thought."

I unconsciously rubbed my arm, which had many marks caused by a certain someone's compass.

(Y/N): "But still, I think that Hirata will be useful. He is the leader of our class and he has a big influence in our classmates."

Horikita: "...Fine."

(Y/N): "Come on, don't be so stubborn- Wait, really?"

I didn't expect her to accept so easily at all. But when I looked at her, I noticed that she seemed to be worried about something.

(Y/N): "What's wrong?"

Horikita: "Nothing. I just have a bad feeling about this exam but... there should be no mistake. I definitely won't lose."

She was probably worried about what Ryuuen would do. But at that point the outcome of for her group had already been decided. There was nothing she could do to change it.

(Timeskip)

The discussion would start in half an hour, but Ichinose asked me to go earlier. When I entered the room, I noticed that only Ichinose was there, but...

So cute...

She said that she wanted to talk about something... Should I wake her up? That would be rude, wouldn't it?"

I noticed that she had her mobile phone near her hand. I remembered that last time I saw her mobile phone she had over two million private points. Curious about how many she had now and since she was sleeping, I decided to take advantage of the situation.

If someone saw me right now, they would totally think that I'm a pervert.

I extended my hand and tried to pick her mobile phone.

Ichinose: "...nnn."

I stepped back as soon as I heard her move. I hadn't felt this nervous for a long time. This situation could be easily misinterpreted, and Ichinose waking up or someone walking into the room were the last things I wanted at that moment.

After making sure that she was still asleep, I tried to take her mobile phone again.

Ichinose: "...nnnnnn... munyumunyu."

Screw this. It's impossible.

Each time I tried to take her mobile she would start moving, as if she was about to wake up. Did she have a sixth sense that alerted her each time someone approached her in her sleep? How was that even possible?

I sighed and decided to wake her up.

(Y/N): "Hey, you shouldn't sleep on the floor like that. You will catch a cold."

Ichinose: "...nnn."

She stretched her hand as if she was looking for something.

(Y/N): "Wha-"

It looked like Ichinose was still asleep, but her hand suddenly grabbed my hair and pulled me towards her.

(Y/N): "W-what are you-"

Before I knew it, I was lying next to her in a really awkward position. She cuddled and put her chin on my hair.

Ichinose: "So fluffy~"

She was still asleep, but I was starting to panic. As a man I am, I can't say that I wasn't enjoying that situation. But I was more worried about what would happen when she woke up or if someone walked in and saw us like this.

Stay calm Y/N. Don't panic. The last thing I need is her waking up right now.

I tried to escape, but Ichinose's iron grip wasn't letting me. Getting away without her noticing was almost impossible and I started to wonder what excuse I should come up with once she woke up. Was there even an excuse to get away from that?

Ichinose: "C'mere kitty..."

I could feel her hand stroking my hair. Apparently, she thought that my hair was a kitty in her sleep.

Suddenly, Ichinose's mobile started buzzing. My poor heart was about to burst out of my chest. Still with her eyes closed, Ichinose tried to reach her mobile.

This was my opportunity to escape. I stood up, ran as quietly and fast as I could to a nearby chair, sat down and prayed to the Lord hoping that she didn't notice.

Still looking sleepy, Ichinose turned the alarm off and rubbed her eyes. After that, she stood up and noticed me sitting nearby.

Ichinose: "Go-od morning L/N-kun."

(Y/N): "H-hello."

It was technically night-time but whatever. Apparently I had managed to escape without her noticing.

She looked at me for a few seconds and tilted her head.

Ichinose: "Are you okay? Your cheeks are all red. Did you catch a cold?"

Please don't start asking questions...

Ichinose: "Woah. Look at your hair, it's all messy!"

I tried to comb my hair using my hand.

(Y/N): "Y-yeah. It is very windy outside. Anyway, what did you want to talk about?"

I desperately tried to change the topic before she started to suspect something.

Ichinose: "Ah, that's right. I wanted to ask you something, is that okay?"

(Y/N): "Yeah, sure."

Rubbing her eyes again, Ichinose sat next to me.

Ichinose: "I already asked this to Kanzaki-kun and the others, but I'm a bit curious about you. Do you want to reach Class A?"

I wasn't expecting that question, and it took me a while to come up with an answer. Did I want to reach Class A? Even I didn't know it for sure. If I graduated in Class A I could access any university or job that I wanted. It sure was promising, and I could totally understand why the other students were so obsessed with it.

However, my situation wasn't the same. It didn't matter in which class I was once I graduated, because I would be taken back to the White Room against my will. Class D, Class A... It didn't matter. And so, I reached a conclusion.

I couldn't care less about reaching Class A.

Ichinose: "L/N-kun?"

(Y/N): "It doesn't really matter if I want to reach Class A or not, the school system makes us fight with other classes whether we like it or not."

Ichinose: "So you aren't interested at all?"

(Y/N): "I wonder. Of course graduating in Class A would be better, but this is still a school created and controlled by the government. Many students are expelled during their time here, but I think that all the students that are able to stay in the school until graduation are valued. Even if they are in Class D."

I remembered what Chabashira-sensei told us when we were given 100,000 private points at the beginning.

"Shocked by the amount of points you've been given? This school evaluates its students' talents. Everyone here has passed the entrance exam, which speaks for your value and potential."

The same could be said for those who manage to stay until graduation. Graduating from this school also speaks for the value and potential of the students. That's why I thought that, even if we didn't reach Class A in the end, the students from this school would be more valued than the students from other schools.

Ichinose: "I see... You're right. I never thought of it that way."

(Y/N): "Don't tell Horikita though. She'll get mad at me."

Ichinose: "Hahaha, yeah. Horikita-san would be really angry if she heard you."

We kept talking for a while. Then, Ichinose grabbed her mobile phone to check the time and sighed,

Ichinose: "The last discussion is about to start."

(Y/N): "You were aiming for the first result, but we don't know who the target is yet. Do you have a plan?"

Ichinose: "I'll come up with something."

(Y/N): "How about you let me handle things this time?"

Not expecting me to say that, Ichinose looked at me with a puzzled expression.

Ichinose: "Do you have a plan?"

(Y/N): "Yes."

Ichinose: "But... I don't understand. You said that you weren't interested in the battle between classes."

(Y/N): "Yeah, but I also said that we would work together in this exam, right?"

She didn't say anything for a while. But I was sure that she would accept in the end. After all, she was placed in this group to get information about me.

Ichinose: "...Okay. I will trust you, L/N-kun."

(Y/N): "Thank you."

5 minutes later the room was already full of students. The discussion was about to begin when Karuizawa and Hamaguchi (Class B) raised their hands at the same time.

Hamaguchi: "Ah, sorry. Please speak first, Karuizawa-san."

Karuizawa looked at me for a brief moment before answering.

Karuizawa: "No, you go first."

Hamaguchi: "Then, with your permission. During the last three days I've been thinking how we could reach the first result. And I have reached a conclusion. There is a way we can reach the first result."

Yukimura: "Are you sure, Hamaguchi?" Apparently the rest of the students didn't have much hope, but it looked like they wanted to believe there was a way.

Hamaguchi: "Of course. I came up with this plan after listening to everyone, including Ichinose-san and Machida-kun."

Machida: "There is no way we can reach the first result just by talking."

Ichinose: "Let's listen to him first. Hamaguchi-kun isn't the kind of person who talks before thinking."

Hamaguchi: "Thank you Ichinose-san. Now, I'm going to show you my mobile. Here you can see the email that the school sent me. Since it's forbidden to forge or alter its content, there is no way that I am lying to you. That's the way we can find the target. We only have to show everyone the email from the school."

Machida: "That's just stupid. Who would show their emails like that? We don't know if someone will betray us once we do it."

Hamaguchi: "The target knows that someone could betray us, so the target naturally doesn't want to show the email. But those who aren't the target shouldn't have any problem with it, because even if someone becomes a traitor, they have nothing to lose."

With that, he showed us his email and we confirmed that he wasn't the target.

"I agree with Hamaguchi-kun." Another student from Class B whose name was Beppu showed us his email.

Machida: "Wait. Even if we know who the target is, if someone betrays us it's over. The problem won't be solved."

I looked at Karuizawa, who was sitting next to me. I nodded when our eyes met.

Karuizawa: "This better work, you hear me? There is a lot at stake here." She whispered.

(Y/N): "I already told you there is nothing to worry about."

She sighed and stood up.

Karuizawa: "I agree with Ichinose and Hamaguchi. I want to reach the first result as much as you guys do."

Everyone in the room except for Manabe and her group looked at Karuizawa.

Yukimura: "Karuizawa... What are you-"

Karuizawa: "I am the target."

With that, she showed everyone her mobile phone. Everyone's expressions changed from confused to shocked. There was no turning back now.

Sotomura: "W-what? This means that Karuizawa-dono was the target the entire time?"

The Professor approached Karuizawa to look at her mobile. She made a disgusted face and shooed him away.

More minutes passed while everyone read Karuizawa's email.

Machida: "...It looks like she's telling the truth."

Yukimura: "There's no way it's fake, after all. The school wouldn't let us frame it."

Manabe: "So, it looks like Karuizawa-san is the target." She looked annoyed. Probably because she wanted to tell the school and get the points for her class, but she wouldn't do it. I made sure that she wouldn't.

Karuizawa: "Now everyone knows that I'm the target."

Ichinose nodded and stood in front of everyone.

Ichinose: "Don't let Karuizawa-san's courage go to waste. Please, everyone, let's cooperate. We can reach the first result together so please, don't betray us."

Machida: "We only have been doing what Katsuragi-san told us from the beginning. We won't do anything on our own."

Even though he said that, there would be a period of thirty minutes between this discussion and the time when we would gather with the teachers to say who the target was. In that period of time, anyone could easilybetray the rest.

The last discussion ended. Everyone stood up and exited the room. Karuizawa looked at me one last time before leaving.

Ichinose: "L/N-kun, was that your plan?"

(Y/N): "Yes."

Ichinose: "Do you really think that everyone will wait until the end though?"

I shrugged.

(Y/N): "There's no way to know for sure, but I'm pretty sure they will."

After all, I already took care of it.

Ichinose: "Well, we can only wait. I hope that we made the right choice."

Ichinose and I left the room. Everything would be decided in 30 minutes.

Last day (Part 2)

(Y/N) pov

10:50 pm. In ten minutes, the school would send everyone an email with the results of the exam. The corridors were mostly empty as I made my way towards the ship's deck, I wondered where the rest of the students were.

When I got there, I immediately noticed that the café where I intended to go was crowded, but I was lucky to find an empty table with four seats. I sat down and played with my mobile phone to kill some time.

Karuizawa: "...Sorry to keep you waiting."

Karuizawa approached while looking at me suspiciously.

(Y/N): "It's fine."

Karuizawa sat next to me, her eyes locked on me for a while. I pretended not to notice and kept playing with my mobile, but eventually I started to feel uncomfortable.

(Y/N): "What is it?"

Karuizawa: "...The school hasn't sent us an email yet, so no one has said that I was the target. At least yet."

(Y/N): "That's good. In a few minutes you are going to get one million private points, aren't you glad?"

Karuizawa: "Well, yeah. A few months ago, I had to ask my friends for private points."

I remembered Karuizawa asking Kikyou and the others for points the day when we discovered that we wouldn't get any.

Karuizawa: "But you should be happy too, right? If everything goes well, you will get 500,000 points."

(Y/N): "I am happy."

Karuizawa looked at me with a deadpanned expression.

(Y/N): "What?"

Karuizawa: "If that's how you look like when you're happy, I don't even want to know how you look like when you're angry."

(Y/N): "Ah, you're making fun of me now? I would like to see your face on a Monday morning."

Karuizawa: "I bet it would definitely be better than yours."

(Y/N): "Oi."

Karuizawa started to laugh. It was good to see her laughing like this, even though she was mainly making fun of me.

Hirata: "I see you're having fun. Mind if I sit here?"

Upon hearing Hirata's voice, Karuizawa stopped laughing and looked elsewhere, her cheeks red.

(Y/N): "Sure, have a seat."

Hirata's gaze shifted between Karuizawa and me. Neither of us looked directly at him.

Hirata: "It's almost time. Where is Horikita-san?"

(Y/N): "She should arrive soon"

As I promised, I helped Hirata to get in touch with Horikita. She surprisingly accepted, which meant that she was finally starting to change. She didn't say that she would cooperate with him yet though.

Hirata: "Ah, there she is."

Horikita and... Sudo? That was quite surprising.

(Y/N): "What is Sudo doing here?"

Horikita: "He followed me. Just ignore him."

Sudo: "Don't say that, Horikita. You looked anxious and I was worried, that's why I came with you."

Who is this person and what did he do with the Sudo I know?!

Horikita: "You're a nuisance. Get lost."

Sudo: "D-don't say that. I did everything I could to overcome this test."

Horikita: "Hmm? You achieved a good result, then?"

Sudo: "...I was almost there. But someone was faster than me and told the target's identity to the school first."

After hearing that excuse, Horikita decided to ignore him and sat down. The four seats were occupied now, so Sudo had nowhere to sit. He panicked and grabbed a chair from another table.

Horikita: "You're being annoying."

Sudo: "There's nothing to worry about, right? I just want to listen."

I smirked.

(Y/N): "He's right, Horikita. We shouldn't exclude him."

This earned a glare from Horikita and a grateful look from Sudo. Karuizawa also looked at Horikita with an amused face, but didn't say anything.

Hirata: "Most importantly, the mails that we received earlier..."

Horikita: "Yeah, I wanted to talk about that too."

When the last discussion ended and I separated from Ichinose, I instantly received many mails from the school.

Said emails informed us that the exam had ended for the groups (rat), (horse), (bird) and (boar) due to the appearance of traitors in said groups.

(Y/N): "Minami was in the group (horse), right?"

Hirata: "Yes. That means that someone might have found that she's the target."

Horikita: "Is there a possibility that the traitors of those groups are from our class?"

Horikita was right to be worried. There was a possibility that someone from our class became a traitor. If that was the case and they didn't guess the target of their group correctly, Class D would lose many class points.

Hirata: "I asked the boys of other groups before. None of them are the traitors."

Horikita: "What about the girls?"

Karuizawa: "I already asked them and there's nothing to worry about. They aren't the traitors either."

In other words, none of our classmates betrayed their respective groups. That was good, since I wouldn't have to worry about Class D loosing class points.

Horikita: "...I see."

I didn't know if Horikita trusted them or not, but since there was no way for her to know, she could only accept their answer.

Horikita: "I'm still worried about something though. We received the mails at the same time, which means that the traitors acted at the same time."

Sudo: "Wasn't that... just a coincidence?"

Horikita: "When Koenji-kun betrayed his group, the response from the school was almost immediate. If we assume that the school responded as fast as they did with Koenji-kun..."

Hirata: "That would mean that the traitors betrayed their respective groups at the same time. In other words, it is very likely that all the traitors are from the same class."

I agreed with Hirata. And, in my opinion, there was only one person who would be able to make that happen.

Ryuuen: "Just as I thought, you were here."

Sudo: "Ryuuen...!"

Sudo immediately stood up trying to intimidate him, but Ryuuen just ignored him. He grabbed another chair and sat with us.

Ryuuen: "I thought I'd come and enjoy the results with you. Thanks for being here in such an easy-to-tell place."

Horikita: "Yes. I chose this place so even someone as stupid as you could guess that I would be here. Thank me."

Ryuuen looked at the rest of us and then back to Horikita.

Ryuuen: "I thought that you didn't have any friends. Well, it doesn't matter anyways."

This was Horikita's idea. Since there were many people with her, Ryuuen would have to be wary of everyone in the table and it would be more difficult for him to focus.

Ryuuen: "The results will be announced soon. Did you get any results?"

Horikita: "More or less. You look pretty calm."

Ryuuen: "Kukuku. I wouldn't be here if I weren't."

Sudo: "Oh, that's right. Last time you lost miserably even though you tried your best." Sudo pointed at Ryuuen with his finger and laughed. As if to match Sudo's actions, Horikita looked at Ryuuen with a disgusted expression.

Ryuuen: "Stop it, Suzune. If you do this now you're just going to embarrass yourself later. I already know the target of our group."

Even though Ryuuen looked pretty confident, Horikita wasn't shaken by his statement.

Horikita: "I'm glad about that. I look forward to the results."

Ryuuen: "There's no need to wait for that. I can tell you who the target is right now."

Horikita: "I'm sorry but you just sound like a loser at this point. The exam is already over and no one from our group turned traitor. It can only mean one thing."

Ryuuen: "If you come to know my kindness, you'll be so grateful that you will wet your crotch."

Horikita: "...tell me then. Who is the target of our group?"

Ryuuen raised his hand while laughing and peeped through the gasps of his fingers.

Ryuuen: "Kushida Kikyou."

Horikita: "Ehh?"

This was the first time I saw Horikita waver. She must have been convinced that Ryuuen didn't know that Kikyou was the target and couldn't hide her surprise now.

Ryuuen: "I'm sorry, but I knew that Kushida was the target since the second day of the exam."

Horikita: "You have to be kidding... right? If that was the case, you could have just betrayed us and get the points for your class."

Ryuuen: "I just felt sorry for you after seeing you try to protect the identity of the target, then seeing you so confident, so relaxed and sure about your victory that you would even look down on others. That's why I led you until the end."

Hirata: "How did you figure it out?"

Neither Horikita nor Hirata suspected that Ryuuen knew the identity of the target. There was nothing they could do now, so he just asked how he did it.

Ryuuen: "Unfortunately the answer to that question... involves you, Suzune."

Horikita: "Me?"

Ryuuen: "I realized it from the movement of your eyes, breathing, movement of your mouth, your tone and everything else about you."

Horikita: "Stop with the jokes."

Ryuuen: "Joke? Then you are claiming to know how else I would have known the truth?"

Horikita: "That's... You must have heard it from someone else."

Ryuuen: "I understand your feelings of not wanting to admit it. That out of everyone in the group, you are the most worthless one. But don't blame yourself for that, Suzune. You just picked the wrong guy to mess with. And besides, this exam was chaotic anyways. In particular, the ones you watched out for most was Class A. Relax."

Horikita: "W-what are you s-saying you've done?"

Ryuuen: "You'll know the answer soon enough."

As I suspected, the betrayal emails we received before were all Ryuuen's work. Once 11 PM arrived, an email arrived in our phones.

(Rat): Due to the traitor's correct assessment, outcome 3.

(Cow): Due to the traitor's wrong assessment, outcome 4.

(Tiger): Due to the target's identity being protected, outcome 2.

(Rabbit): Due to the entire group's correct assessment after the end of the exam, outcome 1.

(Dragon): Due to the entire group's correct assessment after the end of the exam, outcome 1.

(Snake): Due to the target's identity being protected, outcome 2.

(Horse): Due to the traitor's correct assessment, outcome 3.

(Sheep): Due to the target's identity being protected, outcome 2.

(Monkey): Due to the traitor's correct assessment, outcome 3.

(Bird): Due to the traitor's correct assessment, outcome 3.

(Dog): Due to the target's identity being protected, outcome 2.

(Boar): Due to the target's correct assessment, outcome 3.

After this, the school sent us another email. Written on it was the changes in both class points and private points from each class.

Class A - Minus 50 class points. Plus 3.5 million private points.

Class B - No change in class points. Plus 4 million private points.

Class C - Plus 150 class points. Plus 7.5 million private points.

Class D - Plus 50 class points. Plus 5 million private points.

Horikita: "Class C... is the top."

Ryuuen: "Isn't it great, Suzune? Thanks to your misfortune, our group has gotten an unexpected outcome. Now, all the classes will receive a large amount of private points." He said while clapping his hands satisfactorily.

Horikita was at a loss of words. She was probably wondering how Ryuuen managed to reach such result. Ryuuen noticed this and smirked.

Ryuuen: "If you bow your head before me and beg, I will tell you the answer."

Horikita: "Who would do something like that?"

Ryuuen: "Man. That expression of you is pretty sexy."

He took his mobile from his pocket and placed it on the table. The screen displayed a list that Ryuuen had managed to put together. Rat, bird, boar. Each group had a name written next to it. I guessed that those names belonged to the people who were suspected to be the targets of each group. But there was something strange in that list.

Ryuuen: "I discovered the root of the exam and arrived at that. Then, I focused on targeting Class A. And this list proves it."

That explains it. Every name written on the list belonged to students from Class A. In other words, the targets of the groups rat, bird and boar were students from Class A.

Ryuuen: "And I'm sorry to tell you this. But my next target is you, Suzune. In the next exam I will make sure to especially target you. I won't stop until I have completely torn your mind and heart into pieces."

With nothing else to say, Horikita kept looking at the results. Seemengly satisfied, Ryuuen stood up with a smirk on his face and looked down at us.

Ryuuen: "Look forward to the second semester." And with that, he walked away. I followed him with my gaze as he left. After a few seconds of silence, Hirata asked Horikta how Ryuuen had managed to reach the first result in her group. Not wanting to participate in that conversation, I took my mobile phone out.

I checked the mail from the school again and my eyes landed on the outcome of the group (Monkey).

Koenji did something, after all.

Then I shifted my focus to the groups dragon and rabbit. The only two groups that had managed to reach the first result. I recalled the last few days and the events that led to this.

(Flashback)

After the school sent us the first mail, I wondered what I should do. I wasn't the target, nor I knew who the target was. Since there wasn't much I could do I decided to call the only person I could use at that moment. Kushida Kikyou. I dialled her number and didn't have to wait long before she answered the call.

Kushida: "Hello."

(Y/N): "Hi." Normally Kushida would put on her cheerful façade and ask me why I called her or how was my day, but she was strangely quiet. I knew why she was acting like this, so I didn't bother to ask her what was wrong. "Have you received the mail from the school?"

Kushida: "Y-yes."

(Y/N): "Are you the target of your group?"

Kushida: "...Yes."

When she said that, I instantly began to think of a plan that could help Class D. But I stopped when I recalled what Kikyou had told me before. Ryuuen Kakeru had been acting behind the scenes and was trying to contact Kikyou.

(Y/N): "Have you talked to Ryuuen?"

Kushida: "For some reason he knows that I hate Horikita-san. He says that we have the same goals and is trying to use me."

In other words, Ryuuen was basically promising her that he would destroy Horikita if Kikyou "cooperated" with him.

(Y/N): "And what are you planning to do?"

Kushida: "I... don't know. It's not like you would let me do anything on my own anyways."

She was lying, but I pretended not to notice. I knew that if it was for her, she would have accepted. I knew that after all this time, she still hated Horikita and wanted her to be expelled.

(Y/N): "Cooperate with him."

Kushida: "W-what did you say?"

(Y/N): "Tell him that you will cooperate with him as long as he targets Horikita."

Kushida: "But... You do know that he is trying to destroy Class D, right? Besides, aren't you cooperating with Horikita-san?"

I ignored her question and kept talking.

(Y/N): "Tell Ryuuen that you want Horikita to be expelled and that in exchange you will help him. Tell him whatever he wants to know about our class, I want him to believe that he can trust you. If he asks you about who is pulling the strings behind Horikita, you can tell him that you suspect me since I'm always with Horikita."

Kushida: "H-have you gone mad?! If I tell him that he will target you too!"

(Y/N): "There's nothing to worry about. Right now, I only want you to gain Ryuuen's trust, understood? Just don't let him know that you and I are cooperating. Tell him whatever he wants to know except for that."

Kikyou was silent for a few moments before responding, probably wondering what she should do.

Kushida: "...Okay, I'll do it."

(Timeskip)

Manabe: "So... You're letting us talk to her?"

(Y/N): "Yes. I think that the best way to solve this situation is for you to talk."

Manabe: "Thank you! I'm so glad that you understand."

They obviously wanted to make Karuizawa suffer, but this was the only way I could help Karuizawa and get her on my side. Manabe and her friends probably thought that I was an idiot, but that was good.

(Y/N): "By the way, can I get your email address?"

Manabe: "M-my email address? Why?"

(Y/N): "Someone of my class likes you, but he's too shy to ask you directly. He asked me to get your email address."

It was a vague excuse, maybe I should have come up with something better.

Manabe: "Really?! Who is he?"

Her eyes sparkled as her other two friends whispered behind her. Were they jealous or something?

(Y/N): "He wanted to keep his identity a secret-"

Manabe nodded vigorously and gave me her mobile address. It was way easier than I thought, maybe I would try to get other girls' email address or contact info in the future... there were many beautiful girls in my class, after all.

(Timeskip)

Once Hirata told me that Karuizawa was the target, I came up with a plan. It wouldn't be easy to make sure that no one became a traitor, but if everything went as planned, it should be fine.

After sending a message to a certain person, I waited for him in the lower floors, since they were empty most of the time.

I got there first, but I didn't have to wait for long until the other person came.

Katsuragi: "L/N. I didn't expect you to call me so soon, but I am busy right now. If you want to talk about Sakayanagi this is not the best moment to do so."

(Y/N): "You say you're busy, but you still came here."

Katsuragi came here. Which means that, even though he hadn't said anything about it yet, he probably wanted my help to defeat Sakayanagi. He was still wary though, and that was normal. After all, Ryuuen played him on the deserted island.

(Y/N): "This has nothing to do with Sakayanagi."

Katsuragi: "What do you want then?"

(Y/N): "It's about this exam. The target of my group is going to reveal themselves later."

Katsuragi: "...Why are you telling me this?"

(Y/N): "Because I am aiming for the first outcome, but if someone becomes a traitor it's over."

With this, Katsuragi should know where I was trying to get at.

Katsuragi: "You want me to make sure that my classmates don't betray your group?"

(Y/N): "It should be easy, right? There are only three Class A students in my group."

To be honest I was only worried about one of them. Machida. The other two were in Katsuragi's side and since he told them to keep a low profile they wouldn't do anything. However, Machida didn't agree with this.

I noticed during the group discussions. While the other two seemed to trust Katsuragi and his plan, Machida didn't. In fact, he probably supported Sakayanagi rather than Katsuragi, but since she wasn't here due to her health, he had no choice but obey Katsuragi.

However, if he suddenly discovered the identity of the target, it would be impossible to tell for sure what he would do. That's why I needed Katsuragi's help.

Katsuragi: "Are you sure that you should be telling me this? Class A would be benefited if my classmates betrayed your group."

He was certainly right.

(Y/N): "You could do that, but you would lose a valuable ally. I offered to help in your fight against Sakayanagi, but if you don't help me now I will leave you alone against her. I could target you in the future, and I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't like that, right?"

He more or less knew what I was capable of after the exam on the deserted island. He could still refuse, and if that happened, I would give up on aiming for the first outcome and I would come up with another plan. It all depended on what Katsuragi said now.

Katsuragi: "You're quite arrogant, aren't you?"

(Y/N): "I'm offering my help, it's your choice whether to accept it or not. But you have to choose now."

Giving him time to think wouldn't be good.

Katsuragi: "...okay. I will need your help in the future, so I promise that I'll make sure that my classmates don't betray your group."

Everything was going as planned. Of course, I couldn't trust his promise just like that.

Katsuragi: "You can stop recording our conversation now, L/N. You have what you wanted, right?"

My eyes widened for a split second. Since I couldn't just trust him if he accepted, I recorded our conversation with my mobile phone. This school was different from others in many ways, and if he broke his promise, I could show this audio to the teachers and Class A would be punished.

Since he noticed, there was no point in hiding it anymore. I had underestimated Katsuragi.

Katsuragi: "I won't break my promise, so I hope you don't break yours either."

(Y/N): "I won't. I will help you in order to defeat Sakayanagi."

I said this clearly, so it was easy to understand. He was probably recording this conversation too, so he now had an insurance.

Now that I knew for sure that Class A wouldn't cause any trouble, at least for now, I only had to blackmail Manabe with the picture I had taken when she and her friends were harassing Karuizawa. I had a fake email address, so they wouldn't know it was me. I also told them that once the last discussion ended, they talked with Ibuki and tell her that Ryuuen ordered them to stay quiet.

Ibuki would probably be suspicious, but she wouldn't have enough time to talk with Ryuuen before the exam ended.

I decided to trust Ichinose and leave her alone. After all, she wouldn't betray us since Ichinose and Horikita agreed to create a cooperative relationship between our classes.

Present

Horikita: "L/N-kun."

I was pretending to be focused on my phone, but as soon as I heard Horikita's voice, a shiver ran down my spine.

(Y/N): "Hmm?"

I looked at her and noticed that Karuizawa and Hirata were already gone. I must have spaced out.

Horikita: "How did your group manage to reach the first result?"

(Y/N): "It was probably because of Ichinose. Everyone trusts her and she convinced us to cooperate until the end."

Normally Horikita would be suspicious and wouldn't trust me, but at that moment she was visibly shaken. Ryuuen had managed to overcome everyone during this exam.

(Y/N): "What are you going to do now?"

Horikita: "..."

(Y/N): "If you let this get to you, you're never going to defeat the other classes. Ryuuen has defeated us, and there's nothing we can do to change it."

Sudo: "Oi. If that's your way of comforting her then you better shut up."

Sudo stood up and glared at me, but I ignored him.

(Y/N): "The only thing you can do now is cooperate with Hirata so this doesn't happen again."

Horikita: "What if I don't want to?"

(Y/N): "Then Class D will never reach Class A."

I stood up, still ignoring Sudo's glare.

(Y/N): "The future of Class D is in your hands, Horikita. Choose wisely."

With that, I walked away and left them behind. The exam was finally over and now I would be able to enjoy the rest of the summer vacation without worrying about more exams. At least I hoped so. The second semester was around the corner and I wanted to relax and enjoy my time before it started.

32- The fortune teller

(Y/N) pov

Summer vacation. That beautiful time that every student is waiting for. We came back to the school a few weeks ago and, since no more special tests were announced, the students were enjoying their time before the second semester started.

Swimming in the pool, eating ice cream, spending time with friends... there were many things you could do.

Me? Well, my summer was... great. Yeah, great.

...

Who am I kidding? Since we came back to the school, I had spent most of the time in my room. But it wasn't that bad, the air conditioner kept my room cool and a nice girl I had met a few days ago lent me some books to read.

I even bought a game console with part of the 500,000 private points I had gotten in the last exam to kill some time.

Bored? No, I wasn't bored at all. In fact, my mobile phone, which was conveniently placed on the nightstand in case someone called, had nothing to do with my boredom.

I laid on my bed as I played with the game console. It was fun at the beginning, but once I spent more than thirty minutes playing, I started to get bored.

I couldn't understand how some people could spend hours playing. But then again, who am I to judge? There were many things that I didn't understand about others.

I was staring at the ceiling lost in thought when my phone rang. I picked it so fast that I didn't even have time to check who it was before I answered it.

(Y/N): "Hello?"

Sudo: "He- Woah, that was fast."

My classmate, Sudo, decided to call me for some reason. Did he want to hang out? I remembered what happened last time I spent time with Ike, Yamauchi and him and felt the urge to hang up.

Sudo: "Hey, what are you doing now?"

(Y/N): "Nothing in particular. Why did you call?"

Sudo: "Ah, right. I wanted to talk about the fortune teller."

(Y/N): "The fortune teller?"

I had heard about it. Apparently, a famous fortune teller had come to the school for the summer. It was a popular conversation topic between the students, but I wasn't really interested in it.

Sudo: "The thing is, it seems that a very accurate fortune teller has come to Keyaki Mall just for this summer. It seems to be trending among the upperclassmen. Let's go together, I'll treat you."

To be honest I couldn't care less about fortune-telling. I thought that the fortune-teller just told the clients what they wanted to hear. It was nothing but a scam to collect money, at least in my opinion.

But still, Sudo was inviting me and even offered to pay? Something was off here.

(Y/N): "What are you plotting?"

Sudo: "Me? Nothing."

(Y/N): "Really? Well then, I'm not really interested in fortune-telling, so-"

As soon as I made a move to end the call, Sudo interrupted me.

Sudo: "W-wait! If you aren't interested, at least ask Suzune if she wants to come."

So that's what Sudo wanted from the beginning. He didn't care whether I came or not, he just wanted me to ask Horikita to come with us.

(Y/N): "I don't think that Horikita is interested in this kind of stuff."

Sudo: "Hey man, do it for me. She only listens to you."

I sighed.

(Y/N): "Okay, fine. You owe me one though."

I ended the call and reluctantly dialled Horikita's number. It took her a few seconds to answer the call.

(Y/N): "Hey, Horikita. Are you interested in fortune telling?"

Horikita: "...That's a weird way to start a conversation."

(Y/N): "Is it? Should I ask you about how your day was and that kind of stuff then?"

Horikita wasn't the kind of person who enjoyed socializing, so it was better to get straight to the point.

She sighed.

Horikita: "Let's see... I'm not enthusiastic about it, but I would be lying if I said I disliked it."

Now that was surprising.

(Y/N): "I see. Have you heard about the fortune teller?"

Horikita: "I heard that a famous fortune teller has come to the school, yeah."

(Y/N): "Are you interested in going there?"

There was a small silence before she responded.

Horikita: "Are you inviting me? I didn't know that you were interested in fortune telling, L/N-kun."

What should I do now? I didn't intend to go to the fortune teller, but would she accept if I said that I would go?

I calmly analysed the situation.

I tell Horikita that I will go with her. She goes to Keyaki Mall, where Sudo will be waiting for her. She discovers that it was all a set-up, then she ditches Sudo and kills me.

It didn't take me long to come up with an answer.

(Y/N): "No, I don't believe in fortune-telling. Sudo wanted to go there with you, so he asked me to convince you."

There was a long silence after that. It became uncomfortable, so I tried to speak.

(Y/N): "Horiki-"

Horikita: "No."

And then she hangs up.

Welp. I tried.

I sent Sudo a message telling him that Horikita wouldn't go. He replied instantly.

Sudo: "Then I won't go either."

It didn't surprise me. I thought that people went to the fortune teller to hear about their future, which was ridiculous in my opinion, but apparently students also used it to hit on other students.

I wasn't interested in it anyways, so I decided to read a book for the rest of the day.

(Timeskip)

The next morning, I woke up early and left my room. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of Keyaki Mall.

I let out a long sigh.

I really am an idiot.

It was 9:30 am when I arrived. I headed towards the fifth floor, where the fortune teller was supposed to be.

As soon as I got there, I was greeted by the sight of a long queue. And that wasn't all...

(Y/N): "This is full of couples..." I muttered.

Boy and girl. Standing next to each other, happily chatting while waiting for their turn. There were also couples of two boys or two girls, but they were a minority.

I sighed and awkwardly stood at the end of the queue. As soon as I did so, a young woman approached me.

"Good morning. Will your partner be coming later?"

(Y/N): "Ah, no. I came here alone."

"Umm... I'm sorry, but sensei's fortune telling is for couples only..."

(Y/N): "Really?"

Wait wait, so Sudo was trying to trick me?

He said that he would treat me, but he was only planning to go in there with Horikita. If Sudo and her were the "couple", I would be left out.

(Y/N): "Then it's impossible for me to go alone?"

"...Yes. Ukon-sensei's only telling the fortune for pairs..."

Meh, whatever. I didn't plan to come here anyways, so...

I bowed my head towards the clerk and left the queue. I started to make my way towards the elevator when I heard a familiar voice.

Ibuki: "Huh? So you're telling me that I can't get in alone?"

As soon as I noticed who she was, I tried to walk faster and leave. However, she noticed my presence.

Ibuki: "L/N?"

(Y/N): "O-oh, hey Ibuki. Didn't see you there."

She approached me.

Ibuki: "Where is Horikita?"

(Y/N): "No idea. I'm not always with her, you know?"

Ibuki: "I see."

An awkward silence followed. She looked at me and then at the queue.

(Y/N): "Do you believe in fortune telling?"

Ibuki: "Do you?"

(Y/N): "Not really. I was just curious, so I came here to take a look."

After responding, I looked at her waiting for her answer.

Ibuki: "Well... I would be lying if I said that I didn't want to come here."

She seemed to be very interested in fortune telling, but since only couples were allowed to go in, she was disappointed.

Ibuki: "Why didn't you ask Horikita to come with you?"

I'm starting to get tired of people asking me of her. Do they think I'm her babysitter or something?

(Y/N): "Why didn't you ask Ryuuen to come here with you?"

This earned a glare from her.

Ibuki: "Are you an idiot? He is the last person I would ask to come here with me."

That was normal. Ibuki hated Ryuuen, after all. But for some reason, she still let him use her.

I checked my watch, and it was still very early. If I came back to my room now, I would get bored again in no time. I glanced at Ibuki.

(Y/N): "So, since we both came here alone and only couples are allowed, why don't we go together?"

Ibuki's eyes widened for a moment.

Ibuki: "Oi. We're not a couple."

(Y/N): "You're not my girlfriend, but the clerk shouldn't care as long as we don't go alone"

Ibuki: "...You said that you weren't interested in fortune telling. Why are you doing this?"

(Y/N): "It's better than wasting time in my room doing nothing..." I muttered as I scratched the back of my head.

Ibuki: "What?"

(Y/N): "Nothing. So, are we doing this or not?"

She was lost in thought for a moment.

Ibuki: "Fine. But just this once, I don't want people to get the wrong idea."

I shrugged.

(Y/N): "Fair enough."

We went back to the queue. As soon as we joined it, the clerk came to us again. When she saw me, she looked at us with a confused expression.

I smirked.

(Y/N): "Hello again, I just found my couple."

Ibuki elbowed me on the ribs with an embarrassed expression while the clerk laughed sheepishly.

(Timeskip)

"Next person please."

After a long wait, it was finally our turn. I didn't have any problems with waiting, but Ibuki was clearly starting to get impatient.

When we entered the tent, I was greeted by a dark atmosphere, a creepy old woman with a hood on her head and a shining crystal ball. Before the old fortune teller, there were two round seats with no backrests placed.

As soon as we sat down, the fortune teller spoke.

"First of all, pay up." Having said that, she pulled a card reader and placed it in front of us.

Can't say I'm surprised.

Ibuki: "What are you going to divine for us?" She asked before paying.

"Your studies, work, love affairs and anything you'd like." She replied as a creepy grin formed on her face.

The cost of this session was 5,000 private points. I started to regret coming here, but after waiting all this time in the queue I wouldn't back down.

I had received 500,000 private points and wouldn't have any problem to pay this, but... it was still expensive.

After paying up, the fortune teller spoke again.

"Well then, let's start with this young lady. What's your name?"

Ibuki: "Ibuki. Ibuki Mio."

"My fortune teller lets me see the face, hands and heart of my customer. And during the middle of it, I might see something that you'd rather keep private. Are you fine with that?"

Ibuki: "Do as you wish."

The fortune teller told Ibuki to show her the palms of her hands. I could see the old woman's sharp gaze even though she had her hood on.

"Starting with palm reading, you will live a long life. I do not see you suffering any illness as of now..."

Just as I thought, the fortune teller just told the customers what they wanted to hear. I didn't know if Ibuki was satisfied with it, but this just seemed to be a scam to me. Besides, how could she know if a person would suffer any kind of illness just by looking at the palm of their hand?

Ibuki: "Thank you very much."

She bowed her head as the fortune teller looked at me. Apparently it was my turn now.

She basically told me the same as Ibuki. I wouldn't have any kind of illness in the future and I would live a long life. Lucky me.

She suddenly stopped speaking, which made me think that she was done. I was about to bow my head and leave when she spoke again.

"...Such a lonely childhood."

I looked at her with a confused expression. She was looking at me in the eyes, as if seeing through me. Whether she was right or not, why was she talking about my past instead of my future?

"You are the possessor of a fateful Tenchuusatsu."

Ibuki and I spoke at the same time.

(Y/N): "A what?" Ibuki: "Uwa, seriously?"

I looked at her with a confused expression.

Ibuki: "Simply put, you have been living a life of misfortunes since a very young age."

I frowned. This had to be a coincidence, there's no way this person could know about my past unless she had met me before.

"That girl said that it meant a life of misfortunes, but that's not right." She said as she pointed at Ibuki.

"Fateful Tenchuusatsu is indeed uncommon. But that doesn't mean it curses your life to be misfortunate. The flow itself is bad, and you won't receive blessing of a family or parents, but what happens from now on depends on your actions."

(Y/N): "Hmm."

Maybe she got some things right, but I still thought that this was all fake. She seemed to notice and smirked under her hood.

"One last prediction for you two. Go back straight instead of taking any detours. If you take a detour unnecessarily, you might be stuck for a long time."

(Y/N): "Alright."

I stood up not really paying attention. Ibuki looked at me and then stood up too.

"And, Y/N..."

I was about to leave but stopped when she called me.

"You will be seeing some old faces sooner than you think. And it won't be a pleasant reunion."

I glanced over at her for a brief second, her bloodshot eyes looking straight at me.

(Y/N): "Whatever."

(Timeskip)

Ibuki: "Where are you going? The elevator is that way." She pointed at the opposite direction where I was heading to.

(Y/N): "Taking a detour."

Ibuki: "Really? Didn't you hear what the fortune teller just said?"

(Y/N): "I'm proving my point. Fortune-telling is nothing but a scam. I'm sure that nothing will happen if I take a detour."

Ibuki rolled her eyes as if she was speaking to a kid, but then she smirked and matched my pace.

Ibuki: "Well. I also want to see if she was telling the truth with my own eyes."

We headed towards another elevator, which was further away than the one I used at the beginning. This part of the mall wasn't as crowded as the one where the fortune teller was, so we were the only ones there when the elevator's door opened.

Ibuki and I stepped in in silence.

(Y/N): "First floor?"

Ibuki: "Yes."

I pressed the button and the door closed. The elevator slowly began to descend and, a few seconds later, the elevator was about to arrive at the first floor.

I knew it. Fortune telling is just a-

The lights suddenly turned off and the elevator stopped. A few seconds later, the emergency lights turned on.

Ibuki: "Are you serious?"

(Y/N): "You've got to be kidding me."

Maybe it was a power outage, but we were trapped in the elevator now.

(Y/N): "The emergency telephone should suffice for now."

There's no need to panic. Elevators were already prepared for this kind of situations. Emergency buttons and surveillance cameras were installed.

I pressed the emergency button, but there was no response.

Ibuki: "Isn't it that the power outages also prevent the calls?"

(Y/N): "No. Elevators usually have emergency batteries that run for several hours."

I looked up in disbelief. For some reason, I imagined the fortune teller laughing as if saying "I told you."

(Y/N): "Can you contact someone with your phone and ask for help?"

Ibuki: "Sorry. But please, do it yourself."

(Y/N): "Oi, I understand that you don't want to talk with others, but I think that this situation is more important than that."

She glared at me.

Ibuki: "Seriously..." She muttered as she took her mobile phone out and showed it to me. "Because I have no contacts in my phone, I didn't even notice that it ran out of battery. So, you call instead."

(Y/N): "No choice then."

I took my mobile phone out of my pocket and froze when I saw the screen.

Ibuki: "Call now, quick."

(Y/N): "Only 4% left..."

Ibuki: "Really?!"

I would only have time to call one person. Horikita would get mad if she saw me with Ibuki, and Kikyou would start asking questions if she saw me with her. If I asked the three idiots, the rumour that I got trapped in a elevator with Ibuki would spread quickly...

I suddenly remembered someone. He would definitely help and keep it a secret, so I dialled his number. I started to tell him our situation, but the battery ran out a few seconds later.

(Y/N): "Battery's gone."

Ibuki: "Did you tell him properly?"

(Y/N): "... Probably?"

I didn't know for sure. The only thing we could do now was to wait until someone got us out of here. I sat down and leaned against the wall.

Ibuki glanced at me and did the same.

We waited patiently, but suddenly the air conditioner stopped.

Ibuki: "This can't be happening..."

She had been calm until now, but she started to panick. We were trapped in a small space in the middle of the summer with no air conditioner. The temperature would start rising in a few minutes...

Right now the air was slightly lukewarm, but as time passed we inevitably began to sweat.

Ibuki: "Is there a way to get out ourselves?"

(Y/N): "The rescue hatch is there..."

She looked up.

Ibuki: "How are we supposed to open that?"

It was too high for us to open it by ourselves.

(Y/N): "Let's wait. I'm sure that someone will get us out of here soon."

Ibuki: "If you can handle this steam bath, sure."

The minutes kept passing, but the elevator didn't move at all. It was getting very hot, so I took off my shirt. It wouldn't be good if my body temperature raised too much.

(Y/N): "You should strip too if it gets too hot."

Ibuki: "...Huh? Are you thinking something lewd in this situation?" She asked while looking at me with a disgusted expression.

(Y/N): "Relax. If you decide to strip, I will turn my back."

Ibuki: "I'm not going to strip."

(Y/N): "Your choice."

(30 minutes later)

Ibuki: "Ahh. I'm at my limit already. Move!"

Frustrated, Ibuki stood up and kicked away at the interior of the elevator, leaving a dent in the place she kicked. The elevator swayed slightly but showed no signs of moving.

(Y/N): "You're just wasting energy."

Ibuki: "Really?! So should we just sit here waiting for help?! Maybe your friend didn't hear you!"

(Y/N): "I'm sure that they're working on it, so calm down-"

Ibuki: "Ahh, this is all your fault! Why did you have to contradict the fortune teller?!

(Y/N): "Hey, you were the one who decided to follow me!"

Ibuki: "I'm done with this!"

She was about to kick the elevator again. I stood up to stop her, but the lights and the air conditioner suddenly started to work again. Ibuki and I stopped cold and looked at each other.

A few seconds later, the door opened slowly. A cool breeze flowed into the elevator and two adults turned to look at us.

"Are you two okay? Are you injured?"

(Y/N): "Ahh, no. We aren't injured. It was just very hot in there."

I put on my shirt as we were handed two sport drinks. Then they told us to go to the medical center for treatment.

"You must have had a difficult time."

Ibuki: "Really, it was disastrous. I've had enough fortune-telling for a while."

As we thanked the two adults, the student I had called approached us.

Katsuragi: "Are you alright, L/N?"

(Y/N): "I'm done with elevators, I think I'll use the stairs from now on. Thanks for helping us."

Katsuragi: "No need. I should be the grateful one, since you and Sudo helped me not so long ago."

Ibuki glanced over at us looking suspicious but shrugged it off and left the hallway, still annoyed.

(Y/N): "I have to go to the medical center now, I'll talk to you later."

I thanked him again and Katsuragi nodded.

Something had happened before the elevator incident, which led to Sudo and I helping Katsuragi. However, that's a story for another day.

For now, as Ibuki had said before, I had had enough fortune telling for a while. I only wanted to go to my dorm and forget about this.

33- How not to prepare a birthday party

(A/N) This takes place before the fortune teller's episode.

(Y/N) pov

I suddenly woke up, startled by the sound of my phone ringing. While rubbing my eyes, I glanced at my watch, which displayed 4:30 pm. I remembered having lunch and turning on the TV, but the movie was so boring that I must had fallen asleep on my bed.

I lazily stretched my arm and reached for my mobile phone.

(Y/N): "Hello?"

Kushida: "Hello Y/N! How are your holidays going?"

Kikyou's cheerful voice greeted me as soon as I answered the call.

(Y/N): "Well, you know. I've been quite occupied this summer and-"

I was trying to sound cool, but she interrupted me.

Kushida: "You're alone in your room, aren't you?"

(Y/N): "...Yes." I admitted with a sigh. "Anyways, what do you want to talk about?"

Kushida: "Actually, next Wednesday is Inokashira-san's birthday. Do you want to celebrate it with us?"

Inokashira was one of my classmates. She was plain and shy, just like Sakura and Mii-chan, so she didn't have many friends. I wouldn't mind leaving my room to do something with friends, (in fact I was quite eager to do something with other people instead of wasting time in my room), but I hadn't talked with that girl at all. Wouldn't it be weird if a guy she barely knew showed up in her birthday party?

Besides, Kikyou was acting suspiciously. A few weeks ago, she was distant because I didn't trust her, and now she was calling me and acting as if nothing had happened.

Kikyou spoke after a few moments of silence, reading my mind.

Kushida: "Are you worried because you haven't talked to her before?"

(Y/N): "Yeah. I think that she would feel uncomfortable if a guy that she barely knows shows up in her birthday party."

In fact, it would be really awkward.

Kushida: "Can you at least help me to pick a present for her?"

Why was she asking me this? I doubted that she needed my help for something like this.

Kushida: "Great! I'll see you later then."

She finished the call before I could even say whether I would go or not. I stared at the screen of my phone and shrugged. Spending some time with Kikyou wouldn't harm anyone. Besides, I had nothing else to do.

(Timeskip)

I thought that it would be nice, but...

Ike: "Why isn't Kikyou-chan here, L/N?!"

I was walking around Keyaki Mall with Ike and Yamauchi. Kikyou had told me that she would wait for me in the entrance but when I got there, I only saw Ike and Yamauchi. Apparently, she had also asked for their help in order to pick a present for our classmate.

(Y/N): "Trust me Ike, I'm just as confused as you are." I responded with a deadpanned expression.

Yamauchi: "Well, Kushida-chan only said that she needed our help. She never said that she would come here with us."

She said that she would wait for me in the entrance though...

Ike: "Bullshit! If Kikyou-chan is not here, there's no meaning to this."

Ike turned around and started to walk away, Yamauchi following him.

(Y/N): "Think about it this way. Kikyou thinks of you as someone she can trust and has asked for your help in order to get a present for her friend. Wouldn't she be disappointed if you failed her?"

Ike stopped cold. I couldn't see his face, but I Imagined that he was drooling while having some kind of weird fantasy. He suddenly turned around and looked at us with a solemn expression.

Ike: "Let's go. We can't disappoint Kikyou-chan."

Having said that, he started to walk towards a shop, Yamauchi and I following him.

The shop which Ike chose was one that was mostly frequented by girls. The walls were pink and the products ranged from stuffed toys to cell phone accessories.

(Y/N): "I said that I would help, but I have absolutely no idea what to buy her..." I muttered.

Ike: "What are you going on about? Help us decide what to buy too."

He said that, but they weren't really picking a present either. They were just staring at the other girls who were in the shop with us.

I walked around the store and found quite a few cell phone covers.

Maybe she would like one of these? Nah, she probably has one already.

I glanced at the stuffed toys.

Do girls my age like stuffed animals? Akane told me that she liked them. But then again, she was 10 years old back then.

I saw a girl picking up a teddy bear from one of the shelves.

Well, I suppose that a teddy bear will do.

I picked a brown teddy bear with a white tie around its neck and stared at it for a few seconds. If she didn't like it, I could just say that it was Ike's idea or something.

Yamauchi: "A teddy bear?"

(Y/N): "Do you think she'll like it?"

Yamauchi: "No idea, haven't talked with her at all."

At least I wasn't the only one.

Yamauchi: "Most importantly. Look, look!"

I followed him and we both hid behind a shelf. I somehow expected that he was trying to spy on a girl, but surprisingly we were actually spying Ike. He was holding a cloth with a white bear drawn on it. However, he had an orange keychain on his other hand and was looking at it while lost in thought.

(Y/N): "Why are we spying him?" I whispered.

Yamauchi: "Don't you understand?" He whispered back, as if it was the most obvious thing.

(Y/N): "No. Isn't he just picking a present for Inokashira?"

Yamauchi: "No. You see, Sinohara's favourite colour is orange."

(Y/N): "What does this have to do with-?"

I glanced at the keychain that Ike was holding.

Oh.

(Y/N): "Aren't Sinohara and Ike fighting all the time though?"

Yamauchi: "What if he likes her?"

(Y/N): "...What if he doesn't?"

Yamauchi: "Let's find out."

He creeped up behind him and put his hands on Ike's shoulders.

Yamauchi: "Oi. Kanji."

Ike: "Uwaa?! D-don't surprise me like that."

He hid the keychain behind his back, which made him look more suspicious.

Ike: "H-have you guys decided what to buy her?"

He glanced at the teddy bear I was holding.

Ike: "Ahh. I thought that she would like this. A white bear towel, ahaha..."

Yamauchi: "That doesn't matter right now. Why were you looking at keychains?"

Ike: "Ehh? It's not like I'm hiding something or anything. L-let's see what's over there."

Yamauchi: "Hey. If I remember correctly... The one who liked that orange character was Sinohara, right?"

Ike: "R-really? No, I was just thinking about Kikyou-chan."

He avoided eye contact when he talked to us, which clearly showed that he was lying.

Yamauchi: "It can't be... Are you thinking about Sinohara?"

Ike: "Huuuuh? Definitely not. She's so ugly!"

He was panicking and desperately denied it. In my personal opinion, Sinohara wasn't ugly at all. Her attitude, though, was another thing.

Yamauchi: "Are you telling the truth? Something seems fishy here. Right, L/N?"

(Y/N): "Why are you interrogating him? There's nothing wrong with falling in love."

Ike: "I said that this has nothing to do with her!" He shouted indignantly.

Yamauchi: "Your face is all red though."

Ike: "You guys, don't misunderstand this. Listen up, about Sinohara. There's no way that I would want to go out with someone who is as ugly and has a rotten personality like her. Do you guys get it?"

I looked at Ike with a deadpanned expression. For some reason, Yamauchi started to panic beside me. I looked at him and then spotted a certain group who was listening to everything.

Oh shit.

Yamauchi: "I got it, I got it. Let's keep looking for Kokoro-chan's present."

(Y/N): "Look at this keychain. I'm sure she'll love it-"

Ike: "No, you still don't understand. The degree which I think Sinohara is ugly. Please listen. Firstly, it's not just her face which is ugly, but also her personality. And on top of it all, her body is also lacking. In any case, she is the ugliest among the uglies-"

Yamauchi: "W-we understand that. But calm down Kanji, because behind you-"

Ike: "Huh? Behind me?"

He slowly turned around. Behind him stood a group of girls from our class. Sinohara (who had a murderous look on her face) and Kikyou amongst them. They were probably here to buy a present for Inokashira too.

Sinohara: "Ike should just go and die!"

Having said that, she stormed out of the shop. Ike stared at her with a shocked expression.

Ike: "W-what does she mean by die? Shit, she's saying too much for someone ugly. R-right?"

This only earned a disapproving look from Kikyou and glares from the other girls.

Yamauchi: "O-oi. Look L/N, there's a baldie there!"

Yamauchi, who wanted to escape from that uncomfortable situation as much as I did, changed the subject. I glanced over at the place that he was pointing at and spotted Katsuragi, who was walking around the shop with a sharp expression. Apparently he hadn't seen us.

Yamauchi: "Think he's here to shoplift?"

(Y/N): "Maybe he's buying something for his girlfriend."

Yamauchi: "N-no way. That baldie already has a girlfriend?!"

I honestly had no idea, and didn't care either.

While Yamauchi glared at Katsuragi, he approached the store clerk.

"Is this it a birthday present?"

Katsuragi: "Yes."

"Will you be attaching a birthday card to this?"

Katsuragi: "Yes. The birthday is August 29."

After that short exchange, he paid and left the shop, still not noticing Yamauchi and me hiding behind a shelf.

Yamauchi: "Did you hear that? Which girl has her birthday on the 29th ?"

(Y/N) "No idea."

Kushida: "What are you guys doing?"

Apparently Kikyou saw as acting suspiciously and followed us, which scared the pants off Yamauchi.

Yamauchi: "Ah, K- Kushida-chan! We weren't doing anything. R-right L/N?"

(Y/N): "We were wondering if Inokashira would like this for her birthday."

I showed her the teddy bear. Kikyou stared at it for a few seconds and then looked at me, her face somewhat surprised.

Kushida: "Y-yeah, she will totally love it."

Why does it sound like she was expecting me to screw up? I'm not that socially awkward... right?

Kushida: "Very good."

Her eyes were wide, and her voice sounded like she still didn't believe that I made the right choice.

(Y/N): "Oi."

She giggled while Yamauchi looked at us suspiciously.

Kushida: "The thing is, Sinohara-san is very angry and we are going to look for her."

I glanced over where Sinohara's friends were. They were scolding Ike, who looked ashamed. Yamauchi nodded and approached the group with a solemn expression on his face, probably to help them find Sinohara. I looked back at Kikyou, who was also staring at me, as if waiting for something.

(Y/N): "Wait, I have to help too?"

Kushida: "Of course you do!"

(Y/N): "It's not my fault that Ike-"

Kushida: "Please?"

Not the puppy eyes...

(Timeskip)

I sighed as I made my way through the campus, looking for Sinohara. Honestly, I was hoping that the others found her before I did. If I found her first, it would be incredibly awkward.

The sun was setting and the sky was a beautiful orange. Since it was summer, it was still very hot and it would take a while for the sun to disappear in the horizon. I was lost in thought when I came across an empty basketball court. There was a basketball on the floor under one of the baskets, someone probably forgot to pick it.

I absently entered the court and picked the basketball, remembering one conversation I had with Kiyotaka many years ago. I looked at the basket that was on the other side of the court and shrugged before throwing the ball with confidence.

(Y/N): "..."

It didn't go anywhere near the rim. If someone saw me at that moment, they would probably think that I was an idiot. Not that they were wrong.

I picked the basketball again. I had never played basketball before, but it seemed like fun.

Sudo: "Oi, L/N!"

I spotted Sudo walking toward me with a grin on his face. Ike had said that he didn't come with us because he had basketball practice, so he had probably just finished training.

Sudo: "Kanji told me that you were going to buy a present for that plain girl. Where did he and Haruki go?"

(Y/N): "He insulted Sinohara and now we're looking for her."

He noticed that I was holding a basketball and looked at me with a surprised expression.

Sudo: "Do you play basketball?"

(Y/N): "Ah, no. I just-"

Sudo: "Let's play. One on one."

This guy really loved basketball. He looked really excited. Although I had never played basketball before, I did want to try it. Besides, it was better than looking for Sinohara.

Sudo threw his bag on a nearby bench.

(Y/N): "I never played basketball before, so go easy on me."

Sudo: "Yeah yeah, let's go."

He let me start with the ball. The rules were easy: First one who scores 10 points wins. I was quite excited to play basketball with someone, so I didn't really mind whether I won or not. I started to bounce the ball and stared at Sudo, ready to start.

(Timeskip)

Sudo: "You are trash."

(Y/N): "Oi! I told you that I have never played basketball before." I replied, offended.

At the beginning I managed to dodge Sudo, but I was really bad when it came to throwing the ball. He, on the other hand, spent all the game dunking the ball. I also tried to do lay-ups, but since he is taller than me it was easy for him to block them. I wasn't made for basketball, after all.

In the end he won 10-4.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead when I heard footsteps behind us. Three (really tall) upperclassmen were looking at Sudo, one of them with a frown on his face.

"Oi Sudo, didn't we tell you to rest? The tournament will be starting soon."

They had to be from the basketball club.

Sudo: "S-senpai! I'm sorry, but we aren't going to play basketball again until the tournament starts, so I-"

Seeing Sudo struggling to sound polite was really amusing, not gonna lie.

The one who scolded Sudo was glaring at him. Maybe he was the captain? The other two, though, were smirking at us.

"Come on captain, don't be so strict. I feel like playing too, actually."

The other one nodded, which made Sudo's expression brighten up.

"Oi! I already said that-" The captain shouted, but the others were ignoring him.

"First years vs second years?"

Sudo: "Sounds good to me."

"We are 3 vs 2 though." The other one said while looking at Sudo and me.

Wait, am I supposed to play too?

"This guy isn't even from the basketball club!" The captain shouted angrily, probably because Sudo and the others were ignoring him.

Sudo: "Oi, Makita!" Sudo called out to one girl from our class, Susumu Makita. She was also from the basketball club, but obviously played in the girls' team.

Makita was walking absently with her phone on her hands, probably chatting with someone. Sudo startled her when he called out to her.

Makita: "W-what?"

When she recovered from Sudo's "jumpscare", she looked at us curiously.

Sudo: "We're going to do a 3 vs 3, but we need one more player. Can you join us?"

I thought that she would refuse, but she actually nodded after a few seconds. Maybe she was a basketball fanatic just as Sudo and the other guys seemed to be. And so, two teams of 3 players each were formed. The captain was talking with his two teammates about strategies for the "game". He seemed to have forgotten about resting for the tournament that they were apparently going to have.

Makita: "So you are going to play too, L/N?"

She approached me with a curious expression. Her hair was brown and short, so she didn't need to tie it into a ponytail or a bun when she played basketball.

(Y/N): "Apparently I am."

Sudo: "Try not to get in my way."

Yeah, it would be a shame if I made him fall down.

The three of us stood forming a V. I was the one standing on the back, while Sudo and Makita stood in the front. Since they practiced almost every day, it would be easier for them to score. The game would last around 20 minutes and we started with the ball.

The first minutes were quite easy. We passed the ball to Sudo and he basically did everything else. I had to admit, he was really good.

10 minutes had passed, and we were winning 11-7.

Sudo: "All right!"

He yelled excitedly after dunking the ball for the third time. I saw the captain whispering with the other two and nodding. They scored a basket in the next play, and we were now 11-9. These guys played quite well, but Sudo was very hard to stop.

We got ready for a fast break. I was about to pass the ball to Sudo again, but noticed that he was being guarded by two players, while Makita was being guarded by the other one. If I passed the ball to him, they would probably steal it, so passed it to Makita instead.

She went for the shot, but it was blocked. This time they were the ones who went for a fast break and scored again.

A few minutes later, we were losing 13-18. Sudo was starting to get angry and screamed at us. He was constantly guarded by two players, so he couldn't move freely and hadn't scored a basket for a while now.

I started a new play. No one was guarding me, since out of the three I was the worst player. I had tried to score a basket many times, but I failed most of the times. It was kind of sad.

Instead of passing, I ran towards their basket. If they were going to leave me alone all the time, might as well try to score again.

The two players who were guarding Sudo didn't make a move, but the one who was guarding Makita started to doubt. I made a move pretending to shoot, and he left her and tried to block me.

I passed the ball to Makita as fast as I could, who did a lay-up and scored. Then, we got prepared to defend. I had noticed that their attack pattern was mostly the same throughout the entire game.

The captain was quite a good shooter, so their attack moved around him. He had scored most of their points and, when he wasn't able to shoot because either Sudo or Makita were guarding him, he passed the ball to the player who was closer to me.

Since I was the worst of the bunch, it wasn't really difficult for them to pass me and score. A good tactic, but it was starting to annoy me.

Right now, the captain was being guarded by Sudo. He got ready to pass the ball to the guy who was next to me. I took one step forward and stole the ball before it reached its destination. Sudo was already running towards the other basket when I passed him the ball.

The ball went from one side of the court to the other, until it reached Sudo's hand.

Sudo: "Nice pass!"

He dunked the ball once again. The next minutes were basically me stealing the ball and passing it either to Sudo or Makita, who scored.

We were now 22-23, losing by just one point. We had been playing for 19 minutes, so this would probably be the last play.

"Come on, we can't let the first-years defeat us!" The captain shouted, although the grin on his face showed that he was having fun.

Sudo charged forward, but he was once again guarded by two players. Since he wouldn't be able to get rid of them and Makita was guarded, he passed the ball to me.

I charged forward, getting ready to shoot. If I managed to score now, we would win. I was about to do a lay-up, but the captain touched the ball with the tip of his fingers, diverting the trajectory of the ball. I thought that we were going to lose when I heard a wild roar.

Sudo: "AHHHHHHH!"

"Dammit!"

Sudo, who had somehow managed to get rid of the other two guys, jumped, grabbed the ball mid-air and dunked it full-strength.

And so, the game ended. We somehow managed to win 24-23.

Sudo: "Yeah!"

Makita: "Great game guys!"

Sudo and Makita, looking equally as excited, high-fived each other. They played really good, being the ones who scored most of the baskets. I managed to score 6 points, nothing compared to them, but it was still good for someone who hadn't played basketball before.

Makita: "High five!"

She stood in front of me, looking excited.

(Y/N): "Huh? But I didn't play as well as you guys-"

Sudo suddenly slapped me on the back (using quite a bit of strength) with a grin on his face.

Sudo: "What are you saying? Maybe you're not a good shooter, but you are really good at passing."

Says the guy who called me trash before.

"Sudo's right. You managed to make a pass from one side of the court to the other with great accuracy before. That's not something easy to do at all, you know?"

The other three approached us.

(Y/N): "That was probably luck."

The captain stared at me with a frown on his face.

"L/N, right?"

(Y/N): "Y-yeah."

"Were you playing seriously?"

(Y/N): "Of course I was, I did my best."

His frown deepened, apparently not believing me.

"Come on captain, you are going to scare him. Besides, it was a great game! Even though we lost..."

It seems that as long as they had fun, they wouldn't really mind about losing. I kind of envied them, actually.

"Why don't you join the basketball club? I'm sure that someone like you would be very helpful for our team. Sudo and you work quite well together." The captain said.

I stared at him a few seconds in silence, before shaking my head 'no'.

(Y/N): "You guys are really passionate, unlike me. I don't think that I would be able to enjoy playing as much as you guys do." I gave him a vague excuse.

"Well, if you change your mind, you can talk to me anytime."

(Y/N): "Sure."

After saying goodbye to the upperclassmen, Sudo and Makita picked their bags. I waited for them and started to leave the court with them. However, I spotted a group of students who apparently had been watching the game. I panicked when I recognised them.

Oh shit, I forgot. I was supposed to be looking for Sinohara-

Kushida: "That was a great game guys!" She cheered.

Sudo: "Huh? Since when were you guys watching us?"

Even I hadn't noticed. I must have been very concentrated in the game, which surprised me.

(Timeskip)

I leaned against the wall looking at the rest of the group, Sinohara and Ike yelling at each other again. Apparently, they found her and saw us playing on their way back to the dorms.

I saw Kikyou walking towards me with a smile on her face. She leaned against the wall next to me.

(Y/N): "I forgot to buy the teddy bear."

She giggled.

Kushida: "Don't worry."

She didn't seem to be angry at me for forgetting about Sinohara. We kept looking at the others in a comfortable silence.

Kushida: "When is your birthday, Y/N?"

I glanced over at her, confused by the change of topic.

(Y/N): "The 16th of June."

Her eyes widened, and then she turned to me, looking somewhat angry.

Kushida: "The 16th of June? That was like two months ago! Why didn't you tell me?"

(Y/N): "What did you want me to say? 'Hey everyone, it's my birthday! Give me attention!'"

Kushida: "No, not that. But your birthday is a very important date, right? You should celebrate it with friends!"

(Y/N): "Meh."

I didn't really care to be honest. I had never celebrated my birthday before, and it's not like I was sad about it.

Kushida: "Next year I will make sure that you celebrate your birthday properly."

(Y/N): "You don't need to-"

She sent me a look, so I just shut up. We stayed silent for a bit more until I spoke again.

(Y/N): "Why did you call me?"

Kushida: "I already told you, didn't I? I wanted your help to pick a present for Inokashira-san."

(Y/N): "Come on, don't lie. You didn't even expect me to pick a good present for her."

Kushida: "...Was it that obvious?" She asked me with a bitter smile.

(Y/N): "Yup."

She sighed, before looking elsewhere.

Kushida: "You did the same for me back then." She muttered.

(Y/N): "What do you mean?"

Kushida: "After we managed to avoid Sudo-kun's expulsion. I was very stressed back then and only wanted to be alone in my room, but you made me go out with you to make me feel better."

My eyes widened for a moment.

(Y/N): "You didn't want me to be alone in my room so you decided that it would be a good idea for me to spend time with the three idiots?"

She looked at me with a smile on her face.

Kushida: "You could have gone back to your room any time if you wanted, but you didn't. You even convinced Kanji-kun and Yamauchi-kun to buy the present for Inokashira-san even though they didn't want to."

That's scary! How does she even know that? She wasn't with us at that moment!

(Y/N): "How did you-"

Kushida: "Who knows?" She replied with another question, her smile growing wider at my confusion.

She was right though. I had a lot of fun that day. I could have refused to play the basketball game too, but I didn't. And I didn't regret my choice at all.

(Y/N): "Thank you."

Kushida: "You don't have to be grateful. This is what friends do, right?"

I didn't know if she was pretending or not, but I was still very grateful. Maybe my face didn't show it, but I hadn't been this happy for a long time. This were the kind of memories I wanted to make and, whatever happened in the future, I would remember this day fondly.

34- An old goal

Sakayanagi's pov

Sakayanagi: "Thank you for today, Masumi-san."

Kamuro: "...Yeah."

After having a walk around the campus, Masumi-san and I arrived at the lobby. Due to my physical condition, I hadn't been able to join my classmates in the special exams that had taken place not so long ago.

That day I decided to leave my room and go for a walk, so I asked her to go with me. Although she accepted, I could tell that she didn't want to join me and as a result, the walk was silent and boring.

Kamuro: "Are you heading back to the dorms?"

Sakayanagi: "I think I'll stay here a little longer. You can go back if you want, Masumi-san."

Once she headed to the elevator, I sat down on one of the sofas of the lobby. I didn't want to come back to my room just yet.

Many students saw me as they made their way back to their rooms. Some of them sent me pity looks and the others whispered. I chose to ignore them. A few minutes later, I heard laughter and saw a noisy group chatting happily between them. I recognized them as Class D students.

Ike: "That was a good match Ken! I thought you were going to lose though."

Sudo: "Huh?I would never lose. I had everything under control, idiot."

Yamauchi: "Really? You seemed to be in trouble when you got double-teamed."

Sudo: "Shut up."

The tall student, Sudo Ken, suddenly stopped and glanced around the room. His eyes landed on me for a second, but he ignored me.

Sudo: "Where did L/N go? He was with us just a moment ago."

Upon hearing that name, one of the girls who were walking ahead of them turned around.

Kushida: "Y/N said that he would go to a vending machine to get something to drink."

Y/N?

Sudo: "Jeez, that guy is really weird. I didn't even notice him leaving."

Once they were gone, my lips turned into a smile. I was about to leave when Sudo-kun and the others arrived at the lobby, but after hearing them I decided to stay a little longer.

A few minutes later, one lone male student entered the lobby with a sport drink in his hand. Apparently he didn't want to come back to his room either because he headed toward one of the sofas, but when he saw me he stopped walking.

Sakayanagi: "What a surprise. I didn't expect to see you here, L/N-kun."

His face was blank and void of emotions, but it was easy to tell that he didn't expect me to be there either.

Sakayanagi: "Why don't you have a seat?"

(Y/N): "No, thank you. It would be troublesome if someone saw me talking to you."

Sakayanagi: "Fufufu. There is nothing to worry about, you have already drawn attention to yourself these past few months. Besides, most of the students should be having dinner right now, so it is unlikely for us to be seen at this point."

I didn't have many chances to talk to him. Now that he was here, I wouldn't let him escape that easily.

(Y/N): "What is that supposed to mean? I haven't done anything special."

Sakayanagi: "Not exactly. The rumour that a first year Class D student managed to walk away from a fight against three other students a month ago spread quite quickly."

(Y/N): "People tend to exaggerate things. Besides, that rumour didn't even last a week, most of the student have already forgotten it."

Sakayanagi: "That is true. But you know, that rumour might have been a disadvantage for you. Because that's how I found out that you were in this school."

I overheard my classmates talking about it back then. I wasn't really interested, until I heard the name of the student.

Sakayanagi: "I can't wait for the second semester. Now that I know that I have a good rival, this boring school life will finally change."

L/N-kun remained silent, his blue eyes staring at me. Even though his expression was still blank, he looked more intimidating than before. The kid that I had seen 8 years ago and the person who was standing in front of me right now were completely different.

(Y/N): "You called me just to kill your boredom?"

Sakayanagi: "I guess you could say it that way."

(Y/N): "Ryuuen and Horikita would be glad to fight against you any time. Go bother them, not me."

Sakayanagi: "It wouldn't be the same though. My goal is to defeat the fake genius that Professor Ayanokoji has created."

(Y/N): "You want to defeat a Class D student, who is nothing but a defective product in the eyes of the school." He stated, as if trying to correct me.

Sakayanagi: "There's more to the way that the school sorts its students than meets the eye. I'm sure that you noticed too. Besides, I know that you are a capable person and that Class D would be in a much better situation if you really tried."

I didn't know why he was placed in Class D and, to be honest, I didn't care either.

(Y/N): "You are overestimating me. If you really know about my past you should also know that it would be impossible for me to be in this school in the first place."

That was certainly true. L/N-kun was supposed to be in the White Room, not in this school.

(Y/N): "I believe that you saw me 8 years ago, but you don't know what happened in the following years. Do you really believe that that man would let me join this school if I was still useful to him?"

In other words, he was telling me that he managed to join this school because Professor Ayanokoji lost interest in him. If that was the case, he had probably been kicked out of the White Room at some point after I saw him for the first time.

Sakayanagi: "You are right, I don't know what happened after that. Maybe you were kicked out, or maybe you somehow got an opportunity to escape. But that doesn't matter to me."

Besides, I would be glad if he truly got kicked out of the White Room.

L/N-kun sighed in defeat. He had been trying to convince me that there was no point in focusing on him until now, but he finally gave up.

(Y/N): "You keep calling me fake genius. Why?"

Sakayanagi: "That is a personal belief. Since a very young age, I have always thought that once people are born, their potential is set in stone. It doesn't matter what kind of education someone has, their potential won't change. Geniuses are born, not created by organizations."

People cannot do more than what is carved in their DNA. Geniuses are awakened by blood passed down from ancestors or by sudden mutations. In other words, a 'created genius' like L/N-kun or the other kids from the White Room would never be able to surpass a 'born genius'. That's what I have always believed and something that I promised to prove.

(Y/N): "So you just want to prove that you are better than me to kill your boredom."

Sakayanagi: "Yes."

(Y/N): "What if I refuse to participate in this stupid competition?"

Sakayanagi: "Fufufu. Are you sure that you have the right to refuse?"

If I wanted, I could just tell everyone about his past. For him, I was an unknown person who knew about his past, and that probably made him mark me as an enemy.

(Y/N): "...I used to believe that too."

Sakayanagi: "Hmm?"

(Y/N): "That it would be impossible for an average person to become a genius."

For a moment I couldn't hide my surprise. I thought that L/N-kun would say something to defend himself, but he didn't seem to care about what I had said at all. He looked upwards, as if trying to remember something.

(Y/N): "Back when I joined the White Room, I didn't even know where I had been taken to. When I finally understood where I was, I freaked out and became desperate. I had never been an outstanding person and I struggled a lot."

What an unexpected outcome. I had just threatened him, but he chose to ignore it and started to talk about his past. I felt my lips turning into a smile as I listened to him.

(Y/N): "When humans face desperate situations, there are only two options. Give up and wait until it's over or adapt."

He looked back at me with an ominous expression that would make anyone shiver.

(Y/N): "You would be surprised if you knew what people are capable of doing when they think that they are in danger."

And just like that, he threw my threat right back at me. I couldn't help but laugh.

Sakayanagi: "Fufufu, is that a threat?"

This is what I had dreamt of since the moment I saw L/N-kun for the first time. I thought that I wouldn't see him again but, now that I knew that he was in the same school as me, I wouldn't let this opportunity escape.

I wanted to see him. I wanted to touch him. I wanted to crush him.

(Y/N): "You are making a mistake. At this rate you won't even notice what is happening under your nose."

Sakayanagi: "What do you mean?"

(Y/N): "Your class is divided. Even I, someone who couldn't care less about Class A's situation knows that. Are you sure that you should be focusing on me like this when you could be stabbed in the back by your own classmates?"

Sakayanagi: "Isn't that what makes it interesting though? If I managed to rule Class A and everyone obeyed without confronting me, I would get bored of leading my class in no time."

(Y/N): "What if the other classes decided to team up against your class? I doubt that Class A would be able to overcome that situation being as divided as it is right now."

Sakayanagi: "I would love to see Ryuuen-kun cooperating with other classes, actually. But that is sadly very unlikely."

L/N-kun probably wasn't able to see it, but I wasn't interested in the battle between classes either. As long as he was here as my enemy, I wouldn't mind descending to Class B. Even leaving the school would be acceptable as long as I was able to confront him.

(Y/N): "Katsuragi is looking for help from other classes in order to defeat you and take control of Class A."

Sakayanagi: "Fufufu, so you're helping the enemy now?"

Why would he tell me this? Was he trying to make me focus on Katsuragi-kun so he could attack and defeat me? Or was he planning something that even I didn't understand? I wasn't able to read him, which made my heart race in excitement.

(Y/N): "I have my own problems with Ryuuen targeting Class D and you also have problems with Katsuragi trying to defeat you. There's no time for us to fight now."

In other words, he was saying that he would fight against me once we both dealt with our own problems.

Sakayanagi: "Katsuragi-kun, hmm? He is no rival to me, but I guess that I will have fun with him until you are done with Ryuuen-kun. I can't wait."

L/N-kun nodded and started to walk towards the elevator. In the end, he never sat down on the sofa.

It was already dark outside when I got back to my room. I looked out of the window with a smile that hadn't left my face since I talked to him planted on my face.

With this, my dream will finally come true.

35- Responsibilities

(Y/N) pov

Two days after the basketball game I received a message from an unexpected person, asking me to meet him in the school.

The thought of going to the school made me whine. Most of the students would have the same reaction as me if they had to go to school in summer, but our reasons were probably different.

Take Ike for instance. How would he react if he was in my situation? He would complain and say something like: It's summer vacation, why do I have to go to school now? It's not fair!

I, on the other hand, had no problem with this. In fact, back when I joined this school, I couldn't wait for classes to start. Was I weird? Probably.

The problem was that this school was very strict when it came to some rules. Even if we were in holidays, we could still enter the school building if we wanted to, but it was imperative to wear the school uniform. The blazer, the trousers... in mid-summer! That should be illegal!

At least the school building is air conditioned, so I should be fine once I arrive... Even though I will probably melt on my way there.

Standing in the lobby, already dressed in my school uniform, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

(Y/N): "Three, two... one-"

Katsuragi: "What are you doing?"

I thought that there wasn't anyone in the lobby with me, so I was preparing myself mentally for the upcoming minutes of suffering that were awaiting me, but apparently someone saw me.

Well... This is embarrassing.

I turned around to see the familiar face of Katsuragi. I couldn't help but notice that he was also dressed in his school uniform.

(Y/N): "You're going to the school building too?"

Katsuragi: "Yes. I have some matters to attend to."

He gave this vibe of a responsible leader. How do I say this? It's hard to explain, but if Katsuragi was the person leading my class I wouldn't be worried. With this I'm not saying that Hirata is a bad leader, in fact he's a pretty good one, but... I don't know. It was my personal opinion, but I felt like Katsuragi was a more reliable person. It was a pity that we were in different classes.

(Y/N): "Is it okay if I go with you? I have something to do there too."

Maybe talking with someone on my way there will help me endure the heat...

Katsuragi: "Sure."

He opened the door and stepped out. I followed suit and as soon as I was outside of the lobby, I felt the urge go back. Katsuragi's pained expression showed that he felt the same, but none of us went back inside. The sooner we got this over with, the sooner we would be able to get back. And so, we started to walk towards the school.

(Y/N): "So... What do you have to do in the school?"

Katsuragi: "I want to talk with the student council president, so I'm heading there to find him."

(Y/N): "What a coincidence. I wanted to talk with the older Horikita too."

Katsuragi: "Older Horikita...?"

He frowned and looked at me with a confused expression, but then he seemed to realize.

Katsuragi: "Ah, that's right. Horikita from your class is the little sister of the student council president, right?"

(Y/N): "Yeah."

I referred to him as older Horikita because I already had one Horikita in my class and it would be confusing to call the two siblings by the same name. If I called one of them by their first name it should be fine, but...

I wasn't sure if Horikita would let me call her by her first name and, even if she did, Sudo would probably get mad at me. The same goes for her brother, calling him by his first name would be awkward because I had only talked to him two or three times before, and there was no way I would call him 'student council president' or 'president' every time I saw him... So older Horikita it is.

Katsuragi: "I heard that Horikita Manabu became the student council president in his first year. That is very impressive."

(Y/N): "Really?"

That was the first time I heard that, and it was indeed very impressive.

(Y/N): "Leading the student council in a school like this must be exhausting. I wonder how he has managed to keep doing that for three years."

Katsuragi: "You're right."

There were a few seconds of silence until he spoke again.

Katsuragi: "To be honest I was the president of the student council back in middle school. I have tried to join the student council here too, but I was rejected every time I tried."

(Y/N): "Ah..."

I remembered Tachibana saying something like that back when Sudo's case was closed. She was the secretary of the student council, if I remembered correctly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Manabu: "Tachibana, do you still have one seat open for secretary?"

Tachibana: "Yes. A first-year Class A student applied the other day, but was rejected after the first interview."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Y/N): "The older Horikita seems to be a very strict person."

Still, I didn't understand why Katsuragi wasn't accepted. For me, he was perfectly capable. I also remembered Ichinose saying that she was also trying to join the student council, but I hadn't heard of her joining yet.

Seeing that talking about the student council made Katsuragi feel uncomfortable, I decided to change the topic.

(Y/N): "By the way, I think I saw you buying a present the other day. Was it for your girlfriend?"

Katsuragi: "My girlfriend?... No, I don't have a girlfriend."

(Y/N): "Really? Then who are you going to give that present to? If you don't mind me asking."

He was lost in thought for a moment, probably wondering whether he should tell me or not. Of course, I wouldn't blame him if he didn't tell me.

Katsuragi: "Have you ever thought about this? The disadvantages of going to this school?"

(Y/N): "Disadvantages, huh? Well, there are many I suppose. The battle between classes is one of them."

Katsuragi: "You're right, but I'm not talking about that. It varies from person to person but, "You cannot contact the outside" is the disadvantage."

(Y/N): "Hmm."

Katsuragi: "Don't you want to contact your parents or your siblings and see how they are doing?"

...

(Y/N): "Yeah, it would be nice to talk to my family."

I wish I could.

(Y/N): "But still, I'm sure that they are just fine where they are."

Katsuragi: "..."

(Y/N): "What about your family? Was that present for a relative?"

Katsuragi: "It's for my twin sister. Our parents... passed away years ago and I'm the only one who can celebrate her birthday."

So the present he was buying back then was for his sister, huh?

(Y/N): "I'm sorry to hear that."

Katsuragi: "It's okay."

I guessed that this was the reason why Katsuragi was heading to the student council right now. Now I was curious. Chabashira-sensei had said that we could buy anything with points, but... Would the school let us break a rule if we had enough points?

I doubted that, there had to be some kind of limitation in the usage of points. Anyway, my opinion didn't really matter because I would find out once Katsuragi asked the older Horikita, but... telling the student council about his intention of contacting the outside wasn't Katsuragi's best option.

We kept talking about unimportant stuff until we reached the school building. I didn't bring Sakayanagi up because someone could overhear us and, since he didn't bring that up either, he probably understood.

As soon as we got there, I let out a sigh of relief. We walked through the corridors the next few minutes until we finally reached the student council room.

Katsuragi knocked on the door and we heard the sound of chairs moving from inside the room. A few seconds later the door opened and the older Horikita greeted us, Tachibana standing next to him.

Manabu: "L/N and Katsuragi. Welcome."

Katsuragi vowed in response to his greeting. I had no intention to, but Tachibana's disapproving look made me feel uncomfortable, so I vowed lightly. Then, Katsuragi turned to me.

Katsuragi: "So..."

(Y/N): "You go first, I'll wait."

Katsuragi: "Thank you."

After clearing his throat, Katsuragi faced the older Horikita.

Katsuragi: "I came here because I would like to make a request. Since the students' requests go through the student council, I decided to come here."

Manabu: "It seems that you came here yesterday and the day before yesterday. We weren't here due to some renovations. I apologize."

Katsuiragi: "No. Since it's summer vacation, I'm the one to blame for pushing the matter. But I'm glad that I was finally able to meet you. Anyway, I would like to talk about a certain school rule."

Manabu: "The school rules, huh?"

Katsuragi: "We are forbidden to contact the outside unless we have express permission. I would like to inquire further into that."

Manabu: "Contacting the outside is strictly forbidden unless you have extreme or unavoidable reasons."

Katsuragi: "I would like to deliver a package and a message card to my family. Of course, I'm not expecting to hear a reply from them."

Manabu: "That doesn't change anything. Even if the contact is unilateral, it's still against the school rules."

The older Horikita was certainly right. It doesn't matter if you have good intentions, the rules are the rules. But then again, it wasn't a bad thing to break some rules from time to time. If everyone followed the rules it would be boring.

Katsuragi: "I understand that contacting with the outside is forbidden, but, as long as I don't send any information I wouldn't be breaking the rules, right?"

Manabu: "There's no change in the fact that it is prohibited by the rules. That is a rule that has existed since the founding of this school and has not changed in all this time. However, the rules back then weren't as strict as they are now."

The older Horikita looked at Tachibana and slightly nodded while smiling.

Tachibana: "It is as he says. Originally, the pack shipping that Katsuragi-kun is requesting was permitted. However, there were many students that broke their promise and hid letters inside the packages without permission. Because of that, now it is absolutely prohibited."

Even though his request was rejected, Katsuragi didn't give up.

Katsuragi: "Then let me ask you once again. Please allow me to apply for the shipping of the package at the shop. I will not lay a single finger on the package; I will only pay for its cost. That way there will be no room for fraud."

Tachibana: "But that's still against the school rules..."

Katsuragi: "I disagree. I've heard that we can do anything with enough points. There are many uses for the private points, like buying test scores or trading between students. Am I wrong?"

It seemed that Katsuragi had cornered them. I wondered how would the older Horikita respond to that.

Manabu: "If that's the case, the situation will change slightly. Before we continue, can you let me know who you are sending it to?"

Katsuragi: "To my twin sister. Since we don't have parents, I am the only one who can celebrate her birthday."

The older Horikita listened to him calmly before continuing.

Manabu: "I'm going to correct you on one point. The point system is not an almighty one. Buying test scores is indeed possible, but only because it is not stated in the rules. What is listed in the school regulations as prohibited will not be altered that easily."

Tachibana: "The school rules are there to be upheld."

In other words, there was not an specific rule that prohibited purchasing test scores, so it wasn't forbidden. However, since contacting the outside was forbidden by the school rules, there was nothing we could do. Even if we payed private points, they still wouldn't let us do it.

Katsuragi: "So... even if I use my points, there's nothing I can do?"

Manabu: "No. If the school prohibits something, you won't be allowed to break that rule even with private points.

Katsuragi looked downwards, finally realising that there was nothing he could do.Even though it was clear that Katsuragi was in a difficult situation, their severe tone didn't change.

Manabu: "If you're finished, please leave."

Katsuragi: "I see... I understand, please excuse me."

He glanced at me and nodded. Then he left quietly.

Manabu: "So, L/N. Please have a seat."

I nodded and sat in front of him. This kind of reminded me of when I was called to the guidance room at the beginning of May, when we discovered that we wouldn't get any points. In front of me was a table with many papers spread across it. Apparently they were reports and complicated things that probably had to do with the student council.

I looked back up at him and sweat-dropped when I saw Tachibana standing next to the older Horikita and looking at me disapprovingly. Again.

Manabu: "I will talk with L/N now. You can return to the dormitory ahead of me if you want, Tachibana."

Tachibana: "No. My antenna is telling me that I can't leave president alone with this boy here." Having said that, she stuck next to him like a bodyguard.

Wait, what is wrong with her? Why the sudden change of attitude?

(Y/N): "I don't bite, you know? Besides, her sister would kill me if I did something to him." I replied nonchalantly.

Tachibana: "I would kill you first if that happened."

(Y/N): "What?"

Ignoring our quarrel, the older Horikita started to talk.

Manabu: "I have received some reports about the uninhabited island and the special test on the ship. Were they difficult?"

(Y/N): "None of us was expecting that we would have to survive on a deserted island for an entire week. It was certainly unexpected."

Manabu: "You say that, but Class D managed to outsmart the other classes."

(Y/N): "We were lucky."

Manabu: "The name of the leader changed to you in the end."

I see. The student council has a lot of influence.

Manabu: "That and the fact that you got 50 points on your entrance examinations clearly shows that you're an interesting student, L/N."

(Y/N): "I'm just a plain boring guy. Have you heard about Koenji Rokusuke though? That guy is certainly an interesting specimen."

Tachibana: "Hey! Don't speak to the president so casually!"

Ah, she's mad at me now...

Manabu: "Remember what I offered you a while ago? You still have time to accept. Join the student council."

Tachibana: "P-president? The student council already accepted a first-year girl a few days ago, right? Isn't that the end of it? Besides, we still have some requests from the second-years..."

Manabu: "The second-years can wait. L/N, if you wish, I can use my influence to make you vice-president."

Wait, vice president?

Tachibana: "W-wait. This is unprecedented! A first year from Class D joining the student council is surprising enough, but making him the vice president?!"

Manabu: "I shouldn't be saying this, but this school will undergo a massive change starting next year. And it won't be a desirable one. That's why I need to create a force capable of countering it."

In other words, he was basically trying to use me.

Tachibana: "President... You're talking about that hypothetic scenario where Nagumo-kun becomes the next president, right?"

Now that I think about it, the third-years' time in this school is coming to an end. Since the older Horikita will leave the school next spring, they should be already looking for a new president.

(Y/N): "I said that I would think about it, but back then you offered me to be a secretary. I don't know what's going on with that Nagumo, but vice-president is too much for me."

Tachibana: "S-see? We shouldn't-"

Manabu: "In other words, you will join the student council as long as you're not the vice-president?"

Tachibana: "P-president!"

To be honest I had been wondering for a while whether I should join or not. There were many disadvantages, since I would stand out a lot if I did join. I just wanted to have a normal student life without standing out too much. But then again, if I joined the student council, I would understand this school better and lessen the risk of dropping out.

In the end, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages.

(Y/N): "Yes, I will join the student council as long as I have a lower rank."

It might seem like I was being arrogant with this condition, but now that I knew that he was desperate for some help in order to fight that Nagumo guy, I was in the position to put some conditions.

Manabu: "I see. I have no problem with that."

So now it was official. Y/N L/N, a mere student from Class D was going to join the student council. I could see Tachibana's shocked expression from the corner of my eyes and smirked, which made her even angrier.

Manabu: "I'll have to talk with the other members of the student council first, but in the end the choice is mine. There should still be a seat open for secretary."

(Y/N): "That's good to hear. By the way, who is this first-year girl who has joined the student council?"

When I heard Tachibana say that, I couldn't help but wonder who she was.

Manabu: "You should know her already. She is Ichinose Honami, from Class B."

So Ichinose finally joined the student council, huh? To be honest, I was glad that there would be a familiar face in the student council. For some reason though, the older Horikita didn't seem to be very happy about Ichinose joining the student council.

I wondered why, but in the end I decided not to ask.

Manabu: "Anyway, since you just joined the student council you will need some help in order to get accustomed. Tachibana has been a secretary for almost three years now, so she will tutor you the first days."

(Y/N): "W-wait, she will-?"

This time it was her turn to smirk. What a scary smile. It was almost as if she was saying "Prepare yourself"

Tachibana: "I look forward to working with you, L/N."

Where have I gotten myself into?!

36- A helping hand

(Y/N) pov

I left the student council room and closed the door behind me. The older Horikita had offered to give me some tea, but I refused. I wanted to talk with Katsuragi, and I wouldn't be able to talk to him if I stayed there much longer.

Also, Tachibana's expression was scary. When I was talking to the older Horikita, she glared at me most of the time, except when she made eye contact with him. When their eyes met, she would always wear a sweet smile, but as soon as he looked back at me, she would return to glaring at me. I didn't know what that girl had against me, but right now I only wanted to stay as far away from her as possible.

The older Horikita said that he would contact me once everything was ready. Apparently, he still had to take care of the paperwork and telling the rest of the student council that I would be joining them soon, so I still had some time to decide how I should tell my classmates about me joining the student council. Once they found out, they would start asking questions and Horikita's reaction to it gave me goosebumps.

As I was walking towards the exit of the school building, I saw a male student surrounded by girls. He was blond and was also wearing the school uniform.

"Aww, Nagumo-kun. Are you leaving already?"

Nagumo?

Nagumo: "I'm sorry girls, there's something I need to talk about with Horikita-senpai. I promise I'll make it up to you, okay?"

I didn't recognise any of them, so they were probably second or third years. Once Nagumo entered the building, our eyes met for a moment but we both kept walking without saying anything.

As soon as I exited the building I deadpanned. Due to the air-conditioner, I had forgotten about how hot it was outside.

Well, I guess that Katsuragi can wait.

I hurried back inside and decided that I would make some time before I got back to the dorms.

(Timeskip)

I entered the library, which was located inside the school building. Since I was there, might as well get some books to read. I went to the mystery section since I felt like reading some Agatha Christie. I had already read most of Hercules Poirot, but not Miss Marple. I decided to go for "The murder at the Vicarage", which was Marple's first appearance in an Agatha Christie novel.

As soon as I got there, I spotted a girl taking a book from one of the shelves. She had long, silver hair and was wearing black ribbons. If I remembered correctly, she was a first year like me. She looked at me curiously when I approached one of the shelves.

I looked for the book, but sadly it wasn't there. I guessed that someone had already taken it.

"Umm..."

The girl that I saw before approached me with a book on her hands.

"Were you perhaps looking for this book?"

The girl showed me the book that she was holding. It was indeed the book that I was looking for.

(Y/N): "Ah, yeah. But don't worry, I'll look for another one."

"Here, you can have it."

I'm not going to say that I didn't want to accept her offer because I would be lying. I wasn't going to say no, but I shouldn't say yes either... I mean, she picked it first.

"Really, it's fine. I already read Agatha Christie, so I don't mind."

(Y/N): "Is it really okay? I don't mind waiting a bit more if you want to re-read it."

Without listening to me, she placed the book on my hands. What a nice girl.

(Y/N): "Thank you."

Hiyori: "It's nothing. My name is Shiina Hiyori, I'm a class C student."

(Y/N): "I'm Y/N L/N, from Class D."

Hiyori: "Nice to meet you, L/N-kun."

I have to admit, her sweet smile made me skip a beat. Since this girl was so nice, I tried to talk to her a little bit. Maybe we could even become friends.

(Y/N): "You must love reading books."

Her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened a bit.

Hiyori: "Huh?"

Shit! Was I too blunt?

(Y/N): "I-I mean, the school makes us wear the uniform if we want to enter the building and you came all the way here in summer." In fact, the library was almost empty.

She was silent for a few seconds and then giggled. Apparently, she found my struggle to sound nice amusing.

Hiyori: "Yeah, I read a lot. But I guess that I could say the same about you, right?"

(Y/N): "I guess..."

Not really. I mean, I like reading, but there's no way that I would come all the way here just to get something to read. I prefer my nice air-conditioned room, thank you very much.

Hiyori: "Are you going to get more books?"

(Y/N): "Yeah, since I'm here I'll pick one or two more."

Her eyes sparkled as soon as I said that.

Hiyori: "Have you read the Lord Peter series?"

(Y/N): "Eh? No."

She took her eyes off me and started looking around the shelves.

Hiyori: "You should totally read it. If you read one book I'm sure that you will want to read the rest of the series."

(Y/N): "I-is that so?"

Hiyori: "Also, I'm sure that you'll love the Dorothy L. Sayers series."

I'm not going to lie, I was taken aback by her sudden change of attitude. The Professor once said that shy girls are less timid when they talk about something that they like. I mean, I wouldn't say that Hiyori was shy, but...

She looked back at me and apparently noticed that I was a bit surprised.

Hiyori: "I'm sorry for speaking out like this. Did I annoy you?"

(Y/N): "Ah, no. It's fine."

Hiyori: "You see, there's no one in Class C who likes reading novels, so I have no one I could talk to."

I felt bad for her. I knew exactly how she felt. Something happened when I was fourteen years old and I had to leave the white room temporarily. I was given a flat where I could stay until everything went back to normal, but I wasn't allowed to see anyone.

I was happy the first few weeks, but then I started to feel lonely because I had no one I could talk to. Before I knew it, I started to talk to myself from time to time.

(Y/N): "Well, I don't know many people who like to read either..."

Except Horikita, but she prefers to be alone most of the time.

(Y/N): "So..."

She tilted her head in confusion and I awkwardly scratched my cheek. This was so embarrassing...

(Y/N): "If it's okay with you, maybe we could... hang out sometime and talk about... books?"

...

Why do I even do things?

I couldn't understand myself. Sometimes I could talk to people without any problem, and other times I acted like a dumbass. Maybe it was because I overthink things too much? When I tried to make a good impression it always ended up horribly, but when I just talked with people without thinking, things usually went well. I honestly had no idea. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to run back to the dorms, hide under my bed and stay there until the second semester started.

Hiyori stayed silent for a few seconds and then giggled.

Hiyori: "I would love to."

Wait, really?!

She opened her bag and took out many books. I noticed that they weren't from the library.

Hiyori: "I always carry these books with me, hoping that someday I find someone who shares my interest in books. Weird, isn't it?"

(Y/N): "Not at all. I think that looking for someone similar to you is not a weird thing."

Her cheeks reddened a bit again. When I noticed that I spoke without thinking and that it could have sound embarrassing, my cheeks reddened as well.

Hiyori: "T-thank you."

After an awkward silence, she gave me her books and smiled. I didn't have time to think about how cute her smile was because I remembered that I didn't bring my bag with me and that I would have to carry these books all the way back to the dorms.

Hiyori: "If it's okay with you, we could meet here again in the future and talk about books."

Is she mocking me?

(Y/N): "S-sure."

Although I thought that Hiyori was making fun of me at the beginning, we exchanged our contact information and walked back to the dorms together. Cringe aside, I somehow managed to make a new friend and I was very happy.

(Timeskip)

As soon as I got back to my room, I dialled Katsuragi's number and called him.

Katsuragi: "L/N?"

(Y/N): "Hey, there's something I need to talk to you about. Are you free now?"

There was a small silence. He was probably wondering why didn't I tell him before.

Katsuragi: "Fine. Do you mind coming to my room?"

(Y/N): "There's no problem. I'll be there in a few minutes."

After telling me his room number, we finished the call.

I didn't really like to get involved in this stuff, but I needed to gain Katsuragi's trust. Since I would join the student council soon, I wouldn't be able to help him that much, but there was still something I could do.

Besides, it wasn't like I was going to break the rules or anything.

Once I was in front of Katsuragi's door, I rang the doorbell. I heard footsteps from inside and the door opened a few seconds after. Katsuragi looked a bit sad as he did so.

Katsuragi: "Welcome L/N. Please come in."

I stepped in and glanced around his room. Now that I think about it, that was the first time that I entered another student's room. Contrary to mine, his room had his personal belongings and it actually looked like someone was living there.

After having a seat, Katsuragi looked at me with a serious expression.

Katsuragi: "I'm a bit curious. What were you talking about with the student's council president?"

I hesitated for a brief second. Should I tell him? In the end it didn't really matter if I told him because he would eventually find out. Besides, if I told him directly, he would trust me more and it would be beneficial in the future.

(Y/N): "I'm going to join the student council."

Katsuragi, unable to hide his surprise, stuttered.

Katsuragi: "Y-you are going to join the student council? Really?"

(Y/N): "Only the older Horikita and Tachibana know about it right now though, so I would appreciate if you keep it a secret."

Katsuragi: "S-sure. I don't mean to offend, but I never imagined that the president would let a Class D student join the student council..."

(Y/N): "It's fine."

Katsuragi was a good man and I knew that he wouldn't tell anyone, so I didn't have to worry about the rumour spreading... Yet.

After clearing his throat, Katsuragi's serious expression came back.

Katsuragi: "Anyways, what did you want to talk about?"

(Y/N): "It's about your sister's birthday present. I think that there's something you can still do."

He frowned.

Katsuragi: "The student council president said that it was forbidden. There's nothing else I can do."

(Y/N): "You see, one of my classmates is in the basketball club."

Katsuragi: "What are you talking about?"

(Y/N): "The basketball club is participating in a tournament which will take place outside of the school in a few days. He is a nice guy once you get to know him. Be sure not to make him angry though."

He looked at me with a dumbfounded expression, but then frowned.

(Y/N): "He is Sudo Ken, I'm sure that you've already heard of him. Since he is in Class D, he doesn't have many points, but I'm sure that he will listen to you if he gets something in return."

Katsuragi: "Wait, are you implying that I should break the rules?"

I tilted my head.

(Y/N): "What are you talking about? I'm just talking about one of my classmates."

He looked at me suspiciously, but eventually smiled. He should have understood by now. Since he wouldn't be able to send the present from inside the school, the only option he had was to send it from the outside, and Sudo would be temporarily leaving the school for the tournament soon. I was pretty sure that Sudo would help once he heard about Katsuragi's sister (and once he was offered private points in exchange).

Of course, there would be security controls and some other obstacles, but how to overcome them was up to Katsuragi and Sudo.

(Y/N): "Well, that's all I wanted to say. I'm heading back now."

Katsuragi: "Thank you."

I didn't know if they would be able to make it, but I wouldn't be here if Sudo wasn't capable enough.

In any case, whether they made it or not wasn't my problem. I only told Katsuragi about a classmate and I had nothing to do with whatever happened in the future.

--

(A/N)

Sorry for the wait, college started again and I've been doing the exams this past couple of weeks. I should be able to update regularly again from now on and there will be a new chapter this Friday or Saturday.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed and see you next time.

37- Confessions and a talented turtle

(A/N): The last few chapters took place before the fortune teller. This chapter takes place after that.

(Y/N) pov

A few days after the fortune teller and getting stuck in the elevator with Ibuki, I decided to take a walk around the campus. I decided to go out once the sun was almost set so it wasn't very hot outside. However, even if the sun wasn't visible anymore, the heat was still there.

I left my phone in the dorm because it had run out of battery but, even if it did have enough power, I would probably have left it there or put it in silence anyways. Since I joined the school, I went for a walk from time to time to clear my mind and I didn't want my mobile to break that moment of peace.

I got back to my room around 10 pm and checked my mobile before getting ready for dinner. I had received an email from the school and... three missed calls from Horikita? It was impossible for her to know about the student council... right?

Or maybe she was in trouble? She wouldn't call me this many times if it wasn't important. I decided to call her, just in case. Horikita didn't answer and, getting a bit worried, I called her again. Still no answer.

Maybe she was already asleep? While I was trying to understand what was going on, I checked the email from the school. Apparently, there were some problems with the potable water and the access to water in the dorms was temporarily cut. The email also said that we would be given some water in the cafeteria but, since the email had been sent a while ago, the cafeteria would probably be crowded at that moment and, by the moment I got there, there probably wouldn't be much water left.

I sighed and called Horikita again. This time she actually answered the call.

Horikita: "Hello..." For some reason she sounded a bit tired.

(Y/N): "Hi. I'm sorry for not answering your calls before but my phone was out of battery."

She didn't say anything, but I heard some kind of metallic sound coming from her end.

(Y/N): "What is that sound?"

Horikita: "N-nothing."

Now I was starting to get worried. The Horikita I knew would never be this sheepish... unless her brother was around. Was she with her brother?

(Y/N): "Are you sure you're okay?"

After a brief silence, she spoke again.

Horikita: "Let's say that there is a turtle."

(Y/N): "A turtle...?"

Horikita: "That turtle is extremely talented and clever. However, the turtle was involved in an incident and it was turned on its back. It would be terrible, right? The turtle wouldn't be able to move at all."

(Y/N): "I mean, a normal turtle would be able to extend its neck and use its legs to balance, so I'm pretty sure that the turtle would be able to fend for itself."

Horikita: "But-"

(Y/N): "Unless you're talking about a giant tortoise or a sea turtle. But then again, it would be impossible for them to land on their back in the first place."

Horikita: "..."

Understanding that my babbling would get me in trouble, I shut up.

(Y/N): "Anyways, please go on."

She sighed tiredly.

Horikita: "I might... need your help. Can you come to my room?"

It was already night-time and there shouldn't be any male students in the girls' dormitories, but since she asked for my help I didn't really have a choice.

(Y/N): "Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Horikita: "Thank you."

I didn't know what was going on, but if she asked for my help it had to be something important. Horikita wasn't the kind of person who relied on others that easily. I tried to make a joke to lighten the mood.

(Y/N): "I hope that the intelligent and talented turtle who doesn't know how to use its legs doesn't get in more trouble."

Horikita: "..."

(Y/N): "Horikita?"

She hung up.

(Timeskip)

I was in front of Horikita's door. Since I wasn't supposed to be here in the first place, I made my way as silent as possible. Then again, if someone saw me sneaking around like this in the girls' dormitories at night they might get the wrong idea.

I was about to ring the doorbell, but I noticed that her door wasn't closed.

(Y/N): "Horikita?"

Horikita: "You're alone, right? Come in."

I opened the door and saw Horikita standing next to her bed, her back turned on me.

(Y/N): "What's wrong?"

Horikita: "Promise you won't laugh."

This was the second time I saw Horikita acting like this, and it was kind of amusing. She didn't appear to be hurt, so I relaxed a bit.

(Y/N): "I promise I'll try not to laugh."

Horikita: "L/N-kun."

(Y/N): "Fine, I promise I won't laugh."

She stood still for a few seconds, but eventually tuned around.

Oh.

Her hand was stuck inside a thermos. How did she even end up like that?

Horikita: "H-hey! You said that you wouldn't laugh!"

She complained in an abnormally girlish voice (for Horikita). Her cheeks were red and her expression was really cute.

(Y/N): "I'm not laughing."

I'm not going to deny that there was a smile on my face and that I had to look elsewhere so I didn't start chuckling though.

Horikita: "I knew that I shouldn't have called you..."

(Y/N): "No, really, I want to help. J-just give me a minute."

Holding my laughter back was very difficult. It was a weird feeling to say the least. I didn't even remember when was the last time that I had felt like this. However, I had to stop suddenly because her hand (the one which was stuck in the thermos) was raising dangerously and I feared that she would hit me with it.

(Y/N): "So... You can't get rid of it?"

Horikita: "...No, that's why I called you. Can you help me?"

(Y/N): "Sure."

She gave me her hand and I started pulling. However, it didn't come out. I didn't use much strength because I didn't want to hurt her, but Horikita's face didn't change at all, so I applied more force. This time her face twitched in pain, but she didn't say anything.

(Y/N): "This is worse than I thought."

I decided to stop because she could get hurt if I kept pulling the thermos. Horikita sighed in defeat. It would be easier if we used water and soap, but it was impossible because the water had been cut in the dormitories. I decided to go to the cafeteria, but they had already run out of water when I got there. Even the vending machines were completely empty, and I came back to Horikita's room empty-handed.

Horikita: "What am I going to do...?"

(Y/N): "If it's okay with you I could ask someone for water. I'm sure that our classmates went to the cafeteria to get some water before me."

Horikita: "Denied."

(Y/N): "Why?"

Horikita: "You were going to ask Kushida-san, weren't you?"

(Y/N): "No."

Horikita: "..."

I looked elsewhere and scratched my cheek.

(Y/N): "Maybe."

This girl was so hard to deal with.

(Y/N): "I guess that I could ask Sakura or Hirata instead..."

Horikita: "Sakura-san or Hirata-kun, huh... I don't like the idea of asking them for help, but... I guess that I have no choice."

Once she agreed, I sent a message to Sakura. However, she didn't answer. I then tried to contact Hirata, but once again there was no response. I guessed that they were already asleep.

Horikita: "No luck?"

(Y/N): "No..."

I had been making fun of Horikita, but now I felt bad for her. I wanted to help, but her pride was getting on the way and she wouldn't let me ask for help unless it was either Sakura or Hirata.

(Y/N): "There is a fountain on the way to the school, the water should work there."

Horikita: "If I got out I would risk people seeing me like this. Isn't there another way?"

(Y/N): "It's either that or the water of the toilet."

Horikita suddenly stood up and headed towards the exit of her room.

(Y/N): "Horikita?"

Horikita: "We're going to the fountain."

(Timeskip)

We decided to use the stairs to go down because there were cameras installed in the elevator and someone could see her. After descending two floors, we heard a door opening.

Horikita: "This is bad. That is Maezono-san's room."

She was one of my classmates and Horikita clearly didn't want Maezono to see her like this at all.

Maezono: "Thank you Kushida-san. I'll make it up to you next time."

Kushida: "It's fine, don't worry. Good night, Maezono-san."

Upon hearing Kikyou's voice, Horikita tensed up behind me.

Horikita: "Don't let her see us." She muttered.

(Y/N): "What do you think I am, a ninja?" I whispered back.

Horikita: "Shut up and start moving!" She whispered-shouted.

If we were silent enough, we should be able to reach the emergency stairs without being spotted.

Kushida: "Huh? Y/N and Horikita-san...?

Kikyou looked at us from the door and Maezono poked her head through her entrance. Horikita, still hiding behind me, muttered something.

Maezono: "What are you guys doing there?"

(Y/N): "Hello."

Horikita: "Don't answer them or they will grow curious!" She whispered.

(Y/N): "I don't want to be rude." I whispered back.

There was a small silence, the two girls looking at us curiously. Horikita whispered to me again.

Horikita: "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

(Y/N): "From the bottom of my heart." I replied honestly.

Kikyou and Maezono approached us and tried to peek at Horikita, but she was using me as a shield in a desperate try to avoid them. If someone told me that I would end up like this a few hours ago I wouldn't believe them.

Kushida: "Why are you hiding?"

Horikita: "It's none of your business."

Maezono: "Huh? You don't need to be so rude, Horikita-san."

It seemed that Maezono was enjoying this as much as I was. She was grinning as she tried to take a look at Horikita. Even though I wanted to tease her a little bit more, I decided that it was enough and looked at Kikyou. She looked back at me and, even though she didn't look very happy about it, she understood.

Kushida: "Maezono-san, I think that we should stop."

Maezono: "But why?"

She whined, but in the end accepted. After saying goodbye and receiving a suspicious look from Kikyou, we managed to escape without them seeing Horikita's hand and kept going down the stairs.

(Y/N): "Phew, glad that is over. Right Horikita?"

Horikita: "Shut up."

(Timeskip)

It took us a while, but in the end we managed to reach the lobby. Luckily there wasn't anyone there, so we hurried towards the exit. However, we heard laughter and footsteps from the outside. A group of students that I didn't recognize approached the entrance. They were chatting happily with each other.

Horikita: "Hurry, the elevator!"

We had no choice. If we stayed there, they would see us, so we hurried towards the elevator. I pressed a random floor and the doors closed before the students entered the building. After that, I stood in front of the line of vision of the security camera and Horikita hid behind me. They wouldn't be able to see her, so it should be fine. This also meant that if we used the elevator in the first place we wouldn't be struggling like this, but using the stairs was Horikita's choice.

Horikita: "I give up."

(Y/N): "What?"

The doors opened on the second floor. Apparently, I had pressed the second floor's button when I panicked before.

Horikita: "I'm going back to my room and wait until the water works again."

She had had enough, so she decided to go back to her room. I couldn't blame her, to be honest.

(Y/N): "Okay."

I pressed the thirteen's floor button and the doors closed once again. However, when we were in the fifth floor, the elevator started to slow down. Now it was my time to tense up because I remembered what happened when I got stuck in the elevator with Ibuki.

(Y/N): "Please, not again..."

I was relieved when the doors of the elevator opened. A male student who we both knew quite well entered the elevator without even looking at us.

Koenji: "To the top floor please, elevator boy."

I wanted to say something, but Horikita tugged on my sleeve to stop me. I sighed and reluctantly pressed the top floor's button.

Without even looking at us, Koenji looked at himself in the mirror and started to comb his hair. I was curious because if he was going to the top floor, he was probably going to see a girl. At night. In her room.

I shrugged it off because right now I was going to a girl's room at night too, but I also knew that our reasons were different.

The doors opened again and we stepped out hurriedly, leaving Koenji alone in the elevator. While Horikita looked for her key card to open the door, my phone vibrated. I was surprised to see a message from Sakura.

Sakura: "Sorry for not answering sooner, I was looking for something and didn't notice."

Horikita: "Is it Sakura-san?"

(Y/N): "Yes."

Sakura: "You needed water, right? I can help."

(Y/N): "Thank you. Do you mind if I go now?"

Sakura: "It's fine."

After that short exchange, I put my phone back in my pocket and looked at Horikita.

(Y/N): "She will help."

Horikita sighed in relief, clearly glad that she would be able to get rid of the bottle.

(Timeskip)

(Y/N): "That should be enough."

I went to Sakura's room and she gave me a bottle of water. After that, I returned to Horikita's room and tried to get her hand out of the thermos again. This time it was much easier and I managed to do it.

Horikita: "Finally."

I was relieved too. I didn't know what I would do if the water wasn't enough to pull the thermos out.

(Y/N): "Well, it could have been worse."

She glared at me.

Horikita: "Because of you I got into an embarrassing situation in front of Kushida-san and Maezono-san, but I'll forget about it because you helped me today."

How nice.

(Y/N): "By the way, there's something I should tell you."

Horikita: "What is it?"

I slowly stood up and approached the door, which made Horikita look at me suspiciously.

(Y/N): "So... I might have talked with your brother recently..."

As soon as I mentioned her brother, she stood up and slowly approached me.

Horikita: "My brother...?"

I didn't like this, but if someone told her that I joined the student council it would be even worse. The best thing I could do was tell her directly.

I took another step backwards and reached for the doorknob.

(Y/N): "Yeah. This might be a surprise for you, but I will join the student council soon."

She stopped cold and looked at me incredulously. My mind was telling me to leave that place.

(Y/N): "I thought that it would be better to tell you directly so... yeah."

I slowly opened the door and got ready to run if it was necessary. The scowl on her face showed that she didn't take it too well.

(Y/N): "Bye."

Horikita: "Wait!"

I closed the door behind me and hurried to the elevator. By the time she got out of her room the doors of the elevator were already closing. As soon as I got back to my room, I locked the door, turned off my mobile and sighed.

I hope I don't see her anytime soon.

(Timeskip - A few days later)

I woke up to the sound of my doorbell ringing. I glanced at my watch and noticed that it was already 12 pm.

Yamauchi: "L/N! I know you're there, open the door!"

What does he want?

I lazily stood up and opened the door. Yamauchi looked upset, but when he saw me his expression turned to a surprised one.

Yamauchi: "Were you still sleeping?"

(Y/N): "Yes." I deadpanned.

Yamauchi grinned and put his hand on my shoulder.

Yamauchi: "You should thank me then! The second semester will start soon and you wouldn't be able to enjoy the rest of our summer vacation if you spent all day sleeping!"

(Y/N): "What do you want..."

He stepped in and sat on the floor. His eyes were closed and his face serious.

Yamauchi: "I need your help, L/N."

(Y/N): "For what?"

Yamauchi: "Remember when I told you that I liked Sakura?"

(Y/N): "...Yes."

Please tell me that he didn't come all the way here for her contact information...

Yamauchi: "I decided that is time to tell her how I feel."

(Y/N): "Wait, seriously?"

He nodded with confidence and handed me a letter. I looked at it and then back at him.

Yamauchi: "What are you waiting for? Read it."

(Y/N): "A-ah, okay."

What am I even doing?

I reluctantly started to read it. What did I have to do with all this anyways?

Dear Sakura Airi-sama. I've been interested in you for a long time. Please go out with me.

...

Yamauchi: "Long sentences aren't as effective as this, I tell you."

I sweat-dropped.

(Y/N): "Well, it is definitely clear and concise."

Yamauchi: "See?"

He chuckled proudly and scratched his nose with his finger. If he was confessing to another girl, her rejection would be as clear as concise as Yamauchi's letter. However, Sakura wasn't brave enough to just reject him like that, so it was clear that she was going to have a difficult time. Anyways... What did I have to do with all this?

(Y/N): "Why are you telling me this?"

Yamauchi: "Because I want you to give her the let-"

(Y/N): "No."

Yamauchi: "At least listen to me!" He complained.

(Y/N): "You are the one who is confessing his feelings, not me. I'm not going to give her your love letter."

Yamauchi: "Dude, you owe me one! Don't you remember what I had to do for you in the deserted island?! My back was hurting for days!"

He was right. I asked him to smear mud all over Horikita's hair and, as a result, she threw him to the ground.

(Y/N): "You're right, I owe you one. If you want I'll try to convince Sakura to talk with you alone but giving her your love letter is out of question."

He was lost in thought for a few seconds but, no matter how many times he tried, I wouldn't give Sakura his letter.

Yamauchi: "...Fine."

He was clearly disappointed, but in the end accepted my offer. I wasn't particularly fond of Yamauchi but, even if a very close friend asked me to do that for them, I would still refuse. Even I knew that if you love someone you must tell them directly.

(Timeskip)

I rang Sakura's doorbell and heard voices from inside. I was surprised to say the least, I didn't expect that Sakura would be with someone in her room. However, I also felt kind of happy that she was starting to interact with other people.

Sakura: "L-L/N-kun?"

(Y/N): "Hello. Sorry for coming here without warning."

Sakura: "A-ah, no. It's fine."

She stood aside so I could come in. As soon as I entered the room, I spotted Mii-chan sitting on a chair. Our eyes met but Mii-chan, being almost as shy as Sakura, quickly averted her eyes.

(Y/N): "Sorry for intruding. I can come back other time if I'm bothering you two."

Sakura was talking with a friend and I definitely didn't want to make things awkward.

Sakura: "R-really, it's fine. If it's L/N-kun I don't really mind."

Mii-chan and I both looked at Sakura a bit surprised. She panicked and moved her hands in front of her.

Sakura: "N-nothing! I didn't say anything!"

There was an awkward silence. Sakura tried to hide her blushing face behind her hands while Mii-chan alterned between looking at Sakura and me.

Sakura: "A-a-anyways, what did you want to talk about, L/N-kun?"

(Y/N): "Well..."

I uncomfortably looked at Mii-chan. I didn't think that she should be hearing this. They both noticed and looked at each other.

(Y/N): "It's kind of complicated. I have no problem with Mii-chan being here, but maybe you..."

Sakura: "N-no. Mii-chan is really nice, so I don't have any problem with her being here either."

I don't think that you're getting my point, Sakura.

However, since Sakura said that there wasn't any problem, I had no choice.

(Y/N): "Okay. This might sound strange, but... Let's say that there is a boy who is in love with a girl."

Sakura/Mii-chan: "H-huh?!"

Sakura blushed and I instantly regretted my choice of words, but there was no turning back now.

(Y/N): "The boy wants to confess his feelings to the girl he likes, but he's too afraid that she might reject him. What would you do if you were that girl, Sakura?"

There was a long silence. Mii-chan's eyes were sparkling for some reason and Sakura looked like she was about to faint. I knew that it would be difficult for Sakura because she was way too shy, but this had to be done.

(Y/N): "Are you okay?"

Sakura: "Y-yeah. Actually, I'm very happy."

I was surprised when she said that and smiled at me. Her cuteness aside, I was starting to get confused. I didn't expect her to react like this at all.

Mii-chan: "I-I think that I shouldn't be here..." She stood up and headed towards the exit, but there was a smile planted on her face for some reason. I didn't stop her because I didn't really want her to listen to this. She put on her shoes and got ready to leave, but stopped when Sakura spoke again.

Sakura: "I-is H-H-Horikita-san okay with this though?"

(Y/N): "Huh? What does Horikita have to do with this?"

She averted her eyes and I looked at Mii-chan wondering if she understood why Sakura brought Horikita up, but then something clicked in my mind and my mouth opened a bit.

(Y/N): "O-oh..."

They totally got the wrong idea! Y/N, you idiot! Where have you gotten yourself into?!

After mentally scolding myself, I told them that Yamauchi wanted to see her and that I was here because of him. This is what happens when you get someone like me involved in romantic stuff. Dammit Yamauchi!

Sakura: "I-I see... So it was Yamauchi-kun..." She sounded disappointed.

Mii-chan: "Wouldn't it be better if you told her directly from the beginning?"

Why is she still here?

(Y/N): "You're right. Sorry, Sakura."

Sakura: "It's fine... But, what should I do?"

(Y/N): "I-"

Mii-chan: "Sakura-san, I think that you should talk to him."

Huh?

Mii-chan: "Even if you can't return his feelings, you should tell him directly. Yamauchi-kun must be having a bad time right now, but he is making an effort to leave his fears aside and confess his feelings to you. You should totally talk to him!"

What is going on?!

Sakura: "Mii-chan is right. I don't want to, but... I have to be brave. I'll talk with Yamauchi-kun."

My brain didn't process the fact that Sakura actually accepted because I was still looking at Mii-chan, mouth agape. For a moment it was like all her shyness was gone and she spoke in a very excited manner. It was as if the Mii-chan I knew was suddenly replaced by a vigorous girl.

As soon as she met my eyes, she turned back to her usual sheepish attitude.

Mii-chan: "D-did I say something wrong?"

(Y/N): "No. Actually, I couldn't have said it better."

(Timeskip)

That afternoon, Mii-chan and I accompanied Sakura to the back of the school building, where Yamauchi wanted to meet her. Sakura asked us to stay with her, but I told her that this was something that she had to do by herself. However, I said that we would be around the corner in case she needed anything.

After that, Mii-chan and I hid behind the corner for a while until we heard footsteps.

Yamauchi: "S-sorry for the wait, Sakura-san."

Sakura: "N-no... It's fine."

There was an awkward silence. Even I started to get nervous and wondered what would happen next.

Yamauchi: "P-please... can you read this?"

I assumed that he was giving her his love letter. There was a long pause, Sakura was probably reading the letter.

Sakura: "Um... Please, let me ask you something."

Yamauchi: "You can ask me whatever you want..."

Sakura: "W-why do you like... me? There are girls who are cuter than me..."

Yamauchi: "I prefer Sakura!"

Sakura: "H-huh?!"

Mii-chan was getting very excited for some reason and I was starting to wonder if the person next to me was her twin sister or something. However, I shrugged it off and went back to listen to them.

Sakura: "I'm... I'm sorry! I can't return your feelings!"

Yamauchi: "I see..."

There was a long silence. I felt kind of bad for Yamauchi, but there was nothing I could do here.

Yamauchi: "Thanks for coming all the way here just to see me, Sakura. I'm sorry for bothering you."

Sakura: "G-goodbye."

Having said that, Sakura came running to the place we were hiding. Mii-chan and I panicked and tried to make sure that Yamauchi didn't see us.

Sakura: "I... I did it."

(Y/N): "You were very brave, Sakura."

Mii-chan eagerly nodded in agreement.

Sakura: "I-I feel bad for Yamauchi-kun..."

(Y/N): "You don't have to. You just replied honestly and, even if you don't think so, what you did was the best. If you didn't answer honestly it would only hurt both of you in the long run."

Mii-chan: "L/N-kun is right, Sakura-san. You did nothing wrong."

A small smile appeared on Sakura's face.

Sakura: "Thank you both. I wouldn't have been able to do this if you weren't here with me."

(Y/N): "That's what friends are for."

(Timeskip)

Once Sakura and Mii-chan left, I went to Yamauchi, who was still standing where Sakura had left him.

(Y/N): "Are you okay?"

It was dumb for me to ask that. He obviously wasn't okay, but I didn't know what to say.

Yamauchi: "Yeah... How do I put it? I'm kind of relieved, actually."

(Y/N): "You are?"

Yamauchi: "It's hard to explain... But I noticed that I only loved Sakura because of her physical appearance. I didn't know her that well, so it was a mistake coming here today. I was an idiot."

...

Yamauchi: "L/N?"

(Y/N): "I... I don't know what to say. That was surprisingly deep."

Yamauchi: "Hey! I might act like an idiot, but even I can admit when I made a mistake, okay?!"

(Y/N): "Y-yeah."

Yamauchi: "Anyways, I wanted to apologize for getting you into this. Thanks for helping me, L/N."

Having said that, he turned around and headed back to the dorms. I didn't expect it at all, but Yamauchi was more mature than I thought.

--

(A/N): Those who read the novel will notice that Mii-chan was a bit out of character here. I changed her attitude a because I didn't want her to be a Sakura 2.0.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed and see you next time.

38- Meeting

(Y/N) pov

I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. I groaned and raised my arm to look for my mobile, face still buried in my pillow.

(Y/N): "...Hello?"

Tachibana: "It's Tachibana."

I rubbed my eyes and glanced at my watch. When my phone rang, I thought that I had overslept and that most of the students were already awake, but it was still 9 am. Why would she call me so early in the morning?

(Y/N) "Who?"

Tachibana: "What do you mean, who?!"

(Y/N): "Ah, I remember now. The grumpy girl who is with the older Horikita all the time."

Tachibana: "G-grumpy?! What a disrespectful first year!"

Since she interrupted my sleep, I thought that I might as well tease her. Also, I was 90% sure that she called me this early on purpose, probably knowing that I would still be sleeping.

(Y/N): "Why did you call?"

Tachibana: "There will be a reunion today in the student council room. The president wants to talk about the second semester and what will happen from now on. It will also be an opportunity for the rest of the members to meet you."

(Y/N): "So he already told everyone that I'm joining?"

Tachibana: "Yes, everyone knows about it. They were quite surprised."

I sighed.

(Y/N): "Yeah, I can imagine."

Standing out and calling everyone's attention was probably the worst part of joining the student council. Not to mention that I was a Class D student. I could already imagine the rest of the members looking down on me.

Tachibana: "Anyways, the reunion will take place at 5 pm today. Don't be late."

(Y/N): "5 pm, huh? In that case, was it really necessary to call me this earl-?"

She hung up before I could finish my question.

(Timeskip)

It was around 4:30 pm when I left my room to head towards the school building. I was wearing my school uniform just like the last time I went there, but at least today it was cloudy. It would probably start raining in a few hours.

As I made my way towards the elevator, I couldn't help but think of how weird Horikita had been acting since I told her that I would join the student council. I thought that she would ask me about her brother or how I got accepted but, contrary to my expectations, she hadn't talked to me at all since the night I told her. I didn't know if I should be happy because she didn't try to interrogate me or scared of what she would do next time she saw me.

When the elevator's door opened, I was surprised to see Ike and Yamauchi inside. They seemed to be deep in thought.

(Y/N): "Hello."

Ike: "Hi. Why are you wearing the school uniform?"

(Y/N): "I'm going to the school building."

Yamauchi: "Dude, why would you go there in summer vacation?"

I shrugged. They would find out eventually and I didn't feel like telling them at that moment.

Ike: "Anyways, did you know? Apparently, Ken and Katsuragi are friends now."

(Y/N): "Are they?"

Yamauchi: "We saw them the other day. They were in the cafeteria and looked very happy for some reason."

That was certainly a strange duo. Judging by Yamauchi's words, I assumed that they were celebrating something. It seemed that Katsuragi's plan to send a present to his sister, which I had nothing to do with, succeeded.

Ike: "Do you think that they...?"

Yamauchi and I looked at Ike with disgusted expressions.

Yamauchi: "God, no!"

(Y/N): "Did you really have to imply that?"

These two were exaggerating. I couldn't imagine someone as short-tempered as Sudo and someone as responsible and calm as Katsuragi becoming good friends, even less what Ike was implying.

As soon as we arrived at the lobby, Ike and Yamauchi hurried out of the building. I got the feeling that these two were plotting something and, to be honest, I didn't even want to know what it was.

I was about to step out when I saw a female student who was also wearing the school uniform walking ahead of me. I called out to her as soon as I recognised who she was.

(Y/N): "Erm... Ichinose!"

The Class B student turned around upon hearing her name being called. Ichinose looked as cute as ever.

Ichinose: "Ah, L/N-kun! Hello!"

(Y/N): "Hi."

How she managed to look so happy even though these were the last days of summer vacations was something that escaped my knowledge. Most of the students I had seen lately (not many actually) were looking down because the second semester would start soon.

Ichinose: "You're going to the reunion too, right?"

(Y/N): "Yeah."

The two of us started heading towards the school building walking side by side.

Ichinose: "Hehehe. I didn't think that you would join the student council, I was very surprised when the president told us."

(Y/N): "I'm a bit surprised myself. When I joined this school I didn't even consider the possibility of joining the student council."

Ichinose tilted her head.

Ichinose: "Really? Why did you decide to join, then? If you don't mind me asking."

She was acting as usual, but it was clear that she was trying to get information from me. However, since the reason I joined the student council wasn't something that I needed to hide from others, I decided to tell her the truth.

(Y/N): "I think that it was the school system. When I joined this school I didn't expect that there would be such a high possibility of dropping out. For all I know, I could be expelled in the next special exam. I thought that joining the student council would help me understand the school better."

Ichinose closed her eyes and crossed her arms, nodding in agreement.

Ichinose: "That is certainly true. The first month I thought that the school was being lenient on us and that there would be some kind of punishment for bad behaviour, but I didn't expect that we could be expelled so easily."

(Y/N): "What about you? Why did you decide to join the student council?"

She scratched her chin, looking deep in thought.

Ichinose: "Hmm. I want to be someone that my classmates can rely on whenever they are in trouble and help them as much as I can. As you said before, joining the student council would help understand the school better. I wanted to use that knowledge to help my classmates, or at least try."

As she said that, she scratched her cheek and laughed sheepishly. It was admirable how she always put her classmates' needs above her own.

(Y/N): "I have to admit. Since I met you, I knew that it was a matter of time. When I heard that you joined the student council I wasn't surprised at all."

Ichinose: "Hehehe, you're overestimating me... Horikita-senpai didn't want me to join the student council, you know? If it wasn't for Nagumo-senpai, I wouldn't be here right now."

(Y/N): "Really?"

In my opinion Ichinose was a capable student, and the older Horikita probably knew that too. I didn't understand why he acted that way, but there had to be a reason. I would probably find out sooner or later, so I shrugged it off.

(Y/N): "Nagumo must have a lot of influence."

Ichinose: "Well, yeah. He's the only candidate to become the next president once Horikita-senpai leaves the student council."

(Y/N): "Hmm."

Ichinose: "Still, I'm not mad at Horikita-senpai. If anything, I'm grateful."

I looked at her in confusion.

Ichinose: "Thanks to him I know that, even though Nagumo-senpai let me join, I'm still not good enough to be a member of the student council. That's why I'll make an effort to improve every day so I can help my friends."

(Y/N): "You seem very excited. I better do my best too."

Ichinose smiled and patted my back encouragingly.

Ichinose: "That's the spirit!"

We got to the student council room a few minutes later. To my relief, the only people there were the older Horikita and Tachibana.

A large, rectangular table had been placed in the middle of the room. The older Horikita and Tachibana were standing at the back of the room, talking about something. They turned to us when they heard the door opening.

Manabu: "Hello L/N, Ichinose. You're early."

Ichinose: "Good afternoon Horikita-senpai, Tachibana-senpai."

(Y/N): "Hello."

To be honest I had left my room early hoping to make a good impression. I was the newest member and, if I was the last one to arrive at the meeting, I would make a bad impression.

The older Horikita gestured for us to have a seat and Ichinose obeyed. I didn't know if each member had a seat reserved, but I sat next to Ichinose without a second thought. Since none of them said anything, I assumed that there wasn't any problem.

Starting to feel a bit nervous, I glanced at my watch. It was still 4:45 pm.

Ichinose: "Are you nervous?" She whispered.

(Y/N): "I would be lying if I said no."

I was wondering how the others member would be. As far as I knew, Ichinose and I were the only first years in the student council.

Ichinose: "Don't worry, I was nervous too on my first day. But everyone was nice to me, I'm sure that you'll be fine too!"

That was probably Ichinose's charisma...

Still, there was nothing to worry about. I was sure that the rest of the members were serious, responsible people who-

"Hello!"

The door suddenly opened, revealing a vigorous girl who I had never seen before. Her red hair reached to her waist and she had a wide smile on her face. I could see the older Horikita's scowl from where I was sitting.

Ichinose: "That is Nagaki-senpai, a second year." She whispered.

(Y/N): "She seems... nice."

Nagaki: "Ah! You're L/N-kun, right?"

I glanced over where the voice came from. Apparently, she approached me while Ichinose was talking and now her face was too close for comfort.

(Y/N): "Y-yeah."

Nagaki: "My name is Yuuna Nagaki. Nice to meet you!"

(Y/N): "(Y/N) (L/N). Nice to meet you too."

Nagaki: "Mind if I sit here?"

She took the seat without giving me the chance to even answer. I heard Ichinose laughing sheepishly behind me.

Nagaki: "It's so nice to have another kouhai in the student council. If you ever need help you can talk to me!"

(Y/N): "S-sure."

She seemed to be very excited. I couldn't tell if it was an act or not, but I was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"Yuuna, leave the guy alone. It's only his first day and you're already scaring him."

Another voice came from the entrance. A tall, brown-haired boy was looking at Nagaki with a smirk on his face.

Nagaki: "Hehe, sorry. I got a bit too excited."

The boy, who seemed to be a few inches taller than me, approached and extended his hand.

Motohama: "My name is Kyosuke Motohama."

(Y/N): "Y/N L/N."

I shook his outstretched hand. After that, Motohama sat next to Nagaki and started to talk with her. They were in a first name basis, so I assumed that they were good friends, or maybe something more.

Since Ichinose started to talk with Tachibana and the older Horikita was reading some reports, I decided to look at the rest of the students who entered the room. A few minutes later, most of the seats were already occupied.

Contrary to Nagaki, the rest of the students were quite serious, or at least that was the impression they gave me. Some of them glanced at me with indifference, while the others didn't even acknowledge my presence. Would it be weird if I said that I was actually glad about that?

The last student to enter the room was Nagumo. I hadn't talked to him before, but I already heard of him from the older Horikita and Tachibana. As soon as he entered, many students surrounded and greeted him, while others glared. It was quite a strange scene.

I glanced over where the older Horikita was sitting. He kept reading without acknowledging Nagumo's presence.

I wondered if there was some kind of dispute inside the student council. I didn't expect it, but judging by the current situation, that theory wasn't too far-fetched.

Ichinose seemed to notice me glancing around and spoke.

Ichinose: "You already know Nagumo-senpai?"

(Y/N): "I have heard of him, but I never talked to him before."

Ichinose: "Hmm. Well, Nagumo-senpai is the only candidate to become the next president. He gets along quite well with the rest of the second years, regardless of the class."

(Y/N): "He's like you then?"

Ichinose: "Hehe, no. It's... kinda hard to explain."

I wanted to press more, but it wouldn't be a good idea to do it here, with so many people. I decided that I would ask her another time.

The older Horikita stood up and, without even saying a word, the room went completely silent.

Manabu: "As you probably noticed, there is a new member here with us today. He will be the new secretary."

Everyone's eyes landed on me, making me feel uncomfortable. It wasn't until Ichinose pinched me under the table that I noticed that they were expecting me to introduce myself. I stood up and tried to speak loud and clear so everyone in the room heard me. God this was embarrassing.

(Y/N): "My name is Y/N L/N. I look forward to working with you."

After saying that, I sat back down. Did I make a good impression? Were they disappointed? Should I have talked about my hobbies and interests? No, I doubted that this was the place to say that. Besides, they probably didn't care either.

After that, the older Horikita reminded everyone of the importance of the student council and how we were supposed to behave in order to meet the school's standards. Since I was the newest member and a Class D student, I doubted that people expected too much from me. But now that I had joined, there was no turning back. I would have to make an effort in order to live up to the school's expectations.

I should get better marks on my exams from now on too. Until now I had been scoring around 60 points out of 100 in most of the exams, but that had to change. Of course, scoring 90 points all of the sudden was out of question. The change in my marks had to be constant and slow.

Manabu: "The second semester will start with the sports festival, which will take place at the beginning of October. As every year, this event will be a huge opportunity to get class points."

A sports festival, huh? We weren't given much information, probably because our respective homeroom teacher would tell us at some point. I felt kind of privileged to know this information before everyone else. Did the student council's members get to know the information about special exams before everyone else? That was undoubtedly a great advantage.

Manabu: "As a reminder, this information cannot be transposed to anyone outside the student council. If that happens, the responsible will have to face the consequences and will be expelled."

As the older Horikita said that, I could feel some students looking at me. I pretended not to notice.

Manabu: "To conclude, me and the rest of the third-year students among us will soon leave the student council. Right now, there is only one candidate to become the next president, but I would like to remind that if someone wants to apply for the position can talk to me any time."

The older Horikita looked at every single person in the room, one by one. I glanced over at Nagumo, who had his arms crossed and was smirking. The rest of the members were either wearing a serious expression or glancing around as well. When no one said anything, the older Horikita nodded to himself.

Manabu: "That is all."

Everyone stood up. Some people headed towards the exit of the room while others formed groups and talked to each other.

Nagaki: "Horikita-senpai is very imposing, isn't he?"

Once again, Nagaki decided to start a conversation with me.

(Y/N): "Yeah, it looks like everyone here respects him."

Nagaki: "I know right? I'm sure that we will all miss him when he leaves."

She went back to her cheerful attitude. During the time that the older Horikita spent speaking, she was as silent and serious as everybody else in the room.

Motohama: "Well, I'm sure that Nagumo will be a great president too." Standing next to Nagaki, the male student spoke.

(Y/N): "I'm sure that he will."

A hand suddenly landed on my shoulder.

Nagumo: "My my, it's good to see that the first-years have such a good impression of me."

I glanced over at him. To be honest, I said that because I knew that Nagumo was standing behind me.

Motohama: "Or maybe he's just sucking up to the next president."

Nagumo: "That would mean that he knows what is good for himself."

The three second-year students smirked.

Nagumo: "You already know me, but it doesn't matter. I'm Nagumo Miyabi, it's a pleasure to meet you."

I shook his outstretched hand.

Nagumo: "I was quite surprised when I heard that you had attracted Horikita-senpai's attention. Not to mention that you're a Class D student."

Of course someone would mention that, it was a matter of time. However, I was not ashamed of being a Class D student.

Nagumo: "But then again, if Horikita-senpai landed his eyes on you there must be something that I'm not seeing. I look forward to see what you're capable of."

(Y/N): "I'll do my best to not disappoint you."

Nagaki: "Don't worry, you'll do fine! Tachibana-senpai is going to tutor you, right? She can be a bit demanding, but she'll make sure that you live up to everyone's expectations."

What expectations, deliver the paperwork in time? I'm just a secretary.

I was very happy with being a secretary, actually. I would be able to get information without standing out too much inside the student council, which was what I wanted from the moment I joined. I couldn't care less about Nagumo becoming the next president and his apparent dispute with the older Horikita.

He said that Nagumo would change the school but, was that a bad thing? In my opinion, not necessarily. And, even if it was, that is their personal problem and something that I shouldn't get involved with.

(Timeskip – 3rd person's pov)

Y/N and Ichinose were walking back to the dorms. The sky was covered by dark clouds and a storm would arrive soon.

Ichinose: "So, what do you think about our senpais?"

When Ichinose heard that Y/N would join the student council she was shocked, as most of the other members. However, she was glad that someone her age joined them and genuinely hoped that the boy walking next to her was as happy as her.

(Y/N): "I didn't get to know all of them, but they look nice I suppose."

He wouldn't admit it, but he was very glad that Ichinose was also a member of the student council. Knowing that someone as nice as her was there made him a bit more confident when he decided to join them.

As the first raindrops started to fall, Ichinose spoke again.

Ichinose: "Hmm. You're not one to speak up your mind, are you?"

(Y/N): "What do you mean?"

Ichinose: "You always seem to be so neutral and don't really give your opinion about anything. It is like you keep everything to yourself all the time."

(Y/N): "You think so?"

Ichinose: "Yup. I don't mean to be rude, but since I met you, I always get the impression that there is something in the back of your mind, worrying you."

(Y/N): "Really? Does that mean that the reason why I find it so difficult to make friends is that I give a depressing vibe?"

Y/N tried to shrug it off with a joke, but Ichinose didn't laugh. She knew that he didn't want to talk about that, at least with her. But still, she didn't feel like giving up yet.

Ichinose: "You said that you were worried about dropping out, right?"

(Y/N): "Everyone in this school is worried about the risk of dropping out, I'm not the only one."

Ichinose: "That's true, but I don't think that L/N-kun is a person who will be expelled easily. I think that what worries you is something else."

Y/N fell silent, not knowing what to say. After all, Ichinose was right. There was this voice in the back of his mind, always there, not letting him rest.

Sometimes the voice was low.

There's nowhere to run.

Sometimes it was loud.

Coward.

It wouldn't go.

They're all the same.

It wouldn't leave him alone.

Liar.

He wanted it gone.

Get them before they get you.

He would do anything to make it stop.

(Y/N): "What about you? Are you not worried about the future?"

Ichinose: "Of course I am. But I know that there are people looking out for me, people who want to help me as much as I want to help them."

(Y/N): "Your classmates, huh?"

Ichinose nodded proudly.

Ichinose: "And there are people looking out for you too, you know? I'm sure that, even though she won't admit it, Horikita-san wouldn't doubt to lend you a hand if you ever asked for help. As well as Kikyou-chan and Hirata-kun. And I'm here too. I will be glad to help you anytime if you ask. That's what friends are for."

Ichinose stood in front of Y/N once they were about to reach the lobby.

Ichinose: "What I'm trying to say is that you don't need to worry. As long as you stick to your friends, everything will be alright."

It started to rain heavier as soon as Ichinose said that, which made the two of them hurry to the building. Once inside, Y/N sighed.

(Y/N): "You're probably right."

Seeing that he had listened to her, Ichinose smiled and looked up at him. Y/N stared at the dark clouds that were covering the sky, not knowing if he was saying this to Ichinose or to reassure himself.

(Y/N): "Everything will be okay."

The first lightning fell from the sky.

--
(A/N)
Sorry for the wait.

I have planned to introduce more characters in the future but I don't want to do it all in the same part.

Hope you enjoyed and see you next time.

39- Clarifying things

(Y/N) pov

The summer vacations were coming to an end. As if to match most of the students' gloomy state, the sky was once again covered by gray clouds, which wasn't very typical at this time of the year.

Since I planned on spending the last day of my holidays reading the books that Hiyori had lent me, I didn't care about the weather at all. But I guess that for those who wanted to go to the swimming pool with friends it was a disappointment.

Normally, the pool was only accessible for the members of the swimming club, but the school opened it for these last few days and everyone could go any time.

Deciding that I had read enough for now, I left the book on the nightstand and stood up. I didn't feel like going to the dorms cafeteria to eat something, so I went to the kitchenette located in my dorm and opened the fridge.

After preparing a small sandwich, I sat down and checked the school's app. The screen displayed an image of myself, as well as my name and last name. I scrolled down a little bit and checked my private points, which were over 450,000.

After the exam on the boat I had around 500,000 private points, but I ended up buying a game console to kill some time.

In the end I barely used it, so it was a waste of points if you ask me.

As I took another bite, the doorbell rang. My visitors sure had a weird timing to come to my room.

Still eating the sandwich, I opened the door and immediately regretted it. Horikita, looking as happy as ever, stood there looking at me.

(Y/N): "Hello."

Horikita: "May I come in?"

Instead of a question, it was more like a demand.

(Y/N): "Sure."

I could guess why she came here and decided that it would be problematic if we didn't discuss it at that moment. The sooner I got it out of the way, the better.

I stepped aside and let Horikita come in. Thinking about it, it had been a while since Horikita last came to my room. She glanced around and her eyes landed on the game console next to my TV, but she didn't make any comments. Then, she turned back to me with a serious expression.

Horikita: "Why?"

(Y/N): "Why what?"

Horikita: "Don't play dumb, you know what I'm talking about."

I sighed.

(Y/N): "Your brother offered me the opportunity to join the student council."

At the mention of her brother, Horikita's expression hardened.

Horikita: "When?"

(Y/N): "The day of the second trial, when Sudo's case was solved."

Horikita: "Back then, huh...?"

Her voice was low and her eyes were cast down. When it came to her brother, Horikita was a completely different person.

Horikita: "Why didn't you join at that moment?"

(Y/N): "Because I didn't know what to do. I needed some time to think about it."

I said that, but when the older Horikita invited me for the first time I knew that I would end up accepting his offer. If it wasn't for the exam on the deserted island and the cruise, I would have joined much earlier.

(Y/N): "I know that you're mad at me for not telling you before but-"

Horikita: "I'm not mad, just... surprised."

Contrary to my expectations, Horikita didn't seem to be mad at me at all. It seems that telling her directly was the right choice.

She looked back at me and frowned, her serious expression coming back.

Horikita: "I don't understand you at all."

(Y/N): "If it's any consolation... Often, neither do I."

Horikita: "First you tell me that you don't want to stand out and that you don't want to cooperate with me in order to reach Class A. Then, the exam on the deserted island comes and you suddenly take the initiative and our class gets the first place."

From Horikita's point of view, I had a sudden change of attitude back then. Her confusion was to be expected.

Horikita: "And then, you suddenly join the student council. Just... what are you planning?"

(Y/N): "I just want to help."

Horikita: "Do you?"

Whether Horikita trusted me before or not was something that escaped my knowledge. However, it was clear that right now she was wary around me.

(Y/N): "Listen. Everyone has secrets, okay? I have my own reasons for joining the student council that I'd rather not tell you right now. However, I can assure you that I will help Class D as much as I can from now on. Having a student council member in our class is certainly beneficial, right?"

Horikita: "That's right. But it also means that you cannot hide behind me anymore. Our classmates won't buy your act of an average student."

(Y/N): "Then I will have to take a more important role in our class."

Horikita: "You're planning on taking Hirata-kun's place?"

(Y/N): "No. Hirata is a very important figure and it's not a good idea to take his place."

My classmates didn't trust me as much as they trusted Hirata, so becoming the leader would be difficult at that moment. Besides, I didn't know how Horikita would react. After all, she wanted to bring our class to the top by herself.

Horikita: "What are you going to do about Ryuuen-kun?"

(Y/N): "Well. He will obviously be suspicious, but he can't just attack a student council member."

Of course, that wouldn't stop Ryuuen. I would have to do something sooner or later.

After another moment of silence, Horikita sighed and spoke again.

Horikita: "I have tried to understand you, but I just can't. You made your choice, so I won't say anything. As you said, in the long term it will be beneficial for our class."

I nodded. I would say that my relationship with Horikita had taken a step backwards, but there would be time to fix that in the future. As long as I helped my class from that moment onwards, it should be fine.

Horikita stood up, getting ready to leave. I glanced at my watch and looked back at her. Even though I didn't feel like going outside, staying in my room all day wasn't a good idea.

(Y/N): "Let's go take a walk."

Horikita raised an eyebrow.

Horikita: "Why?"

(Y/N): "Because I have nothing else to do."

Horikita: "Go by yourself."

(Y/N): "I don't want to go alone."

Horikita: "Call someone else."

If a third person saw us right now, they would probably laugh.

(Y/N): "Please?"

I tried to put on a cute face to persuade her. Why in the world would you do that? You might ask. Using a cute face to persuade someone is something commonly used in order to achieve your goal.

This "technique" is mostly used by kids, and its chance of success varies on the person and how many times it is used.

For example, imagine that a kid wants their parents to buy them a toy. Putting a cute face might work the first time, even the second if the kid is lucky, but once the parents get used to it, it won't work anymore.

However, if instead of their parents the kid is trying to convince another member of the family, the chances of success increase dramatically. "You're so cute!" or "I can't say no to someone this cute!" would be the common reactions.

Even though "The puppy eyes" are mostly used by kids, they can also be used by teenagers. If the person is "cute" enough, they won't have any problem in order to succeed. Take Kikyou, for instance.

The plan sounded fairly good in my head. Besides, I was only asking her to take a walk with me. It wasn't like she would have to spend money or something. Having said that, Horikita's disgusted face showed that I had failed dramatically.

Horikita: "What is wrong with your face? Are you in pain or something?"

(Y/N): "..."

The low self-esteem that I had plummeted after Horikita's comment.

Horikita: "Please don't do that again. It's disturbing."

(Y/N): "If you accept my request, I promise that I won't ever do that again."

Horikita: "Are you serious?"

(Y/N): "I'm always serious."

After a few uncomfortable moments of looking at Horikita in the eyes, she finally sighed and accepted.

Horikita: "Ugh, fine. Whatever."

It took a while, but in the end I was able to convince her. We exited my room and headed towards the elevator.

(Timeskip)

The clouds started to disperse as Horikita and I made our way through the school campus. I was happy that Horikita had accepted to come, but she wasn't saying anything and the silence was awkward, so I tried to start a conversation.

(Y/N): "So, uh, how were your summer holidays?"

Horikita: "Fine, I suppose."

Maybe this wasn't the best question to ask. Knowing Horikita, she probably had spent most of her vacations in her room.

(Y/N): "Hmm. Mine weren't that bad either."

For an average student, the way Horikita and I had spent our holidays would probably be boring though.

As we walked, I spotted a group of our classmates chatting happily nearby. Inside said group I recognised Mii-chan and many of the girls of Kikyou's group, but she wasn't with them.

Horikita: "I don't understand how they can be so relaxed. It's like they don't see the situation that our class is in."

(Y/N): "I can't blame them. It's good to spend time with friends and relax from time to time."

Horikita didn't say anything and kept staring at the group. For a moment, it looked like she was jealous. It would probably make her angry, but I couldn't help but ask.

(Y/N): "Are you sure you want to keep being alone?"

She looked back at me with her usual serious expression.

Horikita: "What do you mean?"

(Y/N): "It looks to me that deep down you want to make friends, even though you won't admit it."

I had only known her for five months, but I could tell that Horikita hated loneliness as much as I did. However, either because of her stubbornness or pride, she kept acting as if she didn't care at all. That attitude of hers was the wall that kept our classmates away from her.

Someone had recently been trying to break that "wall" and become closer to Horikita, though. Who would have thought? Out of everyone, Sudo, one of the most hot-headed people that I had ever met was like a puppy when he was around Horikita. He had tried to spend time with her and, even though he had been rejected every single time, he never gave up.

Horikita: "You don't know me. I have always been alone and I've been fine until now, there's no reason for me to change."

(Y/N): "Yeah, keep telling yourself that."

She glared at me, but I ignored it. Why was I worrying about her anyways? Whether she wanted to make friends or not had nothing to do with me.

As we kept walking, we came across the theatre and I couldn't help but notice that there were many students crowded in the entrance.

(Y/N): "I wonder if there is something interesting going on."

Horikita: "The theatre, huh?"

(Y/N): "I'm curious. Let's see what the play is about."

Horikita: "...Fine."

We bought two tickets and walked inside. I had to admit, the theatre was more crowded than I expected. But then again, the public were mostly third years and some second years. I didn't see any first year.

Apparently the play would be "The tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark." written by William Shakespeare. Without a doubt, one of the best tragedies of all time.

I already knew everything about it, but I was still interested in seeing it in a play. Horikita, sitting next to me, seemed to be interested in the play as well.

The plot takes place in Denmark, and shows the events that happen after the murder of Prince Hamlet's father, the king. Spoilers, the killer is the king's brother and Hamlet's uncle, Claudius.

One night, the ghost of his father appears in front of Hamlet, telling him that his death was not natural and that his brother had poisoned him. After that, the ghost asked his son to avenge him and kill Claudius. However, Hamlet doesn't fully believe him and doubts whether that ghost was his father or not.

As the play kept going, I spotted two familiar second-year students sitting nearby. Nagaki and Motohama, who I had met not so long ago in the student council room. Apparently they hadn't seen us yet.

I couldn't help but notice that at some point of the play Motohama yawned, lifted his arms in a stretching move and discreetly put his arm over Nagaki's shoulder, which made her giggle.

Very smooth buddy.

His eyes met with mine after that. When Motohama saw me sitting next to Horikita, he grinned and whispered something into Nagaki's ear. Deciding to ignore them, I looked back at the play.

As the end of the play approached, Hamlet finally discovered that his uncle had indeed murdered his father. In an outburst of rage, Hamlet murders Polonius, the chief and counsellor of Claudius.

Claudius, fearing the possibility of his nephew killing him, sends Hamlet to England in order to get him killed. However, in the end, he manages to come back in order to avenge his father.

But there wouldn't be a happy ending. After all, this was a tragedy. In the end, Hamlet does avenge his father's death and kills his uncle, but he ends up dying too.

The play lasted approximately three hours. After that, everyone stood up and prepared to leave the theatre.

(Y/N): "Did you like it?"

Horikita nodded.

Horikita: "I didn't expect that I would end up spending my afternoon like this, but I suppose that it wasn't that bad."

Coming from Horikita, I should probably take that as a praise.

As we moved towards the exit, my eyes landed once again on Nagaki and Motohama, who were looking back at us. Motohama was smirking while Nagaki, whose eyes were sparkling, flashed me a thumbs-up gesture. I couldn't help but feel like they were getting the wrong idea.

Horikita: "Who are they?"

(Y/N): "Second years. They are also in the student council."

That seemed to raise Horikita's interest. However, since they left first and we didn't want to interrupt them, we didn't say anything.

(Timeskip)

Since the play was quite long, by the time we exited the theatre the sun was starting to set. We decided to get back to the dorms because there wasn't much to do anymore.

On our way back, I spotted an ice-scream stand. Due to the high temperature, we decided to buy some. Since most of the students were still in the swimming pool, the cue wasn't that long.

I'm not ashamed to say that I had quite a good time. Except for some awkward moments, for example when the ice cream seller thought that we were a couple, making both of us blush.

Kikyou had told me that the three idiots and many of our classmates would spend their day in the swimming pool and invited me to go, but I declined the offer. They said that if I wanted to go, I would have to be ready at 8:30 am. 8:30 am! Getting up early to go to school was one thing, but there was no way that I would get up that early just to go to the swimming pool.

Besides, I wasn't comfortable with big groups, so I didn't regret not going with them.

As I ate my chocolate flavoured ice cream, the first-years' dorm building came into view.

Horikita: "I had fun today. I guess that it's not bad to spend my day like this from time to time."

(Y/N): "I can't believe you actually admitted it."

Horikita's lips turned into a small smile. It was almost imperceptible, but it was there.

Horikita: "The second semester will start soon. The battle between classes will probably be rougher than before."

(Y/N): "I guess so."

We had only been in the school for five months, but we already had to survive on a deserted island for a week and lie to each other in the cruise. The so called "special exams" that the school forced us to take. If this was just the beginning, it was clear that things would only get more difficult in the future.

Horikita: "I've been thinking a lot. What I have done until now. What I will be able to do in the future."

(Y/N): "What does that mean?"

Horikita: "It's a secret. Even if I told you, you would only make fun of me."

I wouldn't laugh, but I decided not to press her. It looked like Horikita was starting to change and, to be honest, I couldn't wait to see what she would do in the future.

--

(A/N) Again, sorry for the wait. College is taking most of my time and I'm not able to write that much.

I'm not very good writing this kind of chapters, but I still hope you enjoyed.

Anyways, classes have been suspended in my country, so I hope that I will be able to update regularly again.

40- A new semester

(Y/N) pov

When I opened my eyes, I found myself sitting under a tree. For some reason, I was in a vast field covered by grass.

The sky was covered by grey clouds, not a single ray of sunlight reached the ground. Was I dreaming? That was the only plausible explanation that I could come up with. But then again, it wasn't very common for me to notice that I was dreaming to begin with. Should I consider myself lucky?

I stood up and walked to a path that I spotted nearby. I couldn't tell where it started nor where it ended, the field was apparently endless.

Being completely clueless, I decided to wait until I woke up. The time kept passing, but for some reason nothing happened. I pinched myself many times hoping for this dream to finally end, but to no avail.

"Move."

As I started to lose my patience, I heard a voice. Well, it was more like a whisper.

(Y/N): "Hello?"

I couldn't tell where the whisper came from.

(Y/N): "Is anyone here?" There was no response.

I sighed exasperatedly. This dream wasn't making any sense at all.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind hit me from behind. Confused, I looked behind me for the first time and my eyes widened.

I somehow expected someone to be behind me, but that was not the case at all. In the distance, I spotted storm clouds, even darker than the ones that were directly above me, slowly approaching. That, however, was not what disturbed me.

The part of the field that I was standing on was beautiful, with green grass and flowers. It somehow made me feel at ease. However, as the storm clouds approached from the distance, I could tell that the grass slowly changed to a more yellowish color and the flowers withered, until there was nothing left.

It was as if the storm clouds destroyed everything in their path. I didn't know why this was happening, nor why I was having such a strange dream but, for some reason, there was something that I was convinced of.

No matter what, I couldn't let those clouds reach me.

I looked back at the path. I didn't know where it led to, but it faced the opposite direction of the storm clouds. After convincing myself that this path would lead me somewhere far away from those clouds, I made up my mind and started to walk.

--

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock. Normally I would groan and turn it off because I would prefer to sleep a bit more. That, however, happened the times that I was lucky enough to hear it. If not, I would have to sprint all the way to the school building and pray to arrive in time.

Today was different though. For the first time in a long time I was glad to finally hear the sound of the alarm.

(Y/N): "What a strange dream." I muttered.

Shrugging it off, I stood up and went through my morning routine. Today was the first day of the second semester, so the classes would start again in approximately an hour.

(Timeskip)

The road that led to the school building was crowded with students. Couples walking together hand in hand, noisy groups of friends complaining about the second semester starting already or talking about their summer hollidays and lonely students who, like me, just made their way in silence.

Back in April I wouldn't see many students from my class in the crowd. People like the three idiots and the professor would oversleep and be late for class. However, the situation was different now.

Ike: "Man, I wish that the summer break lasted forever."

Yamauchi: "I know right?"

Walking ahead of me were the three idiots. Ike was talking with Yamauchi in low spirits while Sudo yawned lazily.

Even though they didn't want to, they woke up in time and wouldn't be late for class. Not only the three idiots, but most of my classmates also changed for the better, Koenji being the exception.

Even though Class D was advancing in baby steps, it was good to see how everyone was slowly changing.

"L/N-kun! Good morning!"

Suddenly, a cheerful voice called me from behind. Recognising the voice, I awkwardly looked back to greet her.

(Y/N): "Good morning."

Satou Maya, one of my classmates, approached me with a cheerful smile on her face. She was good friends with Karuizawa, Sinohara and Matsushita and often spent time with them.

I barely interacted with her though. If I remember correctly, I had only spoken to her two or three times before, so I didn't know why she decided to talk to me all of the sudden.

Satou: "It's strange to see you up this early, most of the times you make it in the nick of time."

(Y/N): "Guess I was eager to go to class today."

Maybe Satou found this strange because her eyes widened a bit and she looked at me as if I was crazy.

Satou: "Really?"

I was telling the truth, really. But thinking about it, from Satou's point of view (and probably the vast majority's point of view), a teenager who was happy because classes were starting again was a weirdo.

(Y/N): "No."

She looked at me for a second before she started giggling. Did I say something funny? Maybe she thought that what I said before was a joke and she somehow found it funny. Not understanding what was going on, I laughed awkwardly while walking next to her.

After that, we both kept walking in an uncomfortable silence. Not knowing what to talk about with her, I tried to overhear the conversations of the other students. Maybe I would get inspired by listening to them and find something to talk about with Satou.

"Dude, how was that magazine I lent you? The girl in the bikini was so hot!"

Nope.

I discreetly glanced around, making sure that Satou didn't notice. Right in front of us, a boy and a girl were walking together.

"You look beautiful today." The boy said.

"Aww, don't be silly." The girl responded.

Is it that difficult to find a normal topic of conversation?

"I can't wait to see Kikyou-chan again. She looked so cute in her swimsuit!"

Was that Ike?

Satou: "Hey..."

Just as I was losing hope of being able to talk normally with Satou, she took the initiative and spoke.

Satou: "So... How were your holidays?"

(Y/N): "Ah, they were fine I suppose. How about yours?"

I tried to sound interested. Apparently it worked because Satou's smile grew wider.

Satou: "I had a lot of fun! I wish they lasted a bit longer though..."

I nodded in understanding. However, I felt that even if the summer break was longer, the students would never be happy and would still ask for more time. I didn't blame them though.

Satou: "S-so... I wanted to ask you something."

(Y/N): "Hmm?"

I looked at Satou, who was now nervously fiddling with her hair and looking down. I'm not going to lie, it made her look very cute.

(Y/N): "What is it?"

Satou: "I... I wanted to ask for your phone number."

...

Well, that escalated quickly.

Satou: "I- I mean, we're classmates, so it's normal for us to have our contact information, right?"

(Y/N): "S-sure."

I felt that she was making an excuse, but I wasn't brave enough to turn her down. Besides, she was just asking for my phone number. Nothing more, nothing less. I admit that she was acting a bit strange, but it wouldn't be good to jump into a conclusion so soon.

By the time we got each other's contact info, we had already made it to our classroom.

Satou: "Well, I'll see you later!"

(Y/N): "Y-yeah, sure."

With that, Satou skipped to her group of friends. For a moment, it looked like there was a faint blush on her cheeks.

However, I shrugged it off because as soon as I entered the classroom, my classmates' eyes landed on me. I pretended not to notice and awkwardly made my way to my desk to sit down.

Sitting on the chair right next to mine, Horikita was reading a book and smiling to herself.

Horikita: "Looks like they all heard about the newest member of the student council. Isn't that great, L/N-kun?"

(Y/N): "Ha, ha, ha."

I said that with a deadpanned expression, showing that I didn't find it funny at all.

(Timeskip)

Lunch break.

As soon as the bell rang, I put the textbooks in my bag and left the classroom. That was what I always did, but today I was more eager to leave than usual.

The reason was the occasional stares from my classmates that I had been receiving the whole morning. I understood their curiosity, but it still made me feel uncomfortable.

I made my way towards the cafeteria in order to get something to eat and relax. Little did I know that I would soon regret that choice.

Koenji: "Hello there, L/N-boy."

Just as I was starting to go down the stairs, my classmate, Koenji, called out to me.

(Y/N): "Ah, hello."

Thinking about it, it was normal for Koenji to leave the classroom during lunch break. Where he went, however, was a mystery to everyone.

(Y/N): "Are you going to the cafeteria as well?"

Koenji: "Why, yes. I am going to meet some of our senpais."

(Y/N): "It seems that you get along quite well with the second and third years."

One day I overheard a conversation between two of my classmates. Apparently, it wasn't unusual to see Koenji spending time with the older female students.

Ignoring my last comment, Koenji held a small pocket mirror with one hand while combing his hair with the other.

Koenji: "You've started to stand out recently. I wouldn't be surprised if you started to lead Class D soon."

For a moment, I couldn't hide my surprise. Koenji, who seemingly couldn't care less about our class, seemed to be quite interested right now.

(Y/N): "Our class is in good hands. There's no need to change the leader right now."

Koenji laughed loudly.

Koenji: "You mean that Hirata-boy? I'm afraid that if we leave the class on his hands Class D will fall apart soon enough."

(Y/N): "What is that supposed to mean?"

Koenji: "You're no different from him though."

Being taller than me, Koenji looked down at me for the first time since we started to talk.

Koenji: "With you as the leader, Class D will never be able to reach Class A."

The way he said it, he was completely convinced that he was right. I wondered why he said that but, knowing Koenji, I would get nothing from him. So, I just shrugged.

(Y/N): "Good thing that I'm not planning on leading our class then."

I didn't need to lead Class D, anyways. I already had the means to control them without anyone noticing.

Koenji didn't acknowledge my answer and closed the pocket mirror. He started to walk ahead of me and looked over his shoulder. He wasn't looking at me though.

Koenji: "That's all I wanted to say. I'm leaving before the flies get to annoying."

With that, a humming Koenji left me behind. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who noticed that we were being followed.

(Timeskip)

The classes of the afternoon became a two-hour long homeroom. When Chabashira-sensei arrived, she began to explain indifferently.

Chabashira: "From September to the start of October from a period of one month, in anticipation to the sports festival, there will be increased physical education classes. Keep that in mind for the distribution of the new timetables. Also, along with the timetables, material regarding the sports festival will be distributed."

A part of the class screamed as soon as they heard the words "sports festival", Sudo between them.

Hirata: "Sensei, is this also a special exam?"

Chabashira: "You lot can interpret it however you want. Either way, there is no mistaking the fact that it will have a massive influence on each and every class."

The class instantly divided in two groups. Those complaining about the sports festival because they weren't confident in their physical abilities, and those who got excited and couldn't wait in anticipation.

Horikita: "L/N-kun, here."

Horikita, sitting next to me, called my attention. She was reading the inform that we had just been given. As she pointed to one of the pages, I also took a look to that page in my own inform.

Chabashira: "There are probably those who have already noticed, but this sports festival has adopted the method of dividing all school years into two separate groups and have them compete against each other. Class D has been assigned into the red group, along with Class A. For the duration of this sports festival, it means that Class A will be your allies."

Ike: "Woah, seriously? It will actually be something like that?!"

Ike's reaction was to be expected. After all, the school made us fight against other classes all the time and now, all of the sudden, we would have to cooperate with one of them.

Chabashira: "First of all, look over the outcomes that can come of the sports festival. I don't feel like explaining many times over so make sure to listen up well this time."

With that, Chabashira-sensei began to explain the rules of the school festival that would apparently take a big impact on the future of our class.

--

(A/N): I'm sorry this is a bit shorter than usual. I wanted to explain the rules of the sports festival in this part but there are a lot, and I mean a lot of things to explain. If I put the rules in this part it would take me longer to upload and you wouldn't have anything for today.

That's why I decided to upload this for now and explain the rules in the next part, which I'll try to upload before next Friday.

Hope you enjoyed and see you next time.

Author's note

I'm going to be honest. I know that I was supposed to update like a week ago, but lately I haven't found the inspiration to write new chapters.

When I started writing I didn't expect that I would make it this far. I remember joining wattpad a year ago, looking for some classroom of the elite stories to read. Sadly, there weren't many.

The first story that I really enjoyed was@daark_side's and, one day I wondered, "Why not writing one myself?" I thought that if more fanfics came out people would be more inspired to write more classroom of the elite stories.

At the beginning I was afraid because it was my first time writing and I didn't know whether people would like my story or not. This past few days I've been re-reading my own fanfic and the first three arcs are basically the same as the light novel, which I regret now.

As I kept writing, I gained more confidence and started to change some parts of the canon and introduced more oc's (Is that how you write it?), and I'm glad to see that most of you liked it.

Today I'm very happy to see so many COTE stories to read, so I could say that my main goal is completed. (I would like to thank the authors for creating this new stories that I love reading)

I also want to thank everyone for the comments that you leave. It really encourages me everytime that I see a "Good chapter" or "Can't wait for the next chapter"

Having said that, I'm not going to leave the fanfic. As I said before, I didn't expect that I would make it this far, so I didn't really think of the future of the story. That's why I decided to take some time to think where I want this story to go, I hope that you understand.

Also, feel free to write what you didn't like about the story, because it will help me to improve for the future.

Thanks for reading and see you next time.

41- Rules and preparations

(A/N): Hirata, what are you reading?

(Y/N) pov

When the class fell silent, Chabashira-sensei began to explain the rules of the upcoming sports festival.

Rules and groups of the Sports Festival

All the years will be divided in two teams. The Red team, formed by classes A and D and the White team, formed by classes B and C.

Distribution of points for all the participants in individual contests:

1st place: 15 points

2nd place: 12 points

3rd place: 10 points

4th place: 8 points

5th place: 0 points

6th place: -1 points

7th place: -2 points

8th place: -3 points

And so on.

Distribution of points for all the participants in recommended competitions:

1st place: 50 points

2nd place: 30 points

3rd place: 15 points

4th place: 10 points

5th place: 0 points

6th place: -2 points

7th place: -4 points

8th place: -6 points

And so on.

(The relay which will be the final contest will be awarding three times the points.)

The outcome of Red team vs White team:

From the totality of all the school years, the losing team will have 100 points equally subtracted from their class points across all school years.

The impact of separate ordering of school years:

From the total count the class that takes 1st place will be awarded with 50 class points.

From the total count the class that takes 2nd place won't have any changes in their class points.

From the total count the class that takes 3rd place will have 50 points subtracted.

From the total count the class that takes the 4th place will have 100 points subtracted.

Chabashira: "It's a simple matter, it means that it's necessary to compete by going all out without letting your guard down. Because the penalty that the loosing team incurs is by no means a light one."

That was certainly right. After all, loosing 100 class points would be a heavy blow for our class.

Hirata: "Umm, sensei. How many points does the winning team get? There seems to be no mention of that."

In response to Hirata's question, a cruel statement came from Chabashira-sensei.

Chabashira: "Nothing. Only that there will be no minus to their points."

"Ugh, are you serious? That doesn't sound good at all!"

Upon hearing that, the class became restless. It was natural, since in the last exams there was a huge risk of loosing points, but there was also a huge reward for the class who won. However, here it was different. There was no reward at all, just the privilege of not losing class points.

Chabashira: "Remember that the class-specific points have also been properly calculated, so keep that in mind too. Even if Class A leaps into action and the team you lot are in wins, in the case that the total count of Class D happens to be the lowest ranking, you will be incurring a 100 class point penalty."

(A/N): Let's say that the red team wins. If that was the case, Class B and Class C would lose 100 class points and Class A and Class D would remain the same. However, if out of the four classes of the first year Class D happens to have the less amount of points, they will also lose 100 class points. I don't know if I explained properly so here is a hypothetical example:

Red team: White team:

Class A: 100 points Class B: 50 points

Class D: 12 points Class C: 25 points

--

112 points 75 points

The Red team wins because they have more points, so Class B and C lose 100 points. However, this would also happen:

Since out of the four classes Class A has the most points, Class A gets 50 class points.

Since out of the four classes Class B got the second place, their points stay the same.

Since out of the four classes Class C got the third place, they lose 50 class points.

Since out of the four classes Class D got the fourth place, they lose 100 class points.

If you combine it, this would be the final result:

Class A: (0 50)= 50 class points.

Class B: (-100 0)= -100 class points

Class C: (-100 – 50)= -150 class points

Class D: (0 – 100)= -100 class points

(I hope that I managed to explain properly)

I couldn't help but feel like even though we got paired with Class A, we would still be competing against them. The worst possible outcome would be Class D losing 200 class points, which would have a big impact on my classmates. After all, we had had to fight tooth and nail to gain and maintain our class points until now.

Knowing that all their efforts could go to waste in just one exam was certainly an unsettling thought.

Individual competition rewards (May be used in the next midterm exam)

· For students placing 1st in the individual competitions 5000 private points or the equivalent of 3 marks in a written exam will be awarded.

· For the students placing 2nd in the individual competitions 3000 private points or the equivalent of 2 marks in a written exam will be awarded.

· For the students placing 3rd in the individual competitions 1000 private points or the equivalent of 1 mark on a written exam will be awarded.

· For students ranking the lowest in the individual competitions 1000 points will be subtracted. (In the case that the student has less than 1000 private points the equivalent of 1 mark on a written exam will be subtracted.)

Regarding foul play:

· Remember to comply with the rules. Those who break them will be disqualified.

· Those acting with malicious intent may be withdrawn. The expropriation of points acquired by those individuals up until then will be considered as well.

Best performing student award

· For the student who receives the highest score across all competitions 100,000 points will be awarded.

Best performing award for individual classes.

· The 3 students of each school year who have received the highest score across all competitions will receive 10,000 private points each.

I glanced at my classmates to check their reactions. One of them, looking particularly restless, couldn't handle the silence and asked a question.

Ike: "S-sensei! These privileges that you get for the first and second place... Does that mean that we can receive marks for written exams?!"

Chabashira: "It is exactly what you think, Ike. You can acquire marks you can use to supplement your written exams from the prizes you win at the sports festival. You are bad at English and Mathematics, right? You can use the marks you've acquired in any way you like."

It couldn't be helped that those students whose speciality was sports yelled in delight. However, while the sports festival would be beneficial for students like Sudo, the same couldn't be said for those students who weren't particularly good at sports.

· After the completion of all competitions, within a school year a total count of all points will be conducted and the bottom 10 individuals will be penalized. Since the penalty will differ based on each school year remember to consult with each instructor in charge.

Ike: "Sensei, what penalty is it going to be?"

Chabashira: "For the first years, the penalty imposed will be a deduction on your next written exam. The bottom ten students score-wise will be receiving a deduction of 10 marks so beware of that."

Ike: "Geeh, seriously?!"

In other words, 10 people would be penalized no matter what. The only thing we could do is hope that those students weren't our classmates.

But honestly, I didn't have much faith. As things were right now, the possibility of getting the best possible outcome for Class D in the sports festival were low. Sure, if I took this seriously as Chabashira-sensei wanted things would look better for Class D. However, if I did that, I would be giving her the upper hand.

If at some point I willingly accepted to help my class it would be by my own decision, not because of her blackmail.

In the end, the one who would mark the difference in the sports festival would be the person sitting next to me. She had been quiet until now, listening to everything that Chabashira-sensei had to say.

Universal participation events (Events in which all the members of the class participate.)

· 100 metre dash

· Hurdle race

· Capture the flag (Boys only)

· Ball toss game (Girls only)

· Tug of war divided by gender

· Obstacle course race

· Three-legged race

· Cavalry battle

· 200 metre dash

Recommended only participation events (Only the students chosen by their own class participate in these.)

· Scavenger hunt

· Omnidirectional tug of war

· Mixed gender three-legged race

· 3 school years mixed 1200 metre relay

Chabashira: "And also of utmost importance is the fact that there is a participation table. On the participation table the details of all events are described. You lot will be using this participation table to decide amongst yourselves in which order you will be participating and record it down and an outsider, that is me, will submit it for you."

Hirata: "To decide what order on our own... How far can we decide...?

Chabashira: "Everything. However, remember that once the participation table has been submitted, you will not be able to change anything."

In other words, once we chose the participants and submit the participation table there would be no turning back.

Horikita: "I have a question to ask. Would that be fine, Chabashira-sensei?"

Horikita, who had been listening until now, raised her hand.

Chabashira: "Ask away as much as you want. Now is the time, after all."

Horikita: "There is the fact that once the decided participation table has been accepted, no further changes will be permitted. However, what if there is an absentee?"

Chabashira: "Regarding the universal participation contests, in the case that you fall short of the bare minimum amount of people necessary and vacancies appear, you will be marked as unfit to continue and you will be disqualified."

That was not good. If, for example, a student got hurt during one of the contests and couldn't participate anymore, we would all suffer the consequences. It was cruel but, knowing how the school worked, it didn't surprise me.

Chabashira: "However, there are exemptions. In regards to the recommended only participation events, it is permitted to utilize a substitute. However, if you go around choosing substitutes freely, the participation table would be meaningless. That's why we have established special conditions. In exchange for setting up a substitute, you will pay private points as a compensation."

Horikita: "I'd like to ask... even if your health breaks down or you sustain a heavy injury, if the person in question wishes for it, would they be allowed to continue without being substituted? Or would it mean having to see a doctor?"

Chabashira: "Since self-management will become indispensable once you enter society, we leave it up to the students to autonomously decide on their own. On the day of a vital conference, just because you have a fever doesn't mean you can simply take a break."

After a brief silence, Chabashira-sensei spoke again.

Chabashira: "But even so, if your condition gets to the point you cannot even be a spectator then you would have no choice but to stop."

Horikita: "I understand. Then, how many points would be necessary for a substitute?"

Chabashira: "100,000 private points per competition. You're free to see it as expensive or cheap as you wish."

Horikita: "I see... Thank you."

We could afford to pay 100,000 private points if our classmates did their part, but it still was certainly not a cheap price.

Chabashira: "If there are no more questions then I will be ending this talk. The next period will be moved to the first gymnasium and you will be meeting the students from different classes and school years. That is all."

Having said that, Chabashira-sensei checked the time before speaking again.

Chabashira: "There is still 20 minutes of this period remaining, you are free to use the remaining time however you wish. You're free to either chat away or have a serious discussion."

Once she was done, most of our classmates got up and small groups were formed. It looked like Hirata and some other classmates wanted to talk with Horikita but, before that, she quietly spoke to me.

Horikita: "So? What do you think?"

I raised and eyebrow at her question.

(Y/N): "Are you asking for my opinion instead of voicing your own without caring what others might think? That's new."

But then again, this could mean that Horikita was starting to change.

Horikita: "Don't push it."

I couldn't help but laugh awkwardly.

(Y/N): "Well, I would say that there is little to win and much to lose. If I remember correctly, the best-case scenario would be our class gaining 50 class points. On the other hand, we have many athletic students in our class so, if we play our cards right, we might get something out of all this."

As I said that, Horikita looked at me with her usual stoic face.

(Y/N): "What?"

Horikita: "Are you actually voicing your own opinion instead of letting things happen without intervening at all? That's new."

Maybe it was my imagination, but I would say that she was trying to imitate me.

(Y/N): "Are you mocking me?"

Horikita: "Not at all. Where did you get that idea?"

(Y/N): "..."

Hirata: "Horikita-san, let's talk about how we'll overcome the sports festival. You are welcome to join us too, L/N-kun."

Karuizawa: "I agree, I agree. Let's think about a way to snatch that first place~"

Normally Horikita would just wave them off, but it seemed that today she was actually considering their offer, which was good.

Who knows? Maybe in the end I'm wrong and they'll be able to exceed my expectations.

(A/N)

This chapter is probably boring, but at least I managed to get the rules out of the way. The next chapters will be Class D preparing for the Sports Festival and will have more interactions.

If you don't understand something you can ask and I'll try to explain it properly.

Regarding the update schedule, I don't know if I'll be able to update weekly. I'd rather take my time writing each chapter than rush it.

Hope you enjoyed and see you next time.

42- Trying to cooperate

(Y/N) pov

Chabashira-sensei sat on her desk seemingly not caring about what we were doing. Meanwhile, Horikita's desk was instantly surrounded by Sudo and some other classmates who wanted to ask for advice.

Horikita: "First of all, I would like to hear your opinions."

Ike: "Right!"

Unsurprisingly, Ike was the first one to speak.

Ike: "I want to have fun and win!"

Horikita: "I cannot recognize that as an opinion. Could you please refrain from voicing such comments?"

Fake tears streamed from Ike's eyes. But, knowing Horikita, he should have already known how she would react. Or maybe not. Ike was Ike, after all.

Sudo: "There's a way for us to win."

Horikita: "I expect nothing from you, but I'm listening."

Sudo: "I don't know about the universal participation events, but I'll participate in the recommended ones. There's no way I will lose to anyone."

Due to his confidence when it came to sports, Sudo stated that without the slightest hint of a doubt.

I had to admit, Sudo was probably one of the most athletic students in our year, if not the entire school. The tactic he was proposing, albeit simple, wasn't bad itself. None of us doubted that he would win most of the competitions.

However, the other classes would probably see this coming.

Horikita: "I see. It is certainly true that there is no limitation on how many times a student can participate in the recommended participation events."

Apparently Horikita would accept Sudo's plan, but Ike and Yamauchi didn't seem satisfied.

Ike: "We want to have our own chances too. I mean, if we manage to at least secure the third place we will get points."

Sudo: "When it comes to the recommended participation events, only the most athletic people participate. There's no way for you to take part on them, Kanji."

Ike: "Coincidences exist, right? Who says I won't be able to win?"

Horikita: "I suppose that there's no point in discussing this any longer..."

Since many of our classmates had the same opinion as Ike, Horikita determined that further discussion of this topic would be unnecessary.

Sudo: "You're being naive, Suzune. Isn't it obvious that the most athletic people should be the ones to participate the most?"

Sudo had a point, and Horikita seemed to agree with him.

Horikita: "I'll support your idea of participating on the recommended events. However, this does not mean that I'm going to let you participate in every single event."

Sudo: "What do you mean?"

Horikita: "Your stamina is not unlimited. If you participate in all the events you'll wear yourself out."

Horikita understood that, no matter how strong Sudo was, he wouldn't be able to win all the time.

Sudo: "But still, it would be better to leave the recommended participation events to the most athletic ones, right? Even if I'm tired, I will still perform better that those guys."

Laughing contemptuously, Sudo looked at us as if we were trash. Ike and the others were visibly frustrated, but didn't say anything.

(Y/N): "Wouldn't that be dangerous though?"

I decided to speak for the first time and my classmates' eyes landed on me.

Sudo: "What do you mean?"

(Y/N): "I don't think that relying on just one person is a good idea."

Sudo: "Huh?! Are you saying that I'm not good enough?!"

It seemed that my comment pissed Sudo off, but I wasn't going to retreat. Even though my classmates didn't trust me as much as they trusted Horikita or Hirata, I would at least voice my opinion.

(Y/N): "Don't get me wrong. We all know that you are more than capable, Sudo. But as Horikita said, your stamina isn't unlimited. Even the elite athletes get injured at some point in their careers. Remember what Chabashira-sensei said before. Once we submit the participation table, there will be no turning back. If, hypothetically, you got injured at some point and couldn't participate any longer, we would have to pay 100,000 private points to get a substitute for each one of the events in which you wouldn't be able to participate anymore. I wonder if we could afford that. Besides, even if we could, we would barely have any private points left."

That was probably the first time that I had spoken like this to my classmates. Everyone was looking at me now, which made me feel uncomfortable.

(Y/N): "A-at least that's what I think."

For a moment, I saw a faint smirk on Chabashira-sensei's face.

Sudo: "I'll be careful then!"

Sudo still wouldn't relent. However, the seeds of doubt had been planted on the rest of my classmates, which was enough for me.

Horikita: "It seems that we aren't going to reach an agreement anytime soon. Let's leave it here for today."

Looking at her watch, Horikita decided that that was enough for now. With nothing else to say, everyone picked their bags and headed towards the gymnasium.

(Timeskip)

During the afternoon's second period, the gymnasium was crowded with over 400 people including students and teachers. The student body, from first to third year was divided in the red and white team. I stood next to Sakura, who was still uncomfortable in crowded places.

Now that I think about it, I haven't talked to her that much lately.

(Y/N): "How are you doing Sakura?"

Sakura: "H-huh? F-fine I suppose..."

(Y/N): "Are you sure? You looked quite nervous when Chabashira-sensei told us about the sports festival."

Maybe she didn't expect that, for some reason she tensed and her cheeks turned red.

(Y/N): "Sakura?"

It seemed that she didn't want to tell me. She looked downwards trying to avoid my gaze. Just when I was about to tell her that she didn't have to tell me if she didn't want to, Sakura looked up at me and spoke.

Sakura: "W-well... the truth is that I am horrible at sports... I'm worried because I am going to be a burden for Horikita-san and the others..."

Sakura's mentality hadn't changed that much since I first met her. I thought that making friends would help, but Sakura still thought that she was nothing but dead weight.

(Y/N): "Listen here, Sakura-"

Just when I was about to say something to cheer her up, a group of students approached our team. We all looked at them.

(Y/N): "We'll talk later, okay?"

Sakura: "Okay..."

Having said that, I looked back at the group of students who approached us. At first sight I didn't recognize them, so they had to be upperclassmen.

"My name is Fujimaki, a third-year student from Class A. I will be leading the red team for this event."

The older Horikita wouldn't lead our team, which I found strange.

Fujimaki: "First of all, I will give the first-year students a piece of advice. This might be unnecessary for some of you, but I want you to know how important this sports festival is. The experience you will gain from the sports festival will definitely be made use of on a different occasion as well. In future exams as well, there will be times when parts of it feel like games to you. However, each and every last one of them are battles on which you bet your survival in this school."

These ambiguous, yet appreciated words came from the senior students.

Fujimaki: "We'll be aiming to win, so hold strongly onto that feeling."

Having said that, Fujimaki looked at us before continuing.

Fujimaki: "The only event in which the three years will be participating is the 1200-meter relay at the end. Apart from that one, the rest of the events will separate the school years. After this, please assemble according to your year and discuss your strategies for the future."

Following Fujimaki's words, Class A gathered around Katsuragi and started to talk. Class D, on the other hand, wavered slightly, seemingly overwhelmed by Class A. In the first semester too, Class A's grades were overwhelming and no one else could even come close to them.

Katsuragi: "It seems that we are going to cooperate in a strange way, but let's get along. If possible, I think that we should join forces without any quarrels among teammates."

Hirata: "I feel the same way, Katsuragi-kun. Let's get along."

It didn't take long for Hirata and Katsuragi to declare their intention of cooperating.

Well, I said cooperating, but from Class A's perspective there was no benefit in cooperating with us. Maybe Katsuragi was genuinely interested because he and I both wanted to bring Sakayanagi down. However, for the rest of his classmates who shouldn't know about this ' alliance' , it was more like a pact to avoid confrontations between our classes during the sports festival.

Speak of the devil...

Ike: "Hey, what's wrong with that girl?" He muttered.

Out of all the Class A students, only one of them felt out of place. However, no one said anything.

Ichinose: "So, you're saying that you have no intention of cooperating?"

We all heard the voice coming from the other side of the gymnasium. Our eyes fell on Ichinose, who was talking with Class C's leader, Ryuuen Kakeru.

Ryuuen: "You do know that I'm leaving out of goodwill, right? Even if I offered to cooperate it's not like you guys would believe me anyways. Ultimately, it'll end up as a thorough investigation, right? If that's the case, it's just a waste of time."

Ichinose: "I see. So you're just saving us time."

Ryuuen: "That's right. You better be grateful."

Laughing, Ryuuen walked away with the students from Class C in tow.

This scene made clear to everyone that no one opposed Ryuuen in his class. Manabe and her friends looked particularly meek.

Ichinose: "Hey, Ryuuen-kun. Are you sure that you can win without cooperating?"

She tried to convince Ryuuen until the end. However, he didn't stop walking.

Ryuuen: "Kukuku, I wonder."

And just like that, Class C left following Ryuuen, ignoring the stares that they were receiving from the rest of the students.

After a few moments of silence, Katsuragi turned to Horikita.

Katsuragi: "Since we are allies this time, I'll warn you. Don't underestimate Ryuuen. He can laugh while sliding up to you and leap to attack without warning. You'll suffer great consequences if you let your guard down."

Horikita: "I'm grateful for your warning, but from the way you said it I wonder if it comes from personal experience."

Katsuragi: "...I have warned you."

He chose not to go into depth about it and returned to his initial position.

"Hey hey, I wonder who that girl is."

One of my classmates whispered that, trying (and failing) to not be heard. Once more, our attention was drawn to the lone girl who was sitting on a chair, a walking stick in her hand.

Katsuragi: "She is Sakayanagi Arisu. Since she is disabled she'll be using a chair, I hope that you understand."

Even though most of Class D was staring at her, she didn't seem to mind.

"She's so cute..."

Some of the boys started to whisper. I ignored them and looked at Sakayanagi, wondering what she was planning to do. Last time I saw her she said that she would take care of Katsuragi, but for now it seemed that she hadn't made her move yet.

However, my thoughts were suddenly interrupted by someone grabbing my ear and pulling. Startled, I looked down to see Horikita.

(Y/N): "Horikita? What are you doing?"

Horikita: "What do you mean?"

(Y/N): "...You just pulled my ear."

Horikita: "I don't know what you're talking about."

(Y/N): "..."

Horikita and I stared at each other in silence for a few seconds until the girl who had caught the attention of most of my male classmates spoke.

Sakayanagi: "As for me, it is unfortunate, but I won't be of much use to you since I will lose all the competitions due to absence."

With a small smile on her face, she apologized for the weakness of her body.

Sakayanagi: "I will end up inconveniencing my class and Class D both. For that, first of all please allow me to apologize."

Hirata: "I don't think it's anything to apologize for. No one's going to be hounding you on that after all."

Nobody said a word of complaint regarding that to the girl. After all, there was no point in blaming her for something that couldn't be helped.

"The school is also being harsh. From the start, if her body cannot handle it they should have overlooked it."

"That's right, don't mind it."

Receiving those encouraging words from the other students, Sakayanagi spoke again.

Sakayanagi: "I am most grateful for your kindness."

Even though she sounded grateful, to me it seemed that she couldn't care less about the opinion of the other students, much less if they were Class D for that matter.

Katsuragi: "By the way, about our cooperative relationship, I'm thinking of a relationship in which we don't interfere with each other. You don't mind, do you?"

Hirata: "In other words, you mean you won't share the details of the competitions you'll be participating in?"

Katsuragi: "That's right. If we announce them clumsily it may lead to unnecessary problems. If information about that were to leak to Class C or Class B it would lead suspicion towards Class D and end up causing disruptions to our cooperation. Besides, having to analyse the capabilities of our ally and taking all that into account would only be adding more troubles. At best, we'll only be cooperating and fighting together. I've judged that this is optimal."

Hirata: "... that may be so. I do understand that this is a school where it's difficult establish a relationship in good faith, Katsuragi-kun. Also, even though we're allies in the sense that we're a group, there's no change to the fact that we'll still be competing against each other after all."

He then turns to us questioning if we had any objections. Nobody said anything.

Katsuragi: "Then again, it is a fact that we will need to hold a meeting beforehand in the case of group combinations. Regarding that, in the future I'd like to do something similar, you don't mind do you?"

Hirata: "No, I think that's fine. I'll have a discussion with everyone too."

Katsuragi: "Then I'll leave that to you."

With that, the conversation ended. Since there was nothing more to do there, Class A and D left the gymnasium.

(Timeskip)

Have I mentioned how much I hate global warming by the way? I was never good with high temperatures to begin with, but walking from the school building to the dorms at this time of the year was hell for me.

Sure, September had just started, but it was still too much. The school making us wear the blazer of the uniform whether we liked it or not didn't help either.

Most of my classmates had already started walking towards the dorms but I stayed behind to get a cold drink in a vending machine.

After that, I left the school building. We didn't need to go to the student council today because of the meeting that had just taken place in the gymnasium, so I was free to do whatever I wanted... Go to my room and stay there for the rest of the day.

Chabashira: "It's unusual for you to be the last one to leave, L/N."

Chabashira-sensei, who I had seen and tried to ignore as I left the school building, decided to speak to me. She was watering the plants in the entrance.

(Y/N): "Is that so?"

I didn't want to talk to her, but I couldn't just ignore a teacher.

Chabashira: "Are you done preparing for the sports festival?

(Y/N): "I wonder."

It seemed that she found my reluctance to speak to her amusing since she chuckled. However, her expression changed to a serious one.

Chabashira: "Remember that I'm protecting you, but I want to see results in exchange. If there are no results, I will have no reason to keep protecting you."

We stared at each other in silence for a while, a tense atmosphere made its way between us.

(Y/N): "...If you'll excuse me."

Chabashira: "Sure. Be careful on your way back."

Seemingly satisfied, Chabashira-sensei let me go.

I crashed the can of my now finished soda with my hand and threw it to a nearby bin. Sighing in annoyance, I started to make my way back to the dorms.

43- Training

(Y/N) pov

The next day I spent my lunch break in the student council room with Tachibana, who supervised my work as I went through some documents. Since I spent most of my lunch breaks alone I didn't mind, but it probably wasn't the same for her.

I was sure that she would rather be with her classmates than spending her lunch time with me. However, if she was upset, she didn't show it.

Tachibana was concentrated in everything I did, not letting a detail escape her. It was as if she was waiting for me to make a mistake so she could jump at my throat. Actually, that was probably what she was doing.

(Y/N): "That should be enough."

Tachibana: "Hmph."

The only answer I got from her was a grunt. I supposed that it was as much as I was going to get from her.

Tachibana didn't bother to hide her dislike for me, but that wasn't a bad thing. It meant that since she wasn't pretending, I didn't have to pretend either and I could act more like myself. It was nice for a change.

Tachibana: "How is your class doing?"

I thought that she wouldn't say anything else and I was good to go, but suddenly that strange question came from her.

(Y/N): "Fine I suppose."

Her brow twitched, which meant that she didn't like that answer. Or was it the way I answered? She was all about respect your senpais on my first day in the student council.

Tachibana: "I saw your class the other day in the meeting. The way I saw it, you weren't doing fine at all."

Well, that couldn't be helped. It was true that my classmates seemed to be taken aback by the other classes. After our first month here, the overwhelming difference in class points was clear for all of us. As a result, whether it was consciously or unconsciously, many of my classmates started to look at the other classes as superior entities.

Tachibana: "If it wasn't for that classmate of yours, Hirata-kun, you wouldn't have gotten anywhere."

(Y/N): "I'm glad that we have someone like him in our class."

He was the one that kept our classmates together, after all. Well, most of them. Koenji was a free soul.

Tachibana: "You... have you no ambition at all?"

(Y/N): "What do you mean?"

Tachibana sighed in annoyance and rubbed her temple.

Tachibana: "Nevermind. But remember, you're a member of the student council now. You better not slack off during the sports festival, got it?"

(Y/N): "Got it."

I didn't have a choice anyways.

(Timeskip)

Until the sports festival started, all physical education classes were free periods that we could use however we wanted in order to prepare for the festival.

Hirata: "I've borrowed it."

Right now, we were in one of those periods. Hirata had submitted an application to the school and obtained a grip strength measuring instrument.

Hirata: "Let's measure the grip strength of our dominant arms, shall we?"

Now, I didn't know what the average grip strength for people my age was, but that didn't really matter since I wasn't trying to blend in anymore. This wasn't the first time that I used this kind of equipment, so I was quite familiarized with it.

Sudo: "I'll go first!"

Without asking for permission, Sudo stepped forward towards the machine.

Sudo: "Look closely, L/N. This is the strength of the man who will be carrying the class."

It seemed that Sudo was still pissed off because of what I had said the other day.

Sudo: "Uraaa!"

With that battle cry, Sudo gripped the instrument in his right hand. The digital numerical value rapidly raised. 50, 60, 70... Before we knew it, the digital value displayed was 82,4 kg.

Ike: "You're way too strong!"

Sudo: "Heh. It's because I've always been training. This is natural. Hey, you do it to, L/N."

Sudo called out to me with a superior smirk on his face. It was clear that he was very strong, but that wasn't a problem. I was confident that I was able to surpass 100 kg with my grip if I tried, but I wasn't going to do that.

Taking one step forward, I gripped the instrument with my right hand and started to apply force.

50, 60, 70... I stopped applying force when the numerical value displayed 78,3 kg.

(Y/N): "That's all I can do."

There were a few moments of silence before Hirata spoke, smile on his face.

Hirata: "You're very strong, L/N-kun. Almost as strong as strong as Sudo-kun."

Sudo: "Tch. Not bad."

With that, I stepped back and let my classmates have their turn. I observed the results that the rest of them got, the average was around 50 kg. In the end I was the second strongest person in the class, Sudo being the first and Hirata the third. Koenji didn't even bother to participate, so he didn't count.

Once we were done, Hirata opened a notebook and approached us.

Hirata: "Tug of war and omnidirectional tug of war can simply be in the order of grip strength then. Sudo-kun, L/N-kun, Miyake-kun and me."

As he said that, Ike approached us. He looked pissed, probably since he wouldn't participate in many events.

Ike: "Hey, Hirata. Aren't we going to get any chances?"

It took him a while, but in the end Hirata was able to calm Ike down saying that he would participate in other events where luck was a key factor, such as scavenger hunt.

We spent the rest of the period deciding who would participate in each event. In the end it was as Sudo wanted and the most athletic ones got to participate in most of the events. However, my words had reached my classmates and Sudo didn't participate in all the events, which was good. Since I made sure to stand out in our practice lessons, I got to participate in many events as well.

I didn't feel comfortable leaving the most important role of the class to Sudo since he was very unstable. Sure, I could have surpassed him if I wanted and the roles would change, but if I did that Chabashira-sensei would win, and I didn't want that. Call it pride or stubbornness, but I wouldn't let her get away with her blackmail.

(Timeskip)

The days went by and nothing worth mentioning happened. Right now we were in one of those free periods that we used for training and, I had to admit, my class was taking it quite seriously.

Even though there were some students who wouldn't participate that much due to their physical condition, they still did their best.

Ike: "Haruki, we can't stay behind! Let's impress the girls!"

Yamauchi: "Yeah!"

Well, some of them had questionable goals. Still, intention is what counts.

Sudo: "Ora, let's go!"

Sudo, on the other hand, stood out without even trying. Since he would have an important role in the sports festival, he decided to start acting like a leader.

Sudo: "See? You're not putting any strength into it."

He approached a group of classmates that were practicing for the "tug of war" event.

"I don't get it... Hey Sudo, is there any trick or something behind this?"

Sudo: "Power is also vital but in cases like this it's not just your arm but rather you use your hips."

It was kind of frustrating. I had been trying to help some of my classmates but in the end they always went to Sudo or Hirata if they had any problems. I know that they didn't think too highly of me, but was Sudo really a more reliable person than me?

If my classmates saw me helping someone they might start relying on me, but who would need my help when Sudo and Hirata were already-

Onodera: "Hey, Horikita-san, would you mind keeping pace with me a bit more?"

I looked behind me to see Horikita and Onodera, who had been practicing for the three legged race until now, discussing for some reason.

Horikita: "Indeed our rhythms are mismatched. But it's not my fault. Rather it's because you're slow."

Onodera: "What..."

That's my opportunity.

(Y/N): "What's wrong?"

Horikita: "L/N-kun. We're not achieving good results because Onodera-san cannot keep up with me." She stated matter-of-factly.

Onodera: "It's because of you trying to go so fast that we're falling behind!" She protested.

It was quite clear who was at fault here. However, if I openly said that, Horikita would get mad at me. Still, I had to agree with Onodera on this one.

(Y/N): "Horikita, a three-legged race is about matching your partner's pace, not a competition to see which one of you is faster."

Onodera sent me a thankful glance, but Horikita still was the same. It appeared that I wouldn't be able to convince her with words.

I glanced around and spotted Kikyou nearby. She was talking with a classmate and I felt bad for interrupting her, but this needed to be done if I wanted to help Horikita and Onodera.

(Y/N): "Kikyou, can you come here for a moment?"

Kushida: "Sure! What is it?"

(Y/N): "Can you team up with Onodera for a practice three-legged race? I'll team up with Horikita."

My request got them by surprise, but they still accepted. Horikita tied our legs together while Kikyou did the same with Onodera's. After that, we walked to the starting point.

Satou, who had apparently seen us, decided to be the one to do the countdown.

Satou: "Three, two, one... go!"

I didn't run at full speed, but I made sure to surpass Horikita's speed.

Horikita: "H-hey!"

As a result, she stumbled many times, which made it difficult for me to keep running as well. Kikyou and Onodera, on the other hand, kept an even pace and ran without any problems.

Even though they wouldn't be able to win against us in a normal race since they were slower, they got to the finish line before us.

Horikita: "What's wrong with you?!"

(Y/N): "I told you, a three-legged race is about matching your partner's pace. It doesn't matter if you're faster than your opponents, if you aren't able to cooperate with your partner you will lose."

It looked like Horikita was about to take her anger out on me, but Onodera spoke before she could.

Onodera: "That's what I've been trying to tell you, Horikita-san."

(Y/N): "Why don't you practice with Onodera again? Try to keep an even pace this time."

She glared at me, but it seemed that I had been able to convince her.

Horikita: "...Tch. Fine."

(Timeskip)

Kushida: "Good job you two!"

Onodera: "Thanks!"

Following my advice, Horikita matched Onodera's pace and they got a better result. While Kikyou and Onodera celebrated the improvement, Horikita crossed her arms and avoided my gaze with a slightly annoyed face.

They didn't need my help anymore, so I walked away from them. Most of my classmates seemed to be doing fine, and those who needed help were already asking Sudo or Hirata for advice.

However, one lone student stood away from the crowd with her gaze fixed on the floor. I walked up to her.

(Y/N): "Are you okay?"

Sakura: "Ah, um..."

She had been kind of depressed lately, at least that was the impression she gave me.

(Y/N): "I won't force you, but you know that you can tell me if something's wrong, right?"

People usually get their worries out of their chest by talking to a family member or a friend, but Sakura didn't have many people to talk to. That's why I wanted her to know that I would be there if she needed someone to talk to.

Sakura: "Well... The truth is..."

I more or less knew why she was acting like this, but I wanted her to say it.

Sakura: "I... I don't want to be a burden. I've been trying my best, but I'm still not good enough. I'm too slow when we race and I'm not strong enough to participate in the other events."

I listened to Sakura without interrupting her. I decided that I wouldn't speak until she got everything out of her chest.

Sakura: "I-I've been thinking of training in my free time, but I don't know if it will be worth it."

It was true that hard work wasn't the solution for everything. No matter how much they try, some people just aren't made for sports and the results will betray them in the end. However, that didn't mean that they should just give up.

Sakura: "I want to be strong like Sudo-kun and the others, but in the end I'm too weak."

(Y/N): "Hmm. Is that so? I think that you're strong, Sakura."

Sakura: "H-huh?"

She wasn't expecting me to say that. Her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened.

(Y/N): "You know that you aren't strong physically, but instead of giving up you're looking for a solution to overcome your weakness. I'm sure that many people would have already thrown in the towel if they were in your place."

Sakura: "You think so?"

I nodded and looked at the rest of my classmates.

(Y/N): "Besides, nobody is perfect. Sudo might be strong physically, but he doesn't cope well with his studies. I'm not good at socialising and I don't have many friends. Horikita could perfectly lead our class but she is too prideful and keeps her distance from everybody else... Don't tell her I said that by the way."

That earned a giggle from Sakura.

(Y/N): "What I'm trying to say is that having a weakness doesn't make you weak. Rather, trying to overcome that weakness is what makes you strong."

Having said that, I looked back at Sakura.

(Y/N): "Everyone has a weakness, Sakura. What marks the difference is that some people are strong enough to try to overcome their weaknesses and some aren't. That's why I think that you're strong."

She looked at me with a surprised expression for a while, but then her lips curved into a small smile.

Sakura: "Thank you, L/N-kun. You are always there to make me feel better..."

(Y/N): "I already told you that you could rely on me whenever you needed to. That's what friends are for."

She nodded happily and looked up at me with sparkling eyes. Suddenly, she grabbed my hands with hers.

Sakura: "I... I will do my best, so... you better be there to see how much I improve!"

I was a bit taken aback, but I managed to stay calm and respond with a small smile of my own.

(Y/N): "That's the spirit."

I considered Sakura a friend, so I didn't want her to be depressed. I was still having difficulties to gain the confidence of my classmates, but knowing that I had managed to cheer Sakura up, that day I walked back to the dorms feeling satisfied.

44- Reconnaissance

(Y/N) pov

The days kept passing by and, before we knew it, the sports festival was around the corner. While some of my classmates couldn't hide their excitement, others seemed to be getting more nervous.

"L/N-kun! Can you come here for a sec?"

(Y/N): "Sure."

Things were starting to change for me as well. While not everyone, some of my classmates were starting to rely on me more. They probably saw me helping Horikita and Onodera the other day.

At least the situation now was better than when many of them came to my desk demanding me to explain why and how I joined the student council. I couldn't blame them though, and their distrust was perfectly justified.

After all, from their point of view, Y/N L/N was practically a complete stranger who hadn't really stood out, and now he suddenly became a member of the student council.

Well, there was no use crying over spilt milk. Looking at the bright side, this happened relatively soon in my student life. If I had kept pretending to be a normal student and joined the student council in my second or third year, the situation would probably be worse.

Horikita: "It seems that they're not even bothering to hide."

(Y/N): "We can't do anything about it."

Horikita was glaring at a group of Class C students who had been watching our class practice. It wasn't the first time either. Every time that Class D practiced for the sports festival, a group of Class C students were there to watch.

(Y/N): "Maybe we should go see the other classes as well. See how they're preparing themselves."

Horikita: "I suppose that doing some research wouldn't hurt."

(Y/N): "Are you free tomorrow morning?"

Horikita: "Tomorrow should be fine."

(Y/N): "That's good."

I glanced around looking for a certain classmate who, unsurprisingly, was happily talking with her friends. I decided that I would talk to her later.

(Timeskip)

I stepped out of the elevator the following morning. Horikita was already waiting for me in the lobby.

Horikita: "You're late."

(Y/N): "Sorry."

Horikita was visibly annoyed, but it had nothing to do with me being late. Rather...

Horikita: "Care to explain what she's doing here?"

Kushida: "I already told you, Y/N invited me!"

Kikyou was standing next to Horikita with a happy smile adorning her face. Maybe it was my imagination, but I got the impression that Kikyou's smile grew even wider when she saw Horikita's exasperated expression.

(Y/N): "Kikyou knows a lot more about other students than we do and she's always willing to help." Was my only answer.

Horikita: "Couldn't you have told me beforehand?"

(Y/N): "Would you have come if you knew that she would be here?"

Horikita: "..."

(Y/N): "There's your answer."

It took me some time to ponder whether it was a good idea to invite Kikyou. After all, right now she was a double spy that Ryuuen and I were using at the same time. However, in the end, I decided that the best option was to let her come with us.

The answer was simple. Even though she had two faces that both Ryuuen and I were aware of, Kikyou Kushida wanted everyone to look up to her. To achieve her goal, she came up with her fake persona and tried to be everyone's friend.

Kikyou interacted with almost every person in our class. Even before I started to use her, we already talked to each other from time to time. That is why, even though seeing her with me could raise some suspicions in Ryuuen, he would be even more suspicious if I stopped interacting with her altogether.

(Timeskip)

The grounds past 10 o'clock were already packed with students.

Kushida: "Woah, they're going at it."

The football club was practicing in front of us in the field. Meanwhile, Kikyou, Horikita and I sat in the stands.

Kushida: "Scouting out groups to grasp information of the students on other classes makes me feel like I'm a spy. It's thrilling."

Horikita: "It's nothing that splendid though. The amount of information that we can acquire here is limited."

The ball was kicked from the corner and flew towards Hirata, who was waiting near the goal. However, since the defenders were already cornering him, he could either shoot before the ball touched the ground or pass the ball.

Shooting in that situation was risky and could result in a counterattack from the other team, so he instead passed the ball to a nearby teammate.

(Y/N): "So Shibata's from the soccer club."

Shibata was a Class B student. I had seen him before, but we never talked to each other.

Kushida: "Yeah, Hirata-kun praises him often, saying that he's better than him. It seems that they're close."

Shibata, who had the ball in his possession, charged to the enemy team without hesitation as we talked. He had a considerable speed and was clearly confident in his abilities.

"Well well, what a strange combination we have here."

A familiar voice referred to us from behind. It wasa Miyabi Nagumo, the vice-president of the student council.

Kushida: "Good morning, Nagumo-senpai."

I saw Horikita stiffen from the corner of my eye.

Nagumo: "Hmm. Kikyou-chan, right? Are you perhaps on a date with our newby secretary here? Not too shabby."

Kushida: "U-umm, that's not it, Nagumo-senpai."

(Y/N): "We just came to see how the other clubs were doing."

Nagumo: "Is that so? Well, my club doesn't know how to hold back so I think that you're right on the mark if you've come to measure their skills."

Just as he said that, Shibata got rid of the last defender and scored another point for his team.

Nagumo: "You don't mind if I borrow L/N away from you for a moment, do you girls?"

I didn't understand why he was asking for their permission instead of asking me directly, but I got up from my seat and stood next to him before they said anything. Nagumo was both the vice-president of the student council and an upperclassman, so it wasn't like I could refuse even if I wanted to.

I followed Nagumo, who led me to the other side of the stands.

(Y/N): "What do you want to talk about?"

Nagumo: "Nothing really. Just a friendly chat."

(Y/N): "I doubt it."

Someone like Nagumo wouldn't call anyone just to have a "friendly chat" unless he found some use in it. The smile that didn't reach his eyes did nothing but raise my suspicions even more.

Nagumo: "I was just curious about what you have planned for the sports festival. I can't help but wonder what the person who caught Horikita-senpai's interest will do."

I didn't know if he was wary of me or just interested, but it seemed that I wouldn't be able to get rid of him unless I said something. The course of action that I needed to take was obvious... say something boring so he lost interest in me and left.

(Y/N): "I'm not very good when it comes to planning strategies. We already have Horikita for that, anyways."

There was a brief pause and Nagumo's smile slowly faded.

Nagumo: "Horikita-senpai's little sister, huh?"

(Y/N): "I'm sure that she'll be the one to lead our class in the near future."

His smile slowly faded.

Nagumo: "How disappointing."

He stopped pretending at that point. The disappointment was clear in his face.

Nagumo: "Horikita-senpai's judgement must have deteriorated. Here I thought that I had found someone to entertain me once he leaves the school. Someone like you has no place in this school."

...

(Y/N): "I'm sorry if I didn't live up to your expectations."

Nagumo: "Tch."

I couldn't care less what his opinion of me was. I wasn't a new toy who he or any other student could play with until they grew tired or broke it. I didn't have the older Horikita's resolve to keep the school "safe" from Nagumo's plans of change. I wasn't a kind person who would just lead his class to the top out of goodwill.

My goal was the same as it was when I left the white room and joined this school. It wouldn't change because of other people's expectations.

(Y/N): "Can I leave now?"

Nagumo: "Whatever."

Having lost all his interest in me, Nagumo waved me off with his hand.

(Timeskip)

As I walked back to Horikita and Kikyou I noticed that two other students, Hirata and Shibata, were now talking with Kikyou. Horikita stood away from them with her arms crossed.

Horikita: "You're back."

(Y/N): "Sorry for leaving all of the sudden."

Kushida: "Haha, it's fine. It isn't like Y/N could just turn down Nagumo-senpai."

I looked at the two outsiders who had been talking with Kikyou until now.

Shibata: "Y/N L/N. We have never talked before, have we? Let me introduce myself. I'm So Shibata, class 1-B."

I shook his outstretched hand.

(Y/N): "Y/N L/N, class 1-D."

He most likely knew it already, but it would be rude to not introduce myself as well.

Hirata: "What's up today? This is a strange combination."

Horikita: "It's reconnaissance. We've come to mark the students of the other classes that we ought to keep an eye on."

Shibata: "Hehe, does that mean that I'm being marked?"

He swiftly stepped forward to show his speed.

Kushida: "Shibata-kun is as fast as the rumours say. We were all very surprised!"

The faint red in his cheeks was evident, even though he tried to hide it.

Hirata: "Shibata-kun is someone that we need to keep attention to. He's the fastest student in Class B. I hope that I won't have to run in the same group as him."

Shibata: "Even if you say that, I won't let my guard down because Yousuke is also fast." He then turned to me. "How about L/N?"

(Y/N): "I get by."

Shibata: "Is that so?"

After that, Kikyou, Hirata and Shibata talked for a bit while Horikita and I stood back and watched them. Once they were done there was nothing more to see, so we spent the rest of the morning watching the other clubs.

(Timeskip)

Kikyou eventually left because she had something to do, so Horikita and I had to go through the remaining clubs without anyone to ask information about the other students to. It was almost lunchtime when we decided to stop.

As we walked back to the dorms, I offhandedly asked Horikita about her plans for the sports festival.

(Y/N): "So. Have you and Hirata already figured out what our strategy will be?"

Horikita: "I don't know about Hirata-kun yet, but my plan is to go all out and fight for the first place."

It seemed that the only possible outcome that Horikita had in her mind was victory.

(Y/N): "...I see."

Horikita: "What's with that tone?"

(Y/N): "I think that you're being naïve."

I ignored her glare and kept telling her my honest thoughts.

(Y/N): "A leader must know which battles are winnable and which aren't. Sometimes, not falling to the last place can even be considered a victory."

Horikita: "That's a stupid way of thinking. With that line of thought we will never defeat the other classes, let alone reach Class A."

(Y/N): "I'd rather call it being realistic. Besides, I'm not telling you to give up."

Horikita: "This is because of the exam on the boat, isn't it? I know that I underestimated Ryuuen-kun back then, but I won't commit the same mistake again." There was a small pause in which she looked up at me, frowning. "It is as if you're implying that we won't be able to win at all."

(Y/N): "The way I see it, we're still far away from defeating Ryuuen's class."

Horikita: "You're wrong. First of all, our classes aren't that different. Both in academics and sports."

She was certainly right. Class C didn't have the brightest students and, when it came to sports, our classes were more or less the same. However...

(Y/N): "Then, how do you explain that Class D got 0 class points in the first month while Class C got over 400?"

Horikita: "That's..."

Our classes were similar, but there was a major difference. The leader. Despite his methods, Ryuuen was able to make all his class obey him and led them to a satisfactory result, while our class didn't.

It wouldn't be until Horikita or another capable person who surpassed Ryuuen led our class that Class D would defeat Class C.

(Y/N): "The final answer is yours, but let me ask you this. As we are now, do you think that we will be able to defeat Ryuuen, Ichinose or Sakayanagi and Katsuragi?"

Horikita: "..."

That moment of hesitation was all I needed.

(Y/N): "As long as we graduate in Class A, it doesn't matter at what point we defeat them. Take your time and don't make rash decisions."

If Horikita and the others wanted to make a change, they would have to change themselves first. If it wasn't for me acting behind the scenes and Hirata and Horikita's efforts, our class would be in a point of no return by now.

I wanted to see it with my own eyes. The growth of my classmates and the day when they would be able to fight for the top without my intervention.

Ryuuen's pov

All the preparations were made. In this sports festival, I would crush Suzune and find out who the person hiding behind her back was. After that, I would crush the other classes and become Class A.

This was nothing but a game to me. And in the end, I would be the winner.

I will admit, however, that I was a bit disappointed at how easy things were turning out to be. I had a spy who gave me all the information I needed and I hadn't seen any kind of resistance in Class D. Those idiots didn't even know that there was a traitor among their lines.

However, I wasn't one to talk. Manabe and the monkeys that she had for friends had been blackmailed during the special exam on the boat, which lead to their group reaching the first outcome.

I didn't really mind. After all, that result didn't harm Class C in any way. What did worry me was that the person who blackmailed them could have gotten information about my class if he wanted. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the person didn't even bother to use that opportunity to gain information at all. Due to their negligence, the person hiding behind Suzune had lost their opportunity now. I had already taken care of Manabe and the others.

It was clear that the blackmailer was the person hiding behind Suzune, and that led me to the main suspect.

Y/N L/N. The person who had recently joined the student council and was always close to Suzune. In different circumstances I would have already determined that he was that person. However, there was something that stopped me from doing so.

Whoever the person hiding behind Suzune was, they didn't want to be known. They acted behind the scenes and didn't leave any trace that could lead to their identity. L/N, on the other hand, joined the student council and his name was quite known in the school at this point.

In the end it didn't matter to me though. Whether L/N was the person hiding behind Horikita or not, he was someone that I would soon crush together with Class D.

Ryuuen: "Kukuku."

Things would soon get very interesting.

️

Parts: 48Font Wattpad Downloader