Chapter 3: Disposal
-o-o-o-
It was in the middle of homeroom on the third day when Kōenji Rokusuke made his move.
He loudly took his feet off his desk and sat up in his chair, attracting the attention of the entire class. However, once they noticed it was just Kōenji, they went back to their phones and chatted with each other.
"I require a refresher," he loudly proclaimed as he stood up from his seat, glancing in my direction. "Demon-boy, come with me."
Demon-boy? Was that me?
Kōenji looked at me again, and I was forced to follow him out of the classroom. We went up a floor and then took several turns until we arrived at an empty classroom. Conveniently, it had a window. I stared out of the window, noting the lush greenery outside. ANHS must have spent thousands of yen on maintenance.
"How long do you intend to continue this farce?"
"I don't know what you are referring to."
"This act, Demon-boy." Kōenji clarified.
"So you know."
He snorted. "You don't sound very surprised. As expected of someone who came from that place."
"I remember your father in New York," I replied. "He was one of the people who turned down the offer to invest in the program." I tried to copy Kōenji's stance, leaning on a desk.
"How long?"
"Excuse me?"
"How long has it been since you've figured out the S-System?"
"Uh, three days, maybe."
"So you figured it out on the first day. Haha!" Kōenji began to laugh boisterously, his shoulders shaking and his head thrown backward, blond hair dangling. "Ha ha ha!"
He found this situation incredibly amusing for some odd reason.
After a few minutes, Kōenji had finished laughing.
"How many points do you think we have left as a class, Demon-boy?"
"Not many. Soon to be zero, if not negative."
"Oh?" Kōenji quirked his eyebrow. "You have something planned?."
"Perhaps."
The two of us looked outside the window, admiring the scenery. We didn't speak for a few more minutes, but the fact that neither of us had left was an indication that one of us wanted to speak.
"Demon-boy, you want to experience it, don't you? Laughing and joy, that is."
"Yeah." That was the purpose of coming to this school. Experiencing emotions. I wondered how it truly felt.
"Ha! Then, I shall show you!" he grinned, pointing a finger at me as if I were some inanimate object. "I will show you what it means to have fun!"
He spread his hands outwards like he was the Prime Minister of Japan.
Kōenji seemed keen on helping me, somehow. It appeared that his personality in class was simply an act.
"However, in return, you must compete with me. In exams, in physical tests, in everything."
"I thought you were the perfect existence."
"Ha!" Kōenji stared into his pocket mirror, combing his hair backward with his other hand, "I am the perfect human existence. I wish to test myself against you, Demon-boy. Since you are not human, I remain the perfect existence regardless of the outcome of any competition."
He had done some impressive mental gymnastics to avoid being categorized as an imperfect human existence. I mentally applauded him.
"Your answer, Demon-boy?" Kōenji's gaze didn't leave his handheld mirror, as he continued admiring himself.
Agreeing to his demands would lead me to stand out. However, Horikita Manabu had already exposed my physical prowess. I'd been receiving too many appraising looks from people in the first few days. I confirmed that pictures and videos from that day had been uploaded online to the ANHS forum.
"Sure. I'll compete with you, Kōenji."
"Rokusuke. Call me Rokusuke. Talk to you later, Demon-boy." He waved me off, presumably returning to class.
"Rokusuke."
"Hm? Did you say something?" he turned around.
"Let's visit the other classes during homeroom to introduce ourselves."
He grinned. "I like your way of thinking, Demon-boy. Chaos is fun. Boredom is the sin of man. Where to?"
"Let's work our way up. C, B, then A."
We went back to class. Rokusuke continued admiring his own reflection, while I stared out the window. Once homeroom started, Rokusuke and I left the classroom.
We made our way to the classroom with the banner "Class C". Inside, the class was aptly paying attention to a magenta-haired boy. He was their leader.
Rokusuke kicked the door open. I raised an eyebrow. So that's how you want to play this?
As if in sync, forty heads simultaneously turned to look at us. The magenta-haired boy was standing at the podium, with a foreign-born giant next to him.
I saw an empty chair and grabbed it, then sat down. Gasps of disbelief emanated from around the classroom as Kōenji smirked at my bold actions.
The magenta-haired boy at the podium narrowed his eyes, clearly unimpressed by our unorthodox entrance. The foreign-born giant by his side observed the scene without a reaction.
"What's the meaning of this?" the magenta-haired boy demanded, his tone filled with irritation.
"Simply introducing you to the perfect existences," Rokusuke replied with a casual grin, still engrossed in his reflection in a pocket mirror.
The atmosphere in the room tensed. The rest of Class C eyed us warily, quiet whispers spreading like wildfire.
"I'm Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, and this is Kōenji Rokusuke. We're both from Class D. We thought it'd be fun to drop by and get to know the other classes during homeroom."
The magenta-haired boy scoffed. "Fun? You think barging into someone else's class is fun? You've got a weird sense of humor."
"Relax Dragon-boy," Rokusuke replied dismissively. "Your anger issues do not concern me."
"What did you just say to me?" The magenta-haired boy stood up and strode over to Kōenji. Rokusuke was unbothered, as he simply admired his reflection in his pocket mirror. He had a talent for doing that. Whispers turned to murmurs, as Dragon-boy was being challenged and was losing control of the class. He seemed to lead by physical violence and fear, so this was a pressing issue for him.
Dragon-boy knocked the mirror out of his hands and onto the ground, shattering it.
Rokusuke glanced at him dismissively. "Trying to get me to notice you? Sorry, but I don't swing that way, Dragon-boy."
Dragon-boy had finally had enough, and he swung a fist. Rokusuke parried it and then stepped backward to avoid the ensuing kick.
"The name's Ryūen Kakeru. I'll crush you if you challenge me again. You'd do well to remember that."
Ryūen turned, glaring at me. "That's my seat. Get out."
Kōenji Rokusuke's idea of fun was to provoke others and cause chaos while being independent and self-serving. I saw some merit in it.
"Nah."
Ryūen narrowed his eyes. The foreign-born giant moved over.
"Relax, Dragon-boy. No need to confront Demon-boy over here," Rokusuke remarked.
"You wouldn't live to tell the tale."
With that, Kōenji and I left the classroom. With his hands behind his head, Rokusuke whistled, his spirits high. He seemed entirely unfazed by the confrontation that had occurred in Class C.
"Let's see if these Class B baboons are more interesting than those Class C cretins."
This time, I opened the door to Class B. Once again, forty pairs of eyes stared at us. There was a beautiful, blue-eyed, pink-haired girl at the podium. The second thing I noticed was her rather large… assets. She was clearly surprised to see us but quickly adapted to the situation.
"Oh! Hey! I'm Ichinose Honami, the Class Representative, and you are?"
"Ayanokōji Kiyotaka. This is Kōenji Rokusuke," I gestured to the blond-haired boy, who continued to examine his reflection in his mirror. Wait… didn't Ryūen break his mirror? How had he procured another one?
"In that case, welcome to Class B!" Ichinose had an incredibly kind and outgoing aura around her, like Kushida Kikyō, but even purer and more powerful. "What are you looking for, Ayanokōji-kun?"
"We're just here to introduce ourselves and get to know the class. The last class wasn't so welcoming, though."
"I see. Well, why don't we exchange contact information?" Ichinose proposed.
"My, my, Honami-chan, already making moves on a boy?"
A purple-eyed, brown-haired woman wrapped her arms around Ichinose, accentuating her… assets. In fact, they both had assets. Assets on assets on assets…
I wondered if Chabashira-sensei matched up with this homeroom teacher. Well, I couldn't compare them, since one wore formal attire and the other dressed like a 22-year-old going out to party.
"Chie-sensei, it's not lack that!" Ichinose exclaimed, a light pink tint on her cheeks. "He was just here to introduce himself."
The homeroom teacher of Class B ignored her words and looked me up and down. "Not bad, not bad at all. Honami-chan, you have great taste in men! Hey, Kiyotaka-kun, you aren't trying to steal my Honami-chan from me, hm?"
"Chie-sensei!" Ichinose protested as the class laughed.
"Relax, relax, I was just joking." She drew close to me, the scent of perfume and alcohol hanging around my nose. Was she drunk? She wrapped her arms around my neck, getting uncomfortably close to me.
"Sae-chan is really lucky to have you, you know? If you were in my class, I'd treat you better than she ever could."
This woman was speaking as if Chabashira were my girlfriend, and she was trying to steal me away. If she were a student, she would have immediately stolen all the boys' hearts. She almost reminded me of an older Kushida Kikyō, mixed with Kiryūin Fūka and Ichinose Honami.
"Well, you have a nice class here. I would've been grateful to be placed in Class B, but I'm a Class D student."
"I see, I see," she replied, examining my face.
Kōenji grunted. "Hmph. These Tits McGees and this class bore me. Demon-boy, I will head to Class A."
42 pairs of eyes followed Kōenji's figure as he left the room. Rokusuke was bored by how friendly this class was. It was incredibly unified, with Ichinose as the leader, and it was no fun to cause chaos here.
"Um… don't mind him. He's just a bit… eccentric." I said.
"Right, right," Ichinose hastily agreed with me, as we exchanged numbers.
"Well, I better get back to class. Thank you all for your time."
I hurried out of the classroom to find Rokusuke leaning against the opposite wall, combing his hair. Strangely enough, he had waited for me. We made our way to Class A, taking a left to arrive at the door.
Opening the door, we saw a debate occurring between a tall, bald man and a petite, lilac-haired girl with a cane. The class was roughly divided in half.
Also, how was he bald at fifteen? Was it some kind of condition?
"Greetings, Class A." Rokusuke emanated a powerful air of superiority, which caused the Class A students to look at us with narrowed gazes. He was still combing his hair.
"State your business," Baldy-kun said. The short, lilac-haired girl was content to look at us, a creepy smile on her face. I shivered.
"I am Kōenji Rokusuke and this is my good friend, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka. Now, which one of you is the leader? Johnny Sins or Disabled Loli?"
Baldy-kun and the short girl both remained visibly composed. However, on close inspection, one could see that both of them had forehead veins twitching. Kōenji had a unique ability to provoke everyone. It was kind of funny.
"My name is Sakayanagi Arisu. That's Katsuragi Kōhei. We are the leaders of Class A."
"I see. I understand the defect of Class A," Rokusuke proclaimed. "It is incredibly disease-ridden. Lolis, baldies, alcoholics, shoplifters, and snakes."
As Kōenji uttered each word, there would be one or two Class A students who would react. I see. Rokusuke was cold-reading them.
"You! You better apologize to Katsuragi-san right now!"
"Totsuka!" Katsuragi reprimanded.
A green-haired boy marched up to Kōenji.
"Hmph. I have no need to interact with simple-minded dogs that lick boots." Kōenji snorted dismissively.
"You!"
The green-haired boy named Totsuka grabbed Kōenji's collar. He was shorter and less muscular than Rokusuke, who clearly had a powerful physique. This wouldn't end well for Totsuka if he decided to get physical with Kōenji.
Indeed, Katsuragi seemed to recognize this as well. He grabbed Totsuka by the scruff of his collar, and, like a dog, yanked him back to his place.
"Even your owner must chastise you. Learn to control yourself, babbling baboon."
"You fucker!" Numerous classmates had to hold the boy back from attacking Rokusuke. Kōenji paid them no heed as he examined his reflection in the mirror.
Baldy-kun merely sighed. "Kōenji, please refrain from provoking my classmates."
"Sorry, Johnny Sins, I don't take orders from you. Let's go, Demon-boy."
I could feel the stare of Sakayanagi on our backs as we left the classroom. Kōenji continued happily humming to himself as we returned to Class D.
-o-o-o-
It was a boring rest of the day. I only gazed out the window as teachers lectured. After classes concluded for the day, Kōenji headed towards the park.
Deciding to avoid the questions and probing gazes, I followed him. Rokusuke's presence was a deterrent to all the social elites like Kushida, who wanted to invite me to Keyaki Mall.
"What a beautiful view, isn't it?" Rokusuke admired the sun in the sky. It was low, as we were just a few hours away from sunset.
"Why thank you for the compliment, Kōhai."
Kiryūin Fūka was sitting elegantly on the bench, her platinum white hair flowing in the wind behind her.
Kōenji glanced at her. It was as if he had just noticed her presence.
"Who are you?"
"I'm sure you know. You are welcome to guess if you don't."
He examined her for a second. During that moment, none of us spoke. A smile settled on Fūka's face, and she watched me out of the corner of her eye, which shone with some amount of amusement at this game.
"Kiryūin Fūka."
Fūka clapped her hands like she had finished watching an excellent show. "Well done, Kōenji Rokusuke."
"Do you know each other?"
"Yes," they said.
"How?"
"I have my sources," they said in unison.
"It's creepy how similar you are."
"I'm not nearly as disagreeable as him," Fūka claimed. Perhaps she was right, given that Fūka was in Class B, and Rokusuke had been placed in Class D. Of course, Fūka and her class could have climbed the rankings, but I doubted that happened, given her attitude towards class warfare.
"I simply do what I want. Is that so disagreeable?"
"Maybe you're right. But I am far more approachable than someone like you." Fūka didn't back down on her point.
"I don't think either of you is very approachable. In fact, both of you sought me out. No one approaches either of you."
"Is that so?" Fūka threw her head backward, and her melodious laugh rang through the clearing. Some passing students looked at our odd trio with interest.
"What a nutcase," Kōenji stated. However, the fact that he was engaging in this conversation was indicative of his amusement. As if reading my thoughts, a small smile appeared on his face. After a few more seconds, he checked his phone for the time.
"Well, this has been entertaining, but I have dates to get off to. Ayanokōji-boy can give you my contact information," he said, as he walked away.
"Who says I want it?" Fūka shot back.
"Then, by all means, don't take it!" Kōenji laughed. Wait… was he skipping?
Kōenji Rokusuke was really an oddball.
"So… do you want the information?"
Fūka laughed. "Sure, why not?"
-o-o-o-
Over the next week, I again tried and failed to work up the courage to talk to my isolated seatmate, Horikita Suzune. "Tried" being a very generous term.
I certainly tried on behalf of Kushida Kikyō. However, now that Kushida Kikyō's overwhelming cuteness wasn't actively weaponized against me, I had broken from its influence, and I had lost my motivation to do its bidding.
"Good morning Ayanokōji-kun!" a chorus of female voices sang.
"Good morning, Matsushita, Satō, Mori."
Due to those pictures and videos from the gym, I had made several friends of the opposite sex and had begun garnering attention on my walks to school. However, this had the unsolicited effect of negative looks from the other male population, including Ike and Yamauchi, who were dubbed the two idiots of the class.
Speaking of which…
"Good morning, Ike!"
"Good morning, Yamauchi!"
It was rather unusual for these two to get to class so early. Ike and Yamauchi were known as the degenerates of the boys, perverts whom even most of the male population stayed away from. Sudō, Sotomura, Okitani, and I made sure to steer clear of them at all times. We didn't want to be seen as weirdos.
"Whew, man. I was looking forward to today so much that I barely slept last night!"
"Ah ha ha!" Ike crowed victoriously, "This school is just the best! I can't believe that it's almost time for swimming! And when I say swimming, I mean girls. And when I say girls, I mean girls in school swimsuits!"
It was true that the swimming classes were co-ed. In other words, that meant that the girls would be showing off a lot of skin, which was what triggered Ike and Yamauchi. As Sotomura liked to call them, SS-Tier perverts. The girls backed away from Ike and Yamauchi's rabid excitement.
The two of them began discussing the girls' breast sizes. They were taking bets, and some of the male population began to join their group, betting on who had the largest breasts using points.
I watched and made note of the unfortunate souls who joined their group, whose reputation would soon be soiled under the watchful, vindicative gaze of the female population.
-o-o-o-
"All right! The pool!"
It was right before lunch that it was time for swim class. Finally, the moment that Ike, Yamauchi, and their group had been so desperately waiting for. Without even trying to hide their excitement, Ike and Yamauchi leaped out of their seats and headed with the others toward the indoor pool.
I followed the lead of the rest of the male population, who wisely distanced themselves from Ike and his clique.
As we entered the locker room, we began changing. I took note of Sudō's muscular body, which signified his seriousness in training for basketball.
"Damn, Kōji. You're ripped!"
The other boys in the locker room drew their gazes towards Sudō and me, examining the two of us.
One could see that we were both specimens. While Sudō was 4 inches taller than me and had a bigger muscular frame, it was clear that I was no slouch.
"Ayankōji, you work out a lot, don't you?" Miyake Akito, a purple-haired boy asked me.
"Yeah. You're no slouch yourself."
That was true. Miyake had the body of someone who had been through multiple fights. Considering this school's strange system, it was not far-fetched to say he might have been a delinquent in the past.
However, he didn't radiate the same energy as a delinquent. I concluded that Miyake Akito was a retired delinquent.
Soon, most of the guys finished changing and left the locker room. Upon seeing the fifty-meter Olympic-sized pool, Ike cried out, "Whoa, this school is something else! It's even better than the city pool, don't you think?"
The water was clear and beautiful, almost pristine, and because it was indoors, we didn't have to worry about winds or rain. It was the perfect environment. Looking upward, I noticed there were no cameras, which made sense. The swimming pool required a certain degree of privacy, and the locker rooms even more so, since that was where students changed.
"Yo, what about the girls? Where are they?" Yamauchi brought up a question essential to his and Ike's very core of existence.
Ike perked up and looked around, sniffing the air like a dog.
"Hey, I wonder what would happen if I just suddenly jumped into the girls' locker room?" Yamauchi said.
"They'd gang up on you, beat the shit out of you, and then file charges, probably," I said.
"Don't give me such a realistic, deadpan answer, and ruin my fun!" Yamauchi cried.
"Either way, I can't wait until they come out," Ike smirked, a rogue, wild look in his eyes, as he rubbed his hands together.
"Agreed! Agh. What am I gonna do if I get a boner?" Yamauchi wondered.
I subconsciously stepped backward.
A few minutes after the boys had arrived, a girl's voice could be heard.
"A-are they here?!" Ike Kanji looked on the verge of euphoric bliss.
Yamauchi looked ready to strike, almost frothing at the mouth.
One by one, the girls appeared on the second-floor observation deck, above us.
"Nooo!" Yamauchi and Ike cried together, like the end of a tragic Greek story.
"Gross," the girls muttered among themselves. It was far from surprising that the girls hated him.
I retreated. I moved to join Okitani, Sudō, and Sotomura, but I was interrupted by a trio of brown-haired devils.
"Ne ne~, Ayanokōji-kun, you seem to work out a lot." Matsushita poked around me, while Satō and Mori circled me like patrol dogs. There were light pink tints that I could see on their faces.
"I guess you could say that."
As they continued examining my body, I examined theirs in turn. However, the part of the body that drew my attention appeared to be quite normal, not on the level of someone like Hasebe or Sakura.
It wasn't that I had personally observed that to be true; rather, I had merely heard the boys talking about it, and I was an unfortunate soul roped into the entire mess. Incredibly unfortunate.
Still, the girls continued to stare at me. I had had enough, so I decided to play a prank on them.
"I'd appreciate it if you stopped staring at my body. I can see the drool from your mouths."
"Eep!" At my voice, the three of them distanced themselves, jumping backward in surprise.
"Hmph. Perverts."
They had light blushes on their faces.
"Mou~ Ayanokōji-kun, your face makes it really hard to tell if you were joking or not."
"Sorry," I apologized. "I'm going to use the restroom. I'll be back."
"We'll wait for you," Mori huffed as if the thought of doing so annoyed her. However, once she thought I was out of earshot, she turned to the other two and began chatting with them excitedly. Women were strange.
After a few minutes, I returned to the pool. "Oh, Ayanokōji-kun is back!"
"Yo, Ayanokōji-kun!" Satō greeted.
"Hey, Ayanokōji-kun, I have a question…" Matsushita began. However, she got interrupted.
"All right, everyone, line up!"
"Never mind. I'll ask you later."
A macho-looking, middle-aged man, the kind of guy who devoted himself exclusively to sports, gathered everyone together and started the class.
"Okay, after you warm up, I want to see what you can do. Swim for me," the coach said.
"Excuse me, sir. I can't really swim, though..."
A lone boy sheepishly raised his hand and spoke up.
"Since you have me as your teacher, you'll be swimming by summertime. Don't you worry about a thing."
Everyone started their warm-up exercises. Ike and Yamauchi kept peeking about the girls. The teacher asked us to swim for about fifty meters. Students who could not swim were allowed to touch the bottom of the pool with their feet.
As I slid into the pool, I didn't feel cold and adjusted right away. The water must have been temperature-controlled. That was just another sign of how much the government was pouring into this school.
I swam lightly, and after fifty meters, I waited for everyone else to finish.
"You swim pretty well, Ayanokōji-kun!"
I turned, seeing Kushida in her swimsuit. However, I managed to shut down an involuntary physical reaction to her appearance.
"Thank you, Kushida. You too." Out of the corner of my eye, I could see some of the boys glaring at me and muttering amongst each other.
"Are you experienced in swimming? You work out, don't you?" Kushida's gaze trailed down my body.
"A-Ah, yeah I guess you could say that."
"By the way," she leaned in, "Did you manage to get Horikita's contact information?"
"Ah, that." Kushida had been regularly inviting Horikita to do fun things with her, like going to a café or going shopping. And every time, Horikita declined, saying that she wasn't interested. This was what had led Kushida to ask me to get Horikita's contact information, even though I did not know my seatmate that well.
"Unfortunately, I tried really hard, but I haven't been able to do it. Sorry, Kushida-san."
Kushida pouted, "It's okay Ayanokōji-kun. I forgive you."
"Attention! Everyone, line up! We're going to have a swim race, separated groups by gender. Fifty-meter freestyle. I'll give out a special bonus to the first-place winner: 5000 points. Whoever comes in last has to take supplementary lessons. Get ready!"
Some cheered with joy, while others groaned. By examining my classmates, I could see who the skilled, confident swimmers were.
As the girls swam, Ike and his clique were really riled up. Some even tried to sneakily cover their crotches.
An athletic, practiced swimmer named Onodera won the girls' race. Horikita came in second, and Kushida fourth.
Finally, it was our turn.
"Kōji, you better put up a performance," Sudō warned me. That was right. Sudō had accompanied me to the gym a week ago, where I had caused an unruly commotion due to the violent and evil dictatorship of Horikita Manabu. I continued to go to the gym every morning but I still received too many looks every time. Unfortunately, it wasn't like I could just tell them to not pay attention to me. Was this what fame was like?
"Uh. Sure. But lifting weights doesn't correlate to good swimming."
"That body does, though." Sudō pointed out the obvious.
"Ready, set, go!"
I dove into the water. It had been a while since I had swam a race. I cut through the water, using my arms and legs to propel me forward.
In the first race, I placed first. 24 seconds. Not bad. That was enough for me to move on to the finals.
"I'll get you in the finals, Kōji!" Sudō grinned competitively. He had a time of 25 seconds.
The finals included me, Sudō, Miyake, Hirata, and Rokusuke. The eccentric, blonde-haired boy wore a speedo, which drew attention to his crotch. All the girls looked away in disgust.
"Demon-boy, remember our deal. You must perform."
"Yeah, yeah."
I had made it to the finals. It was my goal to win.
Kōenji's sharp gaze pierced into the side of my head. "Don't pretend to slip and fall, or pull any trick befitting these defects."
He had guessed my plan. How unfortunate.
"Ready, set, go!"
As the teacher blew his whistle, everyone dove into the water. My powerful strokes cut through the water with precision, each movement calculated to maximize efficiency. I moved with a fluidity, melding myself to the water.
I could sense Rokusuke's presence beside me. The finish line loomed ahead, a testament to our determination.
Rokusuke and I touched the wall at nearly the same time. The crowd was chatting to each other excitedly about the finish.
"Kōenji, you finished with a time of 22.1 seconds."
"A-Ayanokōji… 21.5 seconds. You beat the junior world record for 50-meter freestyle…"
Kōenji merely slicked his hair back. "Demon-boy, you are truly impressive. But I shall best you next time."
"Damn!" Sudō was the first to rush up to me. "I didn't know you were this fast, Kōji!"
"Yeah! You're crazy good!"
"Ayanokōji-kun, could we exchange contact information?"
"This is going up on the forum for sure!"
I was the center of attention. Most boys would be overjoyed with it. But if you asked me if I liked it, the answer would have been no.
"Would you consider joining the swimming club?" the teacher asked.
"I'll think about it."
With all the girls looking at me, I was the attention of many jealous male stares. I decided to keep my gaze on my feet as I padded towards the locker room.
"Sensei, how did our class's average time compare to the other classes?" I raised my head, seeing Okitani ask the teacher a question.
"Eh? Well, I don't know the exact number, but I think it might've been the highest," the man mused, "Probably you guys, then Class C, then B, then A."
"I see. Thank you Sensei."
With that, Okitani joined us, and we began changing in the locker room.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Open up! Open up! This is very important!" There was a violent knocking at the door, and shouts and complaints.
"Damn, what's going on?"
Sudō opened the door, only to be greeted by a horde of girls, who barged into the men's locker room. Leading the horde was the blonde gyaru, Karuizawa Kei, who looked furious.
"Karuizawa-san-"
"Utterly disrespectful-"
The girls all began shouting and screaming at once, and it was impossible to ascertain what was going on. That was until the teacher pushed through the horde.
"Everyone, shut up! This is a very, very serious issue." The man's facial expression radiated grave anger and disappointment.
"Two of the girls are missing their underwear. We checked all the girls' bags."
Dead silence. The room was so thick with tension that you could cut a knife with it.
"So why are you searching our room?" Ike cried, even though he knew the answer.
"Because one of you took it!" Karuizawa shouted, gesturing wildly. The girls agreed with her. Even Horikita, who normally didn't socialize with people, was there, looking disgusted with the situation.
"W-Well, there's no proof of that!" Yamauchi backed up Ike, and they both nodded firmly. "B-Besides, don't you need a warrant or something? Searching through people's stuff without permission is illegal!"
"You're awfully defensive!" Shinohara Satsuki argued back, defending her friend, "I bet one of you two probably took it, you sick fucks!"
"That's not true! There's no way we would do something like that!" Ike cried back, desperation clear in his eyes.
"Give me back my underwear you sick pervert! Die!" Karuizawa screamed, an accusing finger in the direction of Ike and Yamauchi. The girls clamored for justice, and they were not going to be satisfied until a culprit was found guilty. I and the other boys backed away from the ensuing bloodshed.
"Enough! Everyone shut up!" the teacher roared, asserting his dominance. "The school owns the facilities, so we have full rights to search your belongings at any time. Each of the boys will present your bags, and I will search for them. If you really are innocent, then we will figure out this situation afterward."
Slowly, one by one, we presented our bags, and the teacher searched through them.
Finally, it came to Yamauchi's turn. He was visibly trembling with fright as he peered into his bag.
"No... this... impossible... They weren't here before..."
"Yamauchi Haruki!" the teacher roared, spittle flying in his direction. He snatched the bag from Yamauchi's hands and dumped its contents onto the ground. The evidence was laid bare for all to witness.
"No, I swear to god they weren't here before!" Yamauchi protested. The teacher ignored him, dragging him by the cuff of his collar.
"I-Ike must have planted them here!"
Left with nowhere to go, Yamauchi decided to betray the next most likely culprit, his best friend, Ike Kanji.
"W-What! That's completely unreasonable!" Ike argued back. "Clearly Yamauchi took it!"
The teacher put Yamauchi aside and approached Ike.
"I don't care. I still need to search your bag."
"Fine. Go ahead, I don't care. I don't have anything." Ike yielded.
A tense silence occurred as all gases were drawn to the swimming coach searching through Ike's bag.
"Then what is this?"
The coach held up a piece of feminine underwear.
Ike paled. "No... impossible..."
The girls began screaming, shouting, and clawing at him.
"You sick fuck!"
"Go to hell!"
"Leave the school!"
"W-Wait, that's impossible!" Ike protested, "I never even visited their locker room! I was in sight the entire time! R-Right? Someone back me up here!"
He turned to the boys, desperately searching for an ally, a friend.
"M-Miyake! Ayanokōji! Miyamoto!"
In light of the approaching consequences, no one stepped up to help Ike Kanji. Why would they willingly shift the blame to themselves? No one was willing to do such a foolish thing.
"Enough protesting. Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki, I'm taking the two of you to the faculty office. Follow me, or there will be more consequences. Rest assured, this will be handled extremely seriously. The school does not tolerate sexual harassment. Get your things, and let the boys change. Your homeroom teacher will update you soon."
Understanding the situation at hand, Ike and Yamauchi didn't dare do anything but follow the swimming teacher. Complacent, the girls returned to their own locker room.
In the boys' locker room, the area remained thick with tension.
Bang!
All eyes turned to Hirata, who clenched his fist. His shoulders were slumped forward, and he had left a fist-shaped dent in one of the lockers. This display of violence was unexpected by most people in the class.
"I hope we can sort this out with Chabashira-sensei. She would consider all the circumstances, right?"
"The evidence is compelling, though. I don't know if she can, Hirata," I pointed out what we were all thinking.
Hirata gritted his teeth. He had a wild look in his eye, as he stormed up to me. "Yamauchi and Ike can't be expelled. They still have futures!"
"You don't know if they're going to do this again, though." This time, it was Yukimura Teruhiko who spoke.
Hirata only clenched his jaw. He had no retort for a factual explanation. That being that soon, Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji would no longer be a part of Class 1-D.
No one knew what to do, but, eventually, everyone went back to changing.
-o-o-o-
"Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji have been expelled from Tokyo Advanced Nurturing Metropolitan High School."
The announcement was made right after lunch. It had taken less than an hour for Ike and Yamauchi to be expelled.
"No..."
A quiet, barely audible whisper was heard from Hirata Yōsuke, who was the de facto leader of the class due to his popularity. Yet, he seemed incredibly saddened and burdened by the loss of Ike and Yamauchi, two perverts that had been threatening the integrity of Class 1-D.
"Sensei, is there any way to prevent this?" Hirata looked up with despair in his eyes.
"No. They have already been expelled from this high school," Chabashira Sae replied coldly, "They are packing their bags, and will leave the vicinity later tonight. This should serve as a lesson for all of you. This school does not tolerate bullying and harassment. Clear evidence and crimes such as sexual harassment warrant an automatic expulsion from the school's premises."
"I-I see..." he lowered his head back down. His fist was clenched so tight that his fingers began turning white.
As history class began, Hirata did not look up, not even once. He sat motionless in his seat, staring at the wooden lines on his desk.
Hirata Yōsuke was defeated.
Over the next periods, even when we switched teachers for different subjects, Hirata Yōsuke never looked up from his desk. He wouldn't show his face when people tried to talk to him, only responding with yeses or nos.
After class ended, some girls went to invite him to go shopping like they always did, but Hirata ignored them and everyone else who came to check up on him.
"Ike and Yamauchi getting expelled really did a number on him, huh?" Sudō commented.
"Yeah. But you can't say they didn't have it coming," Okitani said, "Most of the girls are probably glad they're gone."
"I think class unity is better now that they're gone," Sotomura added. Indeed, that was an astute observation.
Now that the two of them were gone, the class's gender divide was healed. Previously, the girls would stray away from the boys, but there was now a healthy mix of groups as the class chatted away.
After classes ended, I moved to join Sudō, Okitani, and Sotomura but was interrupted by Matsushita Chiaki.
"Hey, Ayanokōji-kun."
"What's up?" I responded.
"Can you accompany me to Keyaki Mall? A friend's birthday is coming up, and I need help buying something."
A girl had invited me out!
Sure, it wasn't a date, but it was still a step in the right direction. None of my delight shone on my face, however.
"Okay."
Since everyone was already in their cliques and leaving the classroom, no one saw me leave with Matsushita.
We walked in silence for several minutes after leaving the classroom.
Matsushita hummed, seemingly in a world of her own, as I agonized over how to start a conversation with a girl. I racked my brain for a solution.
"Hey, who's birthday is it, by the way?" Success! I had finally mustered up the courage to talk to a girl!
"Mm? It's Shinohara-san's birthday. I thought I might get a gift for her, so I asked you."
"I see."
"By the way, what do you think about Ike and Yamauchi's expulsion? The boys must've been pretty shaken up."
"I wasn't really close with them or anything, so I can't say. I know some guys were scared for a bit afterward, but the people I'm close to didn't care too much. They mostly said they deserved it. What about the girls?"
"Ha, I don't think anyone cared about those two perverts. No one was really affected, though I think some people like Karuizawa-san were happy they were gone."
"Isn't that a bit cold?" I inquired.
"Nah, they had it coming, so I don't think anyone would disagree with their expulsion. Except maybe Hirata."
I nodded in agreement. Hirata was deeply affected by the expulsion of his classmates, who were arguably two of the worst students in the grade in all ways. Intelligence, social contribution, awareness, athletic ability.
"Anyway, so, Ayanokōji-kun, do you swim? You placed pretty well for the boys."
Matsushita Chiaki began her line of questioning.
"Ah, well, I don't really swim that much. I haven't swam since summer."
"Then you must be pretty talented naturally."
"I guess you can say it's genetics."
"You work out, too then. You had a well-defined body."
"Oh? Are you complimenting me? Is that a compliment?" I attempted to tease her.
"I don't know, am I?" she winked back at me, giggling.
"Well, it seemed like it."
"If that's how you interpret it~"
"That is how I am interpreting it."
I touched Matsushita with my shoulder, and a light tint of pink appeared on her cheeks.
"You know, you're third place in the ikemen rankings."
"The what?"
"The ikemen rankings," she repeated, "See?"
Matsushita showed me her phone, and I craned my head down to see her phone.
Across all three years, Horikita Manabu, the student council president, was ranked first. Followed by Nagumo Miyabi, the vice president. These were two individuals who had attained a high level of fame, so it was no surprise to see them here.
I clicked on the third place, and the forum showed a thoroughly detailed biography of me.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka is a student of Class 1-D. Despite having a gloomy face, he is blessed with handsomeness and has already demonstrated his physical prowess in the gym on the second day, attracting the attention of many nearby students. He might turn out to be the favorite of the first-years! Stay tuned to find out!
It was scary how detailed it was, given that I had only been in the school for two days.
"Who writes these things?"
"Well, a lot of people care about it, so they have a full team on all of this. They even began recruiting among the first-years."
That was impressive. If only some of these people could put the same effort into studying.
"So I take it you are interested in such things?"
"W-Well, I overheard some friends talking about it, so I just decided to take a look I guess." The tint on Matsushita's cheeks returned, but she remained in eye contact with me as I handed her back the phone.
"Are you interested in joining the forum team? I think your stalking skills are pretty good."
"W-What?" Matsushita spluttered, her face going beet red.
"You think I wouldn't notice you following me to the mall the other day?"
"I wasn't following you," she protested, "I was just going to the mall too."
"But you felt the need to keep yourself concealed from Sudō, Okitani, and Sotomura," I pointed out.
"W-Well, I just felt like it."
"Liar."
"Not."
"Liar."
Our banter continued, and we soon reached Keyaki Mall.
"What were you thinking of getting her for her birthday?" I asked Matsushita, who shrugged in response.
"Uh, probably like some earrings or something. What do you think?"
"Uh. Well, I've never gotten a gift for anyone before."
"Really?" Matsushita instantly spun around. Her curious blue eyes seemed to roam all over me, examining me.
"Yeah. So I don't think I was the best person to ask."
"Ehh? Don't worry, I just wanted to talk to you." She winked at me and stuck her tongue out.
After a moment, she pouted. "You never show any reaction, do you?"
"I guess it's just hard for me to express my emotions."
"You don't say..."
We headed into a jewelry shop on the second floor. After rummaging around, we got odd looks. Probably because she was the one peering into the glass at the earrings, while I just stood there.
Matsushita seemed oblivious to the looks, though, as she was focused on looking at the jewelry.
"Don't you think we look like a couple?"
"Huh? Eeh!?" Matsushita gave a delayed, cute response, as she jumped upwards, her brown hair floating in the air behind her.
"Baka Ayanokōji!" she hammered me in the chest with her fists, although it didn't hurt much, and I didn't think it was intended to hurt that much.
"Learn not to say such things with a girl. They might interpret it in a strange way."
"A-Ah, okay."
"A-Anyways," she cleared her throat, "What do you think about these earrings."
My gaze followed her index finger, where I saw the pair of earrings she was pointing at. They were a deep indigo, which suited her dark blue hair.
"I think they fit well. Don't you think they are a bit expensive, though?"
"Eh? Well, it is 20,000 points, but considering the 100,000 points per month, I don't think it's an issue. Even if the 100,000 points per month isn't as advertised, I still have 90,000 points left over."
"What do you mean 90,000 points left over?"
"Well, you're splitting with me, aren't you?"
"Uh. Well, I-"
"Why don't you split with me? That way, we can make this gift as one, and you can come with me to karaoke next week to celebrate Shinohara's birthday. It's the next Saturday afternoon after this, do you have anything else to do?"
"Well, not really. I'll make sure to come, then."
"That's great!" Matsushita smiled. She was a beautiful girl. In fact, this school seemed full of supermodels.
"Some Class B girls will be there too. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," I shook my head. This would be a good chance to create some new connections and build my own social network.
"Also, what do you mean by not as advertised?" I asked her. Would Matsushita Chiaki tell me her suspicions?
"I don't really know," she shrugged nonchalantly, although she eyed me at the same time, "I'm just naturally paranoid."
"I guess that makes sense." I readily accepted her explanation.
"Anyways, I need to meet with the girls at Pallet so see you tomorrow! We'll meet outside the dorms at 3:00 PM. Make sure not to be late," she wagged her index finger at me, "Or else we'll leave you behind!"
"Yeah, I know. Thanks for the invitation."
With that, we split our separate ways. I was off to the electronics store, and Matsushita headed in the opposite direction.
Matsushita Chiaki. An unexpected player.
She wasn't willing to explain to me her suspicions but had "accidentally" spoken about them to me. This excursion hadn't been a birthday shopping trip for a friend, although that was a convenient excuse for her. No, it had been an interrogation.
However, by purposefully inviting me to this excursion, Matsushita had inadvertently put herself in my line of sight.
Hirata Yōsuke was going to be the class leader, until the incident of Yamauchi and Ike. Now, he was despondent and unfit to be the leader. I wondered if he could ever recover.
This was not necessarily bad for the class. Hirata would have been soft-spoken, and too focused on gathering morale than creating strategic opportunities.
Matsushita Chiaki and Okitani Kyōsuke as the heads of the class. I pondered the possible pairing. Both of them seemed sharp, but I couldn't guarantee how they might fare against the other classes.
A pilot experiment was needed.
-o-o-o-
After leaving the electronics shop, I headed for the library. Since it would be one month until the mayhem and chaos, I wanted to at least enjoy my time here.
Wandering through the halls of the massive library, I looked for new books to read, particularly in the mystery section. However, I came across an unexpected visitor.
A short, silver-haired girl was trying to reach for a book. She stood on her toes, yet she couldn't reach it as it was too high for her.
I approached her and got it down for her. Crime and Punishment? A classic that I had read several times.
"A-Ah, thank you very much." The girl hugged the book to her chest tightly. Her purple eyes blinked up at me inquisitively. "I'm Shiina Hiyori, Class C."
She was beautiful, with an almost angel-like look about her. It was almost ironic. An angel and a devil.
"Uh, I'm Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, Class D."
"Mm. So, do you like books too, Ayanokōji-kun? I saw you earlier in the science fiction section, too."
"Yeah, I like books. Mystery and science fiction, but also other genres like romance."
Shiina's purplish eyes lit up like a girl discovering a cute puppy.
"Is that so? Then, mind if I give you some recommendations?"
"Sure."
Her face lit up with excitement as she began listing her favorites. "Well, if you like mystery, you should definitely try 'Faceless Killers' by Henning Mankell. It's a classic with some of the most brilliant detective work and a new atmospheric approach to detective novels."
"Also, 'The Honjin Murders' by Seishi Yokomizo. And, for science fiction, I recently enjoyed 'Dune' by Frank Herbert. It's an epic space opera with a richly developed world. Oh! And for romance, you should definitely read 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen. A classic, but the characters are super endearing..."
For the better part of an hour, we chatted away about books, from classic literature to contemporary best sellers, from romance to mystery to science fiction to fantasy.
Well, it was mostly her talking, but our conversation flowed naturally, and it felt as if we had known each other for much longer.
By the end of the hour, my neck muscles were tired from nodding, and Shiina finally finished her recommendation list of over 100 books. We had sat down at a table, and the silver-haired girl had a stack of nearly 20 books on it. She had pulled some from her bag, and others from the library's shelves as we walked.
"O-Oh. Did I overwhelm you?" there was a light tint of pink on her cheeks, as she realized that she might have recommended too many books to me.
"Uh, no it's fine," I assured her, but she buried her face in her hands.
"Ahh mou~ how embarrassing! The first book friend I met, and I chatted his head off!"
"No, really, it's okay," I scratched the back of my neck, "I'll definitely make it through this list."
"That's great!" Shiina's head raised from her hands, as she smiled gently at me. Like an angel.
"Here, take what you want from this, haha," Shiina smiled, gesturing at the many stacks of books that were laid on the wooden table.
I picked out a couple that seemed interesting to me and put them in my bag.
"Let's exchange contact information," she suggested, "That way, I can give you the list. Maybe you can come to the library more often and we can be book buddies!"
"I would like that."
As we exchanged contact information and agreed to meet up at the library in the coming days, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. The unexpected encounter with Hiyori had turned a routine trip to the library into the beginning of an exciting new chapter in my life.
It was clear that this chance meeting was destined to be the start of a remarkable friendship, and perhaps even more, as we both shared our love for books and adventure in the world of literature.
-o-o-o-
As I approached the elevator inside the lobby of the dorms, I sighed. I had just eaten dinner with Okitani and the others, and this day was extremely tiring in terms of new developments.
As I waited for the elevator, I caught sight of the little girl I had seen the other day at the Student Club Fair, and her two sidekicks, the blond boy and the purple-haired girl. The boy seemed very cheerful, as he waved at me, despite neither of us knowing who each other was.
The lilac-haired little girl caught my gaze and smiled, a smug look on her face. I wondered what that was about. Did we know each other?
Either way, I entered the elevator, bumping into Horikita Suzune, my seatmate.
"Watch where you're going. Make sure not to bump into people next time."
Was she on her period? I stared in bewilderment as Horikita Suzune left the building, and I stepped into the elevator. When the elevator reached the fourth floor, I stepped out.
I shook my head. Today was full of too many questions and too few answers.
As I swiped my ID card on the door and opened it, I was greeted with the sight of a purple-eyed, platinum-haired senpai.
This day could not get any worse.
"Learn not to keep a lady waiting~"
"How did you get in here?"
"Is that even a question? It took me a week to get this, ya know?"
"I don't care."
I sighed, as I set down my bag and purchases from today on the counter. This second-year senpai was incredibly exasperating.
"Does that mean I can keep the key?"
"No."
"Pleasee~" she pouted cutely.
Cuteness was dangerous.
"Fine."
"Hehe, thanks. Ne ne, Ki-yo-ta-ka," she poked my cheek, accenting every syllable of my name, as she slung the other arm over my shoulder. Her fragrance enraptured me and tickled my senses.
"Tea?"
"Yes, I'd like that."
"Is magnolia fine?"
"That's perfect."
I rummaged through the cupboard and brought out the magnolia tea leaves. I began to brew it in the kitchen. After a few minutes, I returned to the living room, where a smug Kiryūin Fūka crossed her stocking-clad legs.
"So, you're already making moves," she grinned at me.
"What do you mean?" I was genuinely puzzled.
"You move really quickly. You expelled them. Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki, was it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Kiryūin Fūka threw her head back, a beautiful, enchanting laugh pouring forth from her ruby lips. "Don't worry, there are no recording devices here. See?"
She tossed her phone on the counter, showing her screen to show that she wasn't recording. She took off her jacket and shook it.
"You can even pat me down if you want," she grinned and batted her eyelashes at me. Any normal boy would have been blushing at her bold actions.
"I will. Spread your legs."
She grinned, as she spread her legs and placed her palms against the wall, provocatively arching her back. I ignored her, as I used the back of my palms to search for any recording devices. Once I was sure there weren't, I moved to search the room for any audio bugs.
I nodded, satisfied. I turned to Fūka, who had her hands on her hips expectantly.
"They were deadweight to the class, and a threat to class unity. Disposing of defects while we're at the bottom is the most optimal solution. Besides, starting from the bottom builds character."
"So you already figured out the entire S-System! I'm impressed!" Fūka gave me a thumbs up.
"It wasn't too hard," I replied, moving to the kitchen to brew the tea I had prepared earlier.
"Maybe for you, it wasn't hard. I wonder, just how genius you are," Fūka grinned at me, poking me in the chest with her index finger. "But what if they were useful, for stuff like communication skills?"
"Hirata can do that just fine once he recovers. I don't think we need Ike or Yamauchi for any of their talents."
"Cold. Kiyotaka-kun is so cold."
"You disagree?" I arched an eyebrow, as I served her the steaming tea. I sat down on the couch, whereas Fūka chose to sit on the bed.
"I didn't say that." she countered, smirking.
We sipped our tea in silence. I savored the flavor on my tongue.
"If you don't have anything else to talk about, I'm going to take a shower and go to bed."
"Be my guest," Fūka replied, lounging on my bed like a lioness. Her presence dominated the space. Somehow, it was like she owned my apartment, despite the fact that she was simply an unwelcome visitor. I stared at her.
"Isn't this my room?"
"Our room."
"You're not a communist, are you?"
Fūka sipped her tea. "Who knows?"
"That's my line."
"Our line."
I sighed. What a troublesome woman.
-o-o-o-
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