Classroom of the Elite:SS Collection

What am I to you? (Horikita Suzune)

The classroom was dead silent. Of course, it would be when the Acting Chairman Tsukishiro himself was inside the classroom. Normally, Chairman didn't interact that much with the students except for some rare occasions, it was even rarer for him to come to the classroom himself.

As we all were silent with bated breath, the Chairman spoke his first words.

"Ayanokoji-kun, don't drag this any longer."

The first one he addressed was Ayanokoji-kun.

"What do you mean by that, Chairman Tsukishiro?"

He asked as if didn't know what he was talking about but I caught a hint of sarcasm in his voice when he said, Chairman.

"Don't play dumb."

He said as if in exasperation.

"Because of you, the effort your father has put in for constructing that facility for all these years is being wasted."

He continued.

"Don't drag this any longer. Drop out of this school right now. You said you wanted to learn about being human, didn't you? For someone of your level of talent, I guess you have already learned everything you need to. So, drop out immediately."

Huh?! The Chairman just said a student to drop out without any reason. No, more importantly, the Chairman just said something about your 'father's' effort right? Father here definitely means Ayanokoji's father right?

These sorts of questions were going on in my mind. The class was in an uproar. Of course, it would be, after hearing something like that.

"Besides........"

The Chairman started to speak paying no heed to the rest of the students.

"A monster like you would be never able to be human, no matter what."

A monster? Who? Ayanokoji? On what basis did he call him a monster? Because of his abilities? I have also seen just how brilliant he is, but is it worth calling him a monster? No, what if he hasn't shown his full abilities yet?

That was completely plausible given his nature of trying to remain hidden.

I tried to think of the situation. And after thinking for a while, I came to the conclusion that what Chairman Tsukishiro said had some credibility.

The first reason was that Ayanokoji-kun didn't seem to deny what the Chairman had said. Of course, I thought that because I can sort of guess his inner thoughts. And there was another reason as well. Chairman Tsukishiro had mentioned about a facility but, he didn't tell the name of that facility. I get the feeling as he was deliberately trying not to slip that name.

I turned around and scanned the surrounding. Everyone had troubled and perplexed looks on their faces.  But there was a certain individual who had a different expression than the rest of us.

Karuizawa Kei.

She didn't have that troubled look on her face. It was as if she had known about it from the start. And right now she was glaring at the Chairman.

Did she know about this? Did Ayanokoji-kun tell her about this?

I had suspected that there was some sort of connection between them. What was the relationship between the two of them?

Was she someone special to him?

I internally shook my head to get rid of those thoughts and new thoughts started popping at the back of my head.

Why didn't Ayanokoji-kun tell me about it?

I questioned to myself.

I think of him as a friend. Yes, and I am not lying. The old me would probably laugh at me for saying such things. 

I always believed that I could do anything. As long as I was capable I didn't need others. But coming to this school had changed that thought. It had taught me, on more than one occasion, that there are things that you won't be able to do alone. You need friends. And when it comes to my friends in this school, Ayanokoji-kun will be the first one.

He was the first one I ever talked to. Although, I talked to him thinking that he would be a good pawn for me because at that time he looked easy to manipulate. Oh, well, but it turned out that he was the one using me. 

As days passed, I got to witness his strength and wanted him to acknowledge me. But I think slowly and slowly we were becoming friends or so I think.

But what about him?

Does he consider me a friend?

I know that he had been using me as cover from the start. So, is he still just using me as a cover for him to remain hidden? He doesn't think of me as a friend? 

It hurt a little when it occurred to me that I was the only one who considered him a friend.

Is it just me who considers him a friend?

Given his nature, I feared that it was completely true. But I wanted him to think of me as a friend. I got a bit frustrated that I was the only one who thought of him as a friend.

But I had no way of confirming it. I had no way of knowing what he thought of me.

I turned around to see Ayanokoji-kun at the back seat by the hall, who was returning the stare of Chairman Tsukishiro.

When he noticed me gazing at him, he looked at me, and at that time through eye contact, I tried to ask him a question.

I wanted him to understand what I was asking but a part of me also wanted him not to understand what I was asking.

The question was simple and childish but it weighed heavily on me;

Tell me Ayaonokoji-kun, what am I to you?