Classroom of the Elite Final Year Volume 11

Part 3

March 12th

Chabashira-sensei was standing on one side of the classroom letting Yousuke and Horikita take over the center stage. Hirata had a sort of document in his hands.

"I have this list that we have prepared through various observations and evaluations on these past few days. But we won't be announcing the names today. We will do that only on the day of the event."

"Huh? Why?"

Ike was the first one to respond to Yousuke's statement but it wasn't just Ike. Everyone wanted to know the reason for that. Horikita took the reign from him and started speaking.

"Many of you still remember the sports festival in our first year, right?"

There was no way we wouldn't remember.

"If so, then you must all remember what Class C had done to us. They had managed to put up a good strategy against us and we were completely crushed by them."

Horikita seemed a little frustrated about that and many bitter memories must have surfaced especially those harsh words that I spit on her face, it must have stung like venom to her.

"But don't you think it was strange? How did they manage to put suitable opponents against us in each and every event?"

The class started pondering but Horikita didn't give much time for them to think of something. She explained it herself.

"It was because our participants' table was leaked. And yes, by someone from our own class."

Many students weren't aware of this fact. The only ones who knew about this were Horikita, me, Kei, and the preparator herself.

"Huh? You are lying, right? There is no way someone would do something like that?"

Satou spoke, anxious and concerned. Everyone in the class had a dubious look on their faces. They looked at their friends and almost everyone as if to say they weren't the ones to leak that but someone else. It was understandable as they didn't know the truth. But it was okay. They didn't need to know about that. A weird atmosphere settled in the classroom and Horikita knew that the situation was headed in a bad direction.

"Well, I don't want to say who exactly but I assure you that the one who leaked the participation table isn't among us anymore."

Lying outright without even flinching. Amazing. Kushida had managed to put her usual face but I could see that she was anxious.

"Ah, must be that Yamauchi guy."

Koenji suddenly spoke, while his legs were crossed on his desk. Everyone's face seemed to lit up at once as if they had finally understood who the preparator was.

"It definitely must have been him. That bastard even worked with Class A to expel Ayanokoji!"

Sudou spat and everyone in the class agreed with him. It was a huge misunderstanding created because of that small diversion created by Koenji. He was actually pretty good at these things. Although it was a misunderstanding, it wasn't necessary to clear it. Or rather it worked perfectly in our favor. It could have caused a distortion in the class unity if the environment of suspicion were to linger among the students. But this misunderstanding prevented that from happening.

"Anyway, because of that we won't disclose about the participants here publicly and will only let them know on the day of the event. Of course, we will all continue to practice day in and day out. Anybody has any problems with that?"

She asked just for formality's sake because she knew that no one will object. They all knew the risks that entailed if the names of the participants were to be known beforehand.

"And yes, as for the riddle-solving team, I have already decided on four members and I will let them know myself. If they have got no problems with that then we will go with them and if they do object and don't want to participate then I will look for other alternatives."

Horikita had done her homework. A completelydifferent person from the Horikita of the past. A leader determined to take herclass to the top. But what will happen if she failed to carry her duties as aleader or to put it simply we didn't manage to reach Class A? How will Horikitahandle that? She definitely had developed as a good leader but what about as ahuman being? Has she been aware that she is changing? I was curious to see theanswers to those. After all, it was another one of the tasks that I had beenentrusted to by the elder Horikita.

And the question also was for me. Have I changed? It has now been almost three years. In these three years, I have interacted with different people and learned many things which I wouldn't have managed if I had stayed in the White Room. But have I changed? 

I can say that I have but I can also say that I haven't. I have come to understand other people around me and about intangible terms such as love and emotions. But the fact also remains that if need be, I wouldn't hesitate to use someone to my convenience. 

So, can I say that I have changed? 

I internally let out a sigh. I should stop bothering with these things for now.  

I caught sight of Chabashira-sensei looking at me with a slightly anxious expression. However, when she caught my gaze, she turned away.