Classroom of the Elite: Free Will

V2: Chapter 5 - Parley

Matsushita Chiaki POV

The discussion was scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM. It was already 3:50 PM. We couldn't afford to take it slow. When the four of us got to the faculty room, a teacher waved at us to come inside.

"Yahoo! Hello, Class D students!"

I recognize her as the homeroom teacher of Class B, even if I had never met her, she gave us a happy-go-lucky greeting. "It seems like something rather incredible has happened, hmm?"

Her eyes sparkled, as if she enjoyed sticking her nose into other people's business.

"What are you doing this time?" Chabashira-sensei muttered.

"Oh no. I've been found out already, huh?"

Chabashira-sensei glared over at Hoshinomiya-sensei as she exited the faculty room, a smile on her face. "Whenever you sneak out, that's around the time I start to feel suspicious."

Hoshinomiya gave a cute wink, as if saying, Teehee, you got me! "So, I guess I can't join in, huh?"

"Of course, you can't. You know that outsiders cannot participate."

"Aw, that's too bad. I wanted to see the show."

"The show?" Chabashira-sensei raised an eyebrow.

"Hehe, you'll know soon enough~"

Chabashira-sensei forcefully pushed Hoshinomiya-sensei back into the faculty room.

"Well then, shall we be going?" she asked us.

"We're not going to do this in the faculty room?" Horikita asked.

I looked at her confused.

"Horikita-san, this type of cases is resolved with the help of the student council," I said.

She froze the very moment she heard the words "student council." Chabashira-sensei turned and glanced sharply at Horikita's face.

"If you don't want to go, now's the time, Horikita."

Sudou, who didn't understand why Horikita would react that way, looked confused. It was almost as if a giant question mark was floating above his head. I suppose it's okay for them to be confused. Chabashira-sensei hadn't explained any of this and I only knew it because of my lessons with Tomori-san.

"I'll go. I'm fine."

Horikita quickly glanced at me. Her look probably meant something like, Don't worry on my account. I hope we don't have to change plans at the last second.

We left the first-floor faculty room and walked up three floors to the fourth. A placard that read "Student Council Room" was affixed to the wall near the doorway. Chabashira-sensei knocked, and we went inside.

Even though Horikita had winced, she immediately followed us. Inside, long tables had been arranged in a rectangular formation. The three students from Class C had already arrived and were seated. Beside them were seating Misaka-san and a male teacher probably in his late 30s.

So, Tomori-san and Ayanokouji-kun were right, huh?

"Sorry we're late,' our sensei said.

"It's before the scheduled start time. There's no need for apologies."

"Have you already met?"