Chaoskouji

Arc 4 Chapter 10 - The Watcher

"Kushida-san... even you don't understand what he's doing?"

"Nope! Not a clue! It's more fun that way, hehe" she answered Ichinose.

"Kukuku to think even your classmates don't understand. You see now, Kanzaki? Just give up and plan to react. Life's more fun that way."

Ryuuen was capable of making complex successful plans, like the one on the island, but I could tell he was intelligent and creative enough to plan on the fly, reacting to a changing situation. Everyone in here could do that to some degree, but because some of us based our strategies around 'wait and see and react', planning became a much more difficult task.

Having a plan ahead of time, and sticking to it was always a good strategy, but only if you had some degree of understanding of how your opponent would react. And if Kanzaki couldn't understand Ryuuen and I, then, like Jazz, we would relax, go with the flow, find a mistake and exploit the situation, the plan falling apart in a moment.

"Hmm, but we've gotten off topic. I believe the original question was what do you get out of this, Ayanokouji-kun," Amikura asked?

"I get a chance to cleanse my soul by working hard for others," I joked.

"Literally, not metaphysically please," Katsuragi interjected. It seemed even the Class A students had an interest in the conversation, taking a break from their muttered arguments.

"Who knows?"

There was a lot of grumbling at my answer, but everyone at least had the sense to understand I wasn't going to explain. To be honest I didn't even quite know myself anymore. There were a few reasons, and they were slowly changing every day I spent here.

The topic shifted, but as it did so, my phone buzzed as I got a message. Opening it up, I saw it was the thing I had been waiting for, a message I had been hoping to receive for a while.

"Help"

Karuizawa was in trouble. Finally, although she probably didn't trust me, the box had closed in around her enough that she was willing to risk reaching out to me. Manabe and her friends were close, she couldn't turn to her friends, and Hirata wasn't someone she thought she could rely upon anymore. In the end, I was the only option she had left.

I quickly replied to her, then put my phone away before anyone could notice. Two minutes were left in our group meeting, and until that was over, there was no way I could help.

"Ayanokouji-kun, why were you asking how to take Ryuuen-kun on a date?"

The room fell quiet again at Shiina's innocent words, all eyes turning to me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Shiina."

"Really? Oh, I'm sorry. I overheard some girls talking about it this morning. I didn't want to make assumptions, but they seemed pretty sure you were asking that." Shiina looked down at my response, seemingly disappointed at my answer.

"Ayanokouji. What the fuck? Have you done?" Ryuuen's eye's bore into me, burning with the rage of a thousand suns.

"I didn't do anything, honest. Someone must have started a rumour as a prank."

"Eh, don't be shy, Ayanokouji-kun. There's nothing wrong with liking Ryuuen-kun. It's pretty hot when you think about it~"

"Ah! Mako-chan stop it!"

The entire room had devolved into giggling and blushing at the thought of Ryuuen and I together. I had no idea what they were talking about, and tilted my head in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Ahaha, you and Ryuuen-kun... together intimately ahahaha"

"I still don't understand."