Classroom of the elite: Autonomy.

9: Shifting Scales.

This world is run by influence, for the most part.

Said influence can be exercised in a variety of ways, whether it's monetary or some other vague element like people's emotions, as long as people can be moved, the world will follow.

Well, the world's mostly people anyway, so I'm making a redundant point.

But still, sometimes all it takes to move people is just standing in front of a fairly attentive mass of them and saying a few words, like now.

Right now, the eyes of every student in class 1-D were on my little corner of the class. I wasn't exactly popular so it took a few of them some time to remember where I sat. Horikita had unceremoniously thrown me under the bus.

Admittedly, I could be faulted for acting cocky but this was too much of a retaliation, in my opinion.

“Uh…me?” I gestured to myself, a futile show of resistance. My classmates seemed doubtful of Horikita's eye for people after seeing my reaction.

“Did I stutter?” The black haired girl seemed out for blood.

Well, better to deal with this now. I never had any huge attachment to staying unknown, but I would have liked to be eased into the spotlight instead.

I rose from my seat, ignoring Horikita's rude question.

“Wait, him?” Hondou asked, confused. Kushida looked a little surprised, and somehow, more displeased…for some reason.

I ignored them and reached the front of the classroom after a few steps, standing to Horikita's right.

“I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.” I simply said.

“Yeah…we knew that.” Ike said, seemingly amused by my poor communication skills.

I simply sighed and let Horikita complete what she started.

“Any objections?” She asked, looking around the class.

“I have something to say.” A bespectacled boy, Yukimura Teruhiko, stood.

He had been fuming quietly since our status as class D students was revealed, and he seemed to have something to say about the matter.

“Go ahead.” Horikita looked slightly annoyed at someone actually opposing her, which was quite arrogant since these people don't really have a legitimate reason to unconditionally follow her just yet.

“According to Chabashira-sensei, this class is the worst of the worst. I'm not the least bit happy with this evaluation seeing as my grades are at the top of the whole year but I can see that there's no point arguing with the management at this stage.” He began, letting the class know how he felt about his placement.

He could arguably have done it better, seeing as he made it seem like the members of the class below him in academics deserved to be labelled as defective, but it was too late.

“Hah? And what's your point, four eyes?” Shinohara fully turned to him, a challenge in her eyes.

Yukimura wasn't intimidated, however. He continued.
“My point is, I can't readily accept putting our fates in the hands of the first people that step up.”

Horikita recognised the challenge in his words, she removed her hands from the podium and stood up straight, staring Yukimura down.

“And what do you suggest instead?”

Well, this would have happened sooner or later. Even Hirata and Karuizawa’s support would mean nothing in the face of students with little involvement in the social dynamic, like Yukimura.