Class-E, The Experiments

Chapter XIV: Preparing A Chessboard (Part 2)

"Yes," I answer simply. "In fact, I've already started working toward it. I assume you have too?"

Akifumi nods, tapping his cane in a steady rhythm. "Yeah. Got a few strings to pull here and there—nothing major yet, but I've been lying low. My class is heading for a civil war, or at least something close to it."

"Which class?" I raise an eyebrow, curious despite myself.

"Class A," he replies, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Unlike you, I didn't drop my scores enough to be seen as 'defective.' I tried to be mediocre, but it turns out straight 80s make me look like some sort of prodigy here." He laughs lightly. "Meanwhile, you went all out with the straight 50s, each score exactly the same."

I meet his gaze evenly. "If it looks believable, it works."

"Sure," he replies, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "But straight 50s? Not even a 51 or 53 to throw them off? That's a bold choice, Kiyotaka."

"Hm. Maybe it was deliberate," I reply, keeping my tone blank.

"Maybe it was," he echoes, with a faint, knowing smile. "But now, I suppose we should talk about how we'll handle each other here."

The prospect hangs in the air between us, and I take a moment to consider. What is Akifumi to me? Not a friend, nor truly an ally. We may be similar in our thinking and in how we view other people—resources to manage, opportunities to exploit—but that only makes him more difficult to maneuver around. I know he'd see through any attempt to control him from a mile away. Just as I would if he tried the same.

Neither of us could use the other as a mere tool or puppet, and, equally, we have no good reason to turn against each other. While I still aim for a quiet, undisturbed life here, actively opposing him would disrupt that entirely. He could summon any number of contacts, calling in favors from outside, escalating matters into an endless and ultimately exhausting clash. Not worth the cost.

"So," I say finally, "a truce, then."

He raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but not entirely surprised. "You suggesting we keep out of each other's business?"

"Exactly," I nod. "You handle your schemes, I'll handle mine. No interference unless it's necessary."

Akifumi's lips curl into a smirk. "Fine by me. Just as long as we understand one thing—if either of us gets in the other's way, all bets are off."

"Agreed."

"Alright then, we have a deal. I suppose we're already 'blood brothers' after that pact, so shaking on it seems a bit redundant," Akifumi says, rising from his chair. He looks down at me, an amused glint in his eye. "Just a heads up, though—there's another 'cripple' in my class, Sakayanagi Arisu. Cute little thing, but honestly? Quite a piece of work. She has this idea of what being a genius is, and I find her... distasteful. But I'll spare you my philosophy on that." He pauses, tapping his cane on the ground with a sharp rhythm. "Point is, she might know something about you, so keep an eye on her shenanigans."

With a lazy wave, he turns and exits the library, the tapping of his cane echoing down the corridor until it fades away entirely. Sakayanagi Arisu... I'll need to keep an eye on her, see what exactly Akifumi's warning was about.

I stand up, feeling the weight of today's events settle in. It's been productive: first, forming an impromptu book club with Shiina and Uruma, and now encountering Aleksejs, or rather, Akifumi. The thought lingers—perhaps I could ask him for a favor at some point. He's useful, and I know he's interested enough in our past to consider it, though for now, we'll leave each other alone. But knowing the way things unfold, this balance is temporary. Eventually, we'll either join forces or find ourselves on opposing sides.