Class-E, The Experiments

Chapter XVI: The new system

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Anything forced is not beautiful"

― Xenophon

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

―

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka POV

-

Today is Friday. The test results won't be revealed until Monday, for reasons unknown. Perhaps the school enjoys keeping its students in suspense. It doesn't really concern me, as I already know how my scores will look—they're carefully engineered to fit the role I've chosen to play for now. There's also an important announcement scheduled for later today, though it'll have to wait until after the regular lessons.

For now, it's business as usual. Aonio-sensei was teaching us about continents and their tectonic plates. Fun fact: the continents shift at about the same rate your fingernails grow. How do I know that? ... No particular reason.

Aonio-sensei kept his explanations brief and simple, aiming to make the material easy to understand. Unfortunately for him, a certain trio in the room seemed immune to clarity. I won't name names, but... cough Ike, Yamauchi, Sudou cough.

As for me, I wasn't paying much attention. The instructor back at that sterile place had already drilled the details of the world into my mind ages ago. Acting as though I were fascinated by something I already knew would be a waste of energy.

Eventually, the bell rang, marking the end of the lesson and the start of our last break for the day. After this, there would only be two more periods—one English lesson, and a Physics period that had apparently been replaced by a second homeroom session for the "important announcement." Exciting.

I hadn't planned to do much during the break. Staying in the classroom and waiting for the next lessons to begin seemed like the best way to spend the time. As should be obvious by now, my social life is as lively as a monkey jumping into a pond of crocodiles. Dead.

However, my plans were derailed by an announcement over the school PA system.

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka of Class 1-D. Please come to the teachers' break room. Aonio Iehisa-sensei has requested your presence."

Hm. How nostalgic. The last time I was called somewhere like this, it was by my homeroom teacher, Chabashira-sensei. Now it's my geography teacher. It better not turn out like last time.

As I stand to leave, I can feel Horikita's gaze pierce through me.

"What did you do this time, Ayanokouji-kun?" she asks sternly, her tone heavy with suspicion. It's clear she's worried I've done something that might impact our class points. Not that we have any points to lose anyway.

I shrug nonchalantly. "I wouldn't know, Raven Girl."

Her eyes narrow instantly, and I catch the irritated glint in them as her glare sharpens. Hmm, interesting. It seems she's gone from not caring about the nickname to outright hating it. What a remarkable shift.

"Tch..." I hear her mutter under her breath as I turn to leave.

Even though a few students have already trickled out of the classroom, the ones who remain are all staring at me. Seriously? Why is it that I'm always the one called out when I've done nothing wrong?