Class-E, The Experiments

Chapter XIX: Slow Tick

He leans back slightly, gesturing toward his phone.

"Now then, let's continue, shall we?"

The recording resumes.

"Where are you going with this, Sakayanagi?"

A sigh follows.

"Do I really have to spell it out for you, Katsuragi?" Sakayanagi's voice is laced with exaggerated impatience. "I want to form an alliance between our factions to combat Shiguko. He is the biggest threat to both of us, so it would be best to eliminate him first. After that, we can fight each other—something you'll lose at anyway."

Her mocking tone is impossible to miss.

A tense silence follows before Katsuragi finally responds, his voice strained.

"I think that... yes, it would be beneficial if we were to work together against Shiguko."

It sounds like he's swallowing his pride along with those words.

I remain silent, staring at Akifumi as the recording ends.

"That was fun and all," I say, though we both know it's a blatant lie. "But what exactly does this have to do with me?"

Akifumi, much to the silent dismay of the café owner, who is now glaring at us, props his feet up on the table and leans back in his chair, balancing it on two legs.

"Oh, stop playing dumb. We both know the conclusion, don't we?" His voice is casual, but there's a sharpness behind it. "You're slowly but surely improving your class, and eventually, they'll have to face Class A. When that time comes, the leader of Class A will play a big role in deciding the outcome. If you can get the best-case scenario leader in place, your improved Class D has a shot at winning against Class A. And who would that leader be, hmm?"

The question is rhetorical, but I answer anyway.

"Katsuragi."

Akifumi snorts, his grin turning lopsided. "Yep, pretty much."

Katsuragi is by no means weak or incompetent. Compared to the students in Class D, he's an elite. But if we compare him to Sakayanagi or Shiguko, his chances of winning against either are slim.

Which means, for my class, he's the best possible leader to have in charge of Class A.

"And what makes you think I want my class to win?" I ask, trying to gauge his reaction.

Akifumi hums, amused. "Hmmm. You 'allied' with that black-haired girl, and I use that word loosely. Not allied, really. More like... mentored. You want to polish her, make her competent. That takes time and dedication."

Fair point. "There's another flaw in your logic," I say. "Katsuragi might be the easiest Class-A opponent, but who said I want to make things easy for my class?"

He takes another slow, obnoxiously loud sip of tea, taps the rim with his finger, then shrugs with a chuckle. "Oh, how harsh. So you want Shiguko as the arch-nemesis for your class, then? Morally, that's terrible, horrendously terrible. But entertaining, nonetheless."

I arch a brow. "You talk about Shiguko like he's Satan incarnate."

Akifumi shakes his head a fraction and sips again. "No, at best he's one of Satan's children. Still bad enough. I doubt he can crack that stone-cold look of yours, but a man can dream, can't he?"

I sigh and let it sit. Akifumi's hints aren't illuminating; he never hands over clarity for free. "It can't be that bad," I say, playing for details.

"But it is," he replies. "I'll send you some mild reports on that nutjob and his little posse. Looks like your class is the only one not infected by them."