(Day 7; 11:35am; Takeyama, Keisuke POV):
I slowly made my way down the stairs, with Ayanokoji trailing right behind me. The conversation that we recently had lulled out into nothingness, until we were basically just staring out into the ocean, saying nothing to each other. Eventually, we wordlessly decided that the awkwardness had reached a point of no return, and we made out way down the deck.
I parted with Ayanokoji at the lobby, and he seemingly made his way back to the guest cabins. I asked him whether he had plans to go to the swimming pool along with Class D at 1:00pm today afternoon, but he gave me a vague reply, saying that he wasn't sure, since he wasn't 'acquainted' with many of his classmates. Honestly, I feel he's been using that excuse for quite some time now, and it's getting painfully clear that he just despises crowds. Not that it is bad, in any way.
I don't like crowds all that much either. Staying with too many people who you don't exactly give a shit about takes a toll on your mind. I made my way over to another part of the deck, and stood by the railings again. If I had to make calculations, I would say that 40% of my waking hours were spent on the deck, just staring out into the ocean and feeling the breeze on my face. I wondered whether I came across as a loner to people who notice me spending way too much time on the deck.
"Kuku, enjoying the view, eh?" a mocking voice sounded behind me, and I turned to find the source. In front of me stood a man with a medium stature, and long magenta-colored hair, a.k.a the ruling dictator of Class C, Ryuuen Kakeru.
"It's a nice view," I replied nonchalantly. "The ocean, the sun and the wind from the deck of a luxury cruise liner is not something that you get to see everyday."
"But you are seeing it everyday, aren't you?" Ryuuen said. "You lounge around this place way too often for it to go unnoticed, you know."
"I have no intentions of going unnoticed; I'm not hiding, after all."
"Kuku. You say you want to be noticed, but your Class results say otherwise," he sassed.
"I don't know what you mean," I said.
"Don't go acting all innocent. You're the one who's pulling Suzune's strings, aren't ya? You're the one who pulled off some sort of shit on the Island, and now you're trying to blend in with the Class by taking the Zodiac Exam lightly. Nothing misses my eye, yeah?"
"I don't see what's wrong with trying to get a cooperative outcome with the Group," I said scathingly. "It is what is best suited for the Group."
"Best suited for the Group? Don't give me that. You were the VIP of the Snake Group, right? You could have turned the outcome around if you'd just been a little more proactive. You purposely sabotaged this Exam because you wanted to lay low. It worked on the Baldie and Goody-Two Shoes, but such pranks don't work on me," Ryuuen replied. "Besides, you didn't deny your involvement in the Island Exam, right?"
"Even if I did deny my involvement, you wouldn't have believed me. Why waste my breath when the opposing party isn't willing to change their opinion whatsoever?"
Ryuuen's smile slightly faltered, but it was almost unnoticeable. "Tell me, what did you do on the Island? I want a clear answer if you wanna get out of here in one piece."
"You're not going to turn this into a violent brawl, are you?"
"Kuku, who knows?"
"I have no intention of telling you my Class's strategy in this Exam. What's in the past is in the past. It would be in best interest if you started preparing for the upcoming Special Exams instead," I replied.
"So you aren't going to tell me? Kuku, maybe then I could tell the grade about your involvement as the Class D mastermind? You wouldn't like that, would you? As someone who prefers to stay in the shadows, your actions will be out in the open. You'll be defenseless."
"I wonder about that."
"Hmm?"
"I have much greater influence over the grade than you, Ryuuen. Your words don't mean jackshit compared to mine. Even if you go around telling the whole grade that I'm the mastermind, no one will believe you. You don't have the trust of a single person in your class, leave alone the grade. Besides, everyone is already convinced that Horikita is the Class Leader. Your threat does not hold any value, and it does not bother me in the least."
Ryuuen, instead of being provoked by my harsh judgement, merely laughed, and placed himself to my right on the deck. He looked out into the ocean, before staring at me with an unnerving gaze.
"The view is actually good," he said unexpectedly.
"I'm sorry?"
"I said the view is good. You hard of hearing?"
"I heard it. I was just surprised that someone like Kakeru Ryuuen would say something normal like that," I muttered under my breath.
"Kuku, you think I'm not marveled by beauty? I'm a human just like you, eh?" he said, taking a sudden gentler attitude towards me.
"Is this the only reason you came to talk to me? To tell me that I half-assed the Zodiac Exam?"
"Maybe, maybe not."
"Tch." It's been a while since someone actually pissed me off. Ryuuen is someone who can irritate people just by being there. While his personality is down in the dumps, I cannot refute the fact that he is an able leader, one who will be a major hurdle in my path to Class A.
"I hear that you and Shiina got along well," he suddenly stated, taking the conversation on an unexpected tangent.
"We have a lot in common. We're both solitary, and we both love books. We could bond over these simple terms. I believe she's in your Class, Ryuuen?"
"She is. I would've never expected that nerd to actually get friends."
"You're talking down to her, Ryuuen. She's a great person. You'll know once you realize that she's an amazing person to talk to."
"I know, and I've come to extend my sincere thanks to you for talking to her."
My mouth dropped open for the second time in this conversation. I had expected that this conversation would not go well; I was expecting some form of alliance, or looming threat when Ryuuen arrived. But surprisingly, he was docile, and willing to actually come give his gratitude. I still couldn't be sure if he was joking or not. But knowing his personality, he probably was.
"I'll get going, I have an appointment with the rest of my Class now," I said, as I prepared to leave for my Room to get my swimming trunks.
"I'll personally come and crush you, Takeyama," Ryuuen suddenly said, turning towards me. "You can't cower under Suzune's shadow anymore. Now that I know, all my attacks will be focused on you. You better be ready if don't wanna get your ass whooped."
"I'll be waiting for it, Ryuuen." I turned around to leave.
"By the way, did Class C figure it out?" I asked a last question.
"Figure out? The hell you're talking about?"
"I meant the VIP's. You guys figured out the pattern, did you not?"
Ryuuen widened his eyes, and looked at me like I was the most interesting object he's ever seen. "Kuku, Takeyama, I'm sure you'll entertain me in the future. You're capable of doing so. As a parting gift, I'll tell you. I did figure out the algorithm with which they decided the VIPs. I wasn't sure though, and I couldn't risk getting them wrong. After all, only 3 people from Class C ended up being the VIP, and I had to make do with that much information."
"I see. Thank you for answering me. Guess I'll get going now," I said.
"Tell Kikyo and Suzune that they look stunning in their swimsuits for me, will ya?"
"....."
*****
The men's locker room was vile, to say the least.
"Damn, we're finally gonna get to see all those thighs and bodies! They'll all be swooning over my abs!" Yamauchi screamed in delight, as he took off his shirt to reveal his not-so-good physique.
"Oh yeah? That's a challenge? I'll be the one to sweep Horikita off her feet!" Sudo joined in, and took off his shirt as well, to show an actually toned body.
"I don't care what you guys are going on about, I'm just hoping I don't get a boner!" Ike said, rapidly breathing up and down to calm his nerves.
Don't worry, Ike. Even if you do get a boner, no one will see it.
"Ayanokoji, do you work out?" Sudo suddenly asked, and half of the boys turned in his direction. Ayanokoji indeed was well-built — he had particularly well developed forearms, and a strong abdomen.
"Not really," Ayanokoji denied. "I was just blessed with good genes, that's all."
The class was convinced with his explanation, but Sudo continued to stare at him, probably not satisfied. He then suddenly turned to look at me, and scanned me over like they do at Airport Security.
"Takeyama, are you gonna tell me that you have good genes too?" Sudo asked. The class was then focused on me.
"I used to work out a bit in middle school," I said. "I don't really do anything special. Just your normal jogging and push-ups."
Before Sudo could ask any more questions regarding my physique, I pushed him out into the Pool Area.
"Woah....."
The Private Pool was humongous. Our Class had booked 5 lanes of the pool, and that was more than enough, considering that only about 20 people showed up. The Pool was complete with on-duty lifeguards, dive boards, and even a first floor beach-style café. Granted, that this entire set-up did not come at a low cost, but it was definitely going to be worth it.
"Wait, why aren't the girls here yet?!" Ike screamed, frantically staring at the door of the girl's changing room.
"Girls take a bit more time to change, they'll be out soon," Sudo replied.
"Damn I can't wait to see them! There's Haruka Hasebe, who's rumored to have the biggest breasts in Class! No wait, there's Sakura-san! Sakura-san is the one with the biggest boobs, Hasebe-san is next! And then there's obviously Kikyo-chan, and then —"
I ejected myself from this group before I came to be labelled as a pervert by the girls. I really wanted to stop the 3 Idiots from trying to violate the girl's privacy, but I don't think my saying is gonna help in any way. I cannot stop an entire horde of horny teenage boys all by myself.
There were a few students who also disassociated themselves from the conversation, including Ayanokoji. I looked at him, and he caught my eye, before coming to stand next to me by the pool edge.
"Wanna race?" I asked. "Don't tell me that you're bad at swimming. There's no point lying now."
"I would have if we were not surrounded by everyone else in our Class," Ayanokoji responded. "I don't want to reveal my abilities in front of them."
"Fair enough."
"What about you? Are you gonna swim full speed? I'm pretty sure that the boys will be hyped up for a race. The girls are watching, after all."
"I'll make it in at third or fourth place. Sudo will probably take first, followed by either Miyake or Hirata. It's best to come after them," I said.
"Speaking of which, Kouenji did not show up today."
"Were you expecting him to?"
"No."
"..... Takeyama-kun!" I heard my name being called out, and I turned to see Mori-san, Sato-san and Chiaki calling out to me. I bid farewell to Ayanokoji, and headed to meet them. Hirata was there as well.
"Hello, Keisuke," Hirata smiled at me warmly. "Care for a volleyball match? We've got a ball right here."
"Sure. I don't see why I should disagree."
With that, we entered the pool, and split ourselves into 2 teams. My team consisted of me, Sato-san, Kushida-san, Miyake-kun and Chiaki, while the opposing team consisted of Hirata, Sudo, Mori-san, Hasebe-san and Inogashira-san.
"Yeah, we'll show them what it's like to play pool volley!" Sudo shouted out. "3 sets, 11 points each. That okay?"
"And the winner treats the other group lunch," I added another condition.
"What!? Takeyama, you sure?" Miyake was the one who asked me this. "They've got Sudo and Hirata on their team, you know?"
"That's alright! Don't tell me you've already given up?" I poked at Miyake, and he vigorously agreed to the conditions.
"Alright, start!"
*****
(The Private Pool Day 7; Ayanokoji, Kiyotaka POV):
"You're kidding me....."
"No way....."
Murmurs arose from the rest of the audience as they gawked at the match.
The score currently stood at 1-1, with each team having won one set. The decider set was going on, and the score currently read 10-2. Takeyama was destroying the other team, alone.
"Huff, puff, you're kidding me, right?" Sudo asked panting in the pool. "You're totally a champ at this. Have you played pool volley before, Takeyama?"
"Not really," he said. "This is my first time."
"First time!? That's impossible. You've scored 6 consecutive points already! Have you been holding back?"
"Nope, I just feel rather energetic today. Also, I want that lunch."
"Don't worry, Sudo-kun!" Hirata reassured him. "There's still time for a counter-attack! We can get them back!"
Saying so, Miyake tossed the ball up in the air, and smashed it onto the other side of the pool. He seemed to be aiming it at Inogashira-san, but Sudo intercepted the ball and flung it high into the air.
"Hirata, get it!!"
Hirata swiftly swam in the direction of the ball, and jumped as high as he could to reach the ball. He connected, and smashed the ball in the other direction. Miyake tossed the ball back up before it hit the water, but the direction seemed to have gone a bit awry. Matsushita-san was on the other side, and she tossed the ball up beautifully, and Takeyama timed the last shot perfectly to land it right dead-center of the pool, and they won the point, and the game.
"Damn, Takeyama's insane," Ike whispered to no one in particular. "He even has Sudo beat when it comes to volleyball. And I thought Sudo was the best in our Year."
"Oh no! I can't have Takeyama stealing our girls anymore! Kanji, we need a plan!" Yamauchi whispered furiously into Ike's ear. He then turned to me.
"Ayanokoji, join in! It's the Peek-At-The-Girls-To-Satisfy-Libido Plan!" said Yamauchi.
I did not reply, and I made my way to the café to grab a light lunch along with everyone else. I noticed Karuizawa-san looking at my direction, but she immediately averted her gaze when I caught her staring.
I was surprised she even came to the Pool. I would have thought she wouldn't come, because it would be a pain to change in front of everyone else while hiding her scar. But she was wearing a rash guard, so it looks like it wasn't much of a problem. Was she finally coming to terms with her past?
My attention was diverted by Takeyama staring at me and Karuizawa-san in a back-and-forth manner. Then, for an unknown reason, he raised his right hand and pointed a thumbs-up in my direction.
What? Was there a meaning behind the thumbs-up?
I thought about going and confronting him about it, but he was immediately swarmed by the girls of our class, and a few girls from other classes who had been watching the game from the other side of the Pool.
I decided to approach him later.
________________________________________________________________________________
(ANHS Campus; Takeyama, Keisuke POV):
The Cruise Ship Trip was finally over, and everyone was back in their dorms. Most of the students had already started spending their last 2 days of summer vacation left to enjoy themselves in the school with their newly earned Private Points from the Zodiac Exam. The Class Rankings would change as soon as the classes start. The Rankings wouldn't change, per se, but Class A would definitely be in a more precarious position now, since they'd lost 200 Class Points in the Zodiac Exam, and gained only 120 Class Points on the Island Exam.
The net profits/losses currently looked like this:
Class A ---> 120 (from island) -200 (from zodiac) = -80 CP -------> 924 CP
Class B ---> 140 (from island) -0 (from zodiac) = +140 CP -------> 803 CP
Class C ---> 0 (from island) +150 (from zodiac) = +150 CP -------> 642 CP
Class D ---> 225 (from island) +50 (from zodiac) = +275 CP -------> 433 CP
I could see from the mental table that I had made for myself in my head that the Class Rankings did not change. However, a combination of both exam results inexplicably shows that this was a major win for Class D. Granted that we were still yet to overtake any of the classes, but we were the Class with the largest gains. This should be enough to make the other classes wary of us now. Ryuuen has already shown his wish to target me specifically, so I must make sure to prepare for his onslaught.
*****
Our class went swimming.
Again.
It was the last day of summer vacation, and the pool was kinda crowded. There were students from various other classes, such as Class B, and a few second years as well. We wouldn't get to actually swim properly in such a throng.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ike and Yamauchi glaring at all the girls who passed by. But all attention was suddenly centered around one spot of the girl's locker room. I turned to see Ichinose Honami standing there in her swimsuit, which was a sight to behold, even for someone who wasn't very interested in the opposite sex, like myself.
Her curves and generous proportions were almost too perfect for any of the boys in the pool to handle. Ichinose, however, completely oblivious to the surrounding stares, bounced up and down at the arrival of her friends from Class B and sped towards the pool.
"Wow, wow, wow, wow!" Yamauchi screamed.. "This pool is amazing! I can literally see it! I can see those things bounce up and down! Heh Kanji, you placed the RC at the correct position right?" Yamauchi suddenly lowered his voice.
"What? Yeah, of course. You were there. We're gonna have a feast tonight in Ayanokoji's Room!" Ike drooled at the thought of something vulgar.
Feast? RC? Don't tell me these fools are.....
I turned to look at Ayanokoji, who was currently being checked out by Ichinose. I was slightly jealous at this sight, but I guess there's nothing to be done about that.
"You're wearing a rash guard?" I asked as I approached Ayanokoji. "That's a surprise."
"I don't actually like showing my skin in public," he replied.
"Are you part of some sort of peeping-tom plan?" I changed the topic.
"....?"
"Ike and Yamauchi were talking about some sort of RC controller being placed in the correct position, and they talked about meeting up in your room. Don't tell me can't control your horni-"
"I know that already. I've asked Karuizawa-san to remove the memory card after entering the locker room, and replace it with an empty one, once all the girls have left the locker room."
"Looks like you have that handled then," I sighed, looking at the poor Ike and Yamauchi jumping up and down at the thought of their brilliant little plan.
Our conversation was interrupted by increasingly loud cheers at the last pool. Everyone's eyes were now fixated on a Pool Volleyball match. The first Pool was mostly for idle swimming and races, the second pool was some sort of makeshift river, with a small current flowing from the north to the south end. The last pool was mainly for sporting events, like the current volleyball game.
From the looks of it, they were second years. All gazes and cheering were focused on one individual, with his slim yet toned body, and handsome face.
"Nagumo..... "
"He was there during our Trial," Ayanokoji told me. "I had noticed that he had taken quite an interest in you. I saw him stop to talk to you after the trial that day."
"So you noticed that day too, uh? You were with the Student Council President too. We've both attracted attention of the Student Council as well. I wonder what you did to get Manabu Horikita to acknowledge you?"
Ayanokoji opened his mouth to say something, but he closed his mouth before a sound could come out. Was he not willing to tell me about the little run-in he had with the President in that back alley back in May? He obviously did not know that I was present during the incident as well. Or maybe he did.
"I ran into him a while back," Ayanokoji said. "There was a dispute between his sister and the President, and I stepped in to intervene before things got out of hand."
"So the relation between Horikita-san and her President nii-san is a bit strained?"
"You can say that."
Just then, there was a sickening crack, and a second year student in the Pool clutched his face, with a hint of red dripping down his nose. Nagumo had just smashed the ball in from the other side, and it had hit the poor second year on his face. He exited the pool, with a hand still over his nose.
"Hey, we can't continue the match now! We're lacking in numbers!" random student 1 shouted.
"Yeah, maybe we should abandon the game," random student 2 agreed.
"Abandon? Don't be a wuss. We'll just remove one player from our team," random student 3 from Nagumo's team shouted.
"Now, now, there's no need to panic," Nagumo calmly stated, with a smile plastered across his face. "We can just have someone else join in their team. Alas, I like to be fair, and there are quite a few first years watching this little game of ours. Perhaps we have a volunteer from there?"
"Hey Nagumo, quit joking around! Why are you allowing the first years to join in?!" random student 1 shouted again.
"Is there a problem with a first year joining in?" Nagumo raised his eyebrows.
One thing that I have noticed in the second year is that instead of being divided up Class-wise, they're rather strong together. And Nagumo had most of the second year students under his charms. Therefore, any resentment against Nagumo would be detrimental to those second year students, and they're immediately dropped down on the social ladder.
"No..... it's just..... " random student 1 started fumbling with his words.
"If there's no problem, can I perhaps nominate someone from the first year as a selfish desire of mine?"
Crap.
Hide.
"Ayanokoji, hide me," I said, as I jumped back behind his back.
"You think he's going to choose you?"
"There's a high possibility," I said, crouching behind.
"Hey Takeyama, why don't you go?" Sudo suddenly asked me, looking down at me. "You're good at this, right?"
I opened my mouth to protest, but was immediately clamored down by my own classmates.
"Yeah, Takeyama, you can go and represent the entire first year!" Ike screamed.
"That's a great idea! Takeyama-kun, you should go!"
There was already too much attention and fuss centered around me. There was no point in crouching behind anymore. Nagumo was already looking in my direction, showing off his beautifully arranged white teeth in the progress.
"What a coincidence! I was going to call you, kouhai! Looks like your fellow classmates beat me to the punch!" Nagumo stated, flipping his wet blond hair in the process.
"Good luck," Ayanokoji said, as I begrudgingly walked over to the other side of the pool. The first years all started cheering for me; maybe that was a good thing.
"Good evening, Nagumo-senpai," I said, as I slowly lowered myself into the pool. "Why were you going to choose me?"
"Is that really a question, kouhai?" Nagumo asked me. "It's merely because you're my friend!"
Friend?
Murmurs arose from the second year crowds at this revelation. The second years were all eyeing me warily, maybe expecting to notice what part of me piqued Nagumo's attention.
"Well, there's no point wasting anymore time!" Nagumo said, clapping his hands in the process. "As of now, the score stands 2-0, and it is the last set, my team currently leading 8-3. The outcome of the final set doesn't matter anyways, but you're playing this for pride. So don't dilly-dally in the pool, kouhai."
I cannot, and I couldn't dilly-dally in the pool. I was collectively chosen as the first year's representative player, and I, right now, held the expectations of all my classmates. I also couldn't play horribly just to end the match quicker; my entire class has already seen me play on the Cruise Ship, and I couldn't hold back. I found myself in quite an amusing situation.
I swam over to the other side of the pool, and stood my position on the right flank, at the center. This was usually the place where the ball usually comes after heavy spikes. Again, it doesn't really matter where I stand in the pool; I'm sure Nagumo will aim the ball at me anyways.
"Hey, underclassman, you better not drag us down," random student 2 warned me.
"What were you doing in the first 2 sets then?"
I heard a few snickers arise from the second year crowds, and all the girls suddenly focused their attention between me and Nagumo. So this is what they call popularity, uh?
The ball was tossed up in the air, and the game began.
*****
Even though I was in a pool, you'd argue and say that 'Pool Volleyball is much simpler than the real things cuz you don't sweat and get tired in a pool'. Well, it's the exact opposite. Resistance by water against your body is much more than air resistance, so it naturally requires much more force just to move your body around. Not to mention the force required by the legs to jump against the water's buoyant force, it makes this sport very tiring and draining.
The score was not currently 10-9, in Nagumo's favor. I had managed to tip the scale in out direction a bit, and there were audible gasps and furious whispering among the audience, occasionally looking and pointing in my direction.
"Kouhai, you've managed to drag this match out for too long," Nagumo said. "Seriously, I really underestimate you. You're very talented."
"I'm honored to hear that come directly from the Vice-President," I said. Saying so, Nagumo tossed up the ball and served it in our direction. An easy service to receive.
The ball beautifully swerved in the direction opposite to me, and it was received by random student 1. The ball went up and about to the other side of the pool. A second year girl, who I learned was named Asahina-senpai, tossed the ball up in the air, and Nagumo jumped up in response, and fiercely shot the ball across like a bullet. It ricocheted off random student 2's arms, and random student 4 pushed the ball up for me to spike.
"GO, Takeyama!" Sudo screamed from the sidelines, and there were several first years cheering me on.
I mustered all the strength I could in my lower legs, and pushed myself up before the ball could complete its ascent. I just had to make contact with the ball at its highest point; I did not have the luxury of waiting for the ball to come to me.
The athletes who win matches for their teams don't wait for the ball to come to them, they run to the ball themselves.
I stretched out my left arm, and managed to make contact with the volleyball.
CRASH!
Just as I was going to spike it in, random student 1 fiercely bumped into me midair, vying for the ball himself, and the sudden impact threw me off balance. I ended up mistiming my shot, and the ball dropped back into our side of the pool, sealing the whitewash for Nagumo.
"Hey, what the hell? That was clearly Takeyama's ball!" Sato-san shouted from the crowd. "Why did you go after it?"
"I'm sorry, my bad," the random student 1 mumbled. "I wasn't looking properly."
"Well, looks like you lost out on that one, kouhai," Nagumo said as he swam up to me. "But I'll be sure to remember to call you in for a rematch, yeah?"
"Sure, senpai. Thank you for inviting me, though."
"Hey, I've got a proposal for you. Mind if I ask you outside the crowd?" Nagumo suddenly asked me.
I nodded, and I quickly changed in the changing room, and made my way out into the sweltering afternoon heat. Nagumo had not yet arrived. I wasn't expecting him to actually come before me, though.
I made my way to the bench right beside the pathway, and proceeded to sit down. In a few minutes, Nagumo exited from the Men's Locker, and scanned his surroundings. Once his eyes, fell on me, he flashed an eerie smile and walked towards the bench.
"You must be wondering why I asked you to wait here, right kouhai?" said Nagumo, as he approached me.
"Of course I am, senpai. It's a bit unnerving, to say the least."
"I'm glad you feel that way. What do you think I'm here to talk to you about?"
How in the world am I supposed to know that?
"I don't know, senpai, but if I had to take a guess, maybe the date for a rematch?"
Nagumo looked at me for a few seconds, and then burst out laughing. "You never fail to impress me, kouhai. While that truly is something that needs to be discussed, I'm here for, let's say, more serious information."
"I don't understand."
"As the Student Council Vice President, I'm well aware of the results of all the Special Exams that take place all around the year for all Years, including the First Years. I heard that Class D managed to gain some pretty impressive results."
So it was again these results, uh? I couldn't say I had thought of this scenario. I knew the Student Council Vice President was eccentric, but the fact that he would single me out in the class just because I'm the only one he's actually acquainted with, came as a bit of a shock to me. I'm better off taking his words with a grain of salt.
"The results were a collective effort by everyone in Class D," I responded. "Our Class has a lot of potential, senpai."
"Of course it does," Nagumo said. "But I must say, kouhai, that you're in Class D. You might be one of the most gifted students in the Class, but your classmates will drag you down. You understand what I'm getting at?"
"Are you calling Class D a defective class, senpai?"
"In layman terms, yes. I'm calling your class the 'defective class', not because of any particular reason, but because it has been proven by all the alumni of this institution. The ones who were placed in Class D in the beginning of the Year, remained in Class D throughout the Year, even though they had several students who deserved to be in Classes B or higher. Individual talent is wasted in this school, kouhai, and I want you to know that you're a prime example of this unfair treatment. The system established by Horikita-senpai is purely Class-based, and completely demerits the traits of an individual. It irks me a bit, to be honest, seeing talent like yours being completely negated by trash of the same magnitude."
"But senpai, being defective and being trash are two different things."
"Care to explain?"
"A defective product, with suitable repairs, can be converted into a superior product. Trash remains trash."
Nagumo widened his eyes. "Your perspective is unique, kouhai. One of the reasons I really love talking to you. Did you just make that up?"
"No, just borrowed it from a friend of mine."
"I see. Give this friend of yours my regards. But it does not change the fact that Class D still comprises of a majority of defective students. It hinders the progress of students who can actually make it to Class A, without having to depend on their class. Will you help me in establishing this sort of system, kouhai?"
"Establish this sort of system? Does that mean....."
"Join me, Takeyama. Join the Student Council, and help me fulfil this dream of mine, where individual talent will be given more priority than class unity. A system where each student gets what he deserves."
"....."
"Don't worry, kouhai. I'm not looking for an immediate answer. Of course, this is a decision that is wholly up to you. But you must weigh the merits and demerits before you come to a conclusion. Try not to be biased in your judgement, and don't let your emotions come into the picture. Think clearly and logically, and you'll see the answer in front of you. The seat for Secretary is open."
"..... what about the interview?"
"Interview? You're getting in because you have the recommendation and support of the Vice President. You don't need an interview."
"I'll think about it."
"Very well! Here's my number, kouhai. Use it to contact me once you've made your decision," said Nagumo. He looked at the watch. "My, it's become quite late; I have certain other engagements to attend to. Well then, see you in the Council Room, kouhai. Third Floor, yeah?"
And with that last parting statement, the handsome Vice President walked off towards the Third Year Dorms.
*****
(Room 401; Ayanokoji, Kiyotaka POV):
"Open the goddamn door, Ayanokoji!" Ike shouted into my ear.
I sighed. Why does it have to be in my room?
I opened the door, and Sudo slammed it wide open, and Ike and Yamauchi ran into my Room. It had already been a long day, so I crashed down onto my bed. The 3 Idiots had, without my permission, already turned on my desktop computer, and plugged in the memory card to the system.
"Hey, wait! You guys don't get to see Suzune's naked body. That's for me," Sudo suddenly said.
"What the hell? This is not for one particular girl, you know? We're all in this together!" Yamauchi said. "By the way, Ayanokoji, you're not interested?"
"I'll pass."
"Acting all goody shoes now? We won't show you if you're that adamant," Ike said.
"There's still time; you guys can still back off and call it a day," I said as a last resort.
"You don't get to say that! Well, now you're not getting any glimpses," Ike said, and he navigated to the file where all the videos and pictures were stored.
"Kushida-chan's naked body, Ichinose's perfect boobs, Sakura's monstrous brea- what the hell?! Where are the files?"
Yamauchi and Sudo started panicking, and they peeked into the computer screen.
"Wait, what the hell! Where are the naked girls!?" Ike screamed.
"You were recording it, weren't you?" Yamauchi said with a crestfallen expression.
"Of course I was, you saw it too! Right, Ken?"
"Yeah, the little red thing was blinking when we let it out into the vent..... ah fuck it!" Sudo slammed his hands on the table.
And the libidos of 3 teenage men remained unsatisfied.
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A/N's:
Word Count - 6039 words
This is the longest chapter I've written. I've basically surmised the entire volume 4.5 in a nutshell here. Also, I've decided to kinda skip those SS that characters have in between. They don't really add to the plot, and I'll be doing a few of my own monologues in between instead, so that it runs more smoothly.
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Vote for chad Nagumo! Cheers.
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