Ayanokōji's POV
"It's so nice to finally meet you, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka-kun."
Finally? Sakayanagi made it sound as if she'd been wanting to meet with me for quite a long time, but even if you assume that she'd heard about me and decided she wanted to meet me on the first day of school, would that really be long enough for the word 'finally' to be applicable? I had my doubts.
Additionally, if Sakayanagi had wanted to contact me for a while, then it shouldn't have been hard for her to do so - as one of Class A's spearheads, she should've had plenty of tools at her disposal to acquire my contact information if she so desired.
Katsuragi sent a suspicious look toward Sakayanagi. "Why do you make it sound like you've wanted to meet with Ayanokōji for a long time? Are you conspiring to betray Class A in return for Class D's favour?"
Katsuragi voiced what anyone would view as a valid concern for a class representative, however Sakayanagi merely laughed, as if he was talking nonsense.
"Fufufu, I can assure you that there is nothing for you to worry about, Katsuragi-kun,"
A menacing glint appeared to manifest in Sakayanagi's eye for a moment, as she spoke her next words.
"Besides, even if I were to turn traitor, you aren't in a position to do anything about it anymore, wouldn't you agree?"
Her intimidating remark wasn't wrong; in the event that Katsuragi raised concerns about Sakayanagi's allegiance to his classmates now, he'd almost certainly be written off as a desperate man trying to sabotage his rival after losing almost all of his support.
Despite hearing such a thing that could be interpreted as a threat, Katsuragi's calm exterior did not waver.
"Nobody can say for sure how Class A will turn, and I will not be deterred by anything you say," Katsuragi resolved his spirit.
"How truly resolute of you. You have my respect," Sakayanagi gave a pleasant smile.
If anything, one thing became extremely apparent to me: both these two were very strong personalities.
"Anyway, Katsuragi, could you do me a favour and move along? I wish to speak with Ayanokōji-kun alone,"
Unexpectedly, Sakayanagi declared her desire to speak with me.
What could Class A's likely leader want with me? If she wanted to speak about class matters, she'd obviously approach someone else, like Class D's surface representative, Lelouch.
That being said, Sakayanagi and I had never talked before, which means she can't be interested in discussing a personal matter, either.
Just what was she after? No matter how much I thought, I couldn't find an answer.
Katsuragi raised an eyebrow, "You aren't helping to quell my suspicions by requesting my leave,"
"With all due respect, Katsuragi-kun, you are currently the least credible member of Class A. I'll give you one more chance to bow out graciously, rather than humiliating yourself further," Sakayanagi proclaimed.
Sakayanagi's tone did not match her words.
She spoke in a sweet, bell-like voice, but her words were ruthless, dripping with a vicious acid.
Katsuragi was momentarily too stunned to speak.
Shaking his head, he composed himself, and turned his narrow-eyed gaze over to me.
"Ayanokōji Kiyotaka. Are you after something with Class A?"
"I was just here to go to the store, like I said."
I insisted on my innocence, but Katsuragi didn't look convinced.
"How do I know that isn't just a cover story?"
I let out a sigh. How had a simple detour to pick up some groceries turned into this?
Whether it was a product of this school's nurture, the class I belonged to, or whether it was just how he is, Katsuragi seemed adamant about remaining suspect of me.
"I'm just going to go into the store."
I left a suspicious Katsuragi and an angry-looking Sakayanagi behind, and entered the store.
The stock was noticeably thinned by the influx of returning students re-stocking. I wondered briefly just how much stuff the school had.
Presumably, a small amount of goods were stored on-site, enough to supply around a week or two of student demand.
If you were an observant student, you will have noticed the shipment trucks that arrive at the school's main road periodically. They didn't come onto the campus itself; it was likely that the shipments were unloaded outside school grounds.
I mindlessly collected various items I remembered I needed whilst I enjoyed pondering over trivial things.
The total for my purchase came to around 32,000 points, which was unsurprisingly larger than your average grocery expense.
This should last me at least a month, however, and since my monthly income far exceeded the amount spent, I wasn't worried.
I thanked the store clerk, and left the shop with two plastic bags in hand.
Katsuragi appeared to have left now, however the little girl with a cane was waiting for me, a mysterious glint clear in her eyes.
"Sakayanagi." I raised my hand in polite greeting.
"Welcome back, Ayanokōji-kun. I've ridden us of the nuisance that was bothering you."
The way she described her own classmate was slightly unsettling, but I brushed it off as a quirk of the kind of personality which would be suitable to run Class A.
"Uh, right. Thanks."
The conversation quickly went dry, and I was once again reminded of my severe lack of practice in social interaction.
"Is there something you wanted from me?"
Sakayanagi smiled pleasantly, as if expecting my question.
"I've come across rather transparent, haven't I?"
Met with a peculiar answer, I theorised again what this girl could possibly want from specifically me, to no avail.
"Would you like to go somewhere a little more private, Ayanokōji-kun?"
Sakayanagi wanted us to go somewhere alone? Was this a confession? It would explain why she'd been so eager for Katsuragi to leave.
It didn't make a lot of sense, though. Why would the leader of Class A confess to some random student she's never even spoken to before?
Somebody of Sakayanagi's status should easily be able to get better than me if she so wished.
According to Kushida, my popularity has been rather volatile throughout the school year so far.
I was apparently ranked highly by the girls at the start of the year. However, as time went on and we learned each other's personalities, physical appearance became less of a primary focus.
As Kushida had cruelly put it, my personality was simply missing something to make me popular. Therefore, my rank began to fall.
However, after the recent deserted island special exam, my reputation has turned, and is now on the rise again, due to the stunt that I pulled.
Would someone like Sakayanagi be enamoured by something as one-dimensional as that? My intuition told me otherwise.
"Uh, I have no problem with it. But, are you sure? If a boy and a girl are seen going out of sight together, certain misunderstands can happen."
Sakayanagi laughed in bemusement at my, apparently, needless concerns.
"It's quite all right. Shall we?"
I nodded, and with that, Sakayanagi and I began walking side-by-side.
I slowed my pace to match hers, to which she sent a clearly apologetic look.
"There's no need for you to apologise."
"Fufu, I didn't say anything."
"Your face made it clear what you were worrying about. Are you self-conscious about it often?"
It's something that most people would never even need to think about, but for Sakayanagi, slowing down the pace of anyone walking with you was a daily occurrence.
Although most people would understand it isn't her fault, I imagined it still must weigh on Sakayanagi's mind a little, at least.
"It's okay. I've never encountered somebody who faulted me for my illness. I've had to live like this long enough, I don't let such worries bother me anymore."
Sakayanagi explained such.
Despite the fact that Sakayanagi apologises for slowing down the walking speed, it could be considered an act of courtesy, rather than a genuine apology.
It's like when somebody experiences something bad, you say 'I'm sorry', even though you had no involvement in the event and have nothing to apologise for.
It isn't a real apology, but simply something you do because society considers it the right thing to do.
Unspoken rules like this make up an important chunk of human communication, and for those who are oblivious to these rules, they will find themselves struggling socially.
Sakayanagi and I walked a little more in silence.
"What do you want, Sakayanagi?"
It was pointless to beat around the bush for longer, so I decided to cut to the chase.
"It's been a long time, Ayanokōji-kun. Approximately 8 years and 201 days."
I felt unease manifest inside of me. It was something I'd felt already since coming to this school, as a result of a particular student who I couldn't get a read on at all.
"You speak as if we're acquainted, but I have no idea who you are."
A mock pained expression formed on Sakayanagi's face.
"You wound a maiden's heart."
I raised an eyebrow. Maiden?
"I expected this much, though," she spoke solemnly. "However, that doesn't mean I don't know who you are."
Her knowing who I am would explain her focus on me specifically. However, before I came to this school, there's only one place anyone could possibly know me from.
"You know me?"
I narrowed my eyes slightly, and gazed into hers.
"Where from?"
Sakayanagi merely smiled at my demanding question. She didn't intend to give me a direct answer.
"I only visited the facility once, when I was a child. I was fascinated by you, Ayanokōji-kun, the child who was clearly levels above all the others even at such a young age."
I felt genuine surprise for a moment. Her words were very accurate to reality.
I'm sure my composure would've been shaken if she'd outright dropped a similar bomb on me with no build-up.
"I see."
I gave a simplistic response, implying that she should continue.
Sakayanagi smiled pleasantly, but I had a feeling her mannerisms wouldn't match with what she was about to say next.
"I want to destroy you, Ayanokōji-kun."
Ah.
"Your father's ideology... I cannot accept it. By crushing you, the ultimate personification if his ideals, I will prove that he is wrong; no amount of nurturing can ever rival the raw talent of a natural genius."
So that's what this is about. I closed my eyes to consider my response for a moment, then opened them again.
"There are natural geniuses in my class, Sakayanagi. However, unfortunately....... I still do not believe there is a student in this school who can compare to me."
Taken off guard, Sakayanagi let out a genuine chuckle.
"Fufu, forgive me, I don't mean to laugh at you. I know well that your confidence isn't misplaced. However, may I ask why you think that?"
Although she claimed to understand me, I still detected a hint of skepticism in her tone.
"I've gathered plenty of information about your classmates. Specifically, Shiro-san's intelligence is not something anyone could ever hope to match, isn't that right?"
"I disagree."
I shook my head in denial, surprising Sakayanagi once again.
"You believe you surpass her frankly ridiculous calculative ability?"
"No, I don't. However, you said 'intelligence'. Intelligence is a wide scope of attributes that comes in many forms. Simply put, the single thing Shiro excels at does not compensate for what she is missing - she relies a lot on her brother to cover for her weaknesses. Emotional understanding, understanding of human nature. The complete array of knowledge necessary to overcome any situation one may encounter. If you lack those things, can you really be considered to be truly at the peak of intelligence? I don't think so."
I finished my speech, and Sakayanagi appeared momentarily stunned. This time, she was the one to close her eyes, as she processed everything I'd said.
"I understand. Shiro-san is beneath Ayanokōji-kun because her ability isn't whole?"
"That's right."
"Then, what about 'Blank', the combination of Shiro-san and Sora-kun? Do you think you're above them, too?"
"Even if they are, two people against one is not a fair match up."
"I know. I am simply curious to hear your answer."
"I see. In that case..."
I paused to give it a bit of thought.
"It's hard to say. I would have a better idea of how our mental abilities compare if I'd fought them before. However, if we were to go head-to-head, one thing is certain. Blank would fall to me due to the one flaw they both share: physical ability. As long as I know how to manipulate the scope of the battlefield, there is no denying I can leverage the enormous gap between myself and them."
Sakayanagi narrowed her eyes.
"It is not a given that such an approach would be possible. It entirely depends on the nature of the fight," she argued.
"Likewise, it is not a given that such an approach would be impossible. When it comes to head-to-head battles, all we can do is speculate. However, when all of the specs are laid out, I believe that I remain unmatched, even within my class."
"I see. I understand."
Sakayanagi had an unusual smile of genuine happiness plastered on her face.
"What are you so happy about?"
I couldn't help but ask.
"Fufu, it's nothing. Ayanokōji-kun, you really are brilliant. To be honest, when I first heard the name 'Ayanokōji Kiyotaka' crop up at this school, I felt indescribable excitement. However, I was also a little afraid. Afraid that you wouldn't be as good as I thought, and that I'd be let down."
For somebody of Sakayanagi's ability, finding a worthy opponent would be a difficult task. I imagine that, after surpassing others so many times, you would begin to feel disappointed each and every time. Sakayanagi feared feeling that disappointment from somebody she'd anticipated facing for 8 years.
"But it's okay now. The way you spoke to me during this conversation reassured me more than enough. You won't let me down."
"I'm glad you've evaluated me so. I look forward to entertaining your challenge, Sakayanagi Arisu. In honour of your ability, and in respect to our battle, I won't hold back when the time comes."
Sakayanagi seemed more than happy with my words. She lightly grasped the hem of her skirt and lifted it, lowering into a cute curtsy.
"Thank you, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka-kun. It has been a genuine pleasure speaking with you, if only for a short time."
"Likewise."
The two of us enjoyed the rest of the walk in more-or-less silence, and before we knew it, ended up back at the dorm buildings.
The boys' and girls' dorms are located in separate floors, so it was here that I bid farewell to Sakayanagi and returned to my room.
When I got in, I threw my shoes off, and simply let myself fall back onto my mattress, not bothering to sort through the groceries I'd purchased.
I allowed my mind to wander, and reflected upon the whole trip I'd had. It was the first time I'd taken a step back and thought about everything.
After realising there was no hiding as an ordinary student at this school, I'd decided to display my ability properly for the first time during the Deserted Island Special Exam.
This choice had garnered me quite some attention, not only from my own classmates, but from the school at large as well. Not to mention, Ryūen Kakeru, the tyrannical leader of Class C, who had set his sights on me, the man in the spotlight during the exam, after Class D had dominated by a wide margin.
There was also the mystery student from Class E, who had saved them from being totally crushed by working behind the scenes. Ability-wise, Kōenji Rokusuke was the only individual in Class E that I deemed capable of it, but his personality made the idea that he was pulling the strings hard to believe.
The other possibility is of a hidden student, a member of Class E who had kept their abilities a secret. Both answers were troublingly difficult to confirm, so despite my curiosity, it seemed like we'd have to put the matter aside for now.
Then, there was the Zodiac Exam, a surprise second special exam aboard the cruise ship itself. Class D were quiet during this exam, merely breaking even in net class point gain and loss, and I was not really an active player, either.
I was, however, involved in the matter between Manabe Shiho and Karuizawa Kei, a conflict that had sparked during the exam which I'd been brought into on Sora's request.
Sora himself was broken down by Ryūen during this time, after an encounter with him on a secluded stairwell. While he put on a smile and looked like he bounced back immediately, I was almost positive he was only putting on a brave face to avoid worrying his sister, and that in actuality, it would take Sora a while longer to fully recover.
Sora was somebody who prided himself in the mental ability he'd honed throughout his life, alongside his unbeaten record. To have that broken down by a little simple-minded violence must have been extremely damaging to his psyche.
To fully regain his confidence, I speculated that Sora would have to overcome the looming threat of a physical attack and defeat in his own way. In the end, though, I believed it would be a good experience for Sora, and looked forward to the way he'd grow from it.
I had ended up in an indirect battle with Ryūen over this incident, however, I was pretty sure he knew nothing of my involvement, and was under the impression it was Sora whom he was battling, not me.
As a result, I'd also made my first genuine friend that wasn't born from some kind of class-related obligation in Karuizawa Kei. Although it was a very recent happening, I still found the memory oddly warm.
All in all, although it had only been a short two-week time span, a lot of things had happened, and many dynamics had changed.
I let out a sigh, and locked eyes with the grocery bags I'd left on the floor next to my door.
It was like they were calling out to me: 'Come on, unpack us. You know you have to sooner or later. Some of us need to be stored in a cold place...'
I stared at the devious plastic bags for another few seconds unmoving.
Fine.
Just when I started to conjure the energy to peel myself off my bed, a ping! sound emanated from my pocket.
Lazily, I reached for my phone, and clicked the screen on. It was an unread message, from Sora, that read:
[Hey, Kiyotaka! Are you free tomorrow?]
Was he going to ask me to meet with him?
[Yeah, sure. Why?]
I replied with a short and efficient response. Equally as quickly, a response came back through:
[Would you like to participate in a game?]
Suddenly, the conversation turned troublesome.
Although I was happy about being invited out, I also had to consider the nature of the games Sora had actually started.
The chess game against Lelouch on our first day, and our mental monopoly game in the karaoke room came to mind. Both had involved private point wagers.
Speaking of private points...
I looked over to the groceries on the floor once again. The ones I'd just spent a good chunk of my monthly income on.
I should really put them away.
I sent one last message back to Sora, and then mustered all my energy to force myself to stand up and heed the call of the plastic bags.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," I muttered.
A/N: Guess who's back with a 3304 word chapter? Me. Here to bless the homies with some COTE content while waiting for a y2v6 translation.
I had exams over Christmas, then I started Integration in Calculus, then I just had more exams. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. And I have my finals in 3 months :')
But I can't be bothered to do anything school-related for a while now so I thought I'd write instead lmao.
Anyway, I'm just gonna write some fun v4.5 chapters while I try to figure out how tf the sports festival can exist with 5 classes. And this time I won't disappear for months again.
... anytime soon.
Other than that, thanks for reading <3