S2 ends!
Ryuuen's POV:
-----------------------------------------
Class B-->Class A
Class A-->Class C
Class C-->Class B
Class D--> unchanged positions
------------------------------------------
(A/N: Ryuuen-->Class B, Kiyo-->Class D, Arisu-->Class A, Ichinose-->Class C)
Kukuku!
This school is messed up! I couldn't have asked for a better outcome for this exam. Matsushita has been crushed and so has Ichinose. Hah, just fabulous! Even I could have only destroyed Ichinose, thank you, f*cking servants, for destroying that Matsushita.
This exam should set everything in place for Class A.
Though, that Karuizawa escaped. Well, it doesn't matter, I don't even know how and why she asked me to destroy that Karuizawa.
I can't wait to see their faces Kukuku
"What's up! Suzune doing a get-together without me! Are you cheating on me?"
I guffawed at my joke at the scorned look of the defectives and the losers.
"What do you require Ryuuen? I believe that you have no business here in the cafeteria, after 10 pm."
I pulled a chair and sat with the group having Suzune, Orbiter, Karuizawa, Hirata, Ichinose and Kanzaki. Ichinose, the goody-two-shoes, is asked," Ryuuen-kun how did you win the exam? It was quite a marvellous victory."
Oh? She is being such a pointy pain in the ass.
"Hmm, maybe because we are capable..."
It brought the famous shitty faces from them but I was far from being over
"...and obviously because we knew all the leaders."
Those shits turned into beautifully twisted faces upon realising how strong me....no...my CLASS is.
Suzune like those irritating students in classes asked her amazing doubt
"How did you know the leaders?"
Bingo b*tch
"What will I get in return for sharing such information?"
Silence zipped their ignorant lips shut as I waited for a response and was disappointed.
RING
I saw who it was and realised I had to leave
"Kuku, jealous Suzune? Well, it doesn't matter...I have a date to go to....don't stalk me Horikita and all you dimwit surnamed people....use your heads, if you have them."
I wanted these f*ckers to figure it out and I desperately wanted to see their reactions when the realisation hits them like a brick wall.
The library brought me back to how much time I spent in this crappy place in middle school to get into this freaking Y. Goddamit old man!
"Good evening Ryuuen-kun! It's a pleasure to meet you at this fine evening just 2 minutes and 23 seconds late. Congrats! The last time it was 4 minutes and 54 seconds late. You are being punctual."
Shiina Hiyori, the Angel of my class and my Ace.....or I maybe her ace.
Kukuku....who knows? And that's really fun.
"Kuku, Hiyori remember our deal? "
She closed her book.... Atomic Habits -by James Clear
She did what most would call a cute pose but for me, it was nothing more than another irony of her strategic and scheming.
"Oh, Ryueun-kun, what do you mean.Please explain."
"Hiyori, my mind ain't one of your books, don't try to trick me.And I think you very well remember what I said earlier when I accepted your offer..."
Flashback to the first month of school
"I want complete autonomy over my actions without any form of constriction from you Ryuuen-kun."
I looked at Hiyori surprised at her bold demand. No one in their right mind had the guts to even question me after I f*cked Ishizaki and Ibuki up, yet this b*tch comes walking over asks something like that to me.
She stared at me waiting for a response as I gave none...
"I see, you want something in return. So how about I advice you from time to time....Hmmm"
She put her finger to her lips as she whispered
"As an adviser."
"Kuku, why can't I just force you to do the same?"
"A fair question Ryuuen-kun, but that wouldn't work. I am not like the rest."
I pushed her to the wall and ask
"Really? Why is that?"
"It's simple, I am neither hot headed nor....."
She tilted her head sideways and I followed her gaze.
B*tch....
There was a f*cking camera! Goddamit! I thought I had located all the cameras!
"Now, Ryuuen....should I dictate what will ensue if I complained about you attacking me in such a precarious position. Quite unfortunate isn't it Ryuuen."
The class watched with bated breath as I went up to the camera with hiyori being held by Ibuki
I am certain this camera wasn't there yesterday.....it was a fake, smart girl.
"Kukuku, Hiyori you are f*cking genius...but here is the thing."
I pulled her out of Ibuki's hands as I again forced her against the wall with hands trembling and her face riddled with tears.
"I-I....please...let me go, I am a girl."
She tried to trick me first and now she expects me to let her go because she is a girl...should I?
Hell no, I believe in gender equality.
I drive a blow in her stomach as she coughs in pain
"R-Ryuuen kun...can you please come closer...I-I want to apologise."
My seething anger calmed down a bit at her weeping state...even I can't say no to this crying angel.
"Ya what?"
I sat down to her level as she whispered
"Sorry to inform you Ryuuen-kun, you lost."
She then lifted her finger and pointed behind the last row, where their was one of the school assigned cameras....
F*ck...this fake camera was bait to lure me into the real one with my anger.
I got up and acted normal as I commanded to the unruly and blabbering classmates on the fight that ended moments ago.
"Saw this you freaks, this is what happens...I don't have mercy.And you, Hiyori...I will deal with you later, first I have to teach a lesson to these freaks on how to behave in class."
I can't let them figure out that I was outplayed and Hiyori purposefully whispered it to me hence preventing that. She will be a worthy ally and not a freak like these morons. I have to use this opportunity wisely.
After the classes were over I went to the library to find her reading a book...The 48 laws of power, Robert Greene.
I remember the old man mentioning this book to me.
"So Ryueen, do we have a deal?......or not, and you wish to be expelled in the first month?"
F*ck this girl, she has surrounded me for now.At least she won't try bossing me around. I have be way more careful around her
"We have a deal."
I put out my hand to shake on it and she looked at it for a while. She then walked up to a shelf and grabbed a book and placed it onto my hand.
Claudius by Robert Grave
"Read it overtime."
Not wanting to argue with her anymore I grabbed the book and left giving her one last glare.
"B*tch is hella creepy....and cute."
What the hell is wrong with me?
Flashback ends
"What happened Ryueen-kun? Lost in thoughts, are we? And I did help you in the exams right....don't ask for too much greedy fox of disheartened grape ventures."
Her gaze ever so perceptive looked into me.
"Yaya, I know my limits. But at tell me what shit you are planning. I am especially confused about that Matsushita and Karuizawa plan."
That was bothering me all this time on how she came up with it and it's implementation.
"Ryueen-kun, it's quite simple...I suppose there is no harm in sharing my thoughts after the bok is over. Well, considering the fact that due to quite a few novels I had been able to understand Matsushita's obsessive mindset I simply sent you as a decoy saviour in her worst moments, like Fairy Godmother to Cinderella, except....this time...Cinderella doesn't get her prince."
"What about that Karuizawa then, why attack her like that?"
"Do you even need to ask?"
"What the f*ck do you even mean?We could have just threatened Karuizawa like Horikita, with a show of strength then blackmailed their class to force outcome 3 form their group as well did in the other groups. Because of your elaborate scheme, while we won overall, we still lost in Ichinose's group"
"While your plan would work, there is a risk in war. As Sun-Tzu once quoted
Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting. "
"I am not here to listen to some crappy quote from some old dude from sh*t book all I want is a straightforward answer to my question which had been asked over 10 minutes ago."
"Never insult my books or me. Is that clear Kakeru?"
The temperature of the room dropped as her previously angelic smile reduced to ashes in her demonic flame of negative aura. As if, in a single moment it would be over.
She pulled out her phone and after a while, a video was sent to me from an unknown number.
It played.....and left me yet again, shook.
"Tell me Ryuuen, Horikita and your little scrimmage was recorded.....who might have done it?
If I had to guess.....the person who suggested it aka me."
F*ck my life, she did give me a hint to forge this plan of using Horikita. All this while I thought I had come up with it on my own but during one of our meetings she did say
'The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself
Her quotes actually were the starting point of this, she predicted I would do this using me as an indirect decoy to make Horikita her saviour while keeping a sword dangling over my head by taking a recording of it hidden in the shadows while I encountered Suzune, if she sends it on the forums or the school, we go down.
How deep does this rabbit hole go?
By the looks of it, she wouldn't give a flying f*ck about the class if she can have her books.
"It seems, you have grasped the silhouette of my play, congratulations Ryuuen-kun, no wonder you are the class dictator."
She was mocking and praising me at the same time, as expected of a book nerd to have her way with words.
"Ya sure whatever, now what? What next? Why ask me to make Ibuki beat the shit out of Rika?"
"Now now Ryueen-kun, I never specified it....all I said was if you can't dye someone's hands in blood, dye them in red, from a book"
B*tch that's what you meant! Make Karuizawa's small push cause a spark and I make the fire using Ibuki to draw that weak Rika flopped over in the cafeteria to a secluded area and beat her up blaming the whole thing on Karuizawa. After that just as I planned Rika was contacted by her overprotective one-sided lover, Manabe and boom everything falls into chaos leaving my path to the goal clear.
"Why do you always talk so obscurely? It gets on my f*cking nerves, we both know you are messed up, so why act all holy."
"Hah, you talk a lot of nonsensical things Ryuuen-kun, your mind is making things up. I am far from a twisted person. I never said you do anything, I for the most part said out quotes from my books aloud. You are nothing but words with no actions to prove this illusory demonic image of mine."
"Do you get high on the fact that your so-called pure actions hide the motives you have?"
"Ryuuen-kun, you are being quite loquacious."
F*ck her big words
She caught on as she spoke
"Oh! I apologise for my words being outside of the fists lexicon."
"You should be glad my fists are inside my pockets and not in your face."
"You wouldn't hurt someone who has your life in this school at her fingertips. How Imperious of you after falling for my tricks twice in a row."
She was getting on my nerves but she was f*cking right. She ain't like the normies, she is a helluva lot harder to get a hold of and control.
"B*tch go rot in hell I am leaving."
I got up and left leaving both satisfied and paranoid with the answers I just got from this bookish demon.
x------------------------------------x
Hiyori's POV:
Kakeru Ryueen was quite a horrible individual indeed as he walked around with an iron fist which I had escaped with nothing but deceit. After all, mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy.
He may be smarter than many in this school but thankfully not smart enough to make a dent in my beautifully articulated plan with the person in question himself, in nothing but silence. I wonder if he will make himself known. I wish to wait here for that one moment, from the first time I met him...Kiyotaka Ayanokouji.
The moment we first met and the way he jumped on the shelf immediately showed similar movements compared to my late mother. I had to know more, but the announcements brought a new wave of threat and anticipation by others. I had to come up with a strategy and sound as vague as possible whenever I met Ryuuen.
The reason was as simple as my mother had said
'Wall have ears Shiina. Be cautious of what you say and think before you say.'
This was especially true here where my reputation as a sweet and quiet person has to be maintained as I can't be as careless as Ryueen and show all my cards to the enemy.
Ironically I do hope to show Ayanokouji all my books, I am so curious about how he won the island exam I just can't stop thinking about it! That's how this school is so interesting on how a tyrant like Ryuuen was defeated by a so notoriously called Orbiter by Ryuuen.
He was a walking definition of Sun-Tzu's quote in the exam
'He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.'
Did he really expect me to not find out? What am I? Class D?
I wonder what his reaction will be!
Even this time, my plan should have completely destroyed all the groups, leaving only our allies of Class A standing with us. Yet, his group was the one abnormality stopping us from reaching Class A.
"Is this seat taken?"
A boy who I knew very well came right to my venue with a book by Christopher J. Hadnagy, Social Engineering: The Art of Human Hacking
"Not at all Ayanokouji-kun! Please sit down."
"Thank you Hiyori. I would rather sit with someone I know."
A sudden compliment? A hidden motive by any chance?
"Thank you Ayanokouji-kun for considering me your acquaintance."
"Welll I wouldn't call you an acquaintance."
Quite a cruel rejection of my proposal.
Nonetheless,
"I see....it's okay."
I dropped my head back into my book to stop my face from being red from embarrassment.
"I think we are friends...aren't we? Or am I overstepping my boundaries?"
Friends? That's a first in my autobiography. Did he mean it? Doesn't matter...at least this is better than being a hermit.
Thinking so I failed my arms around wildly
"No not at all! You are my friend as well, I also had similar worries about calling you a friend. Now that we are on the same wavelength I think I should show you my books."
Was I too direct? Isn't that what friends do? Share their hobbies and stories. I really can't tell with the stoic expression he has.....was he faking his smile back then when we first met? It could be true because upon recalling it wasn't a smile even just curled up puckered lips.Maybe this quietness is him.
"I see, that would be lovely."
That broke into my thoughts as water to a deserted man as I ruffled through my bag recommending all the books I had, this is quite new and exciting.
After over 30 minutes of me ceaselessly running my mouth and smiling all the while I realised that he hadn't said a single word and simply had been listening to my train of thoughts on
'Romance novels need less drama and misunderstandings.'
or
'Why books on self help are clique and redundant.'
and even
'Why horror books need to implement better and unique adjectives.'
Shinnaaa!! What were you thinking?
"Eto-Ayanokouji-kun, was I being a nuisance?"
Finally removing a hand from his chin he replied
"Not at all, each and every argument and thought you had regarding books were quite controversial and yet you delivered tantalizing evidence from both history and writings on why your thoughts are quite befitting."
Ahh! He actually paid attention!
"Oh...thank you, umm....can we be book buddies?"
Please don't say no!
Please don't say no!
Please don't say no!
"Aren't we already?"
A friend...and a book lover.....fireworks spread out in my mind.
He spoke once more,"Now, I have a few recommendations...do you want to hear?"
"Yes please!"
"A bullied girl by hands of deceit
A framing by an obsession
A control of classes
I am quite certain you will LOVE these books."
.....
...
..
.
So, he figured all of it out and openly threatened me...
My hopes of a friend...
He gave a reply to my unspoken thought, "We are friends Hiyori...There wasn't a lie in the past 30 minutes."
That gave me some relief as I spoke
"Well, I was caught awfully quick, how unfortunate!What do you want Ayanokouji?"
"One answer, why did you target me? This whole thing had a third layer to it. A layer to specifically attack my peace."
His voice has dropped in tone as his eyes were focused on me with an unshakable gaze.
"I see, a reasonable query as you must have wondered why I would attack you after meeting you just once.....It's just, I found you unique."
"Isn't that too vague and mundane of a reason?"
"I could also say that I wanted to see if you are a threat like I felt so I tested you in this exam and my suspicions were right making me aware of a previously hidden enemy of the class."
"What made you suspicious?"
"Now....let's not get personal this quick Ayanokouji.......do you understand?"
I shut my book with vigour as I stared into his golden eyes
He replied with a hushed yet seething remark
"Don't think I am Ryuuen."
and continued
"Regardless, I have no interest in breaking our new friends...so, next Saturday?"
"Are you talking about-"
"Yes, we are book buddies after all. Have a good day Hiyori"
"You too book buddy."
His erasing visage from the background left a lasting impression.....
Huh, I was right, yet I feel not happiness...but paranoia.
Ayanokouji's POV:
I have to find the mole from our class, too much information has already been leaked. While me using Ryuuen as an oblivious pawn I had successfully retraced him to Hiyori as I was certain that after my group's anomalous victory he would go to his ally. A final delicate yet important layer to my plan.
Cutting to how I suspected her was from three incidents, first from the day I met her giving me a feeling she was quite refined in her way of asking multiple questions in a single word a skill which was either just luck or worked for. Not just that but her book choices as well, which could have been a coincidence on the day of the island exam announcement...but I think not......
since both books, I had seen tucked under her arm were...
Robinson Crusoe
and
The Survival Handbook by Colin Towell
Both related to the Island theme...which she might have caught onto when they announced 'important location' by the speaker on the cruise. This further confirmed her observational attitude.
The other was the island exam where she was the only one unperturbed by Ryuuen's cruelty. A classic show of power coming from either her negligence....or she is bad at acting.
And lastly, the USB itself called her the Sybarite book.
(A/N: Sybarite-her self-indulgent nature, book-obvio )
Considering we now have what one would call a complex relationship of enemy and friend with a stack of books being the bridge this will be a long game with casualties to the minimum..
At least as I hope.
The battle is won by Ryuuen no doubt but the war is left undecided.
Author's note--------------
Dear Readers,
That's the end of this exam and season.
Umm, ya Hiyori....is well smart...is putting it lightly
USB!!
and finally, the 3rd layer of the plan was explained.
What the blackmail was with Class A? Well, it won't be revealed yet...
Oh!
MY OC IS IN THE NEXT SEASON....LMAO
Whether you all like her or not...I do hope she will be a good intro to the fic
and......
well a few SS are ahead keep a lookout for them
also....
Read my Ayanokouji Travels fic, even if u didn't read Violet Evergarden fic, it will still make sense
(While I shouldn't be plugging my fic like this....umm, my writing over there took a while...soo...um..ya)
Have a great day ahead
Thank you!