So I'm an idiot and thought that Ayanokouji's class was still Class C. I had to rewrite a little of each part in Volume 6 to maintain proper class referencing.
Here's a little update on the class standings
Class A (Ichinose)
Class B (Horikita)
Class C (Sakayanagi)
Class D (Ryuuen)
Yasushi POV
After finishing up the study group session, I decided to tag along with the group heading back to the dorms.
"Your grades are no joke Sakayanagi."
While I was helping out with grading Miyake and Hasebe, Yukimura let me do a set of questions as well. Humanities wasn't really my forte but I still got a perfect score.
"How do you do that anyway." Hasebe said, sounding exhausted.
"Sakayanagi is just smart Hasebe." Miyake said.
"Well he doesn't get top marks for such reasons as not studying. You don't cheat do you?" Yukimura eyed me.
"Of course I don't, what kind of accusation is that?"
"I was just making sure, so don't mind me. You two though, I expect much more improvement in the upcoming sessions. We need to fix up your humanities so we can move on to other subjects."
"I get it, I get it. Studying is so hard, I don't think I've done that for two hours straight before. Does anyone do that?"
I used to study for six hours back in junior high when it's the weekends.
"You've got to be joking. When university entrance exams begin, you'll need to study for at least three hours after class. Four hours, if you can manage it. And I mean every day. When exams are close, you'll want to study ten hours a day on your own." Yukimura said, an irritated look on his face.
"Huuuh? No way, no way! There's no way I can study like that. Come on, you know that, Yukimuu." said Hasebe.
"My older sister is a teacher. She always studied that much before an exam as her usual routine."
"Well, maybe you just come from a really elite lineage! Yukimuu, are you thinking of becoming a teacher?"
"There's nothing particularly 'elite' about becoming a teacher. If I wanted that, why would I come to a school like this, one unlike any others in the world?"
Yukimura had a point. If you wanted to be a teacher, there wasn't any particular benefit in specifically choosing this school. Besides, he's probably aiming for something way higher than that.
"So why did you come here?"
"It doesn't really matter. Do you want to ask everyone why they decided to enroll? If you had someone trying to pry into your business, you'd understand how it feels." said Yukimura.
He was clearly trying to shoot Hasebe down, but unfortunately, his response appeared to have the opposite effect. Hasebe didn't look particularly upset. Rather, she volunteered her own life story.
"I got interested in the school because of the promotional advertising they ran, you know? I mean, advancing to higher education or getting a good job just because you graduated from here? Who wouldn't choose this place? Isn't that good enough for most people?" She said.
"A lot of people also enroll here because it's free. We don't even have to pay for our dorms, and the campus is set up so that we can survive without using any points. Right now, I appreciate that more than any guarantees after graduation." Miyake said.
"Don't you think that's kind of lame? I mean, being able to go to university or get a job anywhere is incredible." Hasebe said.
"Look, talk about your dreams after we're done with the final exam. The system you expect great things from won't do anything for you if you don't graduate from Class A, Hasebe." Yukimura said.
"There's gotta be some kind of bonus, though, right? Like, maybe the school lied about how only Class A wins. If we manage to graduate, who's to say we can't do whatever we want?"
"That's not very likely. If that were the case, we'd have heard about it, and I've heard nothing of the sort, not even during club activities. Besides, the second and third-year Class D students seem pretty miserable." said Miyake.
I've noticed the same thing from the second and third-year Class D. They all looked like there was no more hope. Compared to Ryuuen's class, they basically have no ambition.
"Well it makes sense, this school basically has its own class hierarchy." I commented.
"If we don't make it to Class A, graduating from this school could even have a negative impact on our careers. That's why I absolutely must graduate from Class A." Yukimura said.
"That'd be true, colleges and companies might be like 'this guy doesn't have the recognition despite going to ANHS just reject him.' Or something along those lines." I said.
"Ah, wow. That'd be the worst." Hasebe said.
Good colleges looked for people who'd attended prestigious schools and boasted impressive personal accomplishments. However, as far as the Advanced Nurturing High School was concerned, you were a defective product if you graduated from anything other than Class A. Universities and corporations had to know that about our school.
"Miyacchi, you've really committed to this study group, huh? And here I thought you'd quit right away." said Hasebe.
"Well, don't you think it's odd that you're still here? You usually don't want anything to do with anyone."
"Well, sure. But if it's a study group with you three, it's all right." She replied.
"Hasebe, do you mind if I ask you a question?" Ayanokouji said.
"Hmm?"
"Are you and Satou close?"
"Satou-san? No, not especially. I don't really like big groups, anyway. If you're curious about her, shouldn't you ask Karuizawa-san?"
"Well..."
Ahhh, I see where this is going.
"I understand why you're concerned. She's your partner. Not knowing her strengths and weaknesses has to be nerve-racking."
Well that wasn't what I was thinking.
"Ah, yeah. That's right, you did say you guys were paired together."
"Satou and I don't have anything in common, so I can't just talk to her." Ayanokouji replied.
Hasebe put her hands together, as if offering condolences. However, she seemed to have a new idea.
"If it's hard to ask Karuizawa-san, why not try asking Kyo-chan? She and Satou-san are close."
"Huh? Kyo-chan?" Ayanokouji seemed confused and so was I.
"I'm talking about Kikyou-chan. You hang out with her a lot, don't you, Ayanokouji-kun? Sakayanagi-kun?"
"You didn't even consider her did you?" I asked.
"...No?"
I tried suppressing a chuckle but ultimately failed. Even Hasebe let out a giggle at Ayanokouji's lack of thought to the situation.
"Yeah. Asking Karuizawa might be one thing, but Kushida should be good, right? She gets along with everyone, doesn't she, Hasebe?"
"Mm-hmm. There're a lot of girls I hate, but I like Kyo-chan. She does so much for the class without even batting an eye, and she's always cheerful. Normally, I don't like talking to other people, but Kyo-chan is special. She actually listens to you, and she'd never ever go around telling others what you said."
"Even you need some girl talk, huh?" said Miyake.
"Rude, Miyacchi. Young maidens have lots of things to talk about." Hasebe said.
"What kinds of things?"
"You don't need to know Miyake."
"Oh? So you know Sakayanagi-kun?" Hasebe asked.
"Let's just say Kikyou and Arisu talk about some of those things with me."
"Ah, you have my condolences then."
Thanks for the consent Hasebe but I'm basically a corpse whenever those two start about such things. Heck I don't even know how they're comfortable with telling me.
"If you're worried about anything Ayanokouji, it's probably best to discuss it with Kushida." Yukimura said.
"Right? I don't know whether you like Satou-san or not, but if you told Kushida-san, she definitely wouldn't let it slip."
"What? You like Satou, Ayanokouji?" Miyake asked.
No Miyake, its the other way around. Just by the way Satou acts its obvious.
"I didn't say anything like that. I just asked whether Hasebe was close to Satou, that's all." Ayanokouji said.
"Isn't that kind of suspicious, though? You haven't exactly been tight with Satou-san until now, right?"
"Ayanokouji said that he was worried about Satou because they're partners. Did you already forget that?" Miyake asked.
"Because of the way he asked, it just feels like there's more to it, y'know?"
I still can't understand how girls have such a powerful radar for secrets. I'm getting flashbacks of how Arisu always caught me hiding something.
"That reminds me. Is it okay if we swing by the convenience store real quick?" Miyake's proposal derailed the conversation.
"Ah, yeah. I need to make a stop for some treats, too. Come on, guys." Hasebe said.
"You're such a child." Yukimura said.
"You guys go on ahead, I need to head on home." I said.
"Okay then, see you later Sakayanagi."
Ayanokouji and I nodded to each other, then we went our separate ways.
_____________________________________
Ayanokouji POV
The four of us stood outside the convenience store, eating ice cream.
"Whew, having ice cream when it's slightly chilly outside is a trip." Hasebe said, bringing a spoonful of vanilla ice cream to her mouth.
Yukimura must not have eaten ice cream much, because he was reading the ingredients.
"This is just a smorgasbord of preservatives and food coloring."
"How do you enjoy anything if you're that worried about every single detail?" Hasebe said.
"I'm particular about what I eat. I've been thinking about how I was in such poor shape when we were on the island. Now, I buy my food from the organic section in the supermarket."
"You sure are serious."
"Besides, convenience store food is expensive. If you just make the short trip over to the mall, you can get the same things at a lower price. Why not buy your groceries more efficiently?" asked Yukimura, pointing to the grocery bags that Hasebe carried.
"Yukimuu, you're not one of those penny-pinching misers, are you?"
"I'm just conscientious about money. Also...what's with calling me 'Yukimuu'?"
"You're Yukimura-kun, so, Yukimuu. When I make friends with someone, I give them a nickname. Miyacchi, Yukimuu, and Ayanon. Hmm...for some reason, Ayanon doesn't really roll off the tongue." Hasebe said.
There it was. My first iffy nickname. I'm pretty sure Kushida, Karuizawa and Sakayanagi-kun would cringe at that.
"Quit calling me Yukimuu. It's embarrassing."
"You don't like it?"
"I didn't say that. I said it's embarrassing."
"Come on, it's not a big deal."
"It's just that calling me Y-Yukimuu in front of other people is a little..." Yukimura trailed off.
"You know, I think our friendship is coming along nicely." Hasebe said.
Friendship huh?
"A friendship where we can use nicknames, you mean?"
"Well, you and Ayanon are like me and Miyacchi. We're all loners, right?" Hasebe said.
"Hmm. I suppose so."
"Now that I've actually tried becoming a member of this group, I feel more comfortable than I expected. Also, Yukimuu and Ayanon, you don't have many friends, right? We're more than halfway through the second semester, so I thought I'd like to be friends with a new group. It's not like I'm trying to make up for lost time or anything. I just wanted to give you guys nicknames so that we could open up to each other. What do you two think?" Hasebe asked.
Miyake spoke up.
"Yeah. This isn't too bad. I feel like I've gotten used to being in a group. I don't get along well with Sudou and those guys, and I think Hirata's kinda in another league. He's always surrounded by girls."
"Right? So, what do you two think?" Hasebe repeated.
Both Hasebe and Miyake seemed to want the four of us to be friends. Would Yukimura turn them down?
"I just wanted to oversee your studies. When the test is done, this study group will end. But...I suppose there will be more tests. So, I don't mind forming a group for the sake of efficiency." said Yukimura.
"Okay, that was a little insulting. But...thanks." said Hasebe.
"Well, y-yeah. We want to keep the school from expelling anyone, after all." Yukimura replied.
|That just leaves Ayanon. Oh, but Ayanon, since you're already in a group with Horikita-san, will this be difficult for you? You hang out with Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun, too. Oh, with Sakayanagi-kun and Kyo-chan as well."
Actually that last part wasn't even valid. I don't hang out with either of them anymore.
"Well, I'm not better or worse than any of our classmates, but I think I'm a little different. There are lots of ways Ike, Horikita, and I aren't compatible. The only group that I act like myself in is with Salayanagi and Kushida. Horikita and I just sit next to each other in class. It's not like we're in a clique or anything."
"I see. Well then, it's decided. From now on, we'll be known as the Ayanokouji Group. Nice to meet all you group members!"
"Wait. Why'd you name the group after me?"
"Well, you brought us together, more or less. Isn't that enough?"
"I don't object. Besides, it'd be weird if we called ourselves the Yukimura Group." said Yukimura.
"One more thing. From here on out, let's ban the use of formal surnames in the Ayanokouji Group." Hasebe said.
"You can go ahead and ban whatever, but I won't say M-Miyacchi, or...A-Ayanon, or anything like that. It's embarrassing." said Yukimura.
It would definitely feel really weird for Yukimura or me to call Miyake something like "Miyacchi." I was relieved that Yukimura felt the same.
"Well, let's at least use first names. My name's Haruka. You can call me whatever you want. What's your first name again, Miyacchi?" said Hasebe.
"It's Akito."
Hasebe looked expectantly at Yukimura and me.
"Akito, huh? Easy enough. Ayanokouji, your first name's Kiyotaka, isn't it?" said Yukimura. We'd been roommates during the cruise.
"And your first name's Teruhiko, right, Yukimura?" I replied.
Yukimura's expression darkened for some reason.
"You remembered?" He asked.
"So, Yukimuu's first name is Teruhiko, huh? Wonder if I should think of another nickname." said Hasebe.
"Knock it off." snapped Yukimura. Hasebe shrank back.
"Is something wrong?" I asked.
"I'm okay with calling you all by your first names. I accept that much. But will you please stop calling me Teruhiko?" He replied.
"So, you're fine calling us by our first names, but you hate being called by your first name?!" asked Hasebe.
"It's not that I don't like any of you. It's just that I hate my name. I never really had to worry about it before, because no one called me by it." Tukimura said.
"It's not especially unconventional. Isn't it actually pretty common? Is there any particular reason why you hate it?" Miyake said.
"Yes. My mother named me Teruhiko. She's a contemptible woman who left the family when I was little, so I reject the name she gave me. Sorry, I made you uncomfortable." He noticed the reactions of Hasebe and Miyake.
"No, no, I'm sorry. I just blurted out your name without permission, after all" Hasebe said.
"You don't need to apologize. You didn't know. Most people like using their first name, after all. I'd prefer not to ruin the mood, so why don't you call me Keisei from now on? It's the name I've used since I was a child." Yukimura said.
"Keisei? So, you have two first names, Yukimuu? This is crazy complicated."
"Keisei isn't my real name. It's the name my father wanted to give me, so I made it my own after my mother left. You could call me Keisei or Yukimura" He replied.
If that was what he wanted, that was what we would do. Besides, it wasn't weird for someone to have two different names. Ordinary people made a habit of it, as did celebrities.
Now that we were on this topic, I'm starting to consider asking the two girls and Sakayanagi-kun if we could go onto the first name basis. It'd actually be more convenient, especially in Sakayanagi-kun's case.
"Well, I didn't mean to use a name you didn't like. Right, Miyacchi?"
"Yeah. Nice to meet you, Keisei."
"Sorry for being so selfish about that...Kiyotaka, Akito, and Haruka." Yukimura replied.
"No worries. Everyone's got their own issues." I said.
Just like I had a past that I didn't want exposed, Yukimura...no, Keisei...also had a past he wanted to hide.
I tried saying everyone else's names just like Keisei had done.
"Akito, Keisei, and...Haruka, right? I'll remember those." I told them. It was even more stressful to call a girl by her first name, so it'd be pretty weird to suddenly ask Kushida and Karuizawa to agree with it.
"Anyway, Kiyotaka? We won't call you 'Ayanon,' but what about 'Kiyopon'? Yeah, that one definitely rolls off the tongue better. Yukimuu, do you want to call him that, too?"
Whoa. I'd gotten an even more embarrassing nickname. Just thinking about Hasebe calling me "Kiyopon" in front of people gave me goosebumps.
"I won't call him that. It's embarrassing. I already decided to call him Kiyotaka." Yukimura said.
In the end, we decided to call one another by our given names. Before long, it felt completely natural.
I looked behind me to check on the person following us. Were you okay with just listening in, Sakura?
Every time we'd held a study session, Sakura had tailed us. Today, she watched from a slight distance. She probably couldn't hear everything we said, maybe enough to just barely get the gist of our conversation. The moment this new group formed was probably her last chance to join.
If she didn't assert herself, then...
"Well, now that we've all learned one another's names, let's start over. From here on, the four of us will be known as—"
"U-u-um, excuse me!"
CRASH! The trash can next to us rattled. Sakura clambered back to her feet and walked over, tense and nervous.
"Sakura?" The others said her name simultaneously.
"I-I also want to join Ayanokouji-kun's group!"
Sakura summoned up every last bit of courage she could to force those words out. She was incredibly nervous, her face turning a deep shade of red. She was so flustered that she didn't notice that her glasses were crooked.
"Do you want to join the group because you're anxious about the exam? I mean, when you consider your own scores and your partner, it'd be understandable if you were worried, Sakura. Personally, I think you should join Horikita's group. I'm not sure I can tutor too many people. Besides, your situation's different. You probably need to work on other subjects."
"N-no, it's not that. I just... I genuinely want to join the group!" She answered.
As the saying went, shame committed on a journey could be left behind. Or, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
"Come on. It's fine if Sakura participates. She kinda fits in with the group." Akito said.
"Is letting me join really all right?" she asked.
"I mean, adding one person's not a big deal. Besides, it isn't like you need any qualifications to take part. We're all loners, so I think it's appropriate. Am I wrong?"
"Loners, huh? Well, I guess you're right. Keisei, is it okay with you?" I asked.
"I have no objections. But I don't want our group to grow any larger than this. Sakura is easy to accept, but if someone annoying joins, I'm done," said Keisei.
"Th-thank you, Miyake-kun... Yukimura-kun..."
The only person left was Haruka. She was usually welcoming, but this time, she didn't have a smile on her face.
"Sorry, Sakura-san, but you haven't convinced me yet." said Haruka.
"Ah...so I-I, uh, I can't...?"
"Well, look. I'm really looking forward to being part of this group. Or, rather, I get the feeling I'm going to enjoy it. So..." Haruka pointed at Sakura. "If you want to join, you have to follow our one big rule. We call each other by our first names, or by nicknames. So, Sakura-san, uh...Wait, what's her first name again?" Haruka looked at me.
"Airi." I replied without missing a beat.
"We'll all call you Airi, and you'll use all of our first names. Are you okay with that?"
Sakura wasn't good at dealing with interpersonal relationships. We all knew that, which was why Haruka was testing to see whether she could manage this.
"U-um..."
I tried to help the bewildered Sakura.
"Keisei, Akito, and Haruka."
"K-Keisei-kun, Akito-kun, Haruka...san... Whew..." Sakura said, barely whispering the words.
"There's no need to use honorifics, right?" Akito said.
"Yeah. As long as you use our first names, that's good enough. Now, all that's left is using Kiyopon's nickname."
Sakura's face reddened. A mysterious sound escaped her lips.
"Ah-hyuu!"
"You've seemed pretty close to Kiyopon for a while now, so calling him that shouldn't be a stretch, right?" said Haruka. She was merciless.
"Kiyotaka is fine." I said. Kiyopon was a bridge too far. It was embarrassing even in my head.
"Ki-Kiyo-Kiyo...pyo!"
Everyone focused on Sakura. She hated attention, which made her stammer, which made them pay more attention. It was turning into a vicious cycle.
"I don't know what kind of effect this group will have on you, but I think it's good that you're joining, Sakura. You've taken a big step forward. Just one more step can't hurt," I told her gently.
"Yeah...K-Kiyotaka-kun. I look forward to studying with you all." Sakura looked me square in the eye.
"Okay, you passed. I'm in favor of Airi joining us." said Haruka. With that, Sakura became part of the group.
"Come on, Kiyopon, try calling Airi by her first name."
"Uh...hi, Airi."
"H-hello!"
Even though we were stiff and nervous, we both managed.
"From now on, we five are the Ayanokouji Group. Looking forward to it!" Haruka said.
Apparently, the group would be named after me whether I liked it or not.
3rd Person POV
While the Ayanokouji Group were talking outside the store, from afar, two people were watching them mingle.
"You really stalk him like this sometimes?"
"But of ofcourse I do. Emphasis on 'sometimes'. Reason being is like that one right over there."
One of them pointed towards another corner, where one other person was watching them.
"And yet you do nothing about these things. But why invite me today?"
"Who knows? Perhaps I'm just lonely."
"Knock it off. Also, you do know you're acting like his parent right now?"
"I need to see if Ayanokouji-kun can trust such individuals. Though I'm sure he can handle himself if betrayed, I'm more concerned for the people trying to make friends with him."
"...You're afraid he might expel them out of spite?"
"Yes, I'm protecting him from the students and the students from him."
"But like I said, you do nothing about it."
"Only you have been saying that. I have been dealing with it, such as the case with that girl that's trying to hit on him."
"What did you do?"
"Nothing that concerns you...for now."
"Sigh...You can be very troublesome sometimes."
"Then you already know how to deal with me when we become opponents. All the more fun for the competition."
"You know I can't beat you."
"That may be true on the board, but what about in other means?"
"...We'll see."
Whilst the two have their conversation, the Ayanokouji Group was now leaving the area, heading back to the dormitory. The other stalker started following them, not aware that the two were present.
"It seems they've left. Shall we go on our way as well?"
"I'm pretty beat for the day so yeah, let's head home."
__________________________________
Yasushi POV
I had to decline Ayanokouji's invitation to the movies due to an urgent matter with Arisu. Now though, I had no choice but to attend this class meeting inside one of the rentable karaoke rooms.
We could hold meetings here since the place is sound proof. Because it was past 8pm and no one wanted to do a meeting in their rooms, we resorted to this.
"Hey, is it okay if I sing?"
"Wait, Karuizawa-san. We didn't meet here to have fun." Hirata said.
"Even though we came all this way, and there's karaoke right here?"
"We came because you said that you didn't want to use the dorms to study."
"Yeah, fine. But, come on, isn't it kinda stupid to go all the way out to a place that has karaoke and not sing?"
"Just enjoy the food and drinks and deal with it." said Horikita.
Karuizawa had already put in an order. There was a bunch of junk food on the table, plus the drink she'd gotten for herself.
"Then let's sing a duet together after the meeting's over, Yousuke-kun."
"Sure. It'll be nice to relax afterward." Hirata said.
"I agree. I do want to make sure we discuss this test, but it's been quite a while since I could do karaoke."
"Okay, I'm going to start. First, our study sessions. To be perfectly honest, I think the results have been fantastic. The boys were imbeciles at first, so I was worried, but fortunately, they studied hard."
"It's like an English dictionary is just flying out of my mouth all the time, dude! Thanks for the help Sakayanagi!"said Sudou.
During Hirata's study sessions, I had been solely focused on helping Sudou improve. His English was a lot better now with someone like me as his tutor.
"Sudou-kun has improved significantly compared to where he started. His concentration, in particular, got better by leaps and bounds. However, Sudou, don't forget that your basic abilities are still inferior to a first-year junior high school student's." Horikita said.
"I studied this hard, and I'm still only at a first-year junior high level?" replied Sudou despairingly.
"Considering that you began at an elementary school level, that's amazing. Don't you agree Sakayanagi-kun?" Horikita said.
"H-Horikita-san, don't you think that's going a little too far?"
"About that Hirata-kun, Sudou-kun didn't even know what the mathematical constant pi was." I said.
In fact I almost burst out of laughter when he said "The hell is pi?" during one of our sessions when we focused on math. It was pretty hilarious.
"Huh? That's so stupid!" said Karuizawa.
Even though Karuizawa wasn't very studious herself, she was certainly better than that.
"Shut up, Karuizawa. You probably don't even know it either." Sudou said.
"No, no, no, I do. Even I know pi is 3.14." said Karuizawa. Our conversation was rapidly devolving. Everyone involved would end up with a headache.
"Please stop you two. Horikita, is Sudou going to be okay?" Yukimura said.
"Like I said, his fundamental scholastic abilities are low. But if we just focus on the things a first-year, second-semester high school student needs to know, then I think so. He definitely shouldn't expect to fail this exam. What about you, Yukimura-kun? Did you manage to resolve Hasebe-san and Miyake-kun's issues?" Horikita asked.
"Of course. Ayanokouji watched everything closely, so he can back me up on that. Right?" Keisei asked Ayanokouji.
"I don't think there was a better method we could've gone with. I'm not worried about anyone." He replied.
"All of the other average and low scorers have been covered as well, Hirata-kun, Kikyou and I made sure of that." I said.
"I'm glad. I'd absolutely hate to lose anybody from Class C." Kikyou said.
"Yeah. But are we really going to do okay? Look, I hate the idea of having fewer classmates. But this test always gets someone kicked out, right? So, like, there's no guarantee Sudou-kun and I won't fail, right?"
"Well, I can't guarantee that, but..."
"Then don't act like it's a done deal."
The somewhat relaxed atmosphere became tense.
"You know, Kushida-san, I kinda feel as if you've been paying us lip service for a while now." said Karuizawa.
That was certainly true. Kikyou had been pretty reserved up until now, but that's just because Ayanokouji asked her to operate on her own in her battle against Horikita.
"R-really? But I just want everyone to pass." Kikyou said.
"Man, it sure must be nice. Being smart, I mean. You don't have any idea what's gonna happen to me." snapped Karuizawa.
"It's okay, Karuizawa-san. You studied hard in your group." Hirata said.
Heck, even Ayanokouji and I were giving her private lessons, she'll do fine.
"Kushida-san, I've wanted to say this to you for a while now. Don't you think you're taking this goody two-shoes act a bit too far?"
"Uh...r-really?" Kikyou started stammering.
"That is enough Karuizawa-san." I said, standing up.
Most of my classmates, due to the scene I caused in the tent back during the Sports Festival know that I might snap here.
"Can you please calm down, Karuizawa-san? We're in the middle of discussing our final exam. Don't waste our time."
"Be quiet, Horikita-san. Hey, Kushida-san. Are you making fun of me in your head right now? Thinking about how stupid I am?" asked Karuizawa.
"I wouldn't do something like that..." Kikyou said.
"Then don't patronize me. Tests are always hard for me, no matter how many I take. Are you going to be responsible if I fail?" Karuizawa asked.
"Karuizawa-san, do I need to repeat myself?" I said in a menacing tone.
The class felt how dangerously close I was to snpping, so Hirata tried to calm the situation down.
"Please, let's just all relax now. Sakayanagi-kun sit back down and cool off."
Actually this is all a facade, I'm perfectly fine. I'm more impressed of Karuizawa's and Kikyou's acting skills than my own.
"B-But, are you saying I'm in the wrong?" Karuizawa asked.
"Yes Karuizawa-san, Kushida-san hasn't done anything to you." Horikita said.
"Your entire reason for complaining to Kikyou is illogical." I followed.
"It's fine, please don't worry about it. I don't mind. Please don't blame Karuizawa-san, okay?"
"No Karuizawa is at fault here." Yukimura said.
"I can't let it slide this time because of the lack of logic in her rant." I said.
"Oh sure, I'm the bad guy. Kushida-san is the class's favorite after all."
Karuizawa then turned to Ayanokouji, as if for a last hope.
"Hey Ayanokouji-kun, whose side are you on?" She asked.
"Whose side am I on? There are no sides. You're in the wrong, Karuizawa." Ayanokouji replied.
"I knew it. Everyone is my enemy." said Karuizawa. She got up and grabbed her bag.
"Karuizawa-san. If you leave now, you'll regret it later. I don't want that." Hirata said.
"So, what do you want me to do, then?" Karuizawa said.
"First, apologize to Kushida-san. That's the most important thing." Hirata said.
Karuizawa wouldn't even listen to her supposed boyfriend. She stood her ground.
"So, even though I don't think I did anything wrong, I have to apologize?" She asked.
"You have to talk to her." Hirata said.
Karuizawa stood completely still and silent for a moment. Then, slowly, she spoke.
"Sorry."
"No, it's completely all right. I should've been more understanding of how you felt, Karuizawa-san." Kikyou said.
She could have been angry, under the circumstances, but forgiveness came easily from her lips.
Karuizawa looked guilty as she sat back down next to Hirata.
"I guess I lost my cool. Sorry." She said again. Kikyou responded with a gracious smile.
"Thank you." Hirata patted his chest and let out a sigh of relief. However, this didn't necessarily mean that everything was settled.
I sat back down, seeing that our little act was over.
________________________________
While no one was looking, Ayanokouji, Karuizawa, Kikyou and I went back to the dorms together. On our way back, we came across Katsuragi who was near the water fountain. He seemed to be alone, not waiting for anyone, so Ayanokouji decided to approach him.
"What are you doing?" Ayanokouji asked.
"Ayanokouji? Oh, nothing. Just thinking a little about the final exam next week. Also, I must say, what a bizarre group you are in." He replied.
He wasn't exactly wrong to say that. The three of us were all important figures in Class C, while Ayanokouji just seemed to be Horikita's little helper.
"Forget about our group. You're thinking about that in a place like this?" I asked.
"I wanted some time alone to think in peace and quiet. Do you all feel like the exam will go well?"
"Dunno. But everyone's studying really hard." Ayanokouji replied.
"We've been working our butts off." Karuizawa said.
"Everyone's been working really hard!" Kikyou said.
"It'd be nice if no one was expelled." I said.
"Is that so? I feel the same way Sakayanagi-kun." Katsuragi said.
Katsuragi doesn't seem concerned for his classmates though.
"Did something happen?" Ayanokouji asked, sensing my feelings.
"When any of you were in junior high, were you ever class representative or on the student council?"
"No, wasn't interested at all." Ayanokouji said, the three of us just nodded in agreement.
"I've been a student council member since elementary school. I even served as student council president in both elementary and junior high. But, after coming to this school, I had to make some significant course corrections." Katsuragi said.
"Why share this info on you with this many people?" I asked.
"I'm comfortable with it for now. Besides, my experience as a member doesn't sound like information that can be exploited."
He was right, but Arisu can use his attempt to join the council a few months back as leverage.
"Come to think of it, you didn't join the student council here." Ayanokouji said.
"I wanted to, but I couldn't get Student Council President Horikita's attention."
Then he'd be envious if he knew both me and Ayanokouji received an invitation to join, but declined it. All that aside, so far this had nothing to do with the exam.
"At first glance, the student council president and class representatives don't appear to have much authority. Most students think that participating is nothing more than a waste of time and effort. That's why only a few people want to join the council."
I had the same feelings. I didn't like overwhelming responsibility put on my back.
"However, those roles come with certain privileges. There's a divide between people who hold the positions and people who don't—one that can't be crossed. I've lost those privileges." Katsuragi said.
"Because you're losing to Arisu?" I asked, he just nodded.
"But isn't your position in the class still high Katsuragi-kun?" Kikyou asked.
"If that were the case, we absolutely wouldn't have chosen Class A as our option."
Yeah that was the reality of it. I knew ever since the pickings were announced that Arisu picked Class C's target.
"Katsuragi-kun I've been meaning to ask. Why talk about your class's internal politics with your opponents?" Karuizawa asked.
"Well Ayanokouji and Sakayangi-kun understand what its like, and you two were coincidentally with them."
"You know, you should cut yourself some slack. You're trying to singlehandedly carry Class B, but I bet if you relaxed a little, they'd still be fine. The important thing right now is to maintain your position." Ayanokouji said.
"I suppose. Hmm...to be told to maintain my position by an opponent who should be doing their best to hold their ground." Katsuragi responded, clearly amused.
"The gap between us and your class isn't very wide. However, the gap between our class and Class A is quite the big one." I said.
"That's very true, somehow Ichinose's class as pulled through everything."
Actually, that was my doing. The only reason they were Class A with a big lead is because of what I did back on the island.
The five of us all decided to head into the dormitory building, only to find quite the ruckus inside.
"It's pretty noisy in here. Did something happen?" Katsuragi asked.
"Dunno. Should we try asking around?" Ayanokouji caught sight of the Professor and called to him.
"What happened?"
"Oh, Ayanokouji, is that you? It seems that all us first years somehow received the same missive in our mailboxes."
"The same letter?"
We went our separate ways to check our mailboxes. I opened mine to find one single letter.
Ayanokouji and I walked back towards Sotomura.
"Is this...?"
"Yes, it would seem so!"
A few moments later, Katsuragi and the girls returned with letters in hand as well. The letters all said:
First-year Class A student Ichinose Honami may be collecting points illegally. —Ryuuen Kakeru
Well this is interesting.
Sotomura showed us that his letter had the same thing written down.
"What is that guy planning by signing his name to this? If this claim is baseless, the school will take disciplinary action against him." Katsuragi mumbled.
"This has to be false, right?" Kikyou asked.
"Ryuuen-kun has really done it now." Karuizawa said.
"If he's risking that, does that mean his claim is true?" Ayanokouji said.
"Well, I suppose that this is something I could see Ryuuen doing. If people start to suspect Ichinose of fraud, it'll make her life difficult, regardless of whether it's true. What Ryuuen is doing could be considered defamation, but he wouldn't care about something like that." Katsuragi explained.
It was true. Ryuuen had no reputation to lose.
"Hey, Ryuuen's back!" said one student as Ryuuen entered the building. I wondered whether he knew what had caused all the commotion.
"Hey, Ryuuen. What're you trying to pull?!" One of the Class A guys grabbed him.
"Hmm? What in the world are you talking about?"
"This! Your letter! This nonsense you handed everyone!"
"Oh, that. Pretty interesting stuff, huh? Don't you agree? Tall cripple? Baldy?" said Ryuuen.
"Please stop using me as a mediator to whatever you're doing." I said, Katsuragi nodded.
"What's so interesting about it?! Look, this is going too far!"
"Fine then, let's see some proof that Ichinose isn't collecting points illegally." Ryuuen replied.
"That's—"
"How about it, Ichinose?" Ryuuen asked, still holding the letter. He looked at Ichinose, who'd just arrived.
"No matter what I say to you right now, you probably won't believe me, will you, Ryuuen-kun?"
"That's right. Besides, it's up to the school to decide whether you're doing something wrong."
"I suppose so. Sorry, everyone. But please don't worry. I'll report to the teachers tomorrow and prove that this is just a misunderstanding on Ryuuen-kun's part." Ichinose said proudly.
"How exactly do you plan on proving that, Ichinose?" Ryuuen asked.
"I'll explain everything in detail. I'll tell them how many points I have, and how I acquired them. If I do that, will you be satisfied?"
"Report it to the school? Why don't you prove it right now, in front of all of us?"
"Will you believe me if I just explain it to you, Ryuuen-kun?" Ichinose countered.
"No, I won't. Spewing lies is probably as easy for you as breathing." Ryuuen taunted.
"Then it stands to reason that, if I report my total points to the school, there shouldn't be any room for fraud, right?"
"Heh. I see. I suppose you have a point." said Ryuuen.
"Are you convinced?!" shouted a Class B student.
"Humans are nasty, lying creatures. Isn't it possible that Ichinose is coming up with some kind of scheme to hide the evidence right now?" said Ryuuen.
"What is that guy plotting? Even if Ichinose has lots of points, she's far from the kind of person who'd steal them. Ryuuen has absolutely no chance of succeeding," said Katsuragi. His expression grew even sterner.
"In that case, what can I do to make you believe me?" Ichinose asked Ryuuen.
"First off, say how many points you have right here and now. Second, explain how you acquired those points. I'll report that information to the school tomorrow. If you do that, you'll convince the students who distrust you, right?" said Ryuuen.
"I can't accept, Ryuuen-kun."
"So, you admit that you committed fraud?"
"That's not what I'm saying. It's precisely because I didn't obtain my points illegally that I can't just show you all my cards. If I explain everything to the school tomorrow, they should investigate. On top of that, if I did commit fraud, they'd make everything public anyway, right?"
"There's no guarantee that you'll report your total points to the school like you say you will."
"Then go yourself, Ryuuen-kun. Tell them just what you wrote down in this letter." Ichinose said.
"Really? Heh. Seems like you're pretty confident." Ryuuen snickered.
It was true. A guilty person might have been nervous, yet Ichinose remained as calm as ever.
"Well, I'll be looking forward to tomorrow."
Ichinose watched Ryuuen board the elevator with a bold smile on his face.
"Once the seed of doubt is planted, that doubt will grow until it's eradicated. Even an exemplary student like Ichinose isn't exempt. The deeper the doubt, the greater the loss of trust."
"I've actually figured it out on why Ryuuen actually did that." I said.
"You did?"
"Its as you said Katsuragi, the seed of doubt. He's trying to turn the first-years against Ichinose. What I don't understand is why he actually signed his name onto the letter."
"Its just Ryuuen being Ryuuen." Katsuragi said.
The next day, Ichinose did what she said she would do. she reported her point count and the way she acquired them.
Now comes the fun part of the exam. Horikita versus Kikyou and Ryuuen.