A/N: Something that happens in this chapter that was inspired by an event in another fic called True Elites. Anyone who has read it before will notice it right away and I'm not one to not give credit where it's due. I'm honestly also really glad that everyone seems to be enjoying the story and the characters that I've been building. Before I used to reply to every comment that I could as they came up but right now there are so many notifications that it's difficult to keep up. Please know I do read all of them and your feedback is really appreciated, even if it's negative.
As always, thanks to my beta reader Inferno3054
"Hello stranger,"
Pausing for a moment as I was just about to put the chopsticks to my lips, I could already feel that this was going to be yet another troublesome moment with another troublesome woman.
"Asahina-senpai, please feel free to join us,"
Asahina sat down with a huff crossing her arms and glaring at me with her legs crossed. I continued to eat without acknowledging her.
"That's all you have to say to me?"
"What else would you like me to say, senpai? Since coming to this school, I've got used to having women angry with me, I'm a little desensitized to it now," I offered calmly.
"You ask me for a favor, I delivered. You don't even thank me afterward, you joined the student council as Vice President and didn't even tell me about it. Chose Honami as Secretary and didn't even ask if I wanted the position or tell me you chose her. Do I need to continue? Or are you getting the pattern here, I'm surprised you even remembered my name."
In my defense, I really had a lot on my plate. I'm not even talking about being lazy, or that my meal had only just started. I really meant that there was a lot going on at the moment.
Arisu really was dead set on not speaking to me. Everytime we crossed paths, she didn't even look at me. Sure, I could have just picked her up and threw her over my shoulder, what was she going to do, run away? But I knew that in that frail legged body, there was a secret.
Demonic hand and arm strength. She was far too proud to use a wheelchair, even crutches would have been a better option. Instead she forced herself to use a cane, almost exclusively with her right hand. All of that pent up strength meant a right hook that came straight from hell. I wasn't about to experience that on a normal day, let alone with a thoroughly pissed off little sister. That wasn't even her worst weapon, if those slender fingers got a hold of your ear you may as well kiss it goodbye.
There was also Horikita, who seemed to be even more hellbent on trying to find out why Manabu and I had become acquainted. There was never a moment in class where those red eyes were not boring a hole straight into the back of my skull. One day, annoyed with the constant stare, I turned around and blew her a kiss. She glared at me while stroking that compass like it was a loving partner. It was creepy beyond belief.
I listened to the same material that I'd already learnt as a child, day in and day out. It was a real test of mental strength and concentration. In support of Eiichiro, I paid attention to the best of my ability in class but it was really difficult. It was a blessing that I had an eidetic memory as I reread previous volumes of JoJo's Bizarre Adventures in my mind most of the time.
Finally there was Eiichiro. That bastard Manabu, he was right about him having less time for me. We're behind four episodes on Jujutsu Kaisen, FOUR. I needed better friends who had their priorities in order.
"Senpai," I said apologetically. I put my chopsticks down and took her hand leaning forward. "I'm really sorry. I really am a horrible Kohai, what can I do to make you forgive me?"
Asahina's eyes narrowed and she snatched her hand out of mine glaring at me.
"Flattery will get you nowhere in this situation, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, I know what you're capable of. Smooth talk will not be getting you out of this."
"Well, it was worth a try," I shrugged as though flipping a switch. I picked my chopsticks back up again and started to eat when the other member of our table suddenly chimed in.
"How do you do that?" Ichinose asked in awe with a light blush on her cheeks. "Y-you just did that, without even batting an eye. You're not even embarrassed. You're not even upset over getting rejected."
"Be careful with this one, Honami." Asahina pointed at me with her eyes narrowed. "He's a devious one. One minute you're having a conversation, the next you'll end up doing something for him while he's napping on a bench somewhere."
"I'll keep that in mind," Ichinose said with a nervous laugh, scratching her cheek.
"By the way, that was rude of me. I don't have a problem that you got the Secretary position and I'm really happy you got it. My new favorite kohai and my ungrateful one working together, I couldn't be more excited. I was just using it to get at him,"
"I know, I know, it's fine," Ichinose assured her, waving her hands in surrender.
I wasn't too sure about how it all worked but apparently the secretaries of the student council tended to spend time frequently with their assignments. Since the day she was introduced to me, we have had lunch together every day. In the times I spotted Manabu out on campus, I rarely ever saw him without a familiar short purple haired girl following in behind him.
I really didn't mind, there were worse people to have following me about. Ichinose's presence was pleasant, like a mood battery constantly recharging people around her. It was bothersome that people always seemed to interrupt us, wanting to have a conversation with her. She was far too kind and endearing too, never rejecting any interactions and always with that huge smile and crinkled blue eyes.
The only thing that was bothersome was the constant glares and blushes that the pair of us would get when walking to the cafeteria and while we were seated. People really needed to mind their business.
"Anyway, I came to give the two of you a gift. Not that you deserve it," Asahina paused, glaring at me for a moment. "You guys should be grateful, normally you'd have to figure it out and it'd probably cost you a fair amount of points. But I can't help but want to look out for my new favorite kohai and it'd be rude of me to not give it to you too, even if I'd hate to encourage your lack of work ethic."
She took out her phone, tapping on the screen a few times before sending both of us an email. Glancing over the attachments, they were copies of her pop quiz and midterms that she took the previous year.
"Wait, senpai... This... It's exactly the same as the pop quiz we took. Identical..." Ichinose stammered.
"Shh," Asahina said with a wink and a finger to her lips.
"Thank you senpai, this is actually really helpful," I said gratefully. I had my suspicions and was going to get this later after the rest had an opportunity to study a bit more. I didn't know how many points it was going to cost me.
"Really? How grateful are you?" Asahina said with wide eyes grinning at me and leaning forward excitedly.
"Extremely, I'll buy you dinner? Or do you want me to take you to Pallet instead?" I asked seriously. The test was more likely far more expensive than any meal or coffee that I was offering and Asahina and I were close. I wouldn't have been able to do anything like what I'd accomplished without her without having to expend far more effort.
"Aren't you broke?" She said with a snort. "Class D has no class points so you didn't get any allowance this month."
"Ichinose will pay," I said with confidence. Ichinose suddenly looked up, surprised at the sheer gall of me.
"Ah, sure I don't mind." Ichinose said slowly when the shock wore off. "Like you said, we would have had to pay for this and I wouldn't have even had the idea to ask for it. The gang have just been studying like crazy."
"You really need to stop that or people are going to take advantage of you," I chastised her lightheartedly. In the short amount of time that I'd known her, I noticed that it was blatantly obvious that she was a complete push over. People she obviously didn't like would come and ask things of her and she would agree with a forced smile. I needed to break her out of this habit or it was going to eat into the time she had to do my work for me.
"Oh.. oh my," Asahina stammered with red cheeks.
"What?"
"You sounded like a boyfriend just now..."
Ichinose was silent, staring at her bowl with the same red face. I didn't see the connection and simply ignored it.
"I don't even know why you're studying, even if it was a nice gesture you don't even need Asahina-senpai's exam as a reference. This test is the easiest for Class B, you have a tactical advantage to ace that none of the classes have, not even Class A." I said with a shrug.
"Is that right?" Asahina started, clearly insulted. "And what is this genius full proof strategy that you've masterfully come up with?"
"Ichinose told me that Class B are unified, they all trust each other 100% as she's told me. Have all of them score zero on the test, the passing grade is if you fall below the average of the class. You can't score lower than zero..."
There was a loud clatter as Ichinose suddenly dropped her chopsticks in shock. She tried to catch them before they hit the floor and knocked over her drink which she rushed to pick back up before it made too much of a mess. Asahina sat there stunned with her mouth open.
"... would that even work?" Ichinose asked in a daze when she finally found her voice again.
"It's the ultimate trust test. If even one person puts a single answer on their test, you'll have thirty nine people expelled instantly. It's why none of the classes would ever think to do it, but if you really believe in the rest of your class you guys will probably be the only group to ever even pass that way in the history of the school. No one would have the courage to even attempt it." Asahina said in awe, not even looking at either of us as she said it as though she were talking to herself. Suddenly, she snapped out of her stupor before grabbing at Ichinose's hands.
"You have to quit being Secretary, ask President Horikita to give you a normal position. Now. As quickly as possible," Asahina said seriously.
"What? Why?" Ichinose asked, baffled. Asahina pointed at me with a shaky finger.
"This one is dangerous, I warned you. If you spend too much time with him, you'll be as lazy as him, maybe even worse. Leave. Now. Save yourself while you still can,"
"That hurts you know, I can still hear you." I deadpanned.
She didn't apologize or anything. She just got up with shaky legs and left the table, brain completely fried as she took wobbly steps back to the table with her friends.
"Could that really work?" Ichinose repeated. She stared straight at the table, deep in thought trying to analyze for flaws.
"Ask your homeroom teacher, there's time so if she says it wouldn't work you can just keep going with your original strategy."
Ichinose suddenly stood up with all the energy in the world. With a determined look on her face, she quickly collected her things before flashing me the widest of smiles.
"Thank you Ayanokouji-kun. You really are a genius," She said with admiration.
"Don't spread that garbage around, you hear me? That was my advice quota for the next three years. Don't expect it ever again," I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. She left quickly, practically vibrating with excitement.
Finishing off my food, I threw everything away before making my way back to the class. Upon entering, I saw Eiichiro sitting with Sudo. Sudo seemed to be concentrating but frustrated and after a couple of moments they closed up their books. They had a small chat before they both separated and got rid of the rubbish from their meals that they ate while studying.
I sat at my desk, pulling out my phone to check over the exam Asahina sent me earlier. When Eiichiro came over and sat next to me, I sent him the document and waited for him to look.
"What's this?" He asked.
"Asahina-senpai just gave it to me. It's her pop quiz and midterms from last year. You'll find it interesting, it'll help."
His face dropped and he suddenly looked upset as he opened the attachment. I looked at him confused. Why was he suddenly sullen when I gave him the exam?
"I bought a previous test paper from a third year this morning. It cost me an arm, a leg and a testicle." He cried in frustration.
"Well at least you still have one of each left," I joked.
"I used previous exam questions in middle school to study, it was surprising that the pop quiz was identical. Everyone should still study, we don't know if it'll be the same this year, it could be a rotating cycle to stop people from cheating."
"It probably won't be necessary, the second year exams are identical too."
"Then I guess it wasn't a burn of fifty thousand points for nothing," He muttered.
Fifty thousand... for one test. He got swindled, how could he be so stupid? He should have offered ten, twenty at most. I spoiled this idiot. I have to make sure not to just hand him private points otherwise he'd just continue to overpay for everything.
"Got any points left? I can send you another hundred thousand if you need." And I wonder why he's spoiled.
"How many points do you even have?" Eiichiro suddenly turned to me completely baffled. I pulled up the app and showed him the balance of 4,397,925. He stared at the screen for a few moments, not even surprised.
"I don't even want to know how," He muttered. After a bit he shook his head. "I'm fine. I didn't spend all my points last month and I just used the fifty you gave the class. Besides, with this at least it's an investment into the group. I'll make copies and hand it out to everyone."
"Don't give it to everyone, give it to the lowest ten only. Also you should ask the top scorers if they're willing to drop their scores by ten points or something. The passing grade is based on the average like Chabashira-sensei said. If you raise the average there's more of a chance people will fail."
He nodded at the plan as Sudo came back to speak to Eiichiro with Yamauchi and Ike in tow. They discussed their next time for a tutoring session before Eiichiro suddenly turned at me with a conspiratory smirk on his face.
"So Kiyotaka, how was lunch today with the famous Ichinose Honami? That's three days in a row now..." He teased.
"Are we going to do this every time I have lunch with Ichinose?" I said tiredly.
"Bastard, you don't know what I'd give to have lunch with her." Yamauchi cut in with jealousy. "I'd give an arm. A leg even. Screw it, I'd give an inch off my dick!"
"You'd only have one left," Ike said with a laugh. Yamauchi grabbed him in a headlock yelling at him angrily that it wasn't that small. Eiichiro looked at me with a mad gleam in his eyes but thankfully said nothing. He was my best friend after all. He's seen it.
"Come on guys, we all know that in this group I'm winning that tournament by a long mile," Sudo said with confidence.
"Still, why does this guy get all the girls? He's boring, he does nothing. Besides, I'm far more athletic and better looking than he is anyway," Yamauchi explained with a pompous tone.
Eiichiro snorted, looking at me as if to ask if he was serious. I gave him a bored shrug and just let him continue to sound off.
"You have no idea what you're talking about, he knows exactly what he's doing," Eiichiro bragged, putting his arm over my shoulder. "You should see him with Asahina-senpai, it's crazy. Not only that, I could never say what you said to Ichinose-san behind her back, let alone to her face. Only the number one ranked Ikemen of the first years could get away with that and not get slapped."
"What did he say?" Sudo asked, laughing.
"He told her that he only accepted her as his secretary because she was hot," Eiichiro laughed. "Something about the only reason he chose her was because she had big boobs and great legs."
"How are you still alive?" Ike asked in awe.
"Please, that's not that impressive. I could do that," Yamauchi brushed off and puffed his chest out.
"Oh yeah?" Eiichiro suddenly cut in. "Go say that to Karuizawa, right now. In front of all of us."
"Why would I do it with Karuizawa? She's flat."
"She's not flat," Eiichiro snorted.
"Fine, I'll go do it to Kushida-chan right now," Yamauchi said confidently.
"No, no, no. Kushida's everyone's friend, that's easy. Kiyotaka didn't even know Ichinose when he did it, it's only fair that you do it with Karuizawa. What's wrong, Yamauchi? You scared?" Eiichiro taunted.
In my mind, I calculated the odds of the different spots where Yamauchi was about to get hit. Low probability, chest. High probability, balls and head. Mid probability stomach.
When challenged, Yamauchi turned on his heel and confidently strode toward Karuizawa who was sitting with Satou and Matsushita. We couldn't hear what was said, but Karuizawa was suddenly furious, hitting him straight in the face with a closed fist. He instantly dropped to the floor as Karuizawa rose to her feet and Matsushita and Satou both grabbed her under each of her arms while Karuizawa tried to stomp at his fallen form screaming profanities.
The four of us laughed quietly as Yamauchi gingerly picked himself up before limping his way back at us. Apparently Karuizawa really did manage to get a few hits in, he looked pretty battered.
"I'm reporting that bitch, I'll get her expelled." Yamauchi seethed angrily.
"Will you though?" Eiichiro teased him. "What did you say? You're going to have to repeat it to Chabashira-sensei when Karuizawa defends herself."
Yamauchi suddenly stiffened at the thought. He looked to play different scenarios in his mind at how it would all play out before suddenly looking haughty.
"She's lucky I'll drop this. We can't have anyone getting expelled after all."