Yasushi POV
How unbelievable.
I was supposed to just stay in the classroom and take it easy, but somehow Arisu and her entourage showed up a few minutes after Ayanokouji and the others left. Now, we were walking in the direction they went to, the dormitory.
"Why was I supposed to come again?" I asked.
"Come now Yasushi-kun, you need to enjoy a show every once in a while." She said.
"Yeah man, it'll be fun to watch." Hashimoto said.
Arisu discretely gestured for me to lower my head so she could whisper something.
"Besides, I need to apologize for what happened at the library." She muttered.
I held quite the grudge towards everyone at the moment, especially on myself. Apparently, Arisu was actually feeling guilty for that fact. I did also get the feeling that I was being tailed again this past week, but I just didn't care at the time.
It was probably Kamuro or Hashimoto, and they must've reported my "lack of ambition" to her, so she's trying to get it back. Well try as she might, I don't think I'll ever take things seriously ever again.
If your entire life turned out to be a lie, what other feeling is there other than despair?
"Fair enough I suppose."
The area was quite close by now. I could hear the banter from where we were. Ryuuen and his gang, Ayanokouji and Horikita's group, then Kouenji.
"My this is quite an interesting collection of people, isn't it?" Arisu said as they all came into view.
"Sakayanagi, huh? Or should I say Sakayanagis. What suspiciously perfect timing."
She stopped walking which cued the rest of us to stop along with her.
"I'm here purely by coincidence." Arisu said.
"Don't make me laugh." Ryuuen said.
"To think I'd stumble on Class D's major players having it out with some Class C students. Are you planning a Christmas party?"
"Back off. I don't have any business with you."
"Come now, there's no need to say that. If you're party-planning, the more the merrier. Wouldn't you agree? May I join you?"
"If you plan on sticking around, don't get in my way."
"Of course. I wouldn't dream of embarrassing the party organizer." Arisu said.
She took a seat on a nearby bench. The rest of us sat around her, with Kitou standing to the side since there was no more room. There may not be any cameras, but students were walking back to the dorms, able to see.
"Sakayanagi-kun, what are you doing here?" Horikita cut in.
"Don't ask me, I was quite literally dragged here."
I had no choice but to come since our classmates would turn into screeching monkeys because Class A's leader was visiting.
"I don't mind that our audience has grown, but isn't it about time that we end this? If we aren't going to talk, I'll be on my way." Kouenji said with his unchanging fearless smile.
"Wait, Kouenji. Ryuuen-san said not to let you run away this time."
Kouenji wore a thin smile.
"My apologies that our conversation was delayed. I think we should get to the heart of the matter. I surmise that you're fixated on defeating whomever gets in Class D's way, or whomever forms an alliance with another class to do exactly that. Am I wrong?"
"I'll crush every such insect in my way, yeah." Ryuuen said.
"And now, such an obstreperous person has appeared within Class C. So, you're searching for this hindrance." Kouenji said. He understood what was happening very well despite being uninterested.
"In that case, I'm afraid I don't fit the profile. I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in Class C's future, nor in any of the other classes. Although I contributed quite a bit during the island and zodiac exam, I've been doing nothing else in any other ones. Tell me, are you truly fixated on making such a person your enemy?"
Ryuuen knew fully well how he lost in the island exam, and the zodiac exam didn't even count since he targeted Class A. He knew he lost the island exam because of me, but he also knew that I wasn't X, which puts him in a pinch.
"What about those exams in and of themselves? Your class went up by leaps and bounds because of the island exam, and in the zodiac exam you were the one that initiated that attack on Katsuragi." Ryuuen said.
"Oh ho, you've done your research."
Even Ryuuen had to admit that Kouenji really did start the sequence of messages during the zodiac exam. In the island exam too, I heard he stayed till the very end, dramatically showing himself during the final roll call.
"We can't rule out the possibility that you helped with other tests. That means there's no guarantee that you aren't controlling Class C." Ryuuen said.
"I suppose that's possible. But if it's the conclusion you've settled on, it must mean you're a moron with a paltry intellect." Kouenji said.
Ishizaki looked ready to charge, but Ryuuen smiled and stopped him. I had to admit that I admired Kouenji's comeback. If Ryuuen was harassing the wrong person, he'd come off looking pretty stupid.
"Heh, you're certainly right. If you are telling the truth, then you're completely and utterly harmless."
"Yes. You're quite perceptive Dragon Boy."
That got me chuckling, while Arisu outright laughed.
"Fufufu! It seems Kouenji-kun has some good taste in humor, Dragon Boy."
"That damn nickname again huh?" Ryuuen looked visibly irritated.
"Ah so that was already taken? I apologize for trying to steal your thunder Sakayanagi-boy." Kouenji said, looking at me.
"No no, its alright. Please continue using it." I said, incredibly amused.
Ryuuen regained his composure and changed the topic entirely.
"What if I tell these guys to pummel you unconscious as payback for the zodiac exam? What'll you do if I come at you with senseless violence?"
Horikita tried to reply to that disturbing question, but Kouenji cut her off with a laugh.
"Now that's just nonsensical. You wouldn't do that here, with this large of an audience. It wouldn't benefit you at all."
That's true. Aside all of us, there were lots of students walking by.
"I'm quite capable of going on a rampage even in this rather inconvenient place, benefits aside." Ryuuen said.
"I see. I suppose that if you did choose that option, I'd defend by pride and knock down everyone who came at me." Kouenji said.
"You could do that by yourself?"
"I find it harder to imagine why I couldn't."
Arisu who continued to listen, with a smug grin on her face.
"Looks like my reasoning was off. Kouenji doesn't seem to be X. He is completely nuts, though in a different way from me. Seems that's all there is to it." Ryuuen said.
"So glad to have cleared up this misunderstanding." Kouenji replied.
"But let me ask you one thing, Kouenji. Class C's points are steadily increasing. Someone has to be responsible for that. If it's not you, who is it? One of the people who followed us here like a flock of slack-jawed sheep?" Ryuuen asked.
For the first time, Kouenji glanced at Ayanokouji's group. Then he sneered and shrugged, having immediately lost interest.
"I'm happy to tell you, but—"
"May I have a moment?" Arisu said, as if trying to keep Kouenji from speaking.
"This is a fascinating conversation. Someone in Class C is getting in Class D's way, are they? I heard rumors that Dragon Boy-san was searching for such a person, but is that really true?"
"Tch, stupid nickname. And yes, its true. X themselves gave me the information that they're real, through an event that happened back at the sports festival. Also, call me that again and I'll kill you, got it?" Ryuuen said.
"My, my, you don't like it? I think it's a wonderful nickname. Sorry. Anyway, there's something here that I don't quite understand."
Ryuuen laughed in response, but Arisu paid him no mind.
"Someone in Class C saw through your plans and defeated you. Is that all there is to it? This school is fundamentally designed to pit classes against each other. You and I have clashed numerous times in this manner. I don't know who this Class C student is, but they're employing excellent strategy by remaining anonymous while waging war on you. Are you really going to expend all this energy on interrogating an unrelated student? Honestly, I can't see your actions as anything but rather pathetic."
"I'll admit that X screwed up my plans, but that's not the problem here. I'm doing this to draw out the person acting behind the scenes. I'm going to drag him kicking and screaming to the forefront." Ryuuen replied.
"Oh? What do you think of his reasoning Yasushi-kun?" Arisu turned to me.
"Can't say for sure yet, just that Ryuuen is really eager to crush X." I said.
"I see. So, you intend to resort to extortion and blackmail if you must, Ryuuen-kun?"
"Yep. I'm prepared to use violence, too, if necessary. I rather enjoy my way of doing things."
"If you do that, not only will you appear pathetic, but you'll also reveal your own incompetence. I heard quite a bit already from Masumi-san and Hashimoto-kun about the strategy you used on the island, and how your tricks failed. I heard that Kouenji-kun only helped because of something that Yasushi-kun did. I also heard that the mastermind on that exam was Horikita Suzune-san. Aren't you targeting the wrong person?"
"Are you sure you're not just trying to cover up your own failure, Ryuuen-kun?" Kito muttered.
"That's going too far, Kitou. Ryuuen isn't that much of an idiot." Hashimoto replied.
Ryuuen showed no sign of agitation at Class A's provocations. He understood that type of strategy better than anyone, after all. Rather than argue about what Arisu said, he switched tracks.
"You're the idiot, Sakayanagi. I used Katsuragi. I made him sign a contract with me."
"A contract? Ah. 'In exchange for assistance provided to Class A by Class C(of that time), private points will be paid as compensation,' or something to that effect, yes? Specifically, there was a clause that said 'twenty thousand private points will be paid per person per month until graduation,' right?" Arisu ratted.
I was briefly informed of that contract by her around before the sports festival began. She was having the time of her life criticizing her opponent for leadership.
"Huh? What?! Are you really okay with that?" Sudou cried.
"It's not against the rules. It's a contract both classes mutually agreed upon. We'd receive the class points that Class D should've received, and compensate them with private points in exchange."
She wasn't wrong there. Contracts exist for a reason, that reason being that whoever enters a written contract cannot worm their way out of it. Katsuragi was a fool though, not adding a clause that said Ryuuen's class couldn't guess their leader.
"Well, I'm not the one who's gonna be in trouble if those details leak. You will. Other classes will find out we've been getting twenty thousand monthly points from you, won't they?" Ryuuen said.
"If you wanted to tell everyone, you would've done so already. Besides, it was Katsuragi-kun who suggested the contract in the first place." Arisu replied definitively.
She hadn't been present on the island, and could avoid taking responsibility for the decision. It was even possible that she instructed her followers in Class A to let Katsuragi go ahead, but we couldn't know. What mattered was that Katsuragi was keeping a low profile right now, while Arisu appeared to be in control of the class.
"Ugh. So, Class D's basically got a guaranteed monthly allowance?" Sudou grumbled.
"Don't let them fool you, Sudou-kun. Class D could've obtained those class points themselves, but they wasted them. They gained nothing." Horikita said.
"Is that really true, Suzune? It's no different than getting two hundred class points the real way, back on the island. Besides, our private point income is going to continue indefinitely. We'll keep earning those points until Class A loses their standing." Ryuuen stated.
"I have to agree with him Horikita. Private points are incredibly powerful, and I know for a fact that Ryuuen would be able to use them to his benefit." I said.
"See? Even your own classmates understands. We can fight for three years straight to get back class points, but private points are the real deal. Just like 20 million can let you nullify an expulsion or transfer classes, I can use private points to make deals here and there."
"So you'll use them to make people do your bidding?" Horikita asked.
"Who knows? Money has some real power don't you think?" Ryuuen replied.
"Are we finished here? I have no intention of denying you your fun, but I'd like for you to get out of my way. I've wasted enough time listening to your meaningless drivel." Kouenji said.
"Wait, Kouenji. You haven't answered yet."
Kouenji looked at the sky, as if trying to remember.
"Something about a clever person in Class C, was it? To be honest, I hadn't even considered it. At any rate, it's probably better if I don't tell you, right? You're doing whatever it takes to hunt this person down, even if it means putting yourself at risk. I don't wish to rob you of your fun. As for me, I don't care for anyone in this school. I'm simply enjoying the halcyon days of my youth, romancing beautiful women and basking in my own beauty." He said.
"So, you're saying you won't help your own class?"
"It depends now doesn't it? I was hired during the island and zodiac exam for an amount I can't ignore. If I get offered a substantial amount once again, I will help. However, from my perspective, Class A and Class D are the same. All of you people are so dreadfully boring."
"Ryuuen-san, this jerk's looked down on us for the last time! Let's teach him a lesson!"
Ishizaki raised his fists, but the person who spoke up to stop him wasn't Ryuuen. It was Arisu, who had simply sat on the sidelines with me. Kouenji had said something she couldn't overlook.
"There's something you said that interests me. Dragon Boy-san aside—"
"Whoa!"
On instinct, I raised my cane between Arisu and a rushing Ryuuen. He launched a kick, but Hashimoto, in a panic, hurried between us and caught the kick with his left fist, sending him flying. Kitou got in front of us and got into a fighting stance soon after.
"Oh, did I hurt your feelings?" Arisu asked.
"I told you I'd kill you if you called me that again."
"Stop this at once. What you just did is horrible." Horikita started, but Arisu stopped her.
"Is there a problem with what just happened, Hashimoto-kun?"
"No. I fell over." Hashimoto slowly got back up, dusting himself off.
"There you have it, Horikita-san."
"Sakayanagi-kun, did you not see what just happened? It was right in front of you." Horikia then turned to me.
I simply shook my head, earning an understanding look from Ayanokouji.
"Tch, all three of you are lunatics." Horikita said.
"Lunacy is a power that you just can't understand Horikita." I said.
"I'm sorry, Ryuuen-kun. I've teased you too much. To return to my original question—what do you mean when you say that everyone here, myself included, is boring?"
"For crying out loud..." Horikita muttered.
"Did I really hurt your feelings that much, little girl?" Kouenji pointed at Arisu, approaching the bench where we sat.
"Tsk. Little girl, hmm? That's a wonderful nickname." Arisu replied.
Ryuuen snorted in amusement, as if that was payback for Kouenji calling him Dragon Boy.
"Kouenji-san, was it? Your English could use some work. I'm not a little girl."
"That's not for you to decide. Calling you a little girl is appropriate, considering your age and physique. Unlike your step-brother over here." Kouenji said.
"That is precisely where you're mistaken. The appropriate usage of the words 'little girl' would be to describe girls of elementary school age. You cannot alter the rules of the world at will" Arisu said.
"Being a slave to common practice isn't my style." Kouenji said. He brushed his fingers through his hair.
"Knock it off, Kouenji." Kitou said, stepping forward. He motioned as if to remove his white gloves.
Sudou was muttering something in the background, which to me looked like it caught Ayanokouji off guard.
"I have no business with Class A. Leave now." Kouenji commanded.
"Allow me to correct this boy's behavior." Kitou said to Arisu.
"Ha ha! Well, I don't mind you fighting over me. Unfortunately, my tastes in both men and women run toward older people." Kouenji said, as if toying with the leaders of their respective classes.
"We've concluded our business. Now get lost." Ryuuen said.. Dealing with something like Kouenji had to be exhausting, even for him.
"Very well, then. See you." Kouenji said. He turned on his heel and walked away.
The storm we'd feared would break might just have been Kouenji, not Ryuuen.
With that source of controversy gone, everyone grew quiet. Sudou had collected most of the broken mirror's shards, and it seemed that the tension had dissipated for now.
"Well, show's over. Shall we head back?"
"Better be on your guard for the third semester crippled loli, or should I call you little girl from now on instead?" Ryuuen said to provoke her.
"Do you wish for another war of insults Ryuuen-kun? Otouto is right here, another round wouldn't hurt." Arisu said back.
"Tch, I'm too tired 'cuz of that Kouenji guy. His lunacy is on a different level from mine."
"But of course, returning to your warning. If you're sure you thoroughly beat Class C, I'll be your opponent anytime. Though I don't really think that's the case." Arisu said, looking at me.
"This guy really did do some damage to me I'll admit, but it was real fun fighting him. I expect X to be more entertaining than he is."
Arisu got up to leave, asking me if I'd follow. I shook my head, then she left with her entourage in tow.
"Should we head back too, Horikita?" Ayanokouji asked her.
"Yeah. I can't stand being here a moment longer. Although...I must say, Ryuuen-kun seemed less interested in Kouenji-kun than I anticipated." Horikita mused.
Ryuuen's actions clearly still puzzled her, and it seemed Class D shared some of the same doubts.
"Should we really let him go that easily?" asked one of Ryuuen's flunkies.
"If he were the one, I wouldn't have let him leave." Ryuuen answered.
"He seems super suspicious to me, though. He could've been lying."
"His way of thinking doesn't match mine. Whoever X is, he and I think the same way. Besides, does he even look like the type to join forces with Horikita?"
"It's hard to imagine, true. But then why'd you target Kouenji?"
Ryuuen stopped watching Kouenji's retreating back and turned a creepy grin on us.
"Yo. What do you guys think about Kouenji?"
"You've been muttering a bunch of crap for a while now. I don't get what you're sayin' at all." Sudou grumbled.
"Idiots should stay out of this." Ryuuen said.
"What-!?"
Horikita stopped Sudou in his tracks with a look and a wave of her hand.
"Your actions are bizarre and incomprehensible, Ryuuen-kun." She said.
Ryuuen seemed to take that as a compliment.
"In that case, I must be doing something right. I narrowed down my suspect list quite a bit today, Suzune. Down to that weird creep lurking behind you."
"I'm not listening to anything you have to say. This is a waste of time. In future, stop approaching my classmates." Horikita said.
"I'm free to approach or not approach whomever I want. It's not against the rules. Anyway, the show will be over soon. Can't wait for the grand finale."
He then looked at me.
"X should expect a little surprise."
Ryuuen glanced briefly at Arisu's retreating form in the distance, then left.
"Finally. Let's go. We should tell Hirata-kun about this." Horikita said.
"What's Ryuuen's deal? You think he's up to something?" Sudou groused.
"Who knows? I doubt anyone truly understands how his mind works."
Ayanokouji and I looked at each other, confirming that we had to talk about this in private.
________________________________________
Chabashira-sensei lectured us about important things to remember during the upcoming winter vacation.
"Parts of the school will undergo renovations, so those areas will be off-limits. Also, all clubs will take the day off after the closing ceremony. Be sure to head back as soon as you can."
For some reason, our teacher gazed soundlessly around the classroom after she was done speaking. We waited, but she showed no sign of dismissing us.
Ike, clearly itching to leave, raised his hand.
"What's the matter, Sensei?"
"Its nothing, just don't get sloppy. If you get in trouble over the break, it might affect your class points. Don't forget, even during the holidays, you represent this school." With that, Chabashira-sensei dismissed us, bringing the second semester to a close.
"This really is unusual. Chabashira-sensei being nice and giving us a warning, I mean."
Karuizawa had messaged Ayanokouji this morning, he told me after walking to school together. We had told Kikyou to stay put and not get involved in the possible fight, and she reluctantly agreed to it.
I couldn't participate in a possible fight either, so I'd probaby just be standing guard outside the area that Ryuuen called us to. Ayanokouji had no choice but to take the bait, however I'm absolutely sure he can handle himself.
"Yasushi-kun, let's go already!"
Kikyou ran up to my table and grabbed my arm.
"I'm coming, I'm coming."
She basically dragged me out of the room and into the hallway. Looking back, I saw the Ayanokouji Group looking at me. Hasebe for some reason gave me a thumbs up, Miyake did the same. The heck are those two thinking about?
"Kikyou, about the plan later-"
"I already know, I'll stay out of it."
Her pace was getting faster and we somehow ended up in a secluded hallway. I couldn't exactly catch up, so I slowly made my way to the corner she turned to.
"Kikyou, would you slow down please? I won't be able to-"
When I looked, Kikyou was bowing with her arms up, a paper bag grasped with them. She then looked up with a face that I rarely see, a face of pure happiness.
"I really love you, Yasushi-kun." She said with a proud tone.
...
"Eh?"
It took me a while to process what she just said.
"Sorry, could you please repeat that?"
"Hmph, you're a really mean guy aren't you?" Kikyou said, but her face didn't change.
She went up to me then presented me with the paper bag, opened it, then revealed a beautifully wrapped gift box.
"This is a Christmas gift for you. You can open it later at your room."
I accepted the gift box and put it inside my bag.
"Now, I wanna ask you a question Yasushi-kun."
I can already guess what she was about to ask, but I'll let her ask either way.
"Would you please go out with me?"
A little word from the author
Due to me travelling, I'm going to put my two books on hiatus. I won't be able to write for a whole month. Another bad thing is that I'm finishing up this book at Volume 7.5, since I don't really want to write from Volume 8 and so on, the same thing with my second book, I'll only write till Volume 7.5.
Again, these books are on hiatus and will be discontinued once I finish Volume 7.5. Have a good day/afternoon/night.