While smiling to hide her distress
She remembers once crying into his chest
Dawning another façade
She never forgot to pray to her new God
Flashback:
A small boy was sitting on the ground, leaning on the white wall behind him. He was reading a book, it had the title 'Human Psychology 101'. The child was deeply engrossed in the book. Around the room, other children were working on similar activities. Some were reading books, others were writing something on paper, and very few were doing nothing.
There was a blonde girl of similar age to the other children in the room with a tray of food and drinks in her hands. The girl was offering out food and drinks to each individual. She wore a simple black and white maid outfit, her soft expression was strained.
"Would you like energy replenishments, Kiyotaka-sama?" the girl smiled when addressing Kiyotaka.
Kiyotaka nodded his head and grabbed a sandwich and water.
"Thank you, Ai."
Coincidentally, those were the last bit of food and drinks Ai had ended up handing out.
Putting her empty tray down, Ai sat next to Kiyotaka.
"Oh? I see you are reading the book I gave you." Ai leaned against the quiet boy, peering into his book.
"Yeah, after you gave it to me the white coats told me I needed to read it." the boy stated simply "though, that isn't the reason why I chose to read it."
"You're too kind Kiyotaka-sama." Ai whispered, slowly shutting her eyes.
Unbeknownst to her, Hayasaka had fallen asleep on Kiyotaka's shoulder, her troubled heart finding temporary peace in his presence. Kiyotaka smiled faintly, appreciating their bond.
"You never change, Ai." the boy whispered to himself. A small smile could be seen faintly on his face.
Present day; Hayasaka POV:
Yesterday was quite the spectacle, the full scope of what this high school entailed was put on the table. There were plenty of hints to it, we just needed to figure it out, though it seems that is why we were in class D. Just thinking about the class rankings had me wondering why people were placed in certain classes rather than others.
Starting, class A was said to have the best and brightest. It was not explicitly stated but rather implied just by being called A, with other classes descending from there. Lo and behold, they were the ones who held the most class points when the system was revealed. Incidentally, the pattern of class order A to D kept the most to least, as if separating us based on something. My theory is that it is a mixture of personality, background, and intellect. There were certainly more factors that play into the class separation.
Class A the elite prefects, Class B the power of friendship class, Class C the dictatorship, and Class D the failures. Just the way the Class A students I talked to spoke down to me was always condescending, obviously, I never let my annoyance show because it would ruin my master's plan. But, it never gets easy talking to them, especially that cripple. Class B were all friendly to me, it felt more like a fever dream than reality as if their entire class is under Ichinose's spell. Speaking of Ichinose, she was very welcoming whenever I visit her class, though I can't say the same for some odd boy who kept glaring at me. I still haven't gotten his name yet. Class C is best described as controlled chaos, with Ryuen barking orders and my least favorite among any class leaders. Ryuen was as slippery as a snake and as cruel as he acts, I almost got chased out the first time I entered Class C, fortunately I made quick friends with a few of the students in that class. One in particular that stood out was a girl named Hiyori, she seemed to distance herself from the conflict within her own class.
Then, there was my class, we had no leadership, no one that stood up. That was at least until Kiyotaka told me he wants me to usurp power from any wannabe leaders completely, mostly Hirata and Kushida. It is good to have them as sub-leaders to support decisions, it would prove difficult to balance the class into pleasing everyone. It is impossible to get everyone to trust you, conquer and divide instead. It was basic military leadership, after all.
"Hayasaka-san, you seem very friendly with Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudo." Kushida approached me, I was currently heading to the mall to meet up with Karuizawa and her friends.
"Yes, I'd consider them friends! Just as I would consider you my friend!" I said with the brightest smile I could muster just to purely piss her off.
"That's so sweet of you, I'm glad to know you consider me as a friend as much as I consider you a friend!" Kushida responded in kind.
It seemed that Kushida's mask has gotten better after being called out by that blonde narcissist Kouenji. Still, it makes me seriously wonder about the reason for what she does.
It is very difficult to pull off what would be my cover to spy on people, mostly due to the class ID system. If I said that I was part of a certain class, let's say class C year 2, they would be able to see if it is true or not by asking the class representative. Possibilities were there, however, there was too much risk. I discussed it with my master once, he was the one to point out the risk and being exposed. It would ruin any progress I would try to make or had made up to that point. It is more frustrating that I can't play dress-up to spy on other classes and trick them as such.
So, I adapted, although begrudgingly. Being friends with everyone and knowing all of their secrets is very difficult, only a masochist would capitalize on some absurd strategy like that.
Instead, while I made friends with what I anticipated to be key people in each class, I made assessments on their class strengths and weaknesses. I was less emphasized in the other school year, as it seemed we were cut off from contact with them most of the school hours.
"Well, it seems I need to get going, Hayasaka-san. It was great talking with you!" I waved back as Kushida walked away.
I released my breath I didn't know I was holding in; it was never fun talking with Kushida. I could stand that Yamauchi guy more than her. It seemed Kushida went down a different route to some back alleys, how shady.
As I arrived at the mall, I decided to forget about Kushida for the time being. I sat down, typing up notes on my phone for the upcoming exam. The notes I am typing up are for any study groups that get formed, I plan to take charge on any future study groups. Not to mention, it has been fun so far to mess with Kushida. What's the harm in undermining any attempt she makes at leading study groups?
"Hey, you." a gruff feminine voice called to me, I decided to ignore the voice instead. "Don't ignore me!"
"Why not?" I continued to type away.
"Because this will happen!" Looking up I saw a blue haired girl lifting her leg to kick me.
I decided to stay seated despite the clear threat.
"I recognize you now that I am looking at you." I said as her leg stopped right before it could hit me "You're Ibuki, one of Ryuen's dogs."
"Tch." Ibuki seemed upset as she walked away.
I blinked at the storm that came by suddenly and left just as fast, what a weird girl.
"Oh my gosh, are alright Hayasaka?" Kei was rushing over from a short distance away "Who was that?"
Kei was walking with Shinohara and Sato from the same direction I came from.
"I think she is from Class C," Sato said as she approached "I have seen her with Ryuen before, she must be one of his dogs."
"But why would one of Ryuen's attack dogs try to hurt Hayasaka?" Shinohara asked.
"Hayasaka didn't even flinch when that girl attacked her!" Kei stated surprised "Not to mention you don't seem fazed by what just happened."
The other two girls just stared at me in awe, realizing the same thing Kei stated was true.
"Does it really look like I'm not scared? Haha, honestly I can still feel my heart pounding from almost being kicked by her." I retorted, placing a hand over my chest to emphasize it.
"But why didn't you move out the way?" Shinohara asked, Kei and Sato nodding in agreeance.
"I didn't notice until it was too late, haha..." I laughed it off. However, that was a lie, I knew Ibuki wouldn't follow through and hit me. After all, there are cameras watching this very area, it was the sole reason I picked this spot.
"That's true. I'm just glad you are not hurt!" Kei exclaimed, it seemed to disperse any more discussion about the topic.
I nodded as I got up with a smile, walking in the mall with my friends.
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Walking through the mall is always a pleasure, there seemed to always be something new to do. Though on this weekend, I am enjoying coffee at the café with Kei, Sato, and Shinohara.
"So, Hayasaka, how does the fair lady do with her love?" Kei leaned on towards the table, staring into my soul.
"W-what are you talking about?" I asked in an attempt to change the subject.
"You know what I'm talking about," Kei pressed "Don't think we have forgotten about the other day, we did promise you that we would help."
I sighed in surrender; they were correct as I remembered our conversation after school.
"I just...feel as if we'll never get closer. It isn't as if we are never around each other-"
"But are you ever going out with romantic intentions in mind?" Sato inquired "It's just my guess, but maybe you've been friends for so long that you unintentionally stick to your 'friend' attitude instead of a 'love' attitude."
This was it! It was exactly what I have been doing.
"What do you mean?" Kei asked this time around.
"I think she means that Hayasaka is blind sighted in her pursuit of love," Shinohara stated matter-of-factly "It is because she is close friends with Ayanokoji that she can't seem to make progress."
"What? There's nothing wrong with being friends!" I defended.
I have been doing as much to make progress with Kiyotaka, but maybe it isn't enough.
"We didn't say that you just need to step out of your comfort zone is all!" Kei explained "Now let's stop arguing and get started on a plan for you."
I smiled, realizing how stupid I was being caught up in my feelings. It is as if my years of training were wasted...
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Third POV:
Kiyotaka is currently lying down in his bed staring at the ceiling. There was not a whole lot that has occurred this week, at least anything of significance.
Kiyotaka continued to lay in bed when he felt his phone vibrate. Upon opening it up, he received a text from Hayasaka.
Come to my room in half an hour.
It was a simple message, yet one that held no context as to what it was even about. So, Kiyotaka decided to trust Hayasaka and responded in kind.
Alright.
Kiyotaka responded, playing along with whatever Hayasaka was planning.
Half an hour later, Kiyotaka found himself standing outside Hayasaka's room. He knocked lightly, and after a moment, the door swung open, revealing a determined-looking Hayasaka.
"Come in," she said, gesturing for Kiyotaka to enter.
Curious and intrigued, Kiyotaka stepped into the room. The atmosphere felt different, charged with a sense of purpose. He noticed that Hayasaka had set up a small table with various items on it—a notebook, a pen, and a couple of books.
"What's all this?" Kiyotaka asked, raising an eyebrow.
Hayasaka smiled mischievously. "Consider this our study session," she replied. "We're going to strategize."
Kiyotaka's interest was piqued. "Strategize? About what?"
"About us," Hayasaka answered, her eyes glinting with determination. "About how we can advance in this school and achieve our goals."
Kiyotaka nodded, understanding her intention. "I see. So, what's the plan?"
Hayasaka motioned for Kiyotaka to take a seat, and they both sat down at the table. She opened the notebook and began explaining her observations and assessments of the different classes, their strengths, weaknesses, and key individuals.
"Class A is clearly dominated by the elite prefects, and Class B relies heavily on the power of friendship," Hayasaka said. "Class C is chaotic due to Ryuen's dictatorship, and we know how Class D is viewed as the underachievers."
Kiyotaka listened attentively, interjecting with his thoughts and insights. "Class B's cohesion gives them an advantage, but it could also be a weakness if there are internal conflicts," he noted. "As for Class C, Ryuen's leadership is strong, but there might be dissension within his ranks."
Hayasaka nodded in agreement. "Exactly. So, we should exploit these weaknesses and forge our own path. We need to gain more influence in our class and establish ourselves as strong leaders."
Kiyotaka leaned forward, intrigued. "How do you suggest we do that?"
"We start by taking charge of any study groups that form," Hayasaka said. "We need to be proactive, show our classmates that we're capable, and build trust and respect among them."
Kiyotaka nodded. "Agreed. We shouldn't wait for others to lead us; we should take control of our own destiny."
Hayasaka smiled, pleased with Kiyotaka's response. "Exactly. I've already started making assessments on key individuals in our class, but we'll need to keep an eye on other classes too."
As they continued to discuss their strategies, Hayasaka revealed her intention to forge alliances with certain students in other classes who could be valuable assets.
"There's a girl named Hiyori in Class C who seems to distance herself from the conflicts within her class," Hayasaka said. "She might be a potential ally."
Kiyotaka considered her suggestion. "I'll keep an eye on her. And there's this boy in Class B who seems to have a strong sense of justice. He might be useful too."
"Great. Let's gather information and make our moves strategically," Hayasaka said, her eyes shining with determination.
They spent the rest of the evening brainstorming, refining their tactics, and deepening their bond as partners. Their friendship had already proven to be a powerful force, and they knew that together, they could overcome any obstacle.
As they wrapped up their discussion, Kiyotaka couldn't help but smile. "I'm glad to have you as my partner, Hayasaka. With our combined efforts, we can leave a mark on this school."
Hayasaka returned his smile. "Likewise, Kiyotaka. We'll support each other and rise above the challenges together."
With their plans and strategies set, Hayasaka and Kiyotaka were ready to face the intricacies of the school's system, the complexities of the social hierarchy, and the challenges that lay ahead. Their journey had just begun, but with their unwavering support for each other, they knew they had the potential to rise above and leave a lasting impact on the students and faculty of this prestigious institution.
Chapter end
Felt cute and a little cheeky, so thought I'd upload a chapter.
:)