Kotaro Kamishiro's PoV
The bell for the end of the school day rang, and the students left the classroom.
But The loudspeaker came alive with a soothing sound effect, and a robotic voice issued an announcement.
Loudspeaker: "Ayanokouji-kun, from first-year Class D. Kotarou Kamishiro-kun, from first year Class D. Please come see Chiyabashira-sensei in the faculty office."
Kiyotaka: "Looks like the teacher wants to see you."
Me: "Yeah... Sorry, Kushida. Gotta go."
I had been sleeping when I heard the announcement, and as I looked up, I saw Kiyotaka socializing with Kushida. Me and him had recently agreed to 'part ways' for awhile web cause of our different goals, him wanting to make friends for example, so we stopped talking as much for now.
I was sure I hadn't done anything to get me called to the office. Exiting the classroom, I could feel my classmates' stares drilling a hole into the back of my head.
I walked next to Ayanokōji, and we finally found the faculty room. I looked all around, but I didn't find Chiyabashira-sensei anywhere.
Ayanokōji called out to the teacher looking at her appearance in the mirror.
Kiyotaka: "Excuse me, is Chiyabashira-sensei here?"
Young Teacher: "Hmm? Sae-chan? Oh, she was just here a moment ago."
The teacher had wavy, shoulder-length hair, which made her look mature. The way she said Chiyabashira-sensei's name made them sound close. They were near in age and probably friends.
Young Teacher: "She must have stepped away for a minute. Do you two want to wait here?"
Ayanokoji: "No, thank you. I'll wait in the hall."
Me: "I'll stay with him, thank you however".
I needed to warn Kiyotaka about what was to come, however, the young teacher unexpectedly followed us.
Chie: "I'm Hoshinomiya Chie, in charge of Class B. Sae and I have been best friends since high school. That's why we call each other Sae-chan and Chie-chan."
That information seemed kind of superfluous.
Chie: "Hey, why did Sae-chan call you two? Huh? Huh? Why?" she asked.
Me: "No idea. We certainly haven't done anything".
Chie: "I don't understand. You were both called to the office without a reason? Hmm? What's your name?"
An onslaught of questions. She scanned me and Kiyotaka from top to bottom, as if sizing me up.
Kiyotaka: "My name's Ayanokouji," he said.
Chie: "Ayanokouji-kun, huh? Oh, wow, what's your name?"
Me: "Kotarou Kamishiro".
What was with this overly friendly teacher? She acted more like a student. If this were an all-boy school, she would have immediately captured every student's heart.
Chie: "Hey, do you already have a girlfriend?" she asked, leaning into my ear as Kiyotaka watched on.
Me: "No... I'm, uh, still single..."
I tried to seem reluctant, but Hoshinomiya-sensei kept pushing herself onto me. She grabbed my arms with slender, delicate hands.
Chie: "Hmm? How unexpected. If we were in the same class, I'd never leave you alone. Perhaps because you're so innocent? Or do you like playing hard to get?"
She caressed my cheeks. I had no idea what to do.
Chie: "Tell you what, how about considering me?"
Me: "Hmm? You?" I pinned her to a wall. "Are you sure you can handle me?"
She giggled with a red face.... why do girls like wearing paint?! I have no idea why they do it...
Chiyabashira-sensei: "What are you doing, Hoshinomiya?"
Chiyabashira-sensei appeared out of nowhere. With a loud thud, she smacked Hoshinomiya-sensei on the head with her clipboard.
Hoshinomiya-sensei crouched and gripped her skull in apparent pain.
Chie: "Ouch! What was that for?" she cried.
Sae-sensei: "For getting involved with one of my students."
Chie: "I was only keeping them company while they waited for you, Sae-chan."
Sae-sensei: "It would have been better if you just left him alone. Thanks for waiting, you two. Let's go into the office."
Kiyotaka: "The guidance office?" He looked curious as he asked that. "Did we do something wrong? I've been trying to keep a low profile here."
Sae-sensei: "A good answer. Come."
I followed behind Kiyotaka and Chiyabashira-sensei. Hoshinomiya-sensei remained by my side, smiling widely. Chiyabashira-sensei noticed and turned, her face much like a demon's.
Sae-sensei: "You stay," she ordered coldy.
Chie: "Come on, don't be so cold! It won't be the end of the world if I listen, right? Besides Sae-chan, you're definitely not the type to give one-on-one guidance. Pulling a new student like Kamishiro-kun into the guidance room out of nowhere... Are you after something, I wonder?"
Grinning, Hoshinomiya-sensei scooted behind me and placed her hands on my shoulders. I sensed a storm brewing.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Why do you only mention Kamishiro-kun I wonder?"
Chie: "So, Sae-chan, are you looking to be dominated by a younger man?"
Me: 'Dominated by a younger man? What did that mean?
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Don't say such stupid things. That wouldn't be possible."
Chie: "Hee, you're certainly right. It wouldn't be possible for you, Sae-chan," Hoshinomiya-sensei muttered, her words laced with a double meaning.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Why are you following us? This is a Class D matter."
Chie: "Huh? I can't go to the guidance room? That's not okay? Come on, I can give advice, too."
As Hoshinomiya-sensei continued to follow, a female student came up to us, a beautiful girl with light-pink hair. I'd never seen her before.
Pinky: "Hoshinomiya-sensei, do you have a moment? The student council wishes to discuss something with you." She glanced at me and then Kiyotaka, but quickly returned her attention to Hoshinomiya-sensei.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "All right, you have someone who needs you. Get to it." Slap! Chiyabashira-sensei smacked Hoshinomiya-sensei on the butt with her clipboard.
Chie: "Aw! She'll get mad at me if I hang around any longer. See you later, Kamishiro-kun! All right, Ichinose-san. Let's go to the faculty office."
With that, she turned on her heel and left with the beautiful Ichinose.
Chiyabashira-sensei lightly scratched her head while she watched Hoshinomiya-sensei leave. Soon after, we entered the guidance room, which stood beside the faculty office.
Me: "What do you want Chiyabashira-sensei." I demanded coldly, wanting none of this extra-trouble.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Well, about that... Before we begin, please come here."
She briefly glanced at a clock hanging on the wall, which gave the time as nine o'clock, and opened the door. Inside was a small office kitchenette. She placed a kettle on top of a stove.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "I'm going to make tea. Is roasted green okay?" she asked.
I picked up the container with the tea powder.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Don't make any unnecessary moves. Shut up and get in here. Understand? Don't make a sound and stay until I tell you it's okay to come out the both of you. If you don't do as I say, you'll both be expelled," she said.
Kiyotaka: "Huh? What do you mean by—"
She closed the door to the kitchenette without explanation, leaving us in there. Soon after, I heard the outer door to the guidance room open.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Ah, come in. So, what did you want to talk to me about, Horikita?" I heard Chiyabashira-sensei say.
Me: 'Horikita did come ay? Damn...'
Horikita: "I will be frank. Why was I sorted into Class D?"
Chiyabashira-sensei: "That is quite frank."
Horikita: "Today, you told us that the school sorted superior students into Class A. You said that Class D was filled with the leftovers, the last bastion of delinquents."
Chiyabashira-sensei: "That's true. You must consider yourself to be a superior person."
I knew how this would go, and I didn't like it, not one bit.
Horikita: "I solved nearly every problem on the entrance examination. I made no substantial mistakes on the interview, either. At the very least, I shouldn't have been sorted into Class D."
Horikita was definitely the type to think herself superior. She wasn't excessively self-conscious, either. She'd tied for first place on the test, as shown in the morning's results.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "You solved nearly all of the problems on the entrance examination, hmm? Normally I couldn't show the examination results to individual students, but I'll make an exception in this case. I just so happen to have your answer sheet here."
Horikita: "You're incredibly prepared. It's...almost as if you knew I'd come here to protest."
Chiyabashira-sensei: "I'm an instructor. I understand the mind of a student, at least to some degree, Horikita Suzune. Just as you said, you did well on the entrance examination. You had the third-highest test score among the first-year students and were close to the highest- and second-highest-scoring students. You did exceedingly well. And you're right: We found no particular problems in your interview. On the contrary, we evaluated you quite highly."
Horikita: "Thank you very much. So then...why?"
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Before I answer, why are you dissatisfied with Class D?"
Horikita: "Who could be happy with an incorrect evaluation? Furthermore, the class rankings greatly impact our future prospects. Of course I'm dissatisfied."
Chiyabashira: "Incorrect evaluation? Perhaps your self-evaluation is far too high."
Me: 'You don't feckin' say...'
Chiyabashira: "I acknowledge that your academic ability is excellent. You're certainly very smart. However, who decided that smart people are categorically superior? We never said that."
Horikita: "But...that's just common sense."
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Common sense? Didn't common sense create our current, flawed society? Before, Japan relied solely on test scores to separate the superior and inferior. As a result, the incompetents at the top tried desperately to kick down the truly superior students. In the end, we settled on a system of hereditary succession."
A system of hereditary succession meant that things like social standing, prestige, and employment were passed down to future generations. At those words, I groaned unintentionally. My chest hurt.
I looked at Kiyotaka to see him turn to me too.
He mouthed: 'What do you think?' And I just shrugged.
Me (Mouthed): "Not sure, but I don't like the direction of this, and why do we have to be here?"
He turned back to the door and we continued to listen.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "You're a capable student. I don't deny that. However, this school's goal is to produce superior people. If you believe academics alone place you into a higher class, you are mistaken. That was the very first thing we explained to you. Besides, think rationally. Would we have admitted someone like Sudou if we decided superiority based solely on academic merit?"
Horikita: "Tch..."
Despite the fact that this was one of the country's leading preparatory schools, this place allowed students to enroll for purposes other than academics.
Chiyabshira-sensei: "Furthermore, you may be too hasty in proclaiming that no one would be happy to be incorrectly evaluated. Take Class A, for instance. They are under incredible pressure from the school, and also the target of extreme envy from the lower classes. Competing every day with that kind of pressure bearing down upon you is far more difficult than you might imagine. There are some students who are happy to be incorrectly evaluated at a lower level."
Horikita: "You're joking, right? I can't understand such a person."
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Is that so? I think that Class D boasts some of those people. Strange students who would happily be set at a low level."
Damn, that's why we're here huh sensei? This proves quite the obstacle. Especially if she has our tests....
Horikita: "You still haven't given me an explanation. Was I honestly sorted into Class D? Did anything go wrong with the grading? Please double-check," Horikita said.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "I'm sorry, but you weren't sorted by mistake. You are definitely in Class D. You are at that level."
Horikita: "Is that so? Then I will ask the school again, at another time."
Apparently, she wasn't going to give up. Horikita had merely determined that her homeroom teacher was the wrong person to ask. Too bad it's inefficient on any faculty.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "You'll get the same answer from anyone in a higher position. Besides, there's no need to be disappointed. As I told you this morning, it's possible for one class to overtake another. You could conceivably reach Class A before you graduate."
Horikita: "Ican't imagine it will be easy, though. Forget overtaking Class A; how in the world could those immature Class D misfits gain more points? I can't see how it's possible." Horikita spoke the truth. The difference in points was overwhelming.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "I don't know. You alone get to decide how you head down that path. At any rate, Horikita, do you need to be in Class A for any special reason?"
Horikita: "Well...I suppose that's enough for now. Excuse me. But know that I'm not yet convinced I was sorted correctly."
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Understood. I will keep that in mind."
A chair squeaked against the floor, signaling that the discussion was over.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Oh, that reminds me. I've summoned another two people to the guidance room. They are relevant to you."
Horikita: "Relevant to me? No, you can't mean... bro—"
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Come on out, Kamishiro, Ayanokouji," the teacher said.
Me: 'This is bad, there is no way to escape but the door to where Senssi and Horikita are.... maybe I just won't g-'
Chiyabashira-sensei: "If you don't come out, I'll have you expelled."
Me: "Jeez. A teacher shouldn't casually wield expulsion like a weapon"
With a sigh, I entered the room with Kiyotaka behind me. Naturally, Horikita appeared surprised and perplexed.
Horikita: "Were you listening to our conversation?" she asked me.
Me: 'It's kind of hard to not when I'm forced to' I spoke out. "No, I didn't. Surprisingly the walls are pretty thick in there'
Chiyabashira-sensei: "That's not true. Voices carry pretty well into the kitchen." Apparently, Chiyabashira-sensei wanted to drag me and Kiyotaka into the action.
Horikita: "Sensei, why would you do this?" Horikita noticed that this had all been planned and was clearly angry.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Because I deemed it necessary. Now then, you two, I'll explain why I called you both here." Chiyabashira-sensei dismissed Horikita's concerns and shifted her attention to us.
Horikita: "Well then, if you'll excuse me..." Horikita muttered.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Wait, Horikita. It would be in your best interest to stay and listen. It may provide you with a hint on how to reach Class A."
Horikita stopped dead in her tracks and sat back down.
Horikita: "Please keep it brief," she said.
Chiyabashira-sensei chuckled as she glanced over her clipboard.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "You're an interesting student, Ayanokouji."
Kiyotaka: "Not at all. I'm certainly not as interesting as a teacher with a strange surname like Chiyabashira."
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Would you speak like that to every Chiyabashira in the nation? Hmm?"
Me: "If you looked all over the country for another person with the surname of Chiyabashira, you probably wouldn't find one y'know?"
Chiyabahira-sensei: "Well anyways, when I read over the entrance exam's results, your scores piqued my interest. I was shocked."
On her clipboard, I saw a rather familiar answer sheet.
Chiyabshira-sensei: "Fifty points in Japanese. Fifty points in mathematics. Fifty points in English. Fifty points in social studies. Fifty points in science. You even scored Fifty points on the recent short test. Do you know what this means?"
A stunned Horikita looked over my test paper and then shifted her focus to Kiyotaka.
Horikita: "This is a rather frightening coincidence," she said.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Oh? You believe that getting 50s all across the board was a coincidence? He did it intentionally."
Kiyotaka: "It's a coincidence. There's no evidence that it's not. Besides, what would I gain by manipulating my scores in the first place? If I were intelligent enough to achieve high marks, I would've tried to get perfect scores."
As he feigned innocence, Chiyabashira-sensei sighed in exasperation at Kiyotaka.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "You really do seem like an odious student. Listen. Only 3 percent of students solved the fifth math problem successfully. However, you solved it perfectly, and used a complex formula to do so. However, the tenth problem on the test had a completion rate of 76 percent. Did you make a mistake on it? Is that normal?"
Kiyotaka: "I don't know what normal is. It was a coincidence, I tell you. A coincidence."
Chiyabashira-sensei: "For crying out loud! I respect your frank attitude, but it'll cause problems for you in the future," the teacher said.
Kiyotaka: "I'll think about that when the time comes."
Chiyabashira-sensei shot Horikita a glance that seemed to say, What do you think?
Horikita: "Why do you pretend not to know?" she asked.
Kiyotaka: "Like I said, it was a coincidence. It's not like I'm hiding that I'm a genius or anything."
Chiyabashira-sensei: "I wonder. He may be even more intelligent than you, Horikita."
Horikita flinched. Please don't say anything unnecessary, Chiyabashira-sensei.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Oh, but that's not the weirdest one yet...." She looked at me and put my score sheet on the table. "Kamishiro-kun, what a strange last name huh? But you're test scores, on the entrance exam, there were a max of 100 points on each of the five subjects, therefore max points is 500. Your scores on the entrance exam were 50 in everything other than maths which was 60, giving you a total 260 points. One the most recent pop quiz, you got a score of 52. 50 + 50 + 50 + 50 + 60 = 260, and if you divide that by the five subjects, what do you get Horikita?"
The sharp young student looked shocked as she looked at me.
Horikita: "52..."
Me: "Listen... Sensei. I don't really care what you have to say, there is no evidence that this was anything more than a coincidence. I don't study hard, and I'm a bit better at maths then other subjects, that's why my scores are like that".
Chiyabashira-sensei: "A student who chose this school wouldn't say something like that. However, some students may have different reasons for getting in. You, for example, Ayanokoji, and Kouenji as well. I think you're all fine with being in either D or A."
This school wasn't the only abnormal thing. The teachers were weird, too. Moments earlier, Chiyabashira-sensei had upset Horikita with just her words. It was almost as if the teachers knew every student's secrets.
Horikita: "What other reasons do you have?" As she asked that I looked at her.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "You want me to explain it to you in detail?" I noticed the sharp gleam in Chiyabashira-sensei's eyes. It was almost as if she wanted to provoke Horikita.
Me: "No, we'd best stop here. Any more, and I might go mad and destroy all the furniture in here," I said.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "If you did that, Ayanokoji and you would be demoted all the way down to E Class."
Horikita: "Wait, there's an E Class?"
Chiyabashira-sensei: "Certainly. Of course, the 'E' stands for 'expelled.' As in, you'd be kicked out of school. Well, I suppose our conversation has ended. Enjoy your lives."
Me: "What incredible sarcasm.
Chiyabashira-sensei: "I'm leaving, too. It's almost time for the faculty meeting. I'm going to close the door, so please step outside."
She pushed us into the hallway. Why had Chiyabashira-sensei called all of us in together? She didn't seem like the type to do meaningless things.
Me: "Well. Should we head back you two?" I asked.
Horikita didn't respond, and I walked away with Kiyotaka following me. Probably best if we weren't with her right now.
Horikita: "Wait." Horikita called out, but I didn't stop. If I managed to keep away from her until I got to the dorms, I'd be home free.
Horikita: "Was your scores...really just two coincidences?" she asked.
Me: "I already said so, didn't I? Or do you have any proof that I got that score on purpose?"
Horikita: "I don't, but...I also don't understand, Ayanokouji-kun. You said that you like to avoid trouble, but you don't seem to be interested in Class A."
Kiyotaka: "You have an extraordinary fixation on Class A."
Horikita: "Should I not? I'm simply striving to improve my future prospects."
Me: "Oh, absolutely. You should. It's perfectly natural. Just don't in-"
Horikita: "When I entered this school, I thought graduation was my only goal. But the reality is different. I'm not even at the starting line."
Horikita sped up and started walking next to the two of us.
Me: "So, why are you aiming for Class A?"
Horikita: "First, I want to ascertain this school's true motives. Why was I put into Class D? Chiyabashira-sensei said I'd been deemed a Class D student, but why? When I discover the answer, I'll aim for A. No, I will definitely make it to A."
Kiyotaka: "That's going to be difficult. You'll have to rehabilitate the problem children. You have Sudou's continued tardiness and class cutting, everyone else talking in class, and, of course, the test scores. Even if you manage all of that, you're still at zero points."
Horikita: "I know that. I still think the school made a mistake with my placement."
Anxiety had replaced Horikita's previously overflowing confidence. Did she really know that was the case? The only conclusion I could draw from today was that "despair" was a two-syllable word. If you followed the fundamental school rules, you could avoid losing points. However, it was still unclear how to turn those losses into gains. Class A had had only had a small number of points subtracted.
Even if we somehow found an efficient way to increase our points, the other classes might also find a way to do the same. Since we'd started out with such a substantial difference in points, we'd have to compete hard against the other classes in a limited amount of time.
Horikita: "I can understand your thoughts, but I don't think the school will continue supervising us so carefully. If they did, there'd be no meaning in competition," Horikita said.
Kiyotaka: "I see. I suppose you could think that. So, you'll try to take care of this situation by yourself?" I looked at the ground.
Horikita: "Yes."
Me: ".....Don't act so proud."
A hand chopped my side. Horikita ignored my serious expression, thinking I was joking.
Kiyotaka: "Look, I understand how you feel, but you can't solve this by yourself. Think about Sudou. Even if you improve, the rest of the class will drag you down."
Horikita: "No. You're right that no lone individual can solve this problem. We won't even make it to the starting line without everyone's help."
Kiyotaka: "Well, it sounds like we've got a huge problem on our hands."
Me: "We have three major, immediate issues. Tardiness and talking during class are the first two. Third, we must make sure no one fails the midterm exam."
Kiyotaka: "I think we'll manage those first two issues, but the midterms..."
The short test we'd taken had contained a few difficult questions, but overall it had been pretty easy. Even at that level, some students had failed. Honestly, their chances of passing the midterm exam were slim.
Horikita: "I need your help, Ayanokouji-kun, Kamishiro-kun."
Me: "Help?"
Horikita glared at me as I smirked.
Me: "What if I refuse? Like how you refused Hirata this morning. Geez you hypocrite, you have no right to ask anything of us when you deny everything anybody else says. It's pitiful, but I'll leave the depiction to Kiyotaka"
Horikita: "Do you want to refuse?" she asked.
Me: "Does it seem like that, Sherlock?"
Horikita: "I never would've thought you'd do it gladly, but I doubt you'd refuse. If you did refuse to work with me, then that would be the end of it. No matter what I said about our future, I'd be powerless if you refused. So, will you help me or not?"
I wanted to say what she'd said before, when she'd silenced Hirata... What was it, again? Well, it wasn't as though I would just bluntly refuse someone who asked for my help. Then again, if I told her I would help, she'd probably run me into the ground until graduation. I needed the heart of a demon.
Kiyotaka: "I refuse," I said.
Horikita: "I always knew you'd help, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm grateful."
Me: "He didn't say that! He turned you down!"
Horikita: "No, I heard the voice inside both of your heads. You said you'd both help."
Me: "Bullshit! I call bullshit on you!"
Kiyotaka: "I don't even know how I could help you, though."
Me: 'Thats very true. Besides being an exemplary student, Horikita was incredibly quick-witted. She probably didn't need either of our skills'
Horikita: "Don't worry. I don't require your brain power, Ayanokouji-kun. Leave the planning to me, and act as I tell you."
Kiyotaka: "Huh? What do you mean by act?"
Horikita: "Doesn't our lack of points trouble you, Ayanokouji-kun? If you follow my instructions, I promise you we'll see a point increase. I would never lie."
Kiyotaka: "I don't know what you're cooking up, but there are other people you could count on. If you made friends, they'd cooperate with you."
Horikita: "Unfortunately, no one else in Class D is nearly as easy to manipulate as you two."
I clenched my teeth silently, not letting either of them see it.
Kiyotaka: "No, there are several people. Hirata, for example. He's popular and smart, so he'd be perfect. Besides, he's worried that you're all alone, Horikita."
If she reached out to him, they'd probably become good friends.
Horikita: "He's no good. Even if he has some talent and ability, I can't use him. To use an analogy, think about the pieces in shogi. Right now, I don't need a gold or silver general. I want some pawns."
Me: 'So, you just called me a pawn? That's what you called me! ......Pfft! Hahahahaha! That couldn't be further from the truth....'
Kiyotaka: "So, if a pawn were to cooperate, he could become a gold general?"
Horikita: "An interesting answer, but you don't seem like the type to make that effort, Ayanokouji-kun. Besides, haven't you been thinking, 'I've always been a pawn, I don't want to advance,' all along?"
She'd shot him down with precisely the right brand of ammunition. If he were a normal person, his feelings would've most definitely been hurt.
Me: "Sorry, but we can't help you. We both just are not suitable for this," I said.
Horikita: "Well, contact me once you've given it some thought. I look forward to hearing from you."
Horikita wasn't paying attention to what I'd said in the slightest as she walked away.
Me: 'A pawn huh? ........ I wouldn't normally of had the time to play with you Horikita, but I'm feeling generous'. My eyes drooped and lost all reflection, light and emotion in them. '.....Let me see what type of pawn you are.....'