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5CLASSROOM OF THE ELITE
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7nd Year Volume 1
8Shougo Kinugasa
9TABLE OF CONTENTS
10PROLOGUE | Secret Manoeuvres
11CHAPTER 1 | The True Meaning of Ability
12CHAPTER 2 | A New Stage
13CHAPTER 3 | The Problematic Group of First-Years
14CHAPTER 4 | Ichika’s Exam
15CHAPTER 5 | D-class with D-class
16CHAPTER 6 | The Footsteps of the Dropouts
17EPILOGUE | Profounding Mystery
18[ PROLOGUE ]
19SECRET MANOEUVRES
20It was about two months ago, on a certain day of February.
21In a meeting room inside a facility located in Tokyo, a man who seems
22to be in his 40s, Tsukishiro, slowly read the material displayed on the screen
23and explained the situation. The one who was listening to it was a young
24teenage child. He is a 15-year-old teenager who will soon be enrolled into a
25certain high school.
26However, the true nature of this child is not a mere adolescent.
27He is a specially educated person who grew up in a top-secret facility
28called the White Room.
29“Here lists the detailed data of all the 156 second-year students, and
30Kiyotaka Ayanokouji is among them. You’ve already memorised everything
31in your head, right?”
32Tsukishiro, who was standing in front of a projected screen, disclosed all
33the information about the school’s students’ materials which were collected
34over the years. It ranged from their names, date of birth, past schools, as
35well as their close relatives, their previous exam grades, all the way to their
36friends. This is a top-secret meeting with all sorts of detailed materials that
37even a normal homeroom teacher wouldn’t be able to see.
38“I think you already know this, but the important thing is to make
39Ayanokouji drop out of school in April and bring him back to the White
40Room. We can’t delay the plan any longer. But do try to do it as smart as
41you can. We don’t want things to go public. If our moves were to be
42reached into the government’s ears, then he’d… No, your teacher’s name
43would be damaged.”
44After being briefed by Tsukishiro, the child slowly raised his hand.
45“Do you mean not to stand out carelessly?”
46“Yes,” Tsukishiro replied,”That’s why it’s not possible for a mere
47student to dive head-first into this and get away cleanly. I’ll back you up as
48much as possible, but from now on, Sakayanagi’s faction will start to act
49more vigilantly as well, so we shouldn’t be acting carelessly.”
50The child has basically gotten a good grasp of the situation, but the
51expression he made contained a certain dissatisfaction towards his given
52task.
53“I’ll assume that you’re not fully convinced yet since you’re making that
54face.”
55Tsukishiro looked at the picture of Ayanokouji behind him before
56turning to face the lone teenager in front of him.
57“That boy… Don’t you like touting about Ayanokouji’s outstanding
58work? Not only was I sent in to regulate things, but the White Room which
59was about to re-kickstart its activities were forced to a halt because of him.
60This might be considered a luxury to the children in the White Room, and it
61is quite generous of Ayanokouji to delay their ‘experiment,’ but for the
62people who have grown up in the same facility, won’t they feel a bit
63humiliated by his actions?”
64Tsukishiro continued to explain this point of his carefully, while at the
65same time emphasizing his annoyance towards him.
66Basically, his idea was to try and bring out Ayanokouji’s ability by
67adding fuel to the competition.
68That’s because this person named Kiyotaka Ayanokouji is a masterpiece.
69Every time his situation is explained in words, a certain emotion lurks
70into the mind of those who listened.
71Tsukishiro, who was showing a poker face, is the only person to have
72their emotions misread.
73He’s been taught that the people who grew up in the White Room didn’t
74like it.
75“Become an existence beyond that of Kiyotaka Ayanokouji.”
76In a third party’s view who did not grow up in that facility, the feeling of
77‘hatred’ towards this person could not be understood.
78Sometimes, the hatred would swell to the point where it can’t be
79suppressed anymore, and it would evoke the thought that the mentioned
80masterpiece was just a runaway in the end.
81“We’ve already prepared a stage for you. All you need to do is show
82your ability to the fullest. The data I gave you should be flawless. If you
83have this much ability in you, then it won’t be a problem for you, would
84it?”
85After the explanation – and the provocation that was somehow brushed
86off by the listener – Tsukishiro turned off the screen.
87The room that was once covered in darkness is now enveloped in light
88once the ceiling lights turned on.
89“Well, since you don’t have any other questions, let’s get going. Time is
90precious, after all.”
91After receiving those instructions, the boy turned around with his back
92facing Tsukishiro and left the room as if nothing had ever happened.
93Tsukishiro felt a slight chill after seeing this calm attitude of his.
94Intuition called for the wrong words in his explanation.
95However, it’s not possible to retract those words which have already
96been spoken.
97“There’s one thing I forgot to confirm.”
98The person leaving the room stopped in their tracts, and Tsukishiro
99continued to talk with the boy’s back still turned towards him.
100“You didn’t hide anything from me, did you?”
101Even people on the same side as him could understand that this
102organization is not monumental.
103If the person doesn’t agree with the first and foremost point, then there
104wouldn’t be any more reason to continue on.
105Tsukishiro needed confirmation for that.
106Without looking back, the person quietly walked away, not before
107performing a small nod.
108After the person left the room, Tsukishiro turned off the lights once
109again and displayed the image of Kiyotaka Ayanokouji on the screen.
110It contained all the data of Ayanokouji recorded while he stayed in the
111White Room.
112“I don’t like using this word loosely, but… he’s definitely a monster.”
113The measure of his academic ability, and not to mention his physical
114capabilities; they are easily comparable to that of a superior adult’s, and
115maybe even more so than that.
116He’s had enough experience and achievements to prove that he can –
117without hesitation – win in a fight against a professional in combat, even if
118they had the upper hand.
119“A battle of those who were artificially nurtured from the White Room
120against naturally-born geniuses… I wonder who would win if they fought
121head-on?”
122Of course, Tsukishiro already has a solid answer to that.
123However, that answer isn’t absolute.
124“To hunt, or to be hunted. Even if it’s a game between children, it’s
125going to be a heck of an interesting one.”
126As an adult himself, Tsukishiro didn’t waver. He never would. Just do
127what you’ve been told to. That is your purpose.
128[ 1 ]
129THE TRUE MEANING OF ABILITY
130It has been a long time since society became familiar with the term
131‘ability’ in the 21st century.
132Japan was at a turning point as the world faced various problems.
133Those problems range from declining birth rate, an aging population,
134environmental problems, along with a declining sense of nationalism.
135Overall, Japan was just full of declines.
136Thus, in order to rebuild these efforts from the ground up, the
137government had begun to emphasize their work on human resource
138development.
139And through those efforts, a certain high school was born.
140To attract a wide variety of students from all over the country and to
141train world-class children in order to lead the future.
142That is the purpose of the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High
143School.
144The biggest selling point of this school would be that it does not
145question the student’s grades when determining their eligibility to enter its
146curriculum.
147Instead, the students are selected according to the school’s own criteria.
148The ability of each student isn’t solely based off their grades, but instead are
149scored on multiple aspects.
150For example, those who can study but are bad at communicating with
151others. Those who excel at sports but aren’t the brightest.
152Even the ones without any special traits. They are all accepted into the
153school to partake in the same curriculum together.
154It is a mechanism that a normal high school wouldn’t have thought of in
155the first place.
156Students with such diverse personalities are made to live in groups and
157compete on a class-by-class basis.
158The purpose of doing this is to let the students fight in a competitive
159society and to create the groundwork necessary to survive as a group.
160And thus, the students who are stamped with the seal of ineligibility will
161trace the fate of withdrawal without mercy.
162Nobody can survive in this school just by studying or exercising.
163The first year is divided into four classes, from A-class to D-class.
164At the time of admission, approximately 40 students are allocated to
165each class. Thus, bringing the grand total up to 160 students.
166In a more detailed analysis, this school is wildly different compared to
167other high schools.
168First of all, students will not be allowed to contact the outside for three
169years until graduation. At the same time, they will also be barred from
170leaving school grounds and are forced to live in the dormitories.
171This sounds more like a prison than a school.
172To contradict this fact, the school – which boasts a large amount of area
173– have prepared facilities for students, so there is no need to worry about
174living essentials. In a large commercial facility dedicated to students and
175school officials called Keyaki Mall, you can find just about everything
176you’ll ever need, ranging from cafes, consumer electronics retailers, and all
177the way to saloons. If you want something else not found in this place, then
178the Internet is the second-best option.
179In addition to that, the money required for daily life purchases is
180provided in the form of ‘private points,’ and they are used instead of actual
181cash in an easy-to-understand one-point one-yen basis.
182However, these private points aren’t infinite.
183Each month, private points are allocated to students according to the
184amount of ‘class points’ their class has. For each class point, 100 private
185points will be allocated to the students in that class. For example, if a class
186has 786 class points, then the students in that class will get 78,600 private
187points each month.
188In other words, to accumulate enough private points necessary to live a
189comfortable school life, class points must be secured first.
190Fortunately, there are several ways to gain class points, but the most
191common way to obtain them is through a special challenge given to all
192students in that grade called ‘special exams.’
193Basically, students from each class will compete with each other, and
194whoever performs the best will gain class points, while the lowest
195performers will lose class points. Let’s say your class has 1000 class points.
196That means, you’ll be allocated 100,000 private points each month.
197If you along with your class continuously underperforms in these special
198exams, then your class points will inevitably drop down to zero. Thus, the
199private points you’ll get each month will also be zero.
200The relationship between class points and private points is probably a
201mechanism for uniting the students with different ways of thinking by
202fighting together as a group to gain class points. Having a sufficient amount
203class points will also mean guaranteeing a fulfilling school life.
204However, that is not the only charm of the Advanced Nurturing High
205School.
206The biggest selling point of this school is to graduate while enrolled in
207class A. The victorious students can go on to even higher education and get
208their preferred jobs. In extreme terms, whether it is a university for the elite,
209or a high-end company, they will almost always be allowed a pass.
210That said, life certainly isn’t that easy. If your boss clearly sees that you
211are not performing as they expected you to, then you’ll be kissing the
212company goodbye.
213Still, there is no doubt that the perks given by this school is a very
214attractive favour.
215Many people wonder if that is the main reason why the Advanced
216Nurturing High School is such a high-profile school.
217Kiyotaka Ayanokouji is a student who attends this elite school.
218And after a little over a year of studying in this school, his second year
219will begin soon.
220As of the 1st of April, Ayanokouji’s class, which is class D, has 275 class
221points. The students in D-class will only receive an amount of private points
222just shy of 30,000. By the way, A-class, which is led by Sakayanagi, is
223currently in first place in terms of class points, with an overwhelming lead
224of 1119 class points.
225Following that is class B which was led by Ichinose. Their class
226currently has 542 class points. And just behind that, Ryuuen’s class C has
227540. They are so close that the difference in class points just seems
228insignificant.
229Although the difference of class points between D-class and the other
230classes is quite big, there are still numerous chances for Ayanokouji’s class
231to come back.
232In the next year, how much the gap between each class can be reduced
233through their efforts will be key to the game.
234[ 2 ]
235A NEW STAGE
236The long yet deceivingly short spring break is finally over, and the
237opening ceremony of the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High
238School has arrived.
239On this day, all of us will be leaving the classroom that we have been so
240familiar with over the past year, and will be moving to a new classroom now
241that we are sophomores.
242At first glance, everything seems the same, from the chairs, desks and the
243plain walls; but somehow, it still feels different to me. The first thing
244everyone was waiting for when we entered this classroom was the message
245that was apparently displayed on the blackboard.
246“Please wait in the same seats as the previous year.”
247Until last year, what was called a ‘blackboard’ was utilized by writing on
248it using chalk by a teacher.
249However, the blackboard in front of me could be called as a ‘black screen’
250instead of an actual blackboard.
251To put it simply, a large electronic monitor has now replaced the
252traditional blackboards.
253From this year onwards, we will be using this gigantic screen for day-today activities in class. Just like any new piece of technology, it has a certain
254shine to it that makes it seem precious.
255The students who arrived at class after me all seemed to be at awe when
256they noticed the newly implemented ‘blackboard.’ Anyway, as instructed by
257the screen, I headed straight to the back of the class, right up to the leftmost
258window, where a seemingly-familiar seat welcomes me. I sat down with a bit
259of excitement, only to be let down with the same view yet again.
260When the time comes, the opening ceremony will be held in the
261gymnasium, same as last year’s occasion.
262Following that, the teacher in charge of our class will explain the schedule
263and necessary preparations for this fiscal year, lasting for an estimated two
264hours. After that, class will be dismissed in the morning.
265As spring break has just ended, the students’ minds seem to be prioritizing
266on elsewhere. Naturally, my friends – and most likely everyone else – who
267have not met each other for quite a while, are excited to see what their
268acquaintances were involved in during the holidays.
269“Yo!”
270While I was surfing the internet on my phone on my seat, I was called out
271by someone from my right.
272No, it wasn’t Horikita. Not in a million years would she greet someone
273with the words”Yo!”
274The person who allegedly greeted me was my classmate, Miyake Akito.
275He is one of the people in the Ayanokouji Group who I get along with well.
276“You know, I was a bit worried since you didn’t show up in the group chat
277much during spring break,” expressed Akito.
278It is true that during spring break, I had little to no interaction with the
279group.
280Would it be a miracle to say that the conditions in the surrounding area
281was hustling and bustling, and that despite me being somewhat neglected, I
282was still approached by a classmate?
283“Of course, there’s no rule that states we must get together every time, but
284you’re like the ‘leader’ of this group, so it wouldn’t hurt to hang out with us a
285bit more, right? And most of all, Airi seemed to care a lot about you during
286spring break.”
287Thinking about the feelings of the girls in the group, Akito gave me that
288piece of advice.
289“Sorry, I’ll show my face a bit more onwards.”
290“That’s okay. I’ll admit I did miss seeing you around, too.”
291When a friend says that, it becomes a little bit painful. Still, I didn’t feel at
292guilt here.
293As if he hadn’t intended on staying here for long, Akito raised his right
294hand as a gesture of goodbye and turned around to return to his seat, which
295was the same as last year’s.
296I think he is a very good friend to have.
297After that, since I didn’t want to fiddle around with my phone anymore, I
298decided to eavesdrop on some conversations going on in class.
299From the topic of spring break earlier, it has moved on to the new firstyear students.
300Tomorrow will be the day when the entrance ceremony will be held and
301when the new freshmen will arrive.
302Last year, class D was treated fairly well after entering school, with no
303major conflicts happening during the first day.
304All classes were immediately given 1000 class points after admission. In
305other words, it would be equal to 100,000 private points, which is equivalent
306to 100,000 yen in cash. The students were heads over heels about their
307monthly allowance, and bought one item after another. In addition to that,
308being late to class and even absences were commonplace, along with talking
309and dozing off in class.
310On the other hand, serious students focused only on themselves and did
311not have to pay attention to their chaotic surroundings.
312There may be several reasons why they were not acting properly, but it can
313definitely be said that the school intended on leaving the problem children
314alone. If the teacher didn’t care, then why should the students either?
315However, that could technically be counted as the first ‘special exam’ held
316by the school.
317Whether or not the ability to notice what is going on is considered
318different from the compulsory education in elementary and middle school, as
319a high school student, I was voluntarily trying to find out if I could take things
320for granted.
321And, as a result, on the 1st of May following that uncivilized month, our
322class points immediately fell to zero. Thus, the private points that were
323initially going to be transferred to us were also non-existent.
324After that unforgettable day, as class 1-D took on several trials, their
325disjointed students slowly grew and developed a sense of unity, finally being
326able to crawl out of the rabbit hole they dug themselves in. At one point in
327time, we even managed to overtake class C, but at the end, we still fell back
328down to class D.
329Despite countless exams and trials, we managed to gain 375 class points
330throughout the year. Although the difference between the current class points
331of class A and class D is unbearably large, in the past year, we remain as the
332class to gain the most class points out of any class.
333Now that we have advanced to the second year, it will be important to
334know how much you can improve together in order to increase the class
335points.
336“Oh, hey!”
337I could hear the voice of a cheerful girl greeting her friends. Immediately
338after that, the girls who were greeted by that voice turned around one after
339another and returned the greeting. It was Karuizawa Kei who gathered all the
340girls together. The number of girls increased rapidly, and the same stories
341from before loop back to the beginning.
342It was only the other day that I started going out with Kei, the leader of the
343girls in our class.
344There is no one but the two of us who know this relationship.
345As I recalled on the conversation that I was eavesdropping on, a suddenly
346voice of surprise, similar of that to a shriek, resounded through the whole
347classroom. When I looked up, I immediately understood the real reason of the
348surprise.
349Should it be said that such a reaction is natural when seeing the
350appearance of a certain classmate who has been going to school just as
351everyone else here?
352The female student, who was attracting all the attention, went straight to
353her seat – that is, the seat right next to mine – without responding to the
354surprise.
355That long, beautiful black hair of hers is now gone, and has now been
356replaced with shoulder-length hair. Actually, it was even shorter than that.
357This was the result of her finally reconciling with her brother, Manabu
358Horikita, and finally broke away from her past self, one where she was
359always chasing after the shadow of said brother. Thus, she cut her hair to
360show that she has changed.
361I can’t be surprised since I already know of that fact, but if this were to be
362my first sighting of her, then my reaction would have been the same as the
363people around me.
364“Su-Suzune… You… That… Your hair… What’s happened to your
365hair?!”
366It was Ken Sudou who shouted out so hastily after seeing Horikita’s new
367look. After all, he is the one who has fallen in love with her.
368Yet another girl, who was puzzled by Horikita’s sudden change,
369approached her as well.
370“Horikita-san, I wouldn’t have imagined this… Right, I was so surprised
371when I saw you!”
372It was Kikyou Kushida, who is another classmate, and also coincidentally
373from the same middle school as Horikita.
374“I wonder, is it that strange that I cut my hair?”
375Not only Sudou and Kushida, but also many other students who paid
376attention to Horikita’s new hairstyle, was glared at by her cold eyes.
377“No, no! I was just so surprised. Your new hairstyle changes your image a
378lot. Of course, I’m not saying that it looks bad at all. Short hair is nice too.
379Ain’t that right?”
380Although the impact of Horikita’s change was strong for Sudou, the length
381of her hair isn’t something he would be so trivial about. Rather, he readily
382accepted the new image of his preferred partner and showed his support.
383Despite that, Sudou couldn’t hide his puzzled appearance.
384“Yeah, that’s right… I think it suits you well. But what happened? Why
385did you decide to cut your hair?” Kushida asks.
386The topic shifts slightly to find out Horikita’s motive for cutting her hair.
387“Come on, tell me! Why’d you cut it?”
388Before Horikita could even answer, Sudou cut in with his impatient words.
389“Let’s just say… It was about a broken heart, and so on…” Horikita’s
390answer was vague.
391
392“Eh? A broken heart?”
393“If I were to put it into more accurate terms, then I’d say it’s more of a
394declaration of independence.”
395Horikita answered without putting much attention towards her hair so as to
396brush off the ‘broken heart’ statement of hers.
397“Well, I guess that’s true. There’s no way you would have a broken heart,
398would you?”
399Even though he says so, Sudou is still breaking out into a cold sweat.
400“This year, since I’m a second-year student now, I’ve decided to fight as
401hard as I can in order to make D-class rise higher. That’s why I wanted to do
402as much as I could handle.”
403“That’s right. Well then… I think I’ll extend my hair instead,” Kushida
404claimed.
405It is true that long hair is also cute, but the true motive behind extending
406her hair is much different from that.
407Kushida is probably frustrated that she has the exact same hair length as
408the one person she hated now that Horikita has cut her hair short. No one
409would have guessed that was Kushida’s true intentions. I couldn’t help but
410imagine the raging feelings swirling inside Kushida right now.
411“If you’re satisfied with my explanation, then would you all be so kind as
412to return to your seats?”
413Horikita is implying that there’s no point in paying so much attention in
414the length of her hair.
415Horikita, who had a strong impact on her surroundings, seemed to be a
416little dissatisfied that she is attracting so much attention. She looked grumpy,
417but fortunately the bell rang and the chat finally ended.
418* * *
419Part 1
420Several days have passed since the opening ceremony was held. In the
421blink of an eye, the weekend has passed and it is now Monday.
422Every single day since then was full of peace.
423At the beginning of the school year, major changes have been made to the
424blackboards, and all textbooks are now replaced with tablets. Last week, my
425eyes have been focusing on the newly distributed tablets.
426Just as e-books have become more popular these days, the textbooks that
427were used in class have also been replaced by electronic versions inside the
428tablet itself.
429The tablet is given to each student, along with a new high-speed charging
430device installed at the rear end of the classroom. The charging port is always
431available to prevent the tablets from running out of battery in the middle of
432class. In principle, it is prohibited to bring back the tablets, but students are
433allowed to transfer necessary data over the school’s network.
434The previously troublesome number of textbooks that we had to carry
435each day has now all been stored inside this 12-inch tablet as data. In addition
436to being able to freely manipulate and utilize tools and images, the school has
437also responded to the act of globalization by allowing smooth interactions
438with people from around the globe in English classes.
439If you think about this government-supervised school, this new way of
440learning is actually quite late to being introduced.
441However, it remains unclear at this time whether the progress made is
442necessarily correct or not.
443The evaluation of this change will be greatly divided on whether the
444children are able to succeed in the future and fit in with society.
445The level of knowledge gained during the second year of high school will
446naturally be higher than that of the first year. I don’t know how high the
447threshold for other high schools are, but I can at least say that this school
448seems to be way above average.
449If so, then how far can Sudou and Ike go on their own when studying? In
450order to prevent more expulsions, we as a class need to support each other
451more than ever before.
452At any rate, what has changed substantially is the digitization of study
453materials, but other than that the seating plan of the class has also changed. It
454is possible to use private points to secure your favourite seats, but in the end, I
455didn’t need to use that.
456Previously, I sat at the rear end of the class and right next to the window,
457pretty much what you’d call a cliché seat. After the change, I miraculously
458scored another seat at the back, this time however being at the opposite end of
459the class, where I’m closest to the corridor.
460Generally, seats close to the corridors are pretty unpopular because there
461are a lot of people coming and going which can cause distractions. To me,
462however, that wasn’t that big of a deal.
463In addition to that, although the number of new students passing each
464other has increased, there is no change to me in particular who is not involved
465in club activities, and I have yet talked to anyone else from another school
466year yet.
467It’s already been a year since I’ve talked to a senior student. That time was
468to get a hold of old exam questions.
469At any rate, the first few days of the new school year were lull.
470“Is everyone present?”
471At about the same time as the school bell rang, our homeroom teacher,
472Chabashira-sensei shows up in our classroom.
473Chabashira-sensei’s expression was serious.
474And since there won’t be any classes in the first and second periods after
475this, we can expect something to go down.
476It seems that the minute amount of peaceful days is coming to an end.
477“Sensei, is there a special exam?”
478Before our homeroom teacher even spoke, Ike immediately asked that
479question after noticing Chabashira-sensei’s facial expression.
480Nobody dared to act silly, and the feeling of even trying has gone straight
481out the window.
482It did not seem to be a problem for Chabashira-sensei, though.
483In the past, every time a special exam is announced, many – if not, all –
484the students would feel uneasy.
485However, as much as we despise them, it is a path that cannot be avoided
486if we’re aiming for the top. Though, we are becoming more and more capable
487of facing them.
488“It may be a concern for all of you, but there are things that I have to
489address before I move on. This is very important for the future of your school
490lives.”
491After taking out her cell phone, Chabashira-sensei continued to explain
492while showing the screen of her phone to us.
493“Everyone, take out your cell phones and put it on the desk. If anyone has
494forgotten to bring their cell phone, then I’ll have you return to your dorms and
495take it back here. However, everyone seems to have their phones, so there’s
496no need for that.”
497Mobile phones are now a must-have item in daily life. Above all, it can be
498said that we have now been accustomed to having it on our bodies at all
499times, as if we’re wearing them just like our clothes.
500Soon after confirming that all 39 of our cell phones are on our desks,
501Chabashira-sensei began to talk again.
502“First of all, each student has to access the school’s website in order to
503install a new application. It should be available for download at this time. The
504official name of the app is ‘Overall Ability,’ but after installation, it will only
505appear as ‘OAA.’”
506The screen of the ‘blackboard’ switches to a live-action demonstration of
507the installation of the app.
508This can be considered as a convenient part obtained from digitalization.
509After installing the app, an app with the icon of the school’s insignia is
510added in our phones, along with the letters ‘OAA’ displayed below the icon.
511“Once you’re done, put your phones back down. If there’s anything that
512you don’t understand, then raise your hand.”
513These instructions are so simple that there shouldn’t be anyone who has
514trouble following them. That’s at least true for our class, as there are no
515students who are struggling with the instructions, so the process is going
516smoothly.
517“Remember, it’s not only you, class 2-D, but all classes spread among
518every school year are doing the installation work at the same time. This app is
519an excellent one which will bring various benefits to the students of this
520school in the future. I’m going to ask you to start up the app without wasting
521any time.”
522Following Chabashira-sensei’s words, I tapped the icon of the app to start
523it. Immediately upon opening, the camera on the phone is activated.
524“Scan your student ID cards using your phone’s camera. It’ll automatically
525complete the initial setup phase.”
526Using the rear camera of my phone, I took a picture of my own student ID
527card which included information such as my name, age, class, student ID and
528a photo of my face. After a few seconds, the setup is complete.
529“Now that you’ve created your accounts, there’s no need to log in later.
530Also, be careful with handling your phones from now on, because the app you
531just installed on your phones have confidential information about yourself.”
532When I logged in, I could see several interactable items listed as small
533icons in the main menu of the app.
534“This app contains personal data for all students of all grades. For
535example, if you press the icon for class 2-D, all students’ names will be
536displayed in alphabetical order. Give it a try.”
537A total of 39 face portraits are certainly displayed in order.
538“I don’t care who you look at, but I recommend tapping on your own
539name first.”
540I tapped on my own name as I was told.
541What I thought was going to be displayed is just simple information like
542my name, face portrait, age, class, date of birth and so on, but it seems I was
543off the mark here.
544What was actually displayed were pieces of information that nobody
545would’ve imagined.
5462-D Kiyotaka Ayanokouji
547First-year Results
548Academic Ability C (51)
549Physical Ability C+ (60)
550Critical Thinking D+ (37)
551Social Contribution C+ (60)
552Overall Strength C (51)
553“Sensei, what are these? Are they my abilities scored in numerical values
554like a game?”
555“That’s right. These are your individual results based on your performance
556during your first year here at this school. Although I said it has confidential
557information, it is still possible to view not only our class’ but also the grades
558of all students no matter what year they are in. I approved of this statistics
559system since I judged it to be useful for your education in the future.”
560In other words, the role of this app called OAA is to get a grip on each
561individual’s capabilities in numerical form. They can also use the app for
562convenient purposes such as sending a notification to all students in this
563school.
564In the upper right corner of the screen, I tapped on the ‘?’ button. A menu
565popped up which includes a detailed explanation of each scored category.
566Academic Ability: Calculated from scores in written tests conducted
567mainly throughout the year.
568Physical Ability: Calculated from the evaluation of the individual’s
569strength in P.E. classes, club activities, special examinations etc.
570Critical Thinking: Calculated from how capable the individual can adapt
571to society, such as the number of friends they have, communication skills
572which include their standing position, and whether or not their applications
573for solutions are effective.
574Social Contribution: Calculated from various factors such as the attitude of
575the individual during class, absences and tardiness, their behaviour, and their
576contribution to the school through the affiliation of the student council.
577Overall Strength: Calculated from the four aspects of the individual as
578listed above, though their social contribution score is halved when calculating
579their overall strength.
580Here is a more specific way to find the score for overall strength:
581(Academic Ability + Physical Ability + Critical Thinking + Social
582Contribution * ½) all divided by 350, and then multiplied again by 100 which
583is rounded off to the closest integer.
584I see now. My ability to think is lower than other aspects, which in my
585opinion should be a convincing enough cover to hide my true abilities.
586The number of friends and communication skills for me are not very high.
587If other aspects are evaluated by what we usually show, then it is likely
588that the student body can easily agree on their scores.
589In addition to the first-year scores, there are options for second-year and
590third-year scores, but those are currently blank (since we haven’t even
591finished our second year at high school yet).
592“Right now, only your first-year results are available, but from today
593onwards, as long as you are in your second year of high school, you are going
594to be evaluated without the impact of your previous year. Updates will be
595made at the beginning of each month along with the class points.
596“Sudou, your current academic ability is grade E, right? That’s not a very
597shiny grade that you can show to anyone, but if you get a perfect score in the
598next written exam, you will be given an A+ on your second-year evaluation
599page,” Chabashira-sensei explained.
600In other words, the evaluation for your second year is for that year only,
601separate from your previous year. And the annual results will always remain
602as its own record. Even if Sudou gets a perfect score in the written exam in
603April and his academic ability evaluation shoots up to an A+, if he scores 0
604points on the written exam after that one, then the two results will balance out
605and he’ll get an average evaluation of C. If that’s how you spent the year, then
606the total average of your actions will come out at the end.
607The most notable aspect of this app is that information about the student
608body can be confirmed not only through face-to-face exchanges but also
609through OAA. Just from seeing a student’s name, face, and what kind of
610grades they have, no matter if they were a freshman, sophomore or senior,
611you can gather up lots of information without even the need of directly
612exchanging information.
613By the way, the first-years seem to have their grades evaluated based on
614their performance in their third year in middle school. Aside from academic
615ability, physical ability and social contribution, there is a possibility that their
616critical thinking ability cannot be evaluated as of yet.
617A useful performance checking tool… No, that’s not the only thing.
618It is clear that this will play a more important role.
619“Some students who have achieved unsatisfactory grades may be
620dissatisfied with the fact that records remain, but I have to tell you that I’m
621the one who oversees all of your growth that year.”
622The closer your academic ability and physical ability are to E-grade, the
623more you will leave a stain as a student.
624“The results in your first year of high school are now a thing of the past. It
625will have no effect on the future evaluation of all of you who have now
626become sophomores. In other words, it is important for those who have
627achieved poor results to change their perceptions on their past. We expect the
628visualization of your performances to encourage that kind of growth.”
629If personal results continue to remain in the app which can be reviewed by
630everyone in the future, there will be a lot of people who would want to make
631an effort to improve their reputation, even if it’s small. As Chabashira-sensei
632said, the effect of promoting improvement in the performance of each student
633seems to come to an extent.
634“Sensei, why is the evaluation method for social contribution a little
635different from the other three categories?”
636The impact of social contribution on overall strength is halved.
637The question was posed by Yousuke Hirata who had wondered about that
638point for a long time now.
639“Academic ability, physical ability, and critical thinking; the school
640regards these three categories as very important for the success of a student.
641On the other hand, social contribution is a little different. Social contribution
642is based on a student’s morals and manners, their language and attitude
643towards teachers, their presence in class and absences or being late to school.
644Their ability to comply with the rules and regulations set by the school, and
645also the appearance of the student from various aspects such as their ability to
646speak up and their accuracy in replies are all examined. Since being socially
647active is merely a choice and not impacted much by talent, the impact on
648overall strength is set to be low.”
649Unlike the three other skills that cannot be gained overnight, a person’s
650personality and attitude can change a lot in just one day.
651Take Hirata’s case for example, one day he’s a social, friendly person who
652is easy to talk to, and the next day he’s become a walking ghost that rejects
653anyone else’s company. Plus, when he recovered from that ‘depression’ era of
654his, it only took him one day to do so.
655From that, we can see that social contribution isn’t a challenging skill that
656requires a lot of effort to acquire, and instead it can be heavily affected from
657one’s surroundings.
658“This app is equal. It has nothing to do with the fact that the class is above
659or below. Everyone is equally valued. As of now, students who are highly
660regarded for their collective strength can say that they have achieved results
661worthy of praise as a single person.”
662The student list is arranged alphabetically, though it seems to have a
663sorting function.
664It is not necessary to look one by one for the person with the highest
665collective strength in class D in these two years.
666When I tapped on the sort function, it was Yousuke Hirata who came up at
667the top with the highest combined strength in the class.
6682-D Yousuke Hirata
669First-year Results
670Academic Ability B+ (76)
671Physical Ability B+ (79)
672Critical Thinking B (75)
673Social Contribution A (85)
674Overall Strength B+ (78)
675If you look at it from a numerical standpoint, you can see Yousuke’s
676excellence in a single glance. No matter which part you put your attention to,
677his high level of achievement is almost indescribable. If Yousuke’s weakness,
678which he had shown at the end of the year, had not been shown, his
679evaluation would have been a little higher.
680On the other hand, when I sorted the Overall Strength category to ‘Lowest
681to Highest,’ Ike came out on top. His overall strength was 37.
682Additionally, there was another student with the same overall strength.
683Airi Sakura.
684She also had an overall strength of 37.
685Sudou, who seemed to be regarded with the lowest-ranked overall strength
686by the class, is actually placed above several students.
6872-D Ken Sudou
688First-year Results
689Academic Ability E+ (20)
690Physical Ability A+ (96)
691Critical Thinking D+ (40)
692Social Contribution E+ (19)
693Overall Strength C (47)
694Academic ability and social contribution are quite low in terms of year one
695due to his poor behaviour. However, the height of his physical ability is
696enough to compensate for his evaluation, and thus he escaped from the
697bottom. When I did further research, I found out that Sudou is the only person
698with an A+ rating for his physical ability out of the whole first/second grade.
699Sudou, who has started improving his academic ability and is showing his
700mental growth, will most likely improve his exam grades even further in his
701second year.
702“Also, this is not directly related to the D-class, but in the first/second
703grade, as an exceptional measure, only the physical ability evaluation of the
704second year A-class student Arisu Sakayanagi is the same as the lowest-grade
705student.”
706Arisu Sakayanagi, a second year A-class student, has a physical handicap.
707She needs to use a cane for your everyday usual activity of walking.
708In other words, since she has a sort of handicap on her physical
709movements, she won’t be able to do any exercise, sports or rigorous activities.
710However, it’s not fair to just give someone zero points if they are not able
711to do something due to their condition – which, by the way, can’t be
712controlled in the first place – so, in that sense, there has been an agreement to
713match her physical ability score with the person who has the lowest one as
714well.
715At any rate, the visualization of one’s abilities might be essential in
716reflecting one’s prowess.
717“This app will make you aware of your own performance and change your
718bad habits, so that you can play an important role for the class as a whole.
719But… I don’t think that’s all there is to it. This is a personal speculation, but I
720think that a year from now, students whose overall strength are lower than a
721certain level will be given some kind of ‘penalty.’
722“Penalty?! No way, will it be dropping out…?”
723“There’s a possibility, but like I said, it’s only my speculation. It won’t
724necessarily apply. However, it’s better to think that the closer your overall
725strength is to grade E, the higher the risk of dropping out.”
726Ike and Airi, who are at the bottom of the list at the moment, have been
727evaluated close to grade E according to their overall strength.
728If you continue to spend this year like how you did in the last, then it
729won’t produce a pretty result.
730“Some of you may be dissatisfied with the difference between your own
731self-assessment and the school’s evaluation. However, this is the current
732‘evaluation of yourself on the school’s side.’ If you are dissatisfied with that
733point, show that you have a higher evaluation than the one given by the
734school. Convince them that you’re not as low as they think you are.”
735“But how can I do that, sensei?”
736Ike, who has the lowest overall strength, rose his hand in a hurry.
737“For students who are doing club activities, your physical ability can be
738increased. For those who are not, I suggest you joining a club to boost your
739confidence. Participation is better than not participating at all.”
740In more situations, students who appeal to the school will basically receive
741preferential treatment. That said, on a case-by-case basis, it is likely to
742become a problem if the appealing process goes poorly.
743“It’s like an individual battle.”
744Chabashira-sensei did not miss Horikita’s remark, who muttered so.
745The introduction of the app will most likely increase each student’s
746abilities to some extent. This will greatly increase the odds of winning in the
747battle that – not just D-class, but every class in every school year – has been
748fighting so far.
749It’s not just Horikita who had such an impression.
750“It’s both a mistake and a correct solution. The new school system, which
751will be introduced this year, has been officialised by the school, which was
752conceived by the student council president, Miyabi Nagumo.”
753Nagumo’s dream of creating a system where each individual’s abilities can
754be evaluated has been officialised. That first step probably took a lot of time
755an effort before the introduction of this app. Actually, the president had been
756making small movements ever since last year.
757“But as ever, what is required as a class remains in the core concept. Just
758remember to work on that point every day.”
759After installing and explaining the app, the first hour of class ended. As it
760was break time, each student began to stare at the screens of their phones. In
761addition to my own evaluation, the grades of my classmates and students in
762other classes are something that I would like to see.
763“I don’t like the fact that my common sense is lower than Kouenji’s!”
764Sudou, who was staring so hard at his phone as if he was affixed onto it,
765shouted so and glared at Kouenji.
766I went to check Kouenji’s evaluation after closing my ear to block Sudou’s
767loud shouting, and so it seems what Sudou had been ranting about turns out to
768be true.
7692-D Rokusuke Kouenji
770First-year Results
771Academic Ability B (71)
772Physical Ability B+ (78)
773Critical Thinking D (24)
774Social Contribution C (25)
775Overall Strength C (53)
776Kouenji, who demonstrates his unusual behaviour and abilities in class
777and exams, is highly regarded for his academic and physical ability.
778“So? I don’t really care all that much. Your physical ability is higher after
779all.”
780Kouenji spills his retort without a hint of envy despite his physical ability
781evaluation being lower than Sudou’s, which should actually be higher.
782“That’s because Kouenji isn’t serious about it. I don’t want to admit it.”
783As Sudou said, Kouenji’s physical abilities are indeed very high. It seems
784to have the same potential as Sudou, but there is a big unevenness because it
785depends on the mood in P.E class and their participation in club activities. If
786you aren’t interested in those, then you’ll skip it, and sometimes you could
787even throw the towel on it.
788It is not uncommon to procrastinate or just be a lazy person as a whole and
789not move your body in the first place. Sudou, on the other hand, is always
790serious about any issues and is producing top-class results. Is it natural to
791have a big gap in their evaluations even if they have similar physical abilities?
792It was the social contribution part that Sudou lacks.
793In other words, it’s about manners and morals.
794He is a problem child who does not take things seriously, compared to
795Sudou who is putting in effort to change his ways.
796Even though it’s only a slight difference, he doesn’t seem to like being
797below.
798I don’t know what Sudou wants to appeal about, though.
799The reason why Kouenji has a higher evaluation than Sudou is because
800Kouenji didn’t cause as much trouble as Sudou did. Even if he did, most of
801the time Kouenji’s actions are well hidden, compared to Sudou who usually
802expresses his rage in a very outwardly manner.
803It’s true after all, Kouenji’s personality is different from Sudou’s; one is
804arrogant yet calm, and the other is sporty but wild. Due to that, Sudou keeps
805getting penalized for his rude actions, which led his score to be under
806Kouenji’s by a slight bit.
807Kouenji was quiet as he listened to Sudou’s rant, but he never dealt with it
808any further than that.
809He didn’t even try to touch the OAA, which everyone is crazy about at the
810moment.
811After more than a year worth of school life, Kouenji may be the person
812who has changed the least.
813At any rate, the students will be able to visualize their grades over the next
814year.
815This action on the school’s side is both a merit and a disadvantage for us.
816For example, because there is an item called overall strength, a certain and
817strong ability ranking was made for a while.
818If an inconvenient special exam happens now, it won’t be necessary to
819answer who’s going to name the candidate for the penalty (a.k.a. dropping
820out). They’ll all focus fire on the students with the lowest overall strength.
821I don’t think I’m worried about Ike nor Airi at the moment, which have
822both been placed at the bottom of the rankings. Only time will tell their
823stories.
824* * *
825Part 2
826The second hour of class began with the topic of the introduction of OAA
827not getting any colder.
828And perhaps, this time the full-fledged ‘story’ will be spread.
829The thoughts in the student’s minds came true.
830“I will now explain the outline of the special examination”
831As if to start the class normally, Chabashira-sensei broke the story out like
832that.
833“The first special exam you'll have in your sophomore year, it's an
834unprecedented trial that will be adopted. It's the introduction of an app.”
835Is it the influence of Tsukishiro? The school system seems to be changing
836drastically.
837“It's important to note that it's a written exam where the freshmen and the
838sophomores are partners.”
839“First-year students and... Partner......?”
840Until now, it has hardly been possible to do anything beyond one’s own
841year.
842There are exceptions such as training camps, but it was natural because of
843the mechanism of fighting against the class.
844Is that the wall that was removed by the introduction of OAA?
845“In this special exam, written exam and communication skills will be
846greatly tested.”
847Studying and communication skills.
848Items that do not seem to intersect at first glance.
849“I don't have to explain the importance of written exams, but classes have
850not been able to interact with other grades aside from sports festivals and
851training camps. Therefore, I judged that the communication skills of the
852students were lacking.”
853“But we're competing with the same grade, aren't we? You’re saying
854something's wrong?”
855Ike showed a little dissatisfaction with the involvement of the first-year
856students.
857“It's not that I don't understand, but it's about thinking objectively. It is not
858possible that a new graduate who becomes a member of society will only
859interact with other new graduates. Some of them are in their second year, and
860some will fight in the same world as veterans who are 20 or 30 years old.
861Sometimes an older opponent will be a rival.”
862“It's... Well, I can somehow imagine it.”
863“As the world shifts to meritocracy, many Japanese companies continue to
864be bound by seniority and lifetime employment. It's strange to do something
865with your kouhai, it's strange to do something with your senpai. Those who
866felt that way when they heard of this special exam should change their
867perception once more. A single example to help comprehend this is skipping
868grades. It is a system that is taken for granted in the United States, the United
869Kingdom, Germany, and so on. It is not uncommon for small children to
870study in conjunction with high school and college students. Can you imagine
871and accept a situation where there are elementary school students who learn
872the same way in this classroom?”
873Classmates were encouraged by Chabashira-sensei to use their
874imagination. And I’m sure they couldn’t understand it. It must have felt
875impossible or strange.
876Certainly, there are few cases where the skip class system is used in Japan.
877There are certain conditions, but many people do not know that it is actually
878possible to jump. The fact is that this system does not fit at present in Japan
879where learning is side-by-side and does not necessarily accept the system of
880jumping class in itself. The white room had no side-by-side learning, so I can
881understand this point well.
882However, it is certain that what Chabashira-sensei says is not everything.
883Everything shouldn’t be imitated from foreign countries.
884Nothing is just to follow other countries. In Japan, education that matches
885the culture of Japan is also important. Chabashira-sensei probably knows this
886herself, but has to follow instructions from above to explain it this way.
887“In the future, there will be cases where you will compete with first and
888third graders. But this time, it's just about working together, and it's about
889remembering that.”
890Is this why this is a special exam that requires both written and
891communication skills? A student who cannot imagine the rules tilts his head.
892“To make people understand, it's best to remind them of last year's special
893exam. It's easy to understand if you think it's an improved paper shuffle that
894was a way to find a partner among your classmates.”
895Paper shuffle.
896That is, classmates are paired and partner to challenge the examination.
897The point is that it is not a classmate, but partners between second years
898and first years.
899It feels like that's the only difference, but this is very different from the last
900time.
901“There is personal freedom to work with anyone in any class of the other
902year. The exam period is at the end of the month, in about two weeks
903including today. There is time to carefully select partners and to work on our
904studies.”
905For this special exam, one can agree to the installation of the OAA app at
906this stage.
907It’s natural that the first years do not know the faces and names of their
908upperclassmen in detail.
909It’s natural that the second years do not know the faces and names of their
910underclassmen in detail.
911The paper shuffle between classmates that was done before was done
912within our group, so I was able to coordinate things and partner with a free
913partner.
914In other words, it was easy for someone to support the students who could
915not study and survive. However, this exam is different. It runs on the premise
916of finding excellent partners. Moreover, the partner is not a student in the
917same grade but in the lower class, meaning a weak relationship. First years
918are in first year, and second years are in second year.
919Above all, it takes a reasonable amount of time to build a relationship of
920trust from zero.
921If you want to build a relationship like this without an app, two weeks
922would not be enough at all.
923However, in OAA, the name and face can be recognized, so some
924shortcuts are possible.
925Moreover, since it is easy to roughly grasp the present academic ability, it
926can be used as reference when deciding.
927“On the appointed day of the exam, the exam will consist of 5 subjects.
928The score for each subject is out of 100 points and the total score is 500
929points. And a crucial rule is… this time, there are two types of wins, one for
930each class and one for each individual.”
931Chabashira-sensei with her fingers on the blackboard displayed the special
932examination outcome.
933Class Wins or Loses by Grade
934Compete with the average score derived from the scores of all the classes
935and the scores of all partners.
936From the order of the highest average score, classes will get 50 points, 30
937points, 10 points, and 0 points.
938Individual Wins or Losses
939Scored with points combined with your partner.
940The top five pairs will receive 100,000 private points each as a special
941reward.
94210,000 private points will be paid to the top 30% of the pairs.
943If the total score is 500 points or less, the second-grade student will drop
944out, and the first grade will not be transferred individual points for three
945months, regardless of the class points held by the first year.
946In addition, students who are judged to have manipulated or lowered their
947scores, such as intentionally making a mistake in the problem, will be
948expelled regardless of grade. If a third party forces a lower score, the same
949shall be dropped from school.
950“I'm sure you'll understand somehow. This exam will be good for students
951with a high reputation for academic ability.”
952If there was no OAA, it was not possible to see even details, but the ability
953of the student was completely naked by the introduction of this app. The
954lower the academic achievement assessment, the harder it is to find a partner.
955Students who are worried about their academic ability will see a tendency
956to remain unsold.
957Smart students naturally work together with smart partners to aim for
958high-ranking results. Students who are concerned about their academic ability
959also seek smart partners to survive. If students of lower academic ability who
960overflowed to the end of it work together, 500 points may be divided. If that
961happens, the harsh reality of dropping out of school awaits the second grader.
962The second graders understand how the structure of the school works, and
963in the class, friendships are growing.
964If you ignore the top rewards, you will be able to move to help your
965classmates.
966However, if it is the first-grade student, the unity of the class etc. is not
967able to be done yet. In that case, students who are not great friends do not
968consider that it is so important that private points are not transferred for three
969months and do not think it is a big thing. Just like a year ago, when a lot of
970people in this class tried to get rid of Sudou… not anymore.
971“Partners are approved by each other and completed by registering within
972the OAA. It's possible to work together from this very moment today, but
973once you've found your partner and agreed to it, you can't break the pair for
974any reason after that.”
975If you say that, it will be difficult to make an immediate decision unless
976the other person's academic ability is very high.
977A cheap decision can cause regret later.
978The monitor will update to display information about your partner.
979How to decide on a partner and rules
980You can apply only once a day to the desired student using OAA (if they
981do not accept it, the application will be reset at 24 o'clock).
982If the other party accepts the application, the partner will be confirmed and
983it will not be possible to cancel it thereafter.
984This is excluding unavoidable troubles such as withdrawal or major
985illnesses.
986Both partners will not be able to accept new applications at 8 a.m. the next
987morning, when the information will be updated on the OAA at the same time.
988It does not specify who the partner is.
989Because of this rule, it is not possible to send a large number of
990application emails as appropriate, even if you send it to a specific person, it is
991possible that the application will be wasted because it will be at 8 o'clock the
992next day that it is known that the person has partnered with another student on
993the same day.
994Well, I don't know if there are any students who will receive applications
995from students they don't know well.
996Perhaps this rule is a measure to make it difficult to know who was
997working with who. The reason is that the analysis of the strength of each class
998can be easily done if it is reflected from the partnerships made.
999“Sensei! There's no kouhai who wants to work with me! I don't think an
1000idiot like me can do anything with my communication skills!?”
1001Such lamentation by Ike was reasonable.
1002The probability that low-academic students will be needed is low until
1003there are not enough students to want to assemble.
1004It’s just a matter of a straight-forward approach.
1005“Don’t worry. No matter how many remain, it does not become a situation
1006that a pair cannot be assembled. If you can’t pair up until the special exam,
1007you’ll be randomly selected at 8 a.m. on the day.”
1008This relief measure let the feelings of Ike get comforted.
1009“But we can't treat students who couldn't find a partner in the same line as
1010the other students. Therefore, the pairs created by the time running out have
1011adopted a mechanism to get a 5% score penalty from the overall score.”
1012For a moment there was relief, then the class complained at a 5% penalty.
1013It's not a situation where you can't take the special exam, but it’s still a
1014pretty painful handicap to burden.
1015“Sensei, we have three dropouts in our second year. Won’t there
1016eventually be three first-year students left over?
1017To such a trivial question by Yosuke, Chabashira-sensei answered
1018indifferently.
1019“For the remaining three, they are compensated by doubling the student's
1020points. However, there will also be a penalty of 5% as well, so few people
1021will be willing to be alone.”
1022It's simply one person with a two-person role. It seems that there will be
1023no problems if three first-year students with high academic ability remain
1024unpicked. However, in this special exam, I cannot just worry about Ike and
1025Sudou in this special examination.
1026For me, it's definitely going to be a very difficult special exam.
1027The reason for the high difficulty is that if the total score is 500 points or
1028less, you will drop out. In other words, it’s essential the partner in completing
1029a special exam must definitely score at least one point. Even if I get a perfect
1030score in five subjects, if my partner scores 0, I can't avoid dropping out.
1031Normally, this is a very sharp rule and dangerous. First-year students don't
1032have the risk of dropping out, so if they get out of hand and get a low score,
1033you'll be forced to drop out unreasonably. However, there is a rule made by
1034the school to observe this.
1035“Students who are judged to have manipulated or lowered their scores,
1036such as intentionally making a mistake in the problem, will drop out
1037regardless of grade. If a third party forces a lower score as well, the person
1038will be expelled as well.” This can be said to be extremely important because
1039this special examination is approved as justifiable.
1040Measures to prevent fraud, such as threatening to cut corners and
1041demanding private points. When this happens, the test will not be able to get
1042out of hand. This ensures that the general class is strongly following the rules.
1043But rules that are normally well-followed are not enough to ensure
1044Why? -- because White Room students are a different story.
1045Because the other side is set up to assume that you will drop out, this rule
1046is not a deterrent.
1047If you succeed in pairing with me, you'll get zero points without
1048forgiveness.
1049In other words, if I choose a White Room person for my partner, then I’m
1050out. At the beginning of the special exam, there is a chance that I will be
1051expelled from school by more than 1/160.
1052Originally, if a partner is expelled due to fraud, the pair's students will not
1053be penalized and will be treated as a pass. But as far as I can hear now, there
1054is no such guarantee anywhere.
1055The reason no one pursues this point is due to the self-assured belief that
1056there should not be a student who takes action which makes it to drop out
1057purposely. No, that's not all.
1058In the unlikely event that such a student appears, the school will probably
1059deal with it in a hurry.
1060It would be quite severe to be expelled due to the involvement of a student
1061who cheated. However, if I’m the one cheating, my partner will have to take
1062serious actions to avoid dropping out.
1063It will be my mistake to pair up with a student who doesn't take the exam
1064seriously.
1065A small number of holes are provided in the rules so that it can respond
1066flexibly.
1067It’s Tsukishiro who flickers in my mind. It's definitely the rules that he
1068thought and built up.
1069I can't miss the opportunity for this special exam. If I go back and choose
1070another partner, the possibility of being with the person from the White Room
1071will increase.
1072It would be nice if I could act quickly and work with students who I don't
1073think are White Room students, but my academic ability evaluation by OAA
1074is C. I'm not in a position to choose as many partners as I want.
1075Even if I try to choose a student with extremely low academic ability, the
1076first grader will not be able to wipe off the anxiety in me having an academic
1077ability of C, and will not give permission to pair.
1078In this case, it is likely that I will safely find a partner with academic
1079ability C, but in anticipation of that, it is possible that the opponent is
1080ambushing near the evaluation
1081At the stage of explanation of the rules, it is certain that the hurdle is
1082higher than any other test so far.
1083“Sensei. How difficult is the exam?”
1084Horikita raises her hand and listens to Chabashira-sensei’s important
1085points for other students
1086“Without covering it up, there are a lot of very difficult problems. It's
1087definitely the most difficult exam you've ever taken. But… that’s the case
1088when aiming for a high score… Even students whose academic ability is near
1089E can get more than 150 points without preparation. If you study for a few
1090days, 200 points will be safe. And this is just a guide, but---”
1091Saying that, Chabashira-sensei displays the prediction score table by
1092academic ability.
1093Academic ability E: 150 points to 200 points
1094Academic ability D: 200 points to 250 points
1095Academic ability C: 250 points to 300 points
1096Academic ability B: Around 350 points
1097Academic ability A: Around 400 points
1098“If you prepare properly, you'll get around this score. But don't forget that
1099if you neglect your studies with pride, you may naturally get a score of less
1100than this.”
1101Chabashira-sensei adds that you do not over-trust the contents reflected on
1102the monitor.
1103“And if you look at the part where the students with academic ability A
1104are around 400 points, I’m sure in this exam, students who do not get a
1105perfect score or exceed 90 points in each subject will not appear at all”
1106It seems to be directly connected to the part where it said that it is the most
1107difficult.
1108At any rate, if students in the vicinity of academic ability E become
1109paired, it is simply a risk of withdrawal.
1110“This is an overview of the special exam to be held in April. Try to brace
1111your spirits and challenge.”
1112After that, a verbal explanation of the scope of the test is done.
1113Chabashira-sensei says that if you carefully study the topics learned in
1114first grade, you will seemingly be well prepared.
1115* * *
1116Part 3
1117During break time, many students inevitably began to gather around
1118Yousuke.
1119Immediately after that, Horikita also stood up and joined them.
1120I'll just listen to you too.
1121“Damn, what should I do Hirata!? Because my academic evaluation is an
1122E, I’m in a big pinch!”
1123Ike asks Yousuke for help while holding his head.
1124Yousuke looked over the whole class as he asked Ike to settle down.
1125“Let's calm down first, then solidify our policy.”
1126Yes, there's no need to panic.
1127“Ke, but--!”
1128“It’s certainly not an easy exam. In order to get at least 501 points,
1129students with academic ability E must pair up with first-year students with
1130academic ability B or higher. It can be said that it is a very safe exam if you
1131work with these students.”
1132To calm down his classmates, he explains that to pass the exam is not so
1133complicated.
1134“And we've been working together on similar exams for a year. It's not
1135something that you can't get any more than 250 or 300 points if you work
1136together and work on your preparations as before.
1137“Yes. Horikita-san is right. If we work together, we should all be able to
1138finish the exam safely.”
1139The words of Yousuke and Horikita were in accordance and overlap, and
1140the movement of the surroundings gradually calms down.
1141“The important thing is not to decide on a partner lightly. The only time
1142you can make a quick decision is if you tell me that a first-year student with
1143academic ability B or higher will join you.”
1144It is certainly impertinent to find a partner soonest, but we will not be able
1145to change until the end of the exam.
1146We need to make sure with our partners we can definitely score 501 points
1147or more.
1148“After that, if you have more than a B+ academic ability, don't rush to see
1149the situation. It may be important to leave a certain number of students who
1150can study to save everyone. At any rate, regardless of who can't study, be sure
1151to consult with me or Hirata-kun when there are any developments.”
1152Horikita tells only the minimum, and hopes that they do not panic and
1153make a fuss carelessly. Honor students such as Keisei and Mii-chan also
1154showed their attitude to cooperate without hesitation. It's not like we're going
1155to be able to negotiate for the whole class together, but it's going to be
1156difficult to get a partner out smoothly. We have to fight against time because
1157we compete in the face of rivals.
1158“For the time being, I'm going to negotiate with a kid who came into the
1159football club. Some students seem to be able to study, and they might be able
1160to become partners.”
1161Yousuke, who was listening to the story, also called out to Horikita.
1162Human-wave tactics are also an important strategy.
1163“I wonder if you can ask, I’m glad to have your help.”
1164Moreover, it is a part that Horikita cannot do if it becomes through club
1165activities. Yousuke smiles gently and nods.
1166“And I think students with academic abilities lower than C should be
1167interviewed in case of an emergency.”
1168“It's the right decision. Let's work together to find a partner.”
1169At the very first stage, just being able to explain the policy to the whole
1170class will be very different. You can follow the weak parts and get a sense of
1171security that no one can abandon you.
1172“Horikita-san, and another one--”
1173“Some students with academic ability C or higher are not good at
1174interaction. I'm also going to follow people who struggle to create partners in
1175parts that are different from academic ability.”
1176Even without a detailed discussion, two people with quick thinking were
1177able to understand.
1178Perfectly breathed in with the minimal amount of conversation required.
1179“Thank you. It would be helpful if you would do that.”
1180Horikita and Yousuke will continue to talk without hesitation, and will sort
1181out the situation in a way that both parties are satisfied with.
1182The two of them once clashed head-on, but they are able to work together
1183incredibly well.
1184The reason is that of Yousuke's flexible way of thinking more than
1185Horikita's roundedness.
1186“By the way, what about Sudou-kun and the basketball club? First graders
1187are coming in, aren’t they?”
1188Horikita asks Sudou who is passionate about club activities.
1189However, Sudou diverted his gaze as if he had a bad case.
1190“Oh, oh. But...”
1191“But?”
1192“It's been a few days since the club activities started, but it's quite spartan,
1193I'm sure... It's because I'm doing it.”
1194“Do you mean that you’re intimidating?”
1195“Well, it might be like that. Basketball is real.”
1196The point is that he may have already become a person to be disliked.
1197Of course, it's because he’s serious about basketball.
1198Seniors who are strict in practice are likely to have a big split in their likes
1199and dislikes.
1200“It's okay. For the time being, concentrate on your studies and don't think
1201about the special exam.”
1202“Oh, yeah.”
1203Because it was counterproductive to swing at a peer, Horikita bit her nail
1204firmly.
1205* * *
1206Part 4
1207After lunch break, I was called to Horikita and went to the hallway.
1208“It's not something we talk about in the classroom, and if someone comes
1209here, we'll know.”
1210“So? It's about the next special exam, isn't it?
1211“Yes. Chabashira-sensei said that the next special examination will be a
1212test with a considerable degree of difficulty. It's a challenge for students with
1213low academic ability, but it's an ideal development for me and you to
1214compete.”
1215First of all, whether we were going to finish our argument, I broached it.
1216I and Horikita have made only one promise during spring break. To
1217compete in one subject in the written exam, with the higher score. If I win,
1218Horikita will join the student council, and if Horikita wins, I'll generously use
1219the ability I've been hiding for a year for the class. It has been declared that it
1220is difficult for students with an A evaluation to get more than 90 points per
1221subject. If it is such a high difficulty level, it will not be a development of a
1222poor draw between perfect scores.
1223“You don't have any complaints, do you?”
1224Check for objections to the next written examination.
1225“Of course.”
1226Because it is not beneficial if it is dragged out, we accept it as a matter of
1227course.
1228“That was good. Then we'll be able to move on to the next discussion right
1229away.”
1230For the time being, I was satisfied with the reconfirmation of the promise
1231and took out my cell phone.
1232And launch the OAA that just installed this morning.
1233“In the first year, I checked the number of students with academic ability
1234B or higher as honor students. There were 17 people in Class A, 13 in Class
1235B, 13 in Class C, and 11 in Class D.”
123654 people in total. It can be said that it is a reasonable percentage.
1237“There are only four people in our class who fall into the E category.
1238There are 12 students in total, including students with academic ability D.
1239First-year students have complete strength and are fully competitive.”
1240“The question is, how many of the honor students can be drawn into our D
1241class.”
1242Even if it is said that there are 54 people, a scramble is inevitable. If
1243there’s an opportunity, everyone will be taken away.
1244“Yes. Of course, the class that has secured a lot of these 54 people has the
1245upper hand, and on the other hand, a class with a lot of D+ and below students
1246are simply disadvantaged.”
1247The app introduced now combines extremely useful features.
1248The class that masters these features will be the closest to winning.
1249“Sakayanagi-san, Ryuuen-kun, and Ichinose-san. Each class should start
1250moving from today.”
1251Among the leaders, Sakayanagi, who is in Class A, will attack
1252immediately.
1253All you have to do is to take advantage of the class with the least number
1254of students anxious about their academic ability, and work hard to bring smart
1255first-year students to your classmates. Even if you’re the junior, you can see
1256the stability of Class A as soon as you look at OAA. If you cooperate, you
1257will be able to get higher rewards.
1258On the other hand, we don't.
1259“First of all, I'm going to give priority to helping my classmates with
1260academic ability E and D.”
1261Horikita agreed and nodded lightly.
1262“It's hard to say 100 points yet, but I've made a partner priority list. After
1263all, I think it's best to sort them out first.”
1264“Wait a minute. It's true that Sudou's academic ability is an E-judgment,
1265but what about the reality?
1266Sudou's grades at the beginning of his entrance were so bad that he was
1267evaluated as E as a result.
1268However, in the second half of the first year, his academic ability began to
1269improve little by little.
1270In a word, it is not strange if it is increased a little now.
1271“Well, I guess... It's certainly much better than before. Even during spring
1272break, Sudou-kun was being a hard-working person to catch up.”
1273“Have you been doing study sessions all the time?”
1274“No way. I'm not free enough to go out with him every day. To some
1275extent, I've learned the ability to learn alone. I was just monitoring his
1276deliverables that came up once every few days.”
1277“Hey...”
1278I thought it was Horikita's effort, but that's something to be honestly
1279impressed with.
1280“To be honest, Sudou-kun is a little higher rank than me... Compared to
1281other students, it's a feeling of coming from D to D+.”
1282Of course, it's just over-optimistic calculations.
1283However, from someone that knows Sudou from a year ago, it is huge
1284growth.
1285“I’m sure that before when Sudou heard the contents of the special exams,
1286he would panic and would be in confusion. Now he was very calm.”
1287That said, Sudou was noisy just now about the fact that Kouenji’s social
1288contribution score is higher than his.
1289“Even though it’s more than academic ability D, he is still a higher priority
1290than Ike.”
1291“His personality and appearance are a big influence. And I was caught up
1292in the high-pressure attitude in club activities I was talking about this
1293morning.”
1294It seems that Sudou’s evaluation isn’t good, after analyzing it properly.
1295“As a freshman who knows nothing - Sudou-kun or Ike-kun, which is
1296easier to partner with?” On the surface, it's exactly the same result.”
1297“Well, it's likely to be Ike after all.”
1298Sudou, who has large height and red hair and a harsh tone, has a scary
1299impression.
1300If you want to work with someone at the same level, I would like to work
1301with Ike who is still easy to communicate with.
1302“It may be more difficult to find a partner than to have a poor academic
1303ability.”
1304That's why I've designated him as a student I want to assign first.
1305“I understand. If I could, I'd like to partner with a first-year student with
1306academic ability B or higher.”
1307“Yes. I think I'll be able to get through it. I want to move quickly; can you
1308help me?
1309“Cooperation? I don't think there's anything I can do.”
1310“You can just say what you think to the person by your side, and it’s good
1311to have someone you trust keep it close.”
1312“I mean, do you trust me?”
1313“I trust all my free-going classmates.”
1314It’s an expression I'm not sure if it's high or low.
1315“Or do you feel uneasy if you haven't studied for as long as a minute to
1316win the game with me?”
1317The provocation is rather counterproductive.
1318It's like having prepared an escape to let me study in my room because I'm
1319worried.
1320“I'm very anxious--.”
1321When I was grateful to use the escape, the phone vibrated.
1322The reason is that the second year Class B leader, Ichinose Honami,
1323messaged the chat provided in the app. And the content is--
1324“From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the day of the event, I got permission to hold an
1325exchange meeting between first- and second-year students in the gymnasium.
1326Students who have the time should come together.”
1327A student who is worried about how to get in touch with a freshman, says
1328that it will be a helping hand.
1329“As expected of Ichinose-san. It’s not just about ourselves, it’s about
1330thinking of the whole thing and acting on it.”
1331It's not clear how many participants there are, but it's a good idea that there
1332will be a reasonable amount of people.
1333It is also highly conceivable that a partnership will be established on the
1334spot.
1335However, far from being pleased, I could see a little impatience in
1336Horikita's expression.
1337Maybe she was imagining a similar strategy.
1338“What's the matter? The special exam has just begun.”
1339“Yes, that's right. First of all, we decided what we would do first.”
1340That would mean participating in this exchange party after school.
1341And before I know it, I'm supposed to cooperate.
1342Well, it's not that much if you just follow...
1343As if she knew it, Horikita turned her eyes to me and tried something.
1344“Okay, I'm going out with you.”
1345“Oh, are you sure you're going to give me a hand? I thought I had been
1346avoided recently, but... You've become a very supportive person.”
1347It’s true to call me brazen, for a guy that was aware he was being avoided.
1348“I was just going to see what kind of fight you were going to do nearby.”
1349“I see. It was too early to use words of cooperation.”
1350Horikita was more than satisfied with that. But it’s a test that I’m forced to
1351survive this time. It is sometimes easier to act with Horikita.
1352“Then I’ll be talking to you as if I were talking to myself. It’s a big task to
1353raise Sudou-kun’s and Ike-kun’s exam scores above the passing threshold,
1354since this exam is based around more intelligent students. Of course, there is
1355also Ryuuen-kun and Sakayanagi-san… In other words, we have to be careful
1356about our strategy.”
1357She’s saying it as a matter of course, but I’ve never felt that way in
1358Horikita before.
1359She would’ve focused only on Sudou and show neglect towards the
1360enemy’s strategy.
1361This time, however, she has a strong sense of vigilance from the start of
1362the battle.
1363“Of course, at this stage, I don’t know the details of what those two are
1364plotting, but I think the usage of ‘private points’ holds the key to victory.”
1365Money. Horikita thought that the power of private points will come in very
1366useful in this special exam. There have been no interactions between the firstyears and the second-years at the moment. In other words, using private
1367points will be the quickest way to finish the story.
1368“I don’t know how much points there are in A-class or C-class, but if we
1369were to compete for students, this strategy involving money will surely be
1370used.”
1371“That’s right. Private points are the easiest things for first-year students to
1372understand.”
1373Everyone can imagine the flow of getting points and responding with their
1374studies. However, our private points will be depleted in no time if we don’t
1375strike at the right time and person. Especially since D-class has been sluggish
1376in their accumulation of private points recently, it is clear that amount of
1377private points – that is, the amount of money – is significantly inferior to
1378other classes.
1379“Normally, we should also put in some points to secure a certain number
1380of students.”
1381Basically, the only way to fight with money is through money itself – just
1382like fighting fire with fire. It is essential to play this game of cash to see who
1383is more loaded.
1384However, the fact that I was feeling impatience with the whole chat that
1385Ichinose sent a while ago still remains.
1386“First of all, I guess I’ll be lurking around the shadows at the exchange
1387party. If I see a chance, then I could act on the spot, but I’m not going to rush
1388it. I wonder if that’s alright.”
1389“Ayanokouji-kun, do you think it’s okay to find a partner on your own?”
1390“Let me ask you back. If you were a first-year student looking for a
1391partner, would you choose to partner up with me?”
1392“Even if you judge it objectively, your academic ability is C. Basically,
1393there shouldn’t be any problems with anyone. It’s just a matter of putting your
1394differences aside, isn’t it?”
1395“Then, I’ll ask for your help when I’m in trouble.”
1396First-year students who decide to work with Horikita and Yousuke can be
1397excluded from the possibility of them being a White Room student. In a
1398sense, it is not possible to use the technique of just asking to be one’s partner,
1399and then splitting to find another partner instead.
1400But, if all the information is leaked to the other party, then I’m certain that
1401I’ll be contemplating on that choice. Since the research is solely a background
1402check, it will be difficult to avoid that White Room student 100% of the time.
1403I won’t be glad if I were forced to make a change of partner from the
1404judgement of Horikita and Yousuke, and I won’t easily admit I can see
1405through the White Room student above all.
1406“You’re better off not being the one to make the first move. It’s not that
1407there is no material to be concerned about, but the 5% penalty this time
1408doesn’t come cheap.”
1409That’s right.
1410I’m not going to make the first move, but I’m still worried about the
1411student from the White Room. It will be problematic if I run into that student.
1412[ 3 ]
1413THE PROBLEMATIC GROUP OF FIRST-YEARS
1414Dozens of first- and second-year students gathered in the gymnasium.
1415Most of them are first-year students rather than second-years. After all, there
1416are many students who see this exchange meeting as an important
1417opportunity to form a group. I’m not familiar with the names and faces of the
1418first-year students, so first, I'll look at the second-year students who are
1419participating.
1420I can't see the leader of class A, Sakayanagi. I don't know if it could be
1421called a substitute, but I could see the figure of Masayoshi Hashimoto
1422could. Sakayanagi's legs are bad, her range of action is narrow and slow. She
1423has great leadership skills to make up for it. As far as I can see, Hashimoto is
1424the only one from Class A. There is no indication that he is trying to talk to
1425anyone.
1426Who will come into contact with whom at the exchange meeting, and the
1427spy is the kind of person who guesses?
1428About half of the Second-year Class B boys and girls including Ichinose
1429are present. There was also the figure of Kanzaki who supported Ichinose by
1430the side. However, there is no impression that they are biased toward other
1431special abilities or students who are likely to be anxious about academic
1432ability. It seemed that they simply chose social students. On the other hand, at
1433first glance, there is no sign that C class students are participating It is as if
1434there were no exchange meetings in their eyes from the beginning Even if you
1435take this place alone, you can see the whole second-year’s thoughts. Today,
1436however, it is not the second grade that is important to Horikita.
1437Rather the first-year students, who are all strangers. First-year students
1438who have just entered the school shouldn’t know the right or left.
1439Under such circumstances, many students may not be able to keep up with
1440their thoughts because they are suddenly paired with a second grader. It is also
1441a group of good students who are participating while shrinking.
1442Looking at the situation, Ichinose tried to expand her circle from selfintroduction and casual chat without mentioning anything about the special
1443examination. Of course, no one can be immediately open to it.
1444Ichinose, who understands this, proceeds slowly, without rushing and
1445gently smiles. And, it melts the heart which was hard and closed like ice. Just
1446a few minutes, I was looking at this exchange party and the scene ahead
1447seemed to come to my mind.
1448“She didn’t give priority to special exams, but to build trusting
1449relationships with each other first. It's a very Ichinose-san way. It's a dazzling
1450way that just anyone can't do.” Horikita gave her first impression of
1451this gathering.
1452It is unknown to what extent this strategy can be used, but it is very
1453important. What Ichinose is doing will benefit both first and second years.
1454Horikita describes Ichinose as trying to show such a success.
1455From that profile, the strategies that you may have begun to think about
1456appear faint.
1457“Are you thinking of a similar strategy?”
1458“...... That's right. The strategy centered on the private point is heavy on
1459our D class. Therefore, I thought that it was important to build a relationship
1460of trust with the first graders. But I'm not very good at it like Ichinose-san. Or
1461rather, that kind of strategy is her strong point.”
1462You need something to get recognized as a partner. The”something” can
1463be related to points, trust, friendship and favor.
1464“Most of the first-year students have already known the name and face of
1465Ichinose Honami in the second-year Class B. Students who are anxious will
1466surely come to her and she will meet their expectations.”
1467“Yes.”
1468They will not bother to come to second-year Class D.
1469“But even if you can’t use a dazzling way like her, there's a way to do it.”
1470It seems that Horikita got some hint at this exchange gathering.
1471The key is probably in the part where she was observing the stats of the
1472first-grade students with the OAA app.
1473There is no sign of returning yet, and Horikita continues to observe the
1474first-year students.
1475I'm not the only one who was watching it by the side. A large shadow
1476moves next to her.
1477“It's just those guys who always seem to be weak” 
1478Next to Horikita, Sudou, who was watching the first years, voiced such an
1479impression.
1480Sudou offered to accompany Horikita because the request to hold the
1481exchange meeting of Ichinose was admitted, and it was decided that it was
1482urgent to use the gymnasium until 5 o'clock though it was planned to be a
1483club activity straight on the other hand today.
1484He seemed to have been told that it was unnecessary, but he came to the
1485gymnasium anyway.
1486“ Don’t glare at them unnecessarily. There's nothing you by scaring
1487them.”
1488“I’m not glaring at anyone. It’s just how my face has been from birth.
1489Well, it's okay to take your time. Isn't it possible to take a smart
1490junior from Ichinose? You don't have to talk to me, do you?”
1491Sudou said that it is better to go to the voice early, and Horikita told him
1492not to be impatient. Even if a student other than class B in the second-year
1493talks to a first-year student at an exchange gathering, Ichinose will not get
1494angry. Rather, I can see her being happy.
1495“What will you do?”
1496I was also concerned about Horikita's behavior, so I asked her about it.
1497“Do you think we can compete in this place with second-year Class B in
1498terms of sociability and win?”
1499Ichinose places more importance on the relief of the first-year students
1500than on the victory of her class.
1501Class B seemed to be trying to deepen friendship with first-year students
1502without leaving anyone out.
1503It will lead to a relation of trust with the first-years.
1504“I don't think so at all.”
1505I don't know if Yosuke or Kushida could do it, but, I, Horikita, and Sudou
1506lack the ability.
1507We came to this place while knowing that.
1508Horikita starts to act when the discussion begins.
1509“Let's go.”
1510It's not about participating in the social gathering, it's about
1511Horikita had no intention of taking the first-grade students to make allies
1512at this exchange gathering from the beginning.
1513“Is that fine, Horikita?” 
1514“More than half of the students are not at this social gathering. I will
1515negotiate with them.”
1516In other words, the aim is to target first-year students who didn't listen to
1517Ichinose's voice.
1518However, it will be difficult at the same time.
1519Students who can get a partner with their ability even if they can't give a
1520helping hand, or those who don't have the courage to attend an exchange
1521gathering. Or a student who has already developed a strategy. In any case, it is
1522thought that there are a lot of students who have one or more reasons.
1523“Let's hear the reasons.”
1524“There are two reasons. As far as I researched, the percentage of students
1525who came to the exchange party had a high percentage of people who were
1526more concerned about their academic ability. What we are looking for
1527immediately is students with at least B or greater academic ability. In
1528other words, an immediate fighting power with confidence that they can fight
1529without coming to an exchange party.”
1530I see. Certainly, it makes some sense to stay away from this exchange
1531gathering.
1532“Our top priority is not to work together with students with Academic
1533ability A. Our goal talk to students who have the ability to follow-up with the
1534low ability students to ensure that there are absolutely no dropouts.”
1535However, even if the second year B class rescues a lot of people, the firstyear students will naturally overflow. Moreover, Ichinose should give priority
1536to saving low-skilled students than students with high academic ability in the
1537position. Though there is a possibility to pick up students with a high degree
1538of academic ability.
1539Is it the second reason, or is there another hidden motive?
1540“And there was a specific bias about the academic ability of the first-years
1541who showed up at the exchange gathering”
1542“Bias?”
1543“The first year Class D class students didn't participate at all.”
1544Not participating at all. Well, it might be an interesting bias indeed.
1545“You seem to understand.”
1546“What the hell? What does it mean that the 1st year D class doesn't
1547participate?”
1548Not understanding the meaning, Sudou tilted his head. 
1549“There are 40 people in one class. Some of them are bad at studies, while
1550others are not good at communicating. However, there were no participants
1551from the first year D class. It's clearly a reflection of the intention of the
1552class.”
1553 It's clear that someone is controlling the class and leading them to nonparticipation.
1554It can be said that it an extraordinary thing, given that they haven’t been in
1555school for many days.
1556“In other words, there's already a leader in the first-year Class D, and he
1557rejected the exchange party...”
1558“If you can negotiate on a class basis, you don't have to
1559bargain individually.”
1560In other words, a strategy to cover students in the second-year class D and
1561the first-year class D
1562“It's a good plan, but then, won’t we lose?”
1563It's not a bad idea to avoid dropping out, but it's going to be impossible to
1564beat another class on the overall score.
1565“That's right. In that sense, I'm not going to play a class fight this time.”
1566“I'm not in a position to ask this, but is this fine?”
1567“Yes. No problem at all.”
1568Horikita says that clearly. The direction of the strategy is the same as
1569Ichinose though the way of fighting is different. The idea of throwing away
1570the chance to get a class point with the opportunity of a valuable special
1571examination.
1572 Hashimoto of Class A had already left the gymnasium. I wondered if
1573the reconnaissance of the exchange gathering of Ichinose had been
1574completed.
1575Horikita heads to the exit of the gymnasium to follow Hashimoto like that.
1576We also follow her.
1577But just before I left, I looked back at Ichinose once. Ichinose is talking to
1578first-year students with a smile without noticing our presence. Whether your
1579academic ability is E or D, Ichinose will give a helping hand without
1580hesitation.
1581A battle to give up the victory of the special exam and avoid expulsion
1582from their class. The way is different but it’s the same as what Horikita is
1583trying to do now. But is it really the same in terms of essence?
1584“Yo”
1585When we left the gym, Hashimoto called out as if he was waiting for us.
1586“Ichinose is the same as usual”
1587“She seems to be thinking best about saving her classmates and first-year
1588students.”
1589“That's it. Ichinose is not threatening at the moment. Do you know the
1590disadvantages of attracting idiots? It's like throwing away the game.”
1591Hashimoto talks as if he was. Hashimoto must not have noticed
1592that Horikita’s strategy is the same. He didn’t think Horikita has the idea of
1593throwing away the game.
1594“If you know, you shouldn't set up a place like this from the beginning,
1595right?”
1596“Oh, I see. That's true, too.”
1597“You Class A guys... Sakayanagi-san knew without even looking at the
1598exchange party. The reason you didn't participate was because you had
1599already anticipated what kind of students would show up in this place.”
1600Well, that's right. Nevertheless, only Hashimoto was sent for
1601reconnaissance.
1602“So how are you going to bring honors students to your side?”
1603“It depends on the princess's idea; I just follow the instructions.”
1604Hashimoto walked away, saying he was satisfied with a light
1605conversation.
1606“What that Hashimoto bastard says is that I don’t trust you, Suzune-”
1607“It goes without saying. Or rather, are you familiar with Hashimotokun?”
1608“No, not at all.”
1609He answers in a dignified manner
1610“...... Right. Well, Class A has a big advantage of Class A. To some extent,
1611people will come together naturally.”
1612If you enter this school, you will sooner or later realize that class A is the
1613best. Even if you don't know the fact now, you will soon come to realize.it.
1614“Let's hurry. At this time, the students in class D should be left in the
1615school.”
1616Horikita goes to the first-year classroom. It is to explore the state of the
1617first-year Class D. 
1618She decided that now was a good opportunity, while the eyes of other
1619classes were on the exchange gathering.
1620* * *
1621Part 1
1622We went to the first-year floor that we had used daily until last
1623month. Considering the students who went to the gym, there are not many
1624students left.
1625From Class A to Class C, we’ll look at the situation without calling out,
1626but the students who have found the senior students will turn their heads to
1627look. You can’t suddenly come to the first-year floor and be welcomed.
1628Few students don't care, and most students will hate
1629uncomfortable places.
1630It will be the same after tomorrow. Some students will call out to first
1631graders in the morning or noon to find a partner as soon as possible, but this is
1632a dangerous bet that can be counterproductive.
1633However, there are still students who are chatting in the first-year
1634classrooms as we peep.
1635Do they feel that there is no need to panic about this special test, or do you
1636still not see the special exam as a big deal?
1637“After all, the remaining students seem to have a lot of children who
1638have enough ability to pass the exam.”
1639“It's okay. I'm in a big hurry.”
1640For first-years, only three months of private point suspension if the score
1641is less than 500 points. Of course, it must be a big loss, but the first transfer of
1642points after the entrance ceremony may have made the sense of danger thin.
1643“Kuku. You’re rather slow”
1644After inspecting the first-year Class C, Horikita heard voices and moved
1645towards the source.
1646There was a figure of second-year Class C Ryuuen fearlessly standing
1647there.
1648The first-year class D is right ahead, and it seems he came to see it. 
1649“Ryuuen-kun, are looking for first-year students?” You didn't show up at
1650the exchange gathering.”
1651“The only people who gathered in the gym were idiots, right? Not even
1652worth seeing.”
1653It was the same as Horikita's strategy, Ryuuen also came to look for
1654students who had not attended the exchange gathering.
1655From the way he is talking, is he also aiming for the top students of the
1656first-year?
1657The difference in time between our and Ryuuen’s arrival is only about 20
1658or 30 minutes.
1659If he had that much time, he could have already succeeded in
1660several getting several students.
1661It is 8:00 a.m. the next day that you can see if each student's partner has
1662been decided.
1663“Don't worry. I haven't made a move yet.”
1664The two people here will not believe the word easily.
1665Until the app is actually updated it won’t be known whether second-year
1666Class C has decided on their partners.
1667“I don't believe it, that's what’s written on your face.”
1668“At least I'm going to listen to half of what you're saying here.”
1669“I see You’ve become very wary of me.”
1670“Oh, I've never been wary of you, have I?”
1671“Kukuku, that's right.”
1672As if not liking Ryuuen’s funny conversation with Horikita, Sudou glares
1673at him.
1674A normal human would be afraid just by seeing his sharp gaze, but it
1675would not work on Ryuuen.
1676“You chose a brainless guy as a bodyguard.”
1677“What the hell?”
1678Horikita lightly controls Sudou, who is about to lose his temper.
1679“Oh, do you need a brain to be a bodyguard? And you can't talk about
1680others, can you?”
1681While holding the hand, Horikita retorts without diverting her gaze
1682from Ryuuen.
1683“Are you going to threaten the first-years? That attitude of yours is
1684counterproductive.” 
1685The sight of Ryuuen striding down the corridor arrogantly will naturally
1686scare the first-year students.
1687“If I threaten them lightly, I think they'll cooperate with me immediately.”
1688Horikita stared at him, but Ryuuen didn’t seen to be joking around.
1689“...... You're kidding me. You think that's way will be acceptable?”
1690“Agree or disagree. I wonder if there is a problem with threatening a
1691little. During the explanation of the rules, I’ve learnt that compelling a low
1692score will be penalized but I didn’t hear anything about threatening
1693partners for cooperation.”
1694“You don't have to say it in the rules. If it's a problem, it's you who's going
1695to have to deal with it.”
1696“Then, make it a problem first and show it to me. Well, I'm not going to be
1697stupid enough to get fooled.”
1698It is a bullish statement as usual.
1699Declaring that threatening is possible enough, it just should not be
1700revealed to the school.
1701Regardless of whether this is true or false, Ryuuen must have recognized
1702that Horikita always went down the road.
1703“Well, then you have to do what you like. But if the evidence comes out,
1704I'll raise the complaint without forgiveness.”
1705It might not have worked on Ryuuen though it might be advice for
1706deterrence.
1707“So? Are you trying to pull someone in?”
1708No need to answer. Horikita closes her mouth.
1709“You got something by spying on the exchange party, didn't you?” So,
1710did you come in a hurry to check the rest?”
1711“Maybe it's the same as you?”
1712“Kuku, maybe so.”
1713Ryuuen continues to talk to Horikita just to make it interesting.
1714“Then I'll tell you what's good for you who have the same idea. This year,
1715even though they’ve just entered the school, the first-years going to settle
1716down quickly. In other words, it's more likely that the people on the school
1717side are talking about the school's mechanics to some extent with the new
1718students.”
1719If it's true, it's unexpected information. At the stage of April, we knew
1720nothing and were playing as much as we wanted. Of course, the other A and
1721B classes were calm, but that was probably because of the difference in
1722background.
1723What Ryuuen is saying here is not only about a specific class, but about
1724the whole school year.
1725I wonder if it's a good place to partner with second-years from the start.
1726Or is there another idea in the school?
1727“Isn’t it just that this year's freshmen were just better, and we were just
1728particularly dull?”
1729“Some of them are trying to put together a class at this stage. It's too
1730early.”
1731Even if you start acting from the day the special exam was announced,
1732there is no way that it will be settled immediately.
1733Ryuuen says that this will not happen unless they act soon after
1734enrollment.
1735“What are you aiming to achieve by telling me this?”
1736“Nothing. You can't take the measure to kill your opponent in this special
1737exam. But in order to win overall, I think we will need to do various things.”
1738With this special exam is not easy to expel students from other
1739classes. The difficulty is relatively high because of the concealment and name
1740of who the partner is. It's pretty hard to figure out who you've partnered with
1741on the app unless you're listening to it or collecting information. Even if you
1742can assign a student with low academic ability to a rival class and identify it,
1743it is almost impossible to cut corners from it.
1744I guess. If you get a low than is expected of your academic ability, you
1745will be considered intentional, and even if you are a first-year student, you
1746will be expelled. In the end, only the ability of the first grader and the student
1747in the class will influence the victory or defeat. What you can do with a
1748strategy is to draw as many high-academic first graders into their classes as
1749possible. It's not easy for Class C, which seems to be low in overall strength,
1750to take first place.
1751There is no chance of winning even if you compete with Class A with
1752power of private points, and the basic academic ability of the class is
1753different. No matter how much money is put into the first grade and pulled in
1754the first-years, a severe result awaits. In that case, it is necessary to throw
1755away the first place in the overall place and aim at the reward which is given
1756to the top 30% in individual scores. 
1757Of course, Horikita does not touch that point. If Class A and C don't
1758compete in general, we'll be in trouble. Rather than making it easier for Class
1759A to take first place, I hope they will be able to do it in a large scale and wear
1760then out, even a little.
1761“I’ll do my best and work hard.”
1762“That's what you can say. It's none of your business.”
1763“Kuku, that's bad.”
1764After that, Ryuuen left the floor of first-years immediately.
1765It's too short of a time to get anything done.
1766“The first graders may be feeling a lot more resistance to us than we
1767thought.”
1768If you recognize that in this school, you must fight with others to the bitter
1769end, it is a natural course of action.
1770“If that's the case, shouldn't we negotiate as soon as possible?”
1771“Well, I guess... of course you should. but...”
1772Horikita stares towards the end of the corridor.
1773You can see the classroom of the first-year Class D there.
1774“Let's go quickly.”
1775“I wonder if it is that easy?”
1776It seems that Horikita also noticed it during the discussion.
1777 From the time Ryuuen appeared from first-year Class D until he left.
1778During that time, no one has seen anyone coming out of the classroom.
1779Even if I get close, I can't hear a sound.
1780When I arrived, I opened the door of first-year Class D and I was
1781convinced.
1782“What's going on?”
1783In a hurry, Sudou looks over the classroom from end to end.
1784“It might be a lot harder than I thought, to negotiate with the first-year
1785Class D.”
1786There is not a soul inside the classroom. It is completely empty.
1787The 40 students, who did not show up at the exchange gathering, seemed
1788to have disappeared suddenly.
1789“It might be a more troublesome class than you think.”
1790However, it is not possible to worry about it forever.
1791This is because it is necessary to act before the other class begins to move
1792in earnest. 
1793The game starts tomorrow. From the point of contact with the first-year D
1794class, the battle of Horikita begins.
1795When I return to my room, I will memorize the names and faces of all
1796first-years through the OAA app.
1797Horikita has her fight, and I have my fight.
1798On the day that the special exam began, a total of 22 partners were
1799decided.
1800* * *
1801Part 2
1802It was the end of the lunch break of the next day that the situation began to
1803develop rapidly.
1804It happened when everyone had finished their meal and was waiting for
1805the afternoon class in their classrooms.
1806“Oh, there are some first-years here!”
1807It was my classmate Miyamoto that shouted so.
1808The special examination is only possible with the cooperation of the Firstand Second- year students. I don't think it's usually surprising, but apparently,
1809it's not.
1810“It takes a lot of courage to come to the seniors' floor.”
1811Hirata Yosuke, who was in the classroom, taught me what I was
1812wondering about
1813“If we want to go to the third-grade floor, we should take care of
1814ourselves.”
1815“Certainly...”
1816 It’s a different story if there are many seniors with close relationships, but
1817that’s not the case for the first-years.
1818There must be a lot of students who feel like getting into enemy territory.
1819In such a situation, it might be a surprising event that some people are
1820coming.
1821Yosuke goes to see them, and I follow him.
1822 Horikita and Sudou followed shortly afterwards.
1823The first thing that caught my eyes was a large man.
1824There were several reasons to stand out. Is he as tall as Sudou? 
1825But more than that, it was very impressive to see him walking majestically
1826in the middle of the second-year floor.
1827The opposite phenomenon is that the second-year who passed by escapes
1828to the edge. A female student walks a little behind the tall male student.
1829Realizing that it wasn't just an action to seek a partner, Horikita comes out
1830in front of the male student to stand by. Sudou also follows.
1831When I met two first-year students, the first thing that they saw for some
1832reason was me.
1833Shortly after that, his gaze departed and moved to Horikita.
1834I recalled the data that I learned from OAA yesterday.
1835It seems that Horikita will encounter that class at unexpected time.
1836“What's her name?”
1837“Wait a minute. ...... I'll check.”
1838The girl, who had been operating her cell phone for a short time, soon
1839showed the screen.
1840“Second-year Class D. Horikita Suzune. Academic ability A.”
1841The girl was speaking in a polite tone unlike the man, so it felt like a
1842strange combination.
1843After that, he turns his eyes to Sudou who stands by Horikita.
1844And in the same way, the girl repeatedly used her cell phone and showed it
1845to the man.
1846“Ken Sudou. ...... Huh”
1847After seeing Sudou's data, the man snorted at him.
1848“My name is Nanase Tsubasa, a first-year Class D student. He is also of
1849the D class.
1850“Hosen Kazuomi”
1851They give each their name. If you supplement, a large man is said to be a
1852Hosen Kazuomi, and the woman is Tsubasa Nanase.
1853Both of them are true first-year D-class students, as they have called
1854themselves.
1855A student in the D class who we were not able to meet yesterday. It must
1856have been a surprise that they suddenly appeared, but Horikita is both lucky
1857and unlucky. In this situation, where there are other classes, it is impossible to
1858start negotiations with the first-year Class D blatantly.
1859“For a freshman, you've done a lot of things. I'll buy you that courage.”
1860“Ah? What do you buy? 
1861“You look great, aren't you? Don't be impudent.
1862It enters in between by the way Sudou interrupts Hosen Kazuomi who
1863was rushing Horikita.
1864Although he is about the same height as Sudou, but because of his large
1865physique, Sudou looked a little smaller.
1866“Academic ability E+, looks like a stupid fool.”
1867“What the hell!?”
1868“Well, It's just right. I'm sure there's only D class in here anyway. It's
1869convenient.”
1870What does that mean?
1871“You guys D class is a bunch of fallout. If we don't nominate our D class,
1872you can't even form a decent pair. So, I'll lend a hand to you incompetent
1873fools. You know what’s left, right?”
1874Hosen Kazuomi says something as a test.
1875“In other words, do you want to partner with us?”
1876“Oh? Isn't that position asking you to join me?”
1877If it is similar and different, Hosen rushes to Horikita.
1878“Oh, let’s get together quickly, lower your head.”
1879While suppressing Sudou, who is getting irritated, Horikita strengthens her
1880words without regard to the physique difference.
1881“You seem to be mistaken about something. We're both on an equal
1882footing.”
1883“Are you on equal footing?” Don't let it get to you to be stupid.”
1884“You're the same D class, nothing different from us.”
1885“You don't understand. If I'm interested in it, I'll do as many things as I
1886can, right? You don't want to bother me, do you? Then you should know
1887what you are in as a position to ask.”
1888Apparently, a student named Hosen is already aware of a special weapon
1889that only first-year students have.
1890“What kind of hand can you use?”
1891Perhaps Horikita knows, but I dare to ask him back to bring it out as a
1892word.
1893“You know that, don't you?” There’s a way to forcibly lower your score
1894here.”
1895When Horikita heard his words, she bit her lips a little stronger.
1896“Ha? It's been a year since you've been playing around with it. If don’t
1897pass the exam, you're going to drop out!” 
1898“Don't show your bad habits, Sudou-kun, don't be caught right away.”
1899“But...”
1900I understand the feeling of wanting to be angry at being so silly.
1901But what Hosen is saying is not a lie.
1902“It's certainly a rule to drop out if you fail the test. But the penalty for not
1903finding a partner until the time runs out is another. So only you second-years
1904are in trouble, right?”
1905Random partner confirmation if time runs out.
1906As a result, it receives a deduction of 5% from the overall score.
1907Second-year students who are likely to drop out are more likely to suffer
1908more damage from penalties.
1909“Oh, that's the way it is!”
1910Unbelievable, Sudou showed Horikita a look to ask for confirmation.
1911The only answer to that question is ye
1912“Isn't it the same thing to hang yourself with that? Are you going to lose
1913your money just after you enter the school?”
1914If you get a penalty, your chances of scoring 501 points or more will
1915naturally decrease.
1916“Compared to you second-years, it’s not going to hurt me very much. Hey,
1917what's up?”
1918Hosen checks with Nanase standing behind him.
1919“Yes. It is said that private points will not be transferred for three months,
1920but at most 240,000 points. I don't think it's going to be a fatal problem.”
1921“Do you understand the situation, Horikita-senpai?”
1922Hosen says that as if he is senior to his senior Horikita.
1923Sudou who was watching it, may have been unable to endure as expected.
1924He stood in front of Horikita in a way that strengthened his intimidation,
1925without being able to hold on to his hands.
1926“What?”
1927Hosen said so to Sudou without hesitation.
1928“Don't get on with it.”
1929“Don't lose your cool, Sudou-kun. You know this school well, don't you?”
1930First-year students don't have to know, but the corridor is naturally under
1931the school’s surveillance.
1932The surveillance camera is always working, and if there is a problem, they
1933will be able to dig up the video. 
1934“I know...”
1935Sudou was repeatedly reminded, and Sudou withdrew, despite being
1936slightly irritated.
1937It's certainly a problem to get excited at once, but it's enough just to
1938hear Horikita's words.
1939At the point where Horikita took his eyes, the big hand of Hosen in front
1940of him pushes Sudou's chest.
1941“Wa-”
1942At that moment, Sudou, who had lost his balance, put his hand on the
1943floor to break his fall.
1944“Is it only the height that's big? I just touched you lightly, didn't I?”
1945I couldn’t hide my surprise even after watching the reckless action of
1946Hosen.
1947It is because it is too bold action to be taken as an act of violence now.
1948If you know the difficulty and risks of violence in this school, you can't do
1949it.
1950This year's first graders seem to be more familiar with the school situation
1951than usual.
1952If the situation of yesterday is certain, I have to say that this is reckless.
1953Do you really understand school rules more than you think?
1954No, it doesn't look like that. If so.......
1955“Teme---!”
1956Sudou, who was about to regain his composure, understood what he had
1957done, and almost burst into anger that had accumulated.
1958However, a man who had seen it in the distance jumped in earlier than
1959that.
1960“What are you doing!”
1961 It was a second-year Class C student Ishizaki Daichi. He is in the bad
1962category, but he has a good heart. Seeing how Sudou, a student of the same
1963grade, was treated, he seems to have lost patience.
1964“It sprang up like a cockroach one after another.”
1965The girl who called itself Nanase stops it lightly against Hosen, who
1966laughs with fun.
1967“Didn't You come here for discussion?” If you come here to use
1968violence, I'll go home.” 
1969“Is it violence?” I just touched it with the feeling of patting the cat. I'm
1970sorry Sudou.”
1971He spat out, as if to throw away the second-year student.
1972“Don't be stupid, too, Oi!”
1973Ishizaki stretches his arms with the intention of grasping his chest.
1974The moment he saw the extended arm, the corner of the mouth of Hosen
1975slightly rose.
1976“If you don't want to die, don't do it, Ishizaki.”
1977The arm which extended from Ishizaki is stopped on the verge of grasping
1978the chest hold of Hosen.
1979It was Ryuuen which seemed to have been watching from the corridor.
1980“Why are you stopping me!”
1981Ishizaki showed confusion at the actions of the Ryuuen, who had
1982restrained him.
1983What surprised me was that Ibuki, from Ryuuen’s class was also there.
1984“What do you mean by stopping?”
1985This kind of trouble is basically a welcome to Ryuuen, not the type that
1986hates it.
1987Whether there is a surveillance camera or not, he would push ahead
1988without hesitation.
1989That's probably why he was so surprised to stop the fight.
1990Ryuuen lowers Ishizaki and approaches the Hosen himself.
1991“You’re my opponent this time?” Sudou there seems to be weaker than
1992an idiot.”
1993Hosen, who saw Ryuuen whose physique was not large at all, gave
1994his evaluation...
1995“I know you very well. It was a little celebrity in the local area when It
1996was Hosen. I didn't think he looked so stupid.”
1997Ryuuen responded to Hosen, which repeatedly referred to Sudou as a fool,
1998with the same words. It seems that the area is indeed like Ryuuen. Ryuuen is
1999usually an enemy of other classes, but it is encouraging to come out with this
2000kind of trouble. In fact, Sudou also succeeded in enduring his anger because
2001the atmosphere of the place changed.
2002“And, what is it that you know, Ryuuen-san?”
2003“Ryuuen?” 
2004The expression of Hosen, who heard the name, changed, and he laughed
2005with his big mouth open.
2006“Hey, what the hell. It’s a rainy day. I’ve heard enough of your rumors to
2007dislike you”
2008“It looks like you have the intelligence to remember people's names.”
2009Apparently, they have known each other for a long time. The first-year
2010Class D Hosen seems to be a person close to Ryuuen.
2011However, it seems to be good even if it is said that it is a complete revival
2012apparently to see the relation between Ryuuen and Ishizaki and Ibuki. At one
2013time, he was withdrawn, but did he start leading the class C for second-year
2014again?
2015“But that rumored Ryuuen had such a poor body. It's surprising.”
2016“You seem to be able to make your muscles up to your brain as you can
2017imagine”
2018“I was going to kill you when I went on a few expeditions, but the only
2019thing I couldn't see was because I was scared and hiding, right? Did you just
2020let the soldiers work and run away?”
2021“Kuku, you've been saved by the meeting. If you had met me, you
2022wouldn't have had such a big attitude by now. Luckily, I’m still losing.”
2023“I thought I was running away with my tail wrapped around me. If you
2024don't, can I put it black and white here now?
2025 Hosen holds a big fist fist and shows room.
2026 If you know Ryuuen in junior high school, there is probably no big
2027difference between the impression that our second graders have. Don't you
2028think of it as someone you don't want to turn to the enemy?
2029“Don’t stop. I’m not going to beat the gorilla in a rewarding situation.”
2030Despite being provoked, Ryuuen declines the offer.
2031Of course, you can’t fight in such a place.
2032Ishizaki and his colleagues probably thought that they would show their
2033stance to take it even if they changed places.
2034“Is he so terrible? He is bigger than Sudou, but...”
2035“Let’s go
2036Ryuuen laughs a little before giving directions, as if there is no intention of
2037answering here.
2038I'm going to bring it up.
2039“Are you okay with being licked in a year?” 
2040Ibuki also knows that jumping to anyone is like Ryuuen.
2041I put such a word involuntarily.
2042“Ha. It's not settled, it's always on.”
2043Ryuuen just replied quietly to Ibuki.
2044It’s good if it ends with this, and Hosen walks the distance is packed
2045in Ryuuen.
2046“Is that woman your soldier, too?”
2047Hosen, who was watching such an exchange, asks Ryuuen.
2048“Well, that's it.”
2049“Huh? Who? Don't make it your own soldier.”
2050“Ryuuen, which even women use for soldiers.”
2051“You're the one who's always taking a soldier with a pretty and cute
2052thing.”
2053In a similar way, Hosen also has a student named Nanase on the side.
2054“He's not a soldier. Well, it doesn't matter. Let's play Ryuuen”
2055No matter how many times he is provoked, he won't ride it.
2056As if to symbolize it, he turned his back and showed his will to retreat.
2057“That's right. If that's the case, then...
2058I felt that Ryuuen, which didn't come to eat, was not interesting, but the
2059arm of the movement which extended from Hosen. The arm was directed at
2060the Ibuki. Ibuki tries to pay it lightly.
2061But...
2062The arm which tried to pay extends quickly and powerfully just before,
2063and grabs Ibuki's neck straight up.
2064“Eh!?”
2065Ibuki tries to pull off the arm in a hurry, as if a dangerous signal was sent
2066from the brain waves.
2067 However, Hosen’s arm does not budge, as if it were made of steel.
2068 Ryuuen looked back captures the figure of Ibuki which was tightened up.
2069Ibuki tries to escape by using his hands and feet skillfully, but Hosen
2070doesn't get let go.
2071“Huh. Get out of here. Or you can call on all of you who are watching
2072there.”
2073Absolute self-confidence, rather than fear, is visible on his face.
2074But it's certainly not a situation where you can easily get your hands on it.
2075The school naturally smells if the commotion is caused in such a place. In a
2076situation where the brake seems to be applied inevitably, the only
2077unbound Ryuuen moved while being amazed. A movement to help Ibuki
2078rather than to give a blow to The Hosen. The dive slips into the bosom of the
2079hosen. However, while holding Ibuki's neck, Hosen makes a light kick
2080from Ryuuen in a restricted motion situation.
2081“Teme~!”
2082There, Ishizaki, who was once stopped, also participates in the war.
2083 It was beginning to become a commotion which could no longer be
2084thought to be the corridor of the school.
2085“It's okay. Even if you ever went to a school like this.”
2086A full-fledged fight may break out in the future.
2087In such a situation, Nanase, who was watching from beginning to end,
2088opens her mouth.
2089“Please stop Hosen-kun.”
2090Hosen, who was showing a movement that did not feel the handicap that
2091was catching Ibuki against Ryuuen and Ishizaki, but he was called out to his
2092classmate Nanase and stopped the movement.
2093“Did you say anything?”
2094Rather than listening to the advice, he shows irritation about what she has
2095said.
2096“My seniors have been concerned about the surveillance cameras from a
2097while ago. Judging from that situation, I decided that there is no benefit in
2098going wild here.”
2099“I know what it's like. I know and play.”
2100He says he was aware from the beginning that this was a surveillance
2101camera that restricted his behavior.
2102If that's the case, then the series of actions after the appearance of Hosen is
2103still puzzling.
2104Then, ignoring the advice from Nanase, he tried to resume the fight.
2105Nanase further strengthened her words.
2106“If you know, it's even more so. If you're going to waste any more, here's
2107your idea. We also look at making 'that' known here.”
2108The movement of the treasure fountain stops again by receiving the
2109abstract word of ‘that’.
2110After showing a bored face, he let go of his hand holding Ibuki and sat
2111down on the floor coughing. 
2112“It's not good, but if you don’t meet my expectations, I won’t forgive you
2113even if you are a woman”
2114“At that time, I will accept it.”
2115Even though she was threatened by Hosen, Nanase said that without any
2116shaking.
2117 It seems to be calm that it does not feel even a little dust, such as being on
2118the floor of the second grade.
2119Anyway, this man named Hosen is not free. There are not a few students in
2120the second grade who are proud of their hustle and bustle. If it is a man, it is
2121so of Ryuuen, Sudou, and Albert. However, while Hosen is a freshman, he
2122can see that he is a very talented person. Even if I faced him, he wouldn't be
2123an easy opponent to keep in control of. I can't read what would happen if I did
2124my best as much as I could make you feel that way in one piece. The purpose
2125of Ryuuen's attempt to stop Ishizaki from being careless was probably
2126because he decided that the simple strike was disadvantageous. A terrible
2127first-year has come.
2128“Don't do that. The purpose is fulfilled and I’ll go back, Nanase.”
2129“Yes. That's wise.”
2130Hosen looks back at Ryuuen again, wondering if he was satisfied outside
2131of the fight.
2132“If you're going to sit on me, can we pair up, Ryuuen?”
2133“Unfortunately, I only work with humans. I’m not going to work with a
2134wild gorilla.”
2135“That’s a shame.”
2136However, this happening does not end here.
2137In addition to Hosen and Nanase, a first-year student had been watching
2138the situation for a long time.
2139Whether that was a hind sight of The Hosen, the target is finally turned to
2140the first grade.
2141“Are you just looking at the sights? And you?”
2142“Don't get too close to Kimiko. Do you know such a word?
2143The boy of the first-year answered so while receiving it refreshingly to
2144Hosen who glared at him.
2145“It's fine to have a chat, but it's not a good idea for Hosen-kun to make a
2146fuss here anymore. First of all, I think that it is necessary to go down first. Is it
2147wrong? 
2148An adult finally showed up here with the word which can be taken with
2149such advice.
2150“What is Hosen doing?”
2151A man in a suit appears as if to spare the hustle and bustle of the students.
2152At the same time, many of the second-year students who were watching
2153ran into their classrooms.
2154“Hosen, I know how you feel about it, but the rules of the school must
2155have been so hard that your ears hurt.”
2156“I know that.”
2157“If you know, get out of here. Fighting is not a traffic thing.”
2158“It's not even a fight like this.”
2159Laughing with his nose, Hosen put his hands in his pockets and turned his
2160back.
2161 Surprisingly easily, Hosen withdrew, telling Nanase to retreat.
2162“Then, I’ll come again, Horikita.”
2163I went out of my way to take the trouble to take the trouble of Horikita No,
2164Hosen, who refers to the second-year class D.
2165“I apologize for the fuss.”
2166At the end, Nanase bowed her head, the place returns to normal.
2167And Nanase, who raised her face, looked at my eyes again when she left.
2168Eyes when I first had eyes when I first showed up on this floor. An exploring
2169eye that seems to want to know something.
2170However, as soon as she caught my gaze, she diverted her eyes and chased
2171after Hosen.
2172“I'm sorry, you guys. The students in my class caused trouble.”
2173The teacher apologizes to Horikita, who was watching over the situation
2174by his side.
2175“No...”
2176“By the way, let's introduce ourselves lightly. Shiba Katsunori, who will
2177take on the D class in the first year. I've just arrived at this school, but I'll ask
2178for your best regards after that.”
2179He takes a light self-introduction, and Shiba-sensei returns to follow
2180Hosen.
2181Then, the boy who showed composure bowed to the second-grade student
2182as he changed. 
2183“My classmate, Hosen-kun, seems to have troubled my seniors. I
2184apologize on behalf of the year again.”
2185It was different from the previous one, and it seemed to be a student who
2186seemed to be able to communicate.
2187“We first-year students don't understand the special exam well yet. We
2188apologize for the inconvenience, but thank you, seniors.”
2189After both the apology and the words that served as a dusty and dusty, the
2190student who called himself Yagami also showed the lifting and abetted.
2191At that time, Yagami suddenly notices something.
2192It’s just a few Class D girls who seem to just have returned from lunch.
2193There are four people, Matsushita, Kushida, Sato and Mii-chan.
2194One of them, the rice field, looked at the rice field and looked surprised.
2195“It's kind of noisy. What's going on? Horikita-san”
2196While recognizing the existence of Yagami, Ta tries to learn about the
2197situation mysteriously.
2198It's not something you care about.
2199“Is that right?”
2200When she tells her that it's nothing, she tries to go back to the classroom
2201with the three of them.
2202“Um… maybe you are, Senpai?”
2203“What?”
2204Ta recalls receiving such a voice. To know the name of the field, I
2205wonder if Yagami was also an acquaintance of Ta? That's what I thought.
2206“Eh?”
2207Even if the other party is seen, it seems to be mysterious, and there is no
2208air of acquaintance.
2209“It's me. Don't you understand? But it's not unreasonable.
2210I’m Yagami Takuya.”
2211Kushida listened to his name and thought a bit, but she seemed to get a
2212point right away.
2213“Yagami...” Oh, my God! Eh, that Yagami-kun!?
2214“Yes, that is Yagami. It's been a long time!”
2215“Yagami-kun was in this school, too. It's a great coincidence!’
2216“I never thought I'd see My seniors again here.”
2217“Do you know each other?”
2218When Sato asks mysteriously, Kushida nods. 
2219“Yes. However, there were few contacts. Takuya Yagami. I have an
2220impression that he’s incredibly smart. I didn’t talk so much because my grade
2221was different.”
2222“Then do you know that too?”
2223When I whispered to Horikita, I immediately got an answer.
2224“No, I do not know.”
2225“In your case, you don't even seem to remember your classmate's face.”
2226“I don't deny it. I didn't have enough time to look at people I wasn't
2227interested in.”
2228Apparently, I really remember...... No, it seems that he didn't even
2229recognize it.
2230Even classmates can't even remember their juniors in suspicious
2231situations.
2232Well, even if you don’t remember the field, boys will never forget the field
2233once they see it
2234It has since been the appearance to attract people much.
2235“I'm lucky to be able to go to the same school again with my longing for
2236senpai
2237“That's ...”
2238Kushida is humble. However, if it was the same junior high school
2239as Yagami, it comes out to be worried a little.
2240“As an example, do you know Yagami as a junior?”
2241The example is of course, Kushida’ past.
2242When Kushida was in junior high school, she had the experience of
2243destroying his class.
2244And, Horikita who came from the same school which knew the fact faced
2245strong hostility from Kushida. I felt it was dangerous to be known to be the
2246kind of person who would break my class, and I wanted to eliminate it.
2247If he’s from the same junior high school, it's no wonder Yagami knows the
2248story.
2249“It's no wonder I know. But there's no guarantee that you'll know.”
2250The existence of Yagami is not a safe existence for Kushida.
2251 It's not strange to come into the lower class, just like some of the students
2252from the same school in the same grade
2253“It's sudden, but if you're a senior, you won't complain. Can you partner
2254with me?” 
2255They had just reunited, but Yagami made the proposal while showing his
2256smile.
2257Is this an appeal that you don't know anything about the past, or is it an
2258appeal that doesn't matter if you know it?
2259“Is it okay with me?” If you're a Yagami-kun, you'd better work with
2260someone who can study harder.”
2261Yagami’s academic ability is perfect for Class A. Kushida is not just being
2262humble.
2263Horikita, who was operating her cell phone next to me, was also about to
2264check it with OAA.
2265“I don't know right or left. In that case, I would like to partner with
2266someone I can trust.”
2267On the app, even if you can know a certain amount of academic ability,
2268you cannot know the human nature.
2269In that case, it is a judgment that it is better to have an acquaintance who
2270can be sure that he will leave a solid result.
2271“Um, can you let me think a little bit…?”
2272“Did you watch out for Yagami, or is it another reason?” 
2273
2274“Of course. I'm going to wait for Kushida-senpai’s reply. She decided to
2275hold onto the partner’s offer without teaming up with anyone for a while.”
2276With academic ability A, there is no need to rush to find a partner.
2277Yagami accepted the hold in Kushida’s reply.
2278“Damn, that's okay. If I were you, I wouldn't hesitate to team up.
2279It seems to be envious of Kushida which can choose the option of
2280holding it if it makes it to Sudou of the academic ability E+.
2281“If so, you have to work harder.”
2282“Oh...” I'm going to do better.”
2283It’s not being mean, but an envy of ambition.
2284I take the distance from Horikita's once.
2285The reason is that it was seen that the wave was beckoning in the
2286position which was a little away.
2287The members of the Ayanokouji group, Akito, Airi were all present.
2288“Su, I was so scared.”
2289As soon as we joined, Airi expressed her impression of Hosen.
2290“This year's first-year students also felt that they were like Sudoukun and Ryuuen-kun.”
2291Haruka, who had seen the commotion from a distance, said with
2292amazement,
2293Akito, standing next to him, stares at the end of the corridor from where
2294Hosen le
2295“Miyachi, what's wrong?”
2296“A ridiculous guy came in. This school may be quite rough from now
2297on. He's... In terms of strength, Hosen is not weaker than Sudou
2298or Ryuuen.”
2299“Do you know something, Miyatchi?”
2300“I've never seen it directly. In my hometown, Ryuuen and Hosen were
2301quite famous people.”
2302Apparently, Akito lived in a place close to the junior high school
2303where Ryuuen and Hosen attend.
2304“At my school...” In short, there was a strong number of pride or a noisy,
2305but one day it suddenly disappeared and it became a commotion. After that,
2306I was two years younger than me, and I was in the first year of junior high
2307school, and I was sent to the hospital by Taiman and sent to the hospital.” 
2308“Be, captain? There's something like a bad comic in real. Maybe I'll
2309pull it a little bit.”
2310“I used to live in an area famous for the gathering of bad guys.”
2311“Hey...”
2312Haruka is a little confused by the words she doesn’t understand.
2313“That's how Hosen shut the junior high school around him from the very
2314bottom.”
2315“Ryuuen-kun was famous too, wasn't he?” It was like they met for the
2316first time.”
2317“It was like they didn't happen to meet you.”
2318“By the way, was Miyachi bad too?”
2319“I'm... That's what I quit. I'm a good student right now.”
2320“I mean, it was bad.”
2321“...... It was until the second year of junior high school that it was rough.
2322From there, I'm doing it with just one archery.”
2323“That means it was bad, right?”
2324It was pursued by Haruka in a strange place, and The Akito scratched his
2325head as if he were in trouble.
2326“If so, I’m not sure if it's ok.”
2327“Are you different? It's rather cool - it's not the past.”
2328“It's really cool.”
2329The reason why he is familiar with the quarrel situation is
2330that Akito himself was on that side. Certainly, there was a place where the
2331courage was put up for a long time, and the quickness of the slight
2332movements.
2333“What if I shut down the Hosen as a bad source?”
2334“Let's be kidding. Even if you fight, you choose the other party. I don't
2335want to fight Hosen in particular.”
2336With the Akito who raises the white flag before fighting. Rather than his
2337own weakness, he acknowledges the strength of Hosen.
2338 Ibuki also had some sense of fighting, but she couldn’t do anything.
2339Overwhelming body disparity. Moreover, it is not sure to be able to meet
2340the enemy if it comes to be a speed.
2341* * *
2342Part 3
2343After school, I'm called out by Horikita, just like yesterday.
2344When the two of us tried to leave the classroom, Sudou was eager to
2345accompany us. Horikita, who tried to reject him as he did last time, seemed
2346to be pushed by the enthusiasm to help him until he found someone to be
2347his partner. Start acting on the condition that it does not interfere with club
2348activities and study. I had to admit that Horikita was unexpectedly kind.
2349 However, there might be a good reason for it.
2350There are about ten days until the special examination. If you think
2351about the difficulty of the written exam, it is better to be able to have time
2352and environment where you can concentrate on your studies even a little.
2353However, you are always concerned about Horikita's trends, he will lack
2354concentration. She wants to find Sudou's partner quickly and make time to
2355concentrate on studying, and I can see through Horikita's idea.
2356Horikita firmly understands the human being named Ken Sudou, but
2357there is one important thing that she cannot understand. That's Sudou's
2358thoughts on Horikita. Doesn’t she realize that you just want to be by the
2359side with a reason?
2360 Of course, I don't bother to tell her. This is also an important driving
2361force for Sudou.
2362Horikita decided not to go to the first-year classroom, but to the
2363Keyaki mall.
2364 I wonder if it's because the first graders went to the second-year area in
2365the daytime today and got into trouble.
2366 Because it does not necessarily become a similar development, it is a
2367form that consideration.
2368Or did Horikita change her mind because the first-year Class D
2369student Hosen was a problem child?
2370You'll soon find out about it.
2371“Even so, I'm not doing any good. It's been a year, and I’m making a lot
2372of noise around there.”
2373As soon as he entered the mall, Sudou poked his little finger in his left
2374hand into his ear.
2375A frank impression of the first graders who spread in the field of view.
2376“There are certainly a lot of students getting carried away.” 
2377They’re talking about what we're going to buy and what we're going to
2378eat, talking happily here and there.
2379“I'm seriously looking for a partner.”
2380It's not good for first graders as well as second graders to spend days to
2381decide on a partner. However, there is a big gap between the first and
2382second graders.
2383It is a difference in perception of the special examination.
2384Like the first graders after school yesterday, few students have a sense of
2385crisis.
2386When we went out of the school, it was more apparent.
2387“It's no wonder. It was the same situation when we were in the first
2388grade.”
2389“Yes...”
2390The students were playing around every day with a large sum of money
2391that had been transferred immediately after entering the school.
2392 Even if it is class A, the situation does not change much.
2393Aside from the use, it is the same that they enjoy this incredible school.
2394What's most annoying is that there's a difference in penalties for first
2395and second grade students.
2396If we fail, we must drop out of school, and the first grader loses only
2397three months of private points.
2398“It's a carefree thing, it's like, it's a lot of fun.”
2399“You don't say that, Sudou-kun. Have you forgotten what you were a
2400year ago?”
2401“Well, I haven’t forgotten that. I regret it.”
2402Because he was a student who was confirmed as the first dropout early
2403on.
2404Of course, it is not possible to use the relief measures which were used
2405at that time any longer.
2406The privilege of being a beginner has long been exhausted.
2407“For now, let's talk to one group.”
2408 Horikita said that after finding three first-year boys sitting on a bench
2409and chatting.
2410The name is Kakaga, Mikami, Shiratori. All three of them are students
2411who are in the one-year D class and whose academic ability is B or higher.
2412Before calling out, Horikita confirms it through the app just in case. 
2413Is she still aiming at the students of the first year D class?
2414“Isn’t it a bit better?”
2415“...... What is it?”
2416It would have been clear as soon as they saw that the seniors had called
2417out to them.
2418The expression which seemed to be happy disappeared and it changed
2419quickly to the appearance that it was wary.
2420“I'm looking for a partner to work with in this special exam. You're still
2421unpaired, aren't you?”
2422“Well, yes. I haven't worked with anyone yet.”
2423“If it’s fine could you let me talk on the premise that we're going to work
2424together?”
2425“Of course, it's fine. What's that?”
2426After receiving the proposal from here, I nod as if the three of us had
2427shown it together. I felt a little wary with a good feeling than I expected.
2428Sudou also shows a surprised face that the attitude of the three people is
2429serious.
2430“I'm just very sorry, but what we're looking for is the top priority right
2431now.
2432“You're looking for a partner to help people with low academic ability
2433from dropping out, aren't you?”
2434It seems that the hand is already widespread among the first graders.
2435“Yes. If you understand, it saves time.”
2436“Uh... That's right... Should I partner with Sudou?”
2437The other side also checked our profile on the mobile phone, so there is
2438no hesitation in the story.
2439“That's right. He's one of them. There are a few others.”
2440“Oh, I see. Is Sudou senior academic ability E+? This is awkward, isn't
2441it?”
2442It was mildly worded, but it's clear that he pointed out his poor academic
2443ability.
2444Sudou seemed to be dissatisfied though it was true, but it was still great
2445without putting it out to the last minute.
2446[TLN: Who is this white bird? Swan” 白鳥 / Hakucho]
2447“If you're a white bird, you can afford it, can't you?” 
2448Two people who waved to the first grader named the swan who was
2449sitting on the right edge.
2450“I have an A evaluation in Academic ability.”
2451“That's right. I wouldn't say it’s impossible for us to work together.”
2452“Then---How about this?”
2453The swan spread his hand, made a par, and suggested it to Horikita.
2454For a moment, Horikita looked at us without knowing what it was.
2455“It's not. You want me to partner with you, don't you? Then it's
2456decided, isn't it?”
2457Horikita also understood the words.
2458“...... I wonder if it’s about private points.”
2459“It's natural. If I can team up with a smart person, I can aim for the top.
2460It is natural that it becomes such a flow because it throws away the reward
2461which can be obtained in the upper rank and it is made up with the person
2462with low academic ability.”
2463“What's the point? And 50,000... It's too expensive.”
2464For Sudou, who is always living a life of lack of money, he presents an
2465exceptional amount of points.
2466“Senpai, please stop joking. You can't take it for 50,000.”
2467“Ah?”
2468“It's half a million. If you give me half a million points, I can partner
2469here now.”
2470“Five hundred thousand!?”
2471“It's hard to get a dropout from class, isn't it?” We're studying a lot,
2472too.”
2473It seems to be very different from the time of admission from the time of
2474admission from ours last year.
2475They have begun to understand the structure of this school from an early
2476stage and understand their own value.
2477Then, I do not know which is senior and which is junior.
2478It's a situation that seems to be able to take it like that.
2479“It's natural to get a reward as long as you have a team with someone
2480with low academic ability.”
2481“Oh, it sounds like- you don't have half a million?”
2482“I know, just shut up.” 
2483Three first-year students laugh bitterly when they hear about the purse
2484situation that they leaked carelessly.
2485“It's natural to want points, but it’s not good to just follow the short-term
2486greed, is it?”
2487“What do you mean?”
2488As a representative of the three, the swan asks Horikita back.
2489“If you sell our favor to us here, we might be able to help in a similar
2490situation in the future.”
2491Horikita explains that it is advantageous later if you make a favor other
2492than a private point.
2493“I don't think that the senior who came to Horikita who is academic
2494ability A can be useful to the senior Sudou and Ayanokouji?”
2495“That's not necessarily the case. This school is not just about studying.
2496Sometimes physical abilities are required.”
2497Especially when it comes to Sudou, it's the only physical ability A+ in
2498the second grade.
2499Horikita's aim was to use that point as a weapon.
2500“I know. But after all, it's D class, isn't it? If I sell my favor anyway,
2501I'll make it A class or B class.”
2502The white bird that judged calmly and objectively answers so.
2503If you look at this situation, you will understand Horikita.
2504“...... Right. That's what I'm talking about.”
2505It is not until you think deeply about the smooth acceptance of this
2506invitation and the amount of points you have presented.
2507“What do you mean?”
2508“Before you seniors, we were approached by another class in of secondyear.”
2509“I'm not going to sell my academic ability at a low price. What's that?”
2510“Yes. Please think that we can't make it up unless we get a reasonable
2511point.”
2512In front of these swans, Horikita continues to talk without losing her
2513composure.
2514“Certainly, you can't sell yourself cheaply. But did you really talk to
2515me?”
2516“What do you mean?” 
2517Swan showing a slightly displeased face. It seems that the pride of
2518academic ability A was hurt to some extent.
2519“You're the same D class as us. I don't think the upper class will talk
2520to you easily.”
2521This is Horikita's Bluff. if the academic ability is high, even if it is D
2522class, you’ll have a lot of value in this special exam.
2523A word to confirm where and how much the voice is coming from.
2524The swan rebutted Horikita in a slightly rough tone whether the pride
2525was stimulated.
2526“It's true. I'm invited by my seniors to Hashimoto in class A for two
2527years. Also, I've been asked to work with a good point from the second-year
2528C class. Hey, what's up?
2529That's right, two people agree.
2530“We're not the only ones. Most smart people are calling out to me.”
2531As Horikita read, it was the two-year A-class and the second-year Cclass that began to act.
2532“Yes...” In that case, we can't live up to your expectations now.”
2533“Oh, but if you give me a point, I won't refuse. I'm going to watch it for
2534about a week. In the meantime, if you give me half a million points, I'll be
2535happy to put it together with Sudou-senpai.”
2536The amount of points to be able to prevent withdrawal surely is 500,000
2537private points.
2538 Of course, it is expensive, but if you change your perspective, you can
2539buy safety at that point.
2540But there’s no way to make a quick decision here.
2541“By the way... How much did you ask Hashimoto-kun to cooperate with
2542you?”
2543I want to know the specific amount of points, but the white birds are not
2544so sweet either.
2545“It's an unspeakable promise. But if it's half a million points, I'll just
2546cooperate with my seniors.”
2547“All right. Let's consider that point. So, I'd like to ask you a favor. Can
2548you introduce some students in the same Class D?”
2549“Introduce?”
2550“We are ready to cooperate to some extent. But it takes time and effort to
2551talk to each person and explain the same way from the first. If I can, I want
2552you to gather people and have a concrete discussion there.”
2553While the cooperative relationship is flickering, she does not mention
2554what to cooperate on.
2555The three of them look at each other, but they look bad somewhere.
2556“It's... It's a little difficult to be entrusted with that kind of role. ......
2557Then, right?”
2558“Ah. If you do that without permission, you'll be scolded by Hosen-kun,
2559right?”
2560The name ‘Hosen’ comes out of the conversation between the three of
2561us.
2562It can be seen from the words and attitudes that a student named Hosen
2563is afraid of.
2564“Excuse me, senior, can you hit others like that...”
2565After all, it becomes that man who holds the key of the D class in one
2566year.
2567He sensed that the air had clearly changed and decided not to
2568pursue Horikita deeply.
2569“Thank you. I'll talk to you again when I need it.”
2570“Yes, yes. I'm waiting for you.”
2571We walk away from the bench and start moving to the cafe on the
2572second floor. Looking back, the swan appeared to be calling somewhere in
2573a hurry with his cell phone in his hand.
2574“I've got the information, but it's hard to say that I’ve made progress.
2575The only thing that is certain is that if it's a ridiculous amount of 500,000
2576points, you'll never cooperate with me right away.”
2577“Don't make a silly request, let's look at your feet.”
2578“It's definitely a silly amount of money. But it's true that you don't have
2579to sell yourself cheaply.”
2580If you're getting an evaluation of academic ability A, it's even more so.
2581It's much more right as a way to earn than to get the top score in the
2582exam and aim for 100,000 points.
2583“So, I guess the only way to help out is to pay private points to someone
2584after all?”
2585“It's not easy to say that there are students who take it free of charge.”
2586The air that it is already approved by the point has spread. It's better to
2587think that the whole first grader knows about the exchange of private points,
2588not just the swans anymore. This may be one of the strategies
2589of Sakayanagi, and Ryuuen. The exchange by the usual point is an act that I
2590want to back off. It's the theory to do it secretly. However, by making a big
2591deal of acquisitions, they are aware that free service is a loss.
2592However, there was a thing to be worried about in the conversation of
2593the swans earlier.
2594 Swan said he would wait for a week, even though he had already been
2595approached. Even if it is a period to catch the point, it is worrisome that
2596three people match in that direction from the beginning. Some students
2597want to be safe by finding a partner early.
2598I wonder if those three are just bullish by chance, or.
2599“Even if I ask the dark clouds as it is, I think they will give the same
2600answer.”
2601It was good until I looked at the D class in the first year, but it's a
2602problem beyond that.
2603It may be said that if you do, you will make Hosen angry.
2604From that utterance, there is no doubt that Hosen is the only person who
2605controls the entire First-year class D.
2606“Perhaps Hosen is giving instructions to his classmates. You are free to
2607work with anyone anywhere, but you can only make more than 500,000
2608points immediately, put on hold if it’s an A-class.”
2609“But if you do that, wouldn’t only first-year Class D remain unsold?”
2610“It means that they are looking to eventually sell off”
2611“Ah? I don't know what that means.”
2612“It's the second-year students who are afraid of penalties for not having
2613a partner. He thinks he can use that penalty as a weapon and eventually get
2614a private point.”
2615If honors students other than the first-year D class are sold out, they will
2616eventually have to cooperate with them with a large amount of money even
2617if they don't like it. Even if it was a million, two million.
2618“It's a reckless strategy that doesn't think about the future.”
2619“Tell me the specific policy of how to fight again.”
2620The policy and strategy of the one-year D class have already come into
2621view. Based on that, what do you think about, Horikita?
2622Since the two-year A-class and C-class extreme acquisition competition
2623has begun, do you take the form of breaking into here, or build a
2624relationship of trust by accepting a lot of lower-level students regardless of
2625the class, such as Ichinose, Do you go with a policy of appealing for
2626cooperation to honor sores?
2627“When I got an overview of this special exam, I decided to set three
2628goals.”
2629“Three goals?”
2630Sudou seems to be interested in it very much, and he blurts out.
2631“The most important thing is not to drop out of class, and this goes
2632without saying.”
2633Sudou nods.
2634“And then, in class-specific battles, we aim for third place or higher
2635overall.”
2636“Third place? You mean you throw away the first place or the second
2637place from the beginning?”
2638“No one would tell you to throw it away. I just said I was in third place
2639or higher.”
2640It is true that the word ingress first and second place, but it doesn't seem
2641to be that way.
2642And perhaps it's also related to the third goal.
2643“The third is not to participate in money games. We're going to fight
2644these three principles.”
2645“Eh…? But…”
2646“I know what you want to say. If we don't compete on private points, we
2647can't win first. But even if we fight with the points of our two-year D class,
2648the risk and return are not commensurate. Even if the overall rank is the
2649first place, the class point obtained is 50 points. Even if you convert it in
2650one year, you can get a class at only two million.”
2651It takes 39 people of 5000 points per head a month, and 2145000 private
2652points will be spent on the remaining 11 months, except for the transfer in
2653April that has already passed.
2654“If we were to pull one person out at 500,000 points, it would be red
2655when we pulled in more than five people. It's not a sweet battle to catch and
2656win the first grade of academic ability A by about four people, is it?”
26574485000 private points for the next two years, that is, even if you
2658anticipate graduation. The maximum number of people can be retracted.
2659Moreover, this is a prerequisite that it is possible to draw surely in 500,000
2660or less, and to be able to take the first place in the overall ranking by grade.
2661If you look at the risks, it is more likely to be more efficient to wait for
2662future special tests and release private points there.
2663“Private and class points are not equal. I know there's more to pay off.
2664But I thought that even if we put all the points here, we shouldn't overdo it
2665if we didn't win well. I wonder if I'm wrong, Ayanokouji-kun”
2666“No, your decision is correct.”
2667The difference between the overall value of the academic ability
2668originally possessed by the second-year D class and the overall value of the
2669two-year A-class is obvious. When I thought I was going to win overall, I
2670don't think it would be an advantage to draw 11 people. Of
2671course, Horikita came also will move flexibly. If you have a student who
2672can help you with 5.1 million, you can give him a private point. It is said
2673that it does not do only the fight by the bill bundle to the last.
2674“In order to achieve our three goals, I think we should still aim to
2675negotiate with the D-class for the first year.”
2676“Why is that. You can't join them for less than half a million under the
2677instructions of Hosen, can you?”
2678“That's true for honor students. However, there are many students in the
2679first year D class, both before and after academic ability C, and many
2680students who are less than or less. What do you think would happen if we
2681left it as it is?”
2682“What's going to happen...”
2683“Students who were supposed to be saved by the point of view are
2684questionable by the penalty.”
2685When I answered, Horikita nodded and continued to say.
2686“There's no way they are going to throw away the private points I get
2687every month. In other words, Hosen must break his current attitude
2688somewhere.”
2689Even if all honor students sell for half a million, others will not follow.
2690As a matter of whether or not a dropout from the second grade or not,
2691Hosen will take the back of the fight of the first grade.
2692“If he's looking to win, there's always a chance to get in.”
2693It seems that Horikita is going to face the one-year D class that everyone
2694wants to avoid. 
2695“That said, it's dangerous for all 39 people to try to get into Hosenkun's class. We have to spread out the risk as much as possible.”
2696When negotiations are not settled, students with low academic ability
2697will see crying.
2698“Now that the exam has just begun, it's no wonder that there are children
2699who can work together under exceptional conditions.”
2700“I hope so...” I don't know if it exists or not.”
2701“At any rate, the only way to find a good partner is to talk to a lot of
2702people.”
2703“Well, if you’re looking for a good partner, I’m here.”
2704When we climb the stairs and aim for the cafe on the second floor, we
2705hear such a voice from behind. When I turned around, a female student
2706from the first floor was looking at us with a big smile on her face. As soon
2707as my eyes met, she slowly came up the stairs.
2708The first person to show a suspicious face came to Horikita.
2709“Did you listen to me?”
2710“I just called out to my senior, because I happened to hear. Uh—”
2711We set a point of view on Horikita, who spoke to us without looking at
2712us.
2713“Senpai, what is your name and academic ability?”
2714“..... I'm Horikita from 2nd year class D. I've got an A judgment on my
2715academic ability. So?”
2716“Hey, you’re smart.”
2717“What's your name?”
2718“I'm a year A class Amasawa Ichika. It's the same as Horikita's senpai,
2719and my academic ability is A.”
2720She is a smart student who doesn't look like a gal.
2721Just in case and Horikita confirms in the app.
2722“If you're going to aim high, why don't you team up with me?”
2723Amasawa said such a thing without hearing anything about the
2724background here.
2725 It is not impossible to take the first place if two people of the academic
2726ability A team up. As for Horikita, I have deliberately lowered the score
2727for the past Sudou, and considering that, it is not exaggerated as a real A
2728judgment. 
2729It's an unexpected form, but first, Horikita can decide a partner before of
2730Sudou and others.
2731It's a coincidence, but the students of Academic A reached out to us.
2732If you ask students who have low academic ability here, there is a
2733possibility that they will be shunned.
2734“Thanks, but I’m not looking for a partner right now. Can't you rather
2735partner with Sudou-kun?”
2736Horikita introduces Sudou in a way that takes the risk.
2737Sudou was a little puzzled, but lightly bowed down.
2738“Well, what is your academic ability of Sudou-senpai?”
2739“E+. I can't say it's a good result.”
2740Far from being, they are competing for the bottom of the list throughout
2741the school year.
2742Amasawa should already understand it through OAA.
2743“I see. In other words, Horikita was helping me find a partner to stop her
2744from leaving school.”
2745The situation is gripped, and Amasawa looks at Sudou.
2746“Academic Ability E+. If I get together, I'll be halfway below the middle
2747rather than aiming for the top.”
2748“That's right. There's little benefit to you.”
2749I thought that the story of the point will come out from Amasawa, but
2750there was no such sign.
2751“Well, if you ask me, I wouldn't refuse to cooperate with you.”
2752It's clearly better than the previous three people.
2753She turned her eyes towards me.
2754“What about you, senpai? Looking for a partner in the same way?”
2755“He's an academic ability C. I'm not in a hurry to get a partner for him.
2756If Sudou-kun doesn't work, I'd appreciate it if you could partner with him at
2757worst.”
2758“No, that's—”
2759It was the kindness of Horikita, but I must put a stop her plan here.
2760[TLN: Ayanokouji needs to find out the identity of the White Room
2761student before he can decide on a student to pair with]
2762 I can't decide on a partner now without any thought.
2763“Do you have any complaints?”
2764“That's not the way it is, but...” 
2765“Ah, hey. I haven't said I'm going to work together yet, have I?”
2766Amasawa stops us, seeing the story going on without permission.
2767“Do you need any conditions to work with either of them?”
2768“Conditions, conditions? Well, I have the right to put it out like that.”
2769By cutting out from Horikita here, we must try to draw the condition
2770from Amasawa.
2771The basic policy of avoiding competing with other classes at private
2772points will not change, but if it is cheap, there will be room for
2773consideration. After that, I pray that it is not a high point unlike the white
2774bird tori as before.
2775“I like strong people”
2776Amasawa laughed like a little devil, saying something that seemed to
2777have nothing to do with this exam.
2778“What the hell are you talking about?”
2779Horikita, who thought she was going to change from a study story to a
2780point story, frowns suspiciously.
2781“I was wondering what to do with this special exam. I'm going to study
2782hard for the rest of my life, and I'm going to work with people in the
2783vicinity of academic ability A like Horikita-senpai to get to the top. Or do
2784you want to clear it with some ease? So, if you want to clear
2785comfortably, I want to team up with the person you like anyway?”
2786It's certainly more likely than teaming up with a nasty guy or a guy who
2787doesn't care.
2788“I like strong men.”
2789Now, Repeat the story that I just cut out.
2790Horikita spins his head to try hard to understand.
2791“In other words, you're asking if Sudou-kun is strong or not?”
2792“Correct. It's not about mental, it's whether you're physically strong or
2793not. Well, if you look at your physique, you'll get a good feeling of sports
2794and stuff.”
2795It is Amasawa who turns the fingertip to Sudou which might not be
2796unrelated to the student of the academic ability A judgment.
2797Sudou, who has confidence in his body, nods and appeals while being a
2798little shy.
2799“Would you like to partner with me?”
2800Amasawa reaches out and touches Sudou's cheeks. 
2801“Well, if it was Academic A, it would be the best form for me. Are you
2802sure?”
2803“If you're really strong.”
2804After that, the thin fingertip is made to crawl on Sudou's chest plate, and
2805Sudou is fascinated by a bewitching sign.
2806“I’m strong, I am”
2807“I don't hate people who are full of confidence.”
2808“What does that mean if you're strong?”
2809Horikita, Sudou's watcher, asks questions about Amasawa's unknown
2810story.
2811“I like strong people in the same way. That's why strong people are
2812good.”
2813“I think I’ll live up to your expectations. I guarantee Sudou-kun's skill.”
2814“You can't convince me just by words. After all, I have to see it
2815directly.”
2816“… Do you want to see it with your eyes?”
2817“I'm trying to get a strong guy in the second grade and hit each other, so
2818I'm going to partner with the strongest person.”
2819“Are you kidding me?” You can't do that.”
2820“Why?” I've been talking seriously since the beginning.”
2821“Let's go, the bell has rung sound. It's a waste of time to be here.”
2822Sudou also cut out so whether it did not seem that Amasawa was
2823seriously saying here.
2824Try to lick yourself as you are about to be deceived
2825by Amasawa's appeal even for a moment.
2826“I just can’t listen to this story”
2827If you ask her, this is just a bonus game.
2828Certainly, I don't go out of my way to work with E+ academic ability.
2829Because it is perfect in both the class ability if it is Amasawa, the buyer
2830will be able to attach as much as possible.
2831A situation that can be called a kind, good luck. If you receive a talk,
2832Sudou will have the right to partner with students of academic ability A. It's
2833not like there's a penalty in the place where we couldn't make it.
2834“You're not talking about it in a playful way, you're serious about it,
2835aren't you?”
2836Horikita's eyes were serious. 
2837“Of course.”
2838“Yes, it is. In that case, I'll get serious about it and tell you what I'm
2839talking about.”
2840“Oh, hey Suzune?”
2841“It's OK. I want to work with strong people.”
2842“Yes, it is. Then Sudou-kun, you should accept this offer.”
2843“Well, wait, Suzune. There's no way this school can allow you to be a bit
2844of a jerk. It was last year, and even in the daytime of today, it was pretty bad
2845just to make a little noise.”
2846Last year, Sudou developed into a big problem due to the class
2847of Ryuuen and a stir.
2848And today, the fact that Hosen came, and it became a commotion.
2849“Certainly, a quarrel is not a compliment. But if the two sides agree,
2850there will be no inconvenience. Don't you think so? Ayanokouji-kun”
2851I think instantly about what I had heard in Horikita.
2852If you say there is no problem, the answer is obviously no.
2853Whether you win or lose, the school will not admit that you deserve a
2854duel, even if you decide not to object.
2855However, Horikita dares to respond in a way that accepts the battle.
2856“That's right. There's no way school officials would agree to fight, but if
2857students are convinced and fight, it's not going to be any more problem.”
2858I dared to answer as if there was no problem.
2859“Oh, hey Ayanokouji!”
2860“Besides, no one can beat Sudou-kun if he's a fighting skill, no matter
2861who comes out in the second grade.”
2862“That's it.”
2863Sudou doesn't understand, but I and Horikita alternately throw the ball
2864together to establish a conversation.
2865The important thing here is not to affirm the quarrel.
2866It is to show with confidence that Sudou is the strongest even if he does
2867not fight.
2868“It's a chance to say clearly, Sudou-kun. If you think about it normally,
2869it's extremely difficult to get you together with a student with academic
2870ability A. But is It's okay to be a partner? Moreover, it competes for the
2871strength of the fight that you are better than anyone else. You should take it
2872without hesitation.” 
2873There is no way that second-year students who are familiar with the
2874rules of this school will take a careless battle.
2875Moreover, if the other party becomes Sudou, the result is more obvious
2876than seeing the fire.
2877In other words, even if you accept here, you won't actually have a fight,
2878and even if you have someone to challenge you, you can get back on it.
2879“It's okay. I'm kind of excited.”
2880Amasawa, who has just entered the school, will not understand that.
2881You can't understand things that are different from ordinary junior high
2882and high school.
2883“But can you promise me one thing first?” If there are no participants
2884other than Sudou-kun, you would become a partner with Sudou-kun.”
2885Horikita wants an important arrangement here.
2886If Amasawa doesn't agree here, the story won't move forward.
2887“That's right. I promise you that. The fact that no challengers show up is
2888a win-win.”
2889Horikita nodded as if she was satisfied with her wording.
2890“Okay? Sudou-kun”
2891“--Oh, if you don't have a problem with Suzune, I don't have any
2892problem at all.”
2893He strongly clenched his fists.
2894The proposal from Amasawa might have been a product of chance, and
2895it was a value thousand money if it made it to Horikita
2896“Then, I'll be recruited in the whole chat of the app. If you're confident
2897in your skills, please send me a direct email to me that you're going to be
2898entering today.”
2899“Heh. Whoever comes, I'll give it back.”
2900Conveniently, Sudou doesn't understand Horikita's idea.
2901Therefore, I am excited that I might fight for nothing.
2902“I wonder if I can specify the place here. I want to avoid places that are
2903inadvertently visible to school”
2904“Yes, it is. I think my seniors understand better, and I'll leave that to
2905you.”
2906I'll get the last confirmation before I send it to you if I've finished
2907writing.
2908“Then, it's about the formation of an arm-battle. That's nice?” 
2909In return, When Horikita nodded, Amasawa slowly saw the three of us.
2910Then, the screen of the mobile phone is darkened, and it puts it in the
2911pocket.
2912“Yeah, I did”
2913I thought it was a sudden change of heart, but it doesn't seem to be so.
2914Judging from that expression, you should see that the other side was also
2915trying and measuring.
2916However, both Horikita and Sudou panic in a change of heart
2917in Amasawa.
2918“I wonder why.”
2919“I've been recruiting, but I don't think the other party is going to come.
2920Looking at Sudou's physique and the attitude of Horikita-senpai
2921and Ayanokouji, I found that he is strong in the top class among the second
2922graders.”
2923 I understood that there was no need to make a fight and compare it.
2924The play that Horikita and I played, and Sudou of the element. These
2925effects seem to have gone out too much.
2926If Horikita had noticed after the recruitment, Horikita would admit to
2927cancel.
2928Horikita reveals his dissatisfaction because she cannot be made for
2929acting here.
2930“Did you make fun of us?”
2931“Hey, that's not the case. It's not interesting just to be clear. I just want to
2932see it with my own eyes and see it and have fun. So, don't get angry like
2933that, senior.”
2934Well, Amasawa thinks while pressing her index finger against her lips.
2935“Give me a chance and forgive me.”
2936Horikita intends to control it, but is swayed by the unique pace
2937of Amasawa.
2938It doesn't seem to go very well with this type of thing.
2939“I like strong guys, next to men who can cook.”
2940“Cooking?”
2941The new proposal from Amasawa was also completely unrelated to this
2942special examination.
2943“Sud-senpai, how about you cook for me?”
2944“Te-Teryori-an!?” 
2945[TLN: Don’t ask me what that means]
2946Sudou, who was full of confidence until earlier, is surprised to be
2947overdoing an unexpected proposal.
2948“It's delicious, of course, on the big premise, and I'll have you cook the
2949food I requested.”
2950“No, no, I've never cooked since I was born.”
2951“Is that so?” Well then, I wonder if I could take the chance and go
2952around.”
2953In order not to let that happen, Horikita is interrupted the story.
2954“I wonder if it's ok to replace of Sudou-kun.”
2955“That's not good. I told you, didn't I? I like men who can cook. And
2956there's no point in partnering unless it’s a person who can cook.”
2957In other words, when you are a woman, no matter how much you cook,
2958you exclude it
2959“If I give up on Sudou-senpai and find a senior who can cook?” Oh,
2960even if you can find it in a hurry, you won't be able to work with Sudousenpai, will you?”
2961Ichika laugh like a little devil.
2962“From now on, do you want to make Sudou-senpai a culinary master?
2963But I wonder if I'll be able to make it in time. I'm popular, so maybe I'll
2964decide on a partner if I don't do it early.”
2965just a warning. Not long before she is, she will decide on a partner.
2966There are many excellent students besides Horikita in the second grade.
2967You don't have to take the risk of working with Sudou.
2968So to speak, the whim sly, just playfulness that a girl
2969named Amasawa showed.
2970 If you change your mind even a little, you’re done.
2971However, he is a classmate, has low academic ability, and is a boy and is
2972good at cooking.
2973At this point, there are no substitutes that come to mind.
2974Then, the order from this Amasawa might be only negative for the D
2975class.
2976It is more meaningful to give up and attack another student.
2977When here did not give an answer, Amasawa added:
2978“All right. Then special service. It's a place where you can partner with a
2979man who's going to cook well, but... If you're satisfied with my tongue, you
2980can team up with Sudou-san, who's a strong person.”
2981A little concession from Amasawa is proposed here.
2982Amasawa wants to partner with a man who has a strong fight or a good
2983cook.
2984Indeed, Amasawa's taste is satisfied.
2985“It's like working with someone who's a good cook or working with
2986someone who's strong in a fight.”
2987She said that even other boys could partner with Sudou if they could
2988satisfy.
2989How will Horikita respond to Amasawa’s wishes?
2990But the problem is that I don't know that student.
2991There is a big lack of time to prepare from now.
2992“Ayanokouji. Surely, you’ve boasted to me that you were good at
2993cooking before?”
2994Horikita asks me about my cooking skills a dignified manner.
2995I've never talked about such a thing, even if I'm not proud of it.
2996It's easy to deny, but it seems like we need to keep it together.
2997There is not much possibility that Sudou can partner with a student with
2998academic ability A.
2999“It's not an exaggeration to say that cooking is my only area of
3000expertise.”
3001“That's right. If Amasawa-san forgives me, I wonder if you’ll be fine
3002with Ayanokouji?”
3003“If I were a boy, anyone would be fine. But are you really good at it?
3004You can leave it from your mouth, but the screening is pretty strict, right?”
3005“Of course, it's okay. Right?”
3006“Well, that's right.”
3007As soon as I affirmed it, Amasawa immediately clapped her hands.
3008“Well then, you’ll have to show me your skills right now”
3009Deployment too steep. However, this might be the one like the sealing
3010hand of Amasawa.
3011In order not to give time to learn cooking by giving grace time.
3012 She’s trying to figure out if I'm really a good cook.
3013As it is a lie to keep Amasawa together, Horikita cannot answer yes
3014here.
3015Even if I cook with my current skills, I know how good I am. 
3016Even if it is not strictly judged, I will definitely drop out.
3017“I want to do that, but I wonder if I'll have some time. I and Ayanokoujikun are in contact with the first graders in order to find a classmate's
3018partner. There are many other students who need to help besides Sudoukun. If you get ahead of another class, you'll get a painful damage. Even at
3019this very moment, our rivals are running around looking for a partner.”
3020You know that, don't you? and explain the situation.
3021“If I could, I'd like to have time until after school on Friday.”
3022Saying that, I can kick the wish of Ichika that I want you to behave the
3023dish on the same day.
3024I tried to give him a few more days after school on Friday.
3025It is a suggestion that you can make some time on the weekend.
3026“I see. It's certainly not good for me to take too much time alone.”
3027Then, Amasawa makes a new proposal.
3028“I don't mind if it's late today night? Then it's fine?”
3029“A first-year student entering and leaving the second-year dormitory in
3030the middle of the night, and if it’s a boy’s room, it’s a major problem.”
3031“I see. But waiting until the weekend is a bit. I'm going to lose the
3032chance to work with another senpai. Right?”
3033After all, the proposal to wait until the weekend does not pass easily.
3034This time, a severe reply comes back from Amasawa.
3035“But this is also something, and I'll just wait for one day. If you say you
3036can't cook homemade food after school tomorrow, I'll let you do it without
3037this story.”
3038Perhaps this is the line of cooperation that is the conclusion of the last
3039minute that can be drawn from Amasawa.
3040If you want it, it's a sign that you're going to pull yourself away right
3041away.
3042I've come to Horikita, but I have to misunderstand the bargaining.
3043“That's right. There is no denying that it will impose a burden on you.
3044And you don't want to give me time to practice cooking badly, do you?”
3045“No, I'm not thinking that far.”
3046“...... That's okay. Can you ask for that?”
3047The preparation period is only one day. However, it is not possible to get
3048cooperation of Ichika if we do not agree. 
3049It can be taken as a bitter measure,
3050but Horikita announces the decision…
3051“It's decided.”
3052There was no dissatisfaction after school tomorrow that I had said,
3053and Amasawa readily consented.
3054“However, it is not necessary to make it to the contrary in the middle as
3055if it were a little noisy. We're not playing either.”
3056“It's funny. I promise. If I decide that I'm sure of my cooking skills, I'll
3057partner with Mr. Sudou at that time.”
3058Although it was a verbal promise, Amasawa answered with a simple
3059nod.
3060“Please, Ayanokouji. Grab my partner by your cooking skills!”
3061I'll do that in this place, but I don't think it's going to be like this.
3062“Then, maybe I can meet you in front of Keyaki mall at 4:30 after
3063school tomorrow, Ayanokouji-san.”
3064“Keyaki mall?” It's not a dormitory, is it?”
3065“What you make is a secret, and of course you have to buy some
3066ingredients, don't you?”
3067I see. What is the subject of the examination from the purchase?
3068“Can I go with you?”
3069Horikita offers to offer advice so as not to be well found out.
3070However, it is not the other party who goes so easily.
3071“That's not good. I can send you advice, even if you’re blind. The
3072judging process is strict.”
3073In other words, tomorrow, I have to do something by myself.
3074“You're okay, aren't you Ayanokouji-san?”
3075“Oh, no problem.”
3076For the time being, I'll take it obediently, but this has become a serious
3077thing.
3078“Then I'll see you tomorrow.”
3079Amasawa goes down the stairs with satisfaction.
3080“Horikita, I think you know.”
3081“Shut up now. I'll think about the strategy.”
3082Even if you think about the strategy, the time is only one day.
3083I have only the minimum cooking skills, so how far can I do? 
3084
3085[ 4 ]
3086ICHIKA’S EXAM
3087The special examination entered its third day today. Wednesday is
3088approaching.
3089When the OAA was updated at 8:00 A.M, the options were inevitably
3090narrowing down.
3091“34 more pairs were formed?”
3092This is 56 pairs when combined with those from Monday.
3093With a maximum of 157 pairs, more than 30% of the students have
3094decided on partners at an early stage.
3095It was Second-year Class B that added to the number of pairs. In other
3096words, Ichinose was involved in a lot of them.
3097Apparently, the first-year students from the exchange party decided to
3098think carefully and work together with Ichinose.
3099Basically, it can be confirmed that many of the first-year students with
3100low academic ability are working with Ichinose and others.
3101After that, it is presumed that the point trading etc was successful as the
3102name of some first-year honour students disappear from the list, and the
3103name of several students disappeared in the second year C class. Five
3104students from our class, including Kushida, had decided on a partner. If you
3105check the page of the First-year Class B on OAA, Takuya Yagami has also
3106made a decision about the partner. He might have teamed up with the
3107Kushida.
3108What's strange, however, is that no one in the year D class has decided
3109on a partner.
3110This is no other class in the first or second school year without a single
3111pair.
3112If I don't move in earnest, I'm going to get stuck very soon.
3113Looking at my grades objectively, a few students might come up and
3114say, 'Let's team up'. Whether they’re a student with academic ability or not,
3115it's natural that they want to work with smart students. Unlike the second
3116graders, who have come to be able to act for the benefit of their classes,
3117first-year students will not be able to afford to look out for others. Even
3118classmates are more aware that they are rivals.
3119At least I'll be postponing my actions till the top scores decide on their
3120partners.
3121Tsukishiro most likely show any mercy in this exam. I’m going to wait
3122and see if the white room student asks me to become their partner.
3123Of course, students who ask me to work with them, and students who
3124easily allow me to work together, are dangerous signs.
3125However, if I hesitate without deciding on a partner forever, the
3126possibility of being teamed up with the spy of Tsukishiro will increase. I
3127need to be sure that I do not pair up with that student, but it's probably not
3128going to be easy.
3129It’s hard to imagine what kind of persona they will put on after entering
3130this school.
3131I learned everyone's face, name, and grades at OAA, but of course there
3132are no hints to get from it.
3133If all 160 freshmen were my opponents, it will be a sure-fire attack and I
3134won’t be able to escape...
3135I thought of such a stupid thing, but I don’t think that Tsukishiro has the
3136power to go that far.
3137No, he definitely doesn’t.
3138The important thing is to think about how to survive, even if everyone is
3139an enemy.
3140At any rate, I need to find a safe student from the 104 unpaired people
3141left now.
3142Children raised in the white room are not more biased by gender.
3143Basically, a gender equality policy is set out, so it is impossible to narrow it
3144down from that direction.
3145Then, how can you narrow down the possibilities? One of the criterions
3146is ‘physique’.
3147The food in the white room comes out with everything that is managed
3148in every detail. It is basically impossible for children who grow up in that
3149environment to become obese. In other words, if you choose a student of an
3150obese child, you can avoid white room students. A simple diagram comes to
3151mind.
3152However, this is not absolute. It's possible that the White Room students
3153have been preparing for me to drop out for some months. It's not impossible
3154to be in a plump or thin shape if you feel like it. If you've endured a tough
3155curriculum, it's easy to get by.
3156However, even without that, the doubt remains in choosing the student
3157whose body shape has deviated from the standard at any time. OAA doesn't
3158show the whole picture, so I can't say for certain, but only two students are
3159blatantly obese.
3160The possibility that both of them are students sent by Tsukishiro cannot
3161be ruled out. It is assumed that there are not only white room students but
3162also thugs who have been found it from the general public.
3163Tsukishiro would have offered them a better life if they can get me to
3164drop out.
3165Next, whether it is possible to narrow down from academic ability. It's
3166also difficult.
3167If you're a white room student, it is not difficult to get a perfect score on
3168the entrance exam, they could have gotten A or A+ on academic ability. In
3169other words, you can also control their grades freely.
3170I'm sure they have heard about the introduction of OAA. It would not be
3171surprising even if they had academic ability E/
3172In the same way, it is impossible to narrow down the A class or D class
3173by affiliation class.
3174I know, but there is no material to narrow down from any.
3175What I’m going to do from now is.
3176To directly look at the students with their own eyes to confirm the truth.
3177If I’m sure that they’re not an enemy, I can pair up with them.
3178I set one rule for myself.
3179I'm going to school today, eating lunch, and having after school. In such
3180a day, I call out to the first grader in the order in which I saw it. Then, start
3181with the students and get the cooperation of first-years. Since there is no
3182way the opponent will send in a student who can be found out by observing,
3183there is no choice but to fight with the element that cannot be intervened by
3184chance.
3185My academic ability C is not high enough to be a weapon, but it does
3186not mean that there are no students willing to team up with me.
3187* * *
3188Part 1
3189I went out of the dorm and headed to school.
3190I found two first-year girls talking to each other.
3191Their names are Kasuga Kurihara and Tetsuko Konishi. Both of them
3192are first-year Class A students. Seeing them made me remember Kushida as
3193they were very similar in appearance.
3194Unfortunately, both of them are excellent students with academic ability
3195that confirmed their partners on the first day. It is impossible to invite them
3196as partners.
3197Well, it’s not like I was looking for a partner, so it doesn’t matter.
3198I thought about talking to the girl about working together to help our
3199class…but it was hard to approach her.
3200Talking to them under the pretext of partnering up for the special exam
3201is one thing, but how does a second-year boy look like if he suddenly went
3202and barged into their conversation? I thought of such a thing.
3203It would be another thing if it was Hirata, he would be able to talk to
3204them easily since he’s quite popular.
3205In any case, there is no reason for me to rush.
3206It’s not advisable to compromise here, that’s what I decided. But I didn’t
3207have much time as we were nearing the school building. Rather than
3208interrupting their conversation, I decided to wait for their talk to end.
3209“Good morning, Ayanokouji-senpai!”
3210When I was looking at the situation, I was called out like that from
3211behind.
3212The first-year student I saw today was Tsubasa Nanase, who was acting
3213with Hosen the other day.
3214She gave me a carefree smile.
3215“Oh, good morning.” I replied
3216I wasn’t expecting her to call out to me, so I was a bit slow to answer.
3217
3218“Do you have some business with those two girls?” Shall I call them for
3219you?”
3220Nanase, who is a first-year student, suggested that, but if you do so, it is
3221likely to be a discussion with three girls. It's going to be a hard time for me
3222if that happened.
3223“No, it's okay.”
3224“Is that so?”
3225Nanase walks at almost the same speed while looking a bit curious as to
3226why I said that.
3227The conversation with Nanase started unexpectedly. Well, I was thankful
3228to meet Nanase at this timing.
3229It cannot be said that the development of being called out by a first-year
3230student is coincidental There's a good chance she was waiting for me to go
3231to school and timed it should be wary of Nanase and other first-years who
3232initiate a conversation. It is just like yesterday’s event, then it was Ichika
3233Amasawa who called out to us instead of it being the other way around.
3234“I'm sorry that Hosen-kun was rude the other day.”
3235“No, you don’t have to apologize for it. It didn’t affect me in any way.”
3236“But there's no difference in the trouble I've caused. While I was
3237following the way to stop Hosen-kun from acting like that, I felt a certain
3238lack of strength.”
3239Unlike the rough Hosen, Nanase is very sociable and has a polite tone.
3240Her academic ability is also high at B, and she is perfect as a partner. It
3241shouldn’t be strange if many second-graders already approached her for the
3242special exam, but on the third day of exam, she was still unpartnered.
3243However, it seems that this is probably because of the first-year Class D
3244policy.
3245In addition to academic ability, physical ability, decision making ability,
3246and social contribution are also well-balanced and high grades in C+ or
3247higher. At first glance, there are no problems. That's why the question
3248comes to mind, what is the reason why Nanase Tsubasa is in the D class?
3249The image of the D class is basically that the students with some problems
3250to be assigned to it. For example, Yosuke and Kushida seemed to have no
3251defects on the surface, but when their shell cracks, you will be able to see
3252what their true natures are.
3253In other words, the possibility that Nanase has such a hidden problem
3254cannot be denied. However, there is no guarantee that the same trend
3255applies to this year’s first-year class D.
3256As far as I’m concerned, it’s okay if there are some problems in
3257personality and values Whether it wishes as a partner or as a co-worker, the
3258only important thing is whether Nanase Tsubasa is a person on the side of
3259Tsukishiro
3260I'm worried about that eye-catching look that I showed with Hosen when
3261we first met. His eyes are lurking in the ring, and his natural eyes are turned
3262to me.
3263“Have you decided on a partner or candidate for the upcoming special
3264exam?”
3265I decided to ask a few questions to get to know the person named
3266Nanase.
3267“Me? No, I haven’t decided.”
3268“Then, has anyone asked you to become their partner?”
3269“That's right. I've been asked by seniors in the 2nd year A class and the
3270second year C class and offered private points, but I refused.”
3271It is still within expectations for a student with academic ability B.
3272“Why are you holding off on deciding on a partner?”
3273I decided to be a bit more aggressive.
3274I'm sorry, but I can't answer that.
3275Nanase said that while bowing her head in apology.
3276“What you don't want to be asked is not answered, it's a correct answer,
3277you don’t need to apologize.”
3278It is difficult to decide at this point whether it is a problem of Nanase
3279individual or first-year D class as a whole.
3280In that case, let's attack from a slightly different angle.
3281“If you like, why don't you work together with second-year class D to
3282find the right partner?”
3283I made such a proposal including myself. Horikita also thinks of the 1st
3284year D class as the key, and Hosen also has some feelings for the secondyear D class. It wasn’t a bad suggestion.
3285“Cooperation between classes... Is it?”
3286“Ah. Many students are trying to team up with highly academic students
3287for their grades. But then, students with low academic ability will inevitably
3288be unelected and overflow. Both first-year and second-year students are
3289exposed to the risk of withdrawal if they work together with students with
3290low academic ability.”
3291“Yes. I understand that. I want to avoid it if I can.”
3292“That's right. To do that, you need to find the right balance. You have to
3293find a partner who can't get higher but won't get a red point.”
3294We are D class. It is overwhelmingly inferior as a brand. That is why
3295there is a possibility that the one-year D-class, which is in the same order,
3296will come to talk.
3297“How about it?”
3298“I agree, too. If I can, I would like to cooperate with Ayanokouji-senpai.
3299It's just...”
3300“Just…?
3301“I don't know how much the people in my class can help me. And some
3302of the students who are confident in their studies are already deciding on a
3303partner.”
3304Many of the key students in this exam have begun to aim for top
3305performers by choosing a good partner. The two girls walking in front of
3306me are just like that.
3307The reason why we have not established our partners is that there are
3308other problems, such as point aspects.
3309The most important point in this test is that the top 30% will be
3310rewarded. The act of rescuing a student with low academic ability also leads
3311to abandoning the reward.
3312“We don't need everyone's cooperation. Perhaps with some adjustments,
3313we can get through the special exam without having to get too much help.”
3314Even if some of the students in the class are taken, there will be no
3315major problems.
3316“That's right. But it's not that there's no other problems.”
3317The proposal itself was accepted by Nanase, but she showed a dark
3318expression.
3319It was not difficult to think of the reason and it soon occurred to me
3320“I'm sure it's Hosen... is not agreeing? He seems to be showing a big
3321presence in class D.”
3322In addition, I put my hand in the inside situation of the first-year Class
3323D.
3324From the contact with the white bird taking the other day, I got the
3325information that seems to be almost certain.
3326“Yes. Many boys and girls have already begun to follow Hosen-kun's
3327instructions in a quiet way.”
3328What was only speculation turned into conviction.
3329Hosen seemed to already have gained control over the class.
3330It may be a strategy of Hosen to not allow anyone from first-year Class
3331D to choose a partner.
3332If that’s the case, Hosen is not only a student who has a big body, but
3333also has the insight, observation and calmness to observe his surroundings.
3334“Is Nanase in a special position? You don’t seem to be afraid of Hosen”
3335“I will never give in to violence.”
3336Such powerful words which cannot be imagined from her appearance
3337came back.
3338Her remark doesn’t seem to a bluff, so I assume that it is backed by
3339something.
3340I could see that kind of confidence coming from her pure eyes.
3341“Senpai...... What do you think of violence?”
3342“Violence…huh”
3343“Is it a good thing or a bad thing?”
3344If that's the question of what you think of Hosen's approach, the answer
3345is one.
3346“If I had to choose from those two, it's an advantageous thing.”
3347I told her that.
3348I thought that she would say something back soon, but it was silence that
3349came back. When I turned only my eyes to Nanase and checked my
3350expression, the quiet face had disappeared.
3351She had the same eyes as she did when she was looking at me when she
3352left yesterday.
3353After a few seconds of waiting for Nanase's reply.
3354“I also have the same opinion.”
3355The answer which does not feel the wave of feelings which can be taken
3356as a true and a lie has returned.
3357A strong will not to yield to violence was present in Nanase, and she
3358stayed by his side?
3359No… Not necessarily.
3360At that time, Hosen was strongly responding to the word ‘that’ that
3361Nanase spoke.
3362There is no guarantee that Hosen is necessarily stronger as a human
3363being than Nanase.
3364I was curious about that, but I'm sure it's not something to ask here and
3365now.
3366She does not look like the type of person who’d say unnecessary things.
3367I shouldn’t be wary of Hosen yet.
3368Should I leave it at this now? There will be a chance to attack again with
3369Horikita.
3370“In any case, if it's Hosen that decides the class policy, this matter seems
3371to be difficult.”
3372I started to think about contact with other classes while continuing my
3373talk with Nanase.
3374“Well, it’s not a bad idea. Should we set up a meeting at once?”
3375She answered that because she had judged the proposed cooperative
3376relationship as a good proposal.
3377“That's a welcome offer, but is it really good for you guys?”
3378“Yes. However, I don't know how many people will cooperate with me,
3379so I can't make an absolute promise. At worst I may be alone, but do you
3380mind?”
3381“It’s fine. I’ll leave it to you”
3382For the time being, it is important for me and Horikita to get more
3383involved with the First-year Class D, even if a little.
3384“Of course. I'm sure Horikita will be happy too.”
3385“Is Horikita-senpai the leader of the 2nd year Class D?”
3386“Ah. She's the one leading the class.”
3387I decided to tell Horikita that it would be better to have a discussion with
3388class D under the cooperation of Nanase. Speaking directly in the classroom
3389would only make things worse by standing out too much.
3390“Ah...” I may not be able to reply to you soon. Is that Ok?”
3391“All right. I'll try to make adjustments as soon as possible.”
3392“Yes”
3393I agreed to exchange contacts with Nanase and get in touch with her
3394later.
3395* * *
3396Part 2
3397After confirming that Horikita had not yet arrived at the school, I
3398decided to wait at the entrance for a little while.
3399If you talk about this in the classroom or the corridor, you'll be worried
3400about the public eye.
3401Horikita, who showed up soon after, looked at me strangely, not
3402realizing that I was waiting for her.
3403“Good morning. You're meeting someone?”
3404“It's kind of like a meeting. The one I was waiting for has arrived.”
3405“Yes.”
3406She turned around lightly and turn around when she realized that there is
3407no one I know., she looked back at me
3408“Me?”
3409“Ah. There's something I want to talk about quickly.”
3410“If you have been waiting for me, I wonder if it is something important.”
3411We start walking together.
3412“Important... Let's see. I think it's going to be important. I had a chance
3413to talk with Tsubasa Nanase of the D class for one year. So, I made a little
3414suggestion over there.”
3415“Oh, what kind of proposal?”
3416“I tried to approach the one-year D class and the second-year D class to
3417see if they could join hands.”
3418“You've done something that is completely unlike you.”
3419Horikita herself has wondering about ways to work together with the
3420first-ear Class D.
3421I was prepared for her to be angry because I made such a proposal
3422without her permission.
3423“Have you seen the partner status of the first-year class D?”
3424“Oh, no one has decided on a partner yet. I'm sure that Sakayanagi will
3425also have to hold on.”
3426It is a natural flow that the withdrawal concentrates on the honour
3427student of the upper class who cooperate at a reasonable amount of point
3428amount rather than pulling out with a lot of money.
3429“I'm sure that's not all. It takes a certain amount of effort to deal with
3430Hosen-kun's sharp policy. It's just more time to spend time in a higher
3431class.”
3432“Maybe”
3433“Did you propose to Nanase-san after you found out how hard it was to
3434face Hosen-kun? Or did you call out to be a secret cooperative through
3435Nanase-san so that Hosen-kun wouldn't be able to be know?”
3436“What do you think?”
3437I dared not answer it deeply and asked Horikita. If you no longer have a
3438plan to work with the first-year class D, you can only let it go.
3439“I've re-analysed the situation of this special exam again; can you hear
3440it?”
3441“I'm not sure I'll be able to give you the right advice.”
3442“I’m not expecting anything.”
3443She just wants to share her thoughts.
3444This may have something to do with the first-year class D that I brought
3445up today.
3446“When you first look at the whole first grade, it's natural for the students
3447with excellent academic ability to be popular.”
3448“That's right. Nanase said that the two-year A-class and the second-year
3449C-class are bringing up the contract story by the point.”
3450“But the swans were all on hold for answers. We don't know how many
3451points we've come to terms with, but the half-million points we've presented
3452to us are too expensive.”
3453Given that the top 5 groups are awarded 100,000 points and the top 30%
3454are rewarded 10,000 points, even 200,000 points is overkill.
3455“I wonder how many points were offered by Hashimoto-kun?”
3456“Yes. But it's a good idea to think that it's far from half a million.”
3457Unless you can find out from one of the negotiating parties, it’s an
3458answer you’ll never know.
3459“I’m convinced that the points offered by Class A and Class C do not
3460differ much. No, Class A may have offered less.”
3461This reasoning is probably based on the updated OAA data from this
3462morning.
3463Between Second-year Class A and Class C, the one with greater number
3464of decided pairs is Class C.
3465“If it's Class A and Class C, the A class is naturally superior in terms of
3466brand value. As long as there is no difference in the points, there are many
3467people who will choose A class. What we can think of is that
3468class A is trying to win over the first-years by their class value and
3469private points, while class C is trying to increase the amount of points as
3470they lose by brand strength.”
3471I nod lightly to affirm.
3472“What's a little strange is the way of thinking of Ryuuen-kun. In order to
3473win, it is a minimum requirement to bring the top team to the side, but it is
3474inevitable that it will be a fight against Class A. If we play in a money
3475game, there's no chance of winning no matter how you think about it, and
3476you're going to have no chance to win the overall first place.”
3477He was going against Class A but it was a poor fight.
3478“Even if you drop the level a little, you should aim at the students who
3479are not bad in academic ability.”
3480There are also many students with academic ability B and C+. It is safer
3481to aim for second place overall.
3482“Well, it's a mess to read his thoughts, but... I'll move on. The remaining
3483B class is trying to build a relationship of trust with the first graders by
3484drawing them into their group regardless of academic ability as relief for
3485the weak. Many of the students who have academic ability D or lower,
3486excluding the 1st year D class, are saved by Ichinose-san.”
3487After looking back once and making sure that no one was
3488eavesdropping, she continued:
3489“The aim now is the middle class of each class, the students in terms of
3490academic ability B to C+.”
3491The students in that area will not be able to ask for a lot of money, and
3492there are still a lot of students left.
3493It's a good thing to talk them while Class A and Class C are competing
3494for the upper teams.
3495“Then, do you mean that the strategy focused on the one-year D class is
3496withdrawn?”
3497“No, I'll continue. Rather, should I say their value as partners has
3498increased?”
3499“What do you think about throwing away the middle tier of another
3500class?”
3501It can be said that this judgment is too reckless. Our second-year Class
3502D is behind the other classes, so we get as many reliable partners as early as
3503possible.
3504“It's not that I'm not doing anything. It's going to be a bit mean, but I'm
3505going to make time by setting up a fake money game. Unlike honours
3506students, the middle level children don't think they'll be offered a lot of
3507points. I’m going to delude these middle level students. I think that we will
3508be able to a little bargaining afterwards.”
3509“Is it an aim to make Sakayanagi and others use points not only for the
3510upper layer, but also for the middle level students?”
3511“I don’t know how effective it will be, but I can attract some attention.
3512And in the meantime, I'm going to cut into the one-year D class. So, I’m
3513glad that you brought up the matter. I was just thinking of contacting
3514Nanase-san.”
3515“But I'm afraid Hosen is looking for a point deal, isn't he?”
3516“That's true. But I wonder if he really wants only the points. When I got
3517into the second-year area, he said to me: “If we don't nominate our D class,
3518we won't be able to form a decent pair. That's why I'll give you a hand to the
3519stupid and incompetent.” That his aim was our D class. If he was only after
3520private points, he wouldn’t have said it like that.”
3521Horikita asserts that there should be room for negotiation other than the
3522private points.
3523“The last thing Nanase said to him, 'that,' also made me suspicious.”
3524“That's true. I'm sure that Hoosen is paying attention to the second-year
3525D class.”
3526Instead of throwing away the top spot in the overall, Horikita has set
3527three propositions: “Don't drop out, don't participate in money games,” and
3528“aim for third place or higher overall.” It's not easy, but that's why we have
3529to work with first-year Class D.
3530“That said, we can expect that Hosen-kun will be tricky. I have
3531insurance.”
3532It seems that she has been doing other things that I don't know of.
3533“I’m currently wondering if we can work with a part of the first-year
3534Class B.”
3535“Speaking of one-year B class... You’re from the same junior high
3536school as Kushida and Yagami.”
3537I remember that Kushida and Yagami had already decided to partner at
3538the OAA this morning.
3539“Yesterday, Kushida and Yagami-kun joined hands. Unfortunately, I
3540didn't remember any of my juniors, but he could be the key. He seemed to
3541have a lot of faith in Kushida. We’re already negotiating and hopefully we
3542can gain a few more people.”
3543That's good news, but it creates a point of concern.
3544“Are you acting with Kushida?”
3545There remain questions as to how seriously Kushida, who dislikes
3546Horikita, will cooperate with us.
3547“I think I understand well that it's difficult right now. That's why we're
3548talking about Hirata-kun in between.”
3549“I see. In that case, Kushida won’t be able to act half-heartedly.”
3550If Kushida brings together some students to negotiate with Yagami, the
3551second-year D class will be able to solve some of the partner problems and
3552concentrate on their studies.
3553* * *
3554Part 3
3555“Good morning Horikita-san. Do you have a little time?”
3556During the break after the homeroom, Yosuke moved to Horikita's seat.
3557I look at the situation from my seat.
3558“Yesterday, I talked to a lot of people, but after all they don't cooperate
3559easily. There was a child who told me that it was ok to team up.”
3560It seems that it did not smoothly because it was the soccer club. And it's
3561hard to be completely friendly with a freshman who has just joined the club,
3562even if it is Yosuke.
3563“Did the first-years ask for private points?”
3564Yosuke affirmed, so Horikita continued.
3565“It's not surprising since it is a chance to sell yourself high.”
3566As you can imagine, the problem of point acquisition has spread
3567throughout the first-year.
3568“After being asked to be a partner in class A for the second year, he
3569asked me to work with him because he would pay for points from class C
3570for the second year. Not only that child, but almost all the students who
3571were called to Class A came from class C.”
3572“Smart students have a high rate of competition, so it's natural.”
3573Horikita had already predicted that.
3574However, the next thing Hirata said was different.
3575“That's why some of the students whose academic ability as C and D
3576seem to have been called out. I've also heard people offering them a lot of
3577points.”
3578“In other words, they're not necessarily inviting students with high
3579academic ability as a priority, are they?”
3580“As far as I’m aware of.”
3581“Yes, can I ask you for the name of the student?”
3582“Of course.”
3583Yosuke tells Horikita the name of a freshman who has been found to be
3584being solicited by Class A. When Horikita examines it, she soon
3585understands.
3586The students who were called out were students who had excellent
3587characteristics even if their academic ability was low. His physical ability is
3588high, his ability to think quickly and his dedication to social contribution
3589have been evaluated.
3590“I see ... I guess it's true ...”
3591“Perhaps they are looking at the long-term benefits instead of just this
3592special exam.”
3593This is not the only special exam to cooperate with first-year students.
3594Of course, if that happens, you will need skills other than academic ability.
3595The idea is to save students who are concerned about their academic ability
3596and make them useful in their areas of expertise later on. There's no doubt
3597in that direction.
3598What's interesting, however, is that the C class led by Ryuuen is
3599following even that.
3600Rather than aiming only for students with high academic ability, they are
3601exactly following Sakayanagi.
3602“I wish we could do the same...”
3603“It would be difficult.”
3604We are in Class D. And Sakayanagi is in Class A.
3605Students who have just entered the school already know which brand is
3606better.
3607If you think about the future, it's natural to be biased towards a good
3608class if you want to get help...
3609“Thank you. Can you continue to talk to the first-year students?”
3610“Yes. I'll report it again if I know anything.”
3611Yosuke sent a refreshing smile to Horikita and returned to his seat.
3612Soon after, a Horikita talk to me…
3613“That's what it is.”
3614I see, she seems to have noticed that I was eavesdropping.
3615“Hirata-kun is really reliable.”
3616“I guess.”
3617He was once against Horikita but that has been resolved now.
3618His presence will be useful for the class.
3619Communication skills and intelligence are, of course, a weapon of
3620Yosuke, but the greatest strength is trust.
3621He has enough achievements to prove his trustworthiness.
3622That's why Horikita can also discuss the strategy without hesitation.
3623“Being in Class D is handicap in itself. It's a tough fight.”
3624“You still have to do it, hang in there.”
3625“I'm going to have you play a part.”
3626“It's about the matter of Nanase, isn't it?”
3627“Yes. May I ask for an answer at once? I can go there at any time.”
3628This should move quickly, such as hitting while the iron is hot.
3629Otherwise, other classes will have more and more talented people.
3630“But it's after tomorrow. The first step is to get rid of that problem.”
3631“Of course, I know.”
3632* * *
3633Part 4
3634There is no response from Nanase even after school ended.
3635Even if I got a reply, Horikita and I wouldn’t be able to move today.
3636There is a recent problem that needs to be dealt with immediately.
3637It is the promise for cooking for Amasawa that was suddenly made. It is
3638a beautiful story that if you get a passing score, you can get her to partner
3639with Sudou, but the hurdles are not low.
3640Ten minutes before the appointed time, I arrived at the entrance to
3641Keyaki mall, and It seemed that Amasawa had not arrived yet. Instead of
3642using my mobile, I watched the students going to the mall. From the first
3643grade to the third grade, the students swarmed into the mall while chatting.
3644It seems to be warmer than usual this morning, but the evening is getting
3645closer and colder. The temperature is likely to drop a little more toward the
3646night.
3647Amasawa showed up just before the appointed time.
3648“It's perfect, Ayanokouji-senpai”
3649As soon as she arrived, she nodded and smile several times as if she was
3650satisfied with something.
3651“What are you talking about?”
3652“You were at the meeting place before the girl and weren’t doing
3653anything unnecessary.”
3654I noticed that she was unexpectedly observant of trivial things.
3655The unnecessary means that you were probably not messing around with
3656your cell phone or making a phone call.
3657From now on, it’s like a challenge from Amasawa, that is, cooking, but
3658if you think about it, you can look at various recipes to the last minute and
3659set up measures. In short, on the day of the written examination, is it easy to
3660understand if you say that you are staring at the textbook just before the bell
3661rings? Of course, it does not violate the rules that Amasawa demands.
3662However, it is thought that it is reflected as a person who does not have
3663confidence in cooking.
3664Even on the phone. You may be perceived as having that kind of
3665conversation with someone. That's why I dared not to do anything
3666unnecessary.
3667He intended to plant them unconsciously in Amasawa, but that he was
3668spotted at the first stage.
3669“Then, let’s go, Ayanokouji-senpai.”
3670As soon as we met up, Amasawa said so and immediately went to
3671Keyaki mall.
3672“Would you like to buy some ingredients?”
3673“Yes. There’s that, too. I have to buy something for my senpai to make.
3674Do you have any money?”
3675“Somewhat.”
3676It's really just that way.
3677I won’t say something unnecessary to my junior.
3678“Good, then I won’t hesitate. Well, I heard from my classmate that they
3679sell a lot of things we need. I wonder where the shopping basket is.”
3680Amasawa didn’t go straight to the supermarket and instead steps into a
3681‘Humming’ store which specializes in daily necessities. We found a blue
3682shopping cart near the entrance.
3683[ TLN: Don’t ask me what a ‘humming’ store is. It’s probably the name
3684of the store.]
3685What bothers me is that she said, There’s that, too.'
3686What we're going to do is cooking, but is there anything else you need to
3687do other than buying ingredients?
3688Amasawa stops at a corner full of kitchenware.
3689Looking back, when I first entered the school, I went through several
3690times and bought what I needed here.
3691In addition to the students, teachers, cafes, and adults working in the
3692cafeteria also use a lot of this kind of item, kitchen utensils have a special
3693large corner, I remember that I could not immediately find what was where
3694and where I first came.
3695While I haven't come for a while, it seems that a lot of new products
3696have been added.
3697The fact that Amasawa dropped in here meant that she was going to buy
3698some specialty equipment. There are countless peelers, graters, mortars, and
3699utensils. Of course, there are some that I do not have. What's weird, though,
3700is that I don't get any confirmation of coming here. It's normal to talk about
3701what you have and what you don't. If you think about the loss of time, you
3702can confirm enough while walking ...
3703I am satisfied with the feelings I want to confirm and let Amasawa lead.
3704I decided to talk about something unrelated to cooking utensils...
3705“Doesn't Amasawa cook by herself?”
3706“Me?” Not at all. I'm not the type that’s good at cooking. I'd rather be
3707fed than feed others.”
3708While talking, we reached the destination as Amasawa stopped and
3709looked around for what she was trying to find.
3710The flow until I came here was very smooth, and when I took my eyes
3711off, I faced the product shelf.
3712For a few tens of seconds, I think about whether I'm worried about
3713something or folding my arms.
3714Then, once she made the decision, she nodded once and muttered.
3715“First of all, it's a cutting board? A kitchen knife? Then there's a bowl
3716and a whisk, and a pot and a ladle.”
3717While saying such a thing, she throws them in the basket one after
3718another.
3719The last thing thrown in the cart was the lade.
3720“Wait a minute. I don’t have some of them, but the others are in my
3721room.”
3722I'm going to tell her so in a hurry because I had a premonition that I
3723might have.
3724“It's okay. I'll just buy it for my own use., you’ll only be buying them”
3725Just buy them for her…? Even the cutting board is better than the one
3726I'm using in my room right now. It seems to be made of Hinoki Cypress
3727wood and costs a bit more than 4000 points. All the other tools are also
3728high-end. From there, there is another item or start moving, and then we go
3729to the next shelf. There, she didn’t even hesitate and picked up a fruit knife.
3730“If you say that you are a good cook, you definitely need a good knife.”
3731She threw it into the basket while saying that in a light tone. I'm an
3732amateur who didn't even know that a fruit knife was called a petty knife. By
3733the way, it is the petty knife, but the price is high to nearly 3000 points.
3734Next to this knife, you can see that several cheaper ones are also sold. The
3735only difference in price is whether it's made in Japan or not. This also seems
3736to be a luxurious choice.
3737If you're a cook, it seems to be normal to use this kind of small kitchen
3738knife.
3739“I'd like to ask you, but the payment...”
3740“Of course, I'm sure that you will pay, Ayanokouji-senpai.”
3741I knew that, but the total amount is lightly over 15000 points. When this
3742happens, it might be better to throw away the cheap things I am using now.
3743If you think you can use high-quality equipment when you cook by yourself
3744in the future, somehow.
3745“Oh, as I said earlier, it's only for me, so don't use it every day and wear
3746it out, ok?”
3747“Devil”
3748As I gave this remark, she looked disgusted.
3749“Do you want to call it quits?”
3750She held the edge of the shopping cart and said such a provoking thing.
3751It's good that I can't refuse because I'm holding the weakness here, she
3752has the upper hand.
3753If we want to get a student with academic ability A and save Sudou,
3754there’s no other choice but to do this. If the point expense is to great, it is
3755possible to divide it.
3756“No, I understand. I'm going to pay, so don't hesitate to buy what you
3757like.”
3758“Do you think I'm a bad woman?”
3759“No, that's not true.”
3760Amasawa looked into my eyes for a moment before laughing.
3761“That's good, senpai.”
3762I'll have to buy all the pots, ladles, and so on.
3763All of them have the terrible label of ‘Amasawa’s use only.’
3764* * *
3765Part 5
3766After that, I went to the supermarket to buy the main ingredients.
3767As a result, the private point expenditure reached about 20,000. Of
3768course, it is the first time that I bought such a large amount, and the weight
3769of the plastic bags I held in both hands was biting into my fingers.
3770It is not possible to narrow down everything Amasawa thinks about and
3771what to make from ingredients. This is because we were buying vegetables,
3772meat, fruits, and even buns.
3773But there are some dishes you can imagine. A typical example is
3774nampura and chili pepper.
3775However, if you're going to use all the ingredients, it's still fine, but it's
3776possible that you're harassing and mixing fakes. When I saw Amasawa's
3777actions and actions today, I couldn't help doubting it. It may be thought that
3778it is practically impossible to narrow it down at this stage.
3779“All right, this is perfect. Why don't we go to your room, senpai?”
3780It's as if she's coming to her boyfriend's room to play, but there's no way
3781she'll be shards of that feeling. If Amasawa is not satisfied with the dish,
3782this deal would be broken. It’s an abstract task to make a delicious dish.
3783If this is an exam that you don't intend to pass from the beginning,
3784you're just wasting your points and time. But now we have no choice but to
3785accept this development in a quiet way.
3786From the judgment of Horikita, it would be heavy and troublesome if we
3787failed here.
3788I didn't negotiate with the material cost, but I'd like to discuss the cost of
3789the cost with Horikita and Sudou later.
3790And so, I push this matter of points away for the time being.
3791I decided to ask the question that I wanted to ask Amasawa to accept
3792this situation as obediently as possible.
3793“In the first place, it's strange that you want a strange man to cook rice
3794and eat it. You usually have a strong sense of resistance, don't you?”
3795It's my own way of thinking, but I usually feel a strong resistance.
3796Meals are not seen but carried into the mouth and poured into the
3797stomach.
3798[TLN: Some basic biology]
3799I'm worried about who makes it and how it is made, not only about taste
3800but also about hygiene.
3801It is natural to get to know the other person, which creates a relationship
3802of trust and gradually decreases the sense of resistance.
3803“Is that so? Isn't it similar to eating at a restaurant? A stranger cooking
3804in the kitchen, so you don't know what's going on behind the scenes.”
3805Certainly, we don't know how it is made specifically even if it is the
3806cafeteria of the school.
3807However, it is only the same on the surface, and it is actually very
3808different.
3809“Even if you hold one rice ball, hygiene management is thoroughly
3810maintained. Isn't it completely different?”
3811“Is that right?” Rather, I think that it is good to be able to see various
3812environments where you can see the food being cooked. You can see the
3813facial expressions and movements of the person. I know that's what you
3814care about hygiene. On the other hand, depending on the shop, there is a
3815place where you can't see the kitchen at all, right? There are some
3816unsanitary shops that are super dirty and insect-like.”
3817Amasawa develops a theory that if you can see the food being cooked,
3818it’s ok even if it is cooked by a stranger.
3819“And I think I somehow understood how this school works. If the point
3820goes to zero, you'll have to live a simple life, right? But if your senpais cook
3821for you, you don’t have to worry about it”
3822I see. In other words, if the food tastes delicious this time, it's not going
3823to end with just this once.
3824The aim is to secure a place to eat in an emergency.
3825It's a good opportunity for me to improve my cooking, but will you pay
3826for the ingredients?
3827“Is it obvious? My way of thinking.”
3828“Somehow”
3829Amasawa laughed while showing her white teeth.
3830However, the question remains whether it is best to ask a second-year
3831boy. I think it would be easier to ask a better classmate or a member of the
3832same sex.
3833Well, I'm not dissatisfied because I'm trying to get the benefit of that.
3834“But if you’re so picky about the taste. If I don’t make something
3835delicious, this won’t work, right?”
3836“I know. Cooking is not the goal.”
3837It's not a low hurdle in that respect, but you have to do everything you
3838can.
3839What becomes important here is the cooking instructions from Horikita,
3840which I was taught overnight.
3841How much can I make the use of what I learnt in a few hours yesterday
3842after we received a proposal from Amasawa?
3843However, it will not be easily to mislead Amasawa with poor cooking.
3844The ability to test your skills can be seen strongly from the materials.
3845I arrived in front of the dormitory soon.
3846Amasawa put her hands over his eyebrows and looked up at the
3847dormitory, avoiding the sun.
3848“I'm a little nervous about going to the second-year dormitory.”
3849Amasawa says such a thing, but she doesn't seem very nervous.
3850Rather, she seemed to be enjoying the feeling of going to play normally.
3851“Oh, but cooking is exactly the same.”
3852Then I looked at the exterior and looked around the lobby and thought
3853about Amasawa.
3854“That's right.”
3855I'm not afraid to say it, but I've never been to a dormitory in another
3856grade.
3857When I pass a student from another class, I get a little gaze.
3858It is natural that the second-year student brings a first-year girl (and also
3859picks up ingredients).
3860Amasawa waved at the senior but I want you to stop it because it stands
3861out.
3862I hurried into my room with Amasawa before a strange rumour came up.
3863“Pardon the intrusion. Oh, it's so neat and clean.”
3864“I'm just rushed to clean it last night because I'm going to invite my
3865junior.”
3866Don't let it smell like you've studied cooking in the middle of the night.
3867Well--the steps from here are extremely important.
3868Once you put a bag with ingredients and kitchen utensils on the floor in
3869front of the kitchen, you start with the process of boiling water in an electric
3870kettle. We head to the living room together and prompted Amasawa to sit
3871down.
3872You can sit in a position where you can't see the kitchen, but I don’t dare
3873to say that.
3874If you look at it, it is important to let the appearance of this place be
3875positioned so that it can be seen from the side.
3876“I’ll make coffee. You can watch TV if you want to watch it.”
3877“Thank you, senpai.”
3878Then, in a few minutes, I brewed coffee in boiling water and told her to
3879wait.
3880Amasawa picks up the remote control from the table and turned on the
3881appropriate channel.
3882It's not absolute, but there's a good reason for me to make a sound.
3883It was correct to guide her to watch TV and keep the remote control
3884nearby.
3885Then she immediately heads to the kitchen to appeal to the movement. If
3886you try to watch by your side poorly, you have to stop it, but as expected it
3887does not seem to do so.
3888“Oh, it's a foul to look up on your cell phone, ok?”
3889While looking at this, I warn you so.
3890“It's tough. I use the phone most of the time when I’m cooking.”
3891“You're not confident in your cooking?”
3892“That's not it.”
3893“I hope so. People who can cook are people who have recipes in their
3894heads, is how I think of them.”
3895It has not been explained at yesterday's stage, but obediently obey.
3896That degree of demand is already in the calculation.
3897“Then, leave your cell phone on the bed.”
3898I inserted the charging cord into me cell phone and put it on the bed.
3899Amasawa nodded and picked up a cup of coffee.
3900“I want to start right away before it's late, what food do you want me to
3901cook?”
3902“Then I'll announce it. The dish that my senpai has to cook is Tom
3903Yamkung!”
3904[ TLN: トムヤムクン (Tomuyamukun) ‘Tom yum goong’ refers to a
3905famous Thai dish that has a pungent and sour taste, with a distinctively
3906complex aroma. From here on, it will be referred to as “Tom Yamkung”]
3907“Tom Yamkung...” I don't know about this dish.
3908It seems that nampura and pepper, which seem to be indispensable for
3909Thai cuisine, were for this purpose.
3910“Can you make it?” Please, Senpai.”
3911“Tom Yamkung” is a dish of the problem that was given by Amasawa.
3912Of course, I've never made it.
3913In the first place, I can hardly hear it, and I have never eaten it.
3914This kind of food was never served in the white room.
3915It is the knowledge of the degree that I have seen on television as much
3916as being popular among women.
3917If it were to be made only by the ability from here, it would not be
3918completed properly.
3919Not only do I don't know the specific material, but I have no idea what
3920the procedure is.
3921So, what on earth was I doing last night with overnight practice?
3922I was not trying to memorize a lot of recipes of traditional and east-west
3923dishes.
3924And I was not mastering royal cuisines.
3925It's quite nonsense to take the time to remember a recipe, even though it
3926could allow you to see the recipe.
3927After deciding to cook, Horikita taught me two things.
3928The first thing is the basic technique of using a basic kitchen knife.
3929Sliced, shredded, chopped or chopped.
3930I took the time to practice the part where I could clearly understand the
3931skill.
3932Still, of course, I can't show off his professional skills.
3933To the last, it is a level that I am not ashamed to say that I am good at
3934cooking as a general person.
3935It is impossible for ordinary people to master it in half a day, but they
3936were confident in the speed of their skill acquisition.
3937At least a few times a week, the human skill to cook, could have reached
3938that area.
3939It's a result because I didn't spend even a second on how to make the
3940recipe.
3941However, if that happens, you will not know how to make the problem
3942dishes that were naturally served.
3943Then, it is the turn of the second trick to be prepared. How it uses your
3944mobile phone to check recipes in real time. But Amasawa did not allow me
3945to use my phone, and my cell phone is hostage in bed.
3946Even if I had prepared something like a tablet hidden, I wouldn't have
3947had a chance to see it.
3948In fact, Amasawa occasionally looks at me for surveillance. All of them
3949are on the calculation. From
3950Amasawa, take out the one less than two centimetres from the right
3951pocket which becomes the blind spot.
3952At first glance, it looks like an earplug, and it is put in the ear hole on
3953the right side which cannot be seen by Amasawa.
3954And then, I coughed a little as a signal.
3955Then, then-
3956“I could hear the content of the story. I never thought you’d have to
3957make Tom Yamkung.”
3958Horikita's voice can be heard from a small wireless earphone that fits
3959into my right ear.
3960It is a strategy to listen to cooking methods in real time through
3961Horikita, who is in a situation where she can operate a computer freely in
3962her own room. The bag I put at my feet has with Sudou's cell phone. And
3963this wireless earphone transmits voice from Sudou's mobile phone. I used to
3964call Horikita before I went shopping.
3965While shopping at Keyaki mall, Horikita came home and was in perfect
3966condition.
3967This wireless earphone was bought yesterday, too.
3968By any chance, if Amasawa shows up in the kitchen, I can put the
3969wireless earphones in my pocket while shaking my head. The reason why
3970the other side is monitoring here is that it is in the state to be able to monitor
3971the other side, too.
3972Now I can cook without having to worry about recipes. I've decided on a
3973few cues if the explanation of Horikita’s procedure is too early, or when I
3974want to hear the explanation again.
3975However, the cooperation with Horikita becomes extremely important
3976from here.
3977Even if I know the materials and instruments I use, I don't have any
3978visual information.
3979The reason is that it is necessary to make the dish named Tom Yamkung
3980which has good taste.
3981It is important to be able to give specific instructions and reproduce
3982them only by talking about something.
3983“By the way, there is something I want you to check with Amasawa
3984first.”
3985I change the question from Horikita which is transmitted through
3986earphones into words and convey it.
3987“Amasawa. You don't need a whisk for Tom Yamkung, and you don't
3988have to use a petty knife. If there's anything else I'd like you to make
3989besides Tom Yamkung, I'd like to ask you now.”
3990If you are served additional dishes later, it will be troublesome, so ask
3991them to go ahead as instructed.
3992“I was going to ask you later, but I thought I'd have the apple peeled
3993off.”
3994It seems that Amasawa was going to place an additional order later on,
3995as she was in this place.
3996“The leftover ingredients are very good for my senpais. The tools I don't
3997use are to be used the next time I come to see them again.”
3998Petty knife, which was suspected to be used, had its own use, but some
3999of it was in the storehouse for a while.
4000“It was right to confirm. I taught you how to use a fruit knife yesterday,
4001so you can do it, right?”
4002I don't know how far the technique learnt overnight will work, but it will
4003probably be all right.
4004“The cooking time is between 15 and 30 minutes, which is good.”
4005Well- how well can I make it?
4006* * *
4007Part 6
4008Tom Yamkung, which had passed the scheduled time a little, I was able
4009to make it roughly according to the instructions.
4010The time has come to serve the finished homemade dish to Amasawa.
4011I only met with recently, yet I would be serving my cooking to women.
4012I laced Tom Yamkung on the table and immediately returned the apple.
4013I’ll need to show my knife skills Infront of Amasawa.
4014“I usually peel it with a kitchen knife, so on the other hand, there may be
4015some things I'm not used to.”
4016It tried to peel the apple once by making such a statement.
4017“Wow, it's amazing. It's all done. It's a pass for a kitchen knife.”
4018It's not like you're a professional loser, but at least you don't have to see
4019the kind of misery you'll ever touch for the first time.
4020Then I arranged the finished apples.
4021“By the way, when it comes to Tom Yamkung, you have an image of
4022Pakchi, but don't you like it?”
4023Pakchi was not included in the ingredients I bought today.
4024“It’s not like I don’t like it. But I thought that if I bought pakchi, you’ll
4025find out about Tom Yamkung.”
4026It seems to have decided to pull out Pakchi out of alertness. It seems that
4027she was still paying some tricks. It is understandable that it is because it
4028does not show the gap here, but it is a very luxurious story.
4029“Can I start cleaning up first?”
4030I ask her as I returned the petty knife and board that I used to cut the
4031apple to the kitchen.
4032No good. Just sit here and wait for the judge's decision.”
4033Saying that, I'm demanded that I sit right in front of her.
4034I couldn't go against it, so I followed the instructions and gave up
4035cleaning up, and then I went from the kitchen to the living room again.
4036“Then I'll have it.”
4037She slowly brought the hot Tom Yamkung to her mouth.
4038Even if she is being watched as she eats, there seems to be no resistance
4039at all.
4040I'm the same as Amasawa, and I'm a person who doesn't resist that area.
4041After that, Amasawa, who had finished eating slowly, put her hands
4042together as if satisfied.
4043“It felt like a feast.”
4044She seems to have eaten up beautifully, and the food seems not to be a
4045thin one.
4046[TLN: o.O ]
4047Well...... I tasted it, but I don't know if it tasted right.
4048I don't think there's any problem because there are no mistakes in the
4049amount.
4050Still, if Amasawa says that she is not convinced, then this battle is over.
4051It ends in the form of defeat here.
4052“My senpai’s Tom Yamkung-”
4053The judgment from Amasawa who gave a little time goes down.
4054“Yeah, it was a reasonable. It wasn't special, but it was good enough to
4055eat again.”
4056Whether it passes or rejects, we don't immediately touch on the parts we
4057care about.
4058“For now, I'll put these away.”
4059Amasawa says that and heads to the kitchen with a bowl and spoon in
4060Tom Yamkung in his hand.
4061She didn't just put away the dishes but started to clean up the dishes in
4062earnest.
4063“I’ll do the cleaning.”
4064“I'm okay. I forced you to make it so let me do this. I'm going to do it.
4065Senpai should sit down and relax. I'm good at cleaning at cooking because
4066I've been offering money to my mother by cleaning it up.”
4067“Then I’ll take your word for it. By the way, it's the result, but what
4068about it?”
4069Amasawa remains silent for a while as she is cleaning up.
4070Only the sound of the evening news coming from the television echoes
4071indoors.
4072“That's right. I have to announce it soon.”
4073While voicing her thoughts, Amasawa did not like the position of the
4074ribbon on the right side of her hair, using the reflection of her mobile phone
4075like a mirror, she began to remove it once and put it back on.
4076Soon after the re-attachment of the ribbon was over, Amasawa gave a
4077general comment.
4078“I said a little while ago, but it was fine. It wasn't bad.”
4079“So, it’s a pass or a fail?”
4080“I'm very picky about cooking.”
4081While saying that, Amasawa laughed when she saw me once.
4082“Whether I here to eat again will depend on my senpai’s efforts”
4083It was not a level that I wanted to go up frequently and ask to eat food.
4084Is this severe, as I have described as a second-rated point?
4085“Then, what about the matter of Sudou?”
4086I was a little hesitant to step here, but I decided to ask.
4087“I can't say that you passed the exam, but it was true that you could
4088cook. I have to thank you for the amount that I made you buy a lot of
4089expensive things and ate it for free. This time, I'll work with Sudou-senpai,
4090in return for my senpai's efforts.”
4091It seems that It was not a satisfactory result, but for the time being,
4092Amasawa seems to have admitted it as a minimum.
4093The good news in the place where I was beginning to think whether it
4094was a little difficult, I patted my chest down.
4095“I'll be done cleaning up almost, so wait a little while.”
4096I couldn't stand and keep starving at the sight of her working to clean up,
4097so I decided to wait while watching the news coming from the TV.
4098Amasawa came back soon after the clean-up was finished. After that,
4099she immediately showed me the screen of her mobile phone and applied as
4100a partner to Sudou. If Sudou corresponds to the request today, the contract
4101is surely established.
4102“Sudou is in the club, so I'll have him approve it later. ok?”
4103Of course, it’s true that I actually have Sudou’s cell phone, but I can’t
4104use it right now in front of Amasawa.
4105“It's okay. Well then, it'll be bad if I’m late, so I’ll head back now. See
4106you later, Ayanokouji-senpai”
4107The development progressed rapidly, and Amasawa went to the entrance
4108to return.
4109“Amasawa. Thank you for partnering with Sudou. Horikita, and I were
4110also helped by you.”
4111“It's OK, you don’t need to thank so much, right?”
4112While wearing shoes, Amasawa returns words with a light feeling.
4113“There's something I'd like to ask you about.
4114As I tried to convey the contents, Amasawa looked back as she finished
4115wearing her shoes.
4116“Would you like me to act as an intermediary with Class A?”
4117I'm not taking Class A, not just students with academic ability A.
4118Basically, the rotation of the head is not lost in the content to speak fast.
4119“That's right. There are a lot of students who are having trouble finding
4120a partner like Sudou do in Class D. It would be helpful if you could
4121introduce me to students who would help us.”
4122“Sorry, I can't do that.”
4123She lightly put her hands together and apologized. My request bounced
4124off from Amasawa.
4125“Oh, isn't it bad for Ayanokouji-senpai to move without asking Horikitasenpai? I'm starting to think I can trust you. But I don't get along very well
4126with my classmates. When I met my senpais yesterday, I was alone, right?”
4127“That's right.”
4128At that time, while many students went to Keyaki mall with their friends
4129but Amasawa was alone.
4130“I'm going to say I don't have any delicacy, or I'm going to say what I
4131want to say. It’s hard to make friends with that kind of personality. So, I
4132can't help you, I'm sorry.”
4133“No, I'm satisfied enough just to have you team up with Sudou. If you
4134have any trouble, please rely on me. There might be something I can do to
4135help.”
4136“Thank you very much. Well then, see you later.”
4137I failed to get involved with Class A, but for now I'll say this is enough.
4138“Somehow a paragraph, isn't it?”
4139I cut off Sudou's cell phone call and called Horikita's cell phone from
4140my own.
4141“Thank you very much. It seems to have worked out somehow.”
4142As soon as I answered the phone, the words of the labour jealousy from
4143Horikita flew.
4144“I felt like I was saved by Amasawa’s gentle judgment.”
4145“Even so, this solved Sudou-kun's problem. It's a huge achievement.”
4146It was bad to use a method like this to fool Amasawa, but this saved us.
4147All that's left is to accept the partner application on time and return
4148Sudou’s phone.
4149It's about time to him to come.
4150“Why did you ask Amasawa to act as a bridge for first-year Class A?
4151Aside from her personality and the number of friends, you could imagine
4152that our two-year D class would have difficult negotiating with them,
4153right?”
4154Horikita did not say that she would contact the first-year Class A for this
4155special exam.
4156The reason is simply that it is difficult to build a cooperative
4157relationship.
4158“In a way, it’s a good thing. It's true that our second-year Class D is
4159struggling to find a partner, and it's not unnatural to put that in words.”
4160If you don't have anything to do, you're going to talk with a feeling of
4161clinging to straw.
4162Not having that idea is probably because they are pushing another
4163strategy.
4164“In other words, … We gave up the capture of the entire A class a year
4165from the beginning, aimed only at first-year Class B and D, didn’t we want
4166to realize that?”
4167In fact, Horikita had the two classes in mind, so we didn't even consider
4168the capture of Class A using Amasawa.
4169It was decided from the beginning that it was good to be able to combine
4170it with the peony tanta mochi from the shelf and Sudou do.
4171“We don’t know what Amasawa is like, because we know that today is
4172leaking into another class of the year, or even the whole two years. It may
4173be difficult to carry over. ''
4174Horikita, who was listening to me, fell silent for a while.
4175“What's the matter?”
4176“Your way of thinking is... What do you say, things are very calculated
4177and smart?”
4178“It's not a big deal, is it?”
4179“No, it's a big deal. Even if you don’t think so, it is a different story
4180whether the idea that you had time to think about first. I think I understand
4181a little why my brother was paying attention to you. But until recently, you
4182would not have told me such a specific thing. Why?”
4183A question from Horikita who was concerned about the action that can
4184be taken even if it changes the mind.
4185“I don't have any other intentions. Next is the question of the students
4186who remain. I'll tell you when I hear from Nanase.”
4187“Yes, that's right. I'll be waiting for you.”
4188After the call with Horikita, I checked the situation in the kitchen.
4189Cleaned-up kitchen. Not only did she finish the washing, but the sink
4190was also carefully polished, and it was cleaner than when I came to this
4191room a year ago. The cutting boards, plates, kitchen knives, petty knives,
4192pots and ladles are also neatly stored. That's all right.
4193Although it was a Horikita-led proposal, it was the first close contact
4194with a freshman. If Amasawa is a white room person, it wouldn’t be strange
4195if she had set something up, but there was no sign of it.
4196Although I was very cautious…
4197Her had knowledge as a matter of course is as a high school student,
4198including words and actions.
4199Having just left the White Room, it would be difficult to take a tense
4200attitude like Amasawa's.
4201“Above all, Amasawa has paired up with Sudou, and the suspicion of
4202being a white room student was gone, wasn't it?”
4203That's what happens if you're judging by the information you have now,
4204including other first-year students who already have a partner. No, is it
4205urgent for anyone to give such an answer?
4206It seems that partnering with me is the shortest ticket to drop out, but
4207that doesn't mean that strategy is one of them. There is a possibility that
4208another chance is looked at by dare to miss a big bait.
4209Knowledge as a high school student that cannot be acquired overnight is
4210also a different story if there is time.
4211And it was not that I was not bothered by Amasawa's behaviour and
4212movement.
4213I may not need to worry about it, but it's better to crush all the causes for
4214concern.
4215Nothing is limited to Amasawa. It is also the case with Hosen and
4216Nanase, who are expected to come into contact in the future. Among all the
4217second-years, the person they looked at first was me.
4218Students who are close in contact should suspected, whether or not there
4219was a conversation with them.
4220From here on, we're going into dangerous areas to find potential
4221partners.
4222And this night, I received a message from Nanase.
4223‘I can meet you after school tomorrow.’
4224* * *
4225Part 7
4226One the same day when Ayanokouji was preparing a dish for Amasawa.
4227At the Keyaki Mall café, second-year Class A students Sakayanagi,
4228Kamuro and Hashimoto gathered to talk.
4229“Furthermore, it seems that there was an invitation from the C class to
4230the student we were talking to. Moreover, it seems they proposed to give
423110,000 points unconditionally if they reject the invitation of Class A.”
4232Kamuro, which was contacted by Hashimoto on her mobile phone,
4233reports to Sakayanagi.
4234“I'm not stupid to give out 10,000 just because someone decides to not
4235partner with us.”
4236Kamuro relayed further information from Hashimoto.
4237If you join the second-year Class C, 100,000 points will be given in
4238advance. After confirming that the combined score of the pair is greater
4239than 501, additional 100,000 points will be provided, making it 200,000
4240points in total.
4241“Huh. It seems that Ryuuen-kun is trying to compete with me with all
4242his heart.”
4243“What are you going to do?” Will you respond by offering points to the
4244first-year students?”
4245“If we're a financial game, we won't lose. But don't you think it's a lack
4246of art to win with the same strategy?”
4247“It's not about the trick... Shouldn't we give 100,000 or 200,000 if we
4248need it? It's obvious that even first-year students know the benefits of
4249getting points.”
4250The story has already spread as an examination in which first-year
4251students are in an advantageous position, and the honour students are being
4252obtained as partners by offering them points.
4253Sakayanagi smiled and did not agree with Kamuro who advised her.
4254“Can I lose to Ryuuen?”
4255“In the class of us and Ryuuen-kun, there is a huge gap in academic
4256achievement in the first place. In order to surpass it with the help of first
4257graders, he has to pull out a considerable number of talented first-year
4258students. His victory is not absolute.”
4259“Maybe so. But it's not like we can always win, right?”
4260“That's right. If Ryuuen has gathered students with academic
4261achievement A, I wonder if it's finally going to be an even match with us.”
4262However, it is possible to lose once in two times if it turns the other side.
4263Kamuro doesn't raise the amount of heat that makes him want to win.
4264The reason is that it did not think that Sakayanagi who sits in front of me
4265does not do anything as it is.
4266“What do you think would happen if we were to pay the same amount?”
4267“What's going to happen, isn't it that Ryuuen will pay even more?”
4268“That's right. It will be increased to 200,000 or 300,000 points.”
4269“But I can make sure that smart students join us.”
4270“The price we lose for that is a significant amount of points. You don't
4271have to risk losing millions of points. Don't you think so?”
4272“Even if the amount presented by us here is less, can we win over the
4273first-year students?? I don't think first-year students deeply understand the
4274value of Class A.”
4275Despite the worries of Kamuro, Sakayanagi showed no signs of joining
4276a financial battle.
4277“I understood that Ryuuen-kun was going to take first place in the
4278overall class. He seems to have changed his policy completely from last
4279year when he made that point contract with Katsuragi-kun.”
4280“He was planning to save 20 million and win, wasn’t he?”
4281“There must have been a big change in his mind. Did he realize the
4282importance of class points? No, should I say he wants to win with the
4283class?”
4284Sakayanagi and Ryuuen have never had a face to face confrontation in a
4285special exam.
4286However, it seemed as if they were talking to each other and hitting each
4287other with strategies.
4288“So... It's okay, isn't it? I don't have to present my private points.”
4289“Kamuro. Did I ever said that you will not have to present private
4290points?”
4291“Eh...? But didn’t you say a while ago that it was boring to fight with the
4292same strategy?”
4293“Tell the first-year students. I'm ready to prepare the same amount off
4294points as Ryuuen-kun.”
4295On this mysterious command from Sakayanagi, Kamuro tightly presses
4296her lips.”
4297“However, even if the first-year students are convinced, don't sign a
4298partner contract.”
4299“What? I don't really know what that means.”
4300“Hufufu. Ryuuen-kun, your strategy is rather convenient for me.”
4301“To me, what is it...”
4302“Isn't it good?” The Princess’s idea is interesting.”
4303Hashimoto, who was listening to the conversation between the two over
4304the phone, says it with interest.
4305“…Whatever.”
4306Sakayanagi 's instruction that even if the first-year students agree with
4307the amount of points, the partner is not to be decided…
4308While Kamuro does not understand, I tell Hashimoto known my
4309intention again.
4310Sakayanagi, staring at such a Kamuro as if to love her, seemed to reflect
4311a little on the fact that she was too mean.
4312She started explaining to give her a hint.
4313“Ryuuen-kun's big acquisition strategy is not a bad thing in itself. By
4314doing so he succeeded in forcing me to participate in the money game.
4315However, the strategy to keep aiming at the same students as much as
4316possible is a clear blunder. Class C that are inferior in overall strength
4317should first only aim at students with high academic ability in the future.”
4318However, Ryuuen does not do it, and tries to reach out to the student
4319with non-academic skills, which Class A will need in the future.
4320“Does he mean he's saving a lot of private points?”
4321“Well, what about that? Even if you have the points, the amount that can
4322actually be moved may not be so much?”
4323“No, it's funny. Don't you think you can propose acquisitions one after
4324another because there are points?”
4325“If you just make a suggestion, you can do it penniless. All you have to
4326do is pretend that you have something on hand.”
4327Kamuro couldn’t immediately understand what benefit Ryuuen would
4328get from doing that.
4329“If it were not for Ryuuen-kun, we could attract many talented first-year
4330students with only the A-class brand. However, by bringing in the
4331acquisition, we have also strengthened the money game. And what to do
4332next? It's about fishing your forehead and letting us use a huge amount of
4333points for class A as much as we can.”
4334“That's right... I see.”
4335As a result, even if Class A students can be hired, it would be better for
4336a second-grade fighter to pay 200,000 private points instead of 100,000 and
4337300,000 private points instead of 200,000.
4338“But isn't we at a disadvantage at the moment?” His pull-out is
4339successful one after another.”
4340“We're not in a hurry. Just a few people were acquired by Ryuuen-kun. I
4341have to give him some leeway. There are just a few things he makes
4342mistakes. The brand power of A class that we have is temporary, and he
4343think that can be destroyed if it makes it lose and it is made to fall. And he’s
4344mistaken that if you give money, you can have as many collaborators as you
4345want.”
4346“I'm not sure, but I just need to follow your instructions, right?”
4347“Yes. That's enough for now.”
4348“I don't like it, but I feel like we’re being involved in Ryuuen's strategy.
4349What will happen if we get stuck in this way?”
4350“Rest assured, it won't. I will win this game without any problems.”
4351Again, Kamuro can't keep up with the answer of Sakayanagi, which she
4352can't understand, and sighs.
4353“It doesn't make sense to turn your head full at this stage, so don't be
4354swayed by Ryuuen-kun. This special examination is not a battle to the last.
4355We are looking into each other's stomachs while we are trying to control
4356each other.”
4357“It's about giving up on trying to understand.”
4358“But... I don’t want it to be settled easily. It won’t be fun if that were to
4359happen.”
4360Sakayanagi looked out the window and prayed that the enemy coming to
4361her was a worthy opponent.
4362* * *
4363Part 8
4364On the same day that the conversation between Sakayanagi Kamuro and
4365Hashimoto, two more hours later.
4366Ryuuen was in one of the karaoke rooms with Ishizaki and Ibuki.
4367“It looks like a first-year Class B student who had has been persuaded at
4368200,000 asked for points, Ryuuen-san.”
4369Ishizaki, who received instructions on his cell phone, reports to Ryuuen.
4370“Why? He wasn’t satisfied with 200,000 points?”
4371“No, it seems that Sakayanagi said she would give the same amount of
4372points.”
4373“They don't want to lose to us either. Can we keep playing this game and
4374win? We are at a disadvantage.”
4375“I think Class A has quite a lot of private points. We are really at a
4376disadvantage.”
4377Even after receiving such a report, Ryuuen does not seem to panic only
4378but only plays with his mobile phone.
4379“Ryu, Ryuuen-san?”
4380“Calm down. I know what to do.”
4381As Ryuuen looks at the empty glass, Ishizaki hurries to pour water in it.
4382“Say you're going to pay 100,000 in advance and 200,000 after the
4383exam.”
4384“Well, seriously?”
4385300,000 in total. A larger amount of points will be spent.
4386“Anyway, I couldn’t do much for the rest of the first-year. I'm looking
4387forward to the addition of Sakayanagi.”
4388“It's not that we're waiting for our self-destruction at the end.”
4389If the funds are short, there is nothing we can do about it.
4390“It's impossible to compete with Sakayanagi after all... It's better to aim
4391for the second place here.”
4392“I think so, too. If they were to offer the same amount, we would lose by
4393the brand value.”
4394Ryuuen laughs after hearing the analysis of Ishizaki and Ibuki.
4395“Ha. I'm sure Sakayanagi already has a triumphing face.”
4396“You just know how to do it. Even if you get a good game with private
4397points, there's a difference between brands.”
4398“A-class brands are just a decoration for the time being. The more
4399people who are trusting the brand, the more trust they lose when they
4400collapse is immense.”
4401“Even so, what about the point?” If it increases to 300,000, it's not very
4402good, we can't pay everyone.”
4403“You don't have to pay. I'm not going to team up this time with a guy
4404who requests points without knowing the ceiling.”
4405“...... What?”
4406“That’s not what I'm trying to do this time. I'm just researching what
4407kind of people are in this year. The guy who cooperates with the money is
4408the one who can always be made an ally by offering money. The only way
4409to defeat Class A is to keep increasing the points.”
4410“Then you're just working to see if he's falling with a lot of money?”
4411“It was obvious from the beginning that we could catch points. But
4412there's a student who's already partnered with our class. Why do you think
4413they chose to work with C class?”
4414“Eh...” Now that you mention it, why?”
4415The first points presented were 50,000 in advance and 50,000 after the
4416exam.
4417Some were already working with Class C, even though it wasn't too
4418expensive.
4419“You always see each other one-on-one before you sign a partner's
4420contract...Are you threatening them?”
4421“Well, it's a good idea to threaten lightly.”
4422He was caught by a large sum of 300,000, but at the end of the interview
4423by Ryuuen, he succumbed to it.
4424After all, the amount to pay on the agreement is far less than the surface.
4425“I'm judging the one-year guys to understand that I'm better than
4426Sakayanagi.”
4427The selection of people who are not bound by points and brands, but
4428who instinctively see through the class that wins.
4429That's what I'm really looking for in this special exam.
4430The goal we have to look forward to over this year is to drag down the
4431Sakayanagi’s class A.
4432[ 5 ]
4433D-CLASS WITH D-CLASS
4434It is Thursday and the weekends are approaching. After school, I took
4435Horikita to the library.
4436I am going to talk to the students in the one-year D class that Nanase
4437will bring to meet us today.
4438On the way, Horikita and I had a conversation.
4439“Have you looked through today's update yet?”
4440“There are 17 groups formed at the moment. That's a total of 73 pairs.”
4441The number of pairs itself is not something to worry about, but one thing
4442that differs is from the previous two updates.
4443Two students from the first-year D class decided to partner up.
4444That was a sign of activity from the first-years D class which so far has
4445not done anything.
4446“I'm a little impatient. I though Kazuomi-kun would do something about
4447his class partners. I talked with some students in the first-years D class
4448during lunch break, but I was treated lightly when I asked them about it.”
4449“It's at a point where they’re acting like prisoners locked up in a jail.”
4450It might be because Hosen ordered them to keep quiet and not talk about
4451their class problems with students from other classes.
4452“That's right. Anyways, it's good news that I decided to meet Nanasesan after this. She might be able to hear about that as well.”
4453Horikita has never had a proper conversation with Nanase, only once
4454when we met her together with Hosen.
4455Nanase, who was still standing by the side of Hosen, stood out as a
4456student who seemed to be able to communicate.
4457When I talked to Nanase, I got a strong impression of her being an
4458honest student.
4459We arrived at the library and stepped inside.
4460“Oh, that's rare. It’s a customer.”
4461The first person to welcome us was Shiina Hiyori, who was in the
4462second year C class, not Nanase.
4463As a bookworm, she seems to have been visiting here as soon as school
4464finished.
4465“We might make a little noise today. We'll be discussing about this
4466special exam with some first-graders.”
4467“Is that so? Then, I think that the seat at the end is good. I'm pretty sure
4468even if you make a little noise there no one will be disturbed. And when the
4469first-graders whom your meeting with enters the library they'll be able to
4470see you guys right away.”
4471We took her advice and went to the table.
4472“Is the C class doing well?” Horikita asked Hiyori.
4473“It's alright, things are going well I guess.”
4474It's hard to be able to talk normally because it's a class we compete with.
4475We exchanged only simple words and said goodbye, and since we arrived
4476first, we decided to keep our seats.
4477“Nanase-san aside, it's a question if Hosen comes or not to this
4478meeting.”
4479“That's right. It seems this meeting will change greatly if Hosen comes.”
4480It is not necessarily important but Hosen will most likely be the one
4481talking the most since the other students are intimidated by him and there
4482are no restrictions to whether he could come or not.
4483If that's the case, we'll have a big problem if he actually decides to tag
4484along.
4485“May I ask you to listen to me before the actual discussion? Are you
4486studying?”
4487“Well, there's still time before the test. What's wrong with that?”
4488“I was wondering if you could find time to study in a favourable
4489situation where I narrowed down the subjects to only mathematics.”
4490“I haven't started studying.”
4491“No way. You're not so kind as to let go of a game on your own
4492favourable conditions. It's a game you have to win.”
4493Still, she seems to be worried whether I am studying or not.
4494In other words, I'm worried about making excuses so I told her that I
4495was busy dealing with special exams that I couldn't get a hard time
4496studying.
4497“You've been spending a lot of time putting together the second-year D
4498class.”
4499“I'm always facing my studies; I don't have any problems.”
4500She seems to have confidence in her daily studies.
4501“Don't worry. I'm not going to lose.”
4502“That's fine, but......”
4503She doesn't seem to be taking the test seriously because it doesn't look
4504like she has been studying at all.
4505In connection with that, there was one thing I wanted to ask from her.
4506For Horikita, in addition to putting together our class, she often has to do
4507her own study and has to teach Sudou how to study. Whether or not she
4508would make it at this pace. As I was about to hear about that, Nanase
4509appeared alone in the library. As soon as she saw our table. She bowed her
4510head from a distance and approached us. It seems that Hosen was not going
4511to show up for the first discussion.
4512“I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, senpai.”
4513“We just got here a while ago.”
4514When Nanase sits in the seat opposite of Horikita, the discussion begins
4515with a small greeting.
4516“Thank you for making time for this discussion.”
4517“Likewise, thank you for your help again erm...Its Horikita Suzune.”
4518“I have done nothing to receive thanks from my senpai's. I'd rather say
4519thank you.”
4520We have the same classes that is D-class. It is normal to have this mutual
4521relationship.
4522Horikita, who replied to her greeting, immediately began talking about
4523the main subject because She was talking to Nanase.
4524“I'm going to cut to the chase and talk to you about the main reason why
4525we're both here.”
4526“Of course.”
4527“First of all, I would like you to tell me about the policy of the first-year
4528D class. It was not until today that two students confirmed their partners in
4529your class, but the remaining 38 remain to have no partners You're one of
4530them, aren't you, Miss. Nanase?”
4531I don't know if it's Hosen's doing or someone else’s but it's clearly
4532obvious that someone is controlling your class.
4533“That's right. I thought you'd be asked that question. You asked a similar
4534question to Hagiwara today as well, didn't you?”
4535Hagiwara is a student who is in class D for the first year. It seems that
4536Nanase already knows that Horikita came into contact with a student in the
45371st year D class during her lunch break. If so, should we think that she
4538knew we would come in contact with her from the very first day we met?
4539“I'm surprised. It seems you have done your research.”
4540“Many of the students are already following Hosen-kun's instructions.”
4541Nanase admits that Hosen is leading D-class without a single bit of
4542ambiguity.
4543“Did you follow him because he's strong?” No, I did not follow him
4544because his strong.
4545Nanase shows a gesture to think a little.
4546“I'm very sorry, but I can't answer any specific questions. It is a method
4547that Hosen-kun thought to put together the class. I don't know if it's right or
4548wrong, but it's a betrayal to leak it to an outsider.”
4549“That's right. You're right.”
4550Answering Horikita's question like that, Nanase bowed her head lightly,
4551saying thank you. Just because you're a senpai doesn't mean I have to talk to
4552you about everything. As I thought, Nanase is a hard person to crack
4553through and will remain as a loyal member of the D class for the first years.
4554“Then I'll talk about the main subject. I wonder if it would be nice to
4555think that we could partner with the D class for the first-years like the two
4556of the people who decided to partner up yesterday.” If we presented a
4557certain number of private points to have this relationship with your class
4558would you guys accept?”
4559After all, this relationship of ours would not spark even a dent of interest
4560from Hosen.
4561I guess that a high amount of points was paid from the two people in the
4562first-years D class to partner up.
4563“But what I'm asking for today is a different contract that is I pay points
4564for you guys to accept this relationship.”
4565“I know. I have heard a little from Ayanokouji-senpai, but it is a
4566cooperative relationship that covers students who are concerned about their
4567academic ability, right?”
4568“Yes. The fact that you came to talk with me after understanding means
4569that there is room for negotiation.”
4570“I want to think there is.”
4571Nanase's face clouded. As she continued talking.
4572“There is a through individualism at the root of Hosen-kun's way of
4573thinking. And that is by doing things with force. At this rate, students with
4574low academic ability will not be able to find a partner and will be left
4575behind. It's not a big problem yet if you can't get private points for three
4576months, but it’s still a problem you have to deal with for three months. I'm
4577afraid I'll be rated as a student who couldn't find a partner.”
4578Horikita listens to Nanase and predicts the future of one-year D class in
4579her head.
4580“That's right. If there is no one that can help our class, the fight by
4581individualism will naturally increase. If the situation continues, no one will
4582show up even if someone in our class asks for help. And if our class faces
4583an exam that will be played together with other classes, we will not be
4584ready to fight.”
4585That's why Nanase seems to be avoiding the negotiations with Horikita.
4586It’s because of Hosen.
4587Aren't you afraid of Hosen-kun?
4588Yes, I am
4589She gave an immediate answer without hesitation And Nanase, who
4590didn't look at me so far, looks at me. It's the same eye she's shown twice.
4591She said, 'I won't give in to violence.' It's not that much to worry about, but
4592Nanase might be the only other person that can lead the first-years D class.
4593If this is a chance to make Hosen change his way of doing things, I
4594would seriously thank you.
4595“Then I'll ask you a little bit of a question. How many students are
4596currently struggling to find a partner in class D in the first year. Please tell
4597me to the extent you can answer.”
4598The OAA app tells students who hasn't decided on a partner, but of
4599course it's not clear if she's going to find a partner.
4600She was thinking for quite a while and then finally told us.
4601“At the moment, nearly 15 students find it difficult to find a partner on
4602their own.”
4603“Fifteen people...” It's more than I thought.”
4604However, the second-year D class also has many students who have not
4605decided their partners.
4606There is room for negotiations if you think about the combination well.
4607“Nanase-san, if you’re allowed to I would like to make a contract with
4608you.”
4609“Is it a big contract?”
4610“I want Nanase-san and I to combine 15 pairs of partners in both our
4611classes and finish them all at once. It doesn't matter whether their academic
4612ability is E or A. Of course, there is no point in the relationship. It's an equal
4613partnership to help the students who are struggling to find their own
4614partners.”
4615In other words, it is a relationship that benefits both our classes.
4616It was Just the conclusion of this contract will greatly reduce the chance
4617of a dropout.
4618Even though, this is a good deal but. But both Horikita and Nanase
4619knows that it will not be so simple.
4620“This is a big premise if you can sign the contract, but there is no
4621guarantee that the other students from your class will be able to save people
4622in the vicinity of the academic ability E who are in our class. Most of the
4623students are troubled because they can't get a partner are also focused on
4624their academic ability that is D and C.”
4625If the maximum academic ability is C, there is a big risk to have them
4626partner with students of academic ability E. It can be said that it is almost
4627impossible for us to both benefit from this.
4628“I really need you to do your best so that it doesn't happen.”
4629Then again, I think that the contract is not a very good one.
4630Nanase does not deny and admits.
4631“Kazuomi-kun would never help you guys free of charge especially
4632now.”
4633The second-year A-class maintains a high amount of class point from
4634the time of admission, and has a lot of money. Even though the C-class
4635spread out an amount of private points from the plan of Ryuuen, Hosen
4636would still choose to work with Class-A rather than any other classes.
4637Considering the situation in which such two classes are competing for
4638students at a high amount of private points, it is better to choose the class
4639that will be paying more to be partnered up with Nanase's class.
4640In other words, the idea, policy and Hosen’s way of doing things are also
4641correct.
4642However, even if the price is put, it is certain that the first-years D class
4643has higher number of students compared to other classes That is also
4644proportional to the lack of students who will be partnered.
4645Even if it's good for the class?
4646It is a minus that the private points which was originally supposed to be
4647given to everyone cannot be obtained by the students who cannot be
4648assembled by their partner. You should know that without having to explain
4649it.
4650“There are a lot of parts that I want to do.” But Hosen won't let me.”
4651Apparently Nanase herself is taking Horikita's proposal favourably.
4652But.
4653Hosen. “After all... I don't think Hoizumi-kun will accept this proposal
4654free of charge.”
4655After she said that, an empty silence filled the table. I somehow could
4656guess what Horikita was thinking.
4657“I've only found out about one thing. Hosen doesn't just accept any deal
4658proposed from any class.
4659What do you mean?
4660“I thought the only thing that would spark Hosen's interest is by using a
4661high amount of private points. However, if that is the case, we should be
4662looking at applying lower-level students more aggressively. In other words,
4663you can say that you're going
4664“That's true. Three months' worth of private points can't be fooled. If
4665you don't want to get expelled you can save the private points for your own
4666selves and it seems like Hosen is doing that for his class.”
4667I felt that continuing on like this won't bring the conversation anywhere.
4668“It is as you say Ayanokouji-senpai. Hosen-kun doesn't get anything in
4669return from helping his classmates but instead he like to impose rules and
4670controls the class using violence.”
4671The students who decides to not listen to Hosen will be abused and if we
4672decide to help, he will use violence on us as well.
4673Therefore, I can't accept your proposal even if I wanted to, I just can't.
4674I knew from the beginning that it was meaningless to negotiate with the
4675first-years D class from the moment they decided to not attend the exchange
4676party.
4677“Can't you control even a small number of highly academic students in
4678your class?”
4679Horikita's proposal has no flaws in any way. It's just a way to save each
4680other's classmates.
4681Unlike the second graders, there is naturally little feelings for our
4682classmates and friends during the first semester. It's impossible develop a
4683feeling of wanting to help your classmates after a week or two after entering
4684the school
4685Unless their class had someone who is similar to Yosuke or Kushida,
4686there was no way they would develop those feelings so fast.
4687“I talked to some of them, but none of them really cared for their
4688classmates and only cared about themselves.”
4689“The reward is a big premise, isn't it?”
4690“Wouldn't it be possible for a few people in your class to sign the
4691contract.”
4692If the stance is to aim for the overall point, such as class A and C, a huge
4693amount of money will be required to recruit a large number of students.
4694However, if you limit it to a small number just to prevent you from leaving
4695school, you can save money.
4696“Well, I guess...” If there really is no way for her to accept this proposal.
4697We'll just have to try another way.”
4698After saying that to me, Horikita immediately turned to Nanase's face.
4699“What shall I do?”
4700“Now, the way of fighting in the first and second graders are different.
4701First-year students don't have a risk of leaving school, so you're in a higher
4702position. But this relationship will surely not last forever. The day will
4703come when you guys will have to fight at the risk of leaving school.” Even
4704if you teamed up with other classes there's no guarantee everyone will have
4705enough points to save themselves.”
4706Some students will be saved, and some students can't be saved.
4707“That's why We want to sign an equal contract without creating a
4708vertical relationship with points. And I want to build up a relationship of
4709trust. A special relationship of trust that can be done only because the grade
4710is different.”
4711Horikita explains that when a student in a first-year D class needs help,
4712he or she can consult with her in an equal position. In short, it is a strategy
4713that emphasizes the same trust as Ichinose.
4714The only difference from Ichinose is that we partner with only the firstyears D-class rather than with all the first-year classes.
4715Instead of appealing to the whole first-year classes, we focus on working
4716together with only the first-year’s D class.
4717The special test has already entered the fourth day. We don't have much
4718time to spare.
4719Nanase should have fully felt Horikita's spirit.
4720Still, her heavy expression does not lighten up.
4721“I understand what you want to say. But I don't think you understand it
4722yet. Many first-year students are already eager to save private points. They
4723will see it as a loss to partner up with someone without getting paid.”
4724I guess I'll just take the time to understand the school system.
4725“Currently, there are two big barriers to working with the first-years D
4726class. It is necessary to persuade the honour students who still haven't found
4727a partner yet. In other words, we have to establish this relationship by
4728working together with Hosen.”
4729“If you look only on the surface, the first-years D class has many walls
4730that have yet to be crossed by Hosen, so the merit of establishing a
4731relationship where the first-year students will only be getting points is not
4732beneficial at all. But if he decides to work together with us, we can
4733cooperate in future Special Exams and will be able to help each other when
4734we need it.”
4735Is Nanase really aware of that fact?
4736“Let me have a discussion with Hosen-kun.”
4737Horikita decides that it is impossible to proceed without the presence of
4738Hosen so she decides to end the conversation.
4739If only you were him. Anyways, I'm ready to talk to him.
4740“I understand. I'll try to call.”
4741Nanase took out her cell phone and went straight to the entrance of the
4742library.
4743“It seems that Hosen-kun's control is bigger than I thought.”
4744That's right.
4745“My policy of working with the one-year D class is... not wrong, am I
4746right?”
4747“Building relationships with a view to the future is not a bad strategy. It
4748is a bigger premise than Sakayanagi and Ryuuen. If only Sakayanagi and
4749Ryuuen tried to build a relationship of trust with talented people in all
4750classes in the first-year through a plan and not by using private points, they
4751would be a much bigger threat than any other classes. Ichinose is building a
4752solid relationship of trust by saving the weak, although there is no point.
4753And you're similar to Ichinose, but you're trying to create a cooperative
4754relationship that focuses on only one class? You're becoming a leader
4755enough to compete with the three of them.”
4756Horikita whispers a little after listening to my words. “The rest is
4757whether the negotiations can be put together well.” As We waited for
4758Nanase's return, I saw Nanase calling me with a beckoning cough while
4759bowing from the entrance.
4760I wonder if something has happened.
4761“Would you like to go?”
4762The two of us left the library and joined up with Nanase.
4763“Excuse me, senpai... Kazuomi-kun is connected on the phone.”
4764Nanase holds out her cell phone to Horikita.
4765After receiving the mobile phone, Horikita takes on the challenge of
4766talking with Hosen in Speaker mode.
4767I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.
4768“Yo. I heard the story from Nanase.”
4769“If possible, I'd like to meet him in person and explain it to him.”
4770“You don't need to. I don't want to see you.”
4771With a laugh, Hosen said so.
4772“It's. Are you not even going to negotiate?”
4773“That's what it is. I didn’t even need to take this phone call, but Nanase
4774made me do it.”
4775“But, Hosen-kun, I think it's OK to consider it.” Nanase said
4776“Your annoying. What authority do you have?”
4777“I don't want to be killed, but please meet Horikita-senpai once.”
4778“If you can't get the private points ready, you'll never hear from me
4779again.”
4780It seems Nanase was trying to keep her word, but Hosen immediately
4781ended the call.
4782Nanase tried to recall him but he did not accept her call.
4783“.... I’m sorry!”
4784With her head down, Nanase apologizes to Horikita and me.
4785But there was nothing Nanase did wrong.
4786“Raise your head. My policy and Hosen-kun's policy are completely
4787different, so it's not going to work easily. I'm so grateful to you for helping
4788me like this.”
4789“That's it...”
4790“Let's leave it this far for today. In order to have a discussion with
4791Hosen-kun, I'll have to think about something. But I'd like to put on a
4792meeting by the end of this week.”
4793If it's going to be more than that, Horikita will have to look at things
4794other than the first-year D class. That said, I just pray that it won't happen.
4795It can be quite a bit of work to take the remaining students from the three
4796classes that have already been devoured been the other factions.
4797“I'm very happy that my senpai's hasn't given up yet. But....
4798Nanase was a bit sad and said. You can't have an equal cooperative
4799relationship with Hosen, because even if this relationship is established, he
4800will end it when he feels like it.
4801“At least I could tell Hosen-kun what I wanted to do. That's enough for
4802now.”
4803As time decreases, Horikita still finds it hard to conclude this
4804conversation to Nanase.
4805Horikita suggested that we go back to the dorms together, but Nanase
4806wanted to stop by somewhere.
4807And, she left wanting to meet again in the library tomorrow.
4808Maybe she went to see Hosen.
4809“Let's go home. We're stuck with plans for the rest of the day.”
4810After returning to the dorm, we saw Sudou and a few other people that
4811seemed to be holding a study session in the dormitory.
4812“Oh, and I wonder if you'll be able to make it clear about your partner
4813soon. Just whether you move on your own or not you have to tell me. It
4814may have an impact in the future.”
4815If negotiations with Hosen begin, it will be necessary to adjust the
4816number of people needed during the negotiations.
4817“There is a candidate who I think is okay to form a partnership with.”
4818“It's not based on his academic ability, it’s based off a specific person,
4819isn't it?” I wonder who it is.”
4820It's a secret.
4821“What a secret...” ... Is there any reason why you are hiding this from
4822me?”
4823“I only know that person only on the surface.”
4824I thought I would decide if I saw him a bunch of times but I'll judge him
4825within the week.” Well, at the latest.
4826“I hope so, but...” I don't know if you’re going to find a partner or not,
4827and if you don't make it, you'll risk getting expelled.”
4828“Keep it in mind. I was so sorry to hear that earlier, but are you in good
4829shape?”
4830“.... Are you worried about me?”
4831“You don't have to worry about my studies, I still have quite a bit of time
4832before the special exam so you should worry about yourself.”
4833If you don’t find a partner at the end of the game, there is a possibility
4834that it will affect your results in the written exam during the day of the test.
4835In addition to the study sessions with Amasawa every day, yesterday, I
4836devoted my time to cooking measures against Amasawa until late at night.
4837It is clear that fatigue is gradually accumulating.
4838“I'm sure I'll get tired. But I don't have time to rest now. I'm not going to
4839fall until the special exam is over.”
4840Not to mention Yosuke and Shibata, students with excellent academic
4841ability such as Keisei and Mii-chan have offered to cooperate with Horikita
4842from the beginning. On top of that, Horikita decided to proceed with a plan
4843based on the premise of working with the first-years D class, considering
4844the possibility of facing another Special Exam that involves both the first
4845and second-years. With everyone working so hard I guess I'll try a little
4846harder.
4847It is an important question for how the second-year D class will settle in
4848the fight against time.
4849* * *
4850Part 1
4851It was a little chilly, that night. Standing in the kitchen, I cooked my
4852dinner that I bought from the supermarket.
4853Tom yam, the name of a Thai cuisine, is a combination of three
4854meanings of boiling, mixing, and Spicing.
4855“It's a unique taste, and it wasn't too bad.”
4856The spice and acidity spreads through the room and the smell will
4857penetrate through the nose. It was so strong that it was addictive.
4858After cleaning up, I turn the ventilation fan to drive out the smell that
4859filled the room. I didn't notice the sound of the ventilation fan being
4860drowned out, but I noticed that my cell phone was vibrating on the bed. I
4861thought I'd call back later, but It did not want to stop at all, so I answered
4862the phone.
4863“Your slow to answer the phone.”
4864It was the first time I received a phone call from someone since the
4865special examination began.
4866It was a complaint she gave out after I answered the phone.
4867“You're the one who told me to call you at this time.”
4868“Sorry I was busy eating. So, have you been able to find out what I
4869asked you to do this morning?”
4870“I've checked it out. Isn't there something you should say to me first.”
4871“I'm grateful.”
4872“You don't feel like your grateful at all...” Well, that's fine. According to
4873the clerk, there is only one selling since April of this year. It doesn't seem to
4874sell that well compared to other similar products, so they said it would be
4875nice if they could sell it soon. But, you know, there was a freshman who
4876tried to buy it.”
4877“One of the buyers almost sold it to the Freshmen, but we should be
4878more concerned about the freshmen who tried to buy it.”
4879“He didn't buy what you wanted him to buy.”
4880It’s quite expensive and I believe most of the first-years in D class
4881already used up all their allotted points this month and even if they didn't
4882who would buy a knife that expensive.
4883I don't think the freshmen's this year will be that stupid.
4884“I asked him about it. Then, he said another student called out to him
4885immediately after the accounting was finished, and she seems to have
4886stopped him from buying it and returned it.”
4887While listening to the details that Kei is giving out, I sort out the
4888situation.
4889What I originally thought of is a him buying the knife without someone
4890stopping him from doing so.
4891I didn't expect that person to be involved in this matter as well.
4892Do you know who prompted him to return it?
4893“Well, I don't know. But I do know that the one who stopped him from
4894buying it is a girl.
4895Even if you know the name of the purchaser who presented their student
4896ID card, don't you know who stopped him?
4897“No”
4898Did you find my information useful?
4899“Ah. It's going to be a lot more useful than I thought.”
4900“Heh, I'm capable. Thank you very much, but why did you get me to
4901look into that?
4902“Hey?”
4903I was thinking of an excuse to come up with but the situation was not
4904what I was hoping for.
4905I tried changing the subject.
4906“Now that you mention this, I hear you've decided on a special exam
4907with your partner.”
4908“Ah, yes. I believe it was Shimazaki of the First year B class.”
4909Now that I've done this, I'm going to change the subject a little more.
4910“I don't think your partner is bad, but how are you progressing on your
4911studies.”
4912“Not too good, anyways I heard you still haven't found yourself a
4913partner.”
4914“Is that true? I haven't seen you go to the class study group either.”
4915“This exam is not completed by a single person. Kei's academic ability
4916is D-. If you don't think about doing studying this exam, you might risk
4917getting dropped out. Therefore, I suggest you join the class study group.
4918“What, if I were there, would I be able to study hard?”
4919.. Well, I'm going to show you that I'm working as hard as I can in front
4920of my boyfriend.”
4921Whether it's true or not is subtle, but it's still way too early to be
4922confident.
4923“If so, tomorrow... Let's see. Can you come to my room at six?”
4924Since I have to consider the amount of time needed for the meeting with
4925Nanase tomorrow.
4926“Can I go out with you guys as well?”
4927“It's not about playing, it’s about our studies.”
4928“What?”
4929“I'll teach you what to study tomorrow.”
4930First of all, I need to measure Kei's academic abilities to be able to
4931understand the level she's at right now.
4932On top of that, if participation in additional study sessions will help her,
4933I will also need to encourage her to attend as her boyfriend.
4934“Are you worried because I'll be in trouble if I drop out of school?”
4935Suddenly, I heard such a thing in a happy voice from Kei as she said
4936that.
4937“It's natural. We just started dating and it would be bad if one of us
4938dropped out so soon.”
4939“Oh, that's right. That's true! Well, I can't help it!”
4940Saying this made her much more motivated.
4941It's honest, and a small price to pay if she can move forward with this.
4942“What should I bring?”
4943“All I need is you to be in my room tomorrow. I am a little busy so I’m
4944gonna hang up.”
4945“Hey, wait and wait!
4946Apparently, Kei wanted to continue chatting with me and I decided to
4947continue talking for a bit longer.
4948After that, we didn't talk about the Special Exam nor studies and just
4949chatted for quite a while.
4950* * *
4951Part 2
4952Finally, 81 people have decided on partners, and students who have
4953narrowly exceeded their majority began to finalize their partners on Friday.
4954The number of students who were able to partner up with someone was
4955beginning to increase including the second-year D class.
4956The same goes for those close to me. Yesterday, Kei was one of them,
4957and 2 members of the Ayanokouji Group confirmed their partners as well. It
4958was Shibata that was the driving force behind them. It was nice that he
4959cooperated with Yagami, and introduced a part of the student from the first
4960year B class. However, this is not going to solve everything. Yagami seems
4961to not be the leader of B class, and is just helping out the students struggling
4962to find a partner. They don't have enough students to cover all of the
4963students struggling to find a partner in our class.
4964Yagami has put out only one condition in cooperation that is to become
4965Shibata's partner.
4966It happened yesterday, as it was announced in the OAA app.
4967Shibata seems to be the type of person that would cut to the chase and
4968immediately find a good partner even though he was high academic abilities
4969but it seems that there was no sign of dissatisfaction from Horikita when
4970they were partnered up. Because There are still talented cards, including
4971Horikita herself, Keisei, Mii-chan, Matsushita, and so on in our class.
4972In any case, just because you have a partner doesn't mean you can feel
4973safe.
4974Studying hard is a way you can reduce the chance for dropping out.
4975But most students will most likely start studying only after finding their
4976partners.
4977There was also a sense of unity in our class and everybody was working
4978together to help students with low academic ability to get partners.
4979This was only possible because Yosuke and Horikita had worked hard to
4980get this class together from scratch.
4981That's the way it is
4982A student from the D class stood up and started walking home.
4983As if she was waiting for that timing, Horikita goes out to call him.
4984“It seems you haven't found a partner yet, Kouenji-kun.”
4985“What's wrong with that?”
4986He is the only interference in the class and the only person who is not
4987participating in this sense of unity in our class.
4988As a classmate, I thought I should listen in on the conversation
4989But Kouenji didn't say much in the conversation with Horikita.
4990“You're smart. I don't even think it's possible for you to drop out.”
4991“Of course.”
4992“That's right. Even if you team up with students with similar grades to
4993Ike-kun, you'll get nearly 400 points by yourself.
4994Originally, I would like Kouenji to work as one of the precious cards for
4995the class. But It will never happen because of his attitude towards other
4996students.
4997“Huff. I'm not going to do anything in this special exam. The important
4998thing is that my partner gets around 150 points. It's easy for me to get a
4999score that exceeds the passing criteria, even if it's the minimum
5000requirement.”
5001The test says that the first-years need to get at least 150 points in their
5002test. It's unlikely that his partner will score 0 points unless intended like the
5003white room student that's out to get me.
5004However, the point is that we still have to trust our partners.
5005“And there is no need for me to go out of my way to talk and take steps
5006to build a relationship with someone who might be my own enemy in the
5007future.”
5008“I mean, since you’re not worried about who you're going to partner
5009with, can you let me decide who to partner up with you? I think it's safe to
5010work with anyone, but it's best for you not to get a 5% penalty.”
5011It was a simple proposal that is to leave things to Horikita and it was a
5012proposal with only benefits.
5013“That's a good deal. But I'll refuse.”
5014“...Can I ask you why?”
5015Because I am who I am.
5016“The point is that I don't want you to bother looking for a partner for
5017me.”
5018Kouenji is Kouenji I guess.
5019“Are you satisfied?”
5020It is not possible to force someone like Kouenji to do anything if he is
5021the type of person who prefers working alone and not cooperating with the
5022class.
5023“Yes, for now. But It can't stay like this forever. When the time comes
5024when the class can't be united, I'll need your help to persuade him.” She
5025says to me.
5026It's not just about this special exam, it's about looking ahead to the future
5027as well.
5028Horikita seems to have wanted to keep her forefront.
5029“I know you want to rely on me perfectly, but I'm sure I won't be able to
5030do much.” I said to her.
5031Kouenji has no interest in our class affairs and It is close to impossible
5032to getting him to help the class.
5033“You can't force Kouenji.”
5034Even though she knew, she was depressed.
5035“He's serious about moving classes through collecting points, and it's
5036hard to think that we would be losing one of the most important trump card
5037our class has.”
5038Nothing is more troublesome than a secret weapon that can't be used.
5039It is because of the expectation that will turn into despair when the
5040person does not meet that expectation.
5041“I'll try not to count him as a member in our class.”
5042If you think of Kouenji as just a statue, it would be easier to think of the
5043future.
5044I won't give up.
5045“Right....”
5046Well, it's good to be motivated, although it won’t be much to persuade
5047Kouenji.
5048* * *
5049Part 3
5050As soon as we stepped into the library on the weekend, I saw a different
5051atmosphere than the other day. Many first and second graders gathered. And
5052most of the students are spreading out their tablets and notebooks to do
5053things like study sessions.
5054It seems that a lot of students have begun to study without being proud
5055of the fact that their partner has yet to be decided.
5056I remember that we also held a study session in the library a year ago.
5057“It's a bit of a hassle. I don't know” Will our existence stand out when
5058the number of people increases at each table?”
5059“If that's the case, maybe it's better to take a little bit of a look.”
5060Fortunately, the seats we used yesterday are available at the back of the
5061library.
5062I turn my eyes to a certain position to find an amusing situation.
5063She noticed my glance and started waving her hand.
5064“Ayanokouji, I thought you'd be coming soon, so I left a seat for you.”
5065“Are you sure it's okay.”
5066It's a large library filled with people after all.
5067“Please take a seat.”
5068“She is somewhat quite kind today.”
5069Why though?
5070The table was located at the same place as yesterday. She took out her
5071study tools and started studying while waiting for Nanase.
5072But there was no sign of Nanase coming anytime soon.
5073“Nanase sure is late.”
5074It was about 4:30 pm after school. And the time is already 5 o’clock and
5075still there was no sign of Nanase showing up.
5076I've sent her messages for a few times, but there's was no sign of her
5077reading it. I was thinking about going to find her but I have no clue where
5078she would be right now.
5079“Would you want to follow me to check the first-years classes to see if
5080she's there?”
5081At the point where she was about to do that, Nanase, who looked like
5082she was in a hurry, showed up.
5083When she saw us from the entrance, she approached us with a short of
5084breath.
5085“Sorry, I'm sorry. I've kept you waiting for quite a bit...!”
5086“That's fine, I was worried because I thought something had happened.”
5087“I was negotiating to see if I could somehow bring Kazuomi-kun to
5088follow along.”
5089“The result seems to have been bad seeing that his not here.”
5090There was no sign of anyone coming from the entrance other than
5091Nanase.
5092“But didn't he stop you from going to talk to us today?”
5093“That's not it, because he knows I won't be able to decide anything by
5094myself.”
5095No matter how much Nanase does, the final decision is for Hosen to
5096decide.
5097With that much confidence, there is certainly no need to stop Hosen's
5098way of doing things.
5099“It seems like we have to forcibly meet him then.”
5100“That is....”
5101“I already know that it's not that simple to get together, but unless I get
5102to talk to him face-to-face, I may be able to come up with a proposal that
5103benefits both parties.”
5104It seems that he didn't even want to bother coming here today.”
5105`` That's true...”
5106“Horikita-senpai wants to build equal relationship with the first-years D
5107class. Is there any lie in that idea?”
5108“Yes, of course.”
5109“If so ... could you hear out my idea?”
5110Nanase seemed to have come up with an idea.
5111“It is quite obvious that even if you propose to have equal cooperation
5112with Hosen, you will be rejected. I think that it would be the same if
5113Horikita-senpai met and talked directly with him. Then What about
5114negotiating with me? ''
5115“Negotiating with you...?”
5116“Yes”
5117Here, Nanase makes an unexpected proposal.
5118“I decided that Hosen-kun's way of doing things would be bad for the
5119class if it continued. Before that happens, I want to take countermeasures.
5120By that I mean I would like to compete with Hosen for the position of the
5121class-D's leader. And I need to help of the second-year D class student to
5122help me out.
5123Horikita as well as I never assumed that such a proposal would be made.
5124A proposal about removing Hosen and making Tsubasa Nanase
5125becoming the first-years D class leader.
5126If this were to happen, the equal relationship that Horikita is aiming for
5127can be immediately created
5128“But we don't have the material to judge whether Nanase-san or
5129Kazuomi-kun is suitable for the class leader. But one thing I can say for
5130sure is that we don't much time.
5131A special test that is about one week away.
5132“Many of my classmates disagree with Hosen-kun's way. In fact,
5133yesterday and today I gave the proposal to 7 of my classmates and they
5134agreed to cooperate because they were struggling to find their own
5135partners.”
5136“Is it okay if it's mostly students with low academic ability.”
5137“Yes. It’s okay. Plus, there’s 3 students with B academic ability among
5138them.”
5139“…So that's it”
5140Horikita thinks a bit. Although it is not perfect with three people, if the
5141number increases a little more, it may not be a bad result to form a
5142cooperation based on Nanase's proposal.
5143`` Wouldn't it be troublesome if Hosen found out.”
5144“It's would be quite a problem. But I am not concerned.”
5145“But it would be difficult to get students who can study on your side.”
5146There is no way that a well-educated student would want to build a
5147relationship of trust rather than getting paid private points for being
5148someone's partner.
5149“You’ll make up for that. Students who are not good at studying will not
5150have to take a three-month penalty by having Horikita-senpai pay them. In
5151other words, points will be given.
5152Originally, I wanted to pay points and pull well-educated students to my
5153side, but the strategy is that students who are not good at studying will also
5154ask me to pay them points for their cooperation.
5155“This will not bother Horikita-senpai. Of course, Hoizumi-kun would be
5156angry after knowing this fact, but I'll take full responsibility if one of the
5157students in my class get injured due to helping me.” Nanase said.
5158“It's a proposal that is risky and dangerous.”
5159“I'm okay. I don't want to lose the trust I have with Horikita-senpai and
5160Ayanokouji-senpai.”
5161If your classmates went over to your side, it would be much easier for
5162you but Hosen is currently in control and I am sure their all afraid of him.
5163“Even if I'm not recognized as the class leader, this proposal will still
5164save Horikita-senpai's class.”
5165Considering only the proposal she gave only had benefits, the proposal
5166from Nanase is not bad.
5167Now, how will Horikita return in response to this?
5168“This is clear. I want to work with the first-years D class.”
5169“But there are other ways to do this without getting anyone hurt.”
5170“I can solve all of the problems of the first-year D-class by just getting
5171Hosen on our side. You don't need to be a leader. If Hosen-kun came over to
5172our side, then everyone will surely cooperate with us.”
5173“That's yeah, yes.
5174“And if you conflict with Hosen, the first-years D-Class could be
5175divided into two rather than one, and I can't let that happen. So, could you
5176help me?”
5177Apparently, Horikita thought of an idea after having this conversation
5178with Nanase.
5179Once Hosen comes over to our side, all subsequent problems will be
5180solved.
5181“It's a dangerous bet. And if it fails, the first-year D-class and secondyear D-class may never work together in the future ever again.”
5182“I'm prepared ...... I think there is a possibility this would work but I
5183would need more people to help.”
5184“Well, I need to get going soon.”
5185Nanase understands what Horikita was saying. And there was no need to
5186use such a risky strategy for just a single person.
5187“Today, my intuition was correct by having this meeting with Horikita
5188and Ayanokouji-senpai.”
5189I wonder what you mean. Didn't I reject your proposal.?”
5190“No, I haven't been rejected. It is just I and Horikita-senpai have a
5191similar way of doing things.”
5192“It means ... you were thinking about persuading him from the very
5193beginning?”
5194“Yes”. Apparently, Nanase's proposal that she would become the class
5195leader was a false proposal to test what Horikita would do.”
5196If Horikita chose the choice to neglect the future of the first-years Dclass for immediate benefit of the second-year D class. It seems she would
5197have stopped cooperating with us.
5198“We don’t have much time as Horikita-senpai said earlier, but I can't
5199move forward unless I make sure I can trust you guys. By Tomorrow, I'll be
5200sure to bring Kazuomi-kun to meet Horikita-senpai face-to-face.”
5201Nanase’s proposal does not seem to be a lie, Nanase lowers her head and
5202asks Horikita.
5203The date was Sunday and we were going to meet Hosen at a Karaoke
5204bar in Keyaki mall.
5205Horikita nodded her head with the meaning of confirmation.
5206“I believe in you. I look forward to seeing Hosen on Sunday tomorrow.”
5207“Yes ...... always. We just want to avoid places where people can see.
5208People might take unpredictable actions if they saw us together.”
5209“Well, karaoke may be the place. Yeah. If Hosen wants it, then we
5210should meet there. Night as well because there are many students at the
5211karaoke bar during the weekends.”
5212If It's on a Sunday night, there’s definitely less risk in being seen.
5213“I understand. I will meet you guys there.”
5214When the direction of the talk began to converge, Horikita's mobile
5215phone rang.
5216Horikita sighs after reading the message.
5217“What happened”
5218“It looks like the study session for our class is a bit out of hand without
5219me being there.”
5220I noticed it was already 5.30.
5221“Can you send me the full details of the meeting to my phone?”
5222“Sure.”
5223Horikita lightly bowed to Nanase, and quickly got out of the library to
5224go to the class study group.
5225Horikita must always help the whole class to make sure nothing ever
5226happens.”
5227“Horikita-senpai's Quite a busy person huh”
5228“Because she needs to put the class together.”
5229“I hope one year later, I can become good friends with you senpai's.
5230`` You didn't tell Horikita in detail, but how do you intend to call Hosen?
5231''
5232“It will be fine no need for concern. Can you tell me a little bit about
5233yourself Ayanokouji-senpai?”
5234“About me?”
5235The sun outside started to set and the sky turned orange.
5236“Horikita-senpai is the class leader, but Ayanokouji-senpai is different,
5237right?”
5238“The only explanation here would be you and Horikita-senpai dating but
5239that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
5240“What kind of person are you Ayanokouji-senpai?”
5241I did not answer her question, Nanase puts her arms on the desk. And
5242stared deep into my eyes.
5243“Would you please answer me?”
5244“It seems that what Nanase wants to hear isn't what it's related to
5245Horikita.”
5246But it was something different. That is asking what kind of person I am.
5247“I believe Ayanokouji-senpai is an evil and naughty person.”
5248It was a very drastic, intense word. And contrary to the wordless
5249content, Nanase is too straightforward and she stared into my eyes saying
5250that. I don't know what I look like in your eyes but I am far from evil. In the
5251contacts I have made so far, she was the first person to call me evil after
5252meeting me a few times only.
5253There was a reason why she would think I’m evil.
5254Dropping him out of school is the most important proposition, I will not
5255do it administratively. I will surely be in close contact and observe this man
5256named Kiyotaka Ayanokouji.
5257If I had to drop a student like Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, I would surely think
5258that way. However, the chances of her being the white room student is quite
5259low due to the direction of this conversation. It seems to be different.
5260“As long as I'm in contact with you like this, Ayanokouji-senpai looks
5261like a normal person.”
5262`` That means, you see me as an unusual person? ''
5263“That’s not the case.”
5264Nanase denied, but is it really true?
5265Me and Nanase met four times, but in all of them she always gave me a
5266strange gaze. I felt like I touched upon something I shouldn't have and her
5267response was fleeing.
5268“I'm sorry I forgot what I wanted to ask. Anyways, the important thing
5269now is whether we could work with each other or not.”
5270We stood up and started walking to the entrance of the library side by
5271side.
5272In the flow of dissolution, I remembered something I wanted to ask
5273Nanase
5274“Speaking of which, Nanase said before, when you were talking about
5275private points not being transferred for three months, you said 240,000
5276points. Why is that?”
5277Nanase's face was questioned.
5278“If you keep 800 points of class points given after enrolment for 3
5279months, it is simply calculated as 240,000 points.”
5280Nanase wonders.
5281Apparently, this year's freshman has a different start line from ours last
5282year.
5283“We were first given 1000 class points last year.”
5284“Huh? So does that mean that you guys only lost 200 points in your first
5285month here.”
5286“No, we were given only 800 points since the first day we arrived.”
5287“That's what it is. Then what about A-class and B-class for the firstyears?”
5288“I think their also at about 800 points right now. Shiba-sensei explained
5289that.”
5290The first-years starting line is a lot different from ours.
5291“Do you know that our attitudes in the class will affect the class points
5292we have.”
5293For the first-years, Dr. Shiba, the D-class homeroom teacher, talked
5294about that.
5295“The school rules must have hit their ears painfully.”,
5296“Yes. Lateness, absences, and tardiness in class can affect class points.”
5297Is there any possibility that class rules after May will be considered by
5298disclosing such rules first because the number of class points has been
5299reduced? In the OAA app, we can see that the social contribution is
5300important, and even if it is hidden, students will be careful.
5301I was trying to convince her, but Nanase thought a little
5302She showed something on her face for a moment as if she came up with
5303something, but soon it disappeared.
5304She did a little gesture trying to remember what she came up with.
5305However, as long as Nanase does not want to talk about it, I will refrain
5306from pursuing it.
5307We reached the entrance of the library and left the library.
5308“I’m sorry about this, again.”,
5309“Nanase. Thank you for letting me know about your class points, but
5310have you heard of ‘Protection Points’?”
5311When we were splitting to go our separate ways, I stopped her by asking
5312her that.
5313“Protection points.”
5314“This point is used to protect a student from being expelled but one
5315point can only be used once.”
5316“I see, but why are you telling me this.”
5317“I got information from you. I thought it would be better to give back
5318some.”
5319After saying that, I left Nanase.”,
5320I'm going to try to see if I can make use of Nanase's skills to make a
5321good story.
5322* * *
5323Part 4
5324It took a long time, but thanks to Nanase's dedicated cooperation, it was
5325decided we were going to meet on Sunday with Hosen. But the situation is
5326unpredictable, but it can be said this was a step forward to reaching our
5327goals.
5328Shortly before 6 pm, the room doorbell rang.
5329It was Just after returning to the dormitory, Kei was in her uniform
5330rather than her normal clothes.
5331“Sometimes, there's a lot of people coming in and going out this time, so
5332I was really concerned about using the stairs.”
5333There are not many girls who go in and out of a guy's room alone.
5334It would rarely happen unless the man and the woman were dating.
5335“So let's start right away”
5336`` Eh, isn't there something more? ''
5337With that in her mind, Kei gives up a request to chat with me and started
5338taking out her study tools.
5339Time is finite. The more time we waste, the less time you will spend
5340studying.
5341“If there is no problem with your studies, we can go on more dates
5342afterwards.”,
5343“Right Yeah..........”
5344“First, we need to figure out what you are good at and not good at.”
5345`` How do we determine that.”
5346“This is how.”,
5347I took out five test papers. It was created by Keisei for the group to
5348check their strengths and weaknesses. It is a very useful thing that carefully
5349selected the number of questions considering the time it took to get started.
5350This is also used in the study sessions of Horikita and Yosuke.
5351“Most of our classmates have already checked this.”
5352“Oh really?”
5353“The time limit is 10 minutes per sheet. Start immediately.”
5354Ah!
5355Kei begins the test while replying in a shock.
5356Then, 50 minutes later, Kei fell down on the desk as if she was about to
5357die.
5358“Oh, I’m so tired.”
5359“That's okay, you were able to concentrate surprisingly well.”
5360“Because day and day I studied harder than before.”
5361While listening to such her short story, I finish the scoring immediately.
5362“I see. Kei's ability is well understood.”
5363“How was it? ''
5364Perhaps because she doesn't know her own capability, her eyes look
5365mixed with expectations and anxiety.
5366“It's decided you don’t need to attend Yosuke's study session starting
5367tomorrow.”,
5368`` Yeah! ''
5369“You're doing pretty well considering if you can keep this up.”
5370“Your partner was Shimazaki, was it? Is he doing okay?”
5371“The score required for this special exam is 501 points. According to
5372your result, you should score around 200 points, Shimazaki would probably
5373score around 350 points. I don't think that 550 points is in the safe zone.
5374And Shimazaki study hard. So, I would recommend you keep up your
5375studies and try to get around 300 points.”,
5376If you do so, you'll have a higher chance to not get expelled.”
5377“I’m suddenly quite scared.”,
5378“It's important get at least 250 marks to not burden your partner too
5379much.”
5380“If you study this efficiently, you might be able to make it into the top
538110 smartest students in our class.”
5382“Here’s a little question.”
5383“Question?”
5384“Since your trying to teach me, your academic ability is not actually C is
5385it?
5386“Mmm, yes.”
5387“If you could get high results, why bother hiding it?”
5388“I don’t want to stand, so I don't get very high marks instead I get about
5389average for every subject.”
5390“Well, then, how many points would you get if you were serious?”
5391“I do not know”
5392“Tell me I’m not gonna be easily deceived by you!”
5393She pushed my shoulder a lot when smiling at me.
5394“If you come to the study session properly starting from tomorrow, I'll
5395answer it.”
5396“Aside from how many points you can get, you decide how many points
5397you want to get?”
5398“Well, what the hell?”
5399All 5 subjects. In the first subject, that is mathematics I had a bet with
5400Horikita so I have to get a bit serious for that one.
5401However, as with all subjects, if I did my best, I would stand out and the
5402evaluation of my surroundings would change so I rather not do that.
5403“400 points”
5404“At the very least,400 points are certain.”
5405“It is equivalent to Academic A”
5406An area where only a few honorary students, such as Horikita and
5407Keisei, can reach in class.
5408Exactly 400 points, probably not necessary. So I'll make it a bit lower, I
5409guess.
5410“Can you really do it?”
5411“Naturally, there are no problems that I thought I couldn't solve ever
5412since the very first exam this school has given me.”
5413I don't know how difficult this exam, but it's a good place to test my
5414learning capability that learned during the white room.
5415“Well ... let's study a little more and you can go home.”
5416“It's just 7 o'clock. Is not it? Yeah, but it's bad to stay here for too long
5417especially since you’re a girl and if your seen we would be in a not so
5418amusing situation.”
5419“It would be useful to tell Hirata about your situation tomorrow.”
5420“Okay, so let's start right away.”
5421“What?! So fast.”
5422Kei puts her hand on the floor and looks at me face to face.
5423“Tell me what to do next.”
5424* * *
5425Part 5
5426An hour and a few minutes later....
5427I was studying in my room while teaching Kei.
5428Basically, she knows the basics of every subject so it's not that hard for
5429her learn faster than other people.
5430She needed to study more than other people because she could not
5431receive a legitimate school education due to the bullying she received when
5432she was in her middle school.
5433“I wasn't able to learn the basics during my middle school years, so I
5434struggled in my studies.”
5435“Considering that, I can say that I'm doing pretty well.”
5436It is the right decision to give her my personal guidance to studying.
5437“If you feel that studying is not that much of a pain, then you might be
5438able to grow as much as Sudou.”
5439“Hah...”
5440“What’s wrong”
5441Kei gazed at the floor.
5442I thought she was just staring at the floor for no particular reason but
5443then her hand reached out to me.
5444
5445I wondered if it was some dust or a small piece of trash I left on the
5446ground by accident.
5447“What?”
5448Saying that, she sticks her arm out in front of me and shows me what's on
5449her hand.
5450It's was a long piece of reddish hair.
5451“This is a girl's hair, isn't it?”
5452Kei's expression hardened as she looked at me like a demon.
5453“Red Hair! And Long Hair! No Matter How You Look at It, It's a Girl's
5454Hair!”
5455“That is true. This length is physically impossible for my hair.”
5456Naturally the hair colour is completely different from mine as well. Then, I
5457remembered the day Amasawa came over to eat at my room.
5458“Who did you bring in your room!?*
5459I thought of coming up with a lie but I thought that it would be pointless
5460since she won't believe me anyways.
5461“Are you jealous?”
5462“Is that bad! I'm Kiyotaka's Girlfriend, after all!”
5463This is the first time I've heard her get so mad over me.
5464After a girl comes into my room, I should clean it thoroughly.
5465I learned that, but the calamity continues. Suddenly, the doorbell to my
5466room rung and I went to check who it was.
5467I looked through the monitor.
5468Then, I saw a figure of Amasawa waving.
5469It was not me who reacted first, but it was Kei gripping the red hair in her
5470hand tighter than before.
5471“Red hair, and a strange woman hm.”
5472It's like she's trying to solve a mystery.
5473Before I pressed the button to talk to her, Kei extended her hand and held
5474the button and said.
5475“Yes!
5476A voice that contains outright anger and of course Amasawa was shocked.
5477“Ah, Ei isn't this Ayanokouji-senpai's room?”
5478I forcibly pulled Kei's finger away from the button.
5479“I'm sorry. What can I do for you?”
5480It is a visitor without a prior mention, but it is not possible to drive her
5481away like this because she might spread rumours of a girl being in my room.
5482“Oh, is someone there?” Should I come back later? I wanted to bother you
5483because I lost something kind of important to me”
5484Kei stared at me, but I gestured her to return back to my room without
5485turning back.
5486It seems that she wanted to be sure that it was Amasawa's hair.
5487“No, it's okay. Come on in.”
5488I press the release button of the auto lock and let Amasawa in.
5489“Are you sure? The other student inside might be mad at me if I came
5490inside.”
5491“...Oh, my God!”
5492Apparently, Megumi was about to explode upon hearing that.
5493It is Kei who suggested we keep our relationship as a couple a secret from
5494everyone else.
5495Anyhow, rumours will start to raise if we don't explain our situation to her
5496properly.
5497“Well, now.”
5498She heard the voice of Kei anyways, and driving her away is not going to
5499be very effective.
5500Rather, she would just spread some unnecessary rumour.
5501I was thinking about how to handle things for about a minute, and
5502Amasawa rang the doorbell again asking if I was there.
5503“I'll let you in, so wait a bit.
5504“Okay, I got it.”
5505I opened the front door and welcomed Amasawa.
5506“I'm sorry I suddenly came over Ayanokouji-senpai.”
5507Ichika Amasawa looks at the extra pair of shoe on my doorstep and turned
5508to look at me.
5509“There’s another girl here.”
5510“Girl?”
5511She laughs and I straightforwardly asked her.
5512“What can I do for you?”
5513“I came here cause I forgot something in Ayanokouji's-senpai room.”
5514“You forgot something in my room.”
5515“It's my favorite hair rubber, but I can't find it for a moment.”
5516She noticed that it was missing, and decided to visit my room.
5517“Then, come on in.”
5518“I can't a guest stand here forever.”
5519It seems it would be a more efficient way if Amasawa were to explain why
5520her hair was on the floor in my room to Kei.
5521“Sorry for intruding.”
5522Amazawa goes into my room without worrying about Kei. Whether she
5523was at school or going home, she always kept her bag close to her. And she
5524met Kei who has been sitting and waiting.
5525“Ah, konnichiwa I am Ichika Amasawa from 1-A, Nice to meet you.”
5526“Nice to meet you.”
5527She had an obvious grumpy face , but she was enduring her anger.
5528“You're a senpai?, aren’t you? I'd like to know your name.”
5529“It's Kei.... Karuizawa Kei.”
5530“I'm Karuizawa-senpai. Oh, I guess you guys were studying together.
5531Sorry for intruding.”
5532I was suprised Kei was talking to her in a surprisingly normal tone.
5533“What is the relationship between you two?”
5534Amazawa overlooks the room and was asked that question by Kei.
5535“Wait for the answer to that question. Well, you don't mind if I had a quick
5536look , would you senpai? I might have left it rolling around here somewhere.”
5537Kneeling down, Amanzawa didn't mind Kei staring at her at all. and
5538kneeled down and look under the bed. Then, she lifted up her buttocks to look
5539under the bed.
5540“Ah.. senpai, stop looking at my butt you naughty boy.”
5541Her tone of voice was done on purpose as if to make Kei ever angrier.
5542Kei reacts to what she said, and stared at me angrily.
5543“I'll try to find it as well.” I said to Amasawa.
5544So I help her search for her hair rubber under the bed as well.
5545“Well, to answer your question just now, Ayanokouji-senpai is like my
5546personal chef?”
5547“What? What does that mean?”
5548Kei looked at me again as if she doesn’t undestand what Amasawa was
5549saying with an even scarier look then before.
5550“Sudou.. She's Sudou's partner and I had to cook for her one time for
5551something.”
5552“I'm sorry I don't understand. Why did you cook for Sudou's partner.”
5553Certainly, it is natural that she would not understand what I was saying
5554since I was only talking about the outline of the story.
5555I continued looking for her hair rubber under the bed and re-explained it to
5556Kei.
5557“Can I see the kitchen for the time being?” I might have removed it when I
5558washed it. Oh, senpai can you search your closet after your done with the
5559bed.”
5560“All right.”
5561I didn't find anything under my bed, so I started looking in my closet.
5562“What are you guys looking for.”
5563“She lost her hair rubber when she was in my room so I’m helping her find
5564it.”
5565Kei, asked me that me that question and asked me again to explain my
5566relationship with Amasawa.
5567“I told you. I've only cooked for her once that's it.
5568“Hey, that's really it, right.”
5569“Yes.”
5570“....Really?”
5571Even if I explain the reason I had to cook for her that one time, she
5572wouldn’t believe me either way.
5573I grabbed Kei's arm when she was trying to stand up.
5574I used my index finger to cover her lips from asking anything else until
5575Amasawa leaves.
5576After doing this, Kei stopped asking question while her face got a bit
5577redder.
5578“You can look for it too.”
5579“Okay!”
5580“Even if you don't understand what I mean, just start helping me search for
5581her hair rubber.”
5582“Ah! Ayanokouji-senpai I found it.”
5583Amazawa's voice resounded from the kitchen.
5584Me and Kei went into the kitchen at the same time, and Amasawa was
5585holding her hair rubber on her palm.
5586“It seemed to have fallen under the refrigerator in the kitchen.”
5587She gave a small laugh and put the hair rubber into her pocket.
5588“It looks like I’m bothering you guys, so i'll come back later senpai.”
5589“I'm sorry if I upsetted you.”
5590“No. I’m sorry as well, I didn't know what your relationship was so I got
5591mad for no reason.”
5592With her bag on her hand, Amasawa went to the doorstep and put on her
5593shoes.
5594“Sorry for teasing you, senpai'
5595After saying that, she told Kei to join us the next time we ate together in
5596my room.
5597“Its's no fun if only the two of us were eating together senpai.”
5598“Of course.”
5599“Now, we'll be eating together with Karuizawa-senpai. Then, goodbye~~”
5600Amasawa came in like a storm and left like one.
5601“Looks like you know a pretty cute kouhai huh, Kiyotaka”
5602“No matter what I say now, you won't believe me either way.”
5603It no longer had the air of studyjng, but I will have no choice but to
5604explain the truth repeatedly until Kei is satisfied.
5605* * *
5606Part 6
5607Friday is over and It is Saturday today which means there's no school
5608today.
5609The five days of the week were affected by the special exams, so I had
5610many opportunities to get involved with my kouhai's. From the encounter
5611with Amasawa from the first-years A class, I had to challenge Amasawa to a
5612cooking contest to secure a partner for Sudou, and discussions with Nanase to
5613conclude. The first-year and second-year D class contract. And, Kushida
5614talked with Yagami in the first-years B class for partners for our class
5615including Kei. With things progressing this fast, I'm assuming all our
5616classmates will have partners by the time of the test.
5617Even though, the white room student is hiding from me. I had talk to many
5618first-year students from mutiple classes so it would be normal if I were to be
5619seen by the white room student sent by Tsukishiro.
5620And exchanging meeting with first-year students
5621The first-years A-Class does not have a definite leader at the moment, and
5622each of the student in the class has a strong influence to the class and they
5623don't need a leader at the moment. One of the reasons is that the academic
5624ability of the whole class is high. The number of students who have B or
5625higher academic abilities is the largest among the four classes. Many highskilled students negotiate independently and have point contracts with
5626second-year A-class and second-year C-class. There are also students who are
5627categorized as academic ability D but, of course, but because they excel in
5628versatility, they have been picked up by A-Class for the second-years. 34 out
5629of 40 from the A-class have already confirmed their partners.
5630The first-year B-class is similar to the first-year A-class, by that I mean by
5631classes not having a class leader. And high-skilled students sell themselves
5632and for private points for other students as partners. The difference is that the
5633first-years B class has partnered up with more C-class students instead of
5634partnering up with Sakayanagi. Is this the effect of Ryuuen's offering more
5635points than Sakayanagi? Details are unknown at this time. And Currently 33
5636people have decided partners.
5637Hosen controls the class in the 1st year D class with a strong influence.
5638This is almost the same as Ryuuen's way of doing things last year. Both our
5639classes have the least amount of people who currently have partners and if
5640things goes well we might be able to get everyone in our class partners. Well
5641we'll have to see on Sunday if the deal goes well.
5642And finally, the first-years C class. It's the only class that I've never been
5643involved with in the past week. Even though, a few of the students in C class
5644have high academic ability, the C class has not been mentioned from Horikita.
5645Why is she not bothering with that class? This is probably because many
5646students in c-class have signed a partner contract with the second-year B class
5647during the exchange meeting led by Ichinose and she successfully saved their
5648classmates by using the meeting. There probably is a class coordinator, and
5649there are no students below D academic ability in the C-class-. In other words,
5650almost everyone can secure a safe position. There are around 10 people left in
5651the first-years C class unpartnered.
5652In the afternoon, I launched 0AA, watching partners being formed.
5653“Partner that are formed at the moment is 105 pairs, nearly 70% of the first
5654and second-year students.”
5655If you look at the number of people in the library yesterday, you can see
5656that most of the students wanted to find a partner by the weekend. It seems
5657that there were movements from the first-years D class, a total of eight people
5658have confirmed their partners. Did they get inpatient during this weekend or
5659did Hosen order them to get themselves partners.
5660Anyway, the remaining students who doesn’t have partners are 55 in the
5661first year and 52 in the second year.
5662The probability of the white room student being unpartnered is quite high.
5663To be honest, there is no guarantee that I won't make a mistake by teaming
5664up with the white room student.
5665Of course, that's because the other person doesn't emit any odor. I was
5666hoping to come up with something that can put me on the safe side. But I'll
5667have to make a decision soon for my partner.
5668Although the negotiations with the first-year D class is near, I would still
5669like to prepare measures.
5670I decide to go to the Keyaki Mall after noon on Saturday to expand my
5671possibilities.
5672* * *
5673Part 7
5674The Keyaki mall on Saturday is naturally overflowing with many students.
5675In particular, mostly sudents who have identified their partners for the
5676special exam were at the mall, they were either studying with friends for the
5677next week's written test or were out with friends for fun. Most of the firstyears were at the mall, and there was a possibility that the white room student
5678would be nearby trying to blend in with the crowd to follow me.
5679The only way for the white room student to team up with me is by either
5680meeting Nanase or directly asking me to be their partner. But If they were to
5681directly ask me I would know immediately if they were from the white room
5682or not.
5683I would be able to sense if the person was from the white room. Anyhow,
5684It would be hard for him to blend with the first-years.
56851 year ago. When I entered this school, it was a bit similar.
5686There are disadvantages and advantages of growing up without knowing
5687the outside world.
5688He wouldn't know what a”student” would mean.
5689Because in the white room, we were forbidden to talk and they did not
5690plan to enroll us into schools.
5691So in a short period of time, I decided to”perform” and make a character.
5692I try to talk more than I usually do and change my tone.
5693As a slightly cheeky student with a somewhat engrossing perspective.
5694Well...... After all, I felt it was tiring to act all the time so I decided to
5695return to my real self.
5696The reason for it is to understand that it is possible for me to become a
5697'student' in this school without concealing my true nature. However, the
5698person who will have been sent this time is different.
5699He would be able to mimic other students and act like them so that I would
5700not be able to notice. I don't know whether he would choose the path to be a
5701student who doesn't stand out or choose the path of a student who stands out a
5702lot especially by being a class leader.
5703This is an overwhelmingly disadvantaged situation, even though I am
5704confident that I am winning on terms of individual skills. All he has to do is to
5705drop me out of the school in any way, but all I can do is see how he will try to
5706become my partner in this exam.
5707When I was leaving Keyaki Mall, On the way I met Sakayanagi.
5708“Well if it isn't Ayanokouji-kun, I see you have been interacting with a lot
5709of first-years recently.
5710“The students with poor grades in my class will immediately be dropped
5711out if we don’t help them. I'm just working with Horikita to find a partner for
5712studen
5713“I see. If they catch a bad first-year student, they'll drop out of school
5714immediately.”
5715Sakayanagi showed a certain level of consent, but that was not the end.
5716“But, is that really it?”
5717“What do you mean?
5718“I thought that a freshman from the first grader was sent to drop you out of
5719school and if you end up with that student. He'll intentionally score 0 and
5720you'll both drop out together.
5721I pretended to not show any expression on my face, but Sakayanagi knew
5722that Tsukishiro sent a student from the white room to drop me out.
5723“If your not concerned, then he may be able to use that to his advantage
5724and drop you out. And ruin your”precious peaceful school life”.
5725“Don't worry about it.”
5726`”Hmm Why?”
5727“I'm going to take this exam seriously so don't worry about me drooing
5728out.”
5729Continuing school life is a top priority for me and if someone were to
5730harm it, I would show no mercy.
5731Well that's good if you kept half-assing things you might regret it.
5732“I see. I've already shown some of strength to Mashima-sensei and a few
5733others, so it would be more convenient for me to just reveal everything
5734completely.”
5735Sakayanagi listens to my story and showed a smile.
5736“If you haven't decided on a partner yet, why don't you help me save time?
5737I have a few students who I think can team up with you and won't harm you in
5738any way.”
5739It seems that there were a few students left in the first-years A class
5740unpartnered as determined by Sakayanagi.
5741“It's a generous offer from me. So don't be afraid.”
5742“Do you have anything against my judgement.”
5743“Well you should make your decision soon.”
5744If you end up dropping out then you may come to regret not accepting my
5745offer.
5746“Don't worry I know how to handle my own problems.”
5747“Is that so? If that's the case, I won't say any more. I’m going to see how
5748Ayanokouji-kun fight from a distance. I'll look forward to the day when we'll
5749have our rematch again.”
5750After saying that. Sakayanagi bowed her head and walked away. In a way,
5751Sakayanagi and I have somehow gain quite a bit of trust from each other.
5752* * *
5753Part 8
5754On my way back from Keyaki Mall.
5755“Excuse me, may I have a word with you?”
5756I heard a voice calling out to me from behind.
5757I looked back and I saw the figure of a man and a girl. The girl seemed to
5758glacing at me while holding her cellular phone.”I am Sakurako Tsubaki of the
5759first year C class and he is in the same class as me his name is Riku
5760Utomiya.”
5761“You are the second-year D class Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, yes?”
5762Although the screen displayed on her cell phone is not visible, I could tell
5763she had the OAA app open.
5764“Can we talk a bit about the special exam?”
5765“About partners huh.”
5766“Yes. I'm currently searching for a senpai who can help partner up with me
5767for the special exam.”
5768It's too much of a coincidence, as if she's been waiting for me for a while.
5769Are these people that have come into contact with me dangerous or is
5770Sakurako truly looking for a partner?
5771No, I can't assume someone is dangerous just because they came in contact
5772with me.
5773“I was struggling because I couldn't find a partner for this past week.”
5774The OAA app shows a student's face, name, and grades, but of course it
5775won't show the personality of the student. That's why you need to meet in
5776person to determine if you can trust each other.
5777“By the way, Utomiya-kun already has a partner, but I don't.” Since her
5778academic ability is not as high, she wants to work with a second grader who
5779has the academic ability of C or higher.
5780In the second grade, there are mutiple students with academic ability C. It
5781would be too much of a coincidence if she chose me out of all of them. Is she
5782really looking for a partner?
5783“Rather than standing and talking, how about we go to a coffee shop?”
5784Utomiya proposed that idea to me and I accepted it.
5785Certainly, it is not reasonable to judge someone when we just met. So,
5786changing the place would be a good idea for me to get to know them better.
5787
5788Although it was crowded, there was an empty table by the corner of the
5789cafe.
5790“Can you hear her out?”
5791Utomiya gave Tsubaki a signal to talk.
5792“I don't like borrowing or owing someone something, so I just want to
5793have an equal partnership.”
5794Tsubaki said while looking at her nails.
5795Academic ability C with academic ability C is about the same.
5796There is hardly any superiority or inferiority.
5797“Can I ask you something.”
5798“Of course.”
5799“The percentage of students who have academic ability C and above are
5800quite high. So why did you talk so long to decide on your partner.”
5801There should have been some students who were willing to partner with
5802Tsubaki in second-years.
5803“That's –
5804Utsunomiya was a little bit jammed with words
5805When Tsubaki looked at Utomiya, He naturally looked back at her and
5806said.
5807“I'm to blame. I’m sorry I didn't say anything.” Utomiya said.
5808Starting with such words, Utsunomiya started saying.
5809“At first, Tsubaki didn't consult anyone about finding a partner. And on
5810Friday, Nagisa started to get impatient, and for the first time, she asked me to
5811help her find a partner.”
5812So, in a hurry, I decided to help Tsubaki to find a partner.
5813“Many of the C class students seemed to have found their own partners.”
5814Even though the exam is still a week away, it may be reasonable to rush
5815things as it may disrupt her studies.
5816“A 5% penalty can prove to be quite a problem for Tsubaki's academic
5817ability.”
5818That seems to be the reason why she wanted to be my partner.
5819If this was under normal circumstances, I would have gladly accepted but.
5820But I have a reason to why I can't make an immediate decision. It's when I
5821heard the rules of this special exam. And the white room student may still be
5822one of them.
5823The student who was most likely to team up with her, would be another
5824student with academic ability C.
5825And this was why she wanted to partner up with me.
5826I just got to know Sakurako and Utomiya , so I didn't really know the
5827personality of the both of then.
5828“I'd like to ask you a question, when you said you were searching for a
5829partner and were calling out to them. How many people called out before
5830me?”
5831I was going to start asking starting from that part, but an unexpected reply
5832came back from Utomiya.
5833“I'm sorry, I lied. Your actually the first one we have called out to
5834Ayanokouji-senpai.”,
5835Utsunomiya has apologized so much as if he was tryjng to break down my
5836speculation.
5837“If Ayanokouji-senpai doesn't want to partner up with Tsubaki, Then we
5838will look for another person.”
5839“But I happened to be the first one to call out to you.”
5840“It's a coincidence, but there's also a reason why I called out to you first. I
5841thought that if I asked from among the second-year A-class or second-year Cclass, they might demand private points.”
5842I see. It is true that the first graders are being bought by the second graders
5843right now.
5844“It would not be strange if they demanded private points for partnering up
5845with Tsubaki. That is true but, not all the students would demand private
5846points. There are still many students, so there is still a possibility that some
5847students would be willing to cooperate for free.”
5848With that being said, it's a bit weird to say,”I don't know anyone in the
5849second year, so I’m just going to team up with anyone if they don't offer me
5850points.”
5851Objectively, there is no reason for me to reason for me to reject this
5852proposal.
5853However, the options available were very limited.
5854“I haven't decided on a partner, but I found a student who I think is perfect
5855for teaming up with me. I'm going to talk to him for a few times to see if we
5856can actually work together.”
5857Half of what I said was a lie, but there was not way they could affirm it.
5858And, if I became Tsubaki partner, there is a chance she would be the white
5859room student and plan to intentionally score 0 marks to drop me out.
5860“Yes, I see.”
5861Utomiya glances at Tsubaki, with a sorry look.
5862“Well, why not!?” Why are you not gonna team up with me?”
5863As she learned that there was a potential partner that she could team up
5864with here, Tsubaki did not back down.
5865“For reference . Who are you going to team up with in the first grade?”
5866Utomiya asked me that question as if he understands Tsubaki's motive.
5867“I can't say that right now, But one thing for sure is that the student is not
5868in your class.”
5869By saying this, they'll get what I’m trying to say without asking for further
5870details.
5871As they heard what I said, they understood that I could not reveal any
5872personal information to other classes as they may be my enemy in the future.
5873“Let's go Utomiya-kun. It would be bad if we were to take up Ayanokoujisenpai's time.”
5874“... That's right”
5875“I'd like to thank you for calling out to me, but I'm sorry I couldn’t make
5876an immediate decision.”
5877The information I had on the student called Sakurako Tsubaki were low.
5878“This is my contact number.”
5879I was given a piece of paper written by Utomiya with his contact
5880information, which he had prepared in advance.
5881“You seem to be unsure at the moment, but if you turn down your partner,
5882you can call me. If you still think it's OKAY to work together at that time of
5883course. I give you my regards.”
5884“I understand. Thank you.”
5885“Let’s go.”
5886In Utsunomiya's words, Tsubaki folded her arms and got up and left
5887Then, she bowed her head lightly and left with Utomiya. It looks like their
5888going to find another candidate other than me.
5889“Sakurako Tsubaki and Riku Utomiya huh. I'll have to remember their
5890names.”
5891But I will surely regret my decision in the future, If I ended up partnering
5892up with the white room student.
5893* * *
5894Part 9
5895On the same exact day, two girls from the second-year D class were
5896walking side by side.
5897I'm Karuizawa Kei and this is my friend Sato Maya. Until just a few
5898months ago, we use to often hung out together. But recently our relationship
5899has dropped a lot. It was until the point where we didn't even talk to each
5900other. Because I became guilty unconsciously, which made it difficult to get in
5901touch with her.
5902“Sorry, Karuizawa-san I suddenly called you out.”
5903“Not at all. I wanted to play with Sato-san as well. Why didn't we hang out
5904recently?”
5905“Yeah, that's right. At the beginning of the school, we hung out a lot just
5906the both of us.”
5907I walked in front a little and turn my head back to look at Sato and said.
5908“What should we do it's still a little early to have lunch?”
5909The time has just turned around 11 in the morning.
5910Sato suggested that we walk around for a little longer in the mall.
5911However, when we were near the entrance of the mall. Sato called out to
5912me and said.
5913“Hey, Karuizawa-san.”
5914“What?”
5915“Hey, do you want to go?”
5916Sato, who was bored of walking around the Keyaki Mall, pointed to the
5917road leading to the school building.
5918“School? Do you have anything to do there? But I’m sure you can't wear
5919plain clothing into the school can you?”
5920“It's not like I want to go to the school building. I just want to go to a place
5921where there are no other people around.”
5922I frowned a bit not understanding what Sato meant.
5923No, I had a feeling that maybe just maybe.
5924But I tried to push it into the corner of my head, and I was trying to
5925convince myself that it wasn't going to be that way.
5926I kept pretending to not notice anything.
5927“What's the matter with You, Sato?”
5928“I have something I'd like to ask you.”
5929I agreed and we left the Keyaki Mall and headed to the school building.
5930Obviously, there were no people around as it was a Saturday.
5931“Don't hesitate to talk, we're friends, aren’t we?”
5932Her words were scaring me a bit.
5933I was aware but I couldn't speak.
5934My name is Kei Karuizawa and I have been the second-year D class leader
5935for about a year.
5936A self-cheering person who does not think too deeply about other people's
5937feelings and only focuses on herself.
5938Otherwise, the image I created up till now would be destroyed.
5939“Sato, the image I have is in class is just as I have just said.”
5940“So don't be discouraged or angry.”
5941I thought if I did something wrong that might have made Sato angry but I
5942thought of nothing except one.
5943Maybe she knows, but I'm sure I didn't make it obvious.
5944Don't be afraid to avoid having a bad relationship with me.
5945But Sato did not stop.
5946`”Karuizawa... Why did you break up with Hirata-kun? ''
5947“Did I not say why.”
5948Not directly, but my heart started racing when I thought about the fact that
5949she knew I liked Kiyotaka.
5950Still, I'm not that experienced with lying so I might have given a hint to
5951her that I like Kiyotaka.
5952“I heard the reason before from you, but I don't believe it one bit.”
5953“Well, I guess it was a bit wasteful huh, maybe you were aiming for
5954Hirata-kun's seat in the class huh?”
5955Sato was no longer able to control herself.
5956I denied what she said. However, my words did not reach Sato's ears.
5957“Karuizawa-san you broke up with Hirata-kun, is what you said really the
5958only reason? Or is there another reason?”
5959Sato knew all along. The fact that I like kiyotaka that was the reason why
5960our relationship changed.
5961“What do you mean,”
5962Until now, I had forcibly calmly reply to her questions.
5963In the future, If Kiyokata and I broke up the situation may be even worst
5964for me so I had to lie to Sato.
5965Whatever questions she asked, I would lie no matter one.
5966I was determined.
5967“...Karuizawa-san, Are you dating Ayanokouji-kun?”
5968“What.........?”
5969That was an unexpected question. I was delayed to respond as if I was
5970attacked from behind.
5971The delay I had to respond to Sato's question may have been fatal.
5972I could practically see through her mind right now.
5973
5974Do you like him? I'm sure I could have endured that question if she asked
5975that.
5976But Sato's question went even further.
5977“So, how long have you been dating?”
5978`` Cho, eh, no, why ?! ''
5979“Of course not. Your going to deny everything I ask.”
5980I could not admit the fact that we were dating.
5981“Me and him? Why?”
5982My words were denied by Sato and she got even madder then before.
5983Her eyes were mad and it looked like she was about to cry.
5984No wonder. Mr. Sato trusted me and with talking about her relationship
5985with Kiyotaka.
5986And I cooperated by hiding the fact that I was attracted by Kiyotaka. After
5987all, if I was in Sato's position, I would be mad as well.”
5988I could not longer deny it, and with this Sato was sure I was going out with
5989Kiyotaka.
5990“When I was aiming for Ayanokouji-kun, and when I asked you for
5991advice. Did you like him before that?”
5992“Cho, wait a minute. I'm ...”
5993I felt like I had received an arrow has pierced into my heart.
5994“When I.... I talked to Matsushita-san. She said that you broke up with
5995Hirata-kun because you liked Ayanokouji-kun. When she said that I was
5996convinced.”
5997I have already heard about Matsushita's doubts about my relationship with
5998Kiyotaka from Kiyotaka.
5999It was a situation I could no longer escape from.
6000“Speak honestly, or I will not be able to see Karuizawa-san as a friend
6001anymore.”
6002She was on the verge of crying.
6003And this girl was going to be friends with me until the very end.
6004“That.... is.”
6005I scrutinized Sato's eyes seriously. And I couldn't betray her any longer.
6006“What do you want to know?”
6007No, I couldn't help but answer her questions.
6008All I can do here is give an apology. But even if I did that Sato-san would
6009never forgive me.
6010“I ..... Aya... Yeah, it is as you say I am dating Ayanokouji-kun.”
6011When Sato heard the words, she started crying.
6012Once confessed and rejected, but Sato still liked Kiyotaka.
6013“I knew that you liked Kiyotaka. I’m sorry”
6014“When did you guys start dating?”
6015Her eyes were cold and shallow, I wanted to escape from her gaze but I
6016couldn't.
6017“We started dating at the end of spring break.”
6018“What I want to know is when you started liking him.”
6019“... I don't know specifically, but it was before I was consulted by you
6020when you asked me how to get closer to Kiyotaka.”
6021“I see.”
6022I don't think she was satisfied with my answer.
6023`”You are angry, right?”
6024I couldn't see the eyes of Sato-san, as she was about to cry.
6025“I didn't feel good. Even though I knew you liked him, I didn't tell you the
6026fact that I also liked him.”
6027Nothing can be disputed in that regard.
6028After a short while, Sato pulled my left cheek.
6029“Karuizawa-san, I'm convinced with your answer.”
6030It was a little price to pay.
6031“One more time, all right”
6032I decided to extend my right cheek.
6033Even so, the pain that Sato suffered is still greater than me.
6034“No, it's... I don't think I'm brave enough to do it again. I mean I’m sorry I
6035hit you.”
6036“No. I'm sorry. I kept it from you all this time....”
6037“I couldn't help it. Ayanokouji-kun looked so much cooler then Hiratakun.”
6038Involuntarily, I hugged Sato with her arms wide open
6039“What, Karuizawa-san !?”
6040“.. I'm really sorry! ''
6041I wanted to say it.
6042I apologized a lot, but I still couldn't bear being happy.
6043It's hard to love the same people. And it also means only one person can
6044be with him.
6045It's not about winning or losing.
6046Surely, more and more people will be aware of the appeal Kiyotaka has.
6047I will fight harder then before.
6048If I was in her position, I would take any opportunity I have to be with the
6049person I love.
6050Maybe in the future, my biggest rival could end up being Sato.
6051“Can we go for some tea?”
6052Sato nodded in her head and forgave my selfish actions.
6053[ 6 ]
6054FOOTSTEPS OF THE DROPOUTS
6055It's after 8:30 p.m. on Sunday. The designated day came from Nanase.
6056Today's discussion is likely to decide whether or not to work together with the
6057one-year D class.
6058No, I have to move so that I can build up.
6059Most students other than the 1st and 2nd year D classes have already
6060decided on partners.
6061If this discussion doesn't come together, there's also the possibility that
6062we'll be forced to make big concessions to avoid penalties.
6063Horikita will accompany me to the discussion and Sudou at the request of
6064a strong person.
6065There might have been some desire to be with Horikita, but the big part is
6066to be to be wary of Hosen. Depending on the situation, it is expected that the
6067woman will raise her hand without hesitation. escort to protect it. Of course,
6068Horikita was not necessary, but Sudou fell. But this time, Horikita did not
6069give Sudou permission no matter how many times he was asked. The reason
6070is that it is expected to become a place of serious negotiation so much, and it
6071is judged that Sudou's existence becomes a drag. However, I waited for the
6072decision.
6073The reason for this is that Sudou will move on my behalf even if I happen
6074to be in short supply. If it is Sudou's ability, it will be able to lick the place
6075enough.
6076After all, Horikita allowed the companion on the condition that it was
6077never sharp in the discussion.
6078“Oss!”
6079When I came down to the lobby of the dormitory, Sudou was already
6080sitting on the sofa and waiting. Moreover, he shows me a cheerful and
6081cheerful smile.
6082I have to correct it a little bit. It seems that there was a big desire to be
6083with Horikita rather than a little.
6084“Are you doing well in your studying for the test?”
6085At this stage, if Sudou, who has an academic e-assessment, scores more
6086than 250 points, it is already a great achievement. From next month onward,
6087the academic ability judgment at 0AA may jump around C.
6088He seems to be making an effort not only to show his self-confidence, but
6089also to show his confidence.
6090The laziness is also greatly reduced, and the attitude you have in class in
6091serious. It's a lot of change. You seem to like studying.”
6092But, there's a lot of fun when you can solve the subject. And it's because
6093Suzune praises me and gives me the energy to study as much as I can”.
6094At the beginning of the school, he began to feel calm. It doesn't seem to be
6095easy to get rid of the quick habit of getting upset, but if you can stay on the
6096spot with a bell sound, it's a good point.
6097I couldn’t control Sudou. He kept getting nervous and looked at the wall to
6098see his own reflection.
6099It might be the state of mind of such a boy who goes out on a date for the
6100first time in his life.
6101Sudou, who noticed that I was watching”Ayanokouji” and when I was
6102watching it, he whispered while watching the surveillance video.”If I confess
6103at this stage, I think Suzune is going to be OK, and the expression that I
6104looked at had changed to serious things before I knew it. I will not be able to
6105answer Sudou appropriately.
6106But Maybe it's impossible?
6107“I know that Suzune herselff is not the type of person who willfall in love.
6108But it's not just that. I don't know how high the chances of getting accepted
6109right now.
6110So far, I've been getting along pretty well with Suzune and our
6111classmates.”
6112“I'm working hard now, but I don't take it for granted that the burden on
6113the class has been erased. For the next two years, I'm going to improve my
6114strengths and then gradually eliminate my weaknesses. Then, I'm sure I'll be
6115of use to the class by the time I graduate.
6116“ Maybe so.”
6117Sudou can be a bit stubborn sometimes but because Sudou has good
6118physical abilities. It's useful for the class.
6119I've come to be able to look at myself calmly, which will make me grow
6120into an indispensable piece like Yosuke and Shibata.
6121Because of Sudou, what I want to ask comes to mind,”If you make an
6122effort, and you have become the most serviceable person in the class . If
6123Horikita doesn't accept your confession, what will you do then?
6124When he learns that his efforts will not bear fruit, he has the potential to
6125fall, especially because Sudou is trying to do his best for Horikita.
6126“Well, I'm going to want to stop you?
6127Maybe someone might want to hit you. But, if you actually do that,
6128Suzune will be disappointed, isn't it?
6129I'm sorry to say that.
6130“Of course, the intention would be real. But the real question is when it
6131becomes a reality. No matter positive you are prepared to take passively, there
6132are a lot of things that will change if the stress starts to strike.
6133That said, if you can say this much at this stage, don't you have to worry
6134for the time being?
6135“Oh, it looks like he's here,”
6136I saw Horikita in the elevator. Sudou, who was standing still now
6137somewhere floating, left the place once to calm himself down and turned his
6138back to the elevator, and began to take a deep breath with his arms up from
6139his front.
6140Soon, the elevator arrives on the first floor during a deep breath for Sudou.
6141Horikita showed a slightly strange face, but then Sudou immediately
6142said,”It's a deep breath” and”sorry to keep you waiting.”
6143“What is Sudou-kun doing?”
6144“It seems to be a deep breath,”
6145Horikita, who showed a slightly confused face, quickly returned to her
6146usual expression.
6147The desired meeting place is a karaoke place in the keyaki mall. It is
6148popular as a place where you can play until late nights because it is allowed to
6149use until 22:00 on both weekdays and holidays. Speaking of karaoke, it's a
6150matter of course, but it's one of the entertainment facilities. It's often used to
6151relieve stress and talk with friends, but it has another big role in this school.
6152It's highly confidential.
6153It is a suitable place for private meetings without anyone eavesdropping.
6154We are going to have an exam next week, so I don't see much sign of
6155people especially students this time of the day.
6156It can be said that it is the best time to have a secret discussion with
6157Hosen.
6158“Hey. Is it really possible to be a friend of that cheeky year? If we don't
6159think we can work together, we won't take the time from the beginning.”
6160It is because it judged that there is a possibility, and it is by going all out.
6161“At this point, most of the best first-year students have been secured by
6162Sakayanagi and Ryuuen-kun. And Ichinose-san is helping the weak. The only
6163way for us to get in is to fight on a wheel of trust.”
6164“That's it.”
6165“Yes. That's why Hoizumi-kun's presence is a pinch and a chance for us.”
6166And, Hosen does not like Ichinose's way of doing things. That's why the
6167possibilities come to us in Class D.
6168“How far can we sign a contract without making concessions? The more
6169time we waste, the more impatient the second-years are. Since many students
6170have already found a partner, it is inevitable that they will be disadvantaged.”
6171I don't have to worry about my classmates getting a penalty.
6172I'm sure you'll find out how to challenge the Treasure Fountain.
6173“By the way. It's nine o'clock, isn't it?
6174The time is still before nine o'clock, and there are about 30 minutes until
6175the appointed time.
6176“It's okay. I want to get there first.”
6177There is no such thing as a slacking off to a person like Horikita. Sudou
6178didn't know why but he felt that he needed to be wary of the year one students
6179especially Hosen.
6180I received a piece of paper and a board with the room number from the
6181clerk and entered the room.”Can you tell Mr. Nanase?”
6182“I know,”
6183I already sent a message to her telling her that we've entered the store.
6184I was not particularly surprised, and received a reply immediately saying
6185that”I would arrive by the scheduled time”,
6186“Let's ask for a drink first”,
6187“I don't mind waiting”
6188After deciding, each of us starts look through the drink menu.
6189“You can ask if you need it anything.”
6190“Do You need anything?”
6191Then, some potato chips please.
6192Horikita orders the food and drinks through the landline built in the room.
6193Sudou felt a sense of tension from asking for a menu, and he holds the
6194microphone.
6195“Well, then I'm free until time, so why don't two sing a song?”
6196I'm not singing,” Says Sudou
6197“I'm not going to sing as well,” I said
6198We got to karaoke first, and asked for drinks and food. It must have been
6199because Sudou wanted to hear Horikita sing. Sudou looked a bit sorry because
6200Horikita didn't want to sing and told him to not say anything unnecessary or
6201rather not talk at all during the meeting with the first years.
6202Sudou didnt get the answer he wanted so he was discontent. He doesn't
6203seem to like Horikita's answer, so he bit his lips, and when it's was time for
6204the appointment, Nanase was the first one to show up.
6205“Senpai, I've kept you waiting.”
6206[ T/N: ‘Dokeyo’ means ‘move’ ]
6207“Dokeyo Nanase” was called out from behind by Kazuomi Hosen who
6208forced her to move for him to get in the room.
6209“You've come on schedule. I thought you'd be a lot late,”
6210Horikita tells Hosen that it would be nice to do not something that would
6211irritate the other party.”If I decide to go somewhere I will go. It's just a little
6212early, , and I don't care about the people who try to get into trouble. It seems
6213you guys have arrived much earlier than that, but.
6214“Was it so disgusting that I was waiting for you?”
6215Saying that, Horikita tells Hosen to broaden his horizons.
6216On the desk had a few drinks and food. The table is arranged so nicely that
6217you guys looked like you were having fun with karaoke just before we came.
6218“That's what it looks like.”
6219It is said that the bargaining has already begun.
6220“Good”.
6221Hosen sits comfortably on the sofa and showed a big body figure that
6222doesn't seem to be a freshman.
6223“Spread around and sit”
6224“So Nanase's explanation she needed our class to help them.”
6225It's only been about two weeks since he entered the school, and in that
6226amount of time he intended to put the D class under his control completely,
6227but I didn't see any bearishness in his remarks.
6228[ T/N: Bearishness means resembling a bear in terms of toughness ]
6229“It's a little different. I'm saying we can join hands with your class. There
6230is no top or bottom.”
6231There's only an equal relationship.”
6232It's a smart decision not to let that get to you senpais head.
6233Nanase only listens to Hosen's words and actions, and does not make any
6234particular affirmation or rebuttal. Given that she serves as a bridge and that it
6235is the only reason she is called here, it is certain that Hosen is buying Nanase.
6236Did he buy her through a threat or violence from Hosen? In any case, there is
6237a chance to get Nanase to our side.
6238“I know that there are a certain number of first-year students who are still
6239weak-willed and don't care about their classmates. But if you look at us, you'll
6240understand. I'm sure it'll come when I need the power of my classmates.”
6241If you're controlling your class well, it's convenient to use them as tools.
6242“Let's say that a lot of people obey me with one order.”
6243Hosen pierces his ears with his left-hand finger. Then, with his little finger
6244up, Horikita turned to look at Hosen and said
6245“In the first place,”
6246“Would you stop it?”
6247Horikita's fist was trembling on her knee without turning her eyes away
6248from him. Sudou keeps his advice and endures it even though he is glaring at
6249Hosen.
6250For the first time, Nanase opens her mouth to Hosen for the first time.”I
6251don't think there's anything to worry about Horikita's ability.”
6252“I wonder if you're the leader of the two-year D class?”
6253And they started talking.
6254“Then I'll give the leader some advice. I'm not going to cooperate with you
6255people.As it is an equal relationship”
6256Its not going to be a one-way negotiation.
6257It is inevitable that a different deal will happen than the one we planned
6258with someone like Hosen who wants to protect his classmates somehow and
6259thinks it's OK to cut them down separately.
6260The original penalties are too different between dropping out and
6261suspension for three months.
6262“Let's do that. Since that's the kind of person you are.”
6263I’m going to ask you,
6264“Listen Did you think I'd give you money to ask for your help?”
6265Despite the impuited disadvantage, Horikita did not make any slight
6266moves and showed no concessions.
6267I'll put it down! 'll put it down! We’re not going to be to be getting out of
6268here anytime soon, Nanase, it's water.”
6269Nods Nanase who whispers and orders water from the phone.
6270“It seems the deal has been repeated and the proposal is equal. I'm not
6271going to give money or anything in return for this relationship.”
6272Everyone was ordered from Hosen to leave
6273Wait, Hosen-kun. I should listen to Horikita's story, and so she waited for
6274it, Nanase, who was listening to a story from Hotikita.
6275“Are you listening?”
6276“It was unnecessary to have come here.”
6277He was getting ready to leave and saw off the negotiations early.
6278I don't think Hosen-kun's strategy is bad.
6279Each class continues to be on par like this.
6280I don't know anything, and Nanase doesn't seem to have caught the idea of
6281leaving yet. And you're here, aren't you?”
6282Even if his strong u can make your own decisions, you may be forced to
6283make concessions eventually. Some students may drop out if they don't wait
6284for it.
6285Let's have a reason why we must keep the facts here. Our senpai's are
6286desperate to protect their classmates, and we know what Hosen-kun wants to
6287say. Horikita, sighs when she figured out Nanase fell in love with Hosen and
6288rather than getting angry.
6289She said”Nanase. Are you stupid?”
6290This is not happening the negotiation I mean.
6291Obey me and leave the rats alone.
6292In order to make bargaining more advantageous, the fewer deadlines, the
6293more valuable the two-year students who are left over will be over paying,
6294even those who cant afford it.
6295“If you know, say the merit of reaching out to Horikita with this,”
6296and when Nanase looks at Horikita, Horikita answers this.
6297“Don't make me laugh a relationship of trust?”
6298“In this special exam, we certainly don't think we need to make any
6299concessions. However, it might not necessarily be the same examination in
6300the future.
6301If Hosen-kun were to turn all the second graders to his enemy, There is a
6302possibility that he would fall into an unforeseen situation where no matter
6303how many points he tried to prepare, his partner may end up dropping out.
6304It's still good if you just get penalty points, but what happens if the partner
6305you've teamed up with holds u back?
6306Do you think there's a person in this school that’s ready to be with me?”
6307I hear that there is something called protection points in this school
6308system.
6309This story is a topic I've discussed with everyone in the library on Friday.
6310Horikita was a little surprised, but she immediately grasped the situation
6311and said.
6312“Yes. It's a special point to disable withdrawal only once.”
6313“It's not impossible to find information about it even though u just entered
6314school.”
6315That's why you should know that if there was a similar test in the future, if
6316your partner had a protection point.
6317.... In some cases, you can unilaterally force them to drop out.”
6318The more hated Hosen is, the more aggressive the method is taken to expel
6319him from school.
6320“That's why we need to build a relationship of trust from this stage.”
6321You're getting ready to drive me in, aren't you?”
6322“ Of course, we put the first class D as our top priority. And, because they
6323recognize Hosen-kun is a necessary existence, I do not want you to make a
6324mistake by making a mistake in the future.
6325“They were in a situation that was at a disadvantage. The rest is whether or
6326not the Nanase and Hosen listen to this advice after understanding.
6327I’m prepared for a later disadvantage, and I’m still gonna look for
6328something in return.
6329“I'm sorry that you got your wisdom together, but I'm not going to tie your
6330hands on equal terms.”
6331Nanase and Horikita spit out Jesus as a reply.
6332However, Hosen did not show any gestures to think.
6333So Sudou tried to throw a punch at him, and Horikita pulled his arm to
6334hold him back.
6335“He hasn't left the negotiating table yet.”
6336It's not easy to negotiate with him.”
6337“But what are you going to do? I'll admit that I'm just holding it in my
6338head.”
6339“But even so, I don't think it's an equal relationship, so I'm going to join
6340hands if I have equal proof.” Well, that might be the case.
6341“ Why do you dislike the equal relationship condition?”
6342“We did something like giving them a relationship of trust, but it would be
6343like using each other.
6344That doesn't mean I'm grateful to give it away.
6345It's a tearful story to say that the first years D-class next year may fall into
6346a similar situation, it's a selfish prediction and not a sure future.”
6347Horikita's proposal supports each other on basic equal terms, but the twoyear D class is seeking salvation.
6348Instead of having them drop out, they will save the disjointed situation of
6349the D class for one year. It is insurance so to speak, and there is a lot of
6350benefits in using it.
6351“Yes, it is. If you say so, can you tell me what you want for reference?”
6352Secure a million private points and give it to me in shape. If I'm in trouble
6353and I rely on you guys on the two-year D class, I'll be happy to pay it back in
6354full.
6355“However, if you do not have the one million points I will issue an
6356insurance.
6357It means that the full amount of points will be in the pocket of Hosen.
6358“If its as you say, trust is going to be important in the future, isn't it a big
6359deal?”
6360If there's always a time to ask for help, it's true that this is a good strategy
6361for both classes.
6362The first thing that happened next was Hosen grasping Horikita’s arm.
6363And Sudou who had been watching the man right next to him, and staring at
6364Kazuomi intensely since the very beginning.
6365“Oi...” Don't hurt the woman.”
6366“ Calm down Sudou-kun”
6367“ It's okay. The negotiations have not yet been concluded, there is certainly
6368no such thing as a”negotiation breakdown” from the mouth of Hosen.
6369“I'm going to do it with confidently.”
6370Do you even hold back on hurting a woman, or do you think you can hurt
6371anyone you want.
6372Why don't you refrain from making statements that turn women in the
6373world into enemies?”
6374I'll show you a good way. If you beat me in a fight, can we have an
6375unconditional partnership?”
6376Hosen comes and says things like this.
6377“Then I'll do it for you. You're not complaining, are you?”
6378“Sudou, you are welcome.”
6379“It's okay Suzune”
6380If I win, the contract is concluded. I can't help it because I'm sick of this
6381douchebag.
6382Sudou is reaching the limit of patience in the karaoke room and Hosen is
6383not trying to release the arm which gripping Horikita for a long time now.
6384“It's too stupid to decide whether or not we can argree on a cooperative
6385relationship in a fight.
6386Even if it's the only negotiating material, you shouldn't take it.
6387“There's no problem because it’s a good deal, Koizumi”
6388Horikita quietly says her thoughts without listening to Sudou's words.
6389“I thought you were a little smarter. The first time I showed up to the firstyears D class as a sophomore, I felt that I wanted to join hands with class D.”
6390If we could have a class-by-class partnership, I could have agreed with
6391that, which would have been great.
6392“Horikita took a deep breath and for the first time without thinking about
6393anything.”Negotiation breaks down” Not from Hosen but Horikita announces
6394the end of the negotiation in a way that withdraws herself
6395At that moment, Hosen, who seemed to be having fun from beginning to
6396end, looked slightly into Sudou’s angry face for the first time. By releasing
6397the hand on Horikita which had been gripped, Sudou also endured anger and
6398sat down again.
6399From the cup that the big hand Hosen grabbed, he splashed water on
6400Horikita's face and said,”You said that!” That's right ha ha yes, yes!”
6401I was about to jump out of the seat that I could get near the wall.
6402However, the situation started to move before Horikita spoke out, and
6403Sudou held a fist out on his hand, and this might have been an action that
6404Horikita had not foreseen.
6405It is because it was. Sudou, who had endured to the last minute of his limit,
6406said,”Stop it!” when Horikita was watered.
6407No one can blame Sudou who gets angry at seeing a woman he likes being
6408insulted, and he has made a fool out of her.
6409If it was one second later, it was Horikita who shouted to stop Sudou,
6410whose fist would have hit Hosen's cheek.
6411“Sudou-kun... Don't get on his strategy carelessly.”
6412“If you were unhappy with the breakdown of negotiations, you should
6413have said it sooner.”
6414However, did she judge that it was negative even if she subtracted any
6415more relations?
6416Horikita took off her gaze off of Hosen as if to see through the karaoke
6417room.
6418“Let's go home”
6419“Yes, let’s go.”
6420It was a surprise but it's Sudou who asked Horikita back.
6421“Ok let’s go!, Koizumi-kun”
6422Nanase also confirms will Hosen to leave about the same time.
6423“Ah?”
6424“I thought Horikita senpai's dog was going to come at me for revenge.”
6425It’s not like we're going to take the bait. I look at Horikita's appearance
6426from the side.
6427The breakdown of the negotiations here is a great deal of damage. But
6428Horikita's expression has not changed to disappointment yet. She still looked
6429like she was still in the middle of negotiations.
6430* * *
6431Part 1
6432We left the shop with Horikita who has paid for the karaoke shop. We
6433thought they were going to leave us alone, but Hosen and Nanase continued to
6434followed.
6435Sudou occasionally looks back at him as if threatening him, but he doesn't
6436even complain because the way they're going home is the same.
6437Do you understand the situation, or Hosen is trying to calling us out
6438somewhere.
6439“Wait, let's not waste time. We're done talking.”
6440It seems that Horikita's had enough of talking with them.
6441“Horikita”, just like you said.
6442That day, I went to class D for two years. I knew right away that Class D
6443was the lowest class in this school. I knew the quickest way was to join hands
6444with the same D-to-D class than to be joining hands from another class.
6445“ Whether or not this is to form the same equal cooperation as Horikita is
6446another matter but why was he doing it.”
6447“So?” So, isn't it really okay to break down the negotiations? Hosen said.
6448“As long as you keep making reckless demands on us, it won't change.”
6449That's right. I'm going to be prepared to get a penalty if necessary.”
6450“All right. So what about this proposal?”
6451Horikita, who did not remember resuming negotiations, Hosen began a
6452one-sided talk.”I'll give orders to the class guys. But you have to give me two
6453million points.”
6454“Two million? You've made it clear.”
6455“You're free to say whatever you say. But this is the only way to ensure
6456that we wont be leaving school.
6457Many of the guys in the other classes have already decided on a partner
6458and if you decided to go up.
6459You don't get anything if you're reluctant to put out. Or do you want me to
6460crush you?” Your going to crush us?
6461You're just going to drop out because you don’t follow by the rules that
6462you guys cut corners on tests.
6463“We don't not dare to break the rules.”
6464“Then, We'll just be prepared to score 501 points in any combination.”
6465“We reached a turning point between first and second graders.”
6466Horikita, who stopped there, turned around and looked at Hosen as he
6467says.
6468“Theres no such way to win unless you crush it with violence,” he says,
6469holding his fist and laughing fearlessly.”
6470“Domination in Violence...”
6471“There are people everywhere who think about things like that.”Even if
6472you don't like it, that's my way of doing things.”
6473Then, we stopped at a divided road to split apart. Then,we begin to walk
6474again.
6475Horikita did not show a broken expression until the very last minute. Or
6476rather, it might not have been possible to break against Hosen since he is a
6477tough opponent.
6478If she breaks it, she will never create an equal relationship with Hosen ever
6479again.
6480“Wait, wait.” Hosen said
6481“Is there something u still want to say”? Horikita asked
6482At the end of the last minute, the words that I didn't think would come out
6483came out of Hosen and said,”What do you mean?”
6484Isn't it natural for us to negotiate to give us an advantage until the very last
6485minute?”
6486“Then, do you mean you allow a completely equal partnership?”
6487“About that, since we got extra time. I want to change the place”
6488There is a possibility that we will be noticed.
6489It's almost 22:00 on Sunday.
6490Most students should be home, but it's inevitable that someone might see
6491us talking to them.
6492“Even so, I can't take Horikita into the dorm.”
6493Of course, there is no reason why we can't follow Hosen that looks very
6494confident.”
6495We are now at the back of the dormitory, the terms better be good. Even
6496now that we're losing
6497time, we don't want to put it off.
6498If you think about curfew, it's no longer a good time to have a meeting
6499today.
6500“This way.” That's okay”. I'll only take 10 minutes of your time. He
6501bought us to a dark and quiet place and there's no one passing by, and so the
6502meeting place has been moved to the back side of the dorm. It is directed to
6503the dormitory used by the third graders last year, and the dormitory used by
6504the first graders this year.
6505“Then let's resume.That's fine, isn't it?”
6506Well, the conditions I put out here have changed.
6507Hosen, who showed his thoughts, folds his arms once. As soon as he
6508untied his folded arm, he put up his right index finger, middle finger, and ring
6509finger.
6510“Three million. If you pay tribute to me, I'll bail out the idiots right now,
6511and all the people here, including me, have to shut up and listen to whatever u
6512guys want us to do.
6513What are you talking about?
6514Horikita sighs repeatedly involuntarily.
6515It was suppose to be about the negotiations that broke down early, but it
6516has been a waste of time.
6517It even seems that it is no longer a story of common sense.
6518“You don't know?
6519You're telling me you're not going to team up for three million.
6520“I said that just now ask a joke. So,this way, I made a place for negotiation
6521again.”
6522It was a bad judgment to have listened to Hosen calling us out. The little
6523hope we had didn't come true.
6524“Wait. You think you can go home?”
6525Hosen shows an intimidating attitude by lightly slapping his fist against
6526the wall
6527“Since this place is unobtrusive, your going to communicate with your
6528specialty”violence”?”
6529“At least I can kill you?”
6530“Then you'll have to accept the deal won't you?”
6531I don't think I'm going to take physical measures seriously. The body of
6532the Housen moves as if foreseeing what the will happen from now on. Nanase
6533who is standing by the side of Hosen turned her face away.
6534Suzune”Suzune!!” Sudou, who shouted, rushes up and pulls Horikita's
6535arm. The kick from Hosen went quickly through the place where Horikita
6536stood until just before.
6537And, a big huge body packs to Horikita at a stretch.”Once Horikita
6538realized he was serious about hurting her. Sudou observes his body's
6539movements of Hosen, and he receives the fists that come out of the hosen.
6540“Hahaha” What a good guy!
6541With a pleasant laugh, Hosen attacks Sudou. And, Sudou who exceeds the
6542limit of patience and cannot
6543hold it in any longer responds to it.
6544“What are you thinking and what are you thinking...”
6545Horikita is upset by the fight that has really started.
6546No matter how much this place is not monitored, if it is found, they will be
6547suspended from school, apart from the problem withdrawal act.
6548“Horikita-senpai, perhaps not because the situation is a little different from
6549the previous years.
6550Nanase who is looking at this situation watching from somewhere nearby
6551opened her mouth
6552“As you senpai's are familiar with things well until last year, We first-year
6553students understand the current situation better than our seniors.”
6554Several of first-year representatives were called to the student council
6555room and explained directly by the student council president.
6556Starting this year, this school will become more meritocracy, so if we are
6557going to create a free form,”
6558“Are you going to say that fighting is a free form?
6559“ I won't say that.
6560But as far as Hosen-kun confirmed, President Nagumo promised that some
6561fights attached to the students would not be as strict as last year. Because the
6562student council acts as an arbitrator for student-to-student trouble, if it is true
6563that he tolerates a fights to some extent, it will certainly not become a
6564problem if we're caught fighting.
6565As the conversation between Horikita and Nanase progressed, Hosen vs.
6566Sudou was determined as soon as the superiority and inferiority began,
6567“Oraa!”
6568While fighting, Sudou also showed the inevitable resistance in the pressure
6569of pushing or to be pushed against wall, but on the other hand, it was a battle.
6570“Te, Mee!”
6571As he grasped Sudou with both hands, Sudou's feet moved away from the
6572ground. He got pushed to the side against the wall and Sudou was able to
6573escape from the pressure of Housen on both of his hands kneeling against the
6574wall.
6575Even though Sudou had a good body but the body of Hosen crushes him.
6576Sudou also grabs Hosen's arms and kicks his knee.
6577“Tsk!, you bastard!”
6578It is added. There is a considerable difference that Sudou who had a lot of
6579experience as a fighter because he has been through a lot of fights.
6580The two people who seemed to be antagonizing before the fight, but
6581Sudou got kiceked by Hosen which is about to be pass out from banging
6582against the wall. Then, from the rear Housen hits Sudou's body directly.
6583Sudou had high physical ability and his physique polished by playing
6584basketball.
6585Until now, there are almost no enemies that can beat Sudou in a fight, but
6586this student named Hosen is exceptional.
6587He can be compared with Sudou or even better.
6588The quick movement is so smooth that it makes me think he was born to
6589be a natural fighter.
6590Even Ryuuen has stopped fighting Hosen. Even though he has been
6591through a number of quarrels and has escaped dangerous shambles.
6592The difference in experience was obvious.
6593And, the huge body and the rigid arm which does not feel like a first
6594year's. However, Sudou tackles Hosen in the resolution of the decision death,
6595he pushes him back to the wall side.
6596Still, Sudou doesn't fall down easily.
6597Sudou, who is likely to have the strength of the strongest school year,
6598would not sink in this degree.
6599However, he is attacked by Hosen everywhere on his body. The left and
6600right fists of Housen strike Sudou.
6601Even if you want to grab his hands hoping for a breakthrough he will
6602receive more damage, if you try to turn to counterattack even a little because
6603you receive a strong straight fist, the guard is quickly pierced, and Horikita's
6604voice that's shouting cannot be heard.
6605It's no longer possible to stop Hosen with words,
6606“No one will get hurt if you stop this!”
6607We're going to be caught. Horikita's voice has certainly reached Sudou.
6608For a moment, it's was a visible situation. I tried to get myself to protect
6609him somehow.
6610“Uraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa”
6611The tackle dealt to Hosen in the resolution of the death, pushed him back
6612to the wall, and Sudou who is trying his hardest to defeat the opponent further
6613“Hou*!
6614“Do you want to compare our physiques?”
6615When he catches Sudou’s huge body from the front, Hosen grabs Sudou's
6616body with a laugh and lifts it up.
6617“U, oh!?
6618Then he turned half way around and turned to the wall. He throws Sudou
6619to the wall and provokes him.
6620“Was it cramped at the wall?
6621Sudou, who felt pain all over the place, yelled.
6622It was Sudou who was going to lose and it was my turn this time, but he
6623ignored me”Hey Sudou, look at Horikita's face. He said that he is the
6624appearance of the demon, and Hosen who stopped his fist towards Sudou and
6625looked at Horikita.
6626In the midst of the battle, such a defenseless act of Hosen. Involuntarily,
6627Sudou, who was embarrassed to look at himself removed his gaze from the
6628strong enemy in front of him and turned back.
6629Of course, Horikita doesn't welcome Sudou's fight. It is a cucumber, the
6630appearance of the demon does not look so ugly. It's already too late when you
6631realize that you've lost your face, when you realize that you've lost your face,
6632worried about what to do and how you should be heinous. I could only shout
6633to stop. Sudou's lost his spirit for a moment.
6634Sudou sees a powerful blow on his cheek without seeing the face of
6635Kazuomi who laughed at the heinous Sudou, and banged by a complete
6636surprise strike.
6637Even though Sudou was hit and strong, the blow would have been a
6638painful one that he might had never been experienced before.
6639If he had been an average student who didn't train his body, he might have
6640been fatally damage.
6641The big body flies backward, and it is not possible for Sudou to move
6642passively anymore.
6643But when I saw Horikita's bullish attitude, I found it difficult to do
6644something.
6645He used the negotiating material, as an idea of working together with us.
6646“ It is my way of doing things from beginning to end” He said. And, as
6647Horikita said to the D class as I had admitted earlier, When she first met
6648Hosen, she first thought about what Hosen thought about and that's what she
6649thought that would be challenged today's negotiations. I was sure.
6650In this current situation, Sudou faints and falls on the floor from the throw,
6651although it seems to have been a matter of wondering what kind of person
6652Kazuomi Hosen is. Not only the body but he was also mentally smart. Sudou's
6653conciousness was put into a single trap.
6654Hosen, who had been leading this plan from beginning to end without
6655using dirty tricks, dared to whisper something into Sudou's ear before he
6656passed out.
6657I understood that if we continued the negotiations, Horikita would give up
6658working together.
6659However, Kazuomi still continued the aggressive attitude.
6660First,he pours water on a woman's face, and even now his in a serious fight
6661against Sudou. Why can you be so bullish when you are afraid of being
6662suspended or dropped out?
6663I've been thinking about that.
6664Do you really think violence can change the course of the negotiation?
6665No, I don't think this guy has such a stupid idea.
6666If anything , What the hell is Hosen going to get from this fight?
6667“Well, the reliable bodyguard sank.
6668Who's next?”
6669Kazuomi, who played against Sudou, was not even tired from the fight.
6670“We... I'll give in to you because you are using violence.
6671If we refuse to do that, you'll just keep trying to use violence on us.
6672“There is no way that it is effective even if it is made to write something in
6673such a form. You can pretend you fit in this place, but you will never.
6674The reason is that its not possible for me to yield to the way of Hosen.
6675“..... That's okay. I'll stop you.”
6676After deciding to prepare, Horikita showed her determination to fight on
6677her own.
6678Oh, my God, it's going to be interesting.
6679“If you want to do it, you're welcome to do it.”
6680The other party was confused by Horikita’s actions.
6681Horikita still can't understand why she was doing it.
6682And, Housen who did not care about anything extended his arm. After
6683dodging it, Horikita aimed at the jaw of Hosen to get a blow.
6684“What a pretty good move.”
6685However, she got slapped from Hosen afterwards with huge arms, he slaps
6686Horikita's cheek.
6687Horikita should have tried to defend and avoid it, but there was no way to
6688do it before the overwhelming speed of Hosen's slap.
6689Horikita's body blows away as if he had been hit on the cheek with his fist.
6690She began rolling on the ground
6691Suzune”Su, Suzune!” Sudou, who was about to get up while clenching his
6692teeth, cried.
6693But he still could not move nor stand up.
6694“Yo! Horikita. Sign a contract with me.”
6695“Five million. That's all going to fit in a circle, right?”
6696“I'm not kidding...”
6697“Ayanokouji-kun, someone, someone called the teachers...”
6698To get out of this place, there is no other way but to expect an adult's
6699intervention. Or, if a lot of people gather, it is possible to solve the problem at
6700hand even if it is Hosen.
6701“If you know you do not want to be my enemy... Well, that's going to
6702happen anyways. Aren't you going to be suspended from school?”
6703“You son of a bitch!!”
6704“You're in the way!”
6705Sudou got up and jumped at Hosenagain, and he kicked him mercilessly
6706and Sudou said,
6707“run away... Ayanokouji-kun”
6708“How long are you going to see Temee?”
6709At the point there’s no point in holding back anymore.
6710Hosen finally sets his sights me.
6711“Running away? If your going to run away, Horikita and Sudou's injuries
6712will be several times worse than they are now. So what are you going to do?”
6713Did you really try to do a negotiation that you can't pass through without
6714violence?
6715“Horikita. I'll give you a last chance. ... Any last words?”
6716“ I'll make you submit to me so get ready.”
6717I didn't know what it was for a moment because of the darkness, but by
6718removing the veil at the tip, a silver knife popped out.
6719“Oh, what are you doing...”
6720“You see this is a knife. A real one.”
6721It's a knife, it's undeniably real, and it's definitely not a toy or prop because
6722the tip of the knife is extremely sharp.
6723If you say no to my contract,
6724I'll say,”Don't be silly!”
6725“Then, I will stab Ayanokouji.”
6726“Don't play around, You'll do this much to get a few million points?”
6727With a knife in his right hand, Hosen slowly faces me.
6728“I knew it, and I didn't know until the end but your ‘great.’
6729“Maybe I didn't have to take this risk and do something so risky but
6730whatever.”
6731The flow of the previous reckless series of Hosen is something to be wary
6732off, but he was serious about stabbing me with the knife.
6733One step, one step, one step, as he comes closer to me.
6734It was Nanase who stopped Hosen the girl who is in the same class as
6735Hosen.
6736“Stop it anymore, I hate your way of doing things. ... I can't do it.”
6737Nanase breaks the distance between Hosen and I, and spreads her hands to
6738stop him.
6739“Doke Nanase.”
6740She might have been just a guard to keep peoplefrom running away, but
6741the guard is now fighting back against Hosen,
6742“I thought it was for the one-year D class, and I was going to lend my
6743strength to Hosen-kun until the end. No matter how ugly the strategy is, I've
6744been convinced. But it seems I have been wrong.” Nanase says.
6745
6746“It was impossible to work with Hosen-kun from the beginning.
6747Horikita says that after she got conscious again. She thought when she saw
6748Hoizumi-kun showed up in the second grade class, she thought he wanted to
6749enter into a cooperative relationship with her.
6750But.... It was only a way to do this from the beginning.
6751“ Even if you get a ridiculous amount of points you will still continue your
6752method of doing things by using violence”
6753However, Horikita should not be further upset when she knows the truth of
6754such a shock.
6755It's not like the Hosen doesn't open by knocking on the door of
6756negotiations. And this is not a mistake made by Horikita. The reason is that
6757there is no one that exist on our side could have predicted this development.
6758This series of information is probably given by the student council. There was
6759some information given to Nanase and Hosen, but not to us.
6760In such a state, a decent negotiation was not likely to be concluded from
6761the beginning.”
6762“Your annoying.”
6763In the first place, it would be you who should have left this to me.
6764“If we hurt Ayanokouji, our class will get plenty of money. It's clear how
6765much better that's going to be better.
6766But I still couldn't tell that I was the only student who had to be targeted.
6767“If you're going to stop me, I will use force if I have to”
6768“stay back!”
6769House places his right hand on Nanase to intimidate her with his huge
6770body.
6771As I looked at that scene, I arrived that this was the only answer here.
6772This made the point of everything.
6773“I'm going to go”
6774A clear weapon on the his right hand.
6775Of course, it is the one to use it for me
6776“Ayanokouji-kun!”
6777While I felt my thoughts clear, I bent over in front of the knife that was
6778swung at me to dodge it.
6779Getting closer to me, Hosen accelerates his arm to swing down, but I
6780avoided it to prevent me from being stung.
6781He made a smile and said the other party is not a poor opponent, but a
6782strong opponent though I thought he was just an average guy.
6783But it's not insane to stand up a person with a knife.
6784Of course, everyone would have thought that I was going to lose at that
6785time.
6786Feeling me approaching, Hosen accelerates his arm as he tries to swing it
6787down.
6788I use my left hand to block the knife that is about to stab me.
6789I did not try to grab or avoid Hosen's arm, instead I let him stab my left
6790palm.
6791
6792“A—What!?”
6793My action was clearly not excepted by Hosen.
6794No one will not be possible to predict in action in advance either.
6795The arm that tried to stab me stopped completely, and the smile Hosen
6796had disappeared in a blink of an eye.
6797“Teme! Ayanokouji!”
6798Of course everyone will be puzzled.
6799Everyone would have wondered why I would go out of my way to get
6800stabbed.
6801The action which seems to be desperation of going to be stabbed. Fresh
6802blood scatters from the knife that penetrates the palm of the hand.
6803That knife, to be exact, is a petty knife, but it's something I bought.
6804What the Hell.......?
6805“You use the knife you own and stick it into my hand.
6806All I have to do is make a fuss about being stabbed, and I'm going to
6807make you drop out with my physical evidence.
6808If you look at the knife you are holding, it's clear that you tried to stab
6809other person.
6810The blade was left on to make it look like physical evidence.
6811“Ha--------ha, , just because you knew that you let me stab you. Your
6812Crazy”
6813A slightly upset Hosen gave a dry laugh.
6814“This is the best way to stop you completely. It's like receiving a slight
6815injury for you to drop out.”
6816Even though I know it's an effective strategy, it's dangerous and not for
6817those who can't imitate.
6818That's why you can insist to be stabbed if I did it to your hand.
6819“It looks like there's something like a special exam that's only given to a
6820limited number of people in your first grade. And the content is”to drop me
6821out” from the conversation with Nanase.
6822It is a flow of somehow jumping out to this place, and developing into a
6823forced fight.
6824After that, Hosen who went up against Horikita and Sudou, who had
6825been sore, were almost stabbed by the knife that he had hidden just in case
6826of an emergency, and it was a strange plot to drop me out of school.
6827Even if you say you're tolerant of fighting, you've taken out a knife.
6828There is a possibility that it will develop into a criminal case and the
6829punishment u will receive is far from dropping out.
6830True”I heard it's not free, but I honestly took the bait because you didn't
6831give a strong sign at all.
6832I never thought you'd come to be stabbed by yourself. How did you
6833know this knife was mine.”
6834“I've got some research on it.”
6835“As of yesterday, you bought a knife from the knife shop. If you have a
6836knife, you'll definitely use it because that’s the way you do things”
6837It was easy to scrape a knife and grab get it in the hands of Hosen.
6838However, it is not a fundamental solution if I did it.
6839In the end, all you have to do is take the distance and re-arrange the act
6840of thrusting the knife into your hand. That was the only way to ensure he is
6841stopped to ensure that the strategy Hosen uses fails.
6842Hosen tries to release his hand from the knife, but I hold back the fist I
6843grabbed with my grip.
6844“..... What Temee. . .”
6845Knowing my plan, the plan of Hosen so far has completely blown away.
6846“Well, what do will you do?”
6847“The knife owner is you and its you who stabbed me.”
6848“ Moreover, the investigation of the one that it was going to buy
6849beforehand is attached, too.If you can't get away with it, you'll drop out of
6850school.”
6851In this situation where you are stuck in your own palm, it is not easy to
6852get away with it.
6853The strategy that he set up for us returns to the Hosen exactly as it is.
6854“It was an action that I saw through that much, and after Hosen made a
6855dent, he let go of his hand holding the knife and forcibly took distance,
6856leaving a knife stuck in my palm.
6857This completely reversed the situation.
6858Horikita and Sudou also got up slowly in the meantime and started to
6859recover their physical strength and said,
6860“Well, it's okay...” Ayanokouji-kun. Was it really necessary Ayanokouji?
6861“Don't worry.”
6862It's no wonder that my two classmates are confused by my situation, but
6863now it's stopped.
6864It is important to keep Hosen in perfect control.
6865“Temee, how far did you plan this?”
6866“ I'm not talking about anything.”
6867The first thing that made me feel uncomfortable was when Tenzawa
6868went to keyaki mall with me.
6869“Mr Tenzawa? he says he has something to do with this.”
6870“Ah. The clerk saw that Hosen was called out to the place when he was
6871trying to buy a knife. I was the one who thought about this reckless
6872operation, but it's Tenzawa who made it more perfect. If you buy a knife
6873and use it to stab people yourself, you will naturally be examined in various
6874ways and problems will come out. But he let me buy myself a knife,
6875because the situation has the potential to change a lot.” He said.
6876The reason why I chose a high petty knife was because it had”Saya”.
6877If it were for Tenzawa or Hosen, it would have been this because the
6878knife is the most convenient.
6879Of course, there are other ways to wrap the bare blade, but if you think
6880about carrying it, its sure to be faster without the hassle to buy a pod. I
6881found this knife from Tenzawa who was supposed to have come to my
6882room for the first time that day, and it was a small sense of incongruity that
6883I had for the knife he chosen for me.
6884That's the first catch. On Friday, he took a petty knife out of his room
6885and offered it to Hosen. Because there was a possibility that he did not
6886noticed, It was adjusted last minute to remove his fingerprints from the
6887knife. Tenzawa came to visit the room saying that he had lost his hair comb
6888was just a lie to take his knife out.
6889If we couldn't successfully carry out this plan, we probably had
6890postponed the schedule to use the knife.
6891“It was a failure to cooperate with a woman I didn't know well.”
6892“If I were the only one, I’d have broken you up.”
6893“Ayanokouji”,”In any case, in the situation now you have the upper
6894hand, I’m sure you've got an advantage, the blood got splattered onto the
6895clothing of House
6896There is no way to escape. If you forcefully rob a knife and stab
6897someone youself, you won't win.
6898Of course, even if I try to do that, I'll just do my best to stop myself.
6899It is likely Hosen is regretting the actions he took.
6900What mattered was from here.
6901“This matter can be kept only to me, Horikita, and Sudou.”
6902“What are you trying to do? Why are you throwing away the chance to
6903expel me”
6904“We're going to pretend like nothing happened here but there are two
6905conditions.”
6906“Two”?
6907One of them, of course, is obviously known.
6908“I want you to have an equal cooperative relationship between Horikita
6909and class D.”
6910“If you say no, you will drop out, so you'll have to obey. So, what's the
6911other one?”
6912“As a partner in this special exam, I want you to work with me.
6913From the first time I saw Hosen, I thought that if I were in a position to
6914choose my partner, It would be this guy.
6915There are several reasons for it, but the most important thing is the point
6916that he does not look back on his problematic actions.
6917If I had been in Tsukishiro's position, he would have made a remarkable
6918imitation of the school.
6919If this series of flows do not work favorably for us, I will be putting out
6920instructions to bring out the condition in contact with Hosen individually.
6921The negotiations with Horikita are in place.
6922“Temee!.....”
6923The man named Hosen Kazuomi has a firm pride. It is due to the pride
6924that you are strong. Even if he wins with his strength, Ryuuen is far more
6925superior then him as a person.
6926Above all, it is not acceptable that I was overtaken. If Hosen's Academic
6927Ability is B+ and scores 0 points, then withdrawal is inevitable.
6928It's no surprise that you fell together and you've never had a shot at me.
6929It is also true that it is not possible to say that Kazuomi Hosen is not a 100%
6930white room student. It is not possible to figure who it is since there are so
6931many first-year graders. However, the situation has changed here, too. Even
6932if you cut corners in the test, the fact that you were stabbed remains here.
6933If there was a strange incident behind the scenes, Tsukishiro would not
6934be able to drop out immediately.
6935If he somehow makes Hosen score 0 points. It will be discussed by other
6936students.
6937No matter what kind of position Tsukishiro is in, if he was caught doing
6938something risky behind the scenes he will drop out.
6939“It's OK, Ayanokouji-Senpai. This is the first time I've ever had such an
6940exciting opponent. I know it's not fun to just screw you up with my
6941strength. I'll kill you sooner or later, so look forward to it.”
6942Hosen had already switched his mind and shifted to the next battle.
6943“I will remain here”
6944Do you have anything else to explain senpai?
6945“Ah, what are you going to do Nanase?”
6946“I decided this would be good for the year-one D class. The vigilance of
6947the Ayanokouji-senpai and Horikita-senpai is already intensely suited to us.
6948In that case, I think it's better to pay attention to all the other classes.
6949I don't know the details yet, but Hosen accepted Nanase's proposal and
6950returned to the dormitory as the first person who left this place.
6951* * *
6952Part 3
6953We were left behind together with Nanase.
6954One or two of stories is bound to spread if someone saw this scene, but
6955there is something to be done first.
6956It is to calm Horikita who lacks calmness by looking at the knife which
6957was stuck in my left hand.
6958“What should I do? Well, I should pull the knife out first”.
6959“Are you okay”?
6960Horikita, who is usually cool and calm, is not calm at all right now.
6961“ I've never seen this situation before my eyes.”
6962There is a possibility of a large amount of blood will pour out if I pull it
6963out poorly
6964“No, it is bad-looking for the time being, but it is better to remain
6965stuck”.
6966“Compared to your injury, I'm as good as unscathed.”
6967“Oh...” I'm fine, too.”
6968When Sudou also walked beside me, he distorted his face when he saw
6969the devastation of my left hand.
6970“How can you stay calm in such a state?”
6971I don’t know, I wonder why.
6972I'm did this on my own, and there's no special reason.
6973“Why didn’t you fight back, your strong.....”
6974“I couldn’t do anything so I took the knife by force.”
6975.... I didn't see it that way”
6976Sudou gave a frank impression between the encounter between me and
6977Kazuomi earlier.
6978Horikita takes out her cell phone with her right hand and makes a phone
6979call to Chabashira sensei.
6980“I have something to do with you. I'm behind the first-year dormitory, so
6981could you hurry up?
6982Confidentially, of course. Then bring me a bath towel.”
6983In the meantime, it's better for you not to move.
6984It's annoying to move to somewhere and let other students see this hand.
6985“I don't care” Anyway... Nanase does not show any upset when she sees
6986this situation
6987She looks at the knife and scattered blood on my hand.
6988I don't feel her being sorry for me at all.
6989“Can you tell me something Ayanokouji-senpai?” from Nanase.
6990“If we don't work together, it’s going to be a bad situation for our yearone D class.
6991“You were aware of this kind of development... Isn't that right?”
6992Ayanokouji says,”Yes, it was. The aim was to let Hosen stab me and
6993make him drop out.”
6994You explained this in such a usual polite tone despite hurting yourself.
6995“Are you saying all of that negotiation was acting for this?”
6996“No, that's not true. It is true that I wanted to work hand in hand with
6997Horikita and support each other's classes. Simply.. my strategy of getting
6998Hosen as my partner was my top priority.”
6999Both Hosen and Nanase were going to be attached to the D class for two
7000years because I was enrolled here.
7001“Why would you do that? Depending on the situation, I'm also thinking
7002about reporting this incident to the school immediately.
7003“ Nanase tells Horikita that”. I think there was a problem with the way
7004we did it, but it wasn't against the school's intention smattering to get
7005Ayanokouji-senpai to drop out of the school. I still know only a few firstyear students who knows about this, but I was told I could get a lot of points
7006by expelling Ayanokouji.
7007“At last, the reason why I was targeted by Hosen becomes clear. We
7008were told that Ayanokouji Kiyakata of the second year D class. Students
7009who drop out of this person will be paid 20 million private points. That's the
7010reason we were given such a special exam.”
7011“I can't understand what you're talking about. Who decided on such an
7012unreasonable and stupid special exam?”
7013Nanase became quiet when she was asked that question.
7014... For the time being, I told you what I needed to tell you. Ayanokoujisenpai should be wary of all the first-year classes except us.”
7015Nanase does not talk much, but conveys the minimum information
7016necessary to tell us. Not to mention Hosen and Nanase, Tenzawa also
7017knows about this. If you think about it in order, you should know some of
7018the students in the first year B class and the first year C class should already
7019know about this.
7020“Are you not able to be convinced by such an answer?”
7021“It's okay. Even I could understand the situation, Nanase cooperated
7022enough and said,”I cooperated with Hosen-kun knowing that it would be
7023good for the one-year D class.
7024In fact, if the 20 million points were put into the hands of other classes,
7025we would be at a disadvantage. I’m grateful.
7026If you think of it as a ticket to class A, it's only one.
7027But considering things like this special exam, the more money you have,
7028the more advantageous it is.
7029“But that's not the only reason I helped Hosen-kun.” I didn't think that
7030Ayanokouji-senpai was the right person to drop out of this school.”
7031Soon Nanase bowed her head and left.
7032[ EPILOGUE ]
7033PROFOUNDING MYSTERY
7034On the following Monday, a discussion between nanase and Horikita
7035was held and a cooperative relationship was established on that day on
7036equal footing. On Tuesday, all 157 pairs were formed and everyone shifted
7037their focus on the written test.
7038Rokusuke Kouenji did not show his willingness to cooperate, but when
7039Nanase went directly and asked for the partner, he unexpectedly agreed
7040easily. I was surprised at this point, including Horikita. The left hand was
7041wounded deeply but it was worth it. There were many students who were
7042surprised by the bandage on my left hand but it was.
7043In past two weeks, I had many opportunities to interact with the 1st year
7044students but I am still unsure of the white room students. When I think of
7045no any action after the special exam, I even doubt if they really exist.
7046Everyone who is close at hand needs to be paid attention.
7047Normally, you may want to exclude Housen, whose middle school days
7048are clear/known. But neither Ryuuen nor Miyake are acquainted with this
7049person called Housen. In other words, it is possible that he is fake who
7050came into contact with the real Housen and heard all about Housen past.
7051At first glance, Nanase doesn't seem to have any poison, but there are
7052also elements that cannot be overlooked, such as how she close the distance
7053to me, the attitude after the karaoke room, and the fact that the contact with
7054me was calculated from the beginning.
7055Amazawa Ichika is a careful person who tried to drop me out of school
7056by partnering with Housen, but this is also convincing range if you think it
7057is for 20 million private points. No one has anything to associate with a
7058white room student.
7059If you show a little gap, you may be eaten here, and such situation is
7060going to continue for a while.
7061And……today, May 1st. The time has come to know the result of the
7062special exam.
7063At the end of the day, the last 6 hours were set up to make the
7064announcement.
7065“We are going to announce the test results of the special exam. It will be
7066displayed on the blackboard, but it also displays it on your tablet so that you
7067can see it in detail at hand.”
7068Even if you don't bother to stare at the blackboard, you can zoom in and
7069check your favorite parts at hand.
7070You can see that Horikita's gaze is directed at me. There is no doubt that
7071this special exam was the highest difficulty ever in terms of getting a high
7072score. A tie is unlikely.
7073On the day of the written test, the subject that Horikita designated as a
7074match against me was “Mathematics.”
7075The screen switches and the test result is displayed on the tablet.
7076Most of the students didn't look at others number, and went to check
7077their scores first.
7078On the other hand, I do not look for my score and I grasp the situation in
7079the class.
7080The expelled students ... apparently managed to avoid them.
7081Sorting, the lowest total score is 579 points. It seems to have managed to
7082survive without danger. The students did their best, of course, but the school
7083didn't hit the tremendous difficulty in the special exam in early April. The
7084actual test problem was a problem that Ike and Sato could get more than
7085250 points without difficulty. In other words, the score table according to
7086the academic achievement that was shown at the beginning was
7087intentionally low.
7088You can hear a sigh of pleasure and a voice of joy from around you.
7089Well, I’ll check Horikita's score. I sort by math items and display them in
7090order from the highest score students.
7091This is the only subject specified for the game. Horikita scored 87
7092points. If you look at the fact that the next is 84 points of keisei, you don’t
7093need to consider how much you were studying. After that, students whose
7094academic ability is generally close to ‘A’ have followed, but 80 points are a
7095big wall in all subjects. The remaining 10 points out of the 100 points were
7096completely outside the scope of the year, and it was a substantial degree of
7097difficulty.
7098It was a class full of delight, but I noticed that it gradually turned into a
7099buzz.
7100Of course, it is not necessary to find out what the noise is. Chabashirasensei glance and the eyes of the students who noticed the fact turned to me.
7101It would be no wonder if you look at my name on Math test, engraved on
7102top of Horikita’s 87 points
7103“Well, it’s a perfect score ... is this for real?”
7104No matter which subject is sorted; there are no students in class who
7105scored more than 90 points.
7106Except for one subject, my math.
7107By the way, around 70 points were set aside for other subjects.
7108As a result, many students would not have understood the prominence of
7109only 1 subject.
7110This written test was a few steps more difficult than I had expected. The
7111risk of getting a perfect score was high, but I didn't dare to cut corners. It is
7112inevitable that attention will be gathered throughout the school and
7113classmates, but if you think about the behaviour of Director Tsukishiro in
7114the future, it is safe to show the one side from here.
7115Rather, if it is a pre-emptive strike, then it is possible to finish the
7116problem with less issue.
7117Sudou, who would usually make a fuss with Ike, stared at me quietly
7118while being surprised.
7119The connection between my movement and the other day's HŌsen.
7120Based on these, the surprise may have been less than other students.
7121At any rate, the situation has begun to move greatly in April. Now, I'm
7122sure the students who look at me have a strange look at me, and I'm going
7123to have to be prepared to listen to them.
71241
7125During class, no student could talk to me but, after school it was
7126different.
7127It was not Horikita but the Keisei a member of the Ayanokouji group
7128that approach me at the same time as chasbashira-sensei end the day.
7129“It's a little bit fresh, it's a little bit.”
7130It is not an exaggeration to say that keisei boasts the record of excellence
7131in class D and understands the difficulty of scoring 100 points. There must
7132be a lot of questions on his face.
7133“I'm sorry, but I wonder if you'll be able to do it later, YukiMura-kun.
7134Can you lend me your face?”
7135It was Horikita who cut it in the form of pushing it away.
7136“Okay. I'm sorry, Keisei, leave me later.”
7137“Oh, yeah.”
7138In addition, I left the classroom with Horikita while attracting attention
7139from many students, not only in the waves and ai-sato.
7140Horikita, who has been silent for a while, confirms that there are no
7141people around her, and looks here.
7142“I don't make excuses. I did everything I could and got a satisfactory
7143score.”
7144“Don't you want a rematch?”
7145“The last problem was that I couldn't even understand the written
7146problem statement. I guess it wouldn't be possible for me to solve it now,
7147because I couldn't even consider when I could solve it.”
7148“When it comes to measure theory and Lévesque integration.... Maybe
7149it's going to be in college or something like that?”
7150The circumstances around here are not so detailed, so I can't answer the
7151exact thing.
7152Even if I say that I have been learning since I was a child, it is not
7153helpful at all.
7154“...... Okay, I heard that I was stupid.”
7155Like giving up something, Horikita sighs strongly and purposely, and
7156looks at me with a glistening eye.
7157“It's frustrating, but I admit it. There have been two things that have
7158happened in a row that I couldn't help admitting. If you eat any more, you'll
7159only think of yourself as an idiot.”
7160Horikita who was doing well to the fullest, but it seems to have the
7161opposite effect even if I praise her now.
7162“It's about the conditions you've said before.”
7163“Are you here, Ayanokouji?”
7164Horikita is probably trying to talk about the student council, but it gets
7165in the way.
7166My homeroom teacher, Chabashira-sensei, seem to have come to look
7167for me.
7168“What can I do for you?”
7169“It's a very cold reaction. Wouldn't it have been hard the other day
7170without my help?”
7171“That's right. That was helpful.”
7172“I'm going home for today. Let me talk to you later.”
7173Horikita thought that she could not talk in front of Chabashira-sensei, so
7174she showed her attitude to round it up.
7175Chabashira-sensei turns around to me after seeing off Horikita.
7176“It seems to have disturbed me, but I'm in a hurry. Tsukishiro, the Acting
7177director is calling you. Follow me.”
7178“I see.”
7179It will be necessary to tell even if it blocks the talk.
7180Chabashira-sensei who is walking a little ahead talks to me without
7181looking back.
7182“I’ll tell you, according to Mashima-sensei there was no change in the
7183movement of Mr. Tsukishiro in the special exam.”
7184“I guess. I moved before the exam, because I was ready for it.”
7185I was just waiting for the results during the special exam.
7186“What are the chances of a hard-line tool in the future?”
7187“What do you mean?”
7188“It's not just about being stabbed with a knife. Isn't that your father
7189moving?”
7190“This hand has nothing to do with it.”
7191We have not specifically reported this incident to Chabashira-sensei. Of
7192course, the same is true of the 20 million private points. Perhaps
7193Chabashira-sensei has not heard.
7194"I hope so, but I think I might be able to restrain him from forcing you
7195out of school."
7196"We also need manpower.
7197“Don't worry about it. It's fine. I have to get you to help me. This time I
7198got a perfect score in mathematics, and I was able to tell you were serious
7199about aiming for class A.
7200It was a perfect score with many disadvantages, but there seemed to be
7201only a few students who got a perfect score.
7202Soon I arrived in front of the drawing room.
7203Then, leaving behind Chabashira-sensei I went into the Drawing Room.
7204"Thank you for taking the trouble to meet me, Ayanokouji-kun.”
7205What do you mean, "I did it because you used my homeroom teacher”?
7206It does not put out to the way that Chabashira-sensei was drawn to this
7207side.
7208It directs a mysterious situation that I was suddenly called by the
7209director.
7210"I can't go to classrooms acting as the director.”
7211I was prompted to sit down, but I did not obey and stood still.
7212Confirming my actions, Tsukishiro began to talk.
7213"It's almost April, and did you get a chance to find out who was the
7214student I sent in?
7215If you found the white room student, you'll have the upper hand.
7216"I don't know who's from the White Room.
7217"It's pretty easy, isn't it?
7218"I'm not sure. At least in this situation."
7219"I see. That child was able hide well.”
7220Tsukishiro whispers as if to admire the nod, and a satisfied face is made.
7221"I didn't feel any sign of the white room. You cleanly erased the child.”
7222"For the last few months, I've been working on becoming a high school
7223student.”
7224Did you get the most out of it in advance? I did not.
7225"In exchange for that, you seem to have had a lot of trouble at the
7226beginning of your school. Language, attitude, way of thinking, and how to
7227spend. There was a lot of unnaturalness in all of them."
7228Tsukishiro laughs funnily as if he had seen all of it somewhere nearby. It
7229looks like it's just teasing, and it's appealing that he was in control of
7230everything.
7231"The reality of a typical high school student is only an imaginary
7232image."
7233"For the time being, I can't see through Ayanokouji-kun. Let's just say
7234that’s good because I was confirmed it that I don't mind going down with
7235you.”
7236Tsukishiro urges me to leave the room in an attempt to end the
7237conversation. There is no sign of anything rushing in with respect to the
7238bandage wrapped around the left hand. I continue to talk with Tsukishiro
7239without changing my position as it is.
7240"Deputy President Tsukishiro, did anything happen by any chance?"
7241"What the hell are you talking about?"
7242"It's already May. Didn't you say you wanted to settle it in April?"
7243“You don't have to be impatient. The grace I’ve given you is longer than
7244I thought."
7245"Is that so? I thought that it happened due to “unscheduled” trouble.”
7246"You say interesting things. Do you have any grounds?"
7247"At least this special exam, I felt like I was well prepared to drop out of
7248the school. All that's left is for the White Room student to come into contact
7249with me and partner with me. However, there were no students in the first
7250grade who showed such movement."
7251Of course, there was a possibility I already saw him at the assembly, but
7252the contact of that degree is not included in the number.
7253"I don't think there are any white room students in the first grade, so I'm
7254tempted to think so."
7255“Don't you think so too?”
7256“I knew through OAA that we wouldn't have a partner until the middle
7257of the game. But you are a special person. It is until it is judged that it is
7258dangerous to find out if you send the white room student as my partner that
7259easily. I thought it would be wiser to aim for the timing of the next time
7260special exam.”
7261"It's a long place to be."
7262"Maybe so."
7263"Contrary to the speculation of Mr. Tsukishiro, the person in the White
7264Room did not follow the instructions. When I think about it, series of flows
7265will be created."
7266"Not at all. You have an interesting idea."
7267Tsukishiro drinks tea from his cup that was prepared with his eyes
7268narrowed for fun.
7269After a slight silence, he released the cup from his mouth and placed it
7270back on the table.
7271"I don't want to be asked to be credible in my words, but I admit it. It is
7272true that this time I had a plan to make sure you dropped out. But he
7273ignored it."
7274At first, it was Tsukishiro, who denied it, but he quickly changed his
7275policy and admitted it was true.
7276His still a child, so if his in a simple rebellious period, his still cute, but
7277if his not, you might not be able to get the last laugh.”
7278The student who was ordered and sent does not follow the instructions
7279of Tsukishiro.
7280Certainly, it is true, i will not be able to laugh.
7281“Be careful, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm not the one who decided to send the
7282White Room students this time. And there is a risk that he is beginning to
7283act on his own without following my instructions."
7284"Isn't what he can do his own is limited?”
7285"Maybe so. However, the instruction I received is still your withdrawal.
7286Even if he is used as a piece, he will still move to the end as instructed, and
7287if he fails and he will be truncated. Until I go to the next phase."
7288Tsukishiro and White Room student were thought to be monoliths.
7289However, it has emerged here that it might not be a very good relationship.
7290But if this story is true, what's the point?
7291It is possible to increase the probability that it is possible to cooperate
7292with him in dropping out Tsukishiro.
7293Or is it a fake to mislead me?
7294White Room Runaway. And behind the scenes, he's pulling the strings.
7295As for the probability, it might be a 50/50.
7296It is important to be conscious of the mocking Tsukishiro who is a man
7297who deceives every person he knows.
7298At least this man is not impatient or upset.
7299"One last thing..." If he ignores even your father's wishes, in some cases,
7300he might be happier to choose to drop out. The more you can't remove the
7301white room's best work, the more jealousy and hatred you are about it. It's
7302horrible just to imagine what you're going to do to convince him.”
7303On the back of this serious advice that can be taken as a joke from
7304Tsukishiro, I left the drawing room.
7305Special Examinations and Overall Rankings
73061st place, 2nd year A class points, 725 points
73072nd place, 2nd year C class points, 673 points
73083rd place, 2nd year D class points, 640 points
73094th place, 2nd year B class points, 621 points
7310Class Points As Of May 1st
73112nd year A-class 1169 points led by Sakayanagi Arisu
73122nd year B-class 565 points led by Ryuen Kakeru
73132nd year c-class 539 points led by Ichinose Honami
7314Two-year D-class 283 points led by Horikita Suzune
7315Postscript
7316In 2020, I was able to see you safely again this year. I am Shougo
7317Kinugasa the author of classroom of the elite.
7318Happy New Year. Somehow safely, it became the first release of the
7319second grade edition! It is also the release date of the second collection of
7320real art books to be combined with the release of the first volume of the
7321second grade. Thank you very much. From the end of the month, we are
7322also going to have a second-year advance commemorative event, so we are
7323looking forward to visiting the event venue from all over the world, and the
7324advertisement is also sometimes sandwiched!
7325Well, it is in the new series to be commemorated, and it has started to
7326move in various ways than ever. I'm going to attack Ayanokouji, who was
7327just in the first grade. Shall I not come? It was decided to cut 1P for
7328postscript on top of using. It often writes anyway, such as the appearance of
7329the life of the last minute, and the change by becoming the maximum page
7330second grade pupil as permitted by the standard, and the grade of the new
7331arrival Hosen and others also come to be able to see the sign of growth here
7332and there.
7333This time I was not able to talk a lot because the number of lines is
7334small, but by that I can meet you again soon, thank you again. SEE YOU
7335SOON NEXT TIME!
7336LOVE, SHOUGO KINUGASA
7337CREDITS
7338Awesome thanks to:
7339Halby, Senpai先輩ღ, ilovemyself, kirito, SithLibra.
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