2 COTE

It didn't take long for morning to arrive and soon it was noon.

Tatsuya opened his eyes slowly as he felt something weird wrapped around his cock. It was soft and warm.

He looked down and saw his twitching member resting inside Airi Sakura's warm wet hole.

Airi was still sleeping with a relaxed expression.

One wouldn't be able to guess what had happened yesterday if not for his cock still resting in her pussy and her lack of clothes.

Tatsuya chuckled and gave her large busts a quick squeeze before pulling his dick slowly out, not wanting to wake her.

With a pop, his cock separated from her and he slowly got up.

He caressed her soft and supple cheeks with his finger and let out a smile, she looked like a delicate little beauty.

Maybe because she was his first 2D girl, he felt a bit of affection towards her.

Such a pure and pretty girl.

But suddenly his stomach rumbled and he glanced at the clock. It was noon and the swimming class was in an hour.

He quickly showered and put on his clothes before heading to the groceries. He had already picked up his phone, how could the naive girl hide it from him?

Haha, She really placed it in her spare uniform pocket.

The morning sunlight was somewhat annoying as he made his way to the supermarket.

But just then he met someone interesting.

It was a young man with a well-built body. He had above average height with straight shoulder-length blonde hair and brown eyes.

Rokusuke Koenji.

"Oh? Mysterious boy. Nice to meet you." Koenji introduced himself with a smile, the only reason he bothered greeting him was because he felt that Tatsuya was almost as elegant and handsome as him, keyword almost.

"Mysterious boy?" Tatsuya asked back with a perplexed smile. Koenji was 5'11 and Tatsuya was 6'1 so he was slightly looking down at him.

"Haha, the blue girl was looking for you Mysterious boy~" With that Koenji left him alone and walked away.

"If I remember correctly then he liked to give people nicknames... Or does he just call everyone girl or boy? How interesting."

Tatsuya originally didn't pay much attention to Koenji, after all the guy already had a foolproof plan to reach Class A.

That's why Koenji wasn't bothered with Class D.

Tatsuya stood in place for some time before sighing and moving on.

"Looks like I can fool most people but the sharp ones are hard to avoid."

After all, he wasn't some great actor in his past life.

Most of the disdain he showed for the class to Horikita was genuine disdain, he did not have to fake it.

And with so much information in hand, how hard was it to act mysterious?

Tatsuya shook his head with a smile, it was interesting this way. There had to be faster sheep for the wolf to make an effort to capture, otherwise, it would be too boring, would it not?

He arrived at a small restaurant.

***

Airi shivered and snapped her eyes open.

She looked around the room and noticed that it was incredibly messy. She was still in a daze and tried to recall what happened when all of a sudden she felt emptiness in her lower region.

It felt uncomfortable.

And just then memories of the night assaulted her mind, just like how Tatsuya assaulted her.

Her dim eyes traveled across her own body which was slightly red in certain places and got lost in thoughts.

But all of a sudden her eyes snapped wide and she stumbled off the bed frantically before rushing towards the inner room.

She rushed towards the large brown cabinet and hurriedly searched her uniform.

"N-no... No!" She cried out and tried checking it again. "No... Please no..."

"It's gone! It's gone! It's gone!"

"Wahhhh!" She cried out loud and suddenly the door to her dorm room opened and she gathered herself before running to the door, not minding how she was naked.

The moment she Tatsuya she jumped up at him and grabbed his collars with teary red eyes.

"Your phone... Show me your phone..." Her voice was somewhat horse, as if she didn't want to believe what she was about to see.

Tatsuya placed the bags of packed food on the nearby bed calmly before unlocking his phone and handing it to her.

She snatched it hurriedly and with shaky fingers hurried to his gallery. Airi's eyes widened moments later.

She fell down to her knees and started crying. Tears streaming down her face, Tatsuya walked to her front and noticed the smile on her face.

It looked somewhat broken.

He grabbed her and pulled her up before gently hugging her naked body, her soft bubbly boobs pressing against his chest.

He stroked her head softly and whispered in a soothing tone, "Shh... Shh... It's fine, don't worry. I didn't lie to you, the photos are deleted."

But Airi didn't respond to him and just cried on his shoulder. She wouldn't know how she would react if she were to find out that he had cheated her.

This was also why Tatsuya wasn't going to push her, partly because he didn't know how drastic her reaction would be and also because he had softened since she was his first.

Definitely not because she was too cute...

Just then Airi's stomach rumbled and they both paused. A shade of red overtook her face as Tatsuya said, "Hahaha, C'mon let's eat some food, I've bought it from a famous restaurant chain."

It was only now that Airi noticed the few bags placed on her bed.

She lowered her face in shame.

...

After fixing her room, helping her with food and eating some lunch with her Tatsuya left her room.

Airi didn't talk the whole time, just looking at his actions with an odd look in her eyes.

Tatsuya knew it would take some time for her to process the complicated feelings in her heart.

He wasn't treating her gently or kindly to manipulate her or something. He was showing genuine affection.

But...

Tatsuya let out a mirthful chuckle, "I guess kindness is in a sense manipulation."

Shaking his head, he put the matter to the back of his mind and felt slightly excited for swimming class.

Oh but before that...

"System!"

"Roll the Gacha Wheel!"

He mentally commanded and the system responded instantly.

[Congratulations! You have received 'Nobita's Glasses' from Doraemon!

Note- Intelligence -10!]

"What the f*ck?" Tatsuya's face grew dark.

"Spin it nine times!"

He didn't want to go through a cycle of disappointment and happiness.

Better to get it all at once.

He would save 5 spins for later.

[Congratulations! You have received the 'Accelerated Healing Factor' of Ban from Seven Deadly Sins!

Note- Now a certain part of you will never get cut off, rejoice! (It can still be hurt though.)]

[Congratulations! You have received 'Invisibility Cloak' from Harry Potter!

Note- You know what to do...]

[Congratulations! You have received a '4-star Dragon Ball' from Dragon Ball Z (Collect all 7 for a wish!)

Note- Long Chinese Dragons are scary and unreliable!]

[Congratulations! You have received the 'Pink Bra' of Grayfia from High School DxD!

Note- ???]

[Congratulations! You have received 'Partial Hollowfication' from Bleach (1/3)!

Note- Not only kids but even adults will bow down to you on Halloween!]

[Congratulations! You have received the ability and item 'Flame Alchemist & Gloves' of Ray Mustang from Full Metal Alchemist!

Note- Snap Snap— Oh no! You are dead!]

[Congratulations! You have received the ability 'Unbreakable Toothpick Mastery' of Kumagawa Misogi from Medaka Box!

Note- Cool?]

[Congratulations! You have received the ability 'Instantaneous Rapid Aging' of Fukurou from One Piece!

Note- If you ever feel like committing a painless suicide, rejoice!]

[Congratulations! You have received the 'Physique' of Garou from One Punch Man!]

Note- Who can compare to you now?]

Tatsuya who had been walking with leisure froze after the system had finished generating the spins.

His SP dropped to about 1000.

He could feel the massive changes occurring in his body and mind.

He felt full of vitality and strength, the muscles around his body were constantly constricting and expanding under his uniform.

If someone were to stand close to him right now they would be able to see his body wriggling under his clothes.

Moments later Tatsuya regained his calm and crushed any excitement threatening to make him do anything dangerous.

He wanted to inspect every gift first.

He ignored the useless ones and focused on those that mattered.

First was Ban's Healing Factor.

Knowing that this Ban was none other than the one in Seven Deadly Sins his heart thumped in excitement.

He ignored the cheeky system note.

Unfortunately after reading through the description it seemed like he did not receive an infinite lifespan along with the regeneration factor.

But that was fine.

Lifespan was the least of his worries unless he turned retarded and used that ability of Furukou.

The second good roll was the invisibility cloak. It didn't look fancy and Tatsuya didn't really like the design but seeing the system note his lips twitched.

Just because I have a Lazy Lust System doesn't mean I'll abuse an invisible cloak to mess with other people.

"..."

He sighed in disappointment with himself and looked at the next reward.

It was actually... A dragon ball!?

Tatsuya who was on his way to class, standing in the middle of the road, had the sudden urge to pull the dragon ball from his system space.

Every 2000's kid had the dream of having dragon balls.

For the first time, a genuine smile appeared on his, different from the one he showed to others.

But the next reward made his face go dark again.

"Who the f*ck masturbates with panties?"

Though he'd have to check the authenticity of the panty later... Just for safety.

If he wanted to bust a nut he would just have Airi do it for him.

So what if he had deleted the photos?

It didn't matter, she had no room to refuse his advances, and even if she did he had a hundred different methods to make her comply.

Not to mention, she wouldn't be able to control herself after what he did last night. It truly surprised him as well.

Anyway, the next reward surprised him.

"Partial Hollowfication?" He frowned trying to remember details from bleach. It had been way too long since he had watched Bleach.

"Don't tell me it's the mask thingy that appeared on Ichigo's face when he was fighting the cherry pettles guy."

Maybe spinning the wheel in the middle of the road was a bad idea.

Tatsuya had an inkling in his mind, like a switch.

If he flicked it, the mask would appear on his face and he would go into a partial berserk mode.

"So the 1/3 besides it means the full mask and Vasto Lorde form?" Even if it had been a long time since he watched Bleach how could anyone forget the iconic Vasto Lorde Ichigo?

But if he remembered correctly wasn't the Vasto Lorde form superior in strength to the Captains in the Soul Society?

Maybe if he ever went to Bleach he could confirm it, though he needed to get the rest of the two forms through drawing Gacha.

"Maybe I could try to control it on my own but there's no Reiki in this world. It's weird... Would the Hollowfication work without the System's assistance?"

He felt puzzled and didn't understand.

How long had it been since he had started this interdimensional travel bullsh*t?

Probably a month at most, and that too was living normally since he just got access to more features.

There was a long way before Tatsuya understood the Supernatural.

The most he knew was actually Alchemy, from the experience of Roy Mustang that appeared in his brain, just like the High School Academics (Master) newbie gift.

He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out two gloves.

They were completely white with a strange red symbol on them.

According to the description from the system, the gloves were made of "pyrotex/ignition cloth"!

These gloves created a spark when he rubbed his fingers together and the embroidered unique flame alchemy Transmutation Circles on them, allowed him to manipulate the concentration of oxygen in the air.

For example, he could change the density of the oxygen surrounding his target to a level at which it became volatile and create a narrow pathway of oxygen between himself and his target through which he could direct the ensuing flash fire that erupted from the spark of his gloves.

As a result, he could incinerate any number of enemies in the field while deftly avoiding anyone he cared about.

Tatsuya finally understood how broken this system of his was.

When it said 'Lazy Lust System' it meant it.

Out of ten draws most of them were useful which was a pretty skewed ratio for a mere 200 SP per spin.

Just with Flame Alchemy and Ban's healing factor, he was almost invincible!

In this world that was.

Tatsuya laughed out loud without caring for his image startling a few students walking innocently down the streets.

***

Life was nothing but a trap.

Tatsuya never felt that he was anything special. Even in his previous life, at most, he had a decent face and social skills.

He wasn't rich, nor was he the smartest.

He wasn't different from any of the people walking around him.

Students could be seen walking leisurely with bags, chatting animatedly with friends, and enjoying each other's company.

Some sat on the grass, studying under the shade of trees, while others engaged in activities like playing tennis.

But Tatsuya felt alienated from these people.

Not only were they living in the world of a novel he read in his past life, but he also had the power to decimate this entire area and turn everyone here to ash.

He felt a bit melancholic.

Originally he had tried to spend a month trying to get along with these people but his mentality was too skewed for that.

He even tried to grow a proper relationship but knowing that Hasabe wasn't considered as one of the Main Cast... His mind constantly told him, it wasn't worth it.

Leave her.

She has no value.

Remember your real goal.

Why bother? Why waste time?

But Tatsuya didn't want to think like that.

If all he thought about was the Main Cast and System he could just go and r*pe all of them right now and fulfil the conditions to travel to a new world.

But where was the fun in that?

Sure he was desperate for Jade Beauties but he wanted to take his time, knowing that he would eventually end up there.

It was fine to enjoy himself.

Though ultimately, he could not blend in with these people.

Originally he had picked up the facade of a kind person, a gentle guy who helped someone whenever he could because he wasn't sure how the system worked.

Social status was a unique power.

There were too many questions in the beginning, not to mention he did not understand how the Gacha System worked.

Things were different now.

He did not want to waste any more time here, this world was too boring considering the abilities he had right now.

He was interested initially because Ayanokouji was an interesting individual and his newbie gift pack had only given him an 'Expert' Martial Artist and he didn't know how that would fare against Ayanokouji.

But knowing his status as the Perfect Human he would've probably lost.

Reading Volume 0 of Classroom of The Elite had changed his entire perception of this protagonist and the individual known as Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.

But now that he could kill him with a snap of his fingers, Tatsuya's original competitiveness and excitement were gone.

Though he still wanted to have at least one fight with him.

One fight based off purely skills.

After that...

I'll disappear from this world.

Shaking his head he pushed the miscellaneous thoughts back to his mind.

He wasn't going to drop his kind and gentle act but he was going to get a lot more aggressive now.

He didn't want to play around anymore.

***

It was 1 pm and everyone was gathered in the swimming hall.

Kushida and a few girls enjoyed playing with each other while splashing water onto each other.

Hirata and Kei joined them a few times as well.

The unruly boys like, Sudo, Ike, and Yamaguchi were doing their own things. Sudo was swimming enthusiastically while Ike and Yamaguchi couldn't stop staring at the girls.

Some sat in the viewer seats, not joining the others.

Far from them, at the edge of the swimming pool was Ayanokouji.

He was also in his swimwear and his body from a distance didn't seem much but if one took a closer look the definition of his lean muscles was clearly visible.

He looked at the people in the pool with dull eyes.

"I want to play too..." He muttered to himself.

He had still failed to make friends, leaving him a bit depressed. Would his high school really be this bor-

"How pathetic." A very familiar voice spoke from his side and he turned his head.

A girl with luscious long black hair was standing in a one-piece swimsuit. Her skin was fair and her face was devoid of imperfections.

She was truly beautiful.

"Do you know why Tatsuya-kun didn't come to class?" Ayanokouji ignored her taunting and asked back.

Horikita raised an eyebrow, "If you're trying to annoy me then it's a very childish method."

She sat down next to him in a reserved manner before looking towards the students in the pool.

"How can they be so relaxed after what just happened yesterday?" She muttered and Ayanokouji turned to look at his classmates in the pool as well.

"Maybe they're trying to forget about it, don't you think so?"

"Perhaps." She turned towards him and suddenly paused, "Did you ever do sports?"

Ayanokouji shook his head, "Not really. I barely went out in middle school."

Horikita tilted her head and was about to say something when an annoying voice came over, "Horikita-san would you like to join us in the pool?"

"Sigh." Horikita shook her head, "No, I'd rather not."

"Huh? Could it be you can't swim? I've always been a bit bad at swimming but it's still a lot of fun." Kushida said with a smile and a cute expression as she appeared neared the edge of the pool and her twin jugs jiggled along with her movements.

Horikita didn't respond this time and silently got up wanting to leave but suddenly she heard Ayanokouji say something.

"Hmm?"

It was then that she noticed he was looking somewhere. She followed his gaze as the constant gasps and cheers entered her ears.

"Wow!"

"Oh my god!"

"What the..."

She was confused but when she looked towards the centre of the commotion she finally understood.

A tall and handsome man stood amongst the girls with Hirata and Kei.

Hasabe looked the most excited.

His body was well proportioned with the Golden Ratio and each individual muscle of his was full of vitality.

His shoulder-to-waist ratio gave him the perfect v-taper and he had a clearly defined eight-pack.

Image

His features were clear-cut and sharp. His eyes were bright and he had a smile on his face.

Tatsuya had come.

***

Tatsuya expected this to happen.

He had an inkling that Garou's body would be too good to look at for these 16-year-olds.

But that didn't mean he didn't enjoy the feeling of being admired.

The girls were practically looking at him with stars in their eyes and Hasabe was latched next to him, not letting him go.

"Tatsuya-kun! Why didn't you pick up my calls or respond to my messages? You haven't even come to class since morning. I was worried sick!"

Tatsuya patted her head causing her to freeze and place. "My bad, my bad I was a bit busy."

He looked at Hasabe who was in a one-piece swimming suit and his eyes darted to her chest for a split second.

He compared it to Kushida and still felt Kushida's were bigger though Hasabe was way more likeable than the two-faced b*tch.

Oh wait, wasn't he a-

Cough, never mind.

"Tatsuya-kun do you workout!?"

"Your muscles are so beautiful! Can I touch them?" A girl asked and Tatsuya turned to look at her.

It was Kei.

Hmm?

Tatsuya smiled, "If you want and Hirata doesn't mind."

Hirata was stunned, feeling a bit awkward but since Karuizawa wasn't actually his real girlfriend he didn't mind it too much.

But the girls weren't as tolerant.

"Hah? Go touch Hirata-kun, why would you want to touch him?" Hasabe shot at her and Kei was flustered.

"What's wrong with you I'm just curious how it feels!"

The girls laughed as her face went beet red.

Tatsuya had an odd look in his eyes, he was going to fulfil her curiosity about a lot of things... Not now though.

He clapped his hands and said, "Everyone! Listen to me for a bit."

His voice was loud and everyone stopped doing whatever they were doing.

"The S-System has surprised us all and we can only blame ourselves for causing such an outcome. But we can't go through high school with just 0 class points."

Everyone nodded and Hasabe was the first to yell, supporting him, "Yes! I don't want to spend three to four years without points Tatsuya-kun!"

Hirata's eyes lit up, he wanted to say this but Tatsuya beat him to it. He didn't mind it though.

"I agree with you Tatsuya-kun. We have to increase our class points and for that, we'll have to fix our behaviour and while we might not get all our class points back at least we can hope for a 100 first."

Most of the students supported his idea.

Since Hirata-kun and Tatsuya-kun were suggesting something how could they refuse?

But a sudden voice sounded shocking everyone.

"Do whatever you want, don't drag me into this."

It was Sudo.

He gave Hirata a harsh push causing the girls to gasp and Kei to yell, "What are you doing!?"

But Sudo didn't care about her and was about to walk away when someone blocked his path.

It was Tatsuya.

***

"What do you think you're doing?"

Sudo himself was surprised.

Tatsuya never really bothered making friends with everyone like Kushida, befriending only those who came to talk with him.

He never really took the initiative to introduce himself to anyone.

As such Tatsuya's male friends did not even amount to five.

Sudo's face took on an irritated expression as he said, "Move!"

But would Tatsuya listen?

"Are you really planning to cause trouble for everyone?" He asked with a calm voice.

"Hah!? I already told ya to keep me out of your nonsense and do whatever ya want to do." His expression grew dark when he noticed that Tatsuya had no intentions of moving.

He moved forward trying to push him out of the way like he did with Hirata but surprisingly Tatsuya didn't budge. Sudo tried to use more force but Tatsuya grabbed his hand.

"I said move!"

Tatsuya didn't let go though, the pressure he was applying on Sudo's wrists gradually increased and Sudo's expression turned for the worse.

Hirata who was watching on the side quickly intervened, "Wait guys, let's calm down. Tatsuya-kun please let go of his hand."

"I'll repeat my words. Will you keep causing trouble for the class?" Tatsuya's voice turned a notch lower and Sudo narrowed his eyes.

He yanked his hand out of Tatsuya's grip and rubbed his sore wrist before walking off with a snort.

This time Tatsuya didn't stop him but merely shook his head with a disappointed expression.

"What a fool..."

Hirata, Kei, Hasabe, and some other girls who heard him paused in shock. Hirata smiled with a nervous expression, "It's fine we can convince him at a later date."

But surprisingly Tatsuya shook his head, "No."

"No one will help him. If he isn't going to be responsible for his own mistakes then he deserves to be expelled."

Tatsuya didn't really care about the class anyway.

"This..." Hirata had a hesitant expression, "That's a bit harsh don't you think?"

"Yeah Tatsuya-kun I agree he's extremely unlikable but to be expelled is a bit..." Kei said with a smile trying to soothe him while Hasabe didn't know what to say.

The girl didn't want to argue with Tatsuya over that mad gorilla.

For her Tatsuya was obviously in the right and it was Sudo's fault for not listening to him. Of course, she wasn't saying this out of blind faith or something.

The situation was clear and everyone knew who was right and who was wrong.

"Well, I suppose all he has to do is study himself. Passing shouldn't be hard and Kushida can help him too, she probably wouldn't want anyone to be expelled." Kei scratched her cheek with her fingers and spoke with a nervous chuckle.

Hirata smiled and said, "True, a passing grade shouldn't be that hard if he truly tries."

"Hmm... I wonder." Tatsuya muttered before shooting Ayanokouji a very subtle glance before turning his head to Hasabe. "Though now... probably no one can save him."

I'll make sure no one does.

The latter part of his words went unheard and Hirata changed the subject challenging Tatsuya for a swimming race.

The girls quickly forgot about it and split into two groups supporting them both while cheering loudly.

...

Horikita and Ayanokouji who heard the entire conversation were silent and didn't say a word from the start.

Ayanokouji who noticed Tatsuya's glance which barely lasted a split second turned his head and saw a subtle frown on Horikita's face and turned to look at Tatsuya again.

"I wonder what he wants."

Horikita flinched and narrowed her eyes toward Ayanokouji. That was exactly what she was thinking so she was a bit surprised to hear it being said out loud.

"I think he provoked Sudo too much." Ayanokouji continued while looking at Ike and Yamauchi who quietly slipped away and left.

"Do you still want me to convince them for the study group?"

Horikita locked eyes with Ayanokouji and for the first time felt unsettled staring into his dull gaze.

"Yes."

Saying this she left startling Kushida who was still looking toward the commotion at Tatsuya's side.

"Ah, Horikita-san! Wai-" By the time she climbed up from the pool Horikita was gone and she was left alone with Ayanokouji.

"Well that's unfortunate..." Kushida muttered and Ayanokouji just nodded along.

He then sighed in sadness which puzzled Kushida.

...

Classes were over as usual and nothing interesting happened.

Tatsuya didn't talk to Sudo and others like usual and they didn't bother with him either. It was as if what had happened at the pool didn't matter.

Eventually, days passed by, and Horikita noticed something.

"The one who sat beside me... She's been absent for the past few days." She muttered with the obvious intention of letting Ayanokouji hear it.

Ever since the S-System was introduced she had been on the edge slightly trying to make sure the class could still earn points.

That was exactly why she was even trying to hold a group study for Sudo and the others.

Ayanokouji who was not paying attention to her words froze in confusion, "Do you mean Airi-san?"

"Oh? Do you know her?"

"Well, not really but since she's the deskmate of my deskmate I thought I should remember her name."

Horikita was stunned hearing that and looked at him with disdain.

"Can you not?" Ayanokouji lamented and Horikita did indeed stop.

"Do you know why she's not been coming to class?"

"Not really, no." He shook his head and felt curious. "Is it because her grades weren't that good and she's skipping class so you're worried she'll be expelled?"

Horikita paused for a moment before slowly nodding.

"I'd rather not have anyone expelled for any reason without a proper understanding of how this school works."

"Oh."

But then Horikita stared at him silently and Ayanokouji was puzzled before an ominous premonition hit his heart.

"We need to meet her and know why she's skipping class."

"Wait! What do you mean... we?"

...

"Do you know her dorm room?" Horikita asked casually while walking beside Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji who couldn't even cry tears could only nod helplessly, "...Yes."

After a moment he added, "I got it from Kushida-san."

"Mmh."

Horikita hummed in agreement and nodded without any additional input and Ayanokouji just sighed.

Students started getting thinner and after a while, they made a turn only to-

Thud!

Ayanokouji bumped into Horikita.

"Why did you suddenly sto-"

"Shh!"

A quick signal made him stop and he stepped back with Horkita who was looking ahead.

He followed her gaze only to see someone familiar walking in front of them.

It was a tall young man with a broad back and messy black hair that occasionally fluttered due to the winds in the corridor.

"Tatsuya...kun?" He muttered in confusion before turning to Horkita, "Why did you stop?"

"Don't you find it odd that he's heading to the girls' dorms?" She asked in an odd tone and Ayanokouji stopped for a moment.

"It's probably to meet Hasab-"

"Oh."

He suddenly remembered that Hasabe had yet to leave class so how could Tatsuya be going to meet her?

How odd...

***

Several days passed without Tatsuya crossing paths with Airi.

He was aware of the reason and intentionally gave her space to gather her thoughts, yet he felt it was taking too long on a personal level.

Unbeknownst to him, his thought process held a tinge of cruelty.

A faint knock on the door prompted shuffling sounds behind it. Tatsuya frowned and knocked again.

"Open the door."

All sounds within paused instantly, plunging the room into silence. After an awkward pause, Tatsuya sighed and spoke softly, "Are you sure you won't open the door?"

Frantic footsteps, triggered by something, became audible, and with a click, the door unlocked. Tatsuya entered and closed the door.

...

"That was Sakura-san's dorm room," Ayanokouji muttered, and Horikita remained silent. "I haven't seen him talking to Sakura-san either," Ayanokouji continued, drawing Horikita's attention.

"Why talk as if you watch him 24/7? He could've talked to her when you weren't there."

Ayanokouji paused, "The likelihood is low, but I guess it's not impossible."

"What should we do now? Do we also go and visit Sakura-san?"

Horikita frowned and looked at Sakura's dorm room with a pondering expression. "Maybe we should wait until he comes out," she suggested, leaving Ayanokouji disheartened.

...

Fifteen minutes later—

"I have some things to tend to, so I'll lea-" Before she could finish, Ayanokouji raised his hand, interrupting her. "I will not wait until he comes out."

Horikita sighed and nodded, "I know I'm not making you stay here and wait. What I wanted to say was that you should talk to him about her whenever you can."

By "him," she obviously meant Tatsuya.

Ayanokouji heaved a sigh of relief and nodded.

Horikita walked away, leaving him alone. After ensuring Horikita was gone, Ayanokouji headed towards Sakura's dorm room.

"Horikita always hesitates when anything regarding Tatsuya comes up. I wonder if it's just distaste or something else I don't know about..." He whispered to himself, knocking on the door with a dull expression.

He had different plans.

Earlier, he could vaguely hear two people talking behind the door, but the moment he knocked, everything went eerily silent.

A few seconds later, the door opened, and Ayanokouji's eyes widened.

The person in front of him was completely different from the Sakura Airi he knew.

Her original twin tails, which rested on her back, were let loose, and her velvety pink hair reached her waist. Her square glasses were gone, and he could only feel a sense of pity looking at her big watery eyes.

But what surprised him the most was not her appearance but the expressionless look in her eyes.

It was similar to his.

He looked past her and saw Tatsuya looking at him with an indifferent expression.

Ayanokouji didn't shy away from his gaze, recalling the same gaze from Tatsuya when he asked him why he was in Class D.

The atmosphere turned heavy.

"Ayanokouji-kun..." Sakura muttered, and Ayanokouji took his eyes away from Tatsuya before looking at her.

He finally noticed something; while Airi's eyes were similar to his, there was a fundamental difference.

Deep within her eyes, he could see something...

It was fear.

And it wasn't directed towards him.

Ayanokouji glanced at Tatsuya before turning towards Sakura.

"May I know why you're not coming to class, Sakura?" He added after a moment, "Everyone's worried about you."

Hearing this, Airi froze before she let out a small smile, "Who?"

"Hmm?"

"Who's worried about me?"

Ayanokouji sighed.

"The S-System has left us worried, and we don't want anyone to be expelled. Horikita wants to hold a study group, which you can join if you want, but I'd still recommend attending clas-"

Airi stopped him midway and let out a helpless smile, "It's fine; you don't have to worry about me, Ayanokouji-kun. I've been a bit sick, but I'll make sure I won't be expelled."

"But Sakura-"

"Ayanokouji."

Airi flinched hearing his voice, and Ayanokouji, who still wanted to convince Airi, closed his mouth before looking towards Tatsuya.

"I think you're disturbing Airi-chan. Since she's already given you her word, why not believe her?"

First name basis?

"I guess you're right..." Ayanokouji muttered, but the atmosphere around him suddenly changed, and Airi felt the temperature drop.

Ayanokouji still had the same expression he had when he walked in, but something was different.

He looked towards Tatsuya and asked in a low voice—

"Are we friends, Tatsuya?"

His words were like a pebble dropping into an empty well as heavy silence filled the room.

Tatsuya had an amused expression.

"I wonder. I did really want to be your friend at the start, but I'm slowly losing the motivation to do so."

Ayanokouji's expression never changed.

"Why?"

"Who knows?" Tatsuya muttered before smiling, "After all, anyone would feel wary befriending someone from the Whiteroom."

Airi, confused upon listening to their conversation, tilted her head upon hearing a certain keyword.

Whiteroom?

She wondered.

"I see."

Ayanokouji's voice was still calm, but there was something unsettling in his eyes as he looked at Tatsuya.

"Did he send you here?"

Tatsuya felt like laughing after hearing Ayanokouji's words, just shaking his head, "Maybe, maybe not. Again, who knows?"

"You really like being cryptic, don't you?"

"Well, I won't deny it isn't fun."

Tatsuya laughed, and Ayanokouji stared at him silently.

***

Ayanokouji didn't like it one bit.

He thought he had escaped and could finally live a normal life, experience friends, love, etc.

But everything was ruined because of Chiyabashira-sensei.

He thought back to the day the S-System was revealed.

***

Just as he was idly sitting by a loud sound came from the speakers in class, "Ayanokouji from Class D. Chiyabashira-sensei is calling for you. Please come to the staffroom."

Hmm?

"Sorry Kushida-san looks like I'll have to leave..."

Kushida nodded with an "un un" and Ayanokouji walked out of the class under the heavy gazes of his classmates.

He wondered why he was being called to the staff room. He hadn't done anything special as far as he remembered.

After he reached the staff room and had an awkward conversation with the Homeroom teacher of Class B, Hoshinomiya Chie, who was kicked out by Chiyabashira-sensei and taken away by Ichinose-san, he was told to wait in the kitchen office.

He shouldn't have listened.

Everything went downhill from there.

Why?

...

"You can come in Horikita."

He heard a few footsteps and felt the ominous premonition in his heart grow.

Ayanokouji already had an inkling of what Horikita wanted to talk about. He knew that she had a superiority complex and as such hearing the subtle anxiety in her voice surprised him.

"I will be frank. Why was I sorted into Class D?"

"That's quite frank."

"Today, you told us that the school sorted superior students into Class A. You said that Class D was filled with the leftovers, the last bastion of delinquents."

"That's true. You must consider yourself to be a superior person, am I right?"

"I solved nearly every problem on the entrance examination. I made no substantial mistakes in the interview, either. At the very least, I shouldn't have been sorted into Class D."

Horikita was definitely the type to think of herself as superior. She wasn't excessively self-conscious, either.

She'd tied for first place on the test, as shown in the morning's results.

"You solved nearly all of the problems on the entrance examination, hmm? Normally I couldn't show the examination results to individual students, but I'll make an exception in this case. I just so happen to have your answer sheet here."

"You're incredibly prepared. It's…almost as if you knew I'd come here to protest."

The conversation ahead wasn't surprising to Ayanokouji, the gist of the whole discussion was that even though Horikita had placed third on the entrance exams the way the school-based merits weren't solely by grade.

Chiyabashira-sensei also mentioned how due to this grading system due to only studies was ruining Japan.

Horikita had a dark face, "Anyone would be dissatisfied at being placed in Class D. I'm still not convinced."

"You may be too hasty in proclaiming that no one would be happy to be incorrectly evaluated."

"Take Class A, for instance. They are under incredible pressure from the school, and also the target of extreme envy from the lower classes."

"Competing every day with that kind of pressure bearing down upon you is far more difficult than you might imagine. There are some students who are happy to be incorrectly evaluated at a lower level."

"You're joking, right? I can't understand such a person." Horikita scoffed in disbelief

"Is that so? I think that Class D boasts some of those people. Strange students who would happily be set at a low level."

It was almost as if she were talking to him through the walls.

Ayanokouji felt uncomfortable.

"You still haven't given me an explanation. Was I honestly sorted into Class D? Did anything go wrong with the grading? Please double-check," Horikita said.

"I'm sorry, but you weren't sorted by mistake. You are definitely in Class D. You are at that level."

"Is that so? Then I will ask the school again, at another time."

Apparently, she wasn't going to give up. Horikita knew there was no point in continuing to question the teacher.

The chair squeaked as she got up but suddenly Chaebashira-sensei stopped her.

"Oh that reminds me, I've also called another person to the guidance room... Someone relevant to you."

"Huh, wait do you mean Nii-" Horikita's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Come out Ayanokouji."

Ayanokouji had a stiff expression, 'Alright I won't come out then.'

"If you don't come out I'll have you expelled."

C-cruel. You shouldn't unfairly use expulsion as a weapon.

"How long will you make me wait?"

While letting out a sigh, he exited the office kitchen and into the guidance room. Naturally, Horikita was surprised.

"Were you… listening to us?"

"Listening? I know you guys were talking about something, but I didn't hear anything. The walls are pretty thick."

"That's not true. You can hear everything clearly from that kitchen."

For some reason, it looks like Chiyabashira-sensei wanted to drag him out into the room.

"… Sensei, why would you do that?"

Horikita immediately noticed that this was a setup. The anger was clear on her face.

"Because I decided it was necessary. Well then Ayanokouji, I'll tell you the reason I called you."

Chiyabashira-sensei shot down Horikita's question and turned her attention to him.

"Excuse me then…"

"Wait Horikita. You should listen to the end. This'll be a hint for how you can get up to class A."

Horikita stopped in her tracks and sat back down in her chair.

"Please keep it short."

Looking down at her clipboard, Chiyabashira-sensei laughed.

"You're an interesting student, Ayanokouji."

"I'm not interesting at all, not as interesting as someone like Chiyabashira who has a strange surname."

"Do you want to prostrate yourself in front of all the Chiyabashira-san's in the country? Hmm?"

Shaking her head a look of amusement took over her eyes.

"After your entrance examination results, I was thinking about potential individual teaching methods, but after seeing your test results, my interest was piqued. I was surprised at first."

A familiar answer sheet from the entrance exam was on the clipboard.

"50 points in Japanese, 50 points in math, 50 points in English, 50 points in history, 50 points in science… and the result of the most recent test was also 50 points. Do you know what this means?"

In a surprise, Horikita looked over his test form and then shifted her gaze to him.

"What a frightening coincidence," Ayanokouji spoke with the same dull tone and expression as he always had.

"Hou? You're going to claim that your results are a coincidence to the very end? It's clearly intentional."

"It's a coincidence. You have no proof. Anyway, what benefit would I get from manipulating my own results? If I had a brain that could get high marks, I would aim for perfect scores in all subjects."

Watching him feign innocence, she let out a sigh with a look of amazement.

"Honestly, you're a really weird student. Are you sure? Math problem #5 was only solved by 3% of all students this year. Additionally, you included a complex formula and used it flawlessly. On the other hand, the correct answer rate of #10 was 76%. Did you make a mistake? Or is that 'normal'?"

"I don't know what's normal in this world. It's a coincidence, a coincidence."

"Good grief. I admire your attitude, but it'll cause problems for you in the future."

"I'll think about that when I have to."

Chiyabashira-sensei sent Horikita a look that said, "How was that?"

"No, like I said, it's a coincidence. It's not like I'm hiding that I'm a genius or something."

Chiyabashira-sensei just shook her head.

"What do you think? He might be more intelligent than you are, Horikita."

Horikita visibly flinched.

Sensei, please don't say anything unnecessary.

Ayanokouji felt helpless.

***

Staring at Tatsuya, Ayanokouji had the same feeling as when he was dealing with Chiyabashira-sensei.

Tatsuya was going to cause trouble for him like Chiyabashira-sensei.

Because of Chiyabashira-sensei Horikita was now suspicious of him and demanded 'cooperation' to move to Class A because she regarded everyone else as incompetent.

It was exactly because of this that Horikita had him come along with her to meet Airi-san and invite Sudo and the rest to her study group.

This also begged the question of why Chiyabashira-sensei would do such a thing.

Why intentionally reveal his scores to Horikita and cause her doubt?

What was her goal?

After connecting the dots Ayanokouji was sure that Chiyabashira-sensei wanted to use Horikita to move to Class A but knowing it was impossible for her alone she intentionally made Horikita realise his value.

Her goal was probably wanting to move to Class A as well. If the students had such lucrative rewards for being in Class A then the teachers might also have some reward.

But what did Tatsuya want and why did he know he was from the White Room?

Did only he know or did Chiyabashira-sensei also know this?

Was he related to him Or... Did Chiyabashira-sensei tell him in the first place?

Ayanokouji glanced between Tatsuya and Airi, lost in thought.

"I really just want a peaceful high school life..." He muttered and gave Tatsuya a stern glance, "I really hope you don't cause me trouble."

Airi was surprised by the hint of threat in Ayanokouji's voice.

What the hell was going on?

"Hahaha,"

Tatsuya laughed loudly upon hearing that.

"Genius of the White Room... Can you really stop me?"

Ayanokouji turned his back and started leaving the room, he looked at Airi and calmly said, "I hope you'll attend class once you're well Airi-san, I wish you a speedy recovery."

Before shutting the door Ayanokouji gave Tatsuya one final glance.

He spoke, as if answering Tatsuya's question, "Maybe, maybe not."

"..."

Clack!

The door closed.

Tatsuya and Airi were left alone in the room and Airi who was confused suddenly remembered who she was with and took a step back in vigilance.

"What do you want now...?"

Tatsuya who was originally feeling amused by Ayanokouji's words finally remembered why he had come here in the first place.

He shook his head, "I just came to check up on you. You know you'll get expelled if you keep skipping class."

Airi didn't answer and looked down.

"Well since it's my fault in the first place I'll help you study~" His tone turned playful towards the end and Airi shivered.

"I know you're thinking of dropping out but what would that accomplish?"

Hearing her plan laid bare open Airi snapped her head upwards and looked at him with a shocked expression.

Tatsuya smiled.

"What's happened has happened. Instead of causing yourself more suffering why not just listen to me for a bit."

...

Airi just wanted him gone.

His presence reminded her of the night she desperately wished to forget. It was more so because, towards the latter half of the night, her body had started enjoying it.

This was the biggest shame for her.

She stood in place as he approached her and stood behind her.

She suddenly felt that her joy of having him delete her pictures was utterly pathetic. She still didn't have the means to resist him.

He also knew her idol name was Shizuka, if he decided to he could utterly ruin her career.

Not to mention it was too hard to accuse him of anything considering the image Tatsuya had built from the start and she didn't have any friends to begin with.

She felt him place his hands on her shoulder and her body felt heavy.

"If you drop out now you'll only cause pain for yourself. How about letting me help you? Since I've taken something precious from you I ought to give you something in return right?"

Airi was silent as usual but her heart had a tinge of curiosity.

What was he trying to say?

"I know you want to be a model." Her body stiffened under his grip.

All of sudden his voice turned soft and gentle.

"Place your trust in me. I'll help you reach Class A. After 3 years you will successfully become a model and with me helping you from behind the scenes no one will mess with you."

"Just 3 years of obedience and the reward is decades of fulfillment and it's not like I'll disturb you every day. If I was that much of a fiend I wouldn't have waited so many days before coming to you."

Airi felt her heart shudder from how convincing his words sounded.

But still, his proposal was no different than selling herself for her career.

It was completely trampling upon her dignity.

And there was only one reason she hadn't instantly refused him which was that he had already taken advantage of her in every way possible.

What more did she have to defend?

This thought caused her resistance to slightly crumble.

Tatsuya sensed this and his hands slowly crept down from her shoulders to under her chest over the white collared shirt she was wearing.

His fingers gradually lifted her milkers and Airi shuddered.

"You'll listen to me won't you~?" He whispered in her ear.

Airi felt herself fall into the deepest parts of hell. The same old questions resurfaced as she felt a pair of hands crawl onto her chest.

Maybe if she had more courage, maybe if she wasn't introverted, maybe if she was smart enough...

Maybe, maybe, maybe-

Regret lingered in her mind as she felt heat creeping inside her. His fingers took in her flesh and kneaded her breasts according to his will.

She wondered if this was his true self.

Someone sadistic who liked taking advantage of people he saw beneath himself.

Tatsuya could act all he wanted but it was clear in her, Sakura Airi's, eyes. He didn't consider anyone or anything seriously, it felt as if everything was just a simple game to him.

His casual yet empty promises felt like nothing but sweet words and yet in the back of her mind, there was a gnawing suspicion that he wasn't lying.

Suddenly she felt a tongue slide up her neck and she shivered. The hands that were resting on her chest moved and hugged her stomach tightly.

She felt something poke her back and her face flushed in embarrassment and shame.

She was completely trapped.

Her fate was sealed.

...

A few hours passed and the room was in a mess.

Tatsuya leaned back in delight as Airi moved her head along his shaft. It was such a pleasant and pleasurable feeling.

Not to mention her cute eyes always made him want to bully her more.

Enjoying her warmth for a bit Tatsuya noticed something on the desk and his eyes widened in disbelief.

He grabbed Airi and slightly pushed her off.

With a pop, Airi was freed but since it was too sudden she was confused. Her naked body was glistening with sweat and her face was flushed.

"What is this?"

Airi was stunned when she looked at Tatsuya. His naked frame was imposing especially his body which seemed to be crafted by the gods themselves.

She wondered how much he had struggled to sculpt such a body.

But that wasn't important right now.

As she looked at Tatsuya's cold yet frightening face Airi felt her heart thump. She looked at the letter that was pinned with a heart in his hand.

'Something's wrong.'

Airi hesitated for a moment before spilling the beans.

Airi was a gravure model and she was a minor celebrity. Her page had a few thousand followers and on that page, she posted pictures of herself with the moniker of Shizuku.

After coming to this Highschool contact with outside had ceased but she still liked reading the comments, but something creepy had started happening.

There were a few comments that frightened her.

Turns out it was from a stalker who knew she was in this school and she was 99% sure it was the clerk at the camera shop.

This naturally frightened her and was one of the reasons she kept to herself and didn't go out much.

She slowly but surely explained everything to Tatsuya and she felt the air turn cold. This was the first time she had seen him like that.

His face was devoid of expression but something was unsettling about it. It was like how Ayanokouji was earlier but it caused her way more fear.

What she didn't know was that Tatsuya was barely able to contain himself.

'How dare...'

Even if he considered Airi a toy she was HIS toy and nobody could trouble him or HIS toys.

Not when he had just started enjoying himself.

How dare someone stalk and harass his toy?

Tatsuya felt his heartburn. It wasn't as simple as anger, it was more akin to something primal.

He did know about the whole stalker thing in the anime but he didn't know or rather didn't remember that the stalker was tied all the way back to her idol page.

He was after all human and didn't remember every single detail from an anime and light novel he had watched and read years ago.

"Huuuu..."

Tatsuya took a deep breath startling Airi.

He looked towards her vigilant eyes and spoke in the same tone as he always had, "Get dressed, we're going out."

Airi was in a daze and he snapped his finger causing her to flinch.

"A-ah o-okay."

She didn't quite understand what was wrong.

She felt that he was angry and it made her feel weird, unknown emotions flickered in her heart as she made her way to the bathroom to get fresh.

Looking at her jiggly ass from behind Tatsuya hummed in thought before looking away.

He wasn't in the mood anymore.

His fingers were twitching and he was having a hard time calming himself down.

His expression didn't change though.

After giving his dick a slight wipe from one of the spare clothes lying around he got dressed as well.

The sound of the shower trickled in his ear as he walked to her desk and opened it. The sight of a dozen or so letters made him chuckle.

He picked up a plastic bag and stuffed all the letters in the bag. After doing this he tied the bag and placed it on the bed.

After closing his eyes he pulled out a pair of white gloves from his pocket.

The white gloves fit snuggly on his hand and there was an eerie red symbol on them. If one looked at it too long they would definitely feel uncomfortable.

With a pop, he wore the gloves and picked up the plastic bag with his right hand.

With a cold look, he snapped the fingers on his left hand.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Szzzz!

A furious barrage of popping sounds echoed in the room as the plastic bag moved and suddenly caught on fire.

The fire grew furiously and enveloped the entire bag.

He let go of the bag and as it was dropping mid-air it completely disappeared amongst the sizzling sound.

Nothing was left.

...

Soon Airi left the bath and with a towel wrapped around her walked in front of Tatsuya.

She felt that there was a weird smell in the air as her nose scrunched up cutely but ultimately ignored it.

She wanted to tell him to turn around out of initial embarrassment but after remembering there was nothing left to hide and the look on his face she decided against it.

Tatsuya who had an oddly calm look smiled gently upon seeing her get dressed.

He moved his hand and interrupted her hand that was about to pick up the glasses.

"No need."

Airi paused but nodded.

"Let's go."

Tatsuya gestured for her to leave the room and she did so with a sullen expression. She didn't really want to go out with him.

Tatsuya followed behind her and closed the door.

As soon as he closed the door Airi noticed something.

"Where d-did you get those gloves?" She was sure he wasn't wearing them when he first arrived at her room.

"The market hub. They look cool don't they?" He smiled and Airi nodded awkwardly.

She felt that his smile was pretty innocent this time.

"O-Okay."

Tatsuya's smile widened.

***

Keyaki Mall

It was a 5-story main mall complex of Advanced Nurturing High School.

Two people could be seen entering the mall.

It was a boy and a girl.

The boy was tall, approximately 6'1. He had obsidian black hair that occasionally fluttered in the wind.

His uniform hugged his muscular body and his eyes were the same shade as his hair and his facial features were sharp and pristine.

He exuded a charming yet intimidating aura.

But the person next to him was entirely different.

She had long ping hair that reached her waist tied into two ponytails. She also had a few strands of hair that curled to the side cutely.

She looked quite short standing next to him and would've looked like a child if not for her mature body with curves that caused many students to glance over at her—especially the male students.

"Yahoo! Tatsuya-kun!"

"Hey! Good evening!"

"Are you on a date Tatsuya-kun~?"

Several female students came over to greet him occasionally and he responded with a soft smile, answering each and every other of their questions patiently.

Airi who was flustered by the attention stepped back and slightly hid behind Tatsuya, like a scared rabbit.

This action of hers caused all the male students nearby to look at Tatsuya with jealousy and anger.

Most of the students were from A, B, or C class.

The reason was the study group that was being held. Since Hirata was leading it even if someone had acceptable grades they still joined in for fun.

After separating from the invasive female species and jealous stares directed at her for being with Tatsuya Airi hesitantly spoke out, "W-where are w-we going?"

"I was thinking of going to pallet. You're hungry, right? We could go to a different restaurant depending on your choice. I'll be paying so pick whatever you want."

"O-Oh."

She fell silent hearing that.

Just as she was about to answer two unexpected people came to greet Tatsuya enthusiastically and Tatsuya upon seeing who they were raised a brow in interest.

His eyes were first drawn to the girl.

She had entrancing blue eyes that threatened to always draw him into it when gazing directly his way.

She had long, light pinkish-type hair which was similar to Airi's but hers was more of a mix of pink and blonde.

Her hair traveled down in length to her hip.

Even though she was of average height, she possessed an extremely well-endowed figure.

It was Honami Ichinose.

The one walking with her was no less outstanding.

It was a young man of average height with violet-bluish hair and purple eyes. He had a similarly sharp face and a handsome face.

It was Kanzaki Ryuji.

***

"What an interesting coincidence... Right?"

Ichinose laughed lightly hearing that and nodded her head, "Indeed, are you here for shopping Tatsuya-kun or did I happen to disturb you?" She gave Airi a subtle glance.

"Hello! I'm Ichinose Honami from Class B, nice to meet you!"

Airi was stumped by her unexpected enthusiasm and stuttered before greeting her, "N-Nice to meet you. Sakura Airi from Class D."

Hearing her not stutter the last part surprised Tatsuya but his expression didn't change.

He wasn't unfamiliar with Ichinose. As a central figure of Class D, he was well acquainted with popular students from other classes.

He had an occasional chat with Ichinose every now and then but it wasn't anything serious.

"Good Evening, Tatsuya-san," Kanzaki spoke politely standing beside Ichinose and Tatsuya greeted him back.

"Good Evening, A date with Ichinose huh?"

Ichinose quickly shook her head and laughed in amusement as Kanzaki explained causally, "Not really, we're just checking out the cheapest options available in the mall for future reference."

"Hmm? Even though you're from Class B? How interesting."

Ichinose smiled bitterly hearing that.

"You never know when we'll have to face something unexpected better to be prepared than run around like a headless chicken."

Tatsuya nodded, "We were going to get something to eat, care to join us?"

Kanzaki looked hesitant but Ichinose nodded with a smile, "Sure, we were getting tired anyways. You don't mind right, Kanzaki-kun?"

Kanzaki paused for a split second before nodding with a calm expression.

"Great!" Ichinose clapped her hands, "Can I decide where we eat? I found a really good restaurant a few days ago and it's really cheap!"

Tatsuya nodded and the unusual group of four made their way towards the restaurant that Ichinose was recommending.

Airi felt her head spin. The overwhelming attention she was getting due to being with three famous first years was too much for her to handle.

Even though she didn't like Tatsuya and wanted to never see him, she subconsciously stuck close to him for support.

Ichinose and Tatsuya stuck out too much from the average crowd. It was like a pair of swans swimming amongst ugly ducks.

Even Kanzaki who was decently popular due to his looks was overshadowed by Tatsuya.

Ichinose noticed this but didn't say anything and kept talking with Tatsuya and Kanzaki, occasionally including Airi by asking her a few questions to not make her feel out of place.

Airi felt that she was really kind.

"Ah, by the way, those gloves are pretty fancy, did you buy them here?" Ichinose asked with an interested expression and Tatsuya brushed it off, "Yeah, I don't remember but it was definitely a shop in this mall. Don't know about fancy part but I found them cool."

"Hehe, indeed. The symbol on it is pretty fascinating."

As they conversed they reached the restaurant Ichinose was talking about.

Senzo was the name of the restaurant and it was not as popular as Pallet Cafe but there were still many students.

And since it wasn't as popular as Pallet they were able to find a table for four.

Ichinose opened the menu with familiarity, her rosy lips parted a second later, "I'll have a serving of Katsu Curry, I'll recommend it, I really love it."

She crossed her hands and had a look of pleasure.

"I'll have Gyoza." Kanzaki didn't really take time as well. Looks like they often came here.

Tatsuya opened the menu and ignored Airi who was hiding behind her menu. Naturally, Airi and Tatsuya sat together while Kanzaki. and Ichinose sat in front of them.

The area wasn't open and there was a fancy wall adorned with lights beside them. Airi sat against the wall.

Tatsuya looked at the menu and decided to look at the description of what Ichinose and Kanzaki were having.

Katsu Curry was basically breaded and deep-fried meat (usually pork) served with Japanese curry over rice.

While Gyoza was pan-fried or steamed dumplings filled with meat and vegetables.

"I guess I'll have some Pork Ramen. It's been a long time since I've tried it." He looked towards Airi and asked with a smile, "Have you decided on something?"

"Uh," Airi who was looking at the menu in a daze was startled by his voice and she peeked over the menu.

Ichinose smiled while Kanzaki said nothing.

She glanced at Tatsuya, "I'll have Sushi."

Tatsuya nodded and Ichinose called the waiter over. She smoothly ordered the food with a small smile and Airi looked at her with a bit of jealousy.

She wondered when she could talk so confidently.

Would people even like an incompetent idol like her?

Just as she was having these gloomy thoughts Tatsuya patted her shoulder and she calmed down.

Soon the conversation began and flowed as smoothly as before. Naturally, it was mostly Ichinose and Tatsuya while Kanzaki responded when called for.

Airi talked the least.

After a dozen or so minutes the meals arrived and they ate happily. Even Airi had a content expression.

Seeing this Tatsuya finished his meal and lightly brushed his hands against each other before getting up.

"I'll be back, I have to go to the restroom."

"Ah, sure! We'll wait." Ichinose quickly chewed the rice in her mouth and answered.

Airi felt panicked being alone but unfortunately, Tatsuya didn't give her more than a glance.

"I'll be right back."

Tatsuya left and silence took over for a few seconds before Ichinose finally decided to try opening up to Airi.

...

Tatsuya who entered the washroom, entered one of the cubicles and locked it.

He raised his hand with a snap and a green cloak appeared in his hands. He wrapped it around his neck and astonishingly his figure began to disappear.

Soon he turned invisible.

With a cold look, he exited the cubical.

***

Inside of Keyaki Mall

Airi was currently stuck in a difficult situation.

How could he leave her alone with two strangers?

"Sakura-san?"

Ichinose Honami, de facto leader of Class B, called out snapping her from her reverie.

"Uh, yeah, s-sorry."

"C'mon there's no need to apologise is there." Ichinose waved her hand with a smile. "As I was asking, are you friends with Tatsuya-kun?"

Airi didn't know how to answer that. She was foolish sure but even she knew it be odd to be going out to eat with Tatsuya if he wasn't her friend

It wasn't like she could even tell Ichinose about what had happened to her...

"Yes..." She slowly squeaked out and Kanzaki narrowed his eyes. Ichinose ignored his reaction and didn't show any change in expression.

"I guessed so. Tatsuya-kun is really kind, isn't he? I guess Class D is quite lucky to have Hirata-kun and Tatsuya-kun to manage things."

Airi thought about her words and felt a sense of despair. No one besides her knew about the truth of Tatsuya.

He was cruel, ruthless, and inhumane.

How could he treat a classmate like that? Not only did he blackmail her, he did so with joy!

He was evil!

Looking at Ichinose's smiling face Airi felt her heart calm down. Ichinose was truly kind, she did understand that but she didn't want to face the consequences of trying to tattle on Tatsuya.

He could act all he wanted, she knew he didn't consider her as a fellow human being. This was what disturbed her heavily.

It was the look of someone playing a game that creeped her out the most.

"Hey, Sakura-san do you have any friends besides Tatsuya-kun?" Hearing Ichinose speak so bluntly Kanzaki raised a brow in surprise.

Airi herself felt her face stiffen. She stammered a bit before answering her.

"I-I don't."

The exact moment she said so Ichinose extended her hand and spoke with a bright cheerful smile, "Then can we be friends Sakura-san?"

"O-Oh—" Airi was a bit surprised and hesitated while staring at Ichinose's extended hand in a complex manner.

She plucked the courage from her heart and shook Ichinose's hand with a bit of uncertainty.

Should she warn Ichinose...?

While a new friendship was being born in the restaurant on the other side of Keyaki Mall it was chaotic.

***

Inside Keyaki Mall there was a certain shop to buy and repair cameras.

The shop was called 'SIVCameras'.

Inside SIVCameras, students chatted and searched for items of their liking while some students wanted to have their items repaired.

The shop was bustling with noise.

But amongst the crowd, there was a man who stood in front of a certain counter silently.

Behind the counter was a male clerk in his late thirties to early forties who had a common haircut for short-haired men.

"Well fill out the form please." The clerk handed the male student a form.

The male student who came to have his camera fixed started filling out a form with his details.

Surprisingly both of them failed to notice someone standing beside them. It was as if the man was entirely Invisible.

Nobody paid him any attention.

Tatsuya stared at the clerk silently for a few seconds before he sighed and snapped his fingers.

The male student who was filling out the form felt as if he had heard a weird sound. It was similar to small firecrackers being lit near his ears.

Snap!

The student looked up and heard a loud scream. He looked up in horror only to see the clerk in front of him catching a fire.

The clerk thrashed around in fear and pain.

"Help! Aahhhhhhh Help! Help! Help me!"

The flames danced on the clerk's clothes, showing no signs of stopping.

Panicking, the male student dropped the form, attracting the attention of nearby shoppers. The sudden realization of the fiery spectacle before them sent a wave of shock through the once-bustling camera store.

"Someone's caught on fire!"

"Ahhhhhh!"

"Somebody help him!"

Chaos ensued.

The clerk tried to run with all his might but he fell to the ground, writhing in agony. His skin was burning away and his face slowly melted like candle wax.

Tatsuya, hidden in the midst of the onlookers, continued to watch with a detached interest.

Looking at the soon-to-be dead man Tatsuya felt nothing and this was what exactly bugged him.

No matter how indifferent he was to these people from a certain fiction he read he should've been equally horrified by the sight of a burning body.

Had he always been like this or was it the power slipping into his head?

He thought he would feel guilt, panic, or maybe even fear before burning someone alive but unfortunately, he felt nothing but anger.

Anger for daring to mess with something that belonged to him.

In a certain sense, it was pathetic since the power he had didn't even belong to him and Tatsuya acknowledged that.

If it could give him power it could also strip it away at any moment. He knew it was unlikely but he was pessimistic from birth

He had to do something about this system...

A piercing alarm echoed through the shop, drawing the attention of mall security.

The mall security rushed into 'SIVCameras,' wielding fire extinguishers to combat the growing inferno.

Seeing this he narrowed his eyes and ruthlessly snapped his fingers once again.

It was much louder than before.

Snap!

The clerk who was getting burnt alive was suddenly engulfed by even greater flames, it was as if they had come to life and were enacting vengeance upon him.

Within a mere second his body was burnt to a crisp and disappeared, only cold grey ash remained.

Tatsuya slipped away from the unfolding pandemonium, leaving behind a shop in disarray and a group of students grappling with the aftermath.

Panic spread among the students.

The once vibrant atmosphere had transformed into a scene of indescribable horror!

***

Moments before Tatsuya arrived at SIVCameras.

In Senzo Restaurant—

Ichinose was barely able to keep a conversation going with Airi. Thankfully, her conversation skills had allowed Airi to open up bit by bit.

She didn't let her feel uncomfortable at all and spoke in a cheerful, boisterous tone, making people feel safe.

It was no wonder that Ichinose was one of the most popular girls in Advanced Nurturing High School.

"Sakura-san, do you have a crush on anybody?" Ichinose spoke with a small smile, "Maybe Tatsuya-kun?"

As the conversation steered from hobbies to academics, the topic shifted from miscellaneous stuff to Tatsuya abruptly. Airi was caught off guard.

Unfortunately for her, Ichinose thought that if someone as introverted as her was walking around with Tatsuya, that meant they had a decent relationship.

Airi fell silent upon hearing her question.

"C-crush? No... I don't."

"Eh, really!?" Ichinose was surprised. There was no reaction from Airi, which was odd.

From her understanding, if Airi actually had a crush on Tatsuya, then she would at least be flustered by the sudden question.

Ichinose didn't show it on her face, but the gloomy air around Airi upon the mention of Tatsuya made her suspicious.

She quickly glanced towards Kanzaki, and Kanzaki also matched her gaze for a brief second.

Kanzaki didn't miss Airi's reaction as well.

Her reaction rubbed Ichinose the wrong way.

Ichinose gave the subject of the matter a bit more thought.

'Tatsuya Yamamoto.'

He was a bit odd.

It had been at most a week since the S-System was revealed. It came as a shock to the students that this wasn't just any normal school.

It was a battlefield, a war between different classes.

Even though Ichinose didn't want to think of anyone as an enemy, it was merely the truth.

While things hadn't changed much, there was very subtle tension between students from different classes.

Especially Class C, which was ruled by Ryuen.

If one were only to take the leaders of each class into account, then it would be her for Class B.

Ryuen for Class C.

Katsuragi and Sayanagaki for Class A.

Tatsuya for Class D.

While she had to be a bit wary of these people, if she were to talk about the most likable of them, it would be Tatsuya Yamamoto.

He was just leagues above everyone in the same grade.

Height, Physique, Academics, and Leadership.

He didn't lack anything.

Popular people were swarmed with attention. Similarly, most of Tatsuya's actions were heard of by other classes.

What made her a bit uncomfortable was that Tatsuya, who was supposedly kind and gentle, had gotten into an argument with a classmate who was causing a bit of trouble.

That was understandable.

He was the leader of the class; he had to take care of everyone as she did, which was why she felt he was pretty likable.

But apparently, Tatsuya was ready to discard said student. He made it extremely clear that he wanted no one to help or persuade Ken Sudo anymore.

Even Hirata, who had been repeatedly trying to convince Tatsuya, felt troubled.

She disagreed with Tatsuya's actions.

A kind and gentle person but a ruthless leader...?

Was that his personality, or was it determination brought by the S-System?

Maybe she could persuade him to not make such decisions?

"Ichinose-san..."

As she pondered over such things, she heard Airi call out to her. Maybe it was because she had let her troubles show on her face that made Airi worried.

"Ah, sorry, I was lost in thought." She cracked a small smile and apologized to Airi, who waved her hands saying it was no matter.

Ichinose was right; Airi could see she was troubled. Her senses were sharp, and it wasn't hard for her to see that Ichinose was worried about something.

Airi had a subtle feeling that it was because of Tatsuya, and she felt conflicted. She had a bit of an understanding of Tatsuya.

He was lustful.

Would a person like him leave Ichinose alone?

Of course not!

She had to remind her.

If she didn't, then it wouldn't be long before she was ensnared by the dangerous claws of the 'gentle and kind' Tatsuya.

Her heart was thumping, and she felt sweat gather on her forehead. If Tatsuya were to know what she was going to do, then he wouldn't show her any mercy; she knew it.

There was even a chance that he might punish her by leaking her photos, though that possibility was slim.

But ultimately, Airi Sakura was a kind girl with an innocent heart. She couldn't bear hurting people, even Tatsuya.

She had to warn Ichinose!

"U-hm, Ichinose-san... About Tatsuya-kun..."

"Huh?" Maybe hearing the fear in Airi's voice, she snapped her head towards her. Kanzaki, who was silently enjoying his meal, paused and glanced at Airi.

Her voice was shaky, her hands were very lightly trembling.

Maybe because they all fell silent simultaneously, heavy tension filled the air.

"A-About Tatsuya-kun... He-"

Ichinose gave a strained smile and continued to listen.

"Hmm? What about me?"

Kanzaki flinched, and Ichinose felt her heart stop.

Airi's eyes widened upon hearing his voice. As if the grim reaper with his sickle around her neck had decreed her sentence, she felt her body shiver in fear.

Ichinose and Kanzaki turned their heads back and looked at Tatsuya together.

Tatsuya smiled with thinly narrowed eyes and spoke just like usual, but his sudden appearance and unsettling smile caused the tension in the air to grow.

"Hahaha, what's this? Did I surprise you guys? My bad, my bad. It took me a bit longer to return because of a call from a friend. You guys finished with your meal?"

He continued speaking, ignoring their awkward expressions, and sat beside Airi again.

Airi lowered her head in silence, hiding her face. Tatsuya glanced at her from the corner of his eyes before looking back towards Ichinose.

"Were you guys talking about me?" He had a cheerful voice, somewhat similar to her own, which made Ichinose forcibly smile.

"Indeed, I was just asking about whether Sakura-san had a crush on you-" Ichinose quickly recovered and spoke normally, lightly teasing the both of them.

But all of a sudden, alarms began blaring in the mall.

"Attention all students! Repeating, Attention all students! Return to your dorms at once! Failure to adhere will result in 0 Private Points for 3 months!"

"Repeat, this is an emergency! Return to your dorms at once. Do not cause any chaos and move in an orderly manner."

The same message was repeated five times at once.

"Wha-" Ichinose spoke up in confusion, and Kanzaki got up.

"We should go." He didn't mince his words, and Ichinose nodded.

"I think we should hurry back. Maybe something dangerous happened." Ichinose called out to Tatsuya and Airi.

Unfortunately for her, it wasn't something just dangerous. It was beyond the scope of anyone's understanding and would make the Advanced Nurturing High School, funded by the government, fall into utter chaos.

Tatsuya had already decided to pick the pace up.

He nodded and got up. Airi quickly nodded, and they together left the mall.

Some students were rushing back, while some were leisurely strolling as if not taking the message seriously, but one by one, they were rushing back.

No one wanted to lose three months' worth of Private Points.

***

Students rushed back to their dorms hearing the announcement.

The announcement wasn't just for Keyaki Mall but the entire campus.

Tatsuya, Ichinose, Airi and Kanzaki rushed out of the mall and separated after Ichinose and Kanzaki joined a bunch of B Class students.

Tatsuya and Airi were left alone and They made a brisk walk to the dorms, trailing behind Ichinose and her group.

"It seems like you were talking about me."

Airi who was walking ahead of Tatsuya paused hearing that and Tatsuya stared at her back.

A few seconds of silence passed as Airi felt her heartbeat increase.

Suddenly, Tatsuya walked past her muttering, "Hope it doesn't happen again."

A shiver went down her spine, he sounded so cold...

She understood what he was implying and an expression of struggle appeared on her face for a brief moment before she hung her head in defeat and looked at Tatsuya's disappearing back with dull eyes.

***

Six hours had passed and almost every student was in the dorms.

News regarding the incident was quickly contained and some students had seen authorities rush into the school.

But no matter how they tried news would spread, sooner or later.

Just an hour ago the confinement was released and students were allowed to leave the dorms again.

Tatsuya left his dorm room and pressed the button in front of him, calling for the lift. His dorm room was on the fourth floor.

At the moment Tatsuya was debating which of the remaining four should he fuck. He thought about his choices.

Ichinose Honami.

Horikita Suzune.

Kushida Kikiyo.

Kei Karuizawa.

Arisu Sayanagaki

Sae Chabashira.

He was a bit interested in the upcoming first years but he had no intention of waiting for an entire year.

Especially in an ordinary world like this.

Just as he was thinking about this the lift arrived and the doors parted. Tatsuya stepped forward but unexpectedly he saw someone familiar in the lift.

Seeing this person he unconsciously smiled.

Seems like he found his answer.

He walked into the lift startling the girl staring at her phone with a bored look.

She was of average height with waist-length blonde hair that was tied in a ponytail. She had glossy purple eyes and her school uniform consisted of a light blue dress shirt below the red school blazer and short white skirt.

"Ehhh! Tatsuya-kun? Good afternoon!" She enthusiastically greeted him and Tatsuya responded with a slight smile.

"Good Afternoon, Karuizawa-san. Going somewhere without Hirata?"

"Oof, Do you really think we're glued to each other every second?" Karuizawa chuckled in a sweet voice but she still gave Tatsuya an odd look.

"What about you? How are things with Hasabe-chan going?"

Tatsuya gave her a confused look, "What do you mean?"

"Huh?" She was shocked, "Whadya mean what do you mean?"

Seeing his still confused look she let out an exhausted sigh, "I mean your relationship with her, y'know going out and stuff."

As she asked, the lift arrived at the ground floor.

"Did you have some plans? Would you mind accompanying me for a bit if possible?" Tatsuya ignored her question and asked.

"Ehh?" Hearing that Karuizawa was flustered. The invitation was out of the blue and she alternated her gaze between Tatsuya and her phone.

Seeing that Tatsuya chuckled, "It's fine if you can't."

Hearing that Karuizawa hurriedly said, "Na, it's nothin' important. Do you have a place in mind~?"

Tatsuya nodded.

***

Karuizawa was supposed to meet with her friends but she immediately said that she was going to change plans and couldn't come at the moment.

When asked why, she didn't answer.

After putting her phone in her pocket she followed after Tatsuya.

This was a rare chance she couldn't miss.

She didn't know why but she felt as if Tatsuya didn't like her. It was an odd feeling but she didn't doubt her instincts.

That's why she decided to ask the less intimidating and equally popular Hirata to be her fake boyfriend.

Due to her past, she knew she couldn't slack off.

If she wanted to keep herself safe then she had to attach herself to someone who could keep her safe, give her status that others don't dare deny easily.

At first, she wanted to approach Tatsuya but that failed since he started showing interest in Hasabe.

But what surprised her was that a month had passed but there was no official declaration of their relationship.

And through Hasabe-chan's reactions, she was sure they weren't going out with each other in private either.

She was ultimately curious.

Not to mention this was the first time Tatsuya had invited her for a chat.

Glancing at his expressionless face, She wondered what was going through his mind.

He was usually smiling and had a comfortable air around him which was currently not there, making her a bit anxious.

But she didn't let it show on her face, she would never let anyone see her anxiety. That was her first and most important rule.

Soon they arrived at a seemingly unpopular cafe. There were barely a few students there and she was puzzled.

Why not Pallet?

Maybe he was running low on points like her?

As if sensing her doubts he glanced at her and said, "I'd rather not have people misunderstand since your Hirata's girlfriend. You're quite popular y'know."

"Hmph! You're acting as if anyone in the entire first year is unfamiliar with you." Karuizawa pouted cutely before taking the seat in front of him.

"I'll have some lemonade, I really feel thirsty." Hearing that, Tatsuya nodded and said, "I'll have the same then."

He called the waiter and asked for two lemonades.

"So? What's with the sudden invitation?" She asked while propping her elbow on the table and resting her chin on her palm.

"I know your secret, Karuizawa."

"..."

Heavy silence filled the air between them as Karuizawa stared at Tatsuya's face. He had a thin smile on his face with a gentle look but Karuizawa felt her heart race.

"H-Huh? What do you mean?" Karuizawa quickly recovered and asked with a nonchalant look.

"I meant exactly what I said." Tatsuya took a sip from the lemonade that just arrived and let out a content sigh.

"It's really funny, y'know. Seeing someone act tough while being all broken from the inside."

His tone was condescending and he had an arrogant smirk on his face. Karuizawa felt her heart freeze.

'He knows!'

She felt her mind go blank for a second before she slammed the table with her palm.

Thud!

"Stop talking in riddles, you're being rude! If you wanted to invite me just to insult me then I'll leave!"

She tried to stay calm.

She tried to keep her composure.

She tried to control her anxiety and her racing heart.

But his expression...

Why did he have an amused look...?