6

Ishizaki's muttering, which almost made it sound like he was talking to himself, also stirred strong doubts within Ryuuen.

There didn't seem to be any significant loopholes in the special exam.

Ayanokouji might not have any qualms about using foul play, but he wouldn't use methods Ryuuen would think of, the kind that would kick up dust.

After all, there was no need to cross a dangerous bridge against an opponent who was significantly inferior in basic academic skills.

The problem would be solved as long as they could secure reliable information regarding Ryuuen's class.

"We should start off with Hashimoto, and it also seems wise to pay special attention to Yamamura."

Upon Katsuragi's words, Ryuuen gave a small nod in agreement.

"Who's Yamamura? Was there such a person in Class C?"

Ibuki tilted her head, not remembering the name.

"Kuku! Try to steal our information if you can, Ayanokouji."

Which students to impose penalty points on.

Including everything, Ryuuen wouldn't even leave a one percent chance of information being leaked to those around him.

It would be impossible to accurately predict everything, and if it were possible, it would be akin to precognition.

He was convinced that such a thing could absolutely not be done.

While feeling convinced, he also felt a bit of anxiety and anticipation.

He wanted to see how the impossible could be made possible.

"Is that okay, Ryuuen? I'll start moving with that in mind too."

Katsuragi, thinking it was best to strike while the iron was hot, headed toward the karaoke exit.

Since he significantly contributed to the improvement of the class's academic performance, he felt a strong sense of responsibility for his actions in exams where academic skills were required.

Seeing the sight of Katsuragi's determined back, Ruuyen was…

Chapter 6:

School Life in Class C

* * *

SUNDAY HAD ARRIVED.

Today, I made plans to meet with my new classmates, Yoshida and Shiraishi, to deepen our friendship.

Moreover, Shiraishi was also bringing a friend, though I hadn't asked who it was.

The meeting time was set for 10:30, so after getting ready, I left my room fifteen minutes before then.

The place we agreed to meet was simply in front of the dormitory.

As I descended to the lobby and stepped outside, I spotted Yoshida's restless figure.

"Y-Yo, you're early, Ayanokouji."

"So are you, Yoshida."

"Well, I'm a gentleman. I don't make ladies wait."

"From the way you talk, it sounds like you've been waiting for a while."

"No way. I've been waiting since 9:30."

That's obviously early. Had he been waiting for an hour?

He's significantly passionate about the person he's interested in, but it's doubtful whether waiting an hour early would actually increase his favorability. It would be strange if he went out of his way to point this out, and he might even give the impression that he's too intense.

This initial impression—previously, I probably wouldn't have been able to interpret this situation as smoothly as I just had.

Through my association with Karuizawa, I came to understand this line of thinking better.

However, when it came to love, there was no absolute correct answer, and the difficult part was that you had to see through the person you were interested in and approach them in a suitable manner.

"Do you like Shiraishi?"

I thought he did, and Shiraishi, the person he appeared affectionate to, felt the same way too, so there didn't seem to be any mistakes about it, but I wanted to confirm just in case.

"What!? I-It's not like I like her or anything! What are you talking about all of a sudden!?"

I see. So he does like her

The opposite of 'not liking' is 'liking,' and the opposite of 'liking' is 'not liking.' In love, things that wouldn't normally make sense can happen.

This was one of the clear-cut examples typically shown.

"I'm just checking."

"Wait, do you… do you like Shiraishi? Did you break up with Karuizawa and transfer classes just for this, huh? Is that it!?"

Although he said he didn't like her, he clearly wasn't calm; rather, he was openly hostile, though he seemed completely unaware of it. His interpretation of my question was wildly presumptuous.

"Unfortunately, I don't have those types of feelings for her."

"You don't have to lie, man. It doesn't matter to me. Hey, maybe I could even help you get along with Shiraishi if you want me to?"

He forced himself to stay calm, but of course, he didn't feel at ease at all.

He kept digging his own grave, but there was no point in continuing this topic.

"I'll pass. Instead, I want you to tell me about the class. There are things I want to know."

"…Acting tough, huh? Well, fine, you just transferred here, and you need to know about the class. I'll make a special effort to teach you, so ask... or rather, just ask Hashimoto. He thinks highly of you, and he'll even tell you more information than what's needed."

"There are things I can't ask Hashimoto about."

"What do you mean?"

"Like how the class evaluates Hashimoto and how they feel about him. That kind of thing."

Even Hashimoto, who had a generally strong grasp of the class, would struggle to analyze this matter objectively and give accurate reports on it.

"Our evaluation of Hashimoto, huh? Well, it's definitely more negative than positive, that's for sure. I think he's managing things quite skillfully, though."

As he voiced his own thoughts, Yoshida shifted his gaze to the lobby.

At the same time, a bright and cheerful voice could be heard.

"Good morning, Yoshi, Ayanokouji-kun!"

The person who appeared at the meeting location wasn't Shiraishi, but unexpectedly, Nishikawa Ryouko. It looked like she was just casually chatting with me as a new classmate, yet she came to a stop right in front of us.

"Please take care of me today."

"Ah, it's Nishikawa…"

"You don't have to look so unwelcoming~"

"Are you with Shiraishi by any chance?"

"Of course. You didn't think you could have a date just with Asuka, did you, Ayanokouji-kun?"

"I didn't think of it as a date."

It wasn't like I didn't have any expectations in terms of deepening my friendly connections and companionships here, but it was different from the direction Nishikawa imagined.

"Eh? Really? You came out so easily when you were invited on a day off. You must've been expecting something good, especially you, Yoshi, definitely."

"No, that's not it! What are you misunderstanding?!"

It seemed that those were indeed Yoshida's intentions.

"Look, Yoshi. I'm going to give you some important advice as a classmate."

"What is it?"

"Asuka is the one person you shouldn't be going after. Oh, and this is advice for Ayanokouji-kun too."

As she approached, Nishikawa[1] looked around and slightly lowered her voice.

"Asuka's experience level isn't like that of your ordinary student, you know?"

Experience level? What could that mean?

"Huh…? E-Experience level?"

It seemed we had the same suspicions, but Yoshida seemed to have realized something.

"You know what I mean. The 'Hundred-Man Slayer' Asuka—you've heard that nickname, haven't you?"

"…That rumor's real…?"

"Of course. It's not the type of story that spreads if it's a lie."

I wasn't sure what exactly happened, but it was clear that Yoshida was greatly shaken.

However, I couldn't understand the meaning of that nickname.

"It wasn't a hundred friends?"

"Eh? What's this hundred friends thing?"

"Never mind."

Seems like it's completely unrelated…

I still couldn't forget the rhythm Morishita had hummed that one time.

"The 'Hundred-Man Slayer' nickname means she's been in that kind of relationship with a hundred guys. She's cute and, you know, has a sexy vibe, right?"

'That kind of relationship.' It sounded vague, but it was probably talking about a close relationship.

"I'm not sure. I don't know about that part, but I understand what you're trying to say."

Apparently, my seatmate was far more of a specialist in romance than I was.

"Do you think Yoshi could win over Asuka?"

"I-I already said I'm not interested!"

"Then let's leave it at that. Take this chance to give up. Or… well, if you kneel down, you might be able to have sweet dreams for one night."

"…Seriously?"

"Hmm? Didn't you just say you weren't interested?"

It seemed that Nishikawa liked to tease people.

If I were to compare her to someone, she seemed similar to Amasawa.

"Does that 'Hundred-Man Slayer' expression change to the 'Two-Hundred-Man Slayer' when it reaches two hundred?"

I threw out the question, simply curious, and Nishikawa widened her eyes.

"Ayanokouji-kun, you sure make some interesting expressions despite your appearance."

"Is that so? I just asked what I was wondering about."

"The answer is probably no."

"I see. It doesn't roll off the tongue, does it?"

"It's not that… It's more like a 'hundred' is enough? The number's not really important—it's the status—that's what I'm saying."

Status, huh? In romance, having that kind of advantage does influence things.

"Haa… All of a sudden, I'm a bit tired from waiting since this morning. I'll just sit and wait."

Perhaps having used up his morning energy, Yoshida started walking toward a nearby bench with a somewhat disheartened look.

Watching Yoshida with amusement, Nishikawa then turned her gaze in my direction.

"Generally, boys who hear about that fact about Asuka react in two ways. They either get shocked, depressed, and totally turned off by the hundred-men saying, or they blatantly show their ulterior motives, wanting to be the 101st. I wonder which way Yoshi will go. So far, you don't seem to fit either scenario, Ayanokouji-kun, but how do you actually feel?"

"I've come to respect her. It's honestly amazing for someone my age to be involved with a hundred people."

"Eh? Is that what you really think…? It really does seem like you feel that way, huh?"

"Isn't a specialist in any field worthy of respect? Sorry to bring up my previous class, but it's like Sudou in basketball, Onodera in swimming, or Inogashira in sewing."

"Well, I don't know much about sewing, but… Ayanokouji-kun… you even transferred to a lower class on your own free will. You're definitely different."

I'd intended to genuinely compliment Shiraishi's 'Hundred-Man Slayer' title, but somehow it seemed to have put her off a bit. The smile that was on Nishikawa's face since she arrived turned into a slightly strained grin.

"…Hmm. No, wait a minute."

Nishikawa pursed her lips in a troubled manner, seemingly deep in thought.

"Hey. If you really want to know, should I tell you something interesting, just for you?"

With a renewed smile and a slightly mischievous grin, Nishikawa came closer.

"Why Asuka's called the 'Hundred-Man Slayer,' and why she wanted to go out with you today, Ayanokouji-kun—there's actually a big reason for that."

"A big reason?"

It was well communicated, but it was a somewhat concerning remark.

I traced my memory back to the day of the opening ceremony.

Morishita took the initiative to arrange my seat within the class. It was a coincidence that Shiraishi Asuka was next to me, but if Morishita was involved with these two, that might change the story…

"Will you listen? Especially since it's a story I can't let Yoshi hear."

"Sure."

Due to our height difference, I slightly hunched my back so that I could hear what came out of Nishikawa's mouth.

"It's because Asuka thinks it'd be okay to make you the 101st, Ayanokouji-kun. Of course, she isn't romantically interested in you. She's just playing around. How about it? Feeling happy?"

It appeared to be some kind of secret message from Nishikawa, but I highly doubted whether it was actually genuine.

"What's your intention behind this?"

"Nothing much. Just talking about becoming involved in a relationship and having fun between a man and a woman."

"Sorry, but if that's true, I'd refuse."

"W-Why?"

"If I were to have that kind of relationship with Shiraishi, it's possible that you or Shiraishi herself would spread the information. If so, then it wouldn't take long for it to inevitably reach Yoshida's ears. It would only become a hindrance for my battles in Class C."

With that, I distanced myself from Nishikawa.

Nishikawa narrowed her eyes, seemingly a bit dissatisfied with my refusal.

"I might have to reconsider my impression of you, Ayanokouji-kun."

Up until now, it seemed like she was just teasing a newcomer, but her words clearly showed her discontent and even something akin to hostility.

"Good morning."

As the appointed time approached, the person in question, Shiraishi, appeared from the lobby.

"Morning, Asuka!"

Immediately, her tense emotions dissipated, and Nishikawa reverted to her earlier self.

Yoshida, who'd been sulking on the bench, also quickly ran over to us.

After standing next to Shiraishi, Nishikawa greeted us again.

"Once again, let's get along today, Ayanokouji-kun. Oh, and you too, Yoshi."

"Come on, am I just an afterthought?"

Seems like understanding the class's internal affairs might be more challenging than I expected.

Led by Nishikawa, we headed to karaoke at Keyaki Mall.

In a private room with an L-shaped seating arrangement, Shiraishi, Nishikawa, I, and Yoshida sat in that order from the back.

"Let's start singing right away."

Without even looking at the food menu, Nishikawa handed the microphone she was holding to Yoshida.

"Am I supposed to be singing first? Shouldn't Ayanokouji start since he's the newcomer?"

"That's what you'd call a 'harassment of power,' you know? You have to show us how it's done first, Yoshi."

"But I don't really like singing that much…"

Nishikawa approached the reluctant Yoshida and whispered something in his ear.

Immediately after, Yoshida gave a hard slap to both his cheeks and psyched himself up.

"Guess it can't help it. I'll sing!"

It was easy to guess what she'd just whispered to him, but Yoshida seemed motivated anyway.

As Yoshida's chosen song began to play, Nishikawa asked me to switch places.

As instructed, I switched seats, and Shiraishi stood up and closed the distance between us.

The distance was so close that our clothes almost touched.

"I've been wanting to have a proper conversation with you at least once, Ayanokouji-kun."

"We sit next to each other, couldn't we have done it anytime?"

"It's never very relaxing at school."

Yoshida's singing wasn't very good, but it was heartfelt and filled the room.

Nishikawa was chanting along and keeping the atmosphere lively.

"It's questionable whether you could call this environment relaxing either."

There should at least be a small boundary or simply some personal space between guys and girls, but it seemed Shiraishi didn't try to maintain that, rather, she continued staying close to me.

Could this be one of Shiraishi's techniques as the 'Hundred-Man Slayer'?

"Ryouko-san is my best friend."

"I had a feeling you two were close. You seem to spend a lot of time with Nishikawa during breaks and lunch."

Eventually, the first song ended, and the karaoke room regained its silence.

"Hey, you two, aren't you whispering a bit too closely over there!?"

"Your singing was wonderful, Yoshida-kun. I request an encore."

"Eh? Really? If you say so… But still, the distance between you two—!"

"Alright, Yoshi. Shall we go for the second song?!"

Without allowing him any chance to refuse, Nishikawa, seated next to him, prevented Yoshida from escaping as he tried to put down the microphone.

"Now that we're in the same class, let's exchange contact information."

"That's definitely something we should do."

We both took our phones out and gave each other our numbers so that we could make calls and send each other messages.

"Feel free to contact me anytime."

From our distance and the nuances in her words, Shiraishi's familiarity, kindness, and consideration were evident.

But are these words truly sincere?

"What are you thinking about?"

"I'm wondering why you're acting so kind to me? Most of the class is still keeping their distance from me and observing from afar, like Shimazaki and the others, right?"

"We sit next to each other. And the fact that we ended up alone together this morning, I believe it was fate."

"I don't think it's something as significant as fate…"

"Maybe not for you, Ayanokouji-kun, but I genuinely interpret it that way."

As she spoke, Shiraishi touched my hand without Yoshida seeing.

"Your fingers are long, and your nails are beautiful. Such lovely hands."

"Sorry, but let go of my hand. Yoshida might see and misinterpret our relationship."

I conveyed my concerns, and Shiraishi slowly released my hand, looking a bit surprised.

"You really are interesting, Ayanokouji-kun."

It might be better to separate this matter from whatever Nishikawa was saying about Shiraishi and the opposite sex. At first glance, it might seem that way, but Shiraishi's eyes were not conveying such things.

'What an interesting experimental subject, like looking at a guinea pig in a small box.'

At least, that seemed to be what her eyes were conveying to me.

* * *

[1]: In the raw, "Shiraishi" was in place of "Nishikawa" here, with the literal translation meaning, "As she approached, Shiraishi looked around and lowered her voice slightly," however, it's clear that she hadn't arrived yet, so we believe it may be a mistake and changed it.

Part 1

* * *

I'D RECENTLY TRANSFERRED classes, and although it was a slow start, my relationships gradually began to change.

However, some things in my school life didn't change—the school lessons.

During class, students generally focused on things quietly, spending a lot of time alternating between monitors and tablets. With each class, the faces of the teachers giving the lectures also varied, but it was a similar scene no matter which class you belonged to.

With special exams looming, students seemed to be working more seriously than usual.

The content we were studying wasn't worth mentioning in detail; it was like revisiting a path I'd traversed many years ago, now taking it on as a form of review.

In such unchanging times, if I had to point out a difference between Horikita's class and my current one, it would be the lack of time wasted and efficiency when studying.

There were individual differences in academic ability, with some students who were fast to grasp new concepts and others slow.

Therefore, students like Ike and Hondou often stumbled over things they didn't understand, resulting in the teachers being asked more questions and even occasional pauses in the lesson.

On the other hand, overall, Class C was highly motivated when it came to learning, and many students understood how to study, making the progress extremely smooth. A solid foundation for learning had been established, creating a virtuous cycle that led to improvement in everyone's academic abilities.

And today, it was time for self-study, where I tended to slack off and lose focus.

Since there were no teachers nearby watching, it was easy to hear some private conversations in the background, but the students in this class still faced their tasks earnestly.

Horikita's class had grown considerably over the last two years, but when it came to learning, it wasn't surprising that they hadn't been able to catch up to or surpass Class C—

Hm? Something feels a bit uncomfortable.

Is it just my imagination?

Upon thinking so, I felt something else that was a bit uncomfortable.

An uncomfortable sensation… right?

What is it? It's not just my imagination, is it?

While I still had my pen in hand, I stopped writing on my tablet.

It was because, in my mind, a faint but recurring uncomfortable sensation was occurring.

However, it felt very small.

The first time, I perceived it as just the wind playing pranks on me, but that wasn't it.

Clearly, this uncomfortable sensation was recurring, and it was happening in unspecified places on my hair.

To investigate its cause, I slowly looked behind me.

"What is it?"

Morishita voiced her question in a low voice, glaring at me.

She held a pen in her hand, just like me, and seemed to be working on something.

"No, I mean…"

"Looking behind you during class, even during the self-study period, is something only a naughty, naughty student would do. Please face forward and focus on what you have to do."

I was given an irrefutable argument.

Fortunately, the uncomfortable sensation in my hair disappeared for some reason when I turned around, so it might be better not to worry about it.

I turned back to the front and resumed working on the tablet.

However—

A little while after resuming, I felt the sensation in my hair again.

If there was a cause, it could only be Morishita, who was sitting behind me.

This time, I turned back a bit quicker.

Then, Morishita, looking like she was caught in the act, quickly grasped something with her left hand and hid it.

Unfortunately, I couldn't see what it was.

"Staring at my face from such a close distance, what a pervert."

"I have no such intention. Are you doing something to the back of my head?"

I decided to ask directly.

"Not at all? I'm seriously engaged in the class."

She tapped the tablet with her pen twice to emphasize that, but her behavior was clearly odd.

Although it was self-study time, it wasn't a situation where I could freely turn around as I pleased.

However, there was no doubt that something was going on.

Morishita was clearly deceiving me, but the surrounding gazes told a different story.

There were clearly those who looked at me with eyes filled with 'sympathy' and 'pity.'

"Hey, Shiraishi."

"Fufufu, what is it?"

My seatmate, upon being addressed, couldn't suppress her laughter and covered her mouth as she chuckled.

"Is Morishita doing something?"

"Well, I don't really know."

Confused by the obvious lie, I realized that I had to deal with it myself. If that was the case—

I pretended to give up and faced forward again.

I immediately continued my studies with my pen.

Of course, Morishita must have known that I wasn't seriously staring down at the tablet.

She was probably trying to catch definitive evidence. But that was fine.

If I can confirm that she's up to something, she might decide to stop her wrongdoings there.

In other words, it was a way of saying, 'I'll overlook this, so don't do anything more.'

I thought this would allow me to concentrate, but such hope was shattered in just a few seconds.

An uncomfortable feeling appeared at the back of my head again.

Did she do that because she saw through my shallow thoughts?

Even if I tried to turn around quickly, there was a limit to how fast I could react when I was exposing my back defenselessly. It was difficult to check what she was holding in her left hand before she could clench her fists to hide it.

But what exactly is she doing…?

Suddenly, I noticed Shiraishi's fingertips moving and pointing toward the floor.

I see… This was the source of that uncomfortable sensation.

Furthermore, Shiraishi motioned with her hand, setting the tip of her left index finger on her desk, tapping it lightly.

The sensation occurred just as her fingertip either touched or nearly touched the desk.

This meant I could move before the sensation came.

Her fingertips rose again, and then lowered.

At that moment, I turned around. Morishita flinched, but this time, I wouldn't let her escape.

Rather than grabbing the hand she was moving, I took her left hand that was clenched into a fist and forcibly opened it.

What came out was an eraser that had long become unnecessary in class.

"What is this?"

"Well, what could it be?"

"And these crumbs on the floor?"

"I don't know."

She played ignorant, but it was futile. Morishita had been rubbing the eraser on the desk and throwing the resulting crumbs at my head.

"You'd better confess."

"You saved me, Shiraishi. Thanks to you telling me the timing, I caught her red-handed."

"Ah, so that's what it was. You're impressive, Shiraishi Asuka."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't just leave Ayanokouji-kun feeling troubled."

"Isn't this what you call bullying, Morishita?"

"Bullying? What a laughable accusation. Let me ask you something, would you call it bullying if a kitten messes with a lion? Just imagine."

"Well… I wouldn't."

"Right? Bullying is a vile act where the strong prey on the weak. One of us is trying to become the class leader, the physically superior Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, and then there's me, a weak maiden. No matter how you look at it, it's clear and obvious who's strong and who's weak. What I'm doing, if I must say, is similar to Jeanne d'Arc."

"Why is the Maid of Orleans coming up here?"

"Because she's a knight who defeats evil?"

I'm the villain, and Morishita's justice? That's a truth I absolutely can't accept in this situation.

"Cute."

Shiraishi muttered the word, having been watching our exchange with narrowed eyes.

Indeed, if judged solely by appearance, Morishita was indeed blessed in terms of looks.

However, only those who hadn't actually suffered could deem this behavior cute.

"I finally understand, Shiraishi. This must be why Sugio readily gave up his seat."

"Yes. It seems the student before Morishita-san faced similar troubles."

"As long as evil exists in this world, it's my duty to keep fighting."

Though whatever Morishita was saying shouldn't have made any sense, Shiraishi kept smiling cheerfully throughout.

Chapter 7:

Ayanokouji's Defeat

* * *

TWO WEEKS FLEW by, and the day of the third year's first special exam had arrived.

It was 7:40 AM.

Karuizawa had gone to bed rather than forcing herself to stay up all night the previous evening.

Thanks to that, she woke up feeling fully refreshed. She finished preparing and left the dorm quietly by herself.

She had a school life that began alone.

Then school life that was for two.

And then, back to a school life spent alone.

From the time she parted with Ayanokouji until this very day, Karuizawa hasn't been able to smile even once.

Her heart didn't spare any space for a smile.

Satou and Karuizawa's other friends tried their best to encourage her and make her happy, but it only tightened the grip on her heart even more, making it scream in agony every day.

Yet, it was through her sheer stubbornness that she kept attending school without pause.

On her way to school, Karuizawa unexpectedly came to a stop.

It was because Ayanokouji was sitting on a bench ahead, fiddling with his phone.

Having faced her days mindlessly since their breakup, Karuizawa, still harboring strong feelings for Ayanokouji, felt her heart constrict involuntarily every time she saw her former lover.

Her gaze naturally followed Ayanokouji, and each time their eyes met, she keenly felt that Ayanokouji held no lingering attachment to their breakup.

This realization mercilessly tightened the grip on Karuizawa's heart.

Yet, she had to move forward.

Ideally, she could just greet him with a strong "good morning" and walk away.

It shouldn't be difficult if she could just show herself acting strong.

She repeatedly told herself this and was about to start walking when…

"Good morning, Karuizawa-san."

"!?"

Karuizawa, whose attention was completely captured by Ayanokouji sitting in front of her, was startled by a voice that came from a student approaching from behind.

The face that peered into Karuizawa's had eyes that were large and sparkling; hair that was long, beautiful, and glossy; and lips that were plump—it was a female student who could captivate even those of the same sex.

"Uh, Ichinose-san, good morning…"

"You're earlier than usual today."

"Eh? Oh, yeah, maybe so."

Only then did she realize that she'd left the dorm unusually early that day.

However, it bothered her that Ichinose spoke in a way that implied she knew her routine.

"Do you know… how early I usually leave by?"

"Yeah. It's usually around 7:50 AM, right?"

"Uh… maybe…"

Ichinose confidently pinpointed the time, leaving Karuizawa with a chill.

Rather, it was because she herself hadn't been aware of the exact time she usually went to school.