Rules and Talk

Kai and Ayanokoji were standing at the place where they had agreed to meet up with the girls. It had been almost half an hour past the agreed meeting time.

"You see, Ayanokoji, one of the most important things a guy must have when dealing with girls is patience, especially when it comes to shopping," Kai lectured. "Horikita may not show it, but the indisputable fact is that all girls like shopping."

Just as Kai was finishing his speech, Horikita and Sakura finally appeared.

"Hey, sorry for the wait," Sakura quickly apologized.

Meanwhile, Horikita simply looked away, maintaining her usual cold demeanor.

"It's no big deal, but I wouldn't have guessed that Horikita would get so immersed in shopping," Kai remarked. "I actually expected her to pressure you into buying things quickly so you'd be here on time. Who would have thought that behind her cold mask, there's still a typical teenage girl?"

Horikita turned to him with a gaze so sharp it could freeze.

"I was not immersed in shopping," she said firmly. "We were late because there was a problem at the cash register."

"Yes, yes, I believe you," Kai said with an amused smirk. "But man, if there were already problems on the first day of school, does that mean the whole school will fall apart by the end of the month?"

Horikita narrowed her eyes. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"Noo, I totally believe you," Kai said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Now, let's just go to karaoke already."

__________

In the private karaoke room, Kai had just finished explaining the school rules. After a few moments of silence, Horikita decided to speak up.

"There's something I don't understand."

"Oh? And what might that be?" Kai asked.

"Wouldn't it be better if our entire class knew these rules?"

"Yes, it would be."

"Then why did you make us sign a contract stating that we're forbidden from telling anyone these rules for a month?" Horikita asked, irritation creeping into her voice.

From what Kai had told them, it was clear, that only Class A students were guaranteed to graduate successfully. If their class knew about the rules, they could get a head start in the competition against other classes. Yet here was Kai, preventing them from sharing the information, all while smiling annoyingly.

"Horikita, calm down and listen," Kai said.

Suppressing her irritation, Horikita decided to hear him out.

Kai began, "Class D is where students with defective traits are placed. Most of them are the lowest of the low, without any special talent. But there are some exceptions, the best example being you, Horikita. Even though you excel academically and have strong physical abilities, you were still placed in Class D. The reason? You can't work with others. That's considered a defect.

"But the reality is that most of our classmates are trash. If you want to turn them into something useful, you can't just hand them an easy win. If we shared these rules, we might jump to Class B, maybe even Class A, but then what? We'd just be at a higher starting point while still being weighed down by useless students with no motivation.

"I actually hope our class points drop to zero. That way, those weak-willed students will break. And once they do, we can rebuild them, piece by piece, into a useful pawns. If we're lucky, we might even find some diamonds in the rough. As the saying goes, 'Those who don't know defeat won't be able to appreciate victory.'"

Kai leaned forward slightly, looking Horikita in the eye.

"So, do you still want to tell the class about these rules?"

Silence. Absolute silence.

Horikita was stunned. She couldn't believe that someone so seemingly carefree had come up with such a calculated plan.

Even Ayanokoji was impressed, his assessment of Kai skyrocketed. This plan was solid, even by the White Room standards.

Meanwhile, Sakura was trembling slightly. She couldn't help but wonder if she was one of the "worst students" Kai had been talking about.

Noticing her unease, Kai decided to comfort her.

"Don't worry, Sakura. You don't fall into that category. Based on my assessment, you still have a lot of untapped potential. If you'd like, I can help you study, or you could start running with me in the mornings before school to improve your physical ability."

"Then what about her lack of self-confidence and shyness?" Ayanokoji interjected.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kai smirked. "With my guidance, she'll naturally improve, and seeing her progress will boost her confidence. As for her shyness, she'll be hanging out with the three of us from now on. Over time, it'll fade away."

"Who said I'd be hanging out with you?" Horikita cut in.

"You will, because you want to reach Class A, and that's impossible without allies."

"I could find allies elsewhere."

"Oh? And who do you have in mind?"

Horikita paused, then answered, "Kushida seems like a good choice."

"Hahahahaha!"

Kai burst out laughing, leaving Horikita baffled.

"Why are you laughing?" she demanded.

After a minute of laughter, Kai calmed down. "Of all the people you could choose, you picked the worst one."

"And why is that?"

"Because Kushida is the textbook definition of someone who looks beautiful on the outside but is rotten on the inside. She's good at hiding it, but if you're sharp enough, you can see that her smiles are fake. I advise you not to trust her."

His words took everyone by surprise. It was hard to believe that the angelic-looking Kushida could actually be hiding a darker side.

In the end, Sakura accepted Kai's offer to help her with her studies and physical training. Horikita, still acting tsundere, said she'd "consider" hanging out with them.

It was getting late, so they decided to call it a day and head back to their respective dorms.