[Two Days Later]
During this time, the U Group's internal meetings made no progress at all. The A-Class students refused to participate in any discussions, leaving others at a loss.
However, one hour of meeting time was mandatory, so others found ways to play board games to pass the time. But the girls from D-Class barely participated, so it ended up as B-Class and C-Class playing against each other.
Saiki took part too, but he was basically just coasting through.
'Regarding the current situation, the other people probably can't guess the identity of the preferential student, right? This outcome is also acceptable.'
Saiki was thinking this in his heart.
At the same time, he also noticed that the hostility Manabe Shiho and the others had toward Karuizawa Kei seemed to be growing more intense.
Although Saiki wasn't exactly clear on what had happened, it was within reason, after all, the conflict between Karuizawa and Manabe and the others had already become increasingly irreconcilable.
However, Saiki did not plan to intervene in this matter, since it was a conflict between Karuizawa and Manabe and the others.
Only, during this period, Ayanokoji's inner voice made Saiki somewhat concerned.
[I remember a psychological experiment that was applied in the 1960s called the Milgram experiment, also known as the Eichmann experiment, which was conducted with teacher and student roles prepared in an isolated facility.]
[First, the experiment would give the teacher role, in other words, the test subject, a mild electric shock to let them remember the pain and fear of being shocked...]
[...After that, the person assigned the student role was placed on the opposite side of a glass pane from the teacher role, and the device for delivering electric shocks was installed on the student role, then the shock button was handed to the teacher role...]
[...Next, the experimenter would instruct the teacher role, as the subject, to ask questions to the student role, and if they answered incorrectly, deliver a shock, and also instruct them to raise the voltage with each incorrect answer... depending on the circumstances, anyone could exhibit cruel and sadistic behavior...]
'No, what the heck is this guy thinking? Why would this kind of knowledge point come to his mind at a time like this? Just what kind of stuff is crammed into his brain all day long?'
Saiki was a little exasperated, trying his best to ignore Ayanokoji's inner voice.
Telepathy isn't a power that can be blocked by covering your ears, unless he uses the germanium ring, Saiki would be forced to hear these inner thoughts.
But unless it's a necessary occasion, Saiki wouldn't choose to use the ring, after all, there aren't many normal people in this school. Who knows what they're thinking in their heads?
[Time's up. Students may now move freely.]
As the broadcast voice sounded, everyone began to leave the meeting room one after another. Karuizawa was the first, and just as she stepped out of the room, Manabe and the other three directly followed her.
[We definitely have to make this girl suffer a little.]
And at the moment they left, Saiki clearly heard the inner voices of those few people.
'Good grief.'
Saiki narrowed his eyes slightly.
'To prevent any unexpected situation from occurring, I'd better follow and take a look.'
After waiting for a few seconds, Saiki followed behind them and came all the way to the emergency exit in the ship's cabin.
There was no surveillance over there, and normally no students or teachers would come to this place.
"What did you bring me here for?!"
Karuizawa raised her voice and questioned loudly, but because the emergency exit was in a remote location, no one else would hear their conversation.
"You're the one who bullied Rika before, right?"
Manabe's aura did not weaken in the slightest, and she immediately said.
"I already told you, this has nothing to do with me! You've got the wrong person!"
Although Karuizawa said this, Manabe and the other two still surrounded Karuizawa, pushing her to the wall, giving her no chance to escape.
"I have something to do next. Could you please move aside?!"
Karuizawa said this while desperately trying to suppress the trembling in her voice, doing her best to keep up the strong front she had put on.
But even so, the emotion of fear still flowed unreservedly from her eyes.
"If that's the case, then let us confirm it. I'll call Rika over right now. If it's not you, we'll forgive you!"
As Manabe spoke, she took out her phone and dialed Rika's number.
"...I just remembered... it's true that someone bumped into me before."
"Don't play dumb. You clearly remembered from the start, ugh, forget it. Will you properly apologize to Rika?"
Manabe continued to question Karuizawa. It seemed that as long as the other party was willing to apologize, they would forgive Karuizawa for her earlier behavior.
'Good grief, this was originally Karuizawa's own problem. If she could have apologized earlier, maybe all of this could have been avoided.'
Saiki shook his head and prepared to leave. In a sense, Karuizawa brought this upon herself. As long as she could apologize, the matter should be able to end here.
But at that moment, Saiki once again heard Manabe's inner voice.
[How could I possibly forgive you? After you apologize, I'm going to enjoy watching you in a miserable state! Should we start bullying her properly right now?]
"It's not like that, it's that girl's fault! She's the one who's so dense!"
Karuizawa was still stubbornly talking back, and her sensitivity had already picked up on the fact that the other party was just using this as an excuse to pick a fight with her.
From the first time they met, Manabe's goal wasn't simply to stand up for her friend, it was purely to target Karuizawa.
"Shiho, I've also reached the limit of my patience. Maybe we really can't forgive Karuizawa."
"Right? I think she definitely treats Rika the same way. Should we seriously bully her?"
"I hate Karuizawa's face. Isn't she super ugly? Seriously, why don't we just mess up her face?"
Manabe grabbed Karuizawa's hair and violently slammed her against the wall.
Those words just now weren't a threat, Manabe really intended to do it.
But at that moment, the heavy cabin door was suddenly flung open. While everyone was stunned, Saiki appeared in front of them.
"You, why are you here?!"
Manabe was a bit surprised. She hadn't expected Saiki to follow them.
"Sa-Saiki-kun?"
Karuizawa was also a little shocked.
'Good grief. I really didn't want to intervene in other people's business, but if I don't put a stop to this now, things might get out of control.'
Saiki narrowed his eyes slightly and swept his gaze across Manabe and the others.
'Although Karuizawa herself has a lot of problems, if someone uses this opportunity to carry out school bullying, then it's an even more unacceptable behavior.'
"You four-eyed nerd, what are you doing here?!"
Manabe said with clear disdain upon seeing Saiki.
"The teacher is just nearby. They should be here soon." Saiki said slowly.
Normally, Saiki would use his psychic powers to guide a teacher over to stop this, but now that the situation was urgent, he had no choice but to come in person.
'Good grief, now there's even more trouble.'
Not only that, Saiki also heard another set of inner thoughts not far away.
From Ayanokoji.
[Just as expected. That Milgram experiment...]
'So it really was that Ayanokoji guy stirring things up? What is he trying to do?'
Saiki felt a little annoyed in his heart. The students in this school really do bring him a lot of trouble.
"Also, a few boys from our class are right nearby."
"Tch."
Manabe was clearly upset, her mood practically written on her face.
[This four-eyed guy is really annoying. I really want to punch him too!]
'Oh? You can try.'
Saiki stared directly into Manabe's eyes.
[Seriously, if the teacher comes, it'll just cause more trouble! I'll let it go for today!]
"I'll definitely make you apologize to Rika!"
After leaving those harsh words, Manabe quickly left with her companions. But before leaving, she "lost her balance" and fell down, looking extremely pathetic. She quickly got up and fled in a hurry.
This, of course, was Saiki's "small act of revenge."
'Feels like this isn't over yet.'
Saiki turned around and looked at Karuizawa in front of him.
[Thank goodness... Saiki-kun came and drove them away...]
Even without telepathy, Saiki could tell from her face that she was relieved.
Just now, Karuizawa was already on the verge of emotional collapse. The persona she had been putting on was about to fall apart.
[Should I say something to Saiki-kun? I shouldn't have shown too many cracks just now, right...? If he asks me, what should I say?]
Karuizawa's mind was spinning fast, thinking about how to speak to Saiki, but Saiki simply turned around and left the place.
'I was just preventing things from getting worse and causing bad consequences. I don't want to get dragged into this.'
"Huh?"
Very soon, only Karuizawa was left standing there in confusion.
———
Saiki returned to the hallway and immediately saw Ayanokoji leaning against the wall, waiting for him.
"Saiki, the thing you wanted to do, I've already helped you complete it."
Ayanokoji said this to Saiki with a blank expression.
"Mm."
Saiki also nodded blankly, but inside, it was a completely different story.
'Hm? What did I want to do?! What are you even talking about?'
[Saiki previously mentioned Karuizawa's name, and his goal must have been to get me to notice the hidden side of her.]
[That fear she felt was impossible to hide. Karuizawa most likely experienced severe bullying before. Her current status and image in the class are all just a façade.]
[Saiki realized this even earlier than I did and deliberately mentioned Karuizawa in front of me, implying she could be used.]
[So I set the stage for this, letting Karuizawa realize that Saiki is someone she can rely on, and I also took the chance to secretly record Manabe and the others threatening her.]
[That recording might become a weapon to use against Class D, and Manabe will become my pawn.]
'?????'
At this moment, Saiki's small head was filled with big question marks. He never imagined things would turn out like this.
He normally acted alone and had no interactions with Ayanokoji except during meetings. So Saiki didn't know what Ayanokoji usually did.
[To set up this stage, I deliberately added fuel to the conflict between Karuizawa and the girls from Class D.]
'So in the end... it was all your doing?'
Saiki locked his gaze on Ayanokoji. He had been wondering why Manabe's hostility toward Karuizawa had gotten worse lately. Now it all made sense.
'But... from a certain perspective, did I indirectly cause all this...?'
Saiki seemed to realize something.
He had casually mentioned Karuizawa's name in front of Ayanokoji earlier, and that made Ayanokoji take notice...
Feels like a lot of trouble has been born without him even realizing...
And the person standing in front of him, is the biggest troublemaker of all.
"By the way, Saiki, what kind of person do you think Chabashira-sensei is?"
At this moment, Ayanokoji opened his mouth and asked.
[Chabashira claimed to have made contact with that man, but I currently have no way of confirming that. If it's Saiki, maybe he'd know something about it. I can use Saiki to probe for information.]
'So he's asking about that after all... Wait, Ayanokoji seems to have taken action in class because of Chabashira-sensei's lies, then if he learns the truth, he probably won't continue trying to climb to Class A, right? That might reduce the trouble a bit.'
Saiki thought this to himself.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/XenosX
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰