"Are you okay?"
As I stood frozen in front of the door, Ayanokōji peered over, looking concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I should be asking you two... what is with all this obsession?"
I blurted out the words I had been holding back, but they seemed to think I was talking about Ms. Chabashira, so neither of them challenged me.
"...Let's just... go home," Ayanokōji said after a few seconds of silence, then began to walk quickly, almost as if he was running away. Of course, Horikita wasn't about to let him get away.
"Wait," she called out, chasing after him, but Ayanokōji didn't stop. He probably intended to get away. I reluctantly followed them both.
"That score... was it really a coincidence?"
"The person involved said so. Do you have any evidence it was intentional?"
Ayanokōji said this, but I knew it was almost certainly not a coincidence. I had seen his answer sheet; he had perfectly answered a difficult math problem that most people got wrong. Yet, he also missed some basic questions, which was clear proof that he hadn't tried his best.
"I don't have evidence, but... Ayanokōji-kun, there are a few things that don't make sense. You say you're a pacifist, so you don't seem interested in Class A at all."
"You're the one who seems to have an unusual obsession with Class A."
"...Is that wrong? To try hard to have an advantage in future education and career opportunities?" Horikita answered after a slight pause. She wasn't lying, but I knew there must be more to her goal. It reminded me of her expression a month ago during the club introductions.
"No, it's not wrong. It's a natural thing."
"When I entered this school, I thought graduating was the goal. But in reality, it wasn't. I haven't even reached the starting line yet."
She had caught up to Ayanokōji and was now looking at him with strong, determined eyes. I figured once she was done persuading him, she'd turn her attention to me. While I felt a little down about that, I didn't miss a single part of their conversation.
"So, you're serious about aiming for Class A?"
"First, I'll confirm the school's true intentions. Why was I placed in Class D? If, as Ms. Chabashira said, I was judged to belong in Class D... then I will aim for Class A. No, I will definitely rise to Class A."
"That's going to be extremely difficult. You'll have to reform the problem students. Sudō's tardiness and skipping habits, talking during class, his test scores. Doing all that just gets you back to zero."
"...I know. I'm hoping it was a mistake on the school's part."
I hadn't just spoken to Ms. Chabashira earlier. My words were also meant for Horikita, who was obsessed with getting into Class A, and Ayanokōji, who was so stubbornly hiding his true abilities.
"If we assume it wasn't a mistake, how do you plan to get to Class A?"
"I don't think the school will continue to just watch. I'm sure there will be an opportunity for our points to increase or decrease significantly all at once."
Her mind was sharp, as expected. In just one day, she was already convinced that inter-class conflict existed.
"Are you talking to Ayanokōji-kun now because you want him to cooperate at that time?"
"Yes. I'm starting with the one who's likely to refuse first. You're next."
I figured as much. Given my usual demeanor, she probably thought it would be easy to get my cooperation. In fact, I was willing to help if a certain condition was met.
Horikita's gaze returned to Ayanokōji. However, I didn't think he would agree so easily.
"I saw you refuse Hirata this morning. Can't I refuse for a similar reason?"
"Do you want to refuse?"
"What, do you think I'd be happy to help?"
"I didn't think you'd be happy to help, but I didn't expect you to refuse. If you're serious about refusing, then... no, let's not think about that now. It's pointless. So, are you going to cooperate or not?"
That's scary. Horikita looks like she'd hit him without a second thought. Ayanokōji seemed to think the same thing, and he looked at me with pleading eyes.
"I'm sorry, but I can't say anything about this. You have to decide on your own."
There was nothing more I could say. Agreeing or refusing would greatly affect his school life, and I couldn't take that responsibility. He seemed to understand my subtle message, and after a few seconds of silence, he sighed and replied.
"...If you'll agree to one condition."
"It depends on what it is," Horikita said.
"I'll consider it if Tsugumi cooperates with you."
...Didn't I just tell him to decide on his own?
Perhaps my thoughts showed on my face, because Ayanokōji held up both hands to justify his answer.
"No, this is the result of my own thinking. First, if I cooperate with just Horikita, I don't know what she'll make me do. If you're in the middle, I can avoid unreasonable demands. Next, if you, a potential leader, are there, it'll be easier to get our classmates to cooperate. That way, the burden won't fall on me alone, and we can efficiently earn points."
"...What do you think of people?" Horikita muttered, annoyed.
But I was impressed. He had found a good compromise. If he kept refusing, Horikita wouldn't give up. So, it was better to show a willingness to cooperate while setting a condition that benefited him. The fact that he came up with this in a few seconds showed how smart he was.
"Well, I'm going home. You two can talk it over."
...I guess it's also possible he's just dumping this problem on me.
After watching Ayanokōji walk away, I knew I was the next target. Horikita looked annoyed, probably because she didn't like what he had said. Since I didn't know when she might bite, I decided to act first.
"How about we go eat something first? My treat."
I placed a hand on Horikita's head as she stood there with her arms crossed, looking unhappy, and patted her gently. It was a little early for dinner, but I wanted a place where we could sit and talk.
...It's strangely addictive. I didn't think she was the type to care about her appearance, but her smooth black hair is so nice to pet... Ouch!
"...Don't get too carried away."
"Sorry..."
What a scary woman, honestly.
----------
"I agree we should change locations, but why do we have to come to your room?"
Horikita's voice, full of dissatisfaction, echoed from the living room.
That's right, Horikita was relaxing in my room right now. I wanted to answer her properly, but I couldn't let the dish in front of me burn, so I replied in one word.
"Don't worry, I won't attack you."
Besides, Horikita seems heavy.
"...That's not what I'm talking about," she muttered in protest.
But she didn't say anything else, as if she realized it was useless to argue further. This girl is surprisingly weak to pressure. She came to my room even though she was confused. I guess it also means she trusts me.
"Here's the omelet rice. Eggs were okay, right? I made something easy so you wouldn't have to wait, but I promise it'll taste good."
I didn't have time to cook rice, so I used microwaveable rice, mixed in fried wiener, ketchup, salt, and pepper. Then I wrapped the ketchup rice in a thinly-spread egg seasoned with a little consommé. It's easy and tastes so good, you should try it. I thought about drawing a heart with ketchup, but I decided against it since it would be bad if it got on her uniform.
"...Fine. I'll eat it," she said, looking dissatisfied but eating politely anyway.
She wrapped the ketchup rice with the fluffy egg and put it in her mouth. Yep, cute girls even look good when they're eating.
"How is it? Is it good?"
"...Don't stare at me so much."
"Sorry, sorry."
I didn't get to hear her thoughts on the taste, but she started eating silently the moment I left my seat, so I guess it wasn't bad.
"Thanks for the food... You're a good cook, you know."
"You're welcome. Yeah, it's one of my specialties."
I had been making my own meals since I was about nine in my previous life. Before that, I ate only convenience store bento boxes and bread. It would be a lack of talent if I didn't become a good cook after that.
"So, will you cooperate, Saitō-kun?"
"Yeah. But I have one condition."
"You, too... I suppose that's fine. What is it?"
It's true, I said the same thing as Ayanokōji. But this was something I needed her to promise.
"It doesn't have to be now. But you must cooperate with everyone in the class. That's the condition."
"...What if it's more effective not to cooperate?"
"That's fine. But you can't abandon our classmates, saying they're 'useless.' That's an absolute. Just like with this test, you have to save them, even if it means using points to buy their test scores."
Horikita averted her gaze at my words. I knew it.
"Even if they're a negative for the class, we shouldn't abandon them? For example, Sudō-kun. You might not know this, but he's prone to violence. If he gets into a fight and is sued, we don't know what kind of penalty he'll face. I don't think we should save them at a great cost, even if we don't want them to drop out."
"Even so, Horikita-san. For starters, it's wrong to think you can abandon people who are less capable. That kind of thinking is wrong."
"Wrong? What's wrong with my thinking? You didn't invite me here to lecture me about how people who abandon their classmates have no future, did you?" Horikita said, raising her voice and glaring at me.
However, I couldn't overlook her eugenic-like way of thinking. It would bring unhappiness to a lot of people. It might be okay now because she's young, but it would lead to a big problem eventually.
"I'm not saying your way of thinking is wrong. It's not my place to do that. But do you really think the school is judging people based only on their good behavior and attitude?"
"That..."
"You should know this, too. Sudō-kun has great athletic ability, and Ike-kun has good communication skills that can lift up the mood. Right now, their negative traits stand out, but if they grow, they can become a huge asset. That's why Ms. Chabashira called us 'defective.' Isn't that right?"
"..."
Horikita fell silent, completely different from her earlier self. This meant my words were convincing enough to make her unable to argue.
...She's a smart girl. Even with a crack forming in her own values, she's still trying to look at things objectively.
"Even if you can't accept it, that's okay. As I said before, I'm not denying your way of thinking. But even if you think purely in terms of profit and loss, there must be advantages to keeping them... no, there must be disadvantages if they drop out."
"...We can reduce the negative points given to the class when someone drops out."
"Thinking about it that way might make you feel better. I understand that you don't like them. But if you're serious about wanting to go to Class A, you shouldn't abandon them, even from a profit-and-loss perspective."
Honestly, I wanted her to make a decision based on something other than profit and loss, but saying that to her now would only make her reject it. It would be easier for her to accept if I made a concession first.
My prediction was correct. After a few seconds of hesitation, she nodded.
"I understand. But it won't be easy to pull them out of a failing grade. Since you said all that, you'll cooperate, right?"
"Of course. You haven't forgotten my test score, have you?" I replied with a smile. Horikita looked at me with a sour face.
"...It's a mystery to me. It's frustrating, but you're better than me at both sports and academics. Why are you in Class D?"
"Hmm. That's a secret."
If I told her it was because of dating-for-money and pachinko, she would probably be completely turned off. I want to take this secret to the grave.
"I see. Well, I'll be leaving now. I don't know when you might harass me again."
I'm not going to attack you.
"Well then, good night, Saitō-kun. I look forward to working with you starting tomorrow."
Perhaps my reaction was amusing, as Horikita smiled slightly before leaving the room.
"...I'm tired," I muttered, lying down on my bed.
I got heated about something that wasn't my business, but I couldn't help it. Horikita probably hadn't even considered that students could be expelled for reasons other than failing grades, but if you go to the upperclassmen's classrooms, you can clearly see that there are fewer desks. I don't know if it's because of the school's exams, but if they start acting with the intention of abandoning others, it could lead to irreversible consequences...
"...No, that's not it."
A monologue slipped out of my mouth, a side effect of doing something I wasn't used to. Students without ability will be expelled...
"This school is seriously messed up."
============
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