"No. You're right that no lone individual can solve this problem. We won't even make it to the starting line without everyone's help."
"Well, it sounds like we've got a huge problem on our hands."
"We have three major, immediate issues. Tardiness and talking during class are the first two. Third, we must make sure no one fails the midterm exam."
"I think we'll manage those first two issues, but the midterms..."
"That's right, even if they get over tardiness and talk during class, they still have students with terrible grades," said Shibata.
"Yeah, but as far as I can remember there were no students who dropped out at that time. That means they can handle it, right?" Hamaguchi confirmed.
"That's what we're going to see now, how they get through the difficulties they're facing," Kanzaki said while crossing his arms.
The short test we'd taken had contained a few difficult questions, but overall it had been pretty easy. Even at that level, some students had failed. Honestly, their chances of passing the midterm exam were slim.
"I need your help, Ayanokouji-kun."
"Help?"
Horikita glared at me.
"What if I refuse? Like how you refused Hirata this morning."
"Do you want to refuse?" she asked.
"What if I said I'd gladly help?"
"I never would've thought you'd do it gladly, but I doubt you'd refuse. If you did refuse to work with me, then that would be the end of it. No matter what I said about our future, I'd be powerless if you refused. So, will you help me or not?"
I wanted to say what she'd said before, when she'd silenced Hirata... What was it, again? Well, it wasn't as though I would just bluntly refuse someone who asked for my help. Then again, if I told her I would help, she'd probably run me into the ground until graduation. I needed the heart of a demon.
"I refuse," I said.
"Somehow I'm glad Ayanokouji-kun said that," Sonoda said, getting the attention of Nishimura and Maezono who were sitting nearby, "I mean, I don't really like how Horikita-san rudely rejected Hirata-kun and the way she asked Ayanokoji-kun for help with demands like that."
"I think so too, Horikita-san's attitude is too arrogant," said Nishimura, Maezono also nodded in agreement.
"I always knew you'd help, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm grateful."
"I didn't say that! I turned you down!"
"No, I heard the voice inside your head. You said you'd help."
"Sometimes I'm amazed how you insist and don't care about anything to achieve your goal, Suzune," said Hasebe admiringly.
Horikita sighed at Hasebe's words, looks like she should be used to the girl's jokes.
Terrifying! It was like she could read my thoughts.
"I don't even know how I could help you, though." Besides being an exemplary student, Horikita was incredibly quick-witted. She probably didn't need my skills.
"Don't worry. I don't require your brain power, Ayanokouji-kun. Leave the planning to me, and act as I tell you."
"Huh? What do you mean by act?"
"Doesn't our lack of points trouble you, Ayanokouji-kun? If you follow my instructions, I promise you we'll see a point increase. I would never lie."
"I don't know what you're cooking up, but there are other people you could count on. If you made friends, they'd cooperate with you."
"Unfortunately, no one else in Class D is nearly as easy to manipulate as you."
"Ku ku ku ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!"
Ryuuen suddenly burst out laughing, attracting everyone's attention. Most of them were confused as to why he was laughing, but no one dared ask out of fear or didn't really care about it.
On the other hand, Sakayanagi covered her mouth to suppress her laughter.
"No, there are several people. Hirata, for example. He's popular and smart, so he'd be perfect. Besides, he's worried that you're all alone, Horikita."
If she reached out to him, they'd probably become good friends.
"He's no good. Even if he has some talent and ability, I can't use him. To use an analogy, think about the pieces in shogi. Right now, I don't need a gold or silver general. I want a pawn."
So, you just called me a pawn? That's what you called me?
"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!"
Ryuuen burst out laughing again, but this time he wasn't alone. Sakayanagi who usually kept herself dignified and polite, couldn't hold back her laughter any longer and let her laughter escape until she burst into laughter.
Just like before, no one dared to interrupt when the two class leaders laughed. Ibuki who usually interrupts Ryuuen didn't do anything, on the contrary, Ibuki understood what Ryuuen was feeling because she also found Horikita's words funny.
Ibuki knows enough about Ayanokouji when he is serious. In her view, Ayanokouji is a very manipulative person more than Ryuuen, he is also strong in martial arts, and in addition to his extraordinary academic abilities that Ibuki just found out about. So when she heard Horikita say Ayanokouji was a person who was easily manipulated and made him a pawn it was really funny to her. Luckily she was able to stop herself from laughing and only gave a small smirk.
After a few moments of laughing heartily, Sakayanagi finally managed to calm herself down. She corrected her posture and gave a small cough to restore her dignified self.
"Ahem, sorry for the unsightly sight. I lost control a little earlier," said Sakayanagi.
"What's wrong with you?" Kamuro asked curiously.
"Oh, nothing. I just found Horikita-san's words funny."
"Funny? I don't see where it's funny."
"Fu fu, of course. That's because we have different amounts of information about what's going on," Sakayanagi said with amusement.
"Then does Ryuuen also have that information?" Hashimoto asked curiously.
"Who knows? I'm also curious about that," said Sakayanagi while looking at Ryuuen.
Meanwhile, Horikita only made a bitter expression when Sakayanagi and Ryuuen laughed at her. After learning about Ayanokouji's true self, she realized how ridiculous the words her past self had said were.
But then Horikita's eyes widened as she noticed something strange and confused her, the other students didn't seem to notice since they had absolutely no idea what Horikita knew.
What confused Horikita was only one.
For those who knew about Ayanokouji's true self, it was natural for them to laugh at her.
But... why are Ryuuen and Sakayanagi also laughing?
"So, if a pawn were to cooperate, he could become a gold general?"
"An interesting answer, but you don't seem like the type to make that effort, Ayanokouji-kun. Besides, haven't you been thinking, 'I've always been a pawn, I don't want to advance,' all along?"
She'd shot me down with precisely the right brand of ammunition. If I were a normal person, my feelings would've been hurt.
"Sorry, but I can't help you. I'm not suitable for this," I said.
"Well, contact me once you've given it some thought. I look forward to hearing from you."
Horikita wasn't paying attention to what I'd said in the slightest.
Video ends.
Everyone sighed and started to relax their bodies in their seats as usual. But now they need it more because this video is more thrilling than the previous one.
Starting from the events of May 1 and Chabashira's cold words to her students, to Ayanokouji's true academic abilities being shown.
After seeing all that, they all needed time to calm down and process the information they had obtained.
"All right, everyone. As usual, the next video will be broadcast in five minutes, please rest for a while."
Eve's words echoed in the room.
= = =
Thanks for reading!
Long time no see everyone, it took me a long time to finish this chapter. I'm sorry for the delay because lately I've been lazying myself by watching the Fifa World Cup.
That's all I have to say, see you in the next chapter.
You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net