12 Chapter 12 - Outsider
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"I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion." ~Alexander the Great
"Everyone, please settle down," Chabashira said to the class. It was June 1st, and the class was hoping we had earned some class points for our recent achievements and good behavior, as well as passing the midterms. "You are right to be hopeful. Class C has received 92 class points for this month." Chabashira announced, causing the class to cheer.
"Yes! I can finally eat something other than disgusting vegetable soup!" Ike exclaimed, happy with the increase in class points.
Hirata then said, "Well done, everyone. We deserve this. But let's be careful with how we use our points so we don't end up in a situation like last month." The class nodded in agreement.
"However, there is one thing you should know. Your points are on hold for now, so you'll have to wait a little longer until you receive them." Chabashira added.
"On hold? Why?" Karuizawa asked Chabashira, sounding annoyed.
"That's the school's decision. It has nothing to do with me. You'll see your points when they process the allowance." Chabashira answered.
***
It was lunchtime, and as usual, I got my cake and sat by myself. I did not mind standing out in a social environment like this school, as it was not that uncommon. In a school like this, there were always outcasts.
I had confirmed what I already knew and concluded that I preferred solitude. I was capable of socializing if I wanted to; I was simply introverted, not asocial. But there was no point in engaging in meaningless social interaction. While I ate my cake I looked in Kikyo's direction. She had done an excellent job of taking control of the class; though she could not be called the leader or the general of the class, she was close. If Hirata were not around, she would probably be the one to replace him quickly. She had acted strangely in class, not talking much after our "conversation," but she seemed to have calmed down. My eyes then moved to Hirata, another character I wanted to learn more about. He was definitely an interesting character, and if my conjectures were correct, his past was probably intriguing.
These shoes are annoying. I think to myself, staring at them. However I promptly swap my focus onto Horikita and Ayanokoji. One was a character who would naturally interest me, given her relationship with the student council president and the fact that she had earned Kikyo's hatred for some reason. It's interesting, Kikyo had cursed Horikita on the roof in a similar way to how she had cursed me over the phone. Could Horikita knows something about her? No, there was no evidence to support that hypothesis at this point, but I was confident that Kushida knew something about Horikita before she came to this school. Ayanokoji was just as complex of a character as all the others I was interested in, but not because of his complexity, rather because of his simplicity. But behind that, he was surely hiding something.
Soon, I would learn more about all of them. I was sure I could learn more about Kushida and Horikita if I really wanted to, but sadly, there was no point in knowing right now since it would not be a good time to confront them. I thought to myself, finishing my cake.
As I was about to dispose of my trash, I noticed one of the loners who was somewhat similar to me, though this one appeared more asocial than introverted. Airi Sakura was her name; she was a fellow Class D student. She seemed more distant than usual, no, distant was not the right word. She was always distant, so distance should not affect her normal behavior when alone. She seemed more nervous.
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. "Well, it's not that interesting," I thought to myself as I headed back to class.
Chabashira sensei called for Sudo before the end of the day. I observed Sakura's nervous and guilty expression as she glanced around. I deduced that she knew something about the reason for Sudo's removal. It could be related to the problem with the points since they depend on the class's performance. Sakura might have some information that could be useful.
I thought to myself that Kikyo would handle whatever situation arose as I headed to Class C. I had been curious about the other classes, especially C and B. They seemed to be the most unremarkable in terms of overall talent. I would even say that Class D had more potential, but Class D also had more troublemakers and discord.
I opened the door to Class C and noticed some familiar faces. One of them was Kakeru Ryuen, the tyrant of Class C. If Class C was as bad as I assumed, then he must have some remarkable qualities. I also saw the three people who usually accompanied him: Mio Ibuki, Albert Yamada, and Daichi Ishizaki.
I walked into Class C, and the friendly atmosphere turned silent. Ryuen stared at me with a hostile gaze. "You have a nice space here," I said, looking around.
The class was silent as they looked at Ryuen, who was sitting on a table. I turned my eyes to a girl who seemed unaffected by the incident. She had silver hair and was reading a book. She briefly met my gaze but then returned to her book.
"So you're from Class D, right?" Ryuen asked, getting off the table and facing me.
"That is correct. Eru Lawliet." I replied, giving him my name since I already knew his.
"Oh, I see. An important member, too." He scanned me with his eyes, probably trying to measure me. "You've got some nerve to come here. Are you here to spy on us for your class or because of the report?"
"The report?" I asked, then realized what he was referring to. "Oh, I see. That's why he was called to the office. But no, I'm not here to spy on you or because I care about Sudo's situation." I said, surprising Ryuen and attracting some attention.
"Ryuen, this guy is suspicious! We should kick him out!" Ishizaki shouted, and some of the class nodded.
"Shut up, Ishizaki. You're an idiot. He can do whatever he wants as long as he follows the school rules. He knows that, or he wouldn't bother coming here and wasting his time. But I'm curious, if you're not here to spy on us or because of your classmate, then why are you here?" Ryuen asked.
"Personal interest, really. Class D is quite dull at the moment, so I wanted to see what the life of a Class C student was like." I answered as I took out some candy from my bag. "Would you like some?" I offered him some.
"Hahaha," Ryuen laughed loudly. "I heard you were smart, but now I understand why you're an outcast in your class." He took some candy from my hand. "Help yourself to the Class C experience, but if you're here to try something, you might as well leave." He said, walking back to his seat. The gazes in the room shifted away from me, and some people left the room as the classes were over.
I was intrigued by the silver-haired girl who seemed indifferent to the situation. I decided to approach her and ask her a question. "Do you enjoy reading?" I asked her, taking the empty chair next to her and squatting on it. Some people looked at me, and the girl gave me a brief glance but did not answer. "I read a lot, though I haven't done so much since I came to this school," I continued, hoping to get her attention. "Maybe I should, though. It would keep me entertained at night when I have trouble sleeping."
The girl finally spoke up. "You really like books? What's your favorite one?" She asked me shyly, and her classmates seemed surprised that she spoke.
"I enjoy mystery and detective stories, but my favorite book is Crime and Punishment," I answered.
"That's a good one," she said, smiling. She then started to talk enthusiastically about different books we had both read.
"Well, I'll talk to you some other time," I said, wanting to talk to Ryuen and his group.
"I see. My name is Hiyori Shiina," she said, introducing herself.
"I will remember that, Shiina," I replied before leaving the seat and walking towards Ryuen and his group. Everyone in the group, except for Ryuen, glared at me.
"So you really just came here just to waste your time," Ryuen said to me.
"That's not true. I had an interesting conversation about literature. Besides, Class C is not very complicated to figure out. Even if I were a spy, there would be no point in coming here." I said, provoking Ishizaki to shout at me.
"What do you mean? Are you saying we are simple, you bastard? You're here to cause trouble, aren't you?" He spat out.
"I apologize if I offended you, but I only stated the truth. Class C is simple but not necessarily inferior. A dictatorship is a simple form of government, but a thriving one is rare indeed," I reply calmly.
"Is that so? I suppose Class D would have some insight into that. I heard you guys are having trouble even assigning roles to your class. So, who's the leader of Class D right now? That Hirata guy?" Ryuen asks me with a smirk.
"Some might see him as such, but I would say our class is in a similar situation as Class A, except that our leaders aren't fighting since they are both idealists," I inform Ryuen.
"Both?" He raises his eyebrows, surprised. I guess he only knows about Hirata. It makes sense since Kushida's achievements are more recent.
"Well, she's not officially a leader yet, and she shares Hirata's ideals, but I would say Kushida is essentially a co-leader of our class, given her intelligence and her contributions in recent history," I say. Ryuen nods his head, paying close attention to my words.
"Ryuen, do you seriously trust this freak?" Ibuki snapped at him.
"He's definitely weird," Ryuen responds with a smirk. "But he has no reason to lie. It would be easy to expose him if he was lying, so I don't think he'd risk his credibility like that. There must be some truth to his story." Ryuen pauses, then asks, "Don't you care that your classmate Sudo might get suspended or expelled? Don't you want to know the details?"
"I won't lie. I do care about the impact his possible suspension or expulsion could have on the class. But sadly, whatever you have planned won't succeed. Not because you did anything wrong, but because you were unlucky."
"Oh? Is that so? Can you explain?" he asks.
"Well, I'm not sure there's a point since you won't believe me anyway. I can't explain in detail, as it might harm my class. But the phrase 'you were unlucky' should give you a clue as to why your plan won't work."
"I see," Ryuen says and sighs. "Obviously, I can't trust your words and cancel what I've planned. But I do believe you. I wish Class C had someone like you. We have some smart people here in Class C, but most don't want to or are too afraid to cooperate with me. If I had someone like you, I think we would make a good team." Ryuen says, picking up his bag and looking at the clock in the class. "Well, anyway, I'm going to leave. Maybe we'll get a chance to work together in the future. It would be a waste to see someone like you rot away in Class D." Ryuen says as he walks out with his posse.
Kakeru Ryuen did not strike me as a remarkably intelligent person. He was not a genius, but he was not stupid either. He was something else, something that could be more valuable. He was practical. There are many people in the world who possess great intelligence but fail to utilize it properly. But people like Ryuen, who are only slightly above average in intelligence but know how to exploit it to the maximum, are the ones who truly dominate society. Their nature alone can elevate them to heights that others cannot even imagine.
After observing the Class C door for several minutes and remaining isolated in the classroom, I finally chose to leave and head toward my dorm room.
***
"Listen up, everyone," Chabashira said as she entered the class. "There's been a serious incident between Class D and Class C. Sudo over there got into a brawl with three Class C students." The class erupted in noise, but some people didn't seem surprised. It was Sudo himself, Ayanokoji, Sakura, Kikyo, and Horikita. I guessed they had discussed the matter among themselves. And Sakura, I had my doubts about her.
"Has the school taken any actions yet?" Hirata asked, standing up.
"No, the complaint came from the three Class C students. They claimed it was a one-sided attack, but Sudo says it was self-defense and that they provoked him." Chabashira explained the situation briefly.
"Then what's the problem, Chabashira sensei?" Sato asked.
"The problem is that the evidence is against you. You were unscathed, while the three Class C students were injured. And you have no witnesses to support your story. Right now, the situation is in Class C's favor. So the outcome is uncertain."
"But Chabashira sensei, you gotta believe me, I'm not guilty. I didn't start the fight; I was just defending myself."
"Is that so? Well, Class D, Sudo was also sure there was a witness to the even when questioned. Does anyone here have anything to say that can back up Sudo's claim? If you do, raise your hand." Chabashira asks the class.
But no one raised their hand.
"Too bad." She said. "But don't lose hope yet. If there is a witness, they will be notified of the incident. All the teachers in the school have been instructed to inform their classes about this." Chabashira says as she leaves the room.
"Sudo's is really worthless. We should have just let him flunk the midterms," Karuizawa says to the class.
"So that's why our points haven't been processed," Ike exclaimed.
"Everyone, please calm down," Kikyo says, swiftly taking charge of the class. "I truly believe that Sudo wouldn't partake in a fight without a reason, and I don't think he would lie to us about being innocent."
"You believe him?" Shinohara asks Kikyo.
Kikyo nods her head with her trademark smile on her face. "I do. So please, if you know anything, or if you saw someone who was near the incident yesterday, please tell me in person or by message."
"I also want to believe in Sudo," Hirata says, standing up.
With just a few words from these two, the mood of Class D changed quickly.
"I guess it would be unfair if he were punished for something he didn't do," Karuizawa says, and the class agrees with her.
***
After the class was over, I changed my plan of visiting Class B and headed to my dorm instead. I took off my shoes, grabbed a tub of ice cream, and started to enjoy my dinner.
But before I could savor it, I received a phone call. It was Kikyo.
"Yes?" I answered, wondering why she was calling.
"Hi, Eru Chan. I called you because of the situation you heard about today in class. This could be my opportunity to become a recognized leader of the class." She spoke as I ate my ice cream.
I responded with my mouth full. "That's true. So why are you calling me?"
"Well, aren't you going to help me? Or at least tell me what you want me to do?" Kikyo asked me, sounding confused.
"You are a puppet, Kikyo, but that doesn't mean you have no brain of your own. I won't always be there to guide you, and I think you can figure this out yourself."
"But... But Horikita is working on finding the culprit too, with Ayanokoji. It would look bad if they solved this situation before I did..." Kushida said, sounding worried. I don't know if it was because she did not wish to lose to Horikita or because she wanted to become a leader recognized by the entire class promptly. It could be a combination of both.
I sighed and said, "Fine, I guess I can give you a hint since it's two against one. If the witness doesn't come forward by today, stop looking in obvious places. The witness is most likely someone who likes to avoid trouble, someone quiet, or a loner. You'll know when you find the witness because they will be reluctant to talk about the Sudo incident. I trust you can find the witness before Horikita, so do your best."
"Thank you, Eru Chan. But you sound like you are sure there is a witness and like you already have an idea of who the witness is, though."
"Of course I do, but I will be observing this time. And if you do well, I will treat you to dinner again." I told her as an incentive.
"I'll definitely catch the witness then!" Kikyo exclaimed, and we soon hung up.
Honestly, the situation was quite easy to resolve. If there was no evidence to prove Sudo's innocence, then all one needed was blackmail to use against Class C or its three students to make them withdraw their claims. If there was evidence to support Sudo's claims that Sakura could provide, then the situation would be even simpler to handle.
Well, no point in thinking about it now. Instead, tomorrow, I'll finally pay a visit to Class B. Honami Ichinose, I can't wait to meet you.
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I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I can't wait for the island and cruise ship special test, and I think you guys are excited, too, so I'll try my best to make it good. We will be there in no time once I iron some things out.
