Preparation

Once lunchtime came around, everyone went to eat. Lately, I've come to believe that dining with friends is actually the most difficult aspect of student life.

Take Kushida Kikyou, for example. She's extremely popular and has many friends, both girls and boys. She gets personal invitations, along with constant invites over the phone and through text messages. Even though she's unable to respond to everyone and sometimes has to turn people down, when she eats with friends she appears to have a real life.

On the other hand, you've got people like Ike and Yamauchi, who aren't very popular with girls. They eat with their group of guy friends, including Sudou and Hondou, almost every day.

Meanwhile I started to feel I don't really belong anywhere anymore. Those guys seems starting to resent me out of jealousy from being so excellent, and out of anger for 'swindling' out Ike for 20,000 points. I think they're starting to believe I'm some kind of con artist, it's unnerving.

"And now I am here."

"And that's how you came up to me?"

"Come on, aren't loners like us supposed to stick together?"

Well loners aren't called loners if they were together with someone, but details details...

"Well, I don't really mind."

"Then it's decided, nice to meet you Ayanokouji-kun."

"Yeah, nice to meet you too."

I extended my hand to him, he reached out and shook each other's hands.

After that we started eating our lunch together.

And this is how I started interacting with our protagonist.

'

"Oh man, another day of practice is gonna be exhausting..."

Another day arrived and I'm feeling really lazy. I only have 1 hour of sleep after going all nighters of playing a hentai game.

"Yaaawwwwnn..."

Although it might be inappropriate to yawn, I don't really care right now. At this rate I might be sleeping class.

"Good morning, Seishirou-kun." I heard a voice behind me calling my name.

"Areh...?" I looked back and saw a beautiful girl.

It was Horikita.

"H-hey, what's up. It's been a while Horikita-san." I resumed walking following Horikita's pace.

"Good morning." Horikita greeted me. She seems to have opened up a little bit, to me in particular.

Does that mean I have become one of the main characters too? I mean... Horikita was the female lead of the story right?

"I heard about you from Chabashira-sensei. Apparently you scored at the top amongst the freshmen in the entrance exam." Horikita said.

"Really? I guess it was something I should be happy about. Maybe I'll treat myself with ice cream deluxe tonight." I said.

The entrance exam weren't really all that hard. All I need was to review some of the materials I learned in my past life, and taking advantage of the system's cheat ability.

Horikita seems to be puzzled by my nonchalant reaction, "Aren't you unsatisfied on how the school evaluated you?"

"Oh yeah, about that..." She was talking about how the school segregates students from the inferiors to the superiors. In which the Class that we are in, Class D, was at the bottom of the hierarchy. "I also heard that you confronted sensei about this issue yourself."

"I was just questioning the school's judgement. I for one am sure, I was at least not lower than Class A."

"You really think highly of yourself..." I muttered silently.

Though it wasn't like what she said is without substance. She was great in studying consistently getting high scores. From what I see in our swimming lessons she's also quite athletic. Not to mention that her looks was top tier looking really elegant. Though she doesn't have any friends, she's definitely a top tier student.

"Have you talked with the student council president again after that night?" I asked her.

Horikita paused slightly when I mentioned her brother, "We haven't contacted each other after."

"I see. A squabble between siblings huh..."

Horikita's eyes narrowed at me. Apparently she heard me.

We went together on our way to the classroom.

Along the way I saw Kushida walking with some of her friends. She noticed the two of us and said something to her friends. And then she came to us with hurrily.

"Good morning! It's so rare to see both of you together Horikita-san and Seishirou-kun." Kushida greeted us with her usual angelic smile.

"Good morning Kushida-san." I greeted her back.

"I'm going."

"Ah wait, Horikita-san..."

Seeing Horikita going at a faster pace leaving both me and Kushida alone.

"So uh... She really took action to avoid you huh." I couldn't help but said to Kushida with consoling tone.

"Hm... But at least Seishirou-kun doesn't seem to hate me."

No, I still hated you until now. Not as much as before though.

"By the way Kushida, I wanted you to do something for me."

If I remember it right, just after the midterms would be the time where Class C would provoke Sudou in a fight. I could smell an opportunity to gain massive amount of private points from this.

"Is it, another 'night time' activities?" she whispered to me in a hushed voice getting careful that nobody would hear.

"No, I'm fine. It's another matter entirely."

'

After the afternoon club practice it was already around 6 in the evening.

Today it was announced that I would join as a regular despite being a first year. My position would be that of a wing spiker, and I'm actually really good at it.

My seniors were encouraging and we're saying that with me in the team, they could at least aim a higher place in this year's Inter High Nationals. And when we're placed in a high ranking, they said that we would gain a huge amount of private points and class points.

This is my first time hearing that club activities would make you gain class points too, even the anime didn't include that.

"Good work, Seishirou-kun." A cute girl was sitting on a bench beside a vending machine for sports drinks.

"Hey, Kushida. Is it about what I asked you about earlier?"

Kushida nodded in confirmation, "Yes. Some of my friends in Class C told me that there were rumors about their guys are planning against Sudou-kun."

"Having a wide range of social circle is really useful huh."

What a useful girl you are.

"I was surprised at first. Why would Class C do something so mean? Sudou-kun isn't even doing anything to them." Kushida lamented.

"Well, I don't much about it myself. But for now follow my orders and continue gathering information. Can you do that for me... uh... please?"

Hearing my awkward polite speech made Kushida a little bit startled. And then she smiled genuinely.

"Well I guess I don't have much choice do I? And even without Seishirou-kun telling me, I would do anything I can to help Sudou-kun."

That's right. Even if she had a angelic mask, it's not like her actions were all lies. She genuinely would like to help a troubled classmate, albeit as long as there was something in it for her.

"Alright. Do be careful about the guy I talked to you about though."

"Ryuen-kun, right?"

"Mm. Take extra precautions especially his closest henchmen. I doubt they'd use violence against a pretty and popular girl, but we never know..."

I also told her about Ryuen. A guy in the anime that was very cunning and played dirty. Though his plan got thrashed by our protagonist, he's still a threat if ever his eyes would set on me.

I better not stand out anymore than necessary. Kushida would take that role for me, I'm sure she would be glad about that.