Classroom Of The Elite Chapter 7 Volume 1

It was the first weekend of May. Ike and the others began to listen to the teachers silently. Only Sudou continued to sleep in class, but no one tried to stop him. Since no one could find a definite way to increase our points, Sudou's habit was not overcome.

However, Sudou still earned the ire of many of his classmates every day.

...I was sleepy too. Since the time was right before lunch, it was hard to stay awake. I also stayed up late watching movies. It would be great if I could fall asleep now...

"W-whoah!?"

As I nodded, my right arm experienced severe pain.

"What's wrong, Ayanokouji, you're suddenly yelling, is it your age that's starting to rebel?"

"N-no. Sorry, Chiyabashira-sensei Some dust got into my eyes..."

Normally, the students would have started whispering, but they remained silent and sent me a glance, still wary of the subjects. While rubbing the sore part of my arm, I glared at my neighbor. In my peripheral vision, I saw Horikita holding a term needle in his hand.

This was not a normal situation. Why would he even have a term in hand? I didn't even think there was a reason to use it in class. As soon as class ended, I approached Horikita.

"There are good things to do and bad things! That term is dangerous!"

"Are you mad at me?"

"You made a hole in my arm! A hole!"

"What are you talking about? When did I stab Ayanokouji-kun with the needle of the term?"

"You're holding a dangerous weapon in your hand."

"Are you saying that I stabbed you just because I was holding something in my hand?"

I woke up not because of class, but because of the pain.

"Be careful, if they see you asleep, our points will be deducted."

Horikita began to be wary of such things in order to get us out of class D. Protesting to the school did nothing for him. Ah, that hurt. Damn it, if Horikita falls asleep in class, I'll do the same to him.

As everyone stood up to go to lunch, Hirata started talking.

"The test that Chiyabashira-sensei said will start soon. Everyone understands that they will have to drop out of school if they receive a failing mark. So, I think it would be best if we form a study group."

It seemed like the D class heroes decided to start a charity project.

"If you neglect your studies, you will soon receive a failing grade and drop out of school. I want to avoid that situation. Studying is not solely to avoid that situation, because there is also a high possibility that our test scores are reflected on us. If we get high scores, our class grades will probably go up. I asked some people who got good grades to help. So, I would like people who are worried about their grades to participate in this study. Of course, everyone is welcome to join. "

Hirata looked at Sudou as she made her speech.

"...Tch."

Sudou averted his gaze, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes.

Ever since Sudou rejected Hirata's invitation to do a self-introduction, their relationship had been bad.

"From 5 pm until the day of the exam, I plan to study every day for 2 hours in this class. If you have any thoughts of participating, please come. Of course, it doesn't matter if you have to leave halfway through. That's all."

As soon as she said that, several students with failing marks stood up and came to Hirata.

Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi were the only ones who did not approach Hirata. Ike and Yamauchi hesitated for a moment, but eventually they didn't approach her.

I'm not sure if they were afraid of Sudou's bad mood, or if they were just jealous of his popularity.

"Are you busy at lunch? Do you want to eat together?"

During the break time, Horikita came up to me and asked.

"An invitation from you is unusual, I feel scared for some reason."

"There's nothing to be scared of, I can buy you a vegetable set, if you're okay with that."

Isn't that a free meal...?

"Just kidding, I'll seriously buy you whatever you want to eat."

"It must be scary, is there any kind of trap?"

Seeing how Horikita invited me to eat with him, I couldn't help but feel suspicious.

I would be suspicious if I was invited out of line. I remembered Horikita saying it before.

"If we always doubted the true intentions of others, society wouldn't function, would it?"

"Well, that's true, but..."

I didn't have anything planned, so I followed Horikita to the cafeteria.

I chose one of the more expensive meals, found a seat, and sat down with Horikita.

"Alright, that's your deckimasu?"

Horikita looked at me as if she was waiting for me to eat.

"What's wrong, Ayanokouji-kun why aren't you eating?"

"O-oh."

How horrible. There must be a trap somewhere. There's no way this is free. Even so, I can't hold out forever. It would be a waste if I let it get cold. I hesitantly took a bite of my croquette.

"This is sudden, but listen to me."

"I have a bad feeling about this..."

Just as I got up and ran away, my hand was grabbed.

"Ayanokouji-kun, I'll say it again, will you listen to me?"

"Fua..."

"Since Chiyabashira-sensei's advice, the number of offenses in class has definitely decreased. It wouldn't be wrong to say that more than half of the reasons for points being deducted have been removed."

"Yes, that's right, it's not a very difficult problem to solve."

It might not last long, but at least the last few days were much better than before.

"Now, the next thing we have to do is to fix the test scores for the middle exam in two weeks. Before that, Hirata-kun also started taking action."

"Study groups, yes, well... I suppose that will help. But-"

"But, how? You seem to be implying something? Do you have a problem with study groups?"

"No, don't worry, it's just weird to see you worrying about others."

"Originally, I couldn't even imagine getting a failing score. However, it's true that there are students in the world who definitely fail their exams."

"Are you talking about Sudou and his friends? Cruel words as always, I understand."

"I'm just telling the truth."

Since none of the students could leave the school, contact anyone outside, or get school support, there was no other choice but to be taught by other students. "

"I was somewhat relieved that Hirata-kun proactively started a study group. However, Sudou-kun, Ike-kun, and Yamauchi-kun didn't join, right? I still feel uncomfortable."

"Oh, those people, they don't suit Hirata, they won't participate."

"In other words, those people will probably fail, and in order to get to A grade, we have to avoid negative points and focus on staying positive, right? I also think there's a high possibility that good test scores are related to getting positive points. "

It was natural to think that the students would get results proportional to the effort they put in.

"How about, you also hold a study group like Hirata? So that we can help Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi."

"Yeah, I don't mind that, you probably think it's surprising, huh?"

"Your whole attitude is surprising to me."

I wasn't really surprised. She was still doing this for herself, and I had never thought of her as particularly cold either.

"Well, I understand that you want to transfer to class A. However, I honestly never thought that you would use such ordinary methods of teaching them. After all, people like that hate learning. You also stayed away from the others since the first day, right? Commendable, someone like you who doesn't want friends offering to tutor them. "

"That's why I'm talking to you, isn't it? Fortunately, they're people close to you, right?"

"Ha? ...Hey, are you really-"

"It'll be faster if you talk to them. There's no problem because they're your friends, right? Take them to the library, I can help them study."

"You're saying some nonsensical things. Do you even think that someone like me who lives a quiet and unobtrusive life, can do that?"

"It's not a matter of 'can do' or 'can't do'. Just do it."

Am I your dog or something?

"It's your freedom to go for the A class, but don't involve me in your plans."

"You ate, didn't you? My latest. Lunch. It was so beautiful, the special flavors were delicious."

"All I get is honest good will from other humans."

"That's a pity, but it's not out of kindness."

"I can't hear you... Here, I'll give you some points, even now."

"I won't stoop that low to accept gifts from others, I'll refuse your offer."

"I'm starting to feel angry with you for the first time..."

"How about this? Will you cooperate with me? Or are you going to make me an enemy?"

"It looks like you're pointing a gun at my head and threatening me..."

"Not 'like', I'm actually threatening you."

Is this the power of violence? It's very effective.

Well... If it's just gathering them, I guess there's no problem cooperating, right?

Horikita's weakest point is that he won't make friends.

Also, Sudou, Ike, and the others are all people I made friends with after a lot of trouble. I can't let them drop out of school this quickly.

As I hesitated, Horikita urged me even more.

"You also didn't think that I would forgive you for cooperating with Kushida-san to call me out, did you?"

"You said you wouldn't blame her. Taking her out now is unfair."

"I said that to Kushida-san, but I don't remember saying it to you."

"Wow, you're dirty..."

"If you want me to forgive you, cooperate with me."

There seemed to be no way out for me from the start.

I thought she was just going to pull the subject, but I guess it was only possible by listening to her request now.

"There's no guarantee that they'll come. Do you have a problem with that?"

"I believe that you can gather everyone, here's my phone number if anything happens, call me."

Although in an unusual way, for the first time in high school, I got a girl's contact info.

It's Horikita, though... Well, I'm not too happy about it.

I looked around the classroom. Then, what am I looking for?

If I asked "Do you want to study together after school?", would someone come?

Me, Sudou, and Ike were only close enough to occasionally eat together. After all, they live far away from the lessons.

I have nothing to lose. I'll try one more time.

"Sudou, are you busy?"

I spoke to Sudou, who was walking back to class during the lunch break. He was sweating and panting.

He probably went to play basketball during the lunch break.

"What are you planning to do for the midterm?"

"That, well... I don't know, I've never studied seriously before."

"Oh, really, I have something good for you, I'm thinking of studying after school starting today, do you want to join?"

Sudou thought about it for a while, his mouth slightly opened.

"Are you asking seriously? If school lessons trouble me, I don't think I can study after school. Also, I have activities in the club. No way, no how. Are you going to teach? Your score isn't good, you know. "

"Well, Horikita will be teaching."

"Horikita, I don't know much about him, it seems suspicious, so I refused, I'll arrange it by slipping the time before the exam, you can go now."

As I expected, Sudou refused my invitation. He didn't get the point.

Damn it, that's not good. If I press further, he might actually hit me. Well, that can't be helped. Let's start with someone easier. I called out to Ike who was playing with his own phone.

"Hey Ike"

"Pass, I heard you talking to Sudou, study group? Well, not me."

"You know, you have to drop out if you fail, right?"

"I did get a red mark before, but now that I'm better, I'll do my best while stealing the previous night's time with Sudou."

Was she really saying that she would be fine with it? She didn't even feel any imminent danger.

"If that last short test wasn't a surprise, I would have gotten at least 40 points."

"I know what you want to say, but there are some things left to chance, you know?"

"After school is a very precious time for high school students, I won't spend my time studying."

She waved her hand, sending me away. Chatting with a girl over messages, she was too excited. Ever since Hirata started dating someone, Ike was also eager to get a girlfriend. I dropped my shoulders and returned to my seat. Pulling for Horikita, I tried to get him to give up.

"There's no point."

"...I heard, but what did you say?"

"I said, 'there's no point'. You didn't think that you weren't related to it, did you?"

Damn it. How impudent of her to refuse my request.

"No, of course not, I still have 425 tactics left."

I looked around the classroom again. Far from feeling nervous, the entire class had a relaxed atmosphere.

A method to make students who hate learning learn. Also, a way to make students utilize their free time instead of class time to study. Normally, I also refuse, but since they are in danger of failure...

I think that Sudou who refused my offer, will participate in studying at the first chance he gets.

I have no choice but to prepare some kind of initiative. Make him believe that there will be a reward if they study. And if possible, make it easy to understand; then, the plan will be a success.

-I understand!

Receiving a divine revelation from the gods, I turned to Horikita with widened eyes.

"Although it is your role to help them learn, it is not easy to invite them to learn. However, I need your power for that. Can you help?"

"What power? I'll listen... but what should I do?"

"How about something like this? You'll be their girlfriend if they get a perfect score on this test. They'll definitely bite if we add that incentive. Motivation for boys is always girls."

"You want to die?"

"No, I want to live."

"I listened because I thought you were serious about finding something, I was stupid for believing it."

No, I really thought it would work. This would probably be their biggest motivation to study. However, Horikita clearly didn't understand the hearts of boys.

"Alright, then, a kiss, you'll give them a kiss if they get a perfect score."

"You really want to die, huh?"

"I want to live a little longer."

A quick hand bumped the back of my neck. Damn it, Horikita showed no sign of agreeing to my proposed reward. This will be very effective. Looks like I'm back to square one.

Just as I thought, I noticed a conspicuous presence in the center of the class. It wasn't Hirata, but another person who was popular in the class. It was Kushida Kikyou.

She looked bright and vibrant, as always. A friendly figure who could talk to both boys and girls. Indeed, Ike loved Kushida very much, while Sudou and the others had no bad impression of her. Also, her test scores would be high. She is important to my plan.

"Hey-"

As soon as I called out to invite her, I reconsidered and gave up.

"What is it?"

"No... it's nothing."

She doesn't like getting involved with other people. Last time, when I worked with Kushida when Operation became friends, Horikita got angry.

For this study group, Horikita probably wouldn't accept Kushida, who didn't get a red mark.

For now, I would wait until Horikita returned to the dormitory before planning my plans.

Just like that, after school. Horikita quickly left the classroom and returned to the dormitory, as usual. Time to plan my plan. I had to get Kushida on the boat.

"Aren't you busy?"

I called out to Kushida who was preparing to go home. With an unexpected voice, she turned her head.

"It's unusual for Ayanokouji-kun to talk to me, do you need me to do something?"

"Yes, if it's okay with you, I'd like to talk to you outside."

"I'm going out with my friends, so I don't have much time but... of course."

Without any negative feelings, she followed me with a smile.

Sesampainya di sudut lorong, Kushida menungguku bicara.

"Selamat, Kushida, kau telah terpilih sebagai duta besar. Tolong berikan bantuanmu untuk kebaikan kelas."

"E-eto? Maaf, apa maksudmu?"

Aku menjelaskan kepadanya tentang kelompok studi yang ingin kami lakukan untuk membantu Sudou.

Tentu saja, aku juga menyebutkan fakta bahwa Horikita akan mengajar.

"Aku pikir kau bisa menggunakan kelompok belajar ini untuk lebih dekat dengan Horikita."

"Aku ingin mendekatinya ... tapi aku tidak mengkhawatirkan hal itu sekarang, kau tahu? Bagaimanapun, wajar jika membantu teman, jadi aku akan membantu."

Gadis ini, dia terlalu baik ... Sepertinya dia ingin mencegah Ike, Sudou, dan yang lainnya diusir.

"Apa kau benar-benar tidak masalah dengan itu? Jika kau tidak mau, aku tidak ingin memaksa mu."

"Ah, sorry, I didn't stay for a while not because I didn't want to help, but rather I was happy."

Kushida leaned against the wall and lightly kicked the aisle.

"It's cruel to kick people out for bad grades, after everyone has become such sick friends, isn't it sad that we have to say goodbye? When Hirata-kun decided to start a study group, I felt very amazed. But Horikita-san had observed the environment better than me. He saw Sudou-kun and his friends, after all Horikita-san started seeing the class as his friends, I'll do whatever it takes to help everyone!"

While holding my hand, Kushida told me to smile. Uwa, she's too cute!

But it's not a situation where I should be happy. Trying to look normal, I pretended to be calm.

"Then, I'll depend on you, you're very helpful."

There's no one who doesn't fall in love with her after seeing her smile.

"Oh, but can I ask for a favor? I also want to participate in the study group."

"Ha? You really want to?"

"I also want to study together with everyone."

Everything went the way I wanted it to. If Kushida was there, the study group would probably be amused by his presence. However, since Kushida had good grades, he had no reason to be there.

"In that case, when do we start?"

"Planning to start tomorrow, more or less."

I added "Horikita, at least" in my mind.

"Is that so? Then I guess I'll have to talk to everyone until the end of today, I'll call you back later, okay?"

"Oh, should I tell you the contact addresses of Sudou and the others?"

"It's fine~ I already have their contacts, the only thing I don't have is Horikita-san's address and your contact address..."

I didn't know that... I mean the second part.

"Are you two already dating?"

"D-where did that question come from? Horikita and I are friends... no, just neighbors."

"It's already a big rumor among the girls, you know? Horikita is always alone, isn't he? Ayanokouji-kun comes with her. You two also eat together."

Umu, so the girls who saw us together have already started making noises about us, I see.

"It's too bad, but that kind of sweet story between me and Horikita doesn't exist."

"Then there's no problem, right? Please exchange contact addresses with me."

"Sure."

With that, I got another girl's contact address.

⁰ₒ⁰

At midnight, while I was lazing around in my room, I received a text message. It was from Kushida.

"Yamauchi-kun and Ike-kun said OK~(^ - ω - ^) b"

"Too soon!"

Ike instantly rejected me with a wave of his hand the moment I asked him... The presence of a girl is definitely a big factor regarding men. It's like they hold unlimited power.

"I just contacted Sudou-kun too, and I think he'll agree too (^ ω ^)"

I received another letter. Oh~. At this pace, everyone will really meet tomorrow.

At this faster-than-expected development, I contacted Horikita with the news. I sent him a message about how I was cooperating with Kushida, that Ike and Yamauchi agreed to come, and how Kushida would also participate in the study group. "

"Well, time for a bath."

As soon as I got out of bed, I got a call from Horikita.

"Moshi moshi?"

"...I didn't understand your message."

"What do you mean, you didn't understand? Isn't it concise and simple? It looks like the three of them are coming tomorrow."

"That's not it. The part where you said Kushida-san helped. This is the first time I've heard that."

"I asked her before. For someone like Kushida who goes out of her way to help her classmates, she wants to participate regardless of whether I invite her or not, Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi will come Ok?"

"I don't remember allowing that, even she didn't get a bad score either."

"Hey... by introducing Kushida into our plan, the chances of success are going well. I just took the simplest measure to increase the probability of success."

"...I'm still not happy with that, shouldn't you have done it after seeking my approval?"

"I know that you hate someone as proactive as Kushida. However, this is to make sure no one fails. Or do you want to try to gather all the failed students by yourself?"

"That..."

It seemed like Horikita understood that putting Kushida on the board was a good thing.

Since he was too proud of himself, it was hard for him to agree.

"We also don't have much time until the exam. Is that okay?"

Speaking of which, Horikita didn't have much breathing room for his plan to work. But still, he was stuck on something and didn't say anything. Silence for a while.

"...Alright. We can't do anything without making sacrifices, but Kushida-san will only help collect failing students, I can't agree that she will participate in the study group."

"...No, why is that? That's a helpful condition. You're being unreasonable."

"I won't accept her participating in the study group, that won't change."

"What's this about it? Are you trying to get back at us when we cheat you?"

"That's unrelated, she didn't fail the exam. Having an extra person will only result in extra effort and confusion."

Her explanation was reasonable enough, but I didn't understand the reason why she refused to let Kushida join the study group.

"Do you hate Kushida?"

"Don't you feel uncomfortable around someone you hate?"

"Huh?

I didn't understand what she meant.

Kushida tried to understand and know Horikita more than anyone else, and tried to be his friend.

I never thought that Horikita really hated Kushida.

"What if they decide not to come because Kushida isn't coming?"

"...Sorry, reviewing the test materials took longer than I expected, I'll end the call since I've been using it for so long, good night."

"H-hey!"

She quickly hung up the phone. An antisocial person would probably do the same. However, to rise to A grade, it was necessary to compromise.

I let go of my phone, placed it on the table, then turned over in my bed.

I recalled the days since the entrance ceremony.

"A defective product, yes."

On the first day of school, that's what our second-year senpai said.

In English, it was "defective product".

That's what they used to laugh at the D class students. The perfect Horikita probably had some problems too. Somehow I was able to understand what he said today.

"What should I do..."

Should I try to force him? However, Horikita will probably leave in the worst case.

If Horikita didn't teach, everyone's time would be a complete waste.

Feeling heavy, I dialed Kushida's number.

"Moshi moshi~"

At first, I could hear a strong wind in the background. It quickly died away.

"By the way, did you dry your hair?"

"Oh, did you hear that? I just finished, so it doesn't matter."

Kushida just got out of the bathtub, yeah... wait, not the time to experience this delusion.

"No, uh, I have some bad news... Can you do it like I never asked you to collect the failing students?"

"...Um, why?"

She answered after a moment of silence. It seemed like she wanted to know the reason, rather than getting angry right away.

"Sorry, I can't talk about it at length, after all, it's a bit difficult."

"Is that so... I understand. Horikita-san really doesn't like me."

I didn't think I was being tactical at all, but it seemed like Kushida picked up over the phone.

"This has nothing to do with her, it's my fault."

"It's fine if you don't try to hide it~ I won't get angry, I thought she would reject me because it seems like she doesn't like me, it happened just as I thought."

I guess you could call it female intuition.

"Anyway, I was stupid for asking for your help."

"Uun, there's no need to apologize, but... I don't think that Horikita-san can gather Sudou and the others alone."

I couldn't deny that.

"Hey, what did Horikita-san say? Did she tell me to gather the others? Or is she against me participating in the study group?"

She got it right, as if she too was listening to the conversation.

"...Lastly, sorry for ruining the mood."

"Ahahaha, yeah, you don't need to apologize, she has a 'don't get close to me' aura, so I expected that to happen."

Even so, you're really perceptive.

"But everyone agreed to join because I said I would also participate... Before inviting me, couldn't you have lied that I couldn't participate? If you tell them now, everyone will probably hate Horikita-san..."

I felt a little afraid of Kushida. He understood everything.

"Can you hand this one over to me?"

"Hand this one over to you?"

"Tomorrow, I'll take everyone to Horikita-san. Of course, I'm coming too."

"That's-"

"It's okay, right? Or can you solve the problem? Is there a way to gather everyone without me, or a way to convince Horikita?"

It's too bad, but it's impossible.

"...I understand, I'll leave it to you, I won't know what will happen."

"It's okay, you won't be responsible for any of it, please, see you tomorrow."

The phone call ended. I never thought that I would be more tired than when I called Horikita. He said it was fine, but is that really true?

Horikita would insult and ridicule anything she didn't like, no matter who was on the receiving end. It was clear that this precarious situation would end in flames. Feeling anxious, I headed for the bathroom.

Let's stop thinking about tomorrow - it will only make me more depressed.

No matter how worried I was, tomorrow would come and go. Things will work out somehow.

Horikita pouts in the morning. It would be great if she cutely puffed out her cheeks and spoilingly punched a boy in the chest when she pouted.

I said that, but she was completely expressionless and silent. She didn't even acknowledge my existence.

But if I turn around to her, she'll probably take her time... School ended and then it was back to school.

"Did everyone gather for study group?"

The first words she said to me were about study groups. She also spoke in a way that implied something.

"...Kushida will bring them, I wonder if they will participate."

"Kushida's bringing them, huh, did you tell her that she's not allowed to participate?"

Horikita headed for the library with those confident words. As I was about to exit the classroom, I looked at Kushida who was again winking playfully.

Securing the corner of the long table near the edge of the library, we waited for the other students

"I brought them~!"

Kushida came to where we were waiting. Behind her was-

"We heard about the study group from Kushida-chan, I don't want to be expelled from school immediately, please help."

Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudou. However, there was one unexpected visitor. A child named Okitani.

"Okitani, do you have a red mark too?

"Ah, uh, no, I'm worried because I'm right on the border... am I... not allowed to join? It's a bit difficult to join Hirata-kun's group..."

Okitani looked at me with slightly red cheeks. Slender body, blue hair, and short bob hairstyle. A boy who is weak towards girls would immediately shout "I'm in love~!" If he wasn't a boy, it would be dangerous.

"It's okay if Okitani-kun joins, right?"

Kushida asked Horikita. His score was 39 after all, so it was natural for him to worry.

"If a student is worried about getting a red mark, then that's good, but you have to be diligent."

"B-good."

Okitani sat down happily. Kushida tried to sit beside her, but Horikita noticed.

"Kushida-san, didn't Ayanokouji-kun tell you? You-"

"To be honest, I was also worried about getting a bad grade."

"You... you didn't get a bad test on that last test."

"Well, it was luck. There were a lot of multiple choice questions so about half of them, I guessed, actually, I missed a bit."

Kushida roughly scratched his cheek while saying "Ehehe".

"I think, I'm roughly the same as Okitani-kun, if not worse, so I want to participate in the study group to avoid bad grades. No problem, right?"

I couldn't hide my surprise at Kushida's bold and unexpected plan. After confirming that Okitani could join, he turned the table. Horikita couldn't help but let her join.

"...Okay."

"Thank you!"

Kushida bowed to Horikita with a smile. Bringing Okitani was probably also part of his plan. He was using her as justification for him to join.

"Below 32 is a red mark, then 32 points is also a failing grade?"

"If it's 'below', then 32 points is safe. Sudou, can you make that?"

Even Ike was worried about Sudou. Of course these people wanted to know if it was "under" or "up".

"It doesn't matter, my goal is to make everyone here get at least 50 points."

"Geh, isn't that too hard for us?"

"It's dangerous if you only aim for the minimum, you guys who aren't even on target, are really annoying."

At Horikita's sound argument, the failure group reluctantly agreed.

"I can summarize most of the topics that will be covered in this test, I plan to thoroughly cover these topics in the next two weeks. If you have any questions that you don't understand, ask me."

"...Hey, I didn't even understand the first problem."

Sudou scowled at Horikita. I also read the question.

"A, B, and C have 2150 yen collectively A has 120 yen more than B... After C gave B 2/5 of his money, B now has 220 yen more than A. How much money does A have?"

A problem involving a system of equations. For high school students, it should be a free point.

"Try using your brain, if you give up early on, you'll get nowhere."

"Even if you say that... I don't even know how to study."

"Everyone in school has already skipped it."

The school did not decide admission based solely on scores. Sudou was probably admitted because of his high physical ability. If you think about it, wouldn't he be expelled soon because of his poor grades?

"Ugh, I don't know either..."

Ike was also confused as he scratched his head.

"Okitani-kun, do you know how to solve this question?"

"Um... A + B + C equals 2150 yen, and A equals B + 120..."

Okitani who somehow avoided failing the last exam, started to write down the equation.

Kushida looked over his shoulder.

"Un un, that's right, that's right, then?"

Kushida was definitely brave. Although he said that he was worried about getting a failing mark, he was teaching Okitani.

"Honestly, this problem can be easily solved by junior and sophomore high school students. If you fail here, you won't be able to do anything."

"Are we elementary school students...?"

"As Horikita-san said, it's very bad if you can't solve this problem. The first few math problems in the exam are this strong, but even I don't know how to solve the last problem."

"I can teach you how to do the system of equations if you want."

Horikita picked up his pen without hesitation. It was sad, but the only ones who understood how to solve the problem were Kushida and Okitani.

"First, what is the same of this 'system of equations'...?"

"...Are you serious?"

Wow, these people really live without studying at all. Sudou threw his mechanical pencil onto his desk.

"No, stop, this won't work."

Before starting, Sudou had already given up.

Seeing his pitiful state, Horikita became angry.

"S-everyone, wait, let's try our best. If you learn to solve this problem, you can apply your knowledge to the questions being tested.

"... well, if Kushida-chan says so, we'll try our best, but... if Kushida-chan teaches it to us, maybe I'll work even harder."

"U-um..."

Horikita remained silent when Kushida questioned him. It's bad when he doesn't say anything. Anyway, he remained silent, the others would probably stop studying. Kushida decided and picked up a mechanical pencil.

"This is, as Horikita-san said, a problem that uses a system of equations. I'll write down what I say as an expression."

As he said that, he wrote down three equations. It looked like they were trying their best, but even if she wrote down the equations and showed them, they might not understand. Instead of a study group, it was more like an obstacle. They didn't understand the explanation.

"So, the answer is ¥710. Did you understand?"

Satisfied, Kushida smiled and looked at Sudou.

"...Uh, then can you answer this question? Why?"

"Uu..."

She finally realized. They were not following her explanation.

"I'm not trying to deny you, but you guys are too stupid and incompetent."

The silent Horikita spoke.

"I fear for the future if you can't solve this problem."

"So what, this has nothing to do with you."

Feeling exasperated at Horikita's words, Sudou bumped the table.

"It has nothing to do with me. No matter how much you suffer, it doesn't affect me. It's only because I feel sorry for you... I think I've been running away from painful things all my life.

"Say what you want to say clearly. Studying won't be useful in the future either."

"Studying won't be useful in the future? An interesting argument. What makes you say that?"

"Even if I don't know how to solve a problem like this, I won't run into trouble. Studying is unnecessary, instead of sticking to notebooks, aiming to become a basketball player is much more useful for the future."

"That's wrong. If you learn to solve that problem, your whole life will change. In other words, if you learn, you'll have fewer problems, it's the same thing for basketball. I wonder if you've played? Basketball according to your own rules. Did you run away from difficult things like you did when you were studying? From the looks of it, it seems like you're not practicing seriously. That's the type of personality you have. If I were the club advisor, I wouldn't let you be ordinary. "

"Tsu!"

Sudou stood up and grabbed Horikita's collar.

"Sudou-kun!"

Even faster than I could respond, Kushida stood up and grabbed Sudou's arm.

Horikita raised his eyebrows and remained calm.

"I'm not interested in you, but I can understand the type of person you are. You want to be a basketball player? Do you think such a small wish can come true in this society? Half-hearted people like you, who give up easily will never become a professional. Furthermore, even if you become a professional, I don't think you'll be able to earn a sufficient annual income. You're a fool for setting your sights on such an ideal job. . "

"You...!"

It was obvious that Sudou was close to losing control. If he raised his fist, I would also have to jump out and restrain him.

"Can you stop studying, no, school? And then you can give up your dream of becoming a professional basketball player and live a miserable life with a part-time job."

"Ha... it's fine, I gave up, it's not that it's too hard for me, I took time off from my club activities, but it's just a waste of time. Goodbye!"

"You say some strange things. Studying is hard."

Horikita shot him the final blow. If Kushida had not been there, Sudou probably would have hit Horikita. Not hiding his irritation, he stuffed the notebook into his bag.

"Hey, is this okay?"

"It doesn't matter, for someone who is indifferent... there's no point in caring about someone like that, even if expulsion is at stake, he has no determination to stay in school."

"I think it's strange for someone like you who has no friends to invite people to the study group. At the very least, you brought us here just to call us stupid. If you weren't a girl, I would have hit you."

"You don't have the courage to hit me, do you? Don't use my gender as an excuse."

The study group started a while ago, but it had already collapsed.

"I stopped too, though a small part of that was because I couldn't study... Mostly because I was annoyed, Horikita-san may be smart, but that doesn't mean you're above us."

Losing his patience, Ike also gave up.

"I don't care if you drop out of school or not, so do as you please."

"Alright, I'll learn speeding one night for that."

"Interesting, aren't you here because you can't study?"

"Tsu..."

Even for the usually optimistic Ike, Horikita's barbed words made him stiff. And Yamauchi also started packing up. Finally, the worried Okitani also stood up, unable to go against the flow.

"S-everything... is this okay?"

"Let's go, Okitani."

Ike left the library with a hesitant Okitani.

The only ones left were me and Kushida. Even Kushida might be leaving soon.

"...Horikita-san, why didn't you stop them from leaving...?"

"I was wrong, even if I manage to get past these guys, this situation will repeat itself, then they give up again. I finally realized that this was a waste of time and effort.

"What do you mean...?"

"I'm saying that it's good to throw away all the unnecessary trash now."

If the low-scoring students weren't here, then there would be no labor needed to teach them, and the average would also increase. He came to that conclusion.

"So that's how it is... H-hey, Ayanokouji-kun, do you also think the same way?"

"If Horikita concludes that, does it not matter?"

"A-ayanokouji-kun, what do you think it is?"

"Well, I don't want them to stop, but since I'm not the one teaching them, I can't do anything about it, ultimately I have the same opinion as Horikita."

"...I see."

With a dark expression, Kushida picked up her bag and stood up.

"I'll do something about it, I don't want everyone to part so soon."

"Kushida-san, is that your real intention?"

"...is it bad? I can't just abandon Sudou-kun, Ike-kun, and Yamauchi-kun."

"No matter what you say is your true intention, I don't think you really want to help them."

"What are you talking about? I don't know what you mean, why are you making enemies with your cold words without hesitation? That... that's pathetic."

Kushida hung his head.

"...See you tomorrow."

After those short words, Kushida also left. In an instant, we were back to the two of us. The library was completely silent.

"That's disturbing. With that, the study group is over."

"It seems so."

The silence of the library was ominous.

"Only you understand me, I think you're a little better than a worthless fool. If you need me to teach you something now, I can do it."

"I will refuse."

"Are you going back home?"

"Sudou and the others are heading there. I'll go chat with them."

"There's no point in talking to people who will soon be out like them."

"I'm just trying to talk to my friends."

"So selfish. Calling them friends when you just sat and watched them get kicked out. From my point of view, it looks like the cruelest thing you can do."

Well, I can't deny it. He didn't say anything wrong.

In the end, learning is about how well one can motivate themselves.

"I won't say that you're wrong. I also understand why you call someone who doesn't like studying stupid like Sudou, but Horikita, isn't it important to imagine Sudou's situation? Just wanting to be a basketball player, then there's not much he can get at this school. Don't you want to know why he chose this school?"

"...Not interested."

While dismissing my words, Horikita continued to look at his notebook.

Leaving the library, I chased after Kushida. I wanted to thank him and apologize to him about the study group. After all, I wanted to be friends with a cute girl, you know?

Taking out my phone enthusiastically, I looked through my address book for Kushida. This was only the second time, so I felt nervous about calling her. I heard the phone ring two, three times.

However, there was no sign that she answered. Did she not notice? Or was she ignoring me?

She seemed to be within reach, so I ran around, looking for her. Inside the school building, I saw someone who looked like Kushida from behind. It was around 6 a.m., so there was no one else but club members. Well, there was also the possibility of Kushida meeting one of her friends who was in the club.

I'll chase after her; if she meets someone, I can talk to her later on. Time to go inside.

Getting my shoes off the rack, I headed down the hall, but didn't see Kushida. Did I forget her? I thought so, but I heard the quiet sound of someone's shoes.

I reached the stairs leading to the second floor. Still following her. I heard footsteps above me, going to the third floor. The next floor is the roof, right? It's open during lunch, but I'm sure it's locked after school. Feeling curious, I climbed the stairs. I hid my presence in case she met someone. Then I stopped in the middle of the stairs.

I could see the outline of a person up there.

Leaning on the handrail, I peered through the gap in the door. As I looked through the opening, I saw Kushida's figure. There was no one else. Was she waiting for someone here?

If she was waiting for someone in a quiet place... perhaps, was Kushida meeting with a boyfriend? In that case, there was a chance that I would be cornered from both sides. Just as I was wondering if I should leave, Kushida placed her bag on the floor.

Then-

"Ah-very annoying."

Her voice was so low that I didn't expect it to be Kushida.

"It's really annoying, annoying, It would have been better if she had just died..."

She grumbled to herself as if she was saying some kind of spell or curse.

"I hate those girls who think they're cute. What's wrong with a bitch? A woman like her can't possibly teach me how to study."

Was Kushida upset with... Horikita?

"Ah-the worst, she really is the worst, the worst, the worst. Horikita is annoying, irritating, so annoying!"

I felt like the image of the most popular class girl had been burned away. It was a figure that she didn't want anyone else to see. My brain told me that it was dangerous to stay here.

However, a question arose. Despite the fact that she was hiding her true feelings, why would she agree to help me if she hated Horikita? I thought she knew enough about Horikita's personality and demeanor. She could have refused to help, left the study group to Horikita, or had taken many other actions to get her hands off the matter.

Why did she force herself to participate in the study group? Did she want to be friends with Horikita? Or did she want to get closer to someone who participated?

None of them made sense. With so much pressure, if there wasn't a different reason why she was participating, I couldn't explain it.

No... She might have shown signs of this from the start.

I never thought about it, but looking at her current state, I have a thought. Anyway, Kushida and Horikita-

In any case, I should leave here. Kushida probably doesn't want others to see her like this. Concealing my presence, I tried to leave quickly.

Duar!

At the school at dusk, the sound of kicking the door sounded louder than my thoughts. Unexpectedly. Kushida also heard the sound, immediately tensed up and stopped breathing. As if someone was calling her, Kushida turned around and looked at me.

"...What are you doing here?"

After a moment of silence, Kushida asked in a cold voice.

"I got lost, it's my fault, I'll leave now."

Kushida continued to stare at me, seeing through my obvious lie. She had a sharp gaze that I had never seen before.

"Did you hear that...?"

"Would you believe me if I said that I didn't hear it?"

"I see..."

Kushida quickly walked down the stairs. She put her left arm around my neck and pushed me against the wall.

This tone of voice and behavior was not the Kushida I knew.

Kushida now had such a terrifying look that I couldn't help but compare her to Horikita.

"What you hear now... if you say a word to him, I won't forgive you."

That sounded like a threat.

"And if I do?"

"Then I'll spread the rumor that you raped me here."

"That's a false accusation, you know."

"It's okay, because it's not a false accusation."

There was a strong feeling in her words.

Kushida then grabbed my left wrist and slowly opened my palm. She held the back of my hand and placed my palm on her chest.

The feeling of her soft breasts was spread all over my palm.

"...What are you doing?"

At her unexpected behavior, I tried to pull away, but she pushed me back into my arms.

"Your fingerprints are on my clothes, there's evidence, I'm serious, understand?"

"...I understand, I understand, so let go of my hand."

"I'll leave this uniform in my room without washing it. If you tell someone, I'll give this to the police."

For a moment, I glared at Kushida as she held my hands on her breasts.

"Don't forget."

Making sure that I understood, Kushida stepped away from me.

Somehow I couldn't remember that feeling even though it was my first time touching a woman's breast.

"Hey, Kushida, where's the 'real' you?"

"...It has nothing to do with you."

"Is that so... but, looking at you made me realize something If you hate Horikita, then you don't need to involve yourself with him, right?"

I didn't mean to ask that. I knew that she probably wouldn't answer it. But I'm curious as to why she went to this extent to befriend him.

"Is it weird to be loved by everyone? Do you understand how hard it is? You don't understand, do you?"

"I don't have many friends, so no, I can't say that."

From day one, Kushida naturally tried to talk to, exchanging contact addresses and inviting pessimistic and negative women. Anyone can imagine how time-consuming and difficult it was.

"Like Horikita... I want it to at least look like I'm related to Horikita-san."

"But you're stressed, huh."

"Yes, that's how I live, that way, I can feel my own significance."

She answered without hesitation. Kushida had feelings and rules that only he himself knew. That was what she said. Following her own rules, she frantically tried over and over again to match Horikita.

"I'm saying this because of the truth, but I really hate gloomy and innocent boys like you."

My image of the cute Kushida had been shattered, but I wasn't really surprised. People tend to have public and private images.

However, Kushida's answer felt like the truth and a lie.

"This is just my intuition, but are you and Horikita acquaintances? Before coming to this school."

The moment I said that, Kushida's shoulders jerked for a split second.

"What... I don't know what you mean. Did Horikita-san say something about me?"

"No, I thought it was the first time you met her. That's so funny."

"...Cute?"

I recalled the first time Kushida talked to me.

"When I introduced myself, you remembered my name right away, didn't you?"

Kushida asked in response, "So what?"

"Where did you hear the name Horikita? At that time, he didn't tell his name to anyone. The only one who knew was Sudou, but I doubt you ever met Sudou."

In other words, she should not have had the chance to know his name.

"Also, you're probably close to me so you can keep an eye on him, right?"

"Just shut up, I'm getting annoyed from listening to you talk, I just want to say one thing, do you swear that you won't say a word of what you see here?"

"I promise, even if I tell anyone, no one will believe me, right?"

Kushida was completely believed by the class. The difference was between heaven and earth between us.

"...OK, I believe you."

Although she didn't change her expression, Kushida closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Is there anyone who believes me?"

I unintentionally said those words.

"Horikita-san's kind is unusual, right?"

"Well, I think she's really unusual."

"She is not influenced by anyone, nor does she involve herself with others. The opposite of me."

Kushida and Horikita were truly two polar opposites.

"You know, she only opens herself up to you."

"Wait, let me do a quick revision, she doesn't open up, not at all."

"...Perhaps, even so, she trusts you a lot. Of all the people I know, she's the most confident and the most wary of others. She won't trust someone who is worthless and stupid."

"You said that she has a good eye for others, right?"

"That's the reason I said that I trust you. After all, you're pretty indifferent to others, aren't you?"

I didn't remember showing Kushida such behavior, but it seemed like she believed in his words.

"It's not strange to say, you're not showing any signs of giving your seat to the old lady at all, are you?"

I see, that's what she's talking about. She saw us on the bus. And then she realized that we weren't even thinking of giving up our seats.

"If you trust me, then don't spread such meaningless rumors."

"If you had that kind of confidence before, you wouldn't have had the chance to feel my breasts."

"That, I was really confused there, I panicked..."

Her facial expression softened, and turned into impatience.

"So, can I consider you a bitch who lets boys touch your breasts without hesitation?"

She kicked my thigh with all her strength. Frantically, I held onto the railing.

"Dangerous! I might get hurt!"

"That's because you said something stupid!"

With a flushed face (from anger, not embarrassment), Kushida snapped at me.

"Hey, wait a minute."

I gave a small nod.

While climbing the stairs, Kushida quickly grabbed her bag and returned. She had a big grin on her face.

"How about we get back together?"

"Sure."

I wondered if this was a nightmare because her attitude was 180 degrees different. The usual Kushida. In the end, I couldn't tell which one she was.

⁰ₒ⁰

I wonder how class D will start tomorrow. It felt like I was watching a variety show. The message from the group chat came.

It read, "Satou has joined this group." She's one of the hyper girls in our class.

"Yahoo~ Ike-kun invited me when I talked to him earlier."

There was nothing to say, I did nothing and continued to look at the chat.

"I heard about what happened today~ Isn't Horikita really annoying?"

"I'm annoyed with him and I'm also very angry with him, it looks like he's going to hit her."

"If I meet him tomorrow, I'll hit him, I'm really angry today."

"Ahahaha, it would be a big deal if you hit her LOL it's just too much"

"Hey, while we're on that topic. Want to ignore it starting from tomorrow?"

"well, we always ignore her (lol)"

"I should go back to him soon, we can bully him and make him cry, like hiding his shoes."

"I would laugh if I were a kid, but I really want to see her suffer."

Somehow, Horikita became the main topic of the group chat.

"Ayanakouji-kun, want to come too? Bully him haha"

"No, she's too loud."

"Hey, whose side are you on?"

It was pretty obvious that everyone would be annoyed at Horikita. Their experiences were always negative. However, I don't agree with hitting or bullying him. Neither had any good intentions.

"You're reading this, right? Hey, let me ask you a question: whose side are you on?"

"I'm not on either side, I won't really stop you guys."

"Stay neutral The most cunning answer possible lol"

"You can think about it all you want, but it's your loss if you think about it. If the school finds out about this matter, it will be a problem for you. Keep that in mind."

"Are you trying to protect her? Haha."

Since I couldn't see their faces while chatting, it made them more aggressive than usual. If Ike was in front of me, maybe he wouldn't have said those words.

However, everyone just wanted a sense of security and solidarity by using Horikita.

It was a waste of time to keep chatting. Time to finish this conversation.

"If Kushida knows this, she'll hate you. Lol"

After sending that message, I hung up my phone. It rang, but I left it alone. They probably wouldn't do anything stupid. Satou wouldn't do anything stupid without the cooperation of the others.

While walking to the side of the room, I opened the window. I could hear insects from a nearby tree. Was Kubikirigisu making that noise? The night wind shook the window back and forth.

I met Horikita on the first day of school, was placed in the same class, and got a seat next to him. I became friends with Sudou and Ike. Subsequently, I fell for the school traps and our class was labeled as the worst. Horikita who tried to fix our situation, earned the ire of the other students because of his personality.

I was the closest to this situation, but I felt like I was floating.

No, that's a bad choice of words. It's not a comfortable feeling. However, I felt like I was observing it from the outside. Since I didn't feel the same sense of urgency as Sudou and the others did, I thought the current situation was unrelated to me and ignored it instead.

"Only fools don't use the power they have."

I didn't want to remember his words, but they were stuck in my head.

"Fool... I wonder what I am."

Closing the window, I could hear the loud laughter coming from the television.

It seemed like I couldn't sleep, so I got up and walked out of my room.

In the lobby, I bought some juice from the vending machine and returned to the elevator.

"Hmm?"

The elevator was on the 7th floor. Feeling curious, I looked at the CCTV monitor inside the elevator. Horikita was there in his school uniform.

"...Well, there's no need to hide myself, but..."

I didn't want to face him, so I hid myself behind the vending machine. The elevator reached the first floor.

While being aware of his surroundings, Horikita exited the building. After she disappeared into the darkness, I chased after her.

However, I unknowingly hid myself again after turning a corner.

Horikita stopped moving. There was the figure of another person.

"Suzune, I didn't think you would follow me all the way here."

Did she leave at this hour to meet a boy?

"Mou, you're different from the useless me you know. I came here to catch you."

"Catch me, huh."

Nii-san? I couldn't see the person he was talking to, but it seemed to be Horikita's older brother.

"I heard that you were in Class D, it seems like nothing has changed in the past 3 years. Since you always look at my back, you can never see your own flaws. Choosing to come to this school is one of your mistakes."

"That-that's wrong, I'm going up to class A. And then-"

"That's impossible, you'll never make it to class A. Instead, your class will be destroyed before that. This school isn't as easy as you think."

"I'll actually reach class A..."

"I already said it's impossible, you're a completely unreasonable little sister."

Big Sister Horikita took a step forward. From my hiding place, I could see her form more clearly.

It was the student council president.

There was no emotion in his expression, as if he was looking at an existence that did not interest him at all.

She grabbed her little sister's wrist and pushed her against the wall.

"No matter how much I avoid you, you are still my little sister. If people start to know about you, I will be the one who will be humiliated. Leave this school immediately."

"N-no... tsu, I'm going, I'm really going to go up to class A...!"

"Fool, really, do you want to relive painful experiences from the past?"

"Nii-san-I will-"

"You don't have the strength or qualifications to make it to Class A. Understand that."

Horikita's body lifted forward, as if about to take action. The situation looked dangerous.

Resigning myself to his anger, I stepped out of the corner and approached the elder brother.

Before I knew it, I grabbed his right arm.

"-What? Who are you?"

Looking at his own arm, he looked at me with a sharp glint in his eyes.

"A-ayanokouji-kun!?"

"You, you're trying to knock her to the ground, aren't you? Right, here, you know, just because you're siblings doesn't mean you can do whatever you want."

"It's rude of you to eavesdrop."

"Just let go of her hand."

"That's what I should have said."

Silence as we glared at each other.

"Stop it, Ayanokouji-kun..."

She said in a strained voice. I've never seen her like that before.

Reluctantly, I let go of her arm. At that moment, she was to my face with a quick backhand.

Sensing the danger, I naturally leaned back. A wicked attack with a thin body. Next, she targeted my vital area with a sharp kick.

"Ha!"

I understood that it had the power to make me lose consciousness in a single blow. With a confused look, she let out a breath and extended her right arm towards me.

If I grabbed her hand, she would probably throw me to the ground. Instead, I patted her arm with my left hand.

"Good reflexes, I don't think you'll avoid everyone. You also understand what I'm trying to do. Have you been practicing in some way?"

Finally stopping her attack, he asked a question.

"Yes, I've played piano and calligraphy. In elementary school, I even won the championship in a music competition."

"Are you also D class? What a unique child, Suzune."

Letting go of her arm, she slowly looked at me.

"Suzune, you have a friend? I'm really surprised."

"He... he's not my friend, he's just a classmate."

Denying her words, she looked at her sister.

"As usual, you're misrepresenting isolation And you, Ayanokouji With you, it looks like things will get interesting."

Walking past me, she disappeared into the night. The confident student council president. It seemed like Horikita was acting strange because he met his brother.

"I'll crawl up to A class even if I die. That's the only way."

After he left, the night was engulfed in silence. Horikita sat against the wall, his head hanging in shame. I wondered if I was doing something unnecessary. As I turned around to return to the dormitory, Horikita called out to me.

"Did you hear everything... or was it a coincidence?"

"No, it was like 50% luck that I saw you when I went to buy juice from the vending machine. I followed you just because I was curious, but I really didn't mean to intrude."

Horikita fell silent once more.

"Your brother is quite strong, he doesn't hesitate to attack."

"He's... 5 years in karate and 4 years and in aikido."

Oho, so he's really strong. If I don't pull her back, there will definitely be a disaster.

"Ayanokouji-kun, you're also doing something, right? You're also a rank holder."

"I already said that, didn't I? I play the piano and do the tea ceremony."

"You said calligraphy before."

"...I also do calligraphy."

"You deliberately scored low on your test, and you said that you play the piano and do calligraphy, I still don't understand you very well."

"Getting that score was just a fluke, and I really do play the piano, tea ceremony, and calligraphy."

If there was a piano here, I could at least play Fur Elise.

"I let you see my strange side."

"On the contrary, I always thought that you were a normal girl-no."

She scowled at me.

"Let's go back, if anyone sees us here, there must be some misunderstanding."

There must be. There must be strange gossip about a girl and a boy alone in the middle of the night.

Not to mention, our relationship was still fragile.

Slowly getting up, Horikita walked towards the dormitory entrance.

"Hey... are you okay with how the study group went?"

Thinking that I wouldn't get another chance, I called out to him sternly.

"Why are you asking that? I was the one who proposed the study group in the first place. It's not like you care much about it, am I wrong?"

"I have a bad feeling or should I say, the other students seem to be planning something."

"I don't mind, I'm used to it, also most of the students with red marks are with Hirata-kun. He is good at studying, making friends with others, and can teach others well, unlike me. This time, they should be able to barely make the boundaries clear. However, I judged it necessary to waste time helping them myself. Until graduation, they should repeatedly try not to fail. That would be so stupid. To keep trying to cover up their shortcomings every time. "

"Sudou and his group are a bit far away from Hirata, I don't think they will join his study group."

"That's what they decided to do, it has nothing to do with me. If they don't approach Hirata-kun, they'll be out soon enough. Of course, my goal is to achieve an A grade. However, that's for my own sake, and not for others, I don't care about what others do. On the contrary, if reducing people in the next midterm, only the necessary people would be left. It will be easier to get to Class A. A winner situation. "

I don't think he's wrong. First, this crisis is bad for the students who got red marks. However, I couldn't help but continue the conversation with Horikita, who was strangely talkative.

"Horikita, isn't that the wrong way to think?"

"Wrong? Tell me which part is wrong? You're not trying to say that there's no future for people who abandon their classmates, are you?"

"Calm down, I know well enough that you won't understand what I'm saying."

"So what? There's no benefit in saving failure."

"Of course there's not much benefit. However, it helps prevent losses."

"...Loss?"

"Do you think that school hasn't thought about it? They are students who accumulate negative points from talking in class or always being late. Let's say they drop out because no one helps them. How many negative points do you think we'll get?"

"That's-"

"Of course, before getting information, nothing is certain. However, don't you think there's a pretty high possibility? A hundred? A thousand? There's even a possibility of 10,000 or 100,000 points being deducted. You'll have a hard time getting an A grade."

"Our negative points for being late and talking in class can't go below 0 at the moment. While we are at 0 points, it would be better to get rid of all the students who can't learn. Is that the same as not receiving damage?"

"There is no guarantee that it will happen. There might be some negative points that we don't know about yet. Do you really think it's alright to ignore such dangerous risks? Well... for someone as smart as you, there's no way you wouldn't have thought of it. If that wasn't the case, there would have been no reason for you to do the study group. You would've abandoned it from the start. "

I started to work. That's probably because I started to think of her as a friend. I didn't want her to regret her decision.

"Even if there are invisible minuses, it's better for the class if we get rid of the failures. When we start increasing our points, it would be bad if we regret not cutting it. At this time, this is a risk. It must be taken. "

"Do you think so?"

"Yes, really, I'm worried about you, who's trying to save them so hard?"

I grabbed Horikita's wrist as she was about to get on the elevator.

"What? Do you have a rebuttal? This problem isn't something the two of us can solve. The only one who knows the answer is the school, so we'll be left here to argue forever. That's just the way I like it, and you'll do the same. That would just be mean, wouldn't it?"

"You really talk a lot, I never thought you were the talkative type."

"That... that's because you're stubborn"

A normal Horikita would never listen to me.

If I stopped her like this, it wouldn't be strange to get a sharp blow. However, he didn't, this was proof that Horikita also thought the same way. That's why she didn't let go of my hand. Of course, she herself probably didn't realize it.

"The day we met, do you remember what happened on the bus?"

"You mean when we refused to give up our seats to that old lady?"

"Yes, at that time, I thought about the meaning behind giving up my seat, giving up my seat, or not giving up my seat, which is the correct answer?"

"I already gave my answer, I didn't give up my seat because I felt there was no point. There was no point in giving him my seat, but it was a waste of time and effort."

"Really? All you think about is gains and losses until the end."

"Is that bad? Humans count as creatures. If you sell things, you get money, and if you help someone, it will be returned. I will receive this thing called 'joy' from my contribution to society if I leave my seat, no?"

"No, that's not wrong, I also think it's natural."

"Then-"

"With that mindset, be sure to have a broad outlook on life. Right now, you're too blinded by anger and unhappiness that you can't see anything."

"Are you someone important? Do you even have the ability to find my faults?"

"Whatever my ability is, I can only see one thing that you cannot see. This is the only fault in the seemingly perfect person known as Horikita Suzune."

He snorted, as if he was saying "Tell me if you have a bone to pick with me."

"Let me tell you your fault, you find other people's inhibitions and you don't let other people get close to you. Aren't you in D class because you always think of yourself as superior to others?"

"...It seems like you're trying to say that I'm equal to Sudou-kun and his group."

"In that case, are you trying to say that you are superior to those people?"

"It's obvious if you look at the test scores. That's clear evidence that they're just heavy baggage for the class."

"Sure, if you measure by scores, they're two, three times below your level. Even if they try really hard, they won't be able to surpass you. However, that's only true if it's on the table. Not just looking at intelligence. This time, if the school does some sort of physical examination, the results won't be the same. Is that wrong?"

"That's-"

"Your physical ability is also good, after seeing you swim, you are definitely one of the better girls, but you and I both know Sudou's physical ability exceeds yours. Ike has communication ability that you don't have. It's a test based on communication ability, Ike will certainly be of great help, maybe you'll be dragged down in class just like that, then are you incompetent? No, that's not it. Everyone has strong and weak points. That's what human beings are."

Horikita tried to reply, but he couldn't say anything.

"...You have no basis for your words. All your words are just pure guesses."

"If there is no basis, then we must guess from what we have. Think about Chiyabashira-sensei's words carefully. In the guidance room, he said, 'Who decides that smart people are the ones who get into the Excellent Class?' So, the conclusion is that there are some factors other than academic ability that affect rankings."

I quickly cut off Horikita's exit as he looked left and right to extricate himself from the argument. If I hadn't done that, our argument would have been laughable.

"You said that you wouldn't regret leaving a failing student, but that's not true. There will be many days where you feel regret if they drop out."

I looked straight into Horikita's eyes. She not only understood the reality of the situation, but also bound it with her consciousness. I got that impression from her.

"You really talked a lot today too. It's not in accordance with your principles to avoid trouble."

"Yes, perhaps."

"It's really frustrating, but your words are right, you have enough persuasive power to make me think, I'll learn that, but I still can't understand one thing, what do you really mean at this school? For you? Why are you trying so hard to persuade me?"

"...I see, that's what you're thinking."

"If one does not have persuasive power, their theories will not be believed."

She wanted to know why I was trying to persuade her that letting Sudou and the others drop out of school was a bad thing.

"Without any facts, I want to know the real reason, for points? To get into class A? Or, to help your friend?"

"Because I want to know, what is 'someone who deserves'? What is equality?"

"Really, equality..."

"I came to this school to find answers to these questions."

Although it wasn't neatly organized in my head, it came out clearly with words.

"Your hand, can you take it off?"

"Ah, I was wrong."

After I let go of my hand, Horikita turned around and looked at me.

"I'm not going to fall for your soft talk, am I?"

Saying that, Horikita extended his arm towards me.

"I will take care of Sudou-kun and the others for my own sake. From now on, I'll make sure they don't drop out as an investment in the future. Is that a problem?"

"Don't worry, I don't think you'll act otherwise. That's the kind of person you are."

"So, this is a promise."

I grabbed Horikita's hand.

However, it was only then that I learned that this was a contract entered into with the devil.